[Kris]

OK, I have used different tire dealers in last four years 5 times with different cars.

1. Kauffman Tire. I had a problem with vibrations and wanted them to balance the tires. They talked me into getting new ones. As the tires were getting near the end of the life and I wasn’t happy with them I agreed. They installed 4 new tires. Upon receiving the car I noticed one tire did not have balancing weights. I pointed it out and was told “it did not require balancing weights”. Very unusual but what could I do? Next day I took off for a trip to Kingsport, Tennessee. Instead of enjoying new tires (I did like tem!) I had to deal with terrible steering wheel vibrations. So I took car back to the Kauffman Tire and was told “you must have lost the balancing weight”! I had to wait half a day to have the wheel balanced again.

2. Kauffman Tire again. This time my wife’s car. Had to go out there twice to finally have the tires balanced.

3. Butler Tire – “we baby your car is their logo”. Numerous trips to get the Yokos issue resolved and after that Goodyears.

4. Firestone / Bridgestone. They installed tires on the FX. My wife picked the car and drove for a week. First time I got into the car I notice steering wheel off center and terrible vibrations! So off I go the dealer again. They replaced one of the tires and did not correct the alignment. So I repeated the trip.

5. Discount Tire – they installed new Goodyears on the Murano yesterday. And were very nice and professional. Problem – I have vibrations on the steering wheel and am sure one of the tires is either out of round or needs to be balanced.

Question to you experts. I have been in this country only for last 7 years. I had never ever had problem with tires before. Do I expect too much? I thought almost monkey can do tires replacement these days. Who do the tires shops employ today? Is it that difficult the put new tires on a car?

GripperDon.
Please do no give me the “I always make friends with mechanics etc.”, I am always nice and I do pay for service.

Homer,
What happened to your American service society?

I guess first time in my life I do almost all work on my cars myself. I just do not want to waste time and I do want to get things right the first time without repeated trips to the various service places. Oh, and I do not trust them what so ever now. Just wish there was one place I would take car to and have tires fitted……am I a dreamer? Do I ask for too much?

 

[njjoe]

Kris-

Do you expect too much? No, I don't believe so.

I believe the level of service you experienced is typical of large auto service chains. The service is only as good as the staff, and in many cases employee turnover is so high the people never develop an allegiance to the company and are not concerned with customer service. They are there simply for a paycheck.

If you want a good deal, then take your car to a large chain store. If you want good service, find a local mechanic with a great reputation.

-njjoe

 

[Eric L.]

Another option you can consider (and one I have had success with) is to order the tires from tirerack and have them dropshipped to one of their recommended installers. There are even ratings on the tirerack website for these installers, and all have the latest Hunter balancing equipment.

I did this for the Yokos I ordered (albeit through discount tire online) but used a TireRack recommended installer, and they got it right the first time.

 

[ekaxel]

Never have a problem with Les Schwab (400 shops - entire Pacific NW). Superb, considerate service, and they KNOW what they are doing!!

 

[GripperDon]

OK KRis No such comments

I have never had such problems as getting tires round and balanced. I finally went to "Wheel Specialists" and had my tires shaved round, Balanced with road force equipment off car and a final on-car trim balance to take care of the rotor balance etc.

All this was after 2 discount tire places, a Big O and a Firestone.

The wheel weights were stick-ons, mounted on the inside on the centerline of the lug mounting plane.

I don't think you expect too much BUT I think that the pressure for company profits is killing: training, equipment maintenance, Time allowed for ANY task to be done.

We need to reduce Corporate Management pay, bonus, etc. No CEO, board Member or any manager should make more than a certain multiple of what the lowest worker is paid (say 100 times). Warren Buffet limited his salary to $200,000 year. All workers should be full time and receive benefits. All workers should be paid with modification based upon performance and customer feedback on each job they do.

In other words, Everyone stop the greed, do a good job, be fair, etc. Sport players, movie stars, etc. and all other non essential workers should be capped on salary. Essential workers, School teachers, etc. should get a tax credit, etc. Abolish the Federal tax, institute a Fed sales tax that slides based upon cost of the item. Tax on a Mercedes to be higher % than a Honda Civic. We need health care for all and college for all that can pass the tests.

Now I suggest that if we did the essences of these examples we would all be happier with our lives and get an expected product or service for a fair payment. I love capitalism, but that does not mean you pay a billion to the CEO of the largest health insurance CEO in the country (United Health Care)

I have no suggestions re. anything else, except child molesters and I woun't go into that here. Gee whizz I just wrote all this over some shaking tires can you imagine if given a chance to go into those perverts, it would take pages.

 

[Nizmo]

Welcome to the country.
It doesn't matter where you live, sometime it take a little longer to find a good shop that you are comfortable with.
Good Luck~


NZM

 

[big_daddy_mpd]

The "New" American Work Ethic

I'll give it a shot. I was in school, late 60's, through the 70's. I was taught a number of key lessons, by my school, my parents, grandparents, and society in general:

1) Work hard...take pride in your work...its what society expects of you.

2) If you work hard, get a good education, eventually, after alot of hard work and effort, you'll start to receive the kind of rewards you hoped for.

3) The customer is king. They have the money you want/need, and if you take a "long-term" perspective, provide good service, quality workmanship, they'll be your best marketing.

4) If you do excellent work in school, you'll get an A, if you don't, you'll get an F. If you screw off, act discrespectful, disobey authority, you'll get your butt spanked, and then you'll go home, and get it spanked again by your parents.

5) Self-esteem is what happens when you try, fail, try, fail, learn, try again, and succeed.

6) Bad stuff happens, you apologize, make amends, and do the right things. You don't sue people because "sh_t happens".

Now...let's see what this "new crop" of workers has been taught by their parents/grandparents:

1) Get what you can for as little as possible. Nobody can expect you to put extra effort into your work unless they properly reward you for it.

2) Get what you can right now...tomorrow is for suckers. If you make yourself valuable, corporate America will take advantage of you.

3) The customer is a hassle man. They actually think its all about them...sheesh, what a bunch of losers.

4) You are a good person...you deserve As in school. If you screw off, act discrespectful, disobey authority, you obviously need some more As...you don't like yourself much, do you? Poor baby...here, have an A...there, now don't you feel better about yourself?

5) Self-esteem is what happens when society properly rewards you for being you...alot...if you have bad self-esteem, its because society hasn't properly motivated you...its there fault, not yours.

6) When bad stuff happens, you need to sue the "sh_t" out of society...its their damn fault that you don't have what you want...and you want it now, now, NOW!!!!

Now, can you see how this might lead to the kind of customer service you might get at a vehicle service establishment?

Regards,

Big

 

[mgthe3]

Grip and Big Daddy

Wow

I agree with all you said Grip and preach that often.

You hit the nail on the head Big Daddy.

Kris, Kaufman should have been the best place, I am amazed they let you down.
It takes a little more than a monkey to do tires right, but hey, that is what they are hireing at that wage.

It's tire time soon for my Mo, I sure hope I have better luck.

 

[njjoe]

Customer Service? Values and practices are being replaced with slogans and gimmicks.

-njjoe

 

[Enforcer]

Oh man welcome to my hell. I don't know what to say other than keep at it, thats all you can do. Be prepared to keep trying different ones until you find one that either knows or wants to know.

Kris, how much weight on each wheel?

 

[Kris]

Interesting replies! And how political this threat become!

Thanks guys. I agree with all of you. Even with the "political" content!

Enforcer,
the amount of weight was "normal" I would say. Comparable to the previous ones. Anyway, return visit fixed everything. Still I have to say "customer service" and "pride of workmanship" is thing of the past.........It was replaced by greed and maximizing profit...

Let's enjoy our Murano

 

[ChrisWard]

Tires & Wheels INFO

For a lot of info on this subj. see the Tires & Wheels area and go to the Thread "New Tires now a Shimmy" and I think this will help alot. If you want to call me for more info please do so.:2: :2: :2: :2: :2:

 

[Kris]

Chris,

I read your posts. So how did it end up?

 

[hfelknor]

First of all, I don't do big cities.
They tend to even thingts out to the lowest common denominator except for their "cultural" atractions. No matter what you do, you can't beat Broadway shows or The Smithsonian, or the San Dieago Zoo or the chicago planetarium, etc.
And I suppose if you want the cheapest prices.......on commodity items like tires.........

I do towns.

And in those towns I do independent businesses.
Probably because I owned one, I know that no "average" big chain, will do the job that an "average" indie will do.
Only the indie REALLY cares.
Only the Indie KNOWS what it is to make a payroll every week.
Only an indie knows that his customers pay that payroll.
Only an indie knows that the buisness he is in, is the business of satisfying customers, regardless of what the sign says out front.

My Tire dealer is Mickey Franklin. Ex Racer.Great local rep.
Has one store. Just expanded for the umpteenth time.
Doesn't hesitate to tell me that his biggest problem is hiring young guys who give a crap or old guys that don't drink.
"Most" of his people have been with him more than 5 years, some 10, and some 15 years.
He doesn't have yard monkees like the big shops do.
It is his contention that yard monkees, who work for near minimum wage, don't save you money, they cost you money, by stripping lugs, scrathching fenders, etc.
So his top men are the ones who do it all.
They demount, they repair/replace/balance/check specs/mount tires.

As to price.........
The GYs will cost me $600 out the door.
The BS Dueler Sports are $800.
Considering that the Duelers are V rated, I'll do the Duelers.

Now one other part about the price.
Mickey highly recos road hazard. That's anotrher $15/tire.
I'll probbaly do it.
He sold mje road hazards on my GYs......even though he didn't sell them. So, he rotated and balanced the GYs 3 times for NC....
Like he said, if everybody watched their tires like I do, he would have to raise the price......but they don't.
Believe it or not he says that MOST people do not come back in for their FREE roatate/balance even after they have paid for it.....

We have lost our drive.
We have lost our Americanism.
We, like for instance, France, have become multi cultural.
We now have many hyphenated americans.
There is no such thing as a hyphenated american.
You either are, or you are not.

Big Daddy understands the problem.
There IS no answer.
It's too late.
It's over.
We lost.
The baby boomers should be taken out and shot. It happened on their watch.
They did away with taboos.
And they are proud of that.
What they failed to realize, and now don't care about, is that, if you don't have taboos, there are other things you don't/can't have.
Things like Ethics. And principles.

Homer

Don't get me and Gripper going..............
As to molestors?
No big tirade.
Kill them.

 

[njjoe]

:claphead:

Homer,

Your last point, about taboos, is very true. It's a shame, but it is the truth.

-njjoe

 

[TexInFla]

We have lost our drive.
We have lost our Americanism.
We, like for instance, France, have become multi cultural.
We now have many hyphenated americans.
There is no such thing as a hyphenated american.
You either are, or you are not.

Big Daddy understands the problem.
There IS no answer.
It's too late.
It's over.
We lost.
The baby boomers should be taken out and shot. It happened on their watch.
They did away with taboos.
And they are proud of that.
What they failed to realize, and now don't care about, is that, if you don't have taboos, there are other things you don't/can't have.
Things like Ethics. And principles.

Such broad, sweeping generalizations! While they represent opinion, they certainly don't represent fact.

I supervise a small staff of about 40, the vast majority of whom are "baby boomers" or younger. There are African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Arab-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and plain ol' Caucasian-Americans in that bunch. And they are among the most fascinating, patriotic, hard-driven, accomplished, principled, and ethical people I've ever had the pleasure to work with. You should be so lucky to know them.

Oh, the horrors of multiculturalism! How dare we accept into this country those who are different! There are those who have apparently forgotten the foundation on which this country was built and became great....freedom and tolerance, just to name two cornerstones. One thing that has made this country a shining light to all other countries is our history (at least until the past few years) of being united as Americans while celebrating our diveristy as individuals. Those who wish to homogenize our society frighten me.

It's oh-so-easy to point fingers of blame for the problems that our country faces. There may be some perverse satisfaction in blaming the "baby boomers" for certain societal ills; but, if I believed that the baby boomers were responsible for this country going into the toilet (and, no, I don't believe that), then I'd also have to wonder who is responsible for how the baby boomers turned out. They didn't just raise themselves in a vacuum. So, while you're mowing down all the baby boomers with your assault rifle, perhaps you should also turn it on the parents of the baby boomers for creating such monsters.

And in an attempt to steer this thread a little bit back on topic, I've had just as much trouble with the independent shops in my city as I have had with the national corporations. I've also had some terrific experiences with independent shops and with national corporations. Frankly, what it boils down to is the individual person's dedication to providing exceptional customer service, regardless of the size of the business.

 

[GripperDon]

IMO

"Such broad, sweeping generalizations! While they represent opinion, they certainly don't represent fact."

I submit that is also an opinion.

 

[Kris]

Hm, interesting.......and I just asked for a good tire shop!

Homer,
I do understand you even though you generalize a little too much. I just wish I could find a store like you did. Oh, I would have gone for Bridgestone but the the best price I could get was $1,150. Far cry from $650 for GDY. And the last set of GDY was OK.

I think the underlying problem is constat pursuit and maximization of profit and Wallstreet. The $$ kills everything! There is no taboos, secrets, principles, ethics if there is $$ attached....sad....

 

[ChrisWard]

Toyo Tires

The 5th time was the one. Discount tires replaced two tires as they were very out of round. The road force balance came up with the following: .05psi .09psi, .10psi, and .14psi I think this is good from all that I have read. The two that were replaced had .28psi and .32psi and were pulling the car and vibrating badly.:2: :2: :2: :2: :2:

 

[Kris]

So the Toyo was to blame! Interesting.

They did road force for me too. I think all numbers were below 10. I do not remember. Anyway, it is driving OK now.