‘Tire Lady' finds success in hard work, honesty

MASONTOWN, W.Va. — When Christine Croucher first started selling tires in the 1980s, she'd occasionally come across a male customer who would say something like, "I want to talk to the man in charge" or "I want to talk to someone who knows about tires."

Not so much anymore.

"Men aren't as big of (jerks) as they used to be," she said, laughing. "I do run into that occasionally, but I have to say that over the past 10 or 15 years, that's been alleviated pretty much. It's a fair and equal world out there — at least women are trying to make it that way — but I think it is. It's equalized somewhat."

Ms. Croucher — people around Masontown call her the "Tire Lady" — started her career as a small gas station owner in rural Pennsylvania before opening Tire Lady's Rainbow Tire in Masontown in 1984. She opened a second location in Morgantown, W.Va. in 2008.

While society has changed quite a bit over that time, she said she believes her success is due to something else.

"I think where I live, in West Virginia, people respect hard work," she said. "It's not what you say. It's what you do. You have to prove it to them."

Ms. Croucher, who turns 68 in November, employs 22 at her two locations, including six women who work the front counter. She said she's had a handful of female technicians over the years — including two really good ones — but she's found that having women at the front counter works best, physically and temperamentally.

Studies have shown that male and female customers are more likely to trust the advice of women when it comes to auto service, she said.

"We put women at the front counter because they're more organized, they present well and they're concerned about putting the proper tire on the cars," she said. "And women trust our opinion. We're not the 'evil man' telling them to put parts on the car that they don't need.

"The automobile repair business has a really bad reputation in that department. People come in here and say, 'They tried to tell me to do this and this and when I got here, that's not what's wrong with it at all.' I'm glad to provide that service. We never sell anything that someone doesn't need, that's for sure."

On the flip side, Ms. Croucher said, women are more likely to buy a recommended part or service than men. She told a story of one male customer who needed a new tie rod end, but didn't want to spend the money. So, he said no.

"He said, 'I'll tell her (his wife) about it,'" Ms. Croucher said. "The next day, she came stormin' in and said, 'When can you fix the damn thing?' He was worried about money, and she was worried about fixing it correctly. Women care more about having their cars in tip-top shape, whereas men think they can get by."

When Ms. Croucher started, most of her customers were men. Now, it's about 60-40 in favor of women, although she said she doesn't do anything in particular to attract female customers.

"Forty years ago, females weren't taking care of cars," she said. "The husbands were. The boyfriends were. Now it's women walking into the door all day long. Some of that might be because it's Tire Lady's Rainbow Tire, but I think it's mainly because women are stepping into that realm."

Of course, if female customers do prefer Rainbow Tire because of female ownership, they're not alone.

Ms. Croucher said she believes her employees like having a female boss.

"I don't think I'm conscious of that (being a female boss) — it's not like I'm hanging up drapes or anything."

"I just approach it as a business person. I don't put a female spin on it. But I do think as a female, I'm more empathetic, more caring … maybe. My employees are possibly more loyal or more comfortable because I'm a momma figure. They can come in and tell me their problems."

Of course, if any of her male employees did have a problem with having a female boss, she probably wouldn't know about it.

"I sign their paychecks," she said, laughing. "If they want paid, they have to deal with it."