Incentives Abound: Missouri Dealer Keeps Customers, Employees Highly Satisfied

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Every year for 40 years, G.L. Moore Tire & Automotive in Springfield, Mo., now in the capable hands of third generation owner Mark Moore, closes for a week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Moore also closes the doors every Saturday and Sunday. And four times a year, he holds a barbecue on his premises for 350 employees, customers and other invited guests for just $4 a pop. These acts of leadership by kindness resonate well with both customers and employees.

“The cost for the four annual barbecues is about $1,200 per event,” says Moore, who notes the events are held on Fridays and the store is closed from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., after everyone is served. The cooking is done on the shop’s own custom-built, 20-foot long smoker which Moore says has become a Springfield icon. “It’s our way of saying thanks for the loyalty to our techs and our many customers.”

His employees also receive regular vacation time based on seniority, as well as health care benefits. Moore has made it a privilege to work for him. He hires the best and takes care of them, thereby reducing turnover.

To avoid any confusion, G.L. Moore Tire is a full-service repair facility featuring up-to-date equipment. All techs have ASE and SEMA certifications.

From Moore’s standpoint, a happy employee is going to have a “feel good” attitude about taking care of every vehicle as if it were his or her own. It’s a professional way of doing business that is not lost on the customers or his 12 employees.

“All of the techs in the shop have great customer service skills and interact with almost every customer by name,” Moore says. His wife, Jackie, also helps to make sure the entire business is family friendly. “She makes sure we’re on track and that we consider each customer a part of our family.”

Catering to Customers
At G.L. Moore Tire, making sure customers are educated and kept comfortable is a daily practice. Moore has an “open shop” policy that dictates each customer will see the worn out tire or part that’s about to be replaced. The part’s function and cost is also explained. Customers are even invited back into the spotless bay area to see what’s happening to their vehicle.

“Whether it’s a $3 part or a $700 part, I’m not going to lead the customer into thinking we’re taking a shortcut or ripping him off. We use the best parts installed by the best techs in this city. The entire package comprises our open shop policy,” he says.

The dealership also offers free pick-up and delivery to its customers, as well as loaner cars. “If they are not able to bring their car in we will go pick it up, leave one of our cars in their parking lot, take their car back to our shop and once it’s finished, deliver the vehicle back to the same spot it was in,” Moore says.

The shop’s modern waiting room offers free coffee, doughnuts, Wi-Fi, toys and cable television. G.L. Moore also plays informational DVDs from AutoNetTV so customers can learn more about vehicle systems and service needs while waiting. The waiting room also features windows into the service bays that allow customers to watch while their vehicle is worked on.

“Even our alignment machine has a computer monitor hooked up in the waiting room so the customer can watch their alignment work being done and see exactly what the tech is seeing,” Moore says.

The dealership is kept sparkling clean. The bay floors are washed every night and steam-cleaned weekly. All machines are wiped down to get rid of grease, grime and dirt. “By doing this daily, the dirty part of our business never gets a chance to collect,” he says, “and it impresses the customers. It also gives every tech a clean, uncluttered place to begin work each day.

“We adhere to a policy that if someone makes a mess, that person cleans it up. And we won’t bring another car into that bay until the mess is completely cleaned up.”

Staying Competitive
“Customers shopping price notice the cost of the work we perform for them and the positive attitude of our employees,” Moore says. “When you’re doing business against the big boxers, it is necessary to be the customer’s friend, to offer him a fair price (not always the lowest) and treat him as a partner in keeping his vehicle in good shape.

“Like other markets, one of our biggest obstacles has been the competition wanting to ‘give away’ product and services, so being able to justify our cost to the customer has been tough. The good news is that my plan is working and I no longer look at big box and discount stores as my direct competition.”

G.L. Moore has had its ups and downs just like other dealerships, but Moore never gives in. Business was down 12%, or roughly $220,000, year over year between 2008 and 2009, but overall profits were only down 5%. How can that be? “Because we learned to work smarter,” says Moore, “and we never forget that our customers are king.”

The shop also takes steps to reduce costs, such as keeping a close watch on its parts inventory. “In the past we had far too many parts in stock, so we asked each employee to check the bins every time they needed a part rather than automatically calling our local part supplier,” Moore says. “Today we make fewer trips to the warehouse.”

Perhaps surprising to some, Moore continues to give each of his employees a pay raise and he doesn’t raise his prices even though his suppliers might elect to do so.

Word about Moore’s reputation and expertise has spread throughout the city and beyond. “We now do alignment work for five shops in our market area,” he said. “Additionally, we make it a point to let people know what kind of business we’re in. A motorist driving by will see a large, attractive sign and the windows are full of tire and wheel displays. We don’t like to hide our good name.”

Educating the Public
“One method we use to attract and educate our customers about our products and services is presented through our showroom displays,” says Moore. “We have information boards explaining things like the components of steering and suspension, as well as interactive boards like our Monroe shocks display. Of course, we have tires on display in the front showroom, in addition to a wheel display with miniature versions.

G.L. Moore works with Missouri State University for advertising through radio spots and game sponsorship, including basketball and baseball. “In addition, we also do radio advertisements with the St. Louis Cardinals and the University of Missouri athletics. It’s all about educating the public on who we are, where we are and what we do,” says Moore.

In addition, the shop’s Web site not only contains basic business information, but also vehicle component information. “There is also a customer maintenance program in which our customers can log onto our site 24/7 and access not only their account history, but their vehicle history, as well. This is updated constantly. Our invoices are very detailed and all notes are put into the system,” he says.

G.L. Moore provides financial or time donations to various civic projects around town, including Lake County Soccer and providing Christmas presents each year for a needy family. In total, Moore donates or participates in nearly 60 charitable events every year.