No Appointment Necessary
One of the major advantages of today's tire discounters and auto repair service centers over your dealership's service department is that no appointments are necessary. In reality, routine maintenance at your dealer's service department is usually scheduled at their convenience, not yours. And, while you might be able to quickly schedule an appointment by phone or even over the Internet, you might also drive miles more to have the work done. For example, in doing a little research for this article, I found the tire discounter I prefer has fifteen different stores conveniently located within ten miles of my home. The dealership where I purchased my SUV is also within that ten mile area. However, the dealership where we purchased my wife's German import is located over 20 miles away.
Service While You Wait
Service while you wait is another important advantage. While most tire discounters, auto repair service centers and dealership service departments now complete a multi-point inspection of your vehicle before it leaves the shop, having needed but necessary unexpected repairs done at the dealership may take much longer. That's because the service bay or equipment needed to make the repair may already be booked well in advanced. At many dealerships, it's not unusual to see a number of vehicles sitting outside overnight, waiting for necessary repairs. At most tire discounters and auto repair service centers your vehicle doesn't leave the shop before a service advisor reviews the multi-point inspection with you and gives you an estimate of how quickly any necessary service or repairs can be completed. In addition, service technicians also use state-of-the-art technologies and equipment to make certain your vehicle is serviced correctly.
Selection
By definition, the focus of your dealership's service department is service, not tires. So, it's probably not the best place to go when you need quality replacement tires at a competitive price. Most tire discounters offer an amazing selection of name brand tires at surprisingly competitive prices. Some also offer websites that allow you to select a tire by brand, size or price, view a photo of the tire and tread pattern, and also describe the full range of automotive services offered at that location. During a recent cyber-shop of one store's site, I was offered a choice of ten different tires from eight different manufacturers, at prices ranging from $80 to $202 per tire. In addition, if the tires you need are not in stock, they can easily be obtained in less than an hour from another nearby store or a conveniently located distribution center.
Money-Saving Tire Coupons
Some auto dealerships offer online coupons for routine maintenance such as oil and lube. However, I found a variety of money-saving coupons posted on virtually every tire discounter and auto service center web sites I visited. They included coupons for tires, routine maintenance, wheel alignment, shocks and struts, brake service and a battery checkup. Coupons can significantly reduce your annual operating cost, especially if you own multiple vehicles or if you've neglected routine maintenance because of the higher cost of having it done at a dealership or neighborhood service station.
Professionalism
Most tire discounters and auto service centers are also staffed by knowledgeable, highly-trained service advisors and ASE certified technicians. Their professionalism, in my opinion, rivals the high level you'll find at most dealership service departments. Many service advisors participate in training seminars and workshops, so their fully prepared to help you select the best tire for your specific vehicle. Many service technicians also participate in training workshops and annual certification training in areas such as wheel alignment, battery and brake service, steering and suspension systems, air conditioning systems and other vehicle systems.
So, your dealership may be the best place to go for great deal on a new car, truck or crossover automobile. Your local neighborhood service station may be a convenient place to stop for a late night snack. However, if you're in the market for quality replacement tires at a competitive price and no appointment necessary service while you wait, your local tire discounter or auto service center is the place to go.
