Why Your Dealership Needs to Prioritize Tire Sales

Tire sales represent an opportunity to drive additional Service revenue and highlight the convenience and quality of work performed at your Service center. All vehicle owners will need tires at some point. In fact, according to CDK’s latest Service Shopper Study, tire needs are the second most common reason for service, coming in behind oil changes. Over 50% of respondents specified tire rotation, repair or replacement as the vehicle service they received most recently.

So how do you drive customers to your bays, specifically, when their tires are in need of service? Dealerships are uniquely positioned to leverage their familiarity with the vehicle and the name-brand tires specifically designed for them.

Position Your Dealership as the Right Place to Get Tires Serviced

If a customer is already receiving regular vehicle service at your dealership, tire tread wear will likely be mentioned in a vehicle health status report. You can refer back to previous vehicle reports to see how much tread wear their tires have had each visit.

Before they come in for an appointment, leverage the knowledge you have about their vehicle’s tires to plant the seed that their vehicle may be due for tires, which can be replaced while their vehicle is already in for another service. Emphasize the time-saving benefits of installing the new tires during this visit and the fact that your lobby is likely a more comfortable place to wait than a tire shop’s.

You also have the opportunity to do this for customers who don’t have an appointment booked. Look through your previous customers’ histories to see who’ll likely need tires soon and give them a call or email. Depending on the type of vehicle and climate, you can promote seasonal tire selections at specific times of year as cold weather is often a catalyst for car owners to think about new rubber. 

Emphasize the Dealership’s Quality of Tires

A subtle but important point to make to your customers is that the dealership that sells a particular car will also have the name-brand tires designed for that vehicle. This will save time for customers because they won’t have to research the right tires for their vehicle, which can be confusing.

There will be other customers, however, who’ll be shopping for a more budget-minded solution or simply want to see what other options might exist. For them, emphasize that your Service center has access to a variety of tires beyond what’s offered by the automaker. Let them know that in addition to value brands, you can source all different types of tires, including everything from snow tires to high-performance summer tires.

Customers may automatically assume a dealership will charge a premium. Be prepared to show your pricing and how it might compare with big box stores or online tire retailers. If nothing else, transparent pricing will allow your customers to feel informed as they make their purchases.

If a customer is in for tire replacement, it might be worth checking the sensors (if equipped), too, as these can fail and trigger a dashboard alert. 

Add Tire Information to Your Dealership Website to Streamline the Process

Your dealership likely uses online scheduling with Service options and guaranteed time frames, so consider adding information about tires to your website as well. You can include tire options for your most popular models with relevant ratings and reviews. There are also solutions on the market that allow for a full online tire “store” for your dealership that resembles those used by tire chains.

Ensure this information is easy to find on your website to both promote your expertise and easily convert them to a Service appointment.