Chapel Hill Tire has kicked off its 12 Days of Kindness campaign across its 11 locations.
The Chapel Hill, N.C.-based dealership has done “some form” of the 12 Days of Kindness campaign for over 10 years at each location, says Marc Pons, CEO of Chapel Hill Tire.
The format for this year’s campaign is the same as last year. Twelve community members are nominated by Chapel Hill Tire customers. They are then chosen to receive $1,000 in free auto repair services. (Read MTD’s coverage of the campaign last year to learn more details here.)
Pons says the dealership decided to continue with the campaign because “internally and externally, there is such a positive energy from doing this. It’s a way for us to give back to our community and have fun while doing it.”
Beneficiaries of success
“One of our team's care values is to be grateful and helpful,” says Pons. “The saying, ‘You’re only as good as your team’ runs deeper for us in that we believe ‘You’re only as good as your community.'"
Chapel Hill Tire has been operating for 70 years and is the “beneficiary of so many things that we didn’t create,” he says.
“We want to take the success that we have from others who came before us and put it back into the community.”
Pride in service
Each day during the 12 Days of Kindness promotion, a new winner will be announced.
Before the winner brings their vehicle in to get the free service done, the manager of the Chapel Hill Tire location reads the nomination form to that store’s team.
“The manager reads the nomination of the person receiving the service and lists all the good things this person has done for the community and for others,” says Pons.
“I think it really gives our team a sense of pride to then work on that customer’s vehicle after hearing that.”
Pons believes that giving back is in the DNA of tire and auto repair dealers.
“The tire and auto repair dealers are the glue that holds the community together. They are the sponsors for the little league teams and soccer teams within the community."
For peers who are looking to give back to their communities, Pons recommends finding a cause or nonprofit that the dealer is passionate about and then build upon it every year.
“Start easy and work your way up to the bigger ways to give back,” says Pons. “Over the years, we’ve built on the 12 Days of Kindness campaign. We didn’t start out like this!”
