Scholfield Auto Plaza sells tires for all of our Luxury Brands as well as other brands. And while the “impression” in the market place is that Dealer’s are more expensive than the “Discount” tire stores, as always, there is a bigger story.
So let’s do a “Myth versus Fact” comparison on a few items.
Myth-“Dealer’s are more expensive.”
Fact-In today’s tough economy, where consumers are looking for ways to trim their budgets, do you really think a business could survive by being even slightly more expensive? The thing to watch for is the speed rating on the tires you are purchasing. We only offer what the manufacturers recommend you use on your vehicle. Keep in mind that the manufacturers test dozens if not hundreds of types of tires while your vehicle is in the design stage. Who do you think knows more about which tire is best for your luxury vehicle, the designing engineer or the hourly, part-timer at the “Buy and Large”? When comparing prices, make sure you compare the EXACT tire, not a “pretty close match”. You would not want to impact the ride and noise level of your daily driver, would you?
Bottom line, we price match and offer a lifetime of free tire rotation. Balancing cost extra, just like NTB and other tire discounters.
Myth-“Discount Tire Stores can do the job just as good as the Dealer.”
Fact-We recently had a guest come into our dealership needing to replace the tire pressure sensors on all four of their wheels. When asked what happened, we were told that the very large supercenter to remain nameless destroyed all four of the sensors while they were getting their tires changed there. They also thought they were saving money (see first myth vs fact) but in reality had bought an inferior speed rated tire. The sensors were $140 each, and with labor to install them and remount the lesser tires, they spent over $1000 repairing the error of the very large supercenter to remain nameless. At their next service appointment, the guest also complained that they have more road noise than they used to with the lesser tires.
In addition, we use state of the art equipment required by the manufacturers of our luxury automobiles. Most small shops do not have the resources to buy this equipment and most supercenters won’t because they do not want to use the space (they would rather sell more diapers and chips).
Myth-“It’s quicker to get my tires done while I am shopping at the “very large supercenter that will remain nameless.””
Fact-Maybe. Would you rather spend time wandering the aisles of the supercenter, navigating crowded spaces, with kids running around banging into your cart, smelling the fresh fried foods, or spend a quiet moment in our guest lounge sipping a complimentary Starbucks coffee or tea while enjoying a fresh gourmet pastry (Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 10:00 am), watching one of our flat screen TVs, or browsing our showroom chatting with one of our no-pressure sales professionals?
The management team that was installed nearly two years ago has never drawn a line in the sand when it comes to serving our customers. Try us. Put us to the test. We will not let you (or your luxury vehicle) down.
—Dan Watkins, CCC Manager—
Walser Auto Campus | Wichita 