I've been driving around for maybe two weeks with the "Oil Change Needed" light on in the 2011 Ford Escape. For one thing, I don't recall that ever coming on before (which doesn't mean it hasn't), but I don't know why it was so difficult for me to finally just get it changed! It's like I can't do anything anymore...
Anyway, so this morning I finally got up the nerve to call the nearest Walmart AutoCenter to schedule an appointment. Well, guess what? They don't schedule appointments... it's simply first come, first served. Eesh... I wasted all that stress for nothing (I actually looked up their number and put it in my phone last week). So I hem-hawed around and finally mustered the gumption to drive over there this afternoon. I walked in, waited for a bit to be waited on, and was told it would be TWO HOURS before it was done! Well, at this point I didn't figure I better back out, so I just said "okay."
I walked around the Southtown Walmart for an hour and a half... Yeah. I think I looked at every thing on every shelf in the automotive, toys, shoes, men's clothing, crafts, and I was just venturing into the hardware section when I thought maybe I would just go check on it. It seemed kind of like I might have heard them call my name over the speaker at about the hour point, but I didn't think that possible, plus I never even gave them my name. Turns out it must have been me because the car was all finished. It was $30 and change.
If you remember, we used to always take our cars to a family shop owned by some people in our former church. They were super nice people. Well, they retired and their son is now running the business. He is really nice too, but he's much more of a businessman than they were. In other words, things cost more, and I'm not sure the quality of work is quite the same. I didn't really like how we were treated when our old Buick died, and Drew Carrie just had some questionable things happen that aren't sitting too well with me at the moment. So I decided to try the Walmarts.
Other than that, I've nothing to report. The guy I talked to at the AutoCenter was very nice. I asked him if they were busy like this all the time and he said, "Seven days a week!" He said some nights he's so tired when he gets done that he takes an Uber home because he doesn't even want to have to drive. I find that quite interesting that they are that busy...
Well, that's about all there is to say about that. I was quite proud of myself, though, because I walked around Walmart for 1 1/2 hours... and didn't buy a single thing!!!! :)
2 comments:
Yesterday, the gal who cuts my hair was singing the praises of mobile oil change services -- people who show up at your home garage (or parking space, in her case) and do the job there. I asked her about the expense, and she said it's $10 more than the garage, but since getting it done at a garage requires her to close shop and take a 20-minute drive one way, she figures she's still coming out ahead. I have to admit it would be attractive to me were I in her position. As it is, however, I have more discretionary time. And I probably would have bought something at Wally-world.
I don't believe I have ever heard of a mobile oil change service. What a brilliant idea! Not that I would probably use it, but I can see where that would be quite helpful to some people.
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