3 Tires Plus experiences in the last week: 1 really bad, 1 just bad and another awful (which I witnessed sitting during my total 6.75 hour adventure)
1) Bad: Bought 4 new tires last week and had them installed. Hour and a half was the time estimate. When I returned 2 hours later, I was informed that my tires weren't done. They had tried unsuccessfully to reach me by calling me on my house phone (after I had specifically given them my cell because I was going to the book store across the street) to let me know a tire pressure monitor was bad and they could NOT get a replacement. Okay. But they wanted me to know that before they put on my new tires. (Why?) And once I knew that, they started putting on the new tires. Hours of my life: 4.25
2) Really bad: This morning, I went out to find one of my brand-new tires had gone flat. "Bring it in" says Tires Plus. Um how? "You could have it towed" Really? Seems extreme for what is surely a badly-installed tire. I called AAA, did that dance, brought it in and learned that the tire pressure monitor had been put on incorrectly, dirt had gotten into the tire and a gasket had failed. Fine. Fix it and get me outta here. Receptionist (who was trying very hard to be nice and is actually quite respectful) kept emphasizing it would be replaced "at no charge," "for free" and "at no expense to me." No kidding. You are the one who screwed it up. Life hours lost: 2.5
Lastly, while waiting the second time, I witnessed an AWFUL story.
3) A man dropped off his car before going to work this morning at 6:25, left it in the parking lot and dropped his key in the overnight box. A friend gave him a ride from Tires Plus to work and then back to Tires Plus after work. He walked in to pick up his car while I was sitting there and I got to see the lock of shock on his face when they told him his car wasn't ready.
"Why not? I had an appointment for 10 this morning and dropped off the car before work."
"I don't know. Let me get my manager."
A few minutes later. the manager arrives and begins questioning the poor guy whose car isn't done.
"What time were you here?" asked the manager. "I checked the box when I got in at 6:10."
"6:25," responded the very unhappy, would-be customer, "There was no one here."
"Oh. Well, I was here. And I checked it at 6:10 when I got in," repeated the manager, "I didn't see it."
(This is probably a good time to add that the store opens at 7, so customers could reasonably expect that it's "after hours" at 6:25 am)
Then the manager apologized ("I'm sorry.") ...but then repeated that he had checked the box when he got in at 6:10. Dude, it's not an apology if you're still making excuses!
Would the guy just getting off work like to wait? They could probably have it done in an hour?
After confirming they had his phone number, out-of-luck dude asked why they didn't phone him earlier in the day if he wasn't there at appointment time and he was met with silence. "Oh ... sometimes people just don't show up." Huh.
After maybe 7 minutes of receptionist, manager and back room conferring (often leaving poor angry dude standing there), it was decided they would go ahead. . No mention of discount or comped service. Because it wasn't enough that he'd been there before dawn this morning.
TL;dr Wasted a lot of time and saw a dude get treated very badly. Shoddy installation, no offers to help, and really poor customer service when there is a problem.
PS I had tires put on another vehicle this week - at a different store (Pomps) In and out on time, happy staff and not a single unhappy customer while I was waiting. read more