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Digital Edition2024 Theo Award Winner: Discount Tire
Discount Tire, a leading tire and wheel retailer and service provider, has built its success on a foundation of exceptional customer service. This commitment extends beyond its retail operations to encompass the care and support of its own employees, particularly in the realm of workers’ compensation and workplace safety.
Recognizing the challenges inherent in the workers’ compensation environment, including potential litigation and extended healing timelines, Discount Tire has developed an innovative approach to employee care that sets a new standard in the industry.
Tackling the Problem
At the heart of Discount Tire’s strategy is a dedicated team of seven return-to-work professionals led by Treesie Richins, assistant manager, workers’ compensation. This team embodies the company’s customer service ethos, applying it to the complex world of workers’ compensation claims.
From the moment an injury occurs, the RTW team engages with the affected employee, providing support that goes far beyond traditional claims management. Team members act as injury counselors, benefits navigators and employee advocates throughout the claims process. Their goal is to reassure injured workers that their relationship with the company remains strong, despite the unexpected setback.
“One of the challenges in the program was that the employee really has no understanding of the workers’ compensation world, and they have no understanding of what that means for them when they’re injured,” Richins said.
“So when we get in touch with those employees right away and let them know ‘Hey, you’re going to be working with a third party administrator, you’re going to be working with a doctor,’ it lets them know who all of the players are right away.”
In March 2023, Discount Tire made a strategic decision to partner with a new third-party administrator that aligned more closely with its employee-centric philosophy. This partnership has been instrumental in implementing an employee advocacy model that mirrors Discount Tire’s customer service approach.
Treesie Richins, assistant manager, workers’ compensation, Discount Tire
The company has also focused on creating a positive work environment that addresses potential underlying causes of extended claims, such as job satisfaction and overall contentment with the employer. By fostering a supportive atmosphere and maintaining open communication, Discount Tire aims to reduce conflict and litigation while promoting faster healing and return to work.
To further bolster return to work and keep younger injured employees connected to the company culture during recovery, modified duty placements are a particular focus. “You’re not going see our employees that are injured pushing brooms just to keep them in the store,” Richins said.
“They’re going to be doing valuable work. That makes them feel still connected to that family, because our managers often take on the role of another parental figure in these young employee’s lives … They’re keeping up that relationship with the team.”
Success to Build On
Discount Tire’s innovative approach has yielded impressive results. In the first year of its new TPA partnership, the company’s lost time rate was less than half that of its industry peers.
The company also saw significantly lower average new claim incurred costs, well below the industry average. Additionally, Discount Tire’s new claims closing ratio far exceeded the industry average.
Perhaps most notably, Discount Tire’s litigation rate on pending claims was just less than half the industry average, underscoring the effectiveness of the company’s customer service approach in building trust and reducing conflict with injured workers.
Organization: Discount Tire * Location: Scottsdale, AZ * Number of Employees: 28,000 * Category: Retail & Wholesale
Kevin Annarella, in the first annual Sedgwick/Discount Tire program stewardship, noted: “Overall, it would be hard to find a true comparison to the Discount Tire culture and the positive impact it has on a casualty program. A household name, a significant company, and still able to touch their workforce in a way that drives up satisfaction and drives down the litigious nature of claims.”
By applying its customer service excellence to employee care, Discount Tire has created a workers’ compensation program that not only reduces costs but also prioritizes the wellbeing and satisfaction of its workforce. This approach serves as a model for how companies can transform their workers’ compensation programs into vehicles for employee support and engagement. &
The Theo Award celebrates its inaugural year, honoring 31 workers’ compensation programs for their excellence and service to workers across the nation. To learn more about the award and amazing qualities each winner possesses, visit here.
