Flat tire - wierd
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
It's not done everywhere, which is why they do it. To separate themselves from the herd. Very cool on their part and very smart business. Chances are you'll remember them when you're ready for new tires. Cheers, Tom Archer - Visual C++ MVP Archer Consulting Group "So look up ahead at times to come, despair is not for us. We have a world and more to see, while this remains behind." - James N. Rowe
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
John Cardinal wrote: but it's pretty cool nonetheless. Let me put it this way. If you have THREE holes in your tires, and you have them PATCHED, how long do you think it will be before you are going to REPLACE that tire? Frankly, they should have suggested that it be replaced to begin with! I wouldn't like to be driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere with that kind of a patch job on one of my tires, and that's even knowing how to change a tire and having done so numerous times. It's never fun. Marc My website
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John Cardinal wrote: but it's pretty cool nonetheless. Let me put it this way. If you have THREE holes in your tires, and you have them PATCHED, how long do you think it will be before you are going to REPLACE that tire? Frankly, they should have suggested that it be replaced to begin with! I wouldn't like to be driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere with that kind of a patch job on one of my tires, and that's even knowing how to change a tire and having done so numerous times. It's never fun. Marc My website
Latest Articles: Object Comparer String HelpersAccording to their lifetime gurantee and what the guy showed me and explained about different repair methods I'm not at all concerned. Hell if they do it on police car tires (and I have no reason to suspect they don't) it must be pretty much expected to last. They take the tire off the rim and use what looks like a giant thumbtack, a large rubbery circle cap about 2 or three inches across with a long thin rubbery cylinder coming off of it, they install it from the inside and it ensures that no water can get into the steel belts and also that no air can leak. If there is any damage to the sidewall they recommend replacement but for punctures it's apparently very solid. From what I've been reading on the net, this is considered as good as new so it doesn't affect speed rating or anything. These tires are a *very* expensive high performance model, I'm perfectly happy to not have to buy a new one, and I always have the spare so worst case scenario is it slowly leaks away.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
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John Cardinal wrote: but it's pretty cool nonetheless. Let me put it this way. If you have THREE holes in your tires, and you have them PATCHED, how long do you think it will be before you are going to REPLACE that tire? Frankly, they should have suggested that it be replaced to begin with! I wouldn't like to be driving down the highway in the middle of nowhere with that kind of a patch job on one of my tires, and that's even knowing how to change a tire and having done so numerous times. It's never fun. Marc My website
Latest Articles: Object Comparer String HelpersMarc Clifton wrote: If you have THREE holes in your tires, and you have them PATCHED, how long do you think it will be before you are going to REPLACE that tire? A very long time. No replacement necessary. Tires only need replaced if they have a tear. When they patch nail holes it's a non-event for the tire. My mom has worked at a tire shop (full charge book-keeping) for a long time. It's pretty common to do free tire repair here in Idaho because safety is their biggest concern. If it's going to cost you money you may not make sure it's done properly. Then you have an accident and word gets out that you were using Brand X tires. Brand X doesn't like that so their dealers offer free tire repair and rotation. It's all about safety and in their eyes your safety is paramount. Dead customers won't buy tires and neither will customers who had a bad experience with your Brand X tire. - Rex
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
John Cardinal wrote: They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. So let me get this straight... An old shed nailed your car.... Yes getting a hole fixed is fairly cheap and often free. They make more money off four new tires than a few holes fixed. Most tires come with road hazard warrenties which make the fixes free anyhow, so its just a matter of who gets the money when the next 4 tires come up for sale (and who you tell about your good experience). Word of mouth is powerful advertising. If you think of the repair as paying you to advertise for them, it makes a lot more sense and everyone feels the time/money is well spent. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
Some companies have a clearer vision of "customer service" than others. This defines who will survive in the long haul.:-D "...putting all your eggs in one basket along with your bowling ball and gym clothes only gets you scrambled eggs and an extra laundry day... " - Jeffry J. Brickley
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
I've found that Les Schwab (http://www.lesschwab.com/[^] - in Washington State) does the same -- you go in with a leak... they'll patch your tire for free.
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Some companies have a clearer vision of "customer service" than others. This defines who will survive in the long haul.:-D "...putting all your eggs in one basket along with your bowling ball and gym clothes only gets you scrambled eggs and an extra laundry day... " - Jeffry J. Brickley
Roger Wright wrote: This defines who will survive in the long haul. NIIIIIICE! Microsoft will still buy them out.;)
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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I've found that Les Schwab (http://www.lesschwab.com/[^] - in Washington State) does the same -- you go in with a leak... they'll patch your tire for free.
They have the best business model I've seen in a service oriented organization. Those guys almost always see you come in, drop what they are doing and jog to your car. They immediately give you full attention, walk you inside, fill out a ticket and get you cozy while you wait. The free popcorn is the total bonus. My only real beef with them is that they don't offer wireless internet. If they did I'd add a new component to my business. I'll go get your tires rotated for $25 and I'll work while I wait... Les Schwab is where it's at for tires. Those guys are pros in every sense.
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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Roger Wright wrote: This defines who will survive in the long haul. NIIIIIICE! Microsoft will still buy them out.;)
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
code-frog wrote: Microsoft will still buy them out. If they do, you can kiss goodbye any notion of customer service. MS is totally unfamiliar with the concept... "...putting all your eggs in one basket along with your bowling ball and gym clothes only gets you scrambled eggs and an extra laundry day... " - Jeffry J. Brickley
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They have the best business model I've seen in a service oriented organization. Those guys almost always see you come in, drop what they are doing and jog to your car. They immediately give you full attention, walk you inside, fill out a ticket and get you cozy while you wait. The free popcorn is the total bonus. My only real beef with them is that they don't offer wireless internet. If they did I'd add a new component to my business. I'll go get your tires rotated for $25 and I'll work while I wait... Les Schwab is where it's at for tires. Those guys are pros in every sense.
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
I agree! :)
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What a strange thing to happen to me today: I go outside this morning and my car has a flat tire, so I take it to a local tire shop ("KAL tire" a chain here in Canada at least) deciding that since they sell Bridgestones and my car has high performance ones on it I can always buy a new one from them if it's toast. They find 3 nails in it, this is not so strange as we tore down some old sheds on our new property when we first bought it and there are a lot of nails in that one area of the property that conceivably the car might have been parked on lately when we had to move it to make room for a delivery truck. The guy explains how they fixed it, that it's guranteed for life, that it's the same way they fix police cars etc, but what was the wierd part was that the guy hands me the bill after they spend almost an hour fixing it and testing it and installing it back on the car etc and the bill is for zero dollars. I asked him what's up with that and he said "all we ask is that you consider us when you need to buy new tires". That's pretty cool, I don't know if that's done everywhere now as it's been years since I had a flat, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.
"A preoccupation with the next world pretty clearly signals an inability to cope credibly with this one."
We hear lots of complaints, it's nice to hear a compliment :cool: The tigress is here :-D