Tempting Incentives Give Customers a Reason to Return

Print Article

Email Article

Telling a tire dealer he or she needs great customer service to make their business thrive is simply stating the obvious. Suc­cessful dealers already have systems put in place to ensure their staff treats customers well, and that’s great for any business.

But in the quest to keep customers coming back again and again, sometimes a little extra persuasion can’t hurt. By establishing unique customer incentive programs, you’re taking an additional step in making sure your shop stands out above the competition, as well as giving customers a tangible reason to return.

Tire Review talked to a handful of Top Shop Award honorees to see what kind of incentive programs they currently have in place. Read on to start getting some ideas for your own business.

Griffin Brothers
Based in Charlotte, N.C., Griffin Brothers Tires, Wheels and Auto Repair offers local businesses a corporate discount program. The shop e-mails a PDF to the owner or hum­an relations professional of nearby companies with at least 20 emp­loyees. The flyer is good for 5% off any purchase, in addition to a $25 discount if the employee makes a purchase within 90 days of receiving the offer.

“Companies like this because it costs them nothing and is an added benefit for their employees,” says Larry Griffin Jr., one of three owners.

The tire shop also was the first in the nation to use POS key tags, which feature a “buy five oil changes, get the sixth free” offer.

“We give a key tag to every customer,” Griffin says. “Hopefully they see us every time they look at their keys. Plus, there is a bar code on the back; our POS system has bar code readers that will bring up information on that customer and their vehicle.”

Not only does the key tag program give customers a reason to come back, it also makes gathering pertinent information faster for Griffin Brothers employees, he says.

Performance Plus
Like Griffin Bro­thers, Long Beach, Calif.-based Per­for-mance Plus Tire also offers employees of local businesses a discount.

“We go into local businesses and give them enough $25 gift cards to cover all their employees,” says Hank Feldman, one of three owners. “It’s not a discount card, it’s a straight gift card. If they only come in and spend $25, their purchase is free. But it gets them in the door.”

He notes that roughly half of all corporate gift cards are redeemed. Performance Plus also offers a “smart card program” for store gift cards. A vendor paid for the cards, which can be reloaded with more money, so the program cost the dealership very little. Standard gift cards and employee gift cards feature different graphics, so Feldman’s staff can easily keep track of who is redeeming the cards.

The company also distributes a free flat repair card that lists Performance Plus’ services and contact information on the back. “I gave a stack to each employee to give to friends or anyone they feel would make a good customer,” Feldman says. “In addition, our outside fleet salesman gives them to companies that will be likely to return to us for tires and service.”

Superior Tire
Paul Hyatt, owner of Superior Tire, based in Scarborough, Ont., knows that when it comes to earning customer loyalty, saving them money goes a long way. That’s why the dealership offers a 10% coupon on its Web site, e-mail specials and service reminders, a 99-cent oil change for first time customers and a VIP key tag with a “buy four oil changes, get the fifth free” offer.

“We also give all our customers 5% cashback in ‘Superbucks,’ which they can use for any future service at any of our stores,” Hyatt says. “Also, our ‘Superior Price Guarantee’ is posted in all our stores to remind customers that they are receiving the best value for their money.”

The guarantee states “If you find a better advertised value on tires within 30 days of your purchase, we’ll double the difference with Superbucks.”

The paper “money” is recirculated, so when it’s time to print more, Hyatt knows the program has been successful. “The incentives programs are popular,” he says. “Locations ask for more Superbucks all the time, so we know they’re being used.”

Superior also offers a “President’s Guarantee,” which states if a customer isn’t satisfied with their his or her tires, the business will replace them with a different tire within 30 days, at no charge. In addition, Sup­erior gives each customer a service maintenance booklet that includes a service maintenance chart and $250 worth of coupons, as well as offering in-store manager specials that are changed on a weekly basis, Hyatt says.

Curry’s Auto Service
Sterling, Va.-based Curry’s Auto Service adds a little intrigue to its Curry Reward Card incentive program. The cards, given free to each customer, have a magnetic strip that is scanned into Curry’s credit card machines to check the balance and to add or redeem points. Each card is pre-loaded with a random number of points, so each customer begins with a balance between $20 and $60, according to owner Matt Curry.

With each service, points are added on the cards and can be redeemed at different point levels for savings from $10-$60. “Points can be accumulated and used when needed,” he says. “This program encourages our customers to return to either add more value to their cards or to redeem them for a discount.”

An upside to the program, which Curry’s started some four years ago, is that it actually saves the company money and streamlines customer discounts. Before the card program, Curry’s offered 5% or 10% off to various car clubs and businesses, which started to get confusing when it came to redeeming the discounts.

“We started this program not only to tie customers to us, but to make all the discounts the same,” says Chris Coulter, part-owner and vice president of operations. “They present a reward card with a certain number of points on it, rather than telling us where they work and having our people look up what discount they’re supposed to get.”

“After starting the program, we actually saw our discounts go down. It used to be about 5.5% on average, and it’s now 3%. Basically, it added 2.5% to our bottom line,” Curry says.

Curry’s also offers a referral program in which customers can fill out referral postcards – both online and at each location – and pass them along to a friend. The friend can bring the card in for a $20 discount, and the referring customer receives a chance to win a reward during the dealership’s monthly drawing, says Judy Curry, vice president of marketing and advertising.

The company also offers VIP coupon books that include coupons good for 18 months to attract new customers. New this year, Curry’s published and distributed a customer calendar, which features pictures of actual customer vehicles, that offers specials for each month, she says.