Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Corporate Citizen of the Week: Discount Tire

I can honestly say that I am a firm believer in powerful marketing, great public relations and well thought-out community relations.

Yes, this is technically how I make a living. But, as a consumer who just plain cares a lot about others, I seriously take note when a company is a gracious corporate citizen.

Just yesterday I was raving at our all-employee meeting at what a great company I think Discount Tire is. I learned a few months ago that they rotate tires for free, so I went in to see if it was true. It was. So, I got my tires rotated. The gentleman that was helping me was incredibly pleasant and it only took about 15 minutes to be complete. It was great service and it was free. That's virtually unheard of anymore.

Last Friday, I had a meeting downriver. For the Detroit-area dwellers, you all know what a construction zone nightmare I-75 S is right now. Well, somehow on my trek, I must have gotten a nail in my front tire. Thankfully it didn't blow out on the expressway -- it went flat when I was parked safely in my garage at home.

The next morning, I had to run home for wedding planning appointments, so I borrowed Jason's car while he put on the donut. I told him to take the leaky tire to Discount Tire, recalling the positive experience I had a few months prior. Turns out, they patch tires for free, too. They just saved me $100 of my stimulus money.

So, I wasn't the least bit surprised when I randomly came across an awesome story in the The Detroit News from a few weeks ago, which highlighted the company and its work.

The story is about a 22-month old who has a brain tumor. Her family has to commute from Washington Township to Detroit (quite a drive) for doctor's appointments and the drive was finally beginning to take a toll on the family van. Megan (the mother) found a great Web site -- Wish Upon a Hero -- and submitted her wish for new tires to create a safer ride for her daughter.

Guess who came to the rescue? Go read the story; I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.

Let's just say I know where I am going if I ever need to spend $400+ on brand new tires.

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