Sally Thomas is Co-owner of J.P. Thomas & Company. She is most-commonly associated with Thomas Tire & Automotive, a family-owned and operated full-service repair shop that’s been in business since 1981. With 10 retail and commercial service centers in North Carolina, Thomas Tire & Automotive’s mission is to be the first and only choice for all automobile-related needs. 

In this episode…

Tire and auto repair can be a tough business. Shop employees not only need to be skilled at diagnosing problems and repairing vehicles, but also have the ability to communicate those problems to a customer who may not be ready to hear about them — or the cost to fix them. How can you build rapport and trust with your customers to ensure satisfaction in a potentially negative situation? Tune into this episode of Gain Traction to find out!

Nobody likes to tell customers who may be experiencing difficult sessions in life that their car has problems that need fixing — and how much it’ll cost. “I wish we sold ice cream,” said Sally Thomas, Co-owner of J.P. Thomas & Company. “I always say, ‘listen, we didn’t buy it, we didn’t build it, we didn’t break it’.”

In this episode of Gain Traction, Sally joins Neal Maier for a discussion anyone in the tire and auto repair industry can relate to: how to provide a positive experience for the customer despite the negative circumstances. Sally shares how she keeps her staff upbeat, the importance of transparency in all aspects of vehicle repair, and explains how the appearance of both the inside and outside of the shop can affect the customer experience. Don't miss it!

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• Sally Thomas shares how she began working in the family tire business as a child
• How her father’s love for employees and customers was a great example
• The most important thing Sally hopes her team can accomplish each day
• What Sally likes for customers to experience on the inside and outside of stores
• How Sally feels about having tires in the showroom at her stores
• What it means to be transparent with tire and auto repair shop customers
• The best advice Sally has received from a mentor

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sally Thomas on LinkedIn
• Thomas Tire & Automotive 
• Neal Maier on LinkedIn
• Tread Partners

Sponsor for this episode...

This episode is brought to you by Tread Partners. 

At Tread Partners, we provide digital marketing for multi-location tire dealers and auto repair shops. 

By using our strategy, branding, and marketing services, we help shops sell more tires and put more cars in bays.  

We’ve helped companies like Action Gator Tire, Colony Tire and Service, and Ulmer’s Auto Care Center bring extreme growth in paid leads, ROI, and searches. 

So, what are you waiting for?

Visit www.treadpartners.com or email [email protected] to learn more.