OK TIRE & SERVICE CENTER: RIDING ON CUSTOMER SERVICE

Abstract

OK Tires was a local auto shop that thrived on great reputation that went as far as Jeff Roth did. His vision of customer service and his meticulous approach to shaping all physical and visible aspects of his business to portray a welcoming and trusting environment carried the business through bad economies and cyclical demand for auto maintenance and repairs. In line with being a relatively small business, the problems that Roth faced were similarly minor with short-term consequences. It had become vital that Roth manage his small workforce carefully throughout the peaks and valleys of business. Employing only one employee was often too much during slow seasons, but not nearly enough during peak seasons.

While Roth owned a business that had been a mainstay in the area for generations, thriving on the old-school and tried-and-true method of great customer service and reputation, it lacked the new-school methods to become more efficient: analytics. A simple and rough use of data collection and analytical tools would have solved some of the core problems that Roth faced, increased the efficiency in use of his resources, and could have increased profit margins.