SARASOTA, FL — AskPatty.com, Inc., announced today that Mary Aichlmayr, managing editor of Tire Review magazine, will join the automotive advisory panel of industry-expert women for their new woman’s portal, Ask Patty. The Ask Patty website, http://www.askpatty.com, which launched June 8, 2006, provides a safe place for women to get advice on car purchases, maintenance and other automotive related topics online.
Mary Aichlmayr is managing editor of Tire Review magazine, a business publication read by more than 30,000 independent tire dealers in North America. Tire Review is dedicated to the success of tire dealers serving the passenger, commercial, agricultural, specialty and off-the-road tire markets.
Aichlmayr writes several feature articles for the monthly magazine as well as a regular column that focuses on business operations and management strategy. She also manages the Tire Review website.
During her eight-year career as a trade journalist, Aichlmayr has written for several publications in the manufacturing, supply chain, trucking, warehousing, distribution and real estate arenas. She graduated summa cum laude from Baldwin-Wallace College with a degree in English.
In her automotive advisory role, Aichlmayr will respond to questions from female consumers on automotive related topics via the website. The Ask Patty interactive advice blog launched May 22, 2006.
“Knowing how to serve women customers is absolutely essential to the success of today’s tire dealer,” said Mary Aichlmayr. “Women represent a powerful force in the automotive industry, and their influence will only get stronger. Fully 65 percent of a typical tire dealer’s customer base is made up of women, yet most still report negative experiences when shopping for tires. That has to change for tire dealers to be successful in the long run.”
“Mary Aichlmayr has an understanding of the needs of women when it comes to a great buying experience in the automotive industry,” says Jody DeVere, president of Ask Patty. “Her experience with Tire Review will be invaluable to women consumers who come to Ask Patty for answers about their vehicles and dealership interactions.”
According to DeVere, Ask Patty provides the safe environment for women to get advice and information needed to feel empowered and confident when they go to their local dealership for car service, repairs, maintenance and when they negotiate and purchase a new or used vehicle.
Peter Martin, CEO of AskPatty.com adds, “Adding Mary to our Automotive Expert Panel is a great step for Ask Patty. It will allow us to expand our knowledge base to cover even more information about tires and the aftermarket world of the automotive industry.”
