‘I want the customer experience to be perfect’

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The need for speed

SERVICE IS KING AT AMERICAN WHEEL & TIRE

Mike Manges By

There’s always something neat going on here,” says Mike Gust, owner of American Wheel & Tire, a high performance (HP)/ ultra-high performance (UHP) tire and wheel retailer in Houston, Texas.

“We have a lot of fun!”

Making sure customers share in that excitement is a priority at the singlestore, 14-bay dealership, which Gust founded in 1985.

However, there’s more to American Wheel & Tire’s success than enthusiasm. Gust credits the dealership’s success to a variety of factors.

“It’s our level of knowledge,” he says. “It’s having been in business for 38 years. It’s the family feel we have.

“I also think it has something to do with the amount of inventory we hold. We can do things right away. And our integrity is second to none. We stand behind everything we do.

“We try to make our customers as happy as we can. And I think that’s what has kept us going in the right direction.”

As a result, drivers of all income levels and vehicles — from Rolls Royces and Bentleys to more mainstream SUVs and pickup trucks — continue to reward Gust and his team with repeat business.

Something for everyone

How did American Wheel & Tire, which started as a used tire store, develop into a “go-to” destination for HP/UHP tires, custom wheels and vehicle modifications?

Through hard work, jumping on opportunities and staying ahead of the curve, says Gust.

“When we started our store, I used to go around the corner to a (wheel retailer) and buy a set of wheels for $399, which was their retail price. And then I would sell the same set for $499. It got to the point where I was doing 10 sets a month.”

Gust, just two years out of high school at the time, soon found a bigger, more reliable wheel vendor. “They gave me a credit line of $2,500,” he recalls. “I’ll never forget that!”

He decided to “get into the tire business” in a bigger way.

“We grew from there. We started doing plus-size tire and wheel fitments around 1994.”

More complex vehicle modifications — like lift kit installations — followed.

As the market evolved, the expertise of Gust and his team grew. And their customer base multiplied.

American Wheel & Tire continues to install HP/UHP tires and wheels on a good number of sedans. But the company is now working on more light trucks and SUVs.

“We do a lot of Range Rovers. We’ve done some Porsche Cayennes.”

On the car side, “we do a lot of Mercedes-Benz models. We do a lot of Teslas.”

The average tire/wheel package ticket — including installation — at Gust’s dealership now comes to around $5,000.

“A lot depends on the brand of tires and wheels customers go with,” he explains.

American Wheel & Tire offers a variety of tire and wheel brands at different price points.

“We sell a lot of Nitto (brand tires.) We do some Hankooks. We do a decent amount of Pirellis and Michelins. We also do private label stuff here and there.”

Luxury fitments

Over the years, Gust says American Wheel & Tire has won the trust of owners of expensive, high-end cars.

For these buyers, price is not the primary concern, he notes.

The dealership regularly installs tire and wheel packages on its share of Bentleys, Austin-Healeys and Lamborghinis. “We recently worked on a $500,000 McLaren,” says Gust.

“We also work with a lot of car dealerships. They send us high-end clients.”

Owners of ultra-expensive vehicles tend to “know what they want. And we like that. We know how to deal with them.

“Some of them have 15 or 16 cars! Sometimes they keep them. Sometimes they change cars every six months to a year. We’re constantly changing tires and wheels.”

At the same time, “we still have customers who are on a budget, so we make sure our tires are priced right.

“We often see kids who are driving their first truck and want to put new tires and lift kits on them.”

American Wheel &Tire also sells and installs truck accessories. “We do LED lighting. We do full and partial wraps. We do audio/visual.”

But tires and wheels continue to make up “the core” of the company’s business, says Gust.

Low-pressure approach

Gust says he and his team try to “meet” customers where they are. That can mean a hands-off approach — at least initially.

“I have a rule of thumb and that’s if someone walks into our store, I want them to tell me what they like. The last thing I want to do is talk them into something they don’t want.

“I let them walk around and if there’s something that piques their interest, we’ll talk.”

A popular stop inside the store is what Gust calls “our candy room,” a special area that showcases exotic wheels, plus other “high-end stuff.”

Customers are encouraged to lounge on couches and chairs in the room, which “has a cool vibe to it,” and soak up the ambience.

Other customers come in with “a good idea” about what they want, says Gust.

“Sometimes you get a fanatic who researches (products and fitments) like crazy. Some people will get on Google, see something they like and come in with a picture.

“We’ve had people take photos of cars in parking lots and say, ‘I like this look.’ Sometimes they’ll tell us about a certain style or tire brand they like.”

On occasion, customers will list desired tire attributes. “They’ll say, ‘I want a mud tire,’ or ‘I want a tire that doesn’t make any noise.’

“And some customers ask for our recommendation right away. I have customers who’ll ask me exactly what I would do on my own vehicle.”

Gust has found that customers appreciate American Wheel & Tire’s expertise — even when they receive disappointing news.

“You have to be able to explain to customers how a certain tire and wheel package will function.

“Someone once came in and wanted to put a 14-inch wheel on a truck that has a three-inch lift. We had to explain why that wouldn’t work.

“Fortunately, I have guys who have been with me for years and are wellversed in pretty much every fitment there is.”

It’s critical for salespeople and technicians to stay current on ever-changing sizes, fitments and processes, according to Gust.

“We’ve implemented a training program that some of our best guys put together. It covers all the different cars and trucks — probably the 10 top vehicles we do.

“Trucks are the hardest to figure out,” he explains, particularly when it comes to non-tire and wheel modifications.

“There are so many different lift kits. Take a new Chevy 1500. There could be three different kits for it. And if we put on the wrong kit, we’re stuck with it.”

Whether installing lift kits, lights or tires and wheels, “we always ask questions,” says Gust.

“On the tire side, I ask, ‘Are you worried about ride? Are you concerned about noise? Do you want more miles out of your tires? What are you looking for?’”

Tire and wheel styles — and size preferences — change often, says Gust. “22s are like 20s used to be. 22s are probably our biggest sellers. We do some 21s. Last week, a guy came in with 23s from the factory. We do a lot of 24s on SUVs. We do 26s occasionally.”

“We pretty much know what our main movers are and keep a decent amount of those in stock.”

Frequent deliveries from wholesalers like American Tire Distributors Inc. help close the gap, he adds.

Word-of-mouth is still king in the Houston market, says Gust.

“We do some social media and Google ads. We take surveys here and there. But word-of-mouth is still our best form of advertising.”

In the competitive world of HP/UHP tire and wheel installation, nothing beats customer service, he says.

“We train our salespeople to respond quickly and follow up with customers. We call customers back before they can call us back.

“I want the customer experience to be perfect. That’s one of our main things and I’ve always tried to push for that.”