Les Schwab?

[spin05]

Schwab sucks and is over priced. They tried the same *censored* on me before. I go there for flat repairs only and there popcorn. Cause there both free. I use formula tire and Elliot tire and just started using Discount. there all good

[Special T]

Service isnt free and costs a company.

How many of you have been to one of those used tire shops? I went into one looking for a used match to my now set of 3 on my heep. There are no "free" services. Everything costs $. They didnt check my brakes ball joints  run out to greet me, or have coffee and popcorn in the waiting  room.

Free services is a loss leader to gain more business. If you dont like an outfits business by all means go elsewhere...

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[boneaddict]

Love hate relationship....thats about the best description I can think of.   I recognize they are con artists, and try to deal with them accordingly and certainly wont allow them to predate on my wife and kids.   I like their product so play the game.

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

Complete opposite but still bad service story. Was in Clarkston and knew there was something going on with my brakes. Took it into Schwab so they could take a look. After an inspection they cant find anything wrong but suspect my e-brake could be cracked...Thinking I was going to get a quote to fix it which I would have entertained as my truck was making harsh noises when driving straight and I was out hunting, they simply said if you dont use it dont worry about it. Fast forward a couple weekends and I'm driving home from the mountain and I literally feel like a tire is going to shake off. Go into a different shop... Caliper is seized, knuckle cracked, brakes gone, etc. etc. They felt it should have been noticed by Schwab. When you know something is wrong with your rig and they tell you its not...that was new to me.

Tough because two really good friends of mine are shop managers so I have a bias towards Schwab... unfortunatley they aren't in the NW anymore.

Recommendation for tires and service = Costco. Same coverage and care with free rotations as Schwab use to stand behind. Might not get free popcorn but they do have free samples. 

[birddogdad]

have had both good and bad experiences with Schwab. They are locally owned and there is no corporate number or way to complain beyond the local crap service when it happens.. have tried in the past with no luck on finding. i did like the toyo tires but i hear they are not being sold there any longer. started using discount myself...

[HikerHunter]

I've had good and bad experiences at the same store sometimes. One time, I took my car in to rotate tires and they said I needed all new brakes, the pads are worn down to their minimum width on their measurement tool. I said no thanks, I'll do them myself. I wound up replacing all of them, but some pads still had 50% life, worst pad probably still had 33% life. Brought the pads into the shop when I was done and complained to the manager who quickly blamed a young employee...

Also recently brought my wife's car in because the tire was wobbling, a belt had broke. It was under warranty, but they tried to sell me not just one new tire, but two! I took it to a different Schwab location and they replaced the warranty covered tire for free.

[baker5150]

Service isnt free and costs a company.

How many of you have been to one of those used tire shops? I went into one looking for a used match to my now set of 3 on my heep. There are no "free" services. Everything costs $. They didnt check my brakes ball joints  run out to greet me, or have coffee and popcorn in the waiting  room.

Free services is a loss leader to gain more business. If you dont like an outfits business by all means go elsewhere...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

The true cost of labor is astronomical.

[Whitpirate]

When the old man passed away, the spirit of what set them off from the rest died as well... 

When that powder blue Mercedes appeared on a store lot... the place really jumped.  I love that Les used to get up and visit his stores.

[boneaddict]

i did like the toyo tires

If that is true then we are done.  ITs M-55s or bust for me

[Special T]

Service isnt free and costs a company.

How many of you have been to one of those used tire shops? I went into one looking for a used match to my now set of 3 on my heep. There are no "free" services. Everything costs $. They didnt check my brakes ball joints  run out to greet me, or have coffee and popcorn in the waiting  room.

Free services is a loss leader to gain more business. If you dont like an outfits business by all means go elsewhere...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

The true cost of labor is astronomical.

EVERY tire store ive been to  seems to be either slammed or empty with guys standing around or sweeping. How this gets scheduled/ managed/ cost out I dunno. Top off that many of these Free services happen when they are slammed...  The only scheduling I know of at tire shops are in the brake and alignment Dept.  Ill just take and educated guess and say your $15 an hour guy at Les Schwab costs $25-30 an hour. What do they have to charge to make it pay? Since Schwab is the whipping boy in this discussion, it should be noted that they have great insurance for their employees. The Love hate relationship everybody seems to have with Schwab normally surprises me but no longer does. When folks bring tires bought off the internet to them to mount, in many cases the cost the customer purchased them is at or below the wholesale price.

Automation and the cost of labor are going to have a huge alignment in the tire industry as well as many others. The strange thing is how Linked the sale of the tire, and the service of mounting and taking care of that tire is.

[boneaddict]

Price of the tire is my own problem, meaning I’ll own that, but what I don’t like is the....upselling.   Telling my kid her brakes are so bad she shouldn’t drive off the lot, then after talking to them, looking at them myself and seeing 75 percent left....
that sort of thing.   

Changing winter tires (not rims) and having them break a sensor and telling my wife she needs new sensors on all four.   Instead of fixing the one they broke.... 
that sort of thing. 

It all bottles down to me having to take the car in and dealing with as someone who grew up in a tire shop.   

Labor...well that’s your minimum wage creep I suppose.   I worked for minimum wage at 4 bucks an hour.   We charged 5 bucks for a mount and balance, free with purchase.  Now they charge 25 a pop , but pay 15 to 20 an hour.    As scary as it is at final tickets end, that’s where we are headed.   Wait until minimum wage is 15.

[baker5150]

Service isnt free and costs a company.

How many of you have been to one of those used tire shops? I went into one looking for a used match to my now set of 3 on my heep. There are no "free" services. Everything costs $. They didnt check my brakes ball joints  run out to greet me, or have coffee and popcorn in the waiting  room.

Free services is a loss leader to gain more business. If you dont like an outfits business by all means go elsewhere...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

The true cost of labor is astronomical.

EVERY tire store ive been to  seems to be either slammed or empty with guys standing around or sweeping. How this gets scheduled/ managed/ cost out I dunno. Top off that many of these Free services happen when they are slammed...  The only scheduling I know of at tire shops are in the brake and alignment Dept.  Ill just take and educated guess and say your $15 an hour guy at Les Schwab costs $25-30 an hour. What do they have to charge to make it pay? Since Schwab is the whipping boy in this discussion, it should be noted that they have great insurance for their employees. The Love hate relationship everybody seems to have with Schwab normally surprises me but no longer does. When folks bring tires bought off the internet to them to mount, in many cases the cost the customer purchased them is at or below the wholesale price.

Automation and the cost of labor are going to have a huge alignment in the tire industry as well as many others. The strange thing is how Linked the sale of the tire, and the service of mounting and taking care of that tire is.

I'd bet it's a lot more. 
You have to consider overhead burden as well.

Some get profit sharing too, at least they did back in the early 00's.

[ctwiggs1]

Service isnt free and costs a company.

How many of you have been to one of those used tire shops? I went into one looking for a used match to my now set of 3 on my heep. There are no "free" services. Everything costs $. They didnt check my brakes ball joints  run out to greet me, or have coffee and popcorn in the waiting  room.

Free services is a loss leader to gain more business. If you dont like an outfits business by all means go elsewhere...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

The true cost of labor is astronomical.

EVERY tire store ive been to  seems to be either slammed or empty with guys standing around or sweeping. How this gets scheduled/ managed/ cost out I dunno. Top off that many of these Free services happen when they are slammed...  The only scheduling I know of at tire shops are in the brake and alignment Dept.  Ill just take and educated guess and say your $15 an hour guy at Les Schwab costs $25-30 an hour. What do they have to charge to make it pay? Since Schwab is the whipping boy in this discussion, it should be noted that they have great insurance for their employees. The Love hate relationship everybody seems to have with Schwab normally surprises me but no longer does. When folks bring tires bought off the internet to them to mount, in many cases the cost the customer purchased them is at or below the wholesale price.

Automation and the cost of labor are going to have a huge alignment in the tire industry as well as many others. The strange thing is how Linked the sale of the tire, and the service of mounting and taking care of that tire is.

I'd bet it's a lot more. 
You have to consider overhead burden as well.

Some get profit sharing too, at least they did back in the early 00's.

We figure an entry level assembler here ($13.50-15/hr) costs about $1/minute.

That being said... Ask 10 COOs how their burden rate is calculated and you'll get 10 different answer.

Curtis

[Stein]

Costco has a high labor rate and they also treat their customers extremely well.  My point was that the LS near me only wants to deal with people if they can be ripped off.  Let's be honest, charging a rate over $400/hr for a tire changer is a ripoff.  Being dishonest to make a sale is a ripoff.

There is no way to justify dishonest behavior.  If they wanted to charge $30 since I didn't buy the tires from them, I would have done it, but a $70 bait and switch by making up some lame excuse about $0.50 valve stems after I was quoted $16 is not honest.  Be a man and tell me they don't want to mount internet tires, don't lie about valve stems.  Don't lie about what needs replacing and don't hold people's vehicles hostage by refusing to put them back together and blame "federal regulations."

I feel sorry for people that don't know much about vehicles and go in there trusting what they say.

I had a semi-poor experience at Costco, but it was due to a green employee and the manager made it more than right and was honest about what happened and apologized.  Same at Discount, they aren't 100% perfect, but I get honest answers.  With LS, all I get is the opposite, complete dishonesty.  People make mistakes, I don't expect perfection but I do expect to be treated with some level of professionalism and respect.

[Alchase]

Service isnt free and costs a company.

How many of you have been to one of those used tire shops? I went into one looking for a used match to my now set of 3 on my heep. There are no "free" services. Everything costs $. They didnt check my brakes ball joints  run out to greet me, or have coffee and popcorn in the waiting  room.

Free services is a loss leader to gain more business. If you dont like an outfits business by all means go elsewhere...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

I could not careless if they run out to greet me, could careless if they have popcorn.
I am fully ready to pay for good quality service!
What I won’t tolerate is lying and trying to continually rip-off your customers. Any business that uses a model built on ripping off their customers deserves all the bad press I can hurl their way, and certainly never get my business again.

Les Schwab is a rip-off company that will never get my business again.