He said they were behind schedule, but I should check at 5PM when they close to get my vehicle.
So I arrive at 4:40PM. My truck is on the rack with no wheels on it. Apparently three of the four tires have been mounted and balanced. I was informed they would not be able to complete my truck today. Every one of the eight or even maybe ten bays had a vehicle on it, but there were only two employees visible in the bay. One was working diligently, the other was on his cell phone most of the time I was there.
I chucked the tire in the back of the truck and went on my way. The truck feels GREAT with those new tires and basic service that was completed.
So I needed a set of tires for my truck. I looked online Saturday night and they had two tires I was interested in "in stock". So I wanted to view them to make my final choice.
I was dropped off and checked in. They vehicle was done, and everything looked good. I retrieved my keys and went to the truck. The spare was the same tire that was there since 2007. :) No biggie, as things break and I was told this might not happen. When I looked in the back of the truck, there was no take off as I had requested.
I left them the keys and departed with a friend who agreed to assist me.
The closest tire in stock cost much more!!!
Didn't even make it past the phone call.
Oh sir we can't get that tire you ordered online.(for appointment Oct 6th. It's Sept 21.)
But what I can say is this was the best handled disaster I have been involved in with a retail business in a long time.The front desk guys were apologetic, but not patronizing. They did the best they could do with what they had and I have great respect for that. This is a three star rating instead of a one star, only because of the great tires and the great customer service.
About 2PM, I hadn't heard anything so I called. Apparently they tried to reach me, but I never got the voicemail or the call. They weren't done yet, but wanted to know if I wanted a new air filter and wiper blades. This was done politely, and I declined. I was also politely told they couldn't get the spare tire mounting cable to cycle. That's fine, its an older truck and its bound to rust up at sometime. Soak it in PB Blaster and try again at the end. :) If no joy, toss the tire in the back of the truck and I'll fix it on my own later.
I went back to the office and expressed this to them, they apologized and found my tire. They offered to load it for me, but I had already grabbed paper towels for the restroom to handle the tire cleanly.
After an hour of waiting, I was informed the tires chosen from Firestone's online match service were the incorrect size because I didn't consider the submodel of my car and the garage had assumed I should have known such information. Correct tire size is definitely a basic element which Firestone's website should automatically take into account and which a professional garage should check before confirming an appointment. My vehicle is all standard, stock build/parts of a very common vehicle. Placing blame on the customer is very unprofessional, especially when I was told the situation (of choosing the incorrect tire size) occurs frequently. Then, perhaps, the garage should take some responsibility for doing pre-appointment double-check for compatibility.
New tires were necessary, so I used Firestone's online service to compare so-called appropriate tires based on my vehicle (specific to Make, Model, Year, and Submodel). I scheduled an appointment for 2 days later (at opening time) and specified exactly the tires I wanted from the choices offered, included a coupon from Firestone's website, and specified "will wait for service".
I made the commitment to purchase the set they had, have them installed, and have the best of my old tires placed on my spare rim under the truck.
At 8AM Sunday, I arrived to drop off the truck and look at new tires. I explained myself and we confirmed the tire size on my vehicle. As it turns out, they only had one option (not two) in stock. Annoying, but whatever...
Wow still same ole Firestone thought we got past this type of business.
In the future, I will do my best to choose to have my car serviced at a location which takes a little more professional initiative in double-checking the details of basic service requests prior to appointments. We can't all be expected to have the knowledge of a professional car mechanic. A fact which the online tire-matching tool and the personnel at the repair garages should routinely take into account.
Great location, nice staff, but they tried to get me to replace brand new wipers so....
I was given one option for tires that fit my vehicle (of course, far more expensive) and the tires had to be transferred from another Firestone location. Once the tires had been replaced, I was told I should have an alignment (or supposedly void warranty on the new tires). I ended up having to wait on-site for 4.5 hours and pay over $200 more than my initial online quote.
I make arrangements for them to drop my truck off tomorrow (which is today) and pay for the service. Good news, there is a deal going and I got a discount plus 6 months same as cash on my firestone card.
The best worst visit I have ever had...
The ole bait n switch.
All this being said... this was a disaster. BUT, It was handled extremely well. It was clear to a casual observer they had some kind of massive staffing disaster that Sunday. But they were polite and honest and made a solid effort to meet my needs. Plus with a 2004 Truck, I am not at all upset that a part that is exposed to road grit and wear failed, preventing them from handling the spare as I had requested. Things break, no whoop.
Today, I got a ride to work, and promptly got a phone call saying the truck was done. This was about 8AM. At 11:30, still no truck. So co-worker agrees to take me across town to check things out. I called and asked them not to worry about delivery, as I had found a ride. They were apparently about to try to make the drop off happen, so it was good timing.
Came in for an oil change and engine light check. I had an appointment and was told when I scheduled the appointment that it would take an hour. Was told today that it would take 1-1.5 hours. I left for about and hour and 15 minutes. When I came back nothing had been done and my car was in the same spot as when I left it. I had scheduled this in advance and rearranged a meeting and missed a lecture. The man at the front seemed uncomfortable but did not ever apologize.
Firestone Complete Auto Care is a US Car Repair based in Bloomington, Indiana. Firestone Complete Auto Care is located at 833 S College Mall Rd, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA.
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