The future of tyre-buying?

How tyre buying and fitting is turning into a single seamless digital customer transaction

Published: 24 February, 2023

Tyre buying is now a fully digital process with tyres fitted right on the customer’s driveway at a time and place that suits their needs. How did we get here though? The answer, of course, is digital.

It's not a secret that online purchasing has become more popular than ever and even tyre buying is moving into digital world. However, unlike regular consumer goods, the buying journey for tyre purchasing requires technical expertise to fit the purchased items once they arrive on the customer’s doorstep. Here, I will chart the growth of online tyre buying and its transformation to a ‘buy and fit’ market using mobile technology that is closing the gap on this last-mile disconnect.

The UK tyre buying market will grow in the coming years on the back of rapid infrastructure growth and expanding automobile fleet sizes. To meet the growing demand by customers for tyre purchasing convenience means bringing together the customer tyre buying journey across an entire digital marketplace, but providing quick and convenient mobile fitting to customers is no small feat. There is clearly an as yet un-met need to provide an end-to-end online tyre buying experience for consumers.

During the last 20 years, the development of mobile partnerships as part of the install network of tyre businesses has been extremely prevalent. Until now though, the tyre market has predominantly operated with customers buying tyres and having them shipped to their homes, then being left to take care of the install themselves or take them to a garage for fitting. With the mobile technology and business models available today, this last-mile disconnect can be addressed so that a customer can purchase their tyre of choice, and then schedule an install almost immediately in any county, city or town across the country. There should be no online vs physical divide.

Technology takes centre-stage in tyre buying
A key factor in powering this roll-out is the availability of supporting technology. For TireBuyer, this has meant leveraging existing technology with leading-edge mobile service technology that could underpin the smooth customer journey between online purchase, tyre distribution and mobile fitting provided by any of a network of installers nationwide.

Online tyre buying and mobile service delivery is so much more nuanced than just opening the doors and expecting customers to come to you. When your installation process is on wheels, there are so many more variables than a static shop – controlling these variables requires dedicated software support.

Up-to-date data analysis
Avayler provides an extremely tight integration between TireBuyer and its thousands of installation partners to give real-time visibility into van and technician availability. This optimisation goes right down to being able to track the schedule of every van in order to dynamically schedule tasks based on existing installation plans and the proximity of new jobs. The software also lets installation partners clearly track, monitor, and analyse their mobile operations and profitability right down to a per-van basis. Ultimately the field service technology will allow TireBuyer to optimise partner time and energy to provide a better net yield for everybody involved in the tyre buying and installation process. In short, they can then do more jobs for customers. It is like putting together a full jig-saw puzzle set that fits together properly in terms of availability and scale management – especially for mobile tyres that are delivered as part of an online solution

Customers are at the centre of this new end-to-end tyre buying experience. Avayler Mobile keeps the customer in the loop throughout the service. After selecting their tyre and specifying a fitting time, the solution alerts the customer of accurate arrival times to keep them in the loop about the service they are receiving. All fitting details are digitally documented for the customer to refer back to on their preferred device.

Building a tyre ecosystem with impeccable data
Since the end of Q1 2022, all mobile teams within the TireBuyer network have been up and running on the Avayler platform. With this live, TireBuyer has been able to leverage data insights to deliver more value for both end-customers and its installation partners.

Operationally the aim is to gather insights and feedback from our customers and installation partners in real-time to help inform development going forward. This means using our practical day-to day operation as a live lab to help support and improve how the field service technology will support customers and installation partners now and into the future.

Taking the tyre buying market to the next level
The tyre buying market has moved online at pace – compare, purchase, deliver. But supporting software is required to truly optimise time and resources by seamlessly connecting vehicle owners with trained tyre technicians. With the development of technology and the change of customer needs, the last-mile disconnect in the tyre buying journey can be addressed so that a consumer can purchase their tyre of choice online and schedule an install at their convenience at a time and place that suits them.

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ZF Aftermarket is looking to help garages boost their digital marketing. With this in mind, the latest episode in the long-running TRW ‘True Originals’ campaign provides some tips on digital marketing tools and analytics, with the idea being to help garages modernise their communication techniques.

As the company points out, digitalisation within the industry is increasing at a fast rate. Statistics showing the rising amount of time customers spend online, and how online reviews influence purchasing decisions, should be taken very seriously. ZF Aftermarket is suggesting workshops should adapt their communications accordingly.

According to Ben Smart, Global Marketing Director ZF Aftermarket, businesses can increase sales and customer loyalty through digital marketing and social media, without the need to spend a lot of money: “By 2020, an entire generation, Generation C for ‘connected’, will have grown up in a digital world immersed in an online culture and well versed in social networking methodology. Furthermore, figures show that by next year the average person will be spending 84 minutes a day watching videos online.”
Russ Stanley, Director of Revolution Porsche based in Brighouse, West Yorkshire is featured in a video as part of the campaign. Russ explains how through early adoption of digital marketing he increased loyalty and managed to promote business growth: “Our interactive website means that customers can contact us outside of working hours, and social media has allowed us to grow far more quickly and easily. Every time we send an e-mail we ask our customers to follow us so it’s really easy to organically build up a good database. Sharing links to forums, exhibitions and other websites, together with engaging and relevant information about our team enables customers to interact.

“We also practice video servicing logging, where we send videos to our customers so they can actually see what work their vehicle needs – a good way of sharing information that really builds trust and confidence. Digital marketing costs very little other than your time, but the reach and rewards can be fantastic.”

The video can be found on #ORIGINALWORKSHOPS – a hub of advice, tips, videos and more. New web-based essays include:

What is digital marketing and how can it benefit your workshop?
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The company’s TPMS State of the Market report was compiled from the final rounds of its TPMS Expert competition in June, which revealed some skills gaps which the company is looking to fill through TPMS tune-up Sessions. Autogem Managing Director Prashant Chopra said: “We spent a great deal of time undertaking our TPMS State of the Market study to understand where our customers were excelling and where they still require support. These TPMS tune-up Sessions are tailored to meet their needs and plug any gaps in knowledge that they currently have. Our TPMS tune-up sessions are one of a number of ways we engage with our customers to provide valuable insight and expertise and we hope that they prove to be of real benefit.”

The online clinics will take place on Wednesday 26 April, both at 2:30pm. Registration is open at: www.autogem.co.uk/tpms-sales-tune-up