Thursday is Buy Local Day – InSideNH salutes Ralph’s Service Station in Milford, NH
Thursday is Buy Local Day – InSideNH focuses this week’s Buy-Local blog post on Automobile Service Stations with a spotlight on Ralph’s Service Station on the Milford Oval, 161 Union Square, Milford, NH 03055, 603-673-0334, email: customerservice@ralphsservice.com.
I remember going with my mother to the gas station back in the ‘60’s and early ‘70s. We called them Service Stations, maybe because it was all about customer service back then. The station attendant(s) would greet us with a friendly “Hi, can I fill up the tank today?”, followed by, “Would you like for me to check under the hood?”. While the gas was pumping, Mom’s windshield and rear window were washed, fluid levels under the hood were topped off and air pressure in the tires checked….all while we sat in the car. Most of the service stations we went to were family-owned and operated. Nearly every gas station was full-service back then and customer service was the primary competitive differentiator more than gasoline prices.
When was the last time you went to a full-service gas station? I’m not counting those rest stops on I-95 where full-service is your only option….and then it is just to keep the flow of traffic running at peak speed.
Let me introduce you to Ralph’s Service Station in Milford, NH. Ralph’s has been owned by Ralph Porter, Jr. since the early 1980’s. Ralph’s son, Ralph III, is the resident mechanic and is Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified. He is also an all-around super-nice guy. Ralph’s should definitely be on your “favorites” list for the area.
I found Ralph’s by accident when I was in a bit of an automotive crisis.
One sunny day, the exhaust pipe on my ’94 Volvo broke in half as I was driving on a somewhat remote stretch of Route 13 between Milford and Mont Vernon, NH. Just 40 minutes and 20 miles earlier, a mechanic at a national brand/chain car repair shop had evaluated my car and assured me that it was safe to drive and scheduled an exhaust repair for the following week at an estimated cost of $360.
Not even 1 hour later, I heard a very loud scraping noise under my car. I pulled over and looked under the car to see my catalytic converter hanging from the front of the exhaust system and dragging on the ground. Great! (That’s not really what I said). I couldn’t drive the car and a tow truck meant a long road-side wait compounded by the hassle of trying to figure out where to have the car delivered for repair.
The closest town, Milford, NH, was 6 miles away. If I could just get that Catalytic Converter off the ground long enough to make the trip to Milford, I thought I’d be in better shape than calling for a tow truck.
Searching the car’s trunk I found jumper cables, long nylon tie-down straps and a jack. The tie-down straps would work. They were at least 15 feet long and one even had an integrated hook on one end…I saw a plan unfold.
I was able to tie the strapping to the passenger door, thread it under the car and under the dragging end of the catalytic converter. I pulled the strapping tight enough on the driver’s side door to lift the dangling catalytic converter off the ground a couple of inches. I’m sure the video would have been hysterical, but it worked well enough to S-L-O-W-L-Y drive the car into Milford.
I pulled into the first service station I saw and lucky, lucky me….it was Ralph’s. My expectations were low. What were the odds there was a mechanic a duty, much less one who could repair a problem I wasn’t even sure could be repaired, or one who could do it right away. I thought I’d end up calling a friend for a ride and having the car towed to the Volvo dealer in Nashua…15+ miles away.
A very nice gentleman (Ralph Jr.) greeted me, listened to my road-side sob story and said, “Let me see if Ralph can take a look at it”. Hum…really? Out walked a short-haired version of Shaun White in coveralls. I recapped my broken exhaust story and within 10 minutes Ralph III had my car on the garages car lift.
After a quick evaluation, Shaun White, I mean, Ralph, said he could fix the problem THE SAME DAY! What? As it turns out, Ralph III is one of the few mechanics in the area who can weld. That was critical to my SAME DAY fix. He was able to weld the exhaust pipe back to the catalytic converter and I was on the road in less than 1 hour! The total charge was $75, the experience was priceless.
Ralph Jr. and Ralph III truly came to my rescue that day and I’ve taken my cars back to them multiple times for everything from wheel baring replacements to “what’s that funny sound” work. Ralph’s Service Station services both domestic and foreign cars and even light trucks. Time after time the work is amazing.
Best of all, Ralph’s is a FULL SERVICE gas station. Ralph Jr. pumps and chats and still offers the lowest gas prices in the area…even compared to self-service. Friendly, helpful, professional service, exceptional workmanship, fair pricing…what more can you ask for from your LOCALLY owned and operated Service Station?
Check out Ralph’s Service Station on “the Oval”, 161 Union Street, Milford, NH, you’ll be glad you did.
Ok, it’s Thursday…..go support your local business owners and don’t forget to call on me if I can help you buy or sell your next home in Amherst, NH or the surrounding area.
Caroline
Caroline DeVore
REALTOR®
108 Ponemah Road, Amherst, NH 03031
Phone: (603) 673-9797
An expert in Southern NH Real Estate.
Photo Credits: Ralph’s Service Station. Images used with permission.
The information contained in this blog is believed to be reliable and while every effort is made to assure that the information is as accurate as possible, the author of this blog, and its comments disclaim any implied warranty or representation about it's accuracy, completeness or appropriateness for any particular purpose. All information is copywritten and the property of Caroline DeVore ©2010-2011 Caroline DeVore.
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