The Tire – A Customer Service Story

September 18, 2024  |  Homebuilding

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a nearly-new car. It was Certified Pre-Owned and still had life on the warranty. I was excited to take it on a trip from Florida to Western North Carolina and joyfully headed up the highway. All the bells and whistles on today’s new cars proved helpful. Not quite 100 miles into the trip, a warning light alerted me that tire pressure was low on my front right tire. In fact, a digital readout showed the amount of air in each tire.

I found a Tire Kingdom slightly ahead of me and called. They told me to stop on by and so I did. After putting my car up on the rack, the technician came out to tell me he couldn’t find any issues. He added air to the tire, replaced the valve stem and sent me on my way with no charge.

I continued on my journey only to find within 80 miles or so, a repeat of leaking air. I pulled off the road again, this time to a mom and pop tire shop. Again, they put my car on the rack and the technician came out to let me know, he added air but found no issues with the tire. And once again, there was no charge. I resumed my drive.

When it happened yet again, knowing that two different people had examined my tire, I pulled into a gas station and added the air myself, at a cost of $2. With this final addition of air, I reached my destination. The next morning, I took my car to Discount Tires and shared my tire saga. I left my car with them for examination and was given an estimate for a replacement tire, should I need one. After a short time the technician informed me they’d run my tire through every conceivable test. They found no issues and said the tire was in near perfect condition. Like the others, they added air and sent me off at no charge.

I don’t know what happened, but the tire never lost pressure again following my visit to Discount Tires. I confidently careened around winding mountain roads and then drove the 500-plus miles back to Florida without incident. 

You may be wondering why I felt compelled to share this tire story on a homebuilder blog. The answer is, customer service. Three different tire companies took the time, without an appointment, to examine my tire. None of them charged me. A new car is probably the second largest purchase we make with the first being our homes. The care extended to me by these companies, alleviated the anxiety I felt experiencing issues with my nearly-new car. And that, made me think about my job. 

In addition to my role blogging for Holiday Builders, I’m on the receiving end of customer correspondence. We sometimes get emails from homeowners and occasionally neighboring property owners, with questions or concerns. Upon receipt of these, I reach out to our management team to find answers and assistance. This gives me a unique perspective – one that continuously reassures me I work for a caring company. I get an immediate response from team members upon sharing a customer concern. I know, without a doubt, it will be addressed quickly. Furthermore, key staff and managers will be actively tuned to all the details. I know – I’m on the email chain. Exemplary customer-service is a core value of Holiday Builders, an employee-owned homebuilder. It is an element that separates Holiday Builders, from other production homebuilders. 

My tire experience was reassuring. I was reminded there are a lot of good people in this world, with good businesses, doing good work. I take great pride in knowing that my co-workers, and employer Holiday Builders, are of the same ilk.

This post was written by Tina Suiter.