Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Hancock
I could rant for hours about all the BS I have gone through getting tires and alignments done/attempted at local tire shops (like NTB, Tireman and BelleTire) over the last 10 years or so.
I have had floors dented, fender/rockers smashed, aluminum lugs impact wrenched, low front valances scraped, wheels scratched, clip-on weights installed on aluminum wheels, poor balance jobs, tie-rods destroyed (due to not using a counterhold wrench), Floor mats/seats/headliners oil stained etc. I now do ALL of my own alignments with digital levels/strings and I always remove my wheels and take them in loose. I have almost gotten into fist fights with shop supervisors and I have dropped the F-bomb multiple times in front of other customers when arguing with store managers after proving to them (I had started taking digital pictures of everything when I dropped the cars off) they effed up something on my car.
I WILL buy my own tire machines someday soon and will then never have a need to let todays crop of dumb@ss technicians at these places ever touch my cars again.
25 years ago kids working at these shops knew how to turn wrenches.... Today that knowledge for the most part has been replaced by video games/Facebook/cell phones.
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I recently had a horrible experience with an alignment shop that has been in business for over 80 years. It was with my Mercedes and I don't want to type 2 paragraphs recounting the story because it will ruin my day. It was like I'd walked into the Twilight Zone, just horrible service and attitude. The only thing that I took away from the experience is that I should walk, (or more accurately, drive), away at the first sign of incompetence or bad service. There are plenty of fish in the sea willing to take your $$ and do a better job + communicate.
I am very particular and knowledgable about alignment and tires/wheels, any shop that will not allow me to witness the work as it's being done is automatically eliminated. This of course does not mean that I have a right to interfere with them doing their job but it's possible to observe while staying out of the way and make sure that your baby is being treated right. As I am a mechanic myself, I have no problem telling someone that they suck if appropriate and I heap praise when warranted as well.
