SUCCESS STORY:
Tulsa area tire dealers win with Rain-X premium wiper blades.
Justin Dobson, Systems and Process Manager, at Same Day Auto Repair Tire ProsSuccess Story: Easy Profits With Rain-X
The Pros Use Rain-X
We spoke with Justin Dobson, Systems and Process Manager, at Same Day Auto Repair Tire Pros, Greater Tulsa, OK, to find out how his shop likes Rain-X blades.
Justin, tell us about the Same Day Auto operation and the services you provide:
Well, we’re based in Sand Springs, right outside of Tulsa. We have seven locations around the Tulsa area. We’re family owned and operated, and have been in business about 25 years.
Why did your shop start carrying Rain-X blades?
I think we began using them about two years ago, right when the promotion started with Partner Perks. We were using someone else’s blades before and we kind of let Rain-X stock us as they saw fit.
How has the program been working out?
The Rain-X brand is recognized by a lot of our customers. They know it and want to try them. A lot of people view them as the best blades on the market. The blades are very good. I understand they’re a little bit different than the ones you can buy in a store, but they perform great with everyone’s vehicle.
We like the fact that unlike other wiper blades out there, these come with all of the attachments needed for all of the applications. Customers come in and say their blades ‘don’t fit,’ or ‘they’re bent,’ maybe we can put the Rain-X blades on using one of these attachments. All in all, we definitely get these at a good price, which means we can still sell them at a fair market price. It’s a pretty good program.
How important are blades to your business?
So, we do a lot of repairs and a lot of oil changes. We definitely recommend Rain-X quite often. It allows us to continue to be that one-stop shop for our customers. We have them nearby and can easily offer them to the customers. If they want me to go ahead and put them on, which happens more frequently than not, there’s no hassle. It’s really nice to offer more services as a one-stop shop.
What is it about Rain-X that drives your wiper blade program?
The name does a lot for it, and the quality is there too. The blades last very well and we’ve got them on all of our own personal vehicles as well.
What are consumers’ reactions when you present the Rain-X brand to them?
They recognize it and they’re pleased, because it’s a brand they know. It carries a lot of weight.
How profitable is it compared to other blade programs?
Well, we get them at a good price point. It’s really not expensive compared to buying them from an outside source. We can sell them at a premier price as well, given the name and quality of the blade, so they’re definitely on the higher end of our profit scale.
Do you use Rain-X’s sales aids, merchandising, training, any other support resources you find helpful?
We use the signage and the carts they came with. If you were an early adopter to them, you would get a free roll-around cart that we can hang all the blades on. The guys love that. We keep extra stock in the back and always make sure that cart is stocked, and sitting in our waiting room so customers can see it.
What advice would you have for other tire shops and dealers who aren’t yet selling Rain-X blades? Other wiper blades are too much of a hassle, so the quality you get out of Rain-X and the markup you’re able to make is worth looking into. Reordering has become a natural thing, and it’s a very simple process. The customer service has been fantastic. Any time we had any questions, they helped us out a lot.
In a few words, sum up why Rain-X is so great for your business.
Price and a good name to stand behind.
