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An Honest Business In the Portland Metro Area -- Les Schwab

By
Industry Observer with RETIRED / State License is Inactive Inactive License Oregon

An Honest Business In the Portland Metro Area -- Les Schwab

Les Schwab is a Portland Metro staple.  Starting out in 1952, Les Schwab sold tires.  That's all he did.  

In 1952 Les Schwab bought OK Rubber Welders in Prineville, OR and the rest is history.  

Today, there are close to 500 Les Schwab Tire Centers in nine western state, employing 7,000 people.

Here's my Les Schwab story:

On Friday a man at the stop light next to me motioned for me to roll down my window.  I did.  He asked me, "Did you know you have a nail in your back tire?"  

Sure didn't.

And with that I went to Les Schwab a few hours later.

A Les Schwab mechanic looked at the tire and said "Sorry, but I can't patch it." Apparently, the position of the nail on the side was something that wasn't able to patch.  

But he never pulled the tire off to check.

Then he told me, "You'll need a set of new tires . . . since your vehicle is all wheel drive, you can't replace one tire."

I just about spit.  WHAT?!?!?  

And then he quoted me:  $920

I went home and pulled up my receipt from March 2013 -- when I just bought new tires!  I wasn't about to buy another 4 wheels.  

Making a long story short, I took the car back to Les Schwab and said "Look, I'll buy two new tires so they'll wear evenly on the rear axle, but I'm not going to buy four."

The Les Schwab mechanic understood, and I asked him to cut me some slack, and he said he'd put on two for under $300.

As I was waiting, the Les Schwab mechanic came out and said "I found two nails in the tire, and even though the one you can see on the side looks as if it's not able to patch . . . I can patch both.  You won't need to buy tires."

The total cost:  $17.00

Now that's an honest business!  And I hope that the $920 quote given last Friday would have yielded the same result when he pulled the tire off and inspected.

They sure did redeem themselves!

 

Posted by

 

 

Carla Muss-Jacobs has RETIRED effective May 1, 2018

Representing Buyers in the Portland Metro Real Estate Market | Clackamas Multnomah and Washington Counties | Since 1999

Carla Muss-Jacobs, REALTOR®, ABR, CEBA, ePro
Principal Broker/Owner ~~ INACTIVE

Carla Muss-Jacobs' retirement became effective May 1, 2018

Direct: 503-810-7192 

 

All Rights Reserved © 

Comments (8)

Larry Johnston
Broker, Friends & Neighbors Real Estate and Elkhart County Subdivisions, LLC - Elkhart, IN
Broker,Friends & Neighbors Real Estate, Elkhart,IN

Good evening Carla Muss-Jacobs, Principal Broker/Owner , Great localism post.  Keep up the good work and have a great 2015.

Jan 05, 2015 11:35 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

I love businesses with integrity and Les Schwab definitely is one that has that in spades.

Jan 05, 2015 12:20 PM
Chris Mamone
Keller Mortgage - Tacoma, WA
Senior Loan Officer

So funny story about that Les Schwab...

I was with my now wife down in Portland, when the tires blew out on my subaru. We had gone down for the weekend. We drove to les schwab shortly before they were going to close, and I asked them if they could put tires on the car that night even though it was short notice. They told me no worries, changed my tires in 45 minutes and had us on the way. I will always recommend Les Schwab because customer service truly and really is #1 for them. They've fixed nails in my tires and flats for free even when I offered to pay them! I was left with "as long as you buy tires from us its on the house."

Thats taking care of a customer!

Jan 05, 2015 01:57 PM
Tammie White, Broker
Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN
Franklin TN Homes for Sale

That is an honest business. Fortunately, we have a few of those types of businesses here.

Jan 05, 2015 03:10 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Great story and testimonial to an honest business person.

Jan 05, 2015 04:56 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

You gotta love when you know you can trust the folks who handle our cars.  Speaking of which... I need new tires.  I was hoping they would be a spring purchase, but after driving in the rain on Sunday I think they will likely be a winter/January purchase and you just reminded me I need to call and find out what the damage is going to be.

Jan 06, 2015 05:33 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Carla - you have a great post supporting a local business.  Les Schwab is a great organization that cares for is customers.

Jan 06, 2015 07:15 AM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Carla, so glad to hear that (a) the company is honest and (b) you did not have to shell out big bucks for new tires. If you had to buy new tires you might have seen this (LOL)!

Jan 06, 2015 09:56 AM