I so wish there was a tire operation like this where I live…read more
I was 300 miles away from home with a drywall screw driven squarely through the shallowest part of a rare-sized low-profile run-flat. First stop was the mega mega national chain we all hate for a million good reasons (look, I was desperate) -- after 15 minutes of trying to get someone's attention, they looked at the outer edge tire wear for half a second and proclaimed it was their policy not to work on such tires (this particular car wears hard on the outer edge due to camber setup, so the tread there was definitely well-worn; but look, I just needed to get the fam + car home though due to having to be at work that day).
Me: Great -- sell me a new tire. Them: Oh, we don't have that size. Me: Right. Know anyone who might be able to help me out? (In my mind, I was screaming, "Do you know anyone who will just exert a little bit of effort and fix my #@%@! tire?") Them: Well, there's C Adam Toney Tires up off something or other just past something or other right next to the Dollar General. Me: Did you say Tony Adams Seas? Them: No, C Adam Toney -- just use your phone to ... Me: Ah, got it.
I get to C Adam Toney, I wait maybe two minutes, I give them my info, leave my key, head out for a short hike (hey, it's the New River Gorge National Park), call them back for an update: "It's ready, bud." Music to my ears. Sixteen bucks and I'm back on the road and can deal with sourcing a new tire another day.
The important part of all this: I told the tech at C Adam Toney if they couldn't do a plug, I would be ready to pay for a new tire. At no point in time, and I mean not even for a millisecond, did they try and jump to upselling me on a new tire. They just plugged the tire and I was on my way and I thought, "This is the way life is supposed to be."
A hundred thousand thanks to a group of folks committed to just doing a good job, because they are a virtual endangered species these days. If you guys were anywhere near me, I'd jettison the dealer (and TireRack) and be a lifelong customer.