Firestone Direct: Bridgestone's mobile solution

NASHVILLE — Bridgestone Americas Inc.’s new mobile fleet initiative, Firestone Direct, is another piece to a “solution-based program” to evolve the company’s nationwide network of 2,200-plus retail stores under the Firestone Complete Auto Care and affiliated brands.

The new service, available since last year in the Atlanta and Nashville metro areas, operates through specially equipped vans run by certified technicians, who perform a range of vehicle maintenance and tire services on-site. 

Bridgestone, through its Bridgestone Retail Operations (BSRO) network, expanded the service into the Orlando and Tampa, Fla., markets with a “soft launch” in March and plans to keep adding markets throughout the southeastern U.S. during 2021 and have it available nationwide by 2023.

“Customers are increasingly turning to online shopping and at-home services for convenience and safety, and Firestone Direct is at the forefront of this movement for at-home car care,” said Angie Oleson, director of Firestone Direct. 

The company has about two dozen vans in operation so far, and Ms. Oleson said the fleet is growing quickly. Bridgestone is choosing sites to expand based, mostly, on its retail footprint, though Ms. Oleson said cities — places with a larger population density — are advantageous to this service.

Firestone Direct has been well received, she said. 

The biggest obstacle, she added, was creating awareness — how to get the customer to see on-site repair as a normal service they can buy. 

“We’ve got a ways to go on that, but really, word is traveling quickly, and we can see that in our trajectory of increased volume,” she said.

While the convenience of the service is the biggest draw to most consumers, especially with more people working from home, the company also sees big opportunities for servicing fleets. Through the Firestone National Account program, the company has identified fleets interested in the service, and the demand is there, the company said.

“They value it, they’ve been hungry for it, and the program already exists,” Ms. Oleson said, adding that on-site service offers fleets more “up” time and billable hours.

The company also will look to connect Firestone Direct with corporations. Ms. Oleson used the example of a hospital having the vans on-site to allow health care workers a quick and convenient way to get vehicle maintenance.

“The vision really is to say, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Customer, you have choices,’” she said. “... It really gives people a lot of options.”

Finding synergies is an important part of the company’s overall plan. 

“Not only are we building a mobile platform, we are also building and testing a subscription platform, called Resolv, where you can have a flat-fee cost of maintenance and tires,” Ms. Oleson said. Resolv is being piloted in the Nashville market.

“... There are many pieces evolving through this solutions-based program.”

Firestone Direct is an extension of the shop. The brick-and-mortar locations are the headquarters for the mobile service vans, she said.

Customer sharing among the shop and the van is where the company sees a competitive advantage. The van becomes “an extra bay” to service a vehicle in a customer’s driveway. And, mobile techs have a direct solution if a job becomes too complex to complete from a service van.

Firestone Direct technicians review their schedules in advance and bring the right tools and parts to each on-site appointment to ensure a tailored, friendly and professional service experience, Bridgestone said. 

Ms. Oleson said it takes a special type of technician to operate a mobile-service van, and BSRO has a program in place to help identify those employees. 

“We’re hiring the right technicians, first of all, and then we’re tying their rewards to the right behaviors that are really creating that marvelous customer experience,” she said. “That’s why the surveys and the feedback has been so strong to start with.”

Technicians use full personal protective equipment including gloves and masks, so owners can continue use of their vehicles safely and confidently. 

At the completion of services, technicians ensure any waste is responsibly managed and recycled.
Ms. Oleson said a customer can get no-touch service and schedule it online so they don’t have to interact with anyone if they prefer that.

The only requirements for service are a clean and flat surface with enough clearance to access and lift the vehicle, such as a driveway or parking lot. 

The Firestone Direct vans employ “leading-edge” technologies, including a vacuum-style oil collection system that draws used oil from the engine through the dipstick port to minimize the potential for spills. 

The vans employ tools to optimize space and efficiency, such as compact and digital tire balancing systems for rotations and replacements.

When it came to training techs and understanding some of the finer points of mobile repair, Bridgestone leaned on the experience of Lube Mobile, an Australian company that has been doing mobile vehicle service since 1982.

“They have been a friend and a mentor to us,” Ms. Oleson said.

With this rollout, Bridgestone joins Goodyear as major tire makers offering mobile vehicle-maintenance services. Goodyear launched its mobile tire-fitting service, Goodyear Mobile Tire Shop, in 2017 in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif., and Raleigh, N.C., and expanded it into Atlanta and Chicago in late 2020. 

Bridgestone tested the mobile-service business two years ago in the Nashville area. Michelin North America also attempted the concept a few years ago in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area but eventually opted not to pursue it. 

Bruce Davis, Tire Business special projects reporter, contributed to this story.