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  • Retail Automotive Service and Sales

    This will be postings from my daily dealings with idiot customers who are shopping for any kind of repair or upgrade for their vehicle.

    Me: [Generic Greeting]
    SC: Yea, I'm looking for some tires.
    Me: What vehicle are you looking for tires for?
    SC: A 1995 Buick Century
    Me: [Useless platitude to make up for time spent in application guide]
    Me: Alright, it looks like your buick has a 215/70R15 size tire.
    SC: No, it's got 24's.
    Me: Oh, alright. (Should have told me that initially) What size 24" tires does it have?
    SC: 24"
    Me: Sir, there are actually three parts to a tire size, the first number is the width, the second is the sidewall height, and the third is the wheel size, which is 24".
    SC: I don't know.
    Me: Can you go check what is on the car now? I will hold.
    SC: It's not here. Can't you give me a price?
    Me: Well, the price varies depending on size.
    SC: They're 24".
    Me: I know that sir, but the width and sidewall height matter.
    SC: Can't you guess?
    Me: I can guess, but your price might change depending on what you have equipped.
    SC: Sure, guess then.
    Me: Tires will cost you somewhere between $800 and $1800 dollars. Depending on size.
    SC: Holy crap that's expensive. Do you have a good used set?
    Me: {Mentally} No, you half-witted fucktard. Most people with 24's are stupid pieces of shit like yourself and buy the most expensive wheels they can, generally spending several THOUSAND dollars on wheels for a sub $1000 car. The wheels come with tires, so you never get to know that $1300 of your $3000 set of wheels was tires. Now because you're too fucking stupid to figure out that you should have done some research before you spent that $3000 I have to deal with your inane questions about how to save a buck. Plus you don't even know what SIZE you need a USED SET of.

    {Reality} Sorry sir, but we don't usually get 24" tires used, as they are an aftermarket tire size and there are not a lot on the road. Also, because of the cost of the tires most people tend to drive on them until they're totally worn out; most of the ones we see are smooth as a baby's bottom or have metal cords poking out.

    SC: Oh yea, all four of mine are showing cords right now.
    Me: Sorry. {Mentally} Case in point.
    Last edited by Dave1982; 10-13-2012, 02:46 AM. Reason: removed fratching comment

  • #2
    Quoth TheScaryOne View Post
    ...
    Me: Sir, there are actually three parts to a tire size, the first number is the width, the second is the sidewall height, and the third is the wheel size, ...
    I found it truly disturbing when I went into a tire shop and the guy manning the counter did not know this.

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth TheScaryOne View Post
      because of the cost of the tires most people tend to drive on them until they're totally worn out
      Never thought of that, but I bet it's true. Now I'll be extra cautious when I see those blinged out cars approaching me in the snow/ice/rain. Thanks!

      And welcome aboard TSO.

      Comment


      • #4
        Heh, yeah, "just guess"

        So I can guess wrong and be treated to a 30 minute tirade about how I don't know my job, or am incompetent, or you deserve a discount for the inconvenience when you come in... not happenin'

        Blinged cars, I laugh at em, as I'm towin' em away..........
        - They say nothing good happens at 2AM, they're right, I happen at 2AM.

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        • #5
          I laugh at 'em, period.

          I'm all for a custom ride, but there's a point where it crosses over into Cartoonville.

          Now there are 'Rent-A-Rim' places, where you actually RENT ridiculous rims and tires like that. They're invariably right next to a check-cashing service and/or rent-to-own appliance store.

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth ADeMartino View Post

            Now there are 'Rent-A-Rim' places, where you actually RENT ridiculous rims and tires like that. They're invariably right next to a check-cashing service and/or rent-to-own appliance store.
            We call those places around here "Rent n' Roll." One place I've seen that has those rims, IIRC there's not only a RTO store nearby but also a pawn shop.

            And you can tell which of your neighbors has those too. We have one guy who lives a couple of houses up the road from us w/an older small pickup truck. One week he'd have those fancy rims on his truck, a month later they would be gone.

            Another week or two would go by, he'd have the fancy rims back on his truck . . . for a few more weeks. Lather, rise, repeat several times over the next 3 years or so.

            And yeah, I've seen a bunch of those over-pimped cars. Get close enough to them and you just may see peeling paint and scratches or dents in the sides.
            Human Resources - the adult version of "I'm telling Mom." - Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo (NCIS)

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            • #7
              We have a shop here that will tailor them for you. If you get through the whole payment setup you just paid 3-4x the cost.

              Comment


              • #8
                We have one of those Rent A Wheel's just a block up from one of our shops. When they opened up the manager came over and asked if we were "scared" of the competition he provided.

                I was driving and saw a beautiful 70 Chevelle SS Convertible. Mint green metallic with matching leather interior and pearl race stripes. Gorgeous. Until the car next to him pulled away and I saw the wagon wheels. >.<

                Quoth Argabarga
                So I can guess wrong and be treated to a 30 minute tirade about how I don't know my job, or am incompetent, or you deserve a discount for the inconvenience when you come in... not happenin'
                That happens when I quote people the correct price, let alone if I quote them the wrong one.

                @sms01
                You better believe it. We had a customer who kept four standard wheels and tires in the back of his Suburban, and put them on whenever he couldn't afford new 22" tires, which because of road hazards, potholes, and bad luck was seemingly every four to six weeks.

                Plus all of these large wheels are HEAVY. You're adding unsprung weight in one of the worst areas you can, on the outside of the spinning radius of your tires. This kills fuel efficiency, power, braking, and handling. I believe in a statistic I read that any vehicle with wheels larger than 19" are for looks, not performance.

                @docmayhem
                I'll get "competitor's" quotes from customers. I'm amazed at what some of the local shops will recommend.

                Me: [Greeting]
                NOL (Nice Old Lady): Hello, I'm looking for some tires for my car.
                Me: What kind of car do you have?
                NOL: A 2010 Lincoln.
                Me: Do you know which model Lincoln you have?
                NOL: I think it's an MK.... MK... MK..S?
                Me: Well, it looks like there is an MKS, an MKZ, an MKX, and an MKT.
                NOL: Oh geeze.
                Me: Do you happen to know what tire size you have on it? It should cut down the options.
                NOL: I have a quote from [competition] for some 2-2-5-5-0-R-1-7 9-4-T
                Me: Alright, that size only came on the MKZ, but they quoted you on a 94T tire? That would be a poor fitment for your Lincoln. Ford designed the suspension around the V performance rating tire which has firmer sidewalls. If you put on the T performance tire your braking distance will increase, the vehicle will have more body roll during turns, and it will upset more easily over uneven road surfaces. I strongly recommend keeping the V performance rating to preserve the factory specifications and handling. If you put the T ratings on it will degrade the ride and you will notice it.
                NOL: Really?
                Me: Yes. What did they quote you on?
                NOL: The Michelin Defender tire with 90 thousand mile warranty.
                Me: All right. I believe your MKZ came with Michelin's from the factory, but they should be the MXM4 or MXV4's. I have a set in stock at $X. They only feature a 50 thousand mile warranty though.
                NOL: You can't get the Defenders? They're supposed to be Michelin's premium passenger tire.
                Me: Unfortunately the Defender's are only made in a T-rating in the size for your Lincoln, and are actually a T-rated tire only. Your vehicle was designed around performance tires, not standard passenger tires. Something that would take these Defenders would be more like a minivan or a station wagon.

                Which isn't 100% true, especially considering all of the recent late model fitments of 18" and 19" wheels. The new Dodge Journey comes with 225/55R19 tires which are only made by Kumho in South Korea. Most of the Nissan/Infiniti, Hyundai, and Lexus vehicles are coming with 18" and larger factory fitments. And no one tells these people who traded in their two perfectly running 90's cars on the cash-for-clunkers program that their first set of tires (that will wear out in 20 thousand miles because the manufacturer bought the cheapest fucking tires possible) will run them over $1200, compared to their old car where a set of tires would run $350. Some stimulus package.

                Comment


                • #9
                  That's true of just about ANY 'rent to own' establishment. A few years ago, I looked into renting a laptop from an RTO-type place when my desktop bit the big one. I looked at a fairly nice Toshiba rig but damn near choked when I figured out the 'final' price of it after all payments - nearly three grand. No sale.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth DGoddessChardonnay View Post
                    And yeah, I've seen a bunch of those over-pimped cars. Get close enough to them and you just may see peeling paint and scratches or dents in the sides.
                    Hey man, my car's gotta look cool, I gotta spend my car money on bling! Can't bother with silly things like maintenance and cleaning, ya know?
                    I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
                    My LiveJournal
                    A page we can all agree with!

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                    • #11
                      Quoth XCashier View Post
                      Hey man, my car's gotta look cool, I gotta spend my car money on bling! Can't bother with silly things like maintenance and cleaning, ya know?
                      Did I forget to mention that sometimes underneath that peeling paint you may see rust?
                      Human Resources - the adult version of "I'm telling Mom." - Agent Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo (NCIS)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Quoth TheScaryOne View Post
                        And no one tells these people who traded in their two perfectly running 90's cars on the cash-for-clunkers program that their first set of tires (that will wear out in 20 thousand miles because the manufacturer bought the cheapest fucking tires possible) will run them over $1200, compared to their old car where a set of tires would run $350. Some stimulus package.
                        Just a reminder to everyone that politically charged issues belong on Fratching and not here on CS.
                        "We guard the souls in heaven; we don't horse-trade them!" Samandrial in Supernatural

                        RIP Plaidman.

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                        • #13
                          Apparently the cool thing now is hubcaps that are a flat black, brown or gray. They look even more retarded than obnoxiously shiny rims, as if that was even possible.
                          Knowledge is power. Power corrupts. Study hard. Be evil.

                          "I never said I wasn't a horrible person."--Me, almost daily

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                          • #14
                            The kid that lives across the street from me has been spray painting the rims on his pick up black. Of course, the paint starts to wear off after a while and he has to repaint them.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth ADeMartino View Post
                              That's true of just about ANY 'rent to own' establishment. ... I figured out the 'final' price of it after all payments - nearly three grand. No sale.
                              Yup. I researched some RTO places a few years back when I was sans TV and looking for a way to get a new one without just sucking it up and saving up for one... Every place I checked out, worked out to something like 3-4x the current retail price on anything they rented, if you keep paying throughout the entire rental period. Of course, by the time the thing is paid off, the retail price likely would have dropped by several hundred bucks, making it even more of a ripoff. And Heaven help you if you miss a single payment, word has it that their collections people are downright brutal. >_>

                              ...I ended up saving up for a decent set and got that instead ^_^
                              "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                              "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                              "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                              "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                              "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                              "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                              Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                              "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

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