Giving 100%

What sets Richard Paschal, owner of two tire dealerships in Fredericksburg, Va., apart from most tire dealers can be summed up in two words – community service.

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Richard and his wife Brenda are building a sizeable empire in their city with a third dealership set to open this year. Currently, the Paschals are owners of Courthouse Tire and Service Center and Stafford Tire and Auto. Trust is the rock on which they have built their foundation, as well as the generosity they demonstrate daily.

“The one thing I cannot and will not tolerate in my dealerships is when one of my employees fails to tell the truth to the customer,” he says. “A customer came in the other day with two worn tires. Two new tires were installed and he was charged for two tires.

“That’s when I got involved. I told the employee that he should have installed four new tires to give our customer the best possible handling and ride. We invited the customer back to our dealership and put on two more brand new tires for free along with our apologies. Our stores have been established 100% on reputation and I can’t stand anything less than that percentage when it comes to telling the truth,” Paschal continues.

It should be noted that Paschal is not operating in some vacuum. His two stores are within a six-mile radius of three Super Wal-Marts, as well as Merchants Tire, NTB, Sears, two Bridgestone/Firestone company stores, ATA Tire, Tire Tread, and Costco and BJ locations.

Still, Paschal understands clearly that he and his employees have to be better than his competitors when it comes to customer service and honesty. “Each year I look for a 10% increase in car count,” he says. “If that number is not going up I want to know why.” The good news is that he has experienced a drop in car count only two months in the last three years.

“Almost all of our gains should be attributed to our employees and our community involvement,” he says. Paschal’s shops are both AAA stores, Better Business Bureau-approved and display the BG logo, which stands for bgfindashop.com.

“We constantly advertise our name so it’s known to the community, by using a strong direct mail program with companies such as Valpak and Money Mailer. Also, our high school and county sports teams can always count on us to advertise in their programs or in sponsoring teams. At Christmas time we send out a Chistmas postcard with a discount and remind customers how much we appreciate their business.”

Paschal also advertises in several area phone books, some including coupons in the ads. “We use our co-op money wisely, making sure we use all of these funds yearly,” he says.

Generosity Abounds
Here are just a few of the charities and organizations Paschal and his wife support annually: The Fredericksburg Christian Academy, Young Life, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Virginia Police Chief, Chancellor Middle School, Chancellor High School, King’s Academy, Massaponax High School, the American Heart Association, DARE, Toys for Tots, Jail and Prison Ministries, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Salvation Army and the Special Olympics.

And that is the short list. There wouldn’t be enough room to list everything the Paschals touch with their generosity.

Still, one in particular is very important to him. A self-proclaimed soccer aficionado, Paschal purchased a Mercedes Benz van that is used on missions to the small downtrodden nation of Moldavia. “The U.S. dollar is worth 11 times more than Moldavian currency,” he says, “so we can really do a lot for these kids just by spending $25 per youngster.”

By kids, he is referring to groups of children ages 10 to 14. “They show up hungry and with nothing but the ragged and torn clothes on their backs. We take care of that first and, of course, I take plenty of soccer balls so we get in a lot of good exercise. Yearly, I take two weeks away from work, hook up with our interpreter and, along with a few others, spend all day with these youngsters who were once part of the Soviet Union and are trying to find their way.

The Paschals also give generously at home, providing soccer balls and donating more than $2,000 to local soccer clubs in their area. “Additionally, we donated several sets of tires for school benefit auctions to help raise money for teachers. I even put my Myrtle Beach condo in the auction for a one-week stay,” he said. “The money bid for the condo goes straight to the teachers and the winner and their family get to stay free-of-charge in the condo.”
For Paschal it’s all about sharing the wealth.

Training and Service
Employee training and top-notch customer service go hand-in-hand and Paschal knows it. “We require all of our techs to go through all the Carquest classes, from Ford to hybrids to GM driveability as well as online classes. We are also an ASE Blue Seal of Excellence  shop. Beyond that we have been a top gun with Bridgestone/Firestone TireStarz Program for six years. In short, our people know what they are doing,” says Paschal.

This fact is even proven by local competition in some instances. “We know that some of the tire businesses around us are not up to par with their tire skills. For that reason alone we get referrals from them, as well as new car dealers who seem particularly befuddled by the tire business.”

“We also make it a point to shake the customer’s hand, greet them by name and always thank them for their business when they leave. Like all Top Shop dealers today we strive to have a clean showroom, bathroom and shop. It’s a constant job to update our showroom so it looks nice.

“Additionally, we offer a Wi-Fi environment, free coffee, cable TV and loads of current magazines. We also make it a distinct point to help any customer who looks as if he or she is a bit lost or confused by the wide array of products and choices in front of them. Our utmost goal is to make everyone feel comfortable,” Paschal says.

Each location also offers its customers a unique shuttle ride back and forth from work or home. “Recently we purchased a pair of Toyota Scion xBs and custom-wrapped them with Bridgestone/Firestone’s Fuzion characters and our name.

“We use these vehicles as customer shuttles, rolling advertising and occasionally moving a few tires from store to store. They are very striking to see on the street moving through traffic,” he says.

“We also do a nice job of keeping the customer plugged into the progress of their repair job – what we’re doing and how soon their vehicle will be ready for them. If there is a holdup while we’re waiting for a part, we let the customer know immediately,” Paschal says.

In order to reflect the professionalism and courtesy he requires of his employees, Paschal asks them to dress in clean, matching uniforms in order to add consistency and provide a top notch environment for the customer, he noted.

Getting Started
Interestingly, Paschal kind of backed into the tire business. As a business major student in college, his car broke down one day. “That’s when I realized what the business of selling tires and repairing vehicles was all about and I liked it,” he says.

“Shortly afterward, I found a job as a mechanic and state inspector before moving my way up the line as a manager at a nationally known tire dealer.

“Twelve years ago I decided I wanted to take what I had learned and do it for myself. The biggest challenge I have found over the last decade is to be up front and honest with my employees and my customers. What has made my business successful are the people who work for me and the attitude each of them convey to the customers.

“We make it a point to fix every car that comes into our shop.” he says. “If for some reason we cannot fix it properly, the customer is charged absolutely nothing. I want every car to leave our service bays in perfect working order.”

Perhaps above all, Paschal is proud of his employees for working within the template of honesty and trust he has established.

“This is the key to allowing me to get out and do the kind of charity and community involvement work that I love so much. Time is the biggest factor in any business and my people give me the luxury of being able to go out and do the kind of civic work that comes back to us in the form of devoted customers.”