PHOTO courtesy of VIP Tires & Service
Grand opening ribbon cutting event at a new VIP store location.
Processing Your Payment
Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.
Updated: August 28, 2023
2023 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine
VIP Tires & Service: Earning Customers for Life—One Customer at a Time
PHOTO courtesy of VIP Tires & Service
A Make-A-Wish kid had his wish granted at VIP’s 2022 Annual Managers Conference.
The company that we all know today as VIP Tires & Service traces its roots back through two different origin stories and a major business model shift along the way.
John P. Quirk, the executive chairman of VIP, is a third-generation owner in the tires and service business. His grandfather, Edward S. Quirk, founded Quirk Tire in Watertown, Mass. in 1926. VIP Discount Auto Centers was founded in Lewiston, Maine, in 1958. John took over Quirk Tire in 1985, and after growing the business nearly ten-fold, acquired VIP Discount Auto in 2001. John renamed the combined entity VIP Parts, Tires & Service. John then began the transformation of VIP from a ‘discount’ chain to a professional automotive service business with the simple mission to “Earn an Automotive Customer for Life.”
In 2012 the next major change occurred. The company divested their retail auto parts business and renamed the firm VIP Tires & Service, allowing the company to focus and put the ‘service’ back into the service business. Quirk-owned VIP has become Northern New England’s largest privately held automotive service provider and tire dealer, operating nearly 70 locations in New England and employing over 600 team members. Because of their focus on careers, industry certifications, training, quality, and professionalism, VIP refers to their team members as Certified Automotive Professionals. The company earns customers by providing top-notch service seven days a week, so there is always a VIP nearby and ready to take care of any car problem – leveraging decades of experience to be there whenever and wherever they’re needed.
VIP gets it: Your car is your life. The company has been in business for nearly a century because they know that a car means everything to so many people across New England, and it means just as much to VIP’s professionals.
Honest. Trustworthy. Friendly. These are just some of the adjectives that VIP’s customers use to describe the service they receive in the more than five thousand 5-star reviews that the company’s shops receive each year. Yes, that’s right – five thousand 5-star customer reviews each year. Each member of the VIP family treats people the way they deserve to be treated – with respect. It is a team effort; there are so many people involved with ensuring that VIP customers have an exceptional tire and automotive service experience. From John Quirk, who serves as executive chairman, and Tim Winkeler, VIP’s president and CEO, to the rest of the leadership team and the entire staff, teamwork is not just a cliché, it isn’t just a buzzword, it is a way of life at VIP.
PHOTO courtesy of VIP Tires & Service
VIP’s 2022 Annual Managers Conference at the Samoset Resort in Rockland, ME.
Career focused
With teamwork in mind, VIP has always been there for its hard-working employees, who ensure top-notch customer service and make the company’s workplace culture a true industry leader. VIP is a staunch advocate for vocational careers, with the company’s auto technicians climbing the career ladder on a regular basis. Starting off at $18 to $21 per hour, VIP technicians can rapidly increase their earnings to $60,000 or $80,000 per year. Many VIP Master Certified Technicians surpass the $100,000 annual threshold, especially through classroom learning, hands-on training, and industry certification – which VIP provides to all its team members at no cost. VIP’s career path programs are evidence that careers in the trades are changing families and communities for the better.
Transparency is one of the company’s core values. VIP Service Advisors will show customers under their vehicle so they can see for themselves the things that the technicians see. VIP wants customers to feel knowledgeable and empowered to make the best decisions about their service – putting the customer in total control.
In addition to the services that VIP provides, the company also offers a wide range of warranties that give customers peace of mind regarding the investments they make into their vehicle. Especially in today’s economy, people need to think through their daily spending, and VIP makes that process easier by working with customers to make the best possible investments. That means talking to customers, listening to their concerns, educating them about their vehicle, and helping customers prioritize. Through collaboration and cooperation, VIP helps solve problems for its customers every day.
Saving money is important. In an inflationary economy, every dollar counts. VIP ensures the lowest tire prices available and backs that up with a 200% lowest tire price guarantee. They also provide exceptional service, including many free services – from tire safety and brake inspections to alignment checks. Just because VIP is a for-profit company doesn’t mean that it’s in the business of nickel-and-diming customers; it is in the business of earning customers’ trust, even if it happens to be free-of-charge. From tuning up a car to properly inflating tires and oil changes, it’s clear that a well-maintained, tuned-up vehicle is a much more efficient and cost-effective machine.
PHOTO courtesy of VIP Tires & Service
President & CEO Tim Winkeler leads discussion at a VIP Leadership training session.
Affordability and Convenience
Consumers are always looking for affordability and convenience. Whatever the outcome, whether it’s service or a new set of tires, customers want the process to be hassle-free. People don’t want barriers and roadblocks; they want smooth sailing. To that end, accessibility is everything – being “there” means having locations pretty much everywhere. And that is certainly true for VIP. While the company is based in Auburn, Maine, VIP operates almost 70 locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. For example, VIP opened a new location in Seabrook, N.H. last year, making sure that people in Southern New Hampshire have every bit as much access to auto service and tires as everyone else in New England. More recently, VIP acquired a business in Marshfield, Mass., expanding their Massachusetts footprint south to the Cape.
Again, VIP’s mission is to earn automotive customers for life. That does not begin with a sale. It begins with building a relationship and earning the customer’s trust. They want to be there for the life of the vehicle, not just one sale. Earning lifelong customers comes down to earning their trust, and people trust companies that go above and beyond. The bottom line obviously matters, but there’s much, much more to business than the financials. It is one of VIP’s guiding principles: To do right by others and the broader community. With people’s trust, companies like VIP have a responsibility to make the world a better place, leveraging its time and money to engage in philanthropic endeavors. Philanthropy matters.
Under John Quirk’s leadership, VIP has become the largest corporate partner for Make-A-Wish® Maine, donating more than $1 million to grant wishes for children facing life-threatening medical conditions across New England. The company also supports hundreds of local community organizations, partnering with any VIP team member who wishes to get involved in their community. The company also contributes to a clean and green environment by recycling many auto parts, used antifreeze, motor oil, and other fluids free of charge.
Education is another one of VIP’s top priorities. Increasing access to learning opportunities requires action. VIP actively promotes education and training opportunities for all its employees. In addition to advocating for the trades, VIP is also known for directly helping students learn new skills and expand their horizons. After a new location opens, for instance, VIP offer $10 oil changes for its first six weeks in operation, with 100% of those proceeds donated to local schools through VIP’s “Oil Changes for Education” initiative.
VIP Tires & Service has achieved many goals over the years, but the company can still accomplish so much more. Inspired by its long, illustrious history, the VIP team continues to look forward to a future that’s never been brighter. The best days for VIP – and its customers –lie ahead.
PHOTO courtesy of VIP Tires & Service
VIP Service Managers who received 2022 Compliance and Safety awards for their stores
VIP Tires & Service
24 Harriman Drive Auburn, ME 04210
(207) 784-5423
Sector: Automotive Tires & Service
John Quirk, Owner and Executive Chairman
Tim Winkeler, President and CEO
Locations: 70 throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont
Employees: Over 600 company-wide, 346 in Maine
www.vipauto.com
