CHAPEL HILL TIRE LOCATIONS
Carrboro Location 203 West Main St. Carrboro, NC 27510 (919) 651-3114
Cole Park Plaza Location 11470 US-15 501 Hwy N Chapel Hill, NC 27517 (919) 535-9048
University Place Location 201 South Estes Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 589-5114
West Franklin Location 502 W. Franklin Street Chapel Hill, NC 27516 (919) 371-6158
N Fordham Blvd. 1809 N. Fordham Blvd. Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 636-6093
Woodcroft Shopping Center 4805 Hope Valley Road Durham, NC 27707 (919) 794-4239
Atlantic Avenue (formerly Atlantic Avenue Tire & Service) 2131 Harrod St. Raleigh, NC 27604 (919) 858-6893
Marc Pons picked up a ringing phone at Chapel Hill Tire one day during exam season and heard a frantic parent on the other end.
The parent was calling from New York on behalf of their child. The child’s car wouldn’t start, it was the middle of exams, and the student was stressed out. From the sound of the call, the parent was, too.
"I said, ‘No problem,” Pons recalled. “Glad to help you.”
Pons, who owns and operates seven Chapel Hill Tire locations with his brother, drove over himself. Right away, he called and gave the worried parent a status update – a dead battery was to blame. The staff at Chapel Hill Tire changed the battery and brought the car back to the student’s driveway.
“I think we are catching people off guard when they come in the store and everybody is on point,” Pons said. “You've got these friendly people at the front counter ready to take care of you, the work is done when it's promised, and it's done in a quality way.”
Whatever people expect from an auto repair shop, Chapel Hill Tire hopes to exceed it. It hasn’t just been Google reviews, either — the shop just received a note from parents who were thankful for how their child’s car was dealt with.
The parents were 650 miles away and their daughter was worried about taking her car in for the first time by herself. Her dad looked online and found the number for Chapel Hill Tire. Chapel Hill Tire patched up a slow leaking tire, changed a burned out light and sent her on her way at no charge.
This is a trend Pons has noticed, especially recently, in a college town. Parents call the shop on behalf of their children, who are often students at UNC. Pons and his team have been brainstorming ways to help involve parents with the process of car care and repair, even when they are miles or even states away.
One such tool they have implemented is digital inspections. Chapel Hill Tire staff will send videos and pictures to the parents before any repairs begin.
“That's like being able to bring the parents into the shop,” Pons said.
And for the parents who are worried about their kids getting a flat tire and not knowing what to do or not having the time to take care of any car issues, Chapel Hill Tire tries to take the worry out of the equation.
“They can know that they are taken care of,” Pons said. “If anything happens, the car and the child are in good hands.”
Pons’ experience with the out-of-town parent calling on behalf of his daughter made him think about other ways that he could meet the needs of parents who wanted to make sure that their kid was taken care of at school.
“While you're here at UNC,” Pons said, “You're going to feel like you've got a place that cares about you, cares about your car.”
