RightTurn.com lets users browse, purchase and schedule the installation of new tires from their desktops, for one all-inclusive price.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dealer Tire has launched a website it says will make buying tires faster, easier and less of a hassle than doing it by yourself. RightTurn.com lets users browse, purchase and arrange installation of new tires from their desktops, for one all-inclusive price.
Cleveland-based Dealer Tire, one of the nation's largest tire distributors, launched the site to make it easier for already-savvy online consumers to buy their tires over the web, too. After trial runs in Dallas and Cleveland, RightTurn.com recently rolled out nationwide among the 50 largest markets, including Columbus and Cincinnati.
RightTurn.com works with 23 automakers and 18 tire manufacturers, but suggests only the tires that meet or exceed manufacturer-recommended safety and performance standards. The site also posts ratings and customer reviews of the tires it offers, as well as any rebates or current promotions, then enables buyers to schedule the installation at their favorite local dealer.
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Jane Lamb, chief marketing officer of Dealer Tire Best of all, RightTurn.com promises "no surprise prices, like tire disposal fees," because they're all rolled into the quote, said Jane Lamb, chief marketing officer for Dealer Tire. The company ships the tires to the dealership for free from one of its 42 distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada, including ones in Cleveland and Strongsville.
The name "RightTurn.com" comes from the company's pledge to find you "the right tire and the right installation, at the right price," she said.
Lamb tapped the screen of her laptop during a recent demonstration. "Any of these tires works with your car," and are specifically recommended by the site's virtual "Tire Coach," based on manufacturer recommendations, your driving habits, and typical local weather conditions, she said.
"We work only with dealerships that are factory-certified to work on your car, because they know how to work on your vehicle the best," she said. Even then, that includes more than 8,300 dealerships nationwide, including 400-plus in Ohio.
RightTurn.com isn't the only online tire-buying site, but it aims to be one of the largest and most user-friendly. "About 70 to 80 percent of people shop for tires online," but the experience isn't always easy or intuitive, she said.
"You know exactly where and when and how much it's going to cost"
Eric Taylor, an advertising professiona in Kirtland Hills, has twice used RightTurn.com to replace the tires on his Mercedes SUV, and has talked it up to all his friends. He remembered hearing about the company on WCPN 90.3, and decided to try it for himself.
"I liked that I could pick what kind of tire I wanted, because I wasn't really happy with the factory-supplied tires that were on my car to begin with," he said. Living in Kirtland and commuting to Hudson through Northeast Ohio rain and snow, "I needed something a bit more stable on I-271," he said.
"The other sites I looked at, you buy the tires, and then you have to figure out where you're going to get them put on, and then call the place to get on their schedule."
With RightTurn.com, "you know exactly where and when and how much it's going to cost. An added bonus for me is that I could select where I had them put on, which is not far from my house. And because it was at the dealer, I could get a loaner car if I needed to, which was awesome. It was really, really fast, and it was all taken care of," he said. "It was so easy."
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RightTurn.com suggests tires for buyers based on how they drive. Here's how RightTurn.com works:
1. Users enter the make, model, year, trim level and options of their vehicle, as well as the ZIP code where they live. Shoppers can also search by tire size, if they know the width, ratio, and diameter of the tires they're looking for.
2. The site also offers the option of chatting live with a Cleveland-based Dealer Tire associate during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays) if they run into a problem.
3. The site's "Tire Coach" then suggest tires based on how many miles you drive per year and under what kinds of weather conditions, as well as the kind of driver you are -- "slow and steady," "easygoing," "spirited," or "fast and lively."
4. The next screen shows "RightTurn.com Recommended" tires "just for you," those that meet or exceed manufacturer-recommended safety and performance standards.
The tire options include warranty details, any current promotions, and the price -- which includes free delivery to and installation at a local dealership certified to service your vehicle.
5. Once the customer has scheduled the installation, he or she enters payment information. But the credit card is not actually charged until after the installation is finished, Lamb said.
"We expect to add 100 new positions in Cleveland in the next few years, some of which may be related to this [site]," she said.
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Dealer Tire CEO Scott Mueller Dealer Tire, founded in Cleveland in 1999, traces its roots to the retail tire business Mueller Tire & Brake, founded by Walter J. Mueller in 1918.
In 2002, Mueller Tire sold its 19 retail stores in Northeast Ohio and Columbus to Tire Kingdom to focus on distribution, but maintains a flagship store at East 30th Street and Payne Avenue. The company employs more than 1,000, including more than 400 workers in Cleveland.
Third-generation Chief Executive Scott Mueller, Walter's grandson, who has decorated the company's headquarters at 3711 Chester Avenue with automobile-inspired art work, is a generous supporter of the arts in Northeast Ohio, especially the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art.