I had a physical therapy appointment today and as I was leaving I looked at my front tire and thought it looked strange. I went to check the tread to see if it was time to get them replaced, only to discover a cut in my tire. I went straight to the tire shop – I have yet to have a tire go out on me while driving, and I was definitely not going to wait and give it a chance.
While waiting to have two new tires put on my car, one of the servicemen came out to talk to me. I figured it was going to be the usual we’re almost done, blah blah blah speach – instead, he tells me that while taking off a lug nut, the stem (?) broke and, uh, yeah, my tire is basically attached with three bolts instead of four right now. But they are ordering the part and it should be in tomorrow. (Of course, tomorrow morning is the class that is further from home. Getting there involves highway driving normally. I guess I’ll take the backroads tomorrow.)
He then tells me that once they get the part in, I can take it to this other shop down the road to have the part put on – they are only a tire shop, so they can’t do it. He hands me the information sheet for Ultra. While Ultra used to be right down the street from the tire shop, it is now several miles down the road. I cringed, since I am doing my best to keep driving to an absolute minimum these days – $2.95 a gallon is a good motivator for no driving.
I asked him how much it was going to cost me to fix – I wanted to make sure they were covering the bill – and he says, “Oh, it should only be about $100.”
*Gasp*
He then says he is just joking – they will foot the bill, they have an account with that shop which is why they are sending me there. I tell him, really, when it comes to money that is NOT a funny joke. The lady across from me in the waiting area even chimes in that you shouldn’t joke about $100.
I go back to waiting, a bit annoyed about this whole bolt thing, but ok since they will fix it. A different guy brings my car out and comes to tell me that it is ready. As I’m gathering up my things, he starts the “let me tell you what we did…” speech. I cut him off and say, “Yeah, I know, you broke my car.” (referencing the bolt situation.) He responds, “Yes, there is a big crack in your windshield and we took the windshield out.”
What?!?
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was just joking.”
Someone needs to tell these asshats to get a clue – telling a customer that they have done further damage to their car which will cost them more money is not a joke. Not to people that have already had to pay for tires that they probably didn’t want to buy today to begin with. Really, it is never a joke. So not funny. I’ve been know to bust people before … tomorrow, I think I will have to do it again. Asshats.
7 replies on “Uh, Yeah, Not Funny…”
man, you’re right – that is just NOT funny. i had the same broken lug nut/screw situation happen with my car once… only the shop didn’t pay for it. but that was a couple of years ago.. if it happened now, you cant bet i’d make them pay for it!
oh, this reminds me of your Black Eyed Pea moment with the asshat waitress. LOL yeah, it’s not wise to joke with people, especially when money is involved.
Actually, I do find it kinda funny, I suppose they were just trying to lighten up the situation.
I spent $700 on new snow tires for my car last year and even though I told them to have the car ready when I came back at 2:00, when I got back they called me into the back where my car was up on a hoist, not ready.
The guy wanted to show me how I’d need a brake job soon and wanted to know if I wanted him to do the brake job then since they still had the tires off.
I said, “I think $700 is enough for one day” and then had to wait another half-hour for them to finish what was supposed to be finished already.
You had to replace TWO tires?
OMG, lighten up and get a sense of humor already.
Dear, brave, anonymous – I do have a sense of humor. Thanks. I didn’t find that funny.
Jafer, I was a-ok with them joking around with me. But to tell me that they broke my windshield? Not amusing. If they had said that they were concerned about some flaw with my windshield and offered to fix it, that would have been cool. To joke about that after they had already broken something else? I was just too tired by then to be amused.
Daysies, I meant to go back and link to my Black-eyed Pea post. Do I have “I am amused by your lame attempts at humor” tattooed on my forehead? 😀
Pamela, yes, two – they were both worn, but one actually had a cut in it. It just made more sense to do both now rather than to wait a month or two for the second one. I like to keep them “even” if that makes sense.
Ah, yeah, makes sense to go ahead and replace both tires.