Oof. I'm not sure a blown tire would have been this bad.
When I got the oil changed on our 2013 Honda Accord, the dealership said we needed new tires. They quoted a price on three options. I didn't really like any of those tires, and have grown up thinking it a bad idea to have the dealership do anything but warranty work, or these low-price oil changes we get.
I'd gotten tires for our other vehicle at Belle Tire, and started looking at what they had. I settled on these Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive tires. Yes, they cost an arm and a leg, but it's Jane's car and the one we take on any highway trips. I also figured I may as well just get them at Belle as well.
That's where the trouble began. First, I tried to set an appointment and pay for them online. I put in all the info, including my credit card, and hit submit. "Oops. It looks like something went wrong. Please try again," was the response. So I did it all again... ring up another $700+ bill. Well, guess what? After it went through the second time, I ended up with TWO invoices. Yes, I double-paid. After contacting customer support they had someone from the local store call and we decided to settle it up in person when I got the tires installed.
So, the day of installation was yesterday. I'd worked my usual long day and I was my normal tired near-dead self. I show up at the 2:30 appointment time and the equally tired guy says they're running behind because they're short-staffed, so it will likely be about an hour and a half. Whatever. I decided to walk down the street to Menards - no problem.
About 45 minutes into my walking up and down every aisle at Menards I get a phone call. Uh-oh. The tire guy asks, "How many tires did you want us to put on?" Um... I think I actually said that. "Um, all of them." I mean, did he not have my order right in front of him?! Was I paying $716.32 for ONE tire?! I got a bad feeling so I just walked back to the store and thought I better wait there.
The 1 1/2 hours quickly passed into 2 hours, and FINALLY they pulled my car around. A different service rep is there now, and he calls me on my phone - from 10 feet away. I walk up to the counter, still talking to him on the phone. He hands me the keys and says I'm good to go. What? So I explain about the little refund I'm supposed to have coming. Oh..... And, also, was I not going to get a receipt or anything?!?
Fortunately he has to call the manager over to do the refund for the double billing that has now somehow become MY fault. The manager looks at the bill and says, "Didn't you want the alignment check?" I say, "Yes, I did. It's free isn't it?" He says it is and he will have it done right away.
So I waited longer. At least he took care of my refund while I was waiting. And, sure enough, it needed an alignment done as well (I wasn't at all surprised, plus I'm not paying for 4 new tires and not having the alignment checked). Add on another $100, and another wait.
Finally, after 3 hours, my car is done. So when the service rep hands me the keys for the second time I bring up the supposed $75 rebate I was supposed to get for purchasing and installing 4 new Goodyear tires. Yeesh, here we go again. Once again the manager has to come out and find the rebate for me.
--
You know, I understand that this is how life is now. We can't just do things anymore. We can't trust anyone. Businesses can't find employees. People can't be depended on. Nothing works and nobody cares. I mean, this is not just a worker problem. It's true that workers don't care. But this is what's happened to the American people because of American big business. These companies don't care about customer service or their reputation anymore (or their workers). They're run by giant corporations whose owners don't make money off schmucks like you and me. They make it off stocks and mergers and shenanigans the likes of which would turn any normal persons stomach.
So, what's a poor boy to do? Well, I drove home silent in the pouring rain, dazed by the cold hard slap of the year two thousand twenty two, right up my a**. Then I ate supper and went to bed.
I half expected all four tires to be flat this morning. And I've yet to make sure they're even the right ones. Whatever. It is what it is.
We have new tires on our one accord. Yay.
***
Psalm 37:7
"Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes."
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