My dear old dad, Charlie, has had a time of it with tires. It all started in about 1970 and a set of Montgomery Wards radials he bought for our Ford Country Squire station wagon. After about 20,000 miles one of those tires blew out.
MONKEY WARDS MAN: Hello sir, may I help you?
CHARLIE: Yes. I purchased these tires here a couple years ago and one of them had a sidewall blowout. I’d like it replaced please.
MONKEY WARDS MAN: How many miles do you have on this tire, sir?
CHARLIE: About 20,000.
MONKEY WARDS MAN: (looking at a chart in a binder) Well, the pro rata credit towards a new tire is seven dollars. The replacement cost to you, then, will be only twenty four dollars. Can we put that on for you now, sir?
CHARLIE: (agitated) What do you mean pro rata credit? This tire blew out in the sidewall, it didn’t wear out. I call that defective – something that should be replaced at no cost.
MONKE WARDS MAN: I’m sorry, sir, but store policy prohibits…
CHARLIE: (angry) Do you have a manager? I’d like to speak to him.
MONKEY WARDS MAN: No problem, sir. I’ll find him for you.
The short conclusion to this story is that Montgomery Wards would not budge on their tire policy and my dad not only did not spend another twenty four dollars for a new tire, he never again set foot in Montgomery Wards. Ever.
The next tire trouble happened at Pep Boys in Modesto, California in about 1978.
PEP BOY: Hello sir, may I help you?
CHARLIE: Yes. My Volkswagen van has a flat tire. I’d like it patched please.
PEP BOY: No problem sir. Is it a Pep Boys tire?
CHARLIE: No, it’s an original that came with the vehicle.
PEP BOY: Oh, geez, I’m sorry, sir, we only patch Pep Boys tires. I’m afraid I’ll have to refer you to the service station down the road.
CHARLIE: (agitated) Well, I can see that you’re not very busy today. Surely it wouldn’t be any skin off your butt to patch this tire for a long-time Pep Boys customer like me?
PEP BOY: I see your point, sir, however, store policy prohibits…
Once again, the store manager did not waiver and my dad drove on down the road never to return. Not to that Pep Boys store nor to any other.
His final tire tribulation occurred recently at Walmart. He purchased a set of tires there and paid with his Chase Bank credit card. Walking out of the store it occurred to him that he needed to purchase something else so he about-faced, found it and proceeded to checkout. He whipped out his Chase Bank card.
WALMA’AM: Sir, my system is rejecting your credit card. Can you pay with cash or a check?
CHARLIE: What!? I just spent over four hundred dollars with that same card in your tire department and I know there’s plenty of room left under the card’s limit.
WALMA’AM: I’m sure that’s true, sir, but my system won’t accept it. Maybe a check?
CHARLIE: (agitated) You know, I’m probably the best credit card customer you’ve ever had. I pay my card off every month. But, if your system insists on rejecting me I suppose I’ll have to write a check (takes out his checkbook and writes a check for twenty nine dollars.)
WALMAA’M: Sir, I hate to tell you this but your check is being rejected too.
CHARLIE: (angry) What is it with you people!!? I can tell you there’s at least eight thousand dollars in that account!
WALMA’AM: Maybe its your out of state driver’s license, sir, I don’t know. All I know is my system won’t let me process your payment.
CHARLIE: (obstinent) Tell you what, ma’am, if you’ll hold my item I’ll drive down to the bank, withdraw some cash and bring back the account balance slip to prove that there’s money in there.
WALMA’AM: Do what you wish, sir. But if you want to come through my line again you’d better hurry. I go on break in thirty-five minutes.
Dad walked out, drove to the bank, got cash and balance slip, and made it back in time to show it to the clerk.
WALMA’AM: Sir, I see your balance is as you said but it’s not that I didn’t trust you in the first place. It’s that my cash register locks up if the check doesn’t clear. Now, if you have twenty nine dollars in cash…
CHARLIE: Ma’am, if you won’t take my check, you’ve lost your sale.
WALMA’AM: Sir, I’m sorry but store policy prohibits…
So indeed she did lose her sale. And Walmart lost a customer, permanently.
My dad and I were recently recounting these stories, which caused me to chuckle and him to heat up at the frustration all over again. I’m glad I didn’t inherit his grudge gene. At any rate, this story does have a bright ending.
CHARLIE: You, know, Tim, my utility trailer has a flat tire. Where do you go for tire work?
TIM: That’s an easy one, Pop. I do all my tire business with Les Schwab.
CHARLIE: Really? Why’s that?
TIM: It’s all about service. See, when I have a flat, I take the tire in and they patch it for free.
CHARLIE: Suuure, as long as it’s a Les Schwab tire I bet.
TIM: Oh no. They’ll patch any brand. And they do it with a smile.
My wife happened to be nearby and was listening in.
CINDY: And the guys there run.
TIM: That’s right, they really run. They fix your flat cheerfully, don’t charge, and don’t put a guilt trip on you to buy anything. It’s an amazing thing.
CHARLIE: Okay but how’re their prices? They probably bait you with that flat tire gig and then stick it to you when you buy. Right?
TIM: Wrong. Their prices are very competitive – especially if you shop their ads. And get this: I’ve actually bought used tires there – good steel belted ones with lots of life left – for as little as twenty-five bucks. And, there was no upselling or high pressure.
CHARLIE: Okay, I’ll give them a try.
The next day…
TIM: So did you get your trailer tire fixed at Les Schwab?
CHARLIE: Yep.
CINDY: And did they run?
CHARLIE: I don’t know if they actually ran but they did hustle.
TIM: Was it service with a smile?
CHARLIE: Yes it was. In fact I tried to pay the gentleman cash money, twice, but he wouldn’t take it. And he didn’t try to sell me on anything else. I guess I’ll have to start keeping an eye out for the Les Schwab ads.
This tiresome tale could have been about any commodity or service. There are several lessons to be learned:
* There really are people out there like Charlie Garrison who can hold a grudge longer than people have been sighting Elvis. And their memory is better than any elephant’s.
* A business policy that repels good paying customers should be reexamined. Particularly when the few dollars saved is greatly exceeded by the many dollars lost in future sales.
* If you can give something of value away, do it. It builds trust and loyalty.
* Hustle. Customers notice.
* Don’t use hard sell or upselling techniques. Consumers are very sensitive to being hustled.
* A long-term, happy customer is better than a single sale.
* All customers – happy ones and hacked off ones – tell their friends and families about their experiences. You want to be on the purveyor of happy.
* Service trumps price for most customers. And the customers who are motivated only by price are probably best left to your competitors.
You might think that I own stock in Les Schwab or that they’re paying me to write this. Not so. They gained my trust and loyalty the old-fashioned way – they earned it. I am such a devout fan that I bought and read Les Schwab’s book. I had to know how a huge company like that manages to pull of such excellent customer service at every single store – and there are hundreds, maybe thousands of them. The answer is so simple and so elegant: Employee ownership. Les Schwab was a pioneer in creating employee-owned franchises. The bottom line being that every person working in a Les Schwab store is either a partial owner or has the guaranteed opportunity to become one. Nothing creates incentive for excellence like ownership.
