Blog posts of '2021' 'March'

OEM Wheels, Easier than You Think

Do your salespeople lose extra sales on alignments and other associated services by turning away an OEM wheel replacement? Have a plan on how to make extra sales, retain customers, and moving that back room full of take-off wheels for maximum value! 1-800EveryRim OEM Wheels is here to share some best practices when dealing with OEM wheels. 

Don’t lose extra service work or tire and wheel sales

Sending customers away to find their OEM replacement wheel elsewhere could mean losing work on:

• Alignment

• Front end parts

• Tire(s)

• Selling more custom wheels… What? (Offer trade-in allowances on valuable OEM take-off wheels and sell a set of custom wheels!)

Don’t lose a customer

You want to get them in your store and stay in your store! Don’t send a customer away to find a replacement wheel somewhere else. You risk losing them to a competitor who is more than happy to take care of their need.

Know how to identify the need

• Think safety first! 

• Train your techs to look at the wheel when balancing. And note, a slight bend may be a crack!

• Check for corrosion, especially on the bead and valve area.

• Inspect for lug hole elongation.

• After a new tire sale, train your staff to do a leak test on low profile run-flat tires (Better to know now than later!).

Let customers know upfront.

• Avoid calling your customer later, when you should have known now. Customers hate big-dollar surprises, plus you will have time to order the wheel and get the car out ASAP!

• Get the vehicle in the air and show the customer a bend or a crack (especially if they are leaving the car with you).

• Avoid the situation where you sell a $700 set of tires, the customer comes back later, and blames you for needing a $700 replacement wheel!

Proper sale of an OEM wheel

• Your company backs it up! (Sell them on you! / Auction sites can be less reliable)

• Do they need a wheel that looks new, or is a good used wheel with some scratches OK?

• Do they need a center cap(s)?

• Know the EXACT model (Don’t trust any industry part number unless it comes off of the wheels themselves)

• Getting a good picture before they leave helps ensure that you don’t miss any important details.

The following is critical and a good picture helps:

• Steel or alloy?

• Size?

• Shades/Finishes - Is the wheel silver or hyper silver? Light or dark? Polished or chrome or chrome-clad?

• Slots/Spokes - COUNT! (Customers may count slots on a hubcap, but they need a wheel!)

Closing the sale:

1. Confirm the condition of the wheel, especially if used.

2. Lead Time - Try to get an extra day just in case! 

3. Do they need a center cap?

4. Total price for everything including installation.

5. Deposit - Or at least tell your customer that this is a special order … or maybe even non-returnable if it is a special order for your vendor on a custom finish, etc.

Maximize your profits when selling your take-off wheels

• Remember, most scrap collectors do not resell your take-offs for scrap!

• Yes, auction sites work – But you must be devoted and organized.

• Sell them set by set as you pull them to keep it manageable.

• Identify, box, and store (Time-consuming, but maybe more efficient and profitable)

• Depending on your volume, selling pallet/truckloads may save money. 

• Note: Even just one damaged high-end wheel can be valuable!