Firestone: For The Win

It's not all bad news here in "Your Call" land . . .

I've been taking my 1993 Ford Ranger to the nearby Firestone Service Center for quite a long time. They may not be the cheapest, but I usually feel like I'm getting an honest story out of them, and the location is close enough to walk to, which makes it convenient.

After returning from a recent business trip, I noticed that I was hearing a noise from something tire or wheel-related that portended bad things. So yesterday at lunch I drove the truck up there and left it with them to diagnose. A few hours later, I got the bad news - the right front bearing was shot, and given the age of the truck, it would be prudent to replace both right and left. The dollar figure was daunting, but even an automotive know-nothing like me knows that a bad hub is bad.

I okayed the work and left it with them overnight. For today's lunch break, I walked on up there with a pocket full of discounts and coupons and paid the ransom.

Here's what they did right:
- the guy at the desk pulled up my records without having to ask my name
- he explained the work that was done
- he happily took a percent off coupon, two rebate checks and another discount coupon
- he engaged in actual conversation and even banter

So yeah, I'm not thrilled to have spent a few hundred dollars today, but the outstanding level of customer service I get there makes it not quite so painful.

Kudos to the Innsbrook Firestone.