I went online to purchase a new set of tires for my wife's car, and ended up completing a purchase at WalMart's website, in part due to the language on their site that stated that mounting the tires would be free with purchase. I received an email about a week later stating that the tires had arrived at the store, and to go to the Tire/Lube counter to pick them up/have them installed. The fun starts there.
Upon arrival at the Tire/Lube Center, I was met by an individual who asked for my phone number to put into his handheld computer. I supplied same, he located me in the system, but had no record of any tire order being placed. Fortunately, I had my iPhone with me with the email that contained the order number. He told me it was his first week, and that I should probably go inside to the counter since he didn't know how to process a tire order placed online. Fair enough.
I go inside to the counter, where there is no clerk. I wait 10 minutes in line with other customers, and resort to calling the front of the store on my cellphone to beg for someone to report to the tire counter and help us. Finally, a clerk arrives and informs me that since I ordered the tires online, I need to go to the FRONT of the store where the Site-to-Store counter is to pick up my tires. I pointed out that the email I received from WalMart explicitly told me to go to the Tire/Lube counter, yet she insisted that's where the tires are. I asked them, since they were the Tire center, why couldn't THEY facilitate someone going to wherever need be and bring them back. No can do, she says.
So. It happens that the Site-to-Store counter is in the exact opposite corner of the (50,000 sq. Ft.?) Walmart than where I am currently. I trek over and finally arrive, where there is no one at the counter (this seems to be a normalcy at WalMart these days.). After a 10 minute wait, someone finally takes pity on me and comes to help. I show her the email with my order number, she writes it down, then tells me she will go get them.
From what I can see, she makes a trip BACK to where I used to be near the Tire/Lube center, then brings back my tires in a shopping cart. After having me sign for them, she asks if I need any help out with them. I decline, along with containing my chagrin at doing what I thought store employees were supposed to do for their customers WITHOUT ASKING, and head back to the tire counter with a cart piled high such that I have to stop at nearly every row, lest I mow down another customer inadvertently.
I arrive back at the tire center, and the clerk there informs me that WE need to take the tires back to the shop so that they can put them on my car. Again, I suppress my amazement that I somehow am expected to be an ersatz WalMart tire center employee and run the necessary supplies out to the shop (without any pay I might add).
So. After 2 hours of waltzing around the store, I decide to go check on my car. As it turns out, it was almost done, so I decided to wait in the tire center area. The clerk calls my name, and proceeds to put my invoice details into the computer. Since the website advertises free tire mounting with purchase of tires, I fully expect to have no outstanding balance owed.
"That'll be $42 dollars".
"Well, my understanding is, that mounting is free per your website."
"Yes, well the mounting IS free - however, the tire disposal charge, the balancing, and the valve stems are not."
Ok. So every tire place I've ever been, if you spend ~$600 on tires, that usually includes all the associated parts, INCLUDING balancing. No tire place I've ever heard of mounts tires without balancing. EXPECIALLY when their website advertises "FREE mounting".
I explain this, they call the manager. After another interminable wait, a manager arrives. I explain the above to him. He makes me the extremely generous (kidding) offer of knocking off the balancing charges, and if I take the old tires with me, not charging me the "tire disposal fee". Remaining balance, 10 bucks for the valve stems, which again, at any other tire place where you spend this much money, come free as a courtesy.
I paid the $10, and surprisingly enough, did not have to load the old tires myself into the car, one of the employees showed the first spark of customer service I had seen during this whole ordeal, and loaded them in my car for me.
Takeaways:
1) Walmart, do NOT advertise "free mounting", then nickel-and-dime the customer to death when they come in for this "service". Mounting the tire on the rim using a new valve stem, balancing the tires, and placing them on the car using the proper torque is what comprises a tire mount, NOT simply placing them on the rim.
2) Since you are sending emails to customers who have ordered tires online telling them to come to the Tire/Lube center, have the Tire/Lube center educated in customer service such that THEY will take your order number, and THEY will go to the "Site-to-Store" counter, or wherever the hell they need to go to retrieve the tires and make this task part of the "service". The customer should not have to be lugging a set of four tires from the front of the store back to the tire counter, THEN have to take them out to the service bay. This is ridiculous, and the epitome of poor customer service.
Next time I need anything tire-centric, I will be going to my local, who routinely repairs flats at no charge whatsoever for me even though I am spending zero at that particular moment in time with them. They understand what customer service is, WalMart obviously does not.
Sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company. Plus, if you post a competitors name more than likely they will show up on search engines as a Rip-off! - - your comments on this policy are welcome.
0 comments