New Brakes, Part 1
The time came where I could no longer ignore the screeches of protest that my brakes gave off every time I touched them. The old turn-up-the-radio-trick can only be used in good faith for so long before you start to worry that the wheels will fall off while crossing train tracks or the brakes will fail while passing by a schoolyard or puppy park or some other dire situation. When Philadelphia Magazine's "Best Of" issue arrived, I was excited to see a section with recs for auto repair shops in five different areas. West Chapel Auto was listed as the place to go in Jersey, and it was conveniently located in nearby Cherry Hill.
I called the number and spoke with a woman who seemed a little flustered. She told me I could set up an appointment to bring my car in for an estimate. When she suggested that I leave my car, I said that I would be coming on my lunch hour and would prefer to wait it out. The woman told me that it would not take long for someone to look at the car and from there I could schedule another appointment if I wanted to proceed with the service. This seemed reasonable to me, a woman who knows next to nothing about cars and their repairs, so I made my estimate appointment for that Friday.
I found the garage with ease, and noticed a lot of cars in the lot- usually a good sign for an auto repair establishment. I walked into the reception area and told the same woman from the phone that I had an appointment for an estimate, and she said that they were too busy with other cars and I would have to come back the following week. It's safe to say that I was annoyed by this. Why bother making an appointment to begin with? The woman kept asking me to come back the following week, and I yes'd her as I backed out the door knowing full well that I would not return.
West Chapel may or may not do a great job on cars, but they certainly aren't reliable with scheduling and I do not appreciate when my time is wasted.
To be continued... read more
