O-M-G, Avoid this shop! BIZARRE, UNHINGED BEHAVIOR, June 20, 2022…read more
I called Cool Tint Shop on 6/18/22 & got no answer but businesses rarely have office staff these days. Being just 10-12 minutes away, I drove over and saw a man in the open garage tinting a car's windows. There were perhaps 2 -3 other cars which might've in queue at 1:25pm (they closed at 6pm). Not wanting to interrupt, I tried the door of what looked like an office: Locked. I saw no one else, so I returned to the man I'd seen to ask if he could fit my car in that day.
The young man (blackish-brown hair, 30-ish, 6-6'1", med thin build) who I'll call "tint guy" stopped to hear my question, He responded shaking his head and seeming almost annoyed, but it WAS hot and I WAS interrupting. He said no, he couldn't do it. Understood. I said OK and explained that I only came because I'd tried calling beforehand but got no answer. He repeated "I can't do it." He went back to his work without suggesting I return at a different time or day or offering any such option. I left and chalked it up to bad timing.
Two days later, my husband called, hoping we'd have better luck. No answer, but seconds later, Cool Tint Shop called back. On speaker, I recognized tint guy's voice saying we could bring our car & he'd get to it by 1pm. Husband said we'd drop off in an hour. They discussed a few specs and we prepared to go in two cars, one to drop off at Cool Tint, where we'd pay in advance before continuing to Taylor for a scheduled commitment--YAY!
We got there 70 minutes later and tint guy exited the open garage door to meet us (no one else visible & no obvious cars in queue). Husband said he was the one who called earlier about dropping off the Honda. Oddly, tint guy asked: "Do you have an appointment? Because..." (he trailed off), Husband cut in: "No, but you said on the phone we could bring it in." Tint guy then said something that included "Don't get mad at me." We both thought it was a joke about the difference between saying "bring your car in" vs. "you have an appointment." We chuckled, but tint guy repeated (dead serious & more forcefully) "No, don't get mad at me!" We were stunned & speechless at his sudden ire. TG then asked, "Were you getting ceramic? Because I've got a ceramic appointment." Husband said "No, we said regular." Tint guy then said "No... I'm not doing it. I can't/am not going to do it."
Still in shock, we reminded tint guy he'd agreed to tint our windows just over an hour ago & told us to bring the car. Tint guy rapidly began to lose it and incoherently tried to explain why he wouldn't provide the previously-agreed upon service. I asked why he was saying this (or behaving this way). Tint guy put his hands out defensively (like "stay away from me") and repeated he wasn't going to do it. "I'm not dealing with you all coming in and getting all angry with with me--I'm not doing it." He had became so upset that physical stress caused his voice to quiver and break! It was altogether MIND BOGGLING.
Tint guy then gestured to the west and said (shaky voiced)"There's another shop down there you can go to," He began fumbling with putting ear pods/buds in & turning his body and attention away from us. Husband stared at me in disbelief for a second, but was then done, simply saying to me: "Let's go" as he started for his car.
As an Austin police officer, I am accomplished/was departmentally-commended for de-escalating stressful situations. (Also received Austin Dispute Resolution Center 'Peacemaker of the Year" award).Tint guy's meltdown had nothing to do with us (mid-60's couple) and I certainly would never spend a penny with him after such treatment. But I wanted to assure TG there was no anger or ill will on our part--that this was an epic misunderstanding. As I spoke, he abruptly walked into the garage and lowered the door to shut behind him.
That's how our experience with Cool Tint Shop began and ended. I can't (don't want to) get into tint guy's head, but as an elder African American, I CAN identify what racism feels like, and I'd be remiss not to say that's precisely what this experience FELT like. To both of us.
I STRONGLY advise against doing business with this company at least as long as tint guy (described in paragraph 2 above) is there.