Admittedly I don’t know a great deal about tires, so these questions for tire dealers are more emotive and curious than they are vindictive attacks on the industry:
1. Why do we expect things to cost more when we pay then they do when you quote the price? For some odd reason, the price is never the price. There are a whole bunch of added charges for things that most of us don’t comprehend. Then we’re forced to pay more because we don’t know if not paying that little bit extra will mean our early demise on the highway. Extra charges for balancing, for labor, for taxes, and probably other stuff though I can’t recall precisely leaves us with a very bad taste in our mouths. In this economic climate, transparency is the new upsell!
2. Why is there always something else that needs fixing or changing, and not just that tire issue we came for? This is leaky, that is squeaky, and your car will fall apart if this isn’t fixed… I’ve worked in sales. I know how the game works. But tire dealers have leverage that the best used car salesman will never have, namely the fear of God on your side. None of us want to die. None of us know how cars work. So if we believe our car will break and we will die than we’ll gladly fork over cash. Well, not gladly, but we’ll do it. And you know this. And we know you know. And that’s why we don’t trust you.
I don’t know if there’s anything to be done about this. I mean, if you’ve discovered the Achilles heal in our car’s mechanics after only 5 minutes of poking and prodding, then we all want it fixed. But we have nothing but trust to base our decision on, and that creates a great many skeptics of us.
3. Why do I feel as hesitant to visit a tire dealer as I do a dentist? Both fix and maintain things that are important, but you’re not drilling in my mouth for crying out loud. Perhaps this has something to do with the nature of our visits. We only see you when we have a problem, therefore we don’t look forward to seeing you…it means we have a problem.
Perhaps you could have gatherings or barbeques or something so we can all hang out outside of car troubles. Then we know you beyond the hitting us up for more money on car parts and labor. Or perhaps just offer pastries and live entertainment. I mean hell, if sitting in your waiting room felt like going to a boutique coffee house, I think you’d have a lot more business…and friends. But that’s just me.
4. Why are tires so expensive? This is an honest query, I’m just curious. Is the cost of rubber or molding so expensive these days? Doesn’t all that crap come from China? Is this an example of a lack of competition or some tire cartel determining these things are worth hundreds of bones? If I had the skills to change my own tires, would I find a new tire costs $10.00 or so?
5. What’s the deal with balancing? I understand the concept, but I don’t understand why it’s an ‘extra’ service. It seems necessary, and it also seems convenient to do as tires are replaced. Why would you not offer this service as part of the tire replacement? It seems common sense to me. I’ve declined balancing on principle before, and then drove away quite nervous I sealed my own fate. It’s a frustrating concept. Why would a tire dealer replace someone’s tire, but do so in a way that is harmful to the car or the driver unless they pay more for you to do it properly? Maybe you can post an explanation in the waiting room so we don’t feel like you’re screwing us.
6. Is there a difference in safety or reliability of purchasing a used tire rather than a new one, assuming it isn’t worn all to hell? I mean, we’re not racing these things all over town. Most of us drive them in rush hour at 40 miles an hour to a parking spot they shade for 8 hours a day. On weekends they go to the movies. This doesn’t seem to me to need the kind of heavy duty tread that we find on most tires. If we are just more careful in the rain and snow, will used get us by ok?
7. What are the consequences of going with the cheaper tire? I mean, tire dealers always give us a choice. I understand how capitalism works, I just don’t understand if a cheap tire is like a cheap whore; loose, unreliable, and potentially damaged. Is it just the look of the tire we’re paying for, or is reliability an issue? We’re all willing to pay more for safety. I’m not too concerned with my rims and tires getting me laid though, so if it’s merely a matter of aesthetics perhaps that can be more clearly stated.
Things I owe thanks for, just so you don’t think I’m missing your strong points. Some of you repair tires for free. Amazing service, thank you, keep it up. And sometimes you offer free donuts and coffee. To those tire dealers who don’t, we’re watching you.