Fixed Ops Journal - February 2022 - F17

FEED BACK IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Consumers in market for tires
count price as their top guide
P
rice was the top factor for consumers
thinking of buying
tires, and a dealership was the
preferred place to buy them, according
to a January DealerRater survey
conducted for Fixed Ops Journal.
Just under 30 percent of respondents
chose price as the top factor, with the
mass-market segment coming in at 29
percent and luxury consumers at 27 percent.
Mass-market consumers ranked
tread life as the second-most important
factor (23 percent) followed by brand (16
percent). Luxury consumers fl ipped
those two factors, choosing brand (22
percent) then tread life (17 percent). Th e
least important factors with both segments
included warranty, retailer recommendation
and free perks such as tire
rotations.
Regarding where to buy tires, more
than 1 in 3 surveyed said they would opt
for a dealership. Luxury consumers (41
percent) preferred the dealership more
than mass-market buyers (34 percent).
Both consumer groups then ranked tire
retailers as their second preference - 32
percent for mass-market compared with
30 percent for luxury - followed by
wholesale stores such as Costco. Independent
repair shops and online retailers
fi nished last with both groups. 
NEWSMAKER IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Building a technician pipeline
D
avid Peterson was never
tempted to hit the links or put
his toes in the sand after he
sold his Louisville, Ky., Mercedes-Benz
dealership in early January.
Instead, Peterson is preparing for his next
act: developing a national apprenticeship
program for automotive technicians.
" I'll
get to the beach eventually, "
he says. " I gotta do something
else. Th is has energized me. "
Peterson, a 48-year veteran of the
auto industry, has formed Automotive
Apprenticeship Group to roll
out his vision for a nationwide program
to help recruit and retain
dealership technicians.
" Th is is a pain spot I have suff ered
ant piece of this. Th e dealer has to be
comfortable with this. We don't rush it. "
Too often, Peterson says, a tech is well
trained but not a cultural fi t at the dealership,
leading to turnover.
Th e program has been piloted in Louisville
the past year. Peterson says he soon intends
to take it to Dallas and Southern
California, where he has heard
from interested dealer friends .
During what Peterson calls " a
Peterson: Key
is commitment
along with my fellow dealers, " he says of
the tech shortage.
Peterson's group fi nds potential candidates,
assesses their automotive aptitude
and discusses their goals. Th e candidate
is assigned a mentor and starts training.
AAG then talks with dealerships in need
of techs, and a match is made.
" We make sure we're all on the same
page, " Peterson says. " Th at's an importtwo-year
job interview, " the tech
candidates split time between
their dealership and AAG working
on training modules. Th ey
are given a set of tools and continuously
evaluated.
AAG and the dealership develop
goals for each candidate. Th ey remain
on the AAG payroll until being fully certifi
ed. Peterson says dealers are asked to
off set some costs.
" Th e secret to this is not a secret, " he
says. " All of us have fl aws; it just takes
time. We will not be successful if a dealer
just thinks they're buying a commodity.
" We must make a commitment to caring
for this young person. "
- Dan Shine
Tire buying
Q: When considering a new set of tires for your
vehicle, where would you likely buy them? Figures
indicate percentage of consumers who cited that
location as their main selection.
ALL
Dealership
Tire shop
Online retailer
Other
MASSCUSTOMERS
MARKET LUXURY
36%
34%
4%
41%
32% 32% 30%
Wholesale store (Costco, etc.) 10% 11% 9%
Independent shop
Source: DealerRater survey conducted Jan. 10-18 of 18,258 consumers
who visited new-vehicle dealerships
Q: When buying a new set of tires, what would be
the most important factor in your decision? Figures
indicate percentage of consumers who cited that
feature as their main selection.
ALL
Price
Tread life/durability
Brand
Warranty
Free perks (tire rotation,
balancing)
Retailer recommendation
Other
MASSCUSTOMERS
MARKET LUXURY
29% 29% 27%
22% 23% 17%
17% 16% 22%
10% 10% 10%
5% 5% 5%
5% 5% 8%
12% 12% 11%
Source: DealerRater survey conducted Jan. 10-18 of 18,069 consumers
who visited new-vehicle dealerships
4% 3%
3% 3% 4%
15% 16% 13%
FIXED IN TIME IIIIIII
1931
Workers at Hall Dodds Ford are busily lubricating a
work truck and two passenger vehicles on hydraulic
lifts. Hall Dodds was one of the fi rst Ford dealerships
in Detroit, opening in 1912. Bruce Dodds operated the
dealership until 1953.
Photo courtesy of the Collections of The Henry Ford
 We encourage you to submit photos for Fixed
in Time. Send images to foj@autonews.com.
FEBRUARY 2022 PAGE 17
Fixed Ops Journal - February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - February 2022
