"Our customer base continues to grow," Crowell said.  "I am seeing lower-end shops in the area going out of business, and people's friends and neighbors seem to be referring them to us."

Crowell said the shop continues to market heavily, advertising in local newspapers, the Penny Saver, Money Mailers, and other ways.

While the store has strong tire sales, Crowell said a big part of its success comes from offering full service and repair.  "People like a one-stop shop," he said.  "It helps with customer satisfaction because they don't have to find someone else to fix other things."

Tires account for about 30 percent of sales, with service and repair accounting for 70 percent, Crowell said.  "As far as I'm concerned, that's the perfect mix," he said.  About 50 percent of the shop's service and repair work comes from vehicles that initially come into the shop for tires, he said.

"We complete a complimentary vehicle safety inspection on every vehicle that comes into the shop," Crowell said. 

"Customers appreciate it.  We didn't drive the cars, we didn't break them, but I want them to know what's wrong with their vehicle, and then they can decide what they would like us to fix.  It helps them budget for work that they are going to need.

"You have to educate your customer," he said.  "When we see that something is leaking or something else is wrong, we bring them out and show them." 

 
Being a full-service repair facility has even helped the store form a relationship with the staff at Costco, which sells tires about 100 yards away across the parking lot, Crowell said.  "We have a good working relationship with the people at Sears and Costco," he said.  "The Costco tire center refers people to us when they need service, and we refer tire customers to them if we know they carry something that a customer is asking for.

"They recognize that if the tires don't last the customer will be unhappy, so they will refer them to us for alignments and other things," he said.

Crowell said that while 80 percent of the tires he sells are Goodyear brands, including Kelly and Dunlop, he can get in any tire that a customer wants.

For repair parts, Crowell said he depends on One Stop Undercar, CARQUEST, Factory Motor, Cal-State, Power Ford, and Tustin Chevrolet.  He said parts quality, competitive pricing, and good service are his priorities.  "One Stop handles 90 percent of what we use," he said.  "The quality of their parts is great, but if there is a problem, there is no question that they will stand behind it," he said.  "They've really gone out of their way to take care of us."

For shocks and struts, Crowell said he uses stock replacements from Monroe and KYB.  "Most customers like how their car drove when it was new," he said.  "Some customers who have modified their vehicles are interested in upgrades."

One area where the shop is able to sell an upgraded product in many cases is brake shoes, Crowell said.  "We've gone to Akebono Euro and ProAct pads," he said.  "It's equal to or better than the OE.  There is less dust, better mileage, and no noise -- which is a big thing."  He estimated that 95 percent of his customers choose to spend the $30 or so to upgrade to the Akebono pads after the benefits have been outlined.

"A lot of people say that price is the most important thing to them, but I've found that it's usually not," Crowell said.  "Most people realize that if they pay the lowest price, they will get the least for it.  By walking them through their options, most people will realize what they should be doing.

"The whole thing is basically trust," he said.  "The dollars aren't the most important thing.  It's do they trust you and are you giving me what you say you are."

Tustin Ranch Tire & Auto Center employs four technicians; four tire techs, who also double as alignment technicians; and four salespeople, including Crowell, he said.  The 12-bay shop includes two Hunter alignment machines, Hunter and Ammco brake lathes, Coates and Rotary tire machines, and Snap-on and OTC scanners.

Crowell said another benefit that One Stop Undercar and Cal-State offer are regular training classes, which he reviews to see what will be helpful to each of his technicians.

The shop's longstanding position in the local market and the work it does to offer customers value have helped it maintain business even as the market has slowed, Crowell said.  "I don't see anything faltering," he said.  "I expect us to keep gaining customers from the others in the area that are faltering."