Jr ///M5
09-02-2006, 12:39 PM
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I took advantage of a sale at Tire Rack and picked up a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE050's for $97 each. Such a deal. Regular price was $167, got 'em on closeout. They just arrived the other day, so I started searching their recommended installers this morning in anticipation of finding someone that wasn't too busy.
Most places were booked except a place on the South end, (not noted for it's ambiance) they weren't busy at all.So I threw the new tires in the M5 and away I went. As I pulled into Plaza Tire Shop, the place looked like a ghost town. The manager came out and I explained about the rims, hubcentric rings, torque measurements and the inside and outside of the new tires. By this time all the techs were drooling all over the M5 and asking all kinds of questions. They motioned me into the bay and came out with 4 hydraulic jacks. It looked like a pit crew. The techs examined the wheels to make sure there wasn't any scratches or peeled edges so that they wouldn't be blamed for anything later. They gave the M5 the royal white glove treatment, being very careful of every lug nut, hubcentric ring, jack placement, you name it, they treated the car as if it was the "Queen of England".
They road force balanced the new tires to zero and printed out a form that showed how much weight was used and where it was placed. They bagged the old tires and loaded them back into the car. Hell, they almost saluted me after I payed and was driving off.
The best part was with all that care, exact roadforce balance, going the extra mile for a new customer, and changing out the tires without incident, the charge was get this.........$72.
You can bet they found a lifetime customer. So boys and girl, let this be a lesson, don't judge a shop by it's appearance, it can fool even the most seasoned veterans.
Jr
PS....the new Potenza's are quiet, smooth, and handle with little steeing input. The M5 is soooo smoooth now. Such a deal for a summer tire.
I took advantage of a sale at Tire Rack and picked up a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE050's for $97 each. Such a deal. Regular price was $167, got 'em on closeout. They just arrived the other day, so I started searching their recommended installers this morning in anticipation of finding someone that wasn't too busy.
Most places were booked except a place on the South end, (not noted for it's ambiance) they weren't busy at all.So I threw the new tires in the M5 and away I went. As I pulled into Plaza Tire Shop, the place looked like a ghost town. The manager came out and I explained about the rims, hubcentric rings, torque measurements and the inside and outside of the new tires. By this time all the techs were drooling all over the M5 and asking all kinds of questions. They motioned me into the bay and came out with 4 hydraulic jacks. It looked like a pit crew. The techs examined the wheels to make sure there wasn't any scratches or peeled edges so that they wouldn't be blamed for anything later. They gave the M5 the royal white glove treatment, being very careful of every lug nut, hubcentric ring, jack placement, you name it, they treated the car as if it was the "Queen of England".
They road force balanced the new tires to zero and printed out a form that showed how much weight was used and where it was placed. They bagged the old tires and loaded them back into the car. Hell, they almost saluted me after I payed and was driving off.
The best part was with all that care, exact roadforce balance, going the extra mile for a new customer, and changing out the tires without incident, the charge was get this.........$72.
You can bet they found a lifetime customer. So boys and girl, let this be a lesson, don't judge a shop by it's appearance, it can fool even the most seasoned veterans.
Jr
PS....the new Potenza's are quiet, smooth, and handle with little steeing input. The M5 is soooo smoooth now. Such a deal for a summer tire.