May 01, 2007
Second time's a charm!
ob Mirman retired from selling tires in 1970. He's spent the last 37 years building his second dealership
By: Mike Manges
"We just finished a big program with real estate brokers, going under the assumption that they need their vehicles to chauffer people around. So we tailored a piece to them. It worked out terrifically."
West Coast Tire -- whose main supplier is Michelin Americas Small Tires but also carries Goodyear, Continental and Pirelli brand tires -- tracks the pieces' success based on coupon returns.
Exceptional service
"I'm in the wealthiest market in the U.S. I'm between Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Bel Air. I see more Rolls Royces and Porsches within a week than the average dealer sees in a lifetime."
The thought of a person who can afford to spend hundreds of thousands on a car clipping coupons from a mailer seems ironic at first glance, Mirman admits. "But how do you think they can afford those cars?" he quickly adds.
"Two weeks ago, I had a customer who came in on a high-line Porsche, and he was arguing with my general manager over a $35 fee on a $1,200 set of tires! And this person was a friend of mine. I said, 'Here's the deal; you have to pay the price we're asking, but here's $35 out of my pocket to make you happy.' These customers want the best products, but they also want the best prices."
West Coast Tire had a record year in 2006, achieving $5.6 million in sales. "People say, 'Why haven't you expanded?' If I was 40, maybe I'd think about it. But at my age, I can't think in those terms.
"It takes four years to turn a store around. If I sell you a set of tires today, theoretically you shouldn't be ready for another set for three or four years." There's plenty of work to keep Mirman, Stacy and the rest of his staff busy. (His son, Steve, is a successful builder and his other son, Brad, is a movie screen writer; neither are involved in the family business.)
But Mirman has six grandchildren, ranging in age from 11 to 21, and "maybe one of them will get involved," he muses. "One of the boys, Mason, who's 18, works here part-time." One of his granddaughters, Nicole, 21, is studying business. She may take an interest, he says.
If members of a new generation join West Coast Tire, you can be sure that they will be just as in tune with customer service as its founder.
"Long ago I decided that we were going to turn every single customer into a friend and a salesperson for us. The customer is going to tell 10 people, who will tell another 10 people.
“Unless you put a gun to my head, I will not allow you to leave here angry."
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