I'm Probably Late to the Goodyear Party

One of my tires was losing air.  I usually go to Firestone on 163rd Street for tires, just out of habit, and that's where I went today.  I've gotten service there before, and I've bought tires from them before.  My guess, and my hope, were that I only had a nail, and therefore, I only needed a patch.  In my experience at Firestone, I was looking at a $20 intervention.  It would just be a matter of waiting for them to do the work.  I had to ask whether this was patchable, or would I need a new tire, and how long would I be waiting when I brought the car back later.

But there was only one person working the counter, I only saw one mechanic working on cars, and I had to get home in time for a phone call.  Just waiting to ask the questions was going to take too long.  I solicited a recommendation from Chuck Ross, who reminded me about Goodyear at 12850 W. Dixie in North Miami, and I decided to stop off there.

I told Omar my problem, and he immediately found the nail.  And it was in a good spot not to need more than a patch.  I confirmed with him the price I imagined Goodyear would charge: "about $20?"  No, Omar replied.  It's free.  But I didn't want a patch put on for free.  It costs time and trouble to put on a patch, and I didn't want Goodyear to go without proper compensation for the job.  I asked Omar why Goodyear wouldn't charge me for this service, which was of value to me.  Because we want you to come back for other service, he explained.  Well, I'm going to do that even if you do charge me $20.  No, it appeared, that was not the deal with tire patches at Goodyear.  You just don't pay for them.

I looked at the menu on the overhead (they're very smart at Goodyear), and I found something I could use: three years worth of alignments.  It's about the same price they charge at Firestone.  I asked Omar to put that on my bill, and of course, it was the only thing on the bill.

So I left the car with Omar and Goodyear.  But I still had to get home quickly for my phone call, and at this point, I no longer had time to walk.  No problem, apparently.  Omar gave me a ride to my house.

Later, when the car was ready, having had a tire patched and the wheels aligned, I walked up to Goodyear.  I paid, and I was told the car was either out front, or it was around the side.  I had to go look for it.  They were "very busy," and had lots of cars ready to go.

I didn't fully recognize my car at first.  It was too shiny.  It turns out they washed it, too.  Also for free and without ever having told me this, too, was part of the service.

If you need tires, or mechanical repairs, and you don't use Richie Strassberg for the latter, please use Goodyear.  They're quick, they're convenient, they're competitive, and they couldn't be more accommodating.   You can call them at 305-891-4648.