What’s Treading with Tire Review

Latest Episodes:

Servicing Shop Equipment During the Coronavirus Age May 22, 2020

Show notes

With businesses starting to reopen in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing, mask-wearing and a slew of other hygiene practices have become the norm just to stay safe. So, how are equipment manufactures working to service shops right now?
In this episode of "What's Treading with Tire Review," we talk with Kevin Keefe, vice president of service for Hennessy Industries, manufacturers of Coats tire changers and wheel balancers, Bada wheel weights and AAMCO brake lathes, to find out how they’re doing business and servicing dealers' equipment during the coronavirus age. Keefe delves into what measures the Hennessy Service Network has taken to service shops' equipment while keeping their technicians safe and shares more about what the industry can expect to see from Hennessy Industries this year.
Listen here or subscribe to “What’s Treading with Tire Review” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and more. Find all links to subscribe here: https://www.tirereview.com/category/podcasts/
For more on Hennessy Industries' brands, go to:
Coats Garage: www.coatsgarage.com
Bada Wheel Weights: https://www.badaweights.com/
Baseline: https://www.baselinegarage.com/\
AAMCO: https://www.ammcobrake.com/

AI, Machine Learning & Online Chat Platforms with Openbay May 05, 2020

Show notes

In the last few weeks, it seems like the world has shifted into a more digital mindset due to the coronavirus. On today’s podcast, we talk with Rob Infantino, founder of Openbay, about the artificial intelligence and machine learning you can bring to your shop’s digital presence and how online chat platforms could be beneficial for your business.
Openbay is an online marketplace that connects consumers with multiple tire and auto repair shops to complete their desired vehicle maintenance and repairs. It's also the creator of Otis, an online chat platform for tire and auto shops that uses machine learning to serve customers' automotive and tire needs.
We delve into the difference between chatbots and chat platforms, how tire dealers can integrate these technologies into their websites, how Openbay’s own online chat platform works and how Rob sees the industry recovering from the coronavirus pandemic.
Listen here or subscribe to “What’s Treading with Tire Review” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Play.

The Rise of Mobile Tire Service & Creating Your Mobile Tire Service Unit Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, we talk to Todd Ford, owner of Custom Upfits, a company based in Sacramento, California that specializes in building mobile repair units for the tire, wheel and auto body industries.
In the tire industry, mobile tire service and install units - whether they're vans or trucks - have risen in popularity. Increasingly, tire dealerships are adding mobile install and repair units to their list of services to better cater to their customers’ busy lifestyles. And especially now - with shelter in place and lockdown orders in effect due to the coronavirus - tire dealers everywhere are adding services to have the upper hand in convenience over their competition.
In this podcast, Todd explains why he thinks we're just at the beginning of the mobile service revolution, what you need to consider if your tire shop is investing in a mobile service unit and a step-by-step guide into how his business customizes mobile service vans to fit each shop's brand.
Listen here or subscribe to “What’s Treading with Tire Review” on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Consumer Finance in the Coronavirus Age with Snap Finance Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we catch up with Ryan Slobodian, executive vice president of Snap Finance, who details how the coronavirus pandemic is shaping the consumer finance industry.
In the last four weeks, more than 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment, which means for tire dealers and retailers across the country, many people don’t have the money for unplanned expenses right now - and unfortunately, tires often are one of those things. Navigating this situation right now is Slobodian, who details how Snap Finance is working with its key stakeholders - including its customers and retail partners - to provide financial relief where it's needed. He also delves into how the coronavirus pandemic is changing consumer spending and how tire dealers can be prepared as the economy recovers from this crisis.

COVID-19 Relief for Tire Dealers: What You Might Have Missed Apr 08, 2020

Show notes

With the passage of the CARES Act - aka the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act - small businesses, including tire dealers and auto repair shops, are entitled to a myriad of different forms of relief and funding. But do you know exactly what your business is eligible for?
In this episode of What's Treading with Tire Review, we delve into what tire businesses need to know about the CARES Act with Rich Lipton, a Tire Review contributor and forensic accountant who has roots in the tire business. Lipton was a stockholder and manager of Sam’s Tire Co. in New Jersey for about a decade and is currently a senior partner at Lipton CPA and Associates.
Subscribe to “What’s Treading with Tire Review” here or find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play.

Coronavirus & The Tire Industry: How Will Our Industry Fare the Pandemic? Apr 01, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of What’s Treading with Tire Review, we’re talking about what’s been on everyone’s minds for the past couple of weeks: the coronavirus. We delve into how the spread of this disease is impacting the tire industry and what we can expect in the future. We spoke with Steven Rathbone, managing director at international investment banking firm Stout, and his colleague and tire industry veteran, Phillip Kane, now a senior advisor at Stout, to get their take on how the coronavirus will affect all parts of the industry in the weeks and months to come.

Top Shop Tips: Communicating with Customers Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

Last October, we hosted our annual Top Shop Event in Nashville, Tennessee, where our 2019 Top Shop winner, finalists, as well as past winners and finalists, came together to share industry best practices, what’s working in their business, what’s not and what they see as the future of our industry. In this episode of What's Treading, we talk with our Top Shops about how they handle communicating with customers, setting appointments and ways they make the customer experience positive and memorable at their shops.

Tirescanner and Tire E-Commerce with Michael Welch Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

It’s been a little over a year since Michael Welch created TireScanner, a tire buying website that connects customers looking to buy tires with dealers in their area that have the tires they need. With Tirescanner, retailers collect the full cost of what they charge for service in addition to the profit they make off the tire sale. We caught up with Michael at the 2019 SEMA Show to review Tirescanner’s first year in business and get his take on how the online tire retail landscape is evolving.

2019 Top Shop Winner on The Customer Experience, The Tire Industry and Advice Nov 19, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of "What's Trading with Tire Review," we speak with Alpio Barbara, owner of Redwood General Tire and Tire Review's 2019 Top Shop Winner. Barbara shares how his 19-bay Silicon Valley megastore has changed in the last 12 years since first being named a Top Shop Finalist in 2007 and delves into what excites him -- and worries him-- about the industry going forward. He also shares his advice for other shop owners and how his shop has stayed ahead of the curve to meet customer demand.

SEMA Prep with the Pros Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

SEMA and AAPEX are coming up next week, and like many of you, we at Tire Review are preparing for one of the biggest weeks in the automotive aftermarket. So on today’s podcast, we talk to our Babcox Media Industry Week veterans – members of our staff that have attended the shows for years—to let you in on our SEMA survival secrets.