A walk-in asks for a price

What does this tour show?

It shows the most common question at a tyre counter. At quarter past nine a driver walks in and asks, "How much for two tyres, fitted?" and then, "Do you have them now?" Roshan types the size into the Tyre finder and turns three options into a clear choice in under a minute.

Tyre prices are confusing for customers. There is the tyre, the fitting, the balancing, the valve and the old tyre's disposal, and every shop bundles them differently. A driver who gets a vague answer goes to the next shop down the road. A driver who hears one clear fitted price, sees the stock and is offered a sensible choice usually stays.

What does the customer see?

These are the sample options for size 195/65 R15, at the sample shop's prices:

The mid-range level shows "Only 3 in stock", which is fine for two tyres but not for a full set of four. The budget level's oldest lot was made in week 18 of 2025, so those are the tyres that should go out first.

Step by step

1. Open the Tyre finder. Its own line says what it does: find a size, see the fitted price and what is on the rack. Walk-in is selected for a customer you do not know yet.
2. Type the size or the vehicle number. Use 195/65 R15, or simply 1956515 if that is quicker. If the customer has been in before, type their vehicle number instead and the size saved on that car is used.
3. Read the three columns. Budget, Mid-range and Premium, each with a brand, pattern and speed rating. Talk about the level first. "Budget lasts well for town driving; premium grips better in the wet."
4. Say the fitted price plainly. Each column shows the price each with fitting and the total for two. "Rs 17,500 each fitted, Rs 35,000 for the pair" is the sentence the customer wants to hear.
5. Show what is inside the price. Underneath, the finder lists what the tyre, the fitting and the disposal cost. If the customer asks why one shop is cheaper, this is your answer.
6. Check the stock. Each option shows how many are in, with "Only 3 in stock" when it is short. Never promise four from a column showing three.
7. Look at the oldest DOT. The finder shows the date code of the oldest lot for that tyre. Customers increasingly ask about tyre age; you can answer before they do.
8. Let the customer choose a level. Most will pick on value once the three are side by side.
9. Use these tyres. The choice carries forward into the job, so nobody has to search the size again at the bay.

Why talk in levels rather than brands?

Because most drivers have never heard of most tyre brands, and a list of names sounds like a sales pitch. Budget, Mid-range and Premium are words anyone understands. Once the customer has chosen a level, the brand and pattern are there for anyone who cares. It also keeps the conversation honest: you are matching a tyre to how the person drives, not pushing whatever has the best margin. If you want help setting the three price points, the how to price products guide and markup vs margin explain the arithmetic.

How do you answer "why is it cheaper down the road"?

With the breakdown, calmly. Many places advertise a low tyre price and then add fitting, balancing, valves and disposal at the till. The finder shows your fitted price and, beneath it, exactly what makes it up: on the budget option, Rs 16,300 for the tyre, Rs 900 for fitting and Rs 300 for disposal. Ask the customer whether the other price includes the same things. Often it does not, and the comparison ends there. If it genuinely does and the other price is lower, you can point to the date on your oldest lot or offer the budget level instead of mid-range. Either way, an open breakdown makes you look straightforward rather than expensive, which is what wins repeat customers.

Tips at the tyre counter

• Always quote the fitted price first, then break it down. Starting with the tyre-only price feels like a trick later.
• Ask how the car is used: daily town driving, long highway runs, or a work vehicle carrying loads. It points to the right level.
• If a level shows short stock, offer the next level up or down before the customer asks.
• Mention the DOT date on the budget option. Fresh stock is a selling point; old stock is a conversation better had openly.
• Save the size against the vehicle number on the job, so the next search is one step.

Common mistakes

• Quoting the tyre price only. The customer hears a lower number and then feels cheated at the till.
• Promising stock without looking. "Only 3 in stock" is there for a reason.
• Leading with the most expensive option. Show all three; customers trust a choice more than a push.
• Ignoring the oldest DOT. Newer lots go out first and old stock ages on the rack.
• Retyping the size at the bay. Use these tyres carries it through.

What should you do next?

The customer has chosen. The next tour, the job card from inspection to invoice, follows the car into the bay: tread on every corner, the oldest DOT lot picked, a quote approved from a link on the customer's phone, and an invoice raised from the job. Later in the day, goods in by DOT date shows how new stock joins the back of the queue so the oldest tyres keep going out first. For the wider habits behind that, see the stock control guide.

How EasyTaskr helps

EasyTaskr's Tyre finder searches by size or vehicle number and shows Budget, Mid-range and Premium side by side, each with the fitted price, the total for two, what the tyre, fitting and disposal cost, the stock on hand and the DOT date of the oldest lot. Use these tyres carries the choice into the job.