Les Schwab?

[Stein]

Have all Schwabs gone completely off the deep end or just Arlington?  I've been trying to let them earn my business back after I was taken for a ride about 5 years ago.  I called them up on a price to swap out two tires on my 13" boat trailer wheels.  The lady says $8 each, come on in.

So, I drive over with the wheels and new tires and they guy has to come out to look at them before he will give me a price.  After careful examination, the price jumps to $70 plus tax to mount two trailer tires, more if I want my 13" trailer wheels balanced for some reason!  I ask why the price went from $16 to $70 and his answer was they are new wheels and he needs to install a new valve stem.  Sure, I believe that valve stems run at least $25 each, go ahead and insult my intelligence while you try to rip me off.

So, I drive over to Discount and they were more than happy to put them on quickly for $5 which included the all valuable valve stem as well as disposing the old tires.

It seems Schwab's business model is that they only want to serve customers who don't know better or are willing to be gouged.  It's too bad, they are right around the corner from my house but I'm not going to be ripped off every time I step foot in their store.

[linxx77]

I just scheduled brake service here in Spokane with them. My sister grabbed my phone and said cancel and told me to go to Tire Rama instead. She said they are notorious here for being horrible and jacking up prices. I went with it because I'm new to Spokane, but seeing this post shows that maybe she knows what is up.

[Stein]

I do know they are operated somewhat independently and the store manager has a ton of freedom to make calls and either take care of a customer or not.  I would think that would be so they could do what is right when needed without being hamstrung by corporate policies, but it seems to be working the other way.

It was the manager that I talked with today. 

10 years ago, I was fine paying slightly more for solid service and knowing they stand behind what they sell.  Now, they want to charge substantially more for the same tire or service and not stand behind anything.

Being a business guy, their model seems to be suicide as I live 1 mile away and would gladly give them 30 years of business or more on multiple rigs and trailers, but they are willing to throw that away for a quick $50.

[Buckmark]

A long time ago when i was in the tire business i would of mounted those up for you for FREE even throwing in 2 valve stems if you needed them, 2 stems at my cost of .10 cents each and 5 mins or less of time would of been some of the best advertising i didn't pay for 
But customer service is a dying thing....

[jackelope]

We can't balance 19.5" truck tires here...long story, don't ask. I've been sending the few that we do to Schwab's up the street here for a few years now. I called them the other day to ask me if they could do 1 for me and I was pretty much told to pound sand. I asked why all of a sudden they wouldn't do it for me anymore and the guy said "because we sell tires" and refused to do it.  I called another Schwab  on the other side of town and they did it for me. I just called them back today to ask how much to mount and balance 6 of them for me if I send them the tires.... $346.00....to mount and balance 6 tires.

The fleet companies will pay it so I'll get em done but I was shocked at $346.00

[jackelope]

Some stores are corporate stores and some are franchise stores, I know that, so they can operate a little differently.

[Caseyd]

We can't balance 19.5" truck tires here...long story, don't ask. I've been sending the few that we do to Schwab's up the street here for a few years now. I called them the other day to ask me if they could do 1 for me and I was pretty much told to pound sand. I asked why all of a sudden they wouldn't do it for me anymore and the guy said "because we sell tires" and refused to do it.  I called another Schwab  on the other side of town and they did it for me. I just called them back today to ask how much to mount and balance 6 of them for me if I send them the tires.... $346.00....to mount and balance 6 tires.

The fleet companies will pay it so I'll get em done but I was shocked at $346.00

Discount the same distance away  won’t charge that.

[Mudman]

I don't think Les works on brakes... They replace everything!

[JBar]

Wont willingly give them my business any longer. Was a happy customer for over 25 years of the downtown Puyallup store. Last purchase was some studded snow tires that they gladly sold me, mounted on spare wheels and put on my truck for 2 years. Last year I go in to have them put on, I sit there for 2 hours just to have them tell me they cant/wont mount them because they dont have sensors. If I pay $400 for sensors they can do it..wtf! So you sell me the tires and mount and dismount twice and sensors are never mentioned??? "Its federal law" ok I get that but again why wasn't this mentioned when i overpaid for tires thinking I get the service I always have? You're going to lose a customer of 25 years with 5 rigs that have tires. Now had they tried to work with a guy that has probably spent somewhere in the 30k range over the years on the cost of sensor or even tried to make it right in someway I could have felt with that. But NOPE nothing! A week later my buddies car breaks down and he limps it to their parking lot, alternator went Tango Uniform. He asks them to change it out (They've done this service before for him, different car). They say we cant do that!! Really??? See ya Les!!

[10mmg]

The one in Puyallup South Hill is an absolute nightmare. They are crooks. The one in Yelm has been good to me in then manner of what I remember LS being in the past. I will say my last set of F350 tires came from discount in south hill and they where very solid in their service.

[baker5150]

I use a local shop.  Family owned. Great people.
The internet is killing these industries.  Price isn't everything.

[Moonlite hunter]

The one in Monre is great. One of the top guy's named Ron loves to hunt and I have never been unhappy.

[kselkhunter]

Sounds like Les Schwab has some issues with a few stores in WA.  I split my time between OR and WA and buy all my tires in OR.  My family and extended family has been buying from Les Schwab in OR for four decades.  Never had a single experience similar to what is mentioned in this thread of complaints.   Too bad to hear some of the WA store issues.  Service has been impeccable for me. 

[Stein]

I use a local shop.  Family owned. Great people.
The internet is killing these industries.  Price isn't everything.

True, but the internet is bringing some price transparency to the market.  I don't like buying tires online and taking them into a store to mount, but I'm not going to pay double or more to support a local guy.  My customers shop around and expect competitive prices and good service, and this is no different.

I bought my first set of tires from Schwab in about 1996.  They drove me to find other options, I would have been more than happy to give them another 30 years of sales.  I was burned once real bad, had one not so good experience and now this.  There is no way you can justify $70 for 10 minutes to mount two small trailer tires when the next local shop charges $10.  If your model requires customers paying $420 an hour for a tire changer, you can't expect anyone who knows better to support your business.

I think a good example of how to survive with the internet is John's in Everett.  He has prices that are competitive or even better than most internet shops and couples that with advice and knowledge you can't get at an online shop.  Even when he is a few bucks more, I shop there because he supports the industry, has what I need in stock and can help me when I'm fishing an area I haven't been before.  He throws up YouTubes and Facebook posts showing what is working and where and if it happens to be this year's new color and I bite and go buy it, everyone is happy.  I just went in there to buy a new motor for a Scotty downrigger I bought used.  I told him I bought it used and he didn't turn around and jack the price up 400% because I didn't buy it from him.

[huntnfmly]

I don't think Les works on brakes... They replace everything!

Funny you mentioned this I have an appointment on the 17th to get my brakes done on my truck and they are replacing all of them lol