A driver notices a bulge in a sidewall on the way home. She needs the tyre replaced tomorrow morning, before a long drive. She does not care about brands or tread patterns. She wants two answers: do you have my size, and can you fit it early.
Tyre enquiries are the fastest decisions in the motor trade, and they are won on availability alone.
The teardown: why tyre enquiries go elsewhere
Most tyre websites list brands and prices but say nothing about stock or today's availability. The customer cannot tell whether a visit will be useful, so they try the next shop, or an online retailer that shows a fitting slot immediately.
The two questions that matter
Do you have this size available, and when can it be fitted. Everything else, including brand choice and price tiers, comes after those two answers.
Helping customers find their size
Most drivers have never read a sidewall. A short guide showing where the numbers appear, with an example such as a common size written out and explained, turns a stuck customer into a booking. Adding "or tell me your registration and I will pass it to the team" catches everyone else.
Capturing it in conversation
SpideyChat for automotive businesses answers from your published ranges and fitting hours at any hour, and captures size and vehicle details.
Customer: Do you have tyres for my car in stock? Assistant: The team can check straight away. Could you share the size from the tyre sidewall, which looks like three numbers such as width, profile and rim size, or your registration and the make and model? Also, do you need one tyre or a pair, and how soon do you need it fitted?
Puncture repairs
Many customers want to know whether a puncture can be repaired rather than replaced. The honest answer depends on where the damage is, and only an inspection settles it. Explaining that, with your repair price, brings people in rather than sending them to a competitor.
Mobile fitting
If you fit at the roadside or at a customer's home or workplace, say so prominently. It is a decisive advantage for anyone with a flat tyre on a driveway.
Price bands, not brand lists
Customers understand budget, mid-range and premium far better than brand names. Grouping your range into bands, with an example price for a common size, helps them choose quickly.
Seasonal spikes
Cold snaps, pothole season and pre-holiday checks all create surges. Publishing availability during those weeks manages expectations and keeps the fitting bays full.
Stock questions everywhere
Retailers and wholesalers face the identical problem, as described in is it in stock, the question retail websites fumble and stock and lead time questions from retail buyers.
Winter and all-season tyres
Drivers increasingly ask whether all-season tyres are worth it, and whether they need winter tyres at all. Explaining the differences in plain terms, and whether you offer seasonal storage for a second set, answers a question most shops leave to the internet. Storage in particular is a service customers will pay for and will come back for twice a year.
Turning fitting into servicing
A tyre customer is a service customer in waiting. Mentioning alignment, MOT and servicing at the point of booking, without pressure, fills the workshop. Forecourt visitors ask similar questions, as covered in car buyers asking questions on the forecourt website and warranty and aftercare questions from car buyers.
Getting started
Publish your size guide, price bands, fitting hours and mobile options, then capture sizes at any hour. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about capture on the features page.