NVcurmudgeon
06-12-2007, 01:36 AM
I am happy to have my car service needs taken care of by an honest, competent, reasonably priced shop. Their estimates are etched in stone, rather than wildly varying. Also, they have been a major tire dealer since 1921 or so. In the three years I have dealt with them, the galena fairy has blessed me with 2 1/2 buckets of WW. Not fabulous, but enough to keep the wolf away from the door. Their manager has hinted darkly at EPA forbidding giving or selling WW to other than "licensed recyclers."
Here comes the dating analogy. My ancient experience with date requests was that sometimes the answer was "yes", and sometimes a polite "thanks, but no thanks." I heard stories about slaps in the face and insults, but never experienced any of those." Today I got the slap in the face and insult from the tire shop.
This afternoon, my favorite mechanic, Eric, phoned to tell me that my wife's car was ready, and that the bill was $758.01 as estimated. Eric told me that the car was all systems go. (My truck was in there last month to the tune of $400+.) I expressed my pleasure over Eric's good work and asked if he could fix me up with some WW. He said, "I think we can work that out." Apparently Eric asked the manager's permission. When we went to pick up the car, the manager collected our money, then said, "I understand you need some sinker material." The manager then escorted me to the tire machine, looked around, and said that he had only one bucket, which looked to be almost half full. I thanked him, took the bucket, estimated 50 lbs, to my truck, and returned with my exchange bucket. I then fumbled toward my pocket, not the one with $25 for a large pizza in it, but the manager waved it off.
This was the easiest bucket of WW I ever sorted. It weighed exactly 50 lbs. There was seven lbs. of WW thinly scattered on top of 41 lbs. of trash, mostly lug nuts and huge bolts. A polite "no" would have been better than seven lbs. of WW and being used as a garbage man.
Will I ever have my cars serviced there again? You bet! A place that does good work is very hard to find, and I'm not about to cut off my nose to spite my face. Will I ever buy another tire there? Not bloody likely! It's getting brutal out there.
Here comes the dating analogy. My ancient experience with date requests was that sometimes the answer was "yes", and sometimes a polite "thanks, but no thanks." I heard stories about slaps in the face and insults, but never experienced any of those." Today I got the slap in the face and insult from the tire shop.
This afternoon, my favorite mechanic, Eric, phoned to tell me that my wife's car was ready, and that the bill was $758.01 as estimated. Eric told me that the car was all systems go. (My truck was in there last month to the tune of $400+.) I expressed my pleasure over Eric's good work and asked if he could fix me up with some WW. He said, "I think we can work that out." Apparently Eric asked the manager's permission. When we went to pick up the car, the manager collected our money, then said, "I understand you need some sinker material." The manager then escorted me to the tire machine, looked around, and said that he had only one bucket, which looked to be almost half full. I thanked him, took the bucket, estimated 50 lbs, to my truck, and returned with my exchange bucket. I then fumbled toward my pocket, not the one with $25 for a large pizza in it, but the manager waved it off.
This was the easiest bucket of WW I ever sorted. It weighed exactly 50 lbs. There was seven lbs. of WW thinly scattered on top of 41 lbs. of trash, mostly lug nuts and huge bolts. A polite "no" would have been better than seven lbs. of WW and being used as a garbage man.
Will I ever have my cars serviced there again? You bet! A place that does good work is very hard to find, and I'm not about to cut off my nose to spite my face. Will I ever buy another tire there? Not bloody likely! It's getting brutal out there.