Like a lot of start-ups, Crystal Karam’s impetus for creating a company stemmed from frustration as a consumer with a “traditional” business.
When Karam was pregnant and her husband was out of the country on business, she was suddenly charged with the seasonal tire changing responsibility. “The thought of lugging tires into the car then going to a garage didn’t seem practical,” said Karam.
She immediately wanted to start a business that would change tires at customers’ homes.
TireChangers was born soon after in 2011, servicing customers in and around Ottawa.
Today the company has close to 1,000 clients and plans to expand its services to other cities in Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and New Brunswick.
Mobile tire-changing companies are not new, but Karam’s business philosophies seem to jive with how customers prefer to shop online first.
Customers do all communication online, including booking their own appointments in available one-hour slots.
TireChangers is never late and it never up-sells or tries to offer other services. Pricing is completely transparent.
“Competitors typically have ‘show up’ fees. We don’t. We believe our upfront honesty also helps in creating a trustworthy relationship with our customers.”
For Karam it all adds up to an ultimate outcome: “When we show up at their door, customers are happy to see us.”
