Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Adventures of this day

Cliff had to go to a lab to have blood work done, and we'd never been there before.  So we decided to try out the GPS system we bought for the laptop.  It worked great!  Because of a traffic jam, we had to get off our route, and a lady's voice kept telling us to turn around and go back to the freeway.  Once we got near our alternate road, the system adjusted and told us how to get to our destination the back way.  We were amazed!

While we were in Branson, Cliff noticed one of our tires was looking pretty bad, so we decided to go to Sears and tire-shop.  We went in at 9:30, when the doors opened; within fifteen minutes, we had our tires picked out.  Cliff asked if it would take long, and the lady, looking around at her empty department said, "No, there's nobody else here."  I noticed a sign that said "One-hour installation".  Sounds good.

We window-shopped in Sears for awhile, then I suggested we take our half-hour walk in the mall.  Cliff agreed that was a great idea, and by the time we finished our walk, the car would no doubt be ready.

Yeah, right.

Nobody was even near the car when we returned.  By now there were other customers waiting, and I noticed other vehicles were being worked on while ours sat on the rack.  Another hour went by, and we struck up a conversation with a man in the waiting room.  He said last week he'd sat waiting for four hours while they got around to putting his new tires on.  I asked the lady about the one-hour thing; she said that doesn't count aligning the tires. 

About this time I remembered I had my camera, and of course I just KNEW my readers would like to hear my rant about Sears.

We finally got out of there at noon, exactly.  Two and one-half hours.  If you're in the Kansas City area, I suggest you not get your tires at Sears, unless you like waiting around for hours.

Our daughter got some freebie lights for Cliff the other day, and he needed fluorescent bulbs for them.  So we made a quick trip into Sam's Club.  Check the picture to see how we got an eight-foot-long box into a Grand Marquis.

 

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I need something done to my car I ask my daughter to pick me up and then we go for breakfast or shop for a few hours and then go back ...I hate to sit and wait, but I have.  My daughter isn't always available.  I think all car/tire places must be the same.  'On Ya' - ma

Anonymous said...

well I say you had a day to write about anyway.... just doing the regular stuff here plus laundry.... boring here... hope the rest of your day is good, Sandra

Anonymous said...

Sorry bout your long wait....we don't do Sears anymore...buy our tires at Sams...they put them on too...and in just about the time we make our "tour" of Sams....and a short rest stop for a cheap hot dog and drink....but I always take a book...LOL...just in case....Hugs from KY....Ora   PS...tell me about this GPS system thingy

Anonymous said...

sams is the best, I would have left.  how rude of them to lie to you like that! Must have poor management.

Anonymous said...

Sears is going downhill
I know someone that had a problem
with them delivering a refrigerator recently
damaged it
then didn't call her before
they were going to deliver new one
twice
and rude on top of that :(

Anonymous said...

Sears is out for me. I won't shop anywhere that is part of KMart.

Anonymous said...

I haven't shopped at Sears since I was a kid and my mom made me buy my school clothes there.  And, at JC Penney.  Is JC Penney even still around? lol

I'm a WalMart/Target girl myself..

Jackie

Anonymous said...

So...I guess it takes an hour to put the tires on and an hour and a half to align them? That's nuts!

Funny but good idea of having the box stick through the windows. My Mustang has no room in its trunk. It makes me miss my Escort because the seats would fold down. And, boy could I load that car up!

Anonymous said...

wow what a long time it took. Happy you got new tires. I am going to get some in August. I loved the pictures.

Anonymous said...

I had the SAME awful experience with the Sears Auto place next to Oak Park mall.  Good prices, but lousy service!!

Russ

Anonymous said...

I've been lucky lately with car service places being fast, I hate to wait.

Walmart was TOO fast with my last oil change and forgot to plug in the electronic wire to my fuel filter and it was riding rough and the check engine light came on!  Luckily I hadn't got to far and went back and they fixed it right away.

Love your solution to the 8ft long box!!  

Hope you are having a great week, Jeff  http://pointclickjeff.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

The GPS is great isn't it? I'm a visit nurse in rural WV and SW Pennsylvania and I can't tell you the amount of time it's saved me. The only thing you do have to be careful about is some of the shortcuts it comes up with - ALL roads show up - and I've found myself occasionally backing up off of old logging trails and farm roads which are near to impassable. I had one experience in which I was peering down a "road" - and all I could see was two ruts and A LOT of trees!

Anonymous said...

You are so funny.  Great story told by the pictures and their captions.  It was like a little mini movie.  Glad you liked the GPS.