Detore: Expect new norms in months ahead

Think back, if you can, to a time 15 months ago. Back then, a mask was something worn only at Halloween; a disruption referred to a revolutionary technology or unprecedented change brought about by consumer demand; and pandemic was a term used almost exclusively in those sci-fi movies.

The change we've experienced in the tire and automotive service industry has been, well, disruptive.

Now think ahead, 15 months into the future. What are some of the positive changes that will become the new norm?

Four tire dealers — Eric Gill of Portland, Ore.-based Gills Point S Tire; Darren McLea of McLea's AAA Tire & Automotive Centers of Sonoma County, Calif; and Bill and Kevin Gorman of Barnwell House of Tires Inc. of Ronkonkoma, N.Y. — shared some interesting perspectives during our recent Tire Business livestream, "A Look at COVID-19 One Year Later."

So what are some of the positives that will be part of our future?

Online interaction

While buying and selling tires online and communicating with customers via text and email has been growing in the years preceding the pandemic, it grew exponentially for Gills Point S and McLea tire.

"That is here to stay," Mr. Gill said of online tire commerce. "Operationally, we got used to it. ... As we learned to adapt to that, read computer monitors, it is clear the system is so much smarter than we are," Mr. Gill said.

"Customer communication is all part of online scheduling. Texting and emailing, pictures ... they are here to stay. My hope is to get rid of some paper we've been relying on."

Mr. McLea said he noticed increased online activity, as evidenced by consumers requesting quotes, then ordering the product.

"I like having tires available 24/7," he said. "Having that ability to not be in person, do it at your own pace and feel comfortable doing it, it really helped us. It raised awareness that we have that product available. It's a good thing for our business."

Barnwell House of Tires implemented a new app during the pandemic, which provides for a contactless experience most of their customers require. The app uses a photo instead of a customer signature to finalize a transaction.

"Customers wouldn't let us into their building," Kevin Gorman said. "We had to drop (tires) off in the street, a parking lot, to meet them with no touch. (The app) helped get employees and customers to adopt. It was definitely a learning curve, with a picture changing how we did things. It will be good for us in the long run because of how we did that."

Customers in stores

As a paradox to the spike in online activity, the dealers noted that customers will continue to visit their stores. It seems that despite feeling comfortable with online ordering, consumers crave interaction.

Mr. McLea said very few customers who ordered tires online requested their vehicle be picked up and dropped off. They instead visited his shop.

"For the most part, customers want that interaction," Mr. Gill said. "We learned how to text or email with a few of them. But people felt comfortable to come in and do business, and we made them feel comfortable in our shop. With Plexiglas in front of service counters and using key drop and bowls, sanitation and cleaning standards improved. We're just more conscious of being good citizens with each other."

Cleaner facilities

In the beginning of the pandemic, it was a mad dash — Mr. McLea called it the Amazon/eBay scramble — to find PPE equipment, particularly hand sanitizers and antibacterial wipes.

Now, those items not only are accessible and more affordable, but they also are part of the present and future.

"Trucks are being cleaned every day," Kevin Gorman said. "That's something that's here to stay."

Improved teamwork

All four dealers emphasized how their teams rallied around each other and the business as times worsened, laying the groundwork for that to continue.

"The team became closer. We now have more camaraderie," Mr. Gill said. "When you go through something like this, there are a lot of unknowns. There's a fear factor, from myself to new employees.

"Our team did a great job of coming together as a family and relying on us as a family business as opposed to corporate policies ... we were good at showing a human side in the tire industry, and those good procedures will stay in the industry."

"The protocol of how we treat our customers and respect how they feel during this pandemic, that's going to stay with us," Kevin Gorman said.

Higher wages

Hiring and retaining good employees always has been a challenge in the industry. The pandemic, the dealers said, only amplified the problem.

Now, with the tire industry deemed essential, consumers may come away with a stronger sense of appreciation for the skills, dedication and importance of the industry.

"It's still tough to hire. forcing wages up in our industry," Mr. Gill said. "A lot of guys were underpaid. The industry is underpaid for how skilled and how hard they work. Maybe this makes this a more favorable industry."

With unemployment in some states paying as much as or more than what some furloughed workers are receiving from the government, Mr. Gorman noted that employees don't have incentive to return to work without making more than they receive from current unemployment benefits.

"You've got to be above that to get someone to come to work," he said.

One thing, however, seems clear. After a horrid spring, businesses gained momentum in June/July and stayed strong through the rest of the year. All three dealerships report they are back to pre-pandemic employment levels.

And there's a lot of hope that continues, not only 15 months into the future, but also in the summer and fall months ahead.

"I definitely feel like March is off to a much quicker start than we have been used to the last several months," Mr. McLea said.

"As things open up, we foresee a lot of people planning summer vacations and getting road ready. It's a big season for us. We're seeing ... trailer work starting to increase already. People are getting antsy for summer vacation."

Let the good times roll.