Les Schwab

Fish_N_Russ · 02-18-2004, 09:05 PM

I had always had only the best things to say about Les Schwab but recently something happened that kinda left a sour taste in my mouth.

I needed a couple new tires for the front of my car so I went down to the local Schwabs. Their selection kinda sucked for my size, only having a high end passenger tire or a lower end. I didnt really want the lower end tires but couldnt really afford the higher end ones.....the sales person told me to try them out and if I didnt like them I could bring them back. OK fair enough.

So I drove them for about 4 days, actually I only drove them 2 days but 4 days passed. I didnt like the ride and figured I better get the other ones instead. When I went back they looked at the tires and said they would give me full credit on another set......ok no problem there. I told them I wanted the higher end pair and they put em on and that was it. I paid the difference on the tires, or at least I thought.

When I got home and compared the original price quote I had printed and the difference that I paid, it was $20 more than it should have been. Well come to find out, they charged me $10 labor per tire for changing the tires and putting the other, better pair, back on.
Now I can understand their logic behind this, but that seems rather sneaky to me and I should have been told there would be a charge if I brought them back. I had always thought your satisfaction was guaranteed and Schwabs, but apparently I was wrong. This probably wont stop me from getting tires there again in the future, but it doenst make me very happy.

What do you guys think?

[ 02-18-2004, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: Fish_N_Russ ]

ReelBeauty · 02-18-2004, 09:08 PM

yeah that was pretty sneaky, they should have told you. Hope you got your free beef?

[ 02-18-2004, 10:09 PM: Message edited by: ReelBeauty ]

ajfishfinder · 02-19-2004, 06:56 AM

Absolutley go back in there and talk to the manager about it, and how you felt when you discovered it. If they have some copies of Les Schwabs book on hand, at least talk him out of one if he won't refund you the difference. Take it home and read it. It will change your outlook about doing business with his stores. At least it did mine. I hear from to many people about having bad experiences with them and it just isn't right. Let them know it. If he won't smooth it over with you, go to someone at the coporate office. I about hit the roof when they wanted to charge me to install a new battery. I went straight to the manager and reminded him who installed the last one, who put the tires on, who put the shocks on, and all this times 3 of my vihicles. He quickly took the labor charge off the bill. Of course he explained that some newer vehicles take a true mechanic to change a battery. I told him that he should be glad I wasn't asking for new connectors after watching a young inexperienced guy use pliers to try and unhook my terminals. I pointed this out to him and waited until he found the proper box end wrench to continue. They will make it right for you. Once you read his book you will have a better understanding of why.

Artwo · 02-19-2004, 07:00 AM

I've been a Les Schwab customer for many years and have had nothing but excellent service from them. I would suggest that you at least go back and tell your experience to the store manager so they can improve on their customer service at that shop.................you may even get your your charge returned.

ICHTHYDEMON · 02-19-2004, 07:05 AM

Heres a third vote for going back and talking to the manager. I've done the exact thing you did a couple times. Bought a tire I wasn't quite sure was right for me. Both times they gladly swapped tires for only the difference in cost. LS has always been very fair with me.

Space · 02-19-2004, 07:08 AM

The only place I buy tires is at Schwab. 4th response to go back and see the Mngr. I'm sure it will be to your liking. Many years of service there and it's all been good for me.

SPACE

reeldick · 02-19-2004, 08:01 AM

I can't imagine anyone expecting free labor. They gave what was promised, trade up for the difference in price. Why would labor be free? Do you think the guy doing the actual work didn't charge the shop for his time?

Lepper · 02-19-2004, 08:40 AM

I had something similar..

I bought a pair of rims for my toy truck.. When they put them on there the guy said "oh by the way, one of them is bent" First off why would you put a bent rim on in the firstplace? But he said if it was to nasty to bring it back and I could upgrade (similar to you) As it turns out it was a nasty ride!! lots of vibration (DUH!) so I took it back. I wasn't a very happy camper.. They took the credit and when I Saw they were charging me the "labor" fee I told the guy that I paid it once. I ain't paying it again. And after a brief little stare down he took it off.. Go back.. talk with someone higher up.. they should make it right..
dave

Salmon Stalker · 02-19-2004, 08:42 AM

I used to work at Discount Tire. They too offered excellent service. At Discount (which I imagine is similar to the way Schwab would do things) we all worked independantly at the sales counter. When I first started there I was amazed by the amount of flexability we had on what we charged people. We could charge labor or not charge labor. We could give a free siping or charge $3.00 or $4.00 or whatever we felt like at the time for the $7.00/tire siping job. Each person could do what they wanted. If a customer had an issue with what someone charged them, we would refer them to our manager and he would give him pretty much whatever they wanted. In fact, if the customer didn't get what they wanted from our manager, then our corporate office would give them what they wanted and then some.

I remember once that we had a 4-wheel drive ranger in the shop. We jacked up the front and when it was up, before we even touched the aluminum casing on the aluminum hub cracked and totally destroyed the hub. Guess what....Those hubs only came in sets and the customer got a new set free of charge. We truely had not touched that tire, but try convincing the customer.

Go talk to the manager. They will give you what you want. The tire business is built on repeat business.

lost_sailor · 02-19-2004, 10:02 AM

I'll bet they would refund that labor charge.

I got a free brake job from Les a while back, but it was a hassle, several phone calls and 3 visits to the shop. Rotors shot after 14,000 miles - I've given up having my brakes done there, I strongly suspect the parts they use are crap. I will still buy tires there, solely because of the service.

HeavyMetal BankFisherman · 02-19-2004, 10:28 AM

Thier tires are way too expensive. I need Z rated high performance tires and I can get those for half what Schwab wants from Tire Rack. And that includes shipping. Schwab is a good outfit, they just don't have a decent selection if you want anything other than standard passenger tires.

JCJ · 02-20-2004, 02:54 PM

I have to agree about going back and speaking with the manager about this.Where I work if someone does not like the tires and wants to switch tires we charge labor the second time also.You have to understand we did the labor right the first time and just because you did not like the ride we still are going to charge a second labor,if we did not we would have people in there every 2 weeks changind their tires for free.If they installed the wrong tires then by all means it should be free the second time but if its something you just dont like then pay for the labor to change it.Gotta understand maybe you think you are not going to pay for the labor if you complain about it but then the price increases on the tires and round about you wind up paying for it.Just like inadvertently we have to pay for everything people shoplift in higher cost for the goods.

Pyramid · 02-20-2004, 04:15 PM

I had a pair of Servus hip boots a long time ago. After years of servus (pun intended) one sprang a slow leak, so I filled up with water, marked the leak and let the boot dry out.

Then I took it to Les's and they put a patch on it. When it came time to pony up, the dude said "No charge" just consider us for tires when you need them.

All in all, you cant beat that.

I do think what they did to you was a little slimy. I agree that a talk with the manager about how you felt might make a difference.

You don't get if you don't ask. And a good manager wants to know of any less than happy customers.

Let us know.

FishinMission · 02-20-2004, 04:25 PM

Don't they charge for mounting and balancing? Didn't you get that done twice? I'd just blow off the $20 as a lesson that you get what you pay for and let it be.

My 02.

Mark

ANDYCOHO · 02-20-2004, 07:36 PM

I have had very good success with Schwab's, a little expensive on their tires and wheels, but you do get excellent costomer service.

My Mom on the other hand has nothing but bad luck with them. My Mom used to have a 1990 Chev Corsica. She took it in to have new brakes all around. Every thing worked fine and the bill wasn't too bad. But when she got home and put the E-Brake on, it wouldn't hold. So she took it back and they said they had to remove her E-Brake. What, "Well put it back then!" She demanded.

It seems that they truly removed it, and wouldn't and/or couldn't replace it.

So she started going up the management chain and got no where. She ended her business with them by writing to the Better Business Bureau and corportate headquarters in Prineville.

The car was only 2 years old at the time. She drove that car for an additional 8 years. Every time someone would mention Schwab's they would get my Mom's story.

I still couldn't believe they did this. How many Corsica's are on the road? Did they do this to all of them? How hard would it have been to fix this problem and had a happy customer? So instead of my Mom having nothing but hate and discontent with Schwab's, she would have a good word to spread.

kayakfisher · 02-21-2004, 07:53 PM

In my experience LS is pretty good at customer service when it comes to tires, and they are generally able to give you adequate tires at an adequate price. Their no charges services are what makes me go back to buy tires, even if the tires are not always the best deal...

In terms of brakes, shocks, etc...I don't think they can compete in terms of quality of the work and for that reason I never have anything done at LS except tire work.

This is based on experience with having new shocks put on the minivan...they really messed up on that. I don't regret giving them a chance, but they are essentially dedicated to the tire business aren't they?

M.

TheCamel · 02-23-2004, 05:37 PM

In June 1999, I was headed to East Lake for a weekend of camping/fishing with my pickup and camper. Just outside of Junction City, I smelled hot brakes. I rolled into Les Schwab's in JC at 4:45 pm on Friday and the truck was diagnosed with needing new pads and rotor's. They wanted me to make an appointment for the next week, but when I told them that there were people depending on the camper at East Lake(which was true), they stayed until 7:30 in the evening fixing the brakes. After that excellent customer service, they have gotten all the work(if I am not capable of doing it myself) on our three vehicles.

TheCamel

Reel Premier · 02-24-2004, 04:33 PM

Just a few months ago I had a slow leak in one of the tires on the drifter trailer. So I went into Schwabs and was told I would have to wait 45 minutes before someone could look at it. After watching three other customers pull right up in front, take a worker off of what he was doing to help them, I started to become suspect of what was going on. I approached the counter and asked why other people weren't having to wait like myself. The girl working the desk rudely told me that it wasn't happening, and I would still have to wait my turn. Point of the story is that after an hour and half later, still no help, and one ticked off customer, so I just left. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] I have had OK service in the past from Schwabs, but this was the straw that broke the camals back. In conclusion I feel Schwabs customer service stunk.

I prombtly went to another tire store in town and in a matter of ten minutes, I had the tire tested in the water tank, leak fixed, and no charge. Needless to say I wont be going back to Schwabs any time soon.