Fixing a Flat

An entire wall in the waiting room at Jim Woodham's Southside Tire and Auto on the Troy Highway is decorated with notes from customers, including one from me.

They tell a story of a father (Jim) and a son (Matt) who earn customer loyalty by doing business with courtesy and integrity.

I wrote my note of appreciation about eight years ago, when I visited Woodham's for the first time seeking advice on whether the tires I was considering buying from a wholesale club were a good deal.

Mr. Woodham replied, "If you can get them for that price, Jeff, I'd do it."

How many business owners do you know who would send you somewhere else to buy a product?

As I was leaving, Mr. Woodham said, "I'll tell you what.  I'll give you the best tires I have, balanced and installed, for what you would pay for those Michelins."

I've been doing business with Jim and Matt ever since.

One time, they worked on my car for a couple days, trying to fix a particularly vexing engine problem.

Frustrated, Matt finally referred me to someone who specialized in that type of car.

When it came time to pay him for the many hours his crew had invested in my ride, Matt said, "I'm not going to charge for something I can't fix."

I was stunned.

So it hit me hard Thursday night seeing Matt doing a live shot with Eileen Jones, standing in front of a pile of bricks that used to be part of his shop before a storm called a microburst struck with its damaging winds.

I stopped by Friday morning to tell my friends I was sorry about their loss.

Matt hadn't slept a wink, but he was still as kind as always.

The Woodhams are waiting to hear from engineers who will decide whether their shop can be repaired.  Or if it needs to completely rebuilt.

Insurance, thankfully, will cover their loss.

Matt thinks they can get back up to full-speed in 30 days.

If there's any family and and business that can weather this storm, it's the Woodhams.

They've been through a lot worse.  A few years ago, they tragically lost a family member when Mike  (Jim's son, Matt's brother) Woodham's toddler daughter died in an accident.

Compared to that tragedy, Thursday's storm is a flat tire.

The Woodhams will rely on their faith to pull them through again.

And when they re-open, I'll be one of the first customers through the door.

See you next week!

God bless - Jeff