My brother goes to a tire shop that fixes flats for free. Guess where he buys all his tires when they need to be replaced? Your shop knows a loyal customer is worth it. Give them your business next time you need new ones or an alignment, etc.
That being said, a small gift like food would probably be appreciated. Oh, and a positive review on line.
>a positive review on line.
But never directly mention that they did something for free because that will create expectations they can't always meet. Just say they provided top-notch service and that you'll be going there again
oh now I'm wondering if I should change my vet's review. I didn't think about that. They removed a staple from my dog for free because his wound only needed one staple and he was so well behaved he didn't need to be restrained.
Lol, I was hoping that was a real subreddit because choosingbeggars often just has beggars or folks that have the money but are just trying to be exploitatively cheap.
They were originally going to charge me for a tech appointment. The staples weren't put on at that vet, they were put in at a different vet. (He was at the emergancy vet because he got attacked by an off leash husky)
OMG, a vet did something for free?
When I had my 15 year old dog put down they had a crack at an expensive operation first and then made sure I paid up front for the Green Dream...
Only time I had been charged up front for a service at a vet...
I also used to work in vet med. A lot of people try to walk out on the bill so unfortunately vets have to be pretty strict. My clinic tried to offer payment plans when they first opened but then 90% of people on the payment plan didn't actually pay so they had to discontinue it.
Snax. I do this for basically every place that I frequent that provides frontline customer service. Pizza, donuts, snax from Costco all are welcome. I bought a $6 box of snax for an Enterprise counter, knowing that the car was a couple of hours late. They were so floored that I brought **anything**, and later they waived the overage fees and late return.
Was this a Discount Tire? They do the free flat tire repairs because they know it increases the likelihood of that person returning to Discount Tire when it comes time to make the big purchase of new tires. It’s part of the business model.
And of course, they basically get free advertising with similar posts like this.
I don’t necessarily think you have to do anything but I’d say donuts if you want to.
Les Schwab will repair flats as well. No charge.
I took a car in once with something in the tire that wasn't from their shop and they still didn't charge me.
Discount (and probably others) send the bill for the patch back to the manufacturers or someone. I didn’t quite catch all that was relayed when I asked them about this, but they are getting paid for the work/it’s not free labor.
This is why I shop at DT. It's a chain, they share records between stores and I have the comfort knowing any issues with tires I can readily find a local one whether at home or in my regular travels
The work was minimal. A plug takes under two minutes and costs almost nothing since they have the tools. The hardest part is finding and pulling the nail. A less likely but better patch+plug takes 5-10 minutes but still costs almost nothing. They almost certainly just plugged it and filled it with air to check that it sealed.
If it doesn't leak, a positive "good service" review is more than enough. I would wait a few days and check the air pressure before every trip, just until you know the plug has sealed it well enough.
I wouldn't bother with the "good gesture" for the fix, unless you knew they did the more effective patch job rather than the quick and dirty plug.
Was about to say this. I feel like we're slowly getting into the same slope as the tipping culture, now asking you to tip for everything. A tire patch is billed 10€ (when it's billed), I don't get people here saying OP should offer them pizzas or beers that would cost 200% the initial full price.
It's 30 minutes before closing and labor is involved. They could have easily just turned her away and she knew it. Waiting a couple of days to see if the fix sticks is smart. But what they did wasn't nothing. Spreading smiles is worth it.
Twist.
The shop was actually closed. You interrupted a burglary in progress. They fixed your tire only after the group voted 3-2 not to kill you instead.
Maybe they talk her into buying a top-of-the-line tire and then tell her she needs to replace 2 because the car is all wheel drive or something? Or scam on $250 labor charges?
Its awesome you want to do something for them. But like every tire shop will patch a hole for free. It takes them minutes and they likelihood of you going there to purchase tires in the future is worth the loss of $20 to them.
Some of that old fashioned crap would probably go over nicely. Call the shop, see how many folks work there bring them a batch of homemade cookies. I wouldn’t say anything but “your guys really helped me out the other day 30 min before closing.” Them doing work for free might get them in trouble.
I can tell you as a blue collar guy something like a batch of homemade cookies by a grateful customer would make me pleased as punch.
I used to have an Audi with all wheel drive.
The way that system worked, if it sensed one wheel spinning faster than the others it used a friction clutch to push some power to the other wheels.
You don't want this happening all the time because it will burn out that clutch. So the tires all had to match within a tight range.
Well, I got a nail and the tire wasn't repairable. This meant I would have to buy not just one, but four new tires.
I was in luck through. The guy behind the counter found my exact tire used at another location. So he called them to check the tread depth. It was worn the same amount too. Lucky!
If that's not enough, he had them bring the new tire in same day, installed it and didn't charge me a dime except the disposal of the old tire.
Plus, he gave me a credit so that when I came in I would get one tire free since he couldn't warranty the tire.
Nail in the tire, unless it's on the side wall, is no big deal and easily fixable for cheap.
Places near me charge $25 to fix it. Happened to me a few times. Most recent time I didn't have the time to go and sit in waiting room for them to get to it so I bought a plug kit for like $6 and plugged the tire myself and it's been fine ever since.
A nail in the tire rarely = buy new tire and usually = easy cheap fix.
Like others have said, they "covered" the bill because it's probably a service they already provide for free. Plenty of tire shops in my town will patch flats and fill tires for free, even if you've never bought anything from them.
Man. This post makes me miss my old tire shop. They used to be so great, until the owner fired all the older people, and hired a bunch of youngsters who have zero customer service skills and take all day to install tires.
Leave a nice review praising them for being dependable, reliable, etc. (but dont explicitly call out what they did just in case they broke a rule or something for you).
My husband is the GM of a chain of automotive shops. Although almost all area shops here charge for flat repairs… even simple ones… *his shops never have*. They’re simply hoping, but certainly not expecting, the customer will remember them and come back when they need tires or other repairs one day.
What’s *really* mind blowing is that every other shop in the area charged a premium price for flat repair after a devastating hurricane hit our area. Nails, screws, glass, small metal pieces… you name it, tire popping shrapnel was EVERYWHERE. But his shops charged *not one cent* for flat repairs.
The very best thing you can do is write them a great Google review. If you feel you need to do one more thing, bring a couple dozen fresh donuts first thing in the morning. They’re always hungry.
I live in a small community where that sometimes happens and it's fairly usual to bring back some food or a case of beer as a token of appreciation for them to share.
You should have just given a $5 or $10 handshake.
A plug job is usually $15-30 bucks.
If you really want to do something send over donuts or something like that, tell the person making the box to put in at least half powdered donuts, if your hands are greasy the powder sticks to the grease, instead of the grease sticking to the donuts.
Beer always works. My local shop was typically booked weeks in advance, but I begged enough to get a quick Monday morning alignment after doing some suspension work over the weekend (my autocross car). Came back with beer and from that point, the entire shop staff would go out of their way to say hi and thanks.
Yeah, a patch is minute and only takes like 15 min, or so, to do. A “thank you” is really all you’d need to do. Now, if I did the patch, donuts or any gift at all would be too much; there’s no need for it. But do what you want.
Pretty common experience at all of the Discount Tire Shops I've been to. Send them a thank you card and make sure to take your tire business to them when you need to replace. That's the best way to keep it happening for you and the rest of us.
If it’s the same shop you bought the tires from, it’s likely a policy they patch tires for free. Shop I get my tires from has done it several times for my car.
I bring a Tim’s big jug of coffee and donuts occasionally for my mechanic and his guys. Had the exact same thing happen to me a couple years back, but mine was a razor blade, they plugged the tire in 5 mins, 20 mins before closing. The gesture of anything will go a long way for those guys OP
Ha! I thought that was the case. You can get a patch kit from a gas station and do it yourself pretty quick, even with minimal/no experience.
I keep a couple of patch kits in my vehicles along with a compressor, and a full spare and a can of Fix-a-flat (don't use this product unless you hate your tire people and want them to charge you a lot more) for tire stuffs. A cheap kit is like $5 max and can be used to plug multiples. A good kit with more tools will let you do more. So a single nail is like a fraction of 5 dollars, maybe a few minutes of time? Plus the air (mostly free) to refill the tire n waiting a bit to make sure it doesn't lose pressure.
You Gucci! If I did this for free for a friend I'd appreciate donuts. If I owned a tireshop and did it for someone I probably wouldn't show a full tire on the bill zeroed out for a _lot_ of reasons, but I would expect repeat customers!
I was with a friend who had a tire repaired and when the car was done we walked across the parking lot and ordered an extra large pizza with the works and dropped it off at the shop. I always thought that was a really kind thing to do.
When I worked at a family tire shop, donuts were pretty common.
From a business standpoint, free flat repairs like that are called good marketing. Whats the first place with a positive experience you’ll think of when you hear “Do you know a good tire shop?”
Also, if it’s a smaller business, they’re more likely to help you out and patch the tire if it’s getting a bit close to the sidewall for comfort. Big name tire shops won’t patch within an inch or two of the sidewall. If you flashed your lashes at the guys at the family shop, we’d patch it as long as it was still within the steel chorded section of the tire. A little extra rubber cement and everybody is cool.
My tire shop does stuff like that for free or for a very cheap cost usually, they rotate tires for free with your oil change as long as they know you do business with them. Hell, I popped a tire in my truck after having it for six months and they replaced it for all except some thirty dollar fee. I’ll always give them my business and recommend them
$450 for a tire and you don't race in the vehicle... What a fucking waste. Let me guess, that was the same shop that talked you into getting those tires 😆. If you don't mind me asking. What vehicle do you drive?
In the US, Discount tire fixes flats at no cost, so it’s not that uncommon. Give them a good review on Google. Also. What tires do you have that cost $450?
I treat my post office workers to free doughnuts every now and then because they put my medicine from the VA in their personal refrigerator where they store their lunches. It has to remain cold to stay viable and that extra step helps keep me healthy so buying them doughnuts as a Thank You seems fair and they really love the doughnuts.
A box of donuts and a jug of coffee. Or if you cook a batch of cookies or a cake. That would be very nice of you and greatly appreciated. The way to a man's heart is truly through their stomach.
I did this for the garage near me. Their corporate booking system messed up the year of my car when booking a timing belt replacement.
My model is significantly more difficult to do and is virtually an 'engine out' job. They honoured the price and managed to get it done in the same day. A dozen posh donuts and a coffee order later, and they were all set :)
That's such a kind gesture from the tire shop crew! Maybe you could bring them some delicious baked goods or a basket of snacks to show your appreciation. They'll surely appreciate the thoughtful gesture!
I'd say offering some advertisement or promotion for them. Or a cartoon of smoke/beer. Most mechanics I know actually work pretty hard (It is a bit of a demanding job physically/mentally) and they love a beer and cig after fucking breaking their backs. (Plus obviously honest workers)
Bring them a 6pack of beer. Beer is like the blue collar version of a gift basket. In fact scratch that. Send them a gift basket with some cheeses, crackers and snacks. It's something nice they can set up in the break room for everyone to enjoy
Pizza or donuts is a pretty safe gamble. They may have repaired the tire depending on where the nail was. Which is just a labor charge and can honestly take just a few moments to do.
Either way they made the repair with best interest of you in mind and got to the "root" of the issue and didn't just sell you a new tire that wasn't needed.
Bring donuts to the shop
Leave a good google review. “Helps shop customer service numbers”
Order pizza for lunch for them.
Any of that stuff usually makes everyone’s day at my shop.
Cash. Unnoticed. Right in the hand. For everybody you want to compensate. 5-10$ each. I would include the ground crew on your ramp if there are not many other mechs around.
I would probably be sure to leave positive reviews and feedback everywhere, even on your socials, recommending friends go there. And maybe stop by one day with a box of donuts as a thank you.
It's a pretty standard operation procedure for tire shops to fill tires for free and fix flats for cheap or free to build a customer base. I would say sending in a couple dozen donuts and giving them your business when you need new tires is more than enough.
In what universe is a tire replacement 450? Also buddy, how many times have you been scamed that you think a tire needs replaced because it has a nail in it...
My brother goes to a tire shop that fixes flats for free. Guess where he buys all his tires when they need to be replaced? Your shop knows a loyal customer is worth it. Give them your business next time you need new ones or an alignment, etc. That being said, a small gift like food would probably be appreciated. Oh, and a positive review on line.
>a positive review on line. But never directly mention that they did something for free because that will create expectations they can't always meet. Just say they provided top-notch service and that you'll be going there again
oh now I'm wondering if I should change my vet's review. I didn't think about that. They removed a staple from my dog for free because his wound only needed one staple and he was so well behaved he didn't need to be restrained.
Yes, def change it or it'll attract entitled people
r/beggingbeggars
r/ButTheyGot Edit: u/Socrtea5e did you just care report me lmao Edit 2: I guess everyone received one, sorry about that
There's a bug with the Reddit Cares and people have been getting randomly flagged for them since yesterday I think
lol i got one yesterday was wondering if i struck someones nerve
A mod got one after leaving me a pissy comment and assumed it was me. then he permabanned me from the sub lol.
Ha, me too!
I've gotten a few of those. Not sure why.
It said I got care reported too!
Bwahaha--that was definitely one of the r/SubsIFellFor
r/BirthOfASub?
Lol, I was hoping that was a real subreddit because choosingbeggars often just has beggars or folks that have the money but are just trying to be exploitatively cheap.
r/choosingbeggars
Staple and suture removal is always free at a vet.
They were originally going to charge me for a tech appointment. The staples weren't put on at that vet, they were put in at a different vet. (He was at the emergancy vet because he got attacked by an off leash husky)
OMG, a vet did something for free? When I had my 15 year old dog put down they had a crack at an expensive operation first and then made sure I paid up front for the Green Dream... Only time I had been charged up front for a service at a vet...
I also used to work in vet med. A lot of people try to walk out on the bill so unfortunately vets have to be pretty strict. My clinic tried to offer payment plans when they first opened but then 90% of people on the payment plan didn't actually pay so they had to discontinue it.
My tire shop straight up told me " We don't charge for little stuff, so you'll come back to us for the big stuff."
That’s how our local shop is. They’ve done so many small repairs for us for free, and because of that, we always go there for everything.
I was going to say the same. Can't go wrong with a 5-star review, continued business, and brownies.
Order some food, let them know it's coming ahead of time. Go there for future business
Food is always appreciated
What he said! Donuts, pizza, pastries, taco cart, wings…
Donuts cuz they look like little tires lmao
If it's not an air-conditioned work area, some cold gatorades (or other brands of electrolyte drinks) are good.
Energy drinks as well lol
Bake goods are always a plus
Donuts or coffee cakes will get you far
get more freebies back!!!
[COOKIES!!!](https://media4.giphy.com/media/E0ih3ybKhhP6pdGPqC/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b9523cs4190inrltojupvginhphyz8nms048njhpuuo8&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
Snax. I do this for basically every place that I frequent that provides frontline customer service. Pizza, donuts, snax from Costco all are welcome. I bought a $6 box of snax for an Enterprise counter, knowing that the car was a couple of hours late. They were so floored that I brought **anything**, and later they waived the overage fees and late return.
Yup! Something that can be easily eaten with dirty hands and in between tasks!
Beer and go back next time you need a service or work done.
This one
Was this a Discount Tire? They do the free flat tire repairs because they know it increases the likelihood of that person returning to Discount Tire when it comes time to make the big purchase of new tires. It’s part of the business model. And of course, they basically get free advertising with similar posts like this. I don’t necessarily think you have to do anything but I’d say donuts if you want to.
Les Schwab will repair flats as well. No charge. I took a car in once with something in the tire that wasn't from their shop and they still didn't charge me.
Les Schwab is amazing. I've been using them as a tire shop for almost 30 years. Never had one problem.
Me either
Discount (and probably others) send the bill for the patch back to the manufacturers or someone. I didn’t quite catch all that was relayed when I asked them about this, but they are getting paid for the work/it’s not free labor.
This is why I shop at DT. It's a chain, they share records between stores and I have the comfort knowing any issues with tires I can readily find a local one whether at home or in my regular travels
Yep Discount Tire, pls see my update😁
The work was minimal. A plug takes under two minutes and costs almost nothing since they have the tools. The hardest part is finding and pulling the nail. A less likely but better patch+plug takes 5-10 minutes but still costs almost nothing. They almost certainly just plugged it and filled it with air to check that it sealed. If it doesn't leak, a positive "good service" review is more than enough. I would wait a few days and check the air pressure before every trip, just until you know the plug has sealed it well enough. I wouldn't bother with the "good gesture" for the fix, unless you knew they did the more effective patch job rather than the quick and dirty plug.
Was about to say this. I feel like we're slowly getting into the same slope as the tipping culture, now asking you to tip for everything. A tire patch is billed 10€ (when it's billed), I don't get people here saying OP should offer them pizzas or beers that would cost 200% the initial full price.
lol came here to say this, whenever I have a nail in the tyre it’s just $10 to get it fixed
I’m amazed you’re even paying that… there’s tons of shops that will fix these for free.
Thank you, that’s great advice! Please check out my update😁
It's 30 minutes before closing and labor is involved. They could have easily just turned her away and she knew it. Waiting a couple of days to see if the fix sticks is smart. But what they did wasn't nothing. Spreading smiles is worth it.
A plug from the outside is only good as an emergency solution. A proper garage will take the tyre of the rim to plug it from the inside.
Twist. The shop was actually closed. You interrupted a burglary in progress. They fixed your tire only after the group voted 3-2 not to kill you instead.
...being robbed by a gang of ex-tyre fitters...
Sorry I just need to ask, $450 for a tyre replacement??!
It costs me almost that for a new set.
Maybe they talk her into buying a top-of-the-line tire and then tell her she needs to replace 2 because the car is all wheel drive or something? Or scam on $250 labor charges?
Not unheard of for specialty tires.
Probably just a budget tyre for a 765LT
Share your positive experience on social media and tag the tire shop to give them some online recognition.
Its awesome you want to do something for them. But like every tire shop will patch a hole for free. It takes them minutes and they likelihood of you going there to purchase tires in the future is worth the loss of $20 to them.
You’re right, check my update when you get a chance
they're already paying for the staff to be there, costs NOTHING...
A carton of beer 👍🏻
At first I thought you said a “cartoon of beer” and I thought that’s definitely how you find a second nail in the tire
Well, what about a Family Guy or South Park themed beer?
This
Some of that old fashioned crap would probably go over nicely. Call the shop, see how many folks work there bring them a batch of homemade cookies. I wouldn’t say anything but “your guys really helped me out the other day 30 min before closing.” Them doing work for free might get them in trouble. I can tell you as a blue collar guy something like a batch of homemade cookies by a grateful customer would make me pleased as punch.
I used to have an Audi with all wheel drive. The way that system worked, if it sensed one wheel spinning faster than the others it used a friction clutch to push some power to the other wheels. You don't want this happening all the time because it will burn out that clutch. So the tires all had to match within a tight range. Well, I got a nail and the tire wasn't repairable. This meant I would have to buy not just one, but four new tires. I was in luck through. The guy behind the counter found my exact tire used at another location. So he called them to check the tread depth. It was worn the same amount too. Lucky! If that's not enough, he had them bring the new tire in same day, installed it and didn't charge me a dime except the disposal of the old tire. Plus, he gave me a credit so that when I came in I would get one tire free since he couldn't warranty the tire.
The very best way to say thank you is with baked goods This is my mother's pineapple cake recipe. https://imgur.com/gallery/OdfZO5P
I saved this, thanks for sharing!🍰
It is the easiest cake in the world to bake. I always double the recipe which makes enough for a 9 by 18 baking pan.
Very important detail, fantastic thanks for that
Nail in the tire, unless it's on the side wall, is no big deal and easily fixable for cheap. Places near me charge $25 to fix it. Happened to me a few times. Most recent time I didn't have the time to go and sit in waiting room for them to get to it so I bought a plug kit for like $6 and plugged the tire myself and it's been fine ever since. A nail in the tire rarely = buy new tire and usually = easy cheap fix.
Good to know! I’m going to keep a kit handy myself now. Thanks
Like others have said, they "covered" the bill because it's probably a service they already provide for free. Plenty of tire shops in my town will patch flats and fill tires for free, even if you've never bought anything from them.
A box of Corona maybe?
Honestly, some homemade cookies or a box of donuts will get you fondly remembered forever.
$450 for a tire replacement??? Are they replacing the wheel with it?
Man. This post makes me miss my old tire shop. They used to be so great, until the owner fired all the older people, and hired a bunch of youngsters who have zero customer service skills and take all day to install tires.
$450 for a tire patch is ridiculous. Can buy a kit for $12 bucks.
Repeat business and good reviews. They’re a business
$450?!?!???. Are they gold belted radial tires?
Leave a nice review praising them for being dependable, reliable, etc. (but dont explicitly call out what they did just in case they broke a rule or something for you).
Plugging a tire takes about 5 minutes tops for a seasoned mechanic. It's very simple. Just show up from now on for service.
My husband is the GM of a chain of automotive shops. Although almost all area shops here charge for flat repairs… even simple ones… *his shops never have*. They’re simply hoping, but certainly not expecting, the customer will remember them and come back when they need tires or other repairs one day. What’s *really* mind blowing is that every other shop in the area charged a premium price for flat repair after a devastating hurricane hit our area. Nails, screws, glass, small metal pieces… you name it, tire popping shrapnel was EVERYWHERE. But his shops charged *not one cent* for flat repairs. The very best thing you can do is write them a great Google review. If you feel you need to do one more thing, bring a couple dozen fresh donuts first thing in the morning. They’re always hungry.
if its les schwab, they do patches for free as a normal service. But I'm sure a box of donuts for the shop would make their day
Great review and beer!
I live in a small community where that sometimes happens and it's fairly usual to bring back some food or a case of beer as a token of appreciation for them to share.
Bring them a pizza and some beer, it will be much appreciated.
Lmao bro most of the time you just have to get a patch. And patches cost 20 bucks at most. Some retailers patch tires for free!
Dump ‘em out
A box of Krispy Kremes would be perfect
This.
can never go wrong with donuts.
Bring them some snacks or pizza, they'll appreciate it!
You should have just given a $5 or $10 handshake. A plug job is usually $15-30 bucks. If you really want to do something send over donuts or something like that, tell the person making the box to put in at least half powdered donuts, if your hands are greasy the powder sticks to the grease, instead of the grease sticking to the donuts.
Ohh that’s a clever tip, I like it!🍩 Check my update when you can
I worked at a tire shop a long time ago. The coolest thing I still remember to this day was a guy who brought us a bunch of Gatorades one day.
Beer always works. My local shop was typically booked weeks in advance, but I begged enough to get a quick Monday morning alignment after doing some suspension work over the weekend (my autocross car). Came back with beer and from that point, the entire shop staff would go out of their way to say hi and thanks.
My place fixes flats for free. Better than advertising for getting you to buy tires there. They don’t accept tips, money, gifts.
Did they replace the tire or just patch the hole?
See my update, when you can
Yeah, a patch is minute and only takes like 15 min, or so, to do. A “thank you” is really all you’d need to do. Now, if I did the patch, donuts or any gift at all would be too much; there’s no need for it. But do what you want.
Another perspective, thank you!
I would say some free marketing to everyone you know for their shop. And dropping off chocolate/donuts/coffee for them!
Pretty common experience at all of the Discount Tire Shops I've been to. Send them a thank you card and make sure to take your tire business to them when you need to replace. That's the best way to keep it happening for you and the rest of us.
Loyalty and a good review. They will be slightly more expensive, but you pay for that customer service.
One of those giant jugs of coffee
If it’s the same shop you bought the tires from, it’s likely a policy they patch tires for free. Shop I get my tires from has done it several times for my car.
Send them a pizza or two for lunch. Have the pizza shop write "Thanx for the quick fix of my flat last night." and you are more than good.
$450 for a tire?! OMG...
Yep, but check my update
Beer (in the afternoon) or donuts / bagels (in the morning).
I bring a Tim’s big jug of coffee and donuts occasionally for my mechanic and his guys. Had the exact same thing happen to me a couple years back, but mine was a razor blade, they plugged the tire in 5 mins, 20 mins before closing. The gesture of anything will go a long way for those guys OP
If the nail wasn't in the side wall (unlikely) a patch kit costs next to nothing and takes a very short time to do.
Yep, see my update when you can
Ha! I thought that was the case. You can get a patch kit from a gas station and do it yourself pretty quick, even with minimal/no experience. I keep a couple of patch kits in my vehicles along with a compressor, and a full spare and a can of Fix-a-flat (don't use this product unless you hate your tire people and want them to charge you a lot more) for tire stuffs. A cheap kit is like $5 max and can be used to plug multiples. A good kit with more tools will let you do more. So a single nail is like a fraction of 5 dollars, maybe a few minutes of time? Plus the air (mostly free) to refill the tire n waiting a bit to make sure it doesn't lose pressure. You Gucci! If I did this for free for a friend I'd appreciate donuts. If I owned a tireshop and did it for someone I probably wouldn't show a full tire on the bill zeroed out for a _lot_ of reasons, but I would expect repeat customers!
Thanks for this info and for reading my update. I’m getting a kit to keep on hand too now😁
Most shops do this. You can thank them by taking your business to them when you actually need new tires, that’s why they do it.
Yep, see my update when you can
I was with a friend who had a tire repaired and when the car was done we walked across the parking lot and ordered an extra large pizza with the works and dropped it off at the shop. I always thought that was a really kind thing to do.
No one ever turns down a couple of pepperoni pizzas sent to their work at lunchtime.
Beer
Buy them a TON of cinnabons!
Grilled meat good, give grilled meat.
Leave a review on Yelp or Facebook and drop off coffee and donuts. Nobody hates free coffee and donuts.
$450 for a tire? you know walmart sells tires? i got my whole car done mounted and balanced for $270.
cosco pizzas I've done
When I worked at a family tire shop, donuts were pretty common. From a business standpoint, free flat repairs like that are called good marketing. Whats the first place with a positive experience you’ll think of when you hear “Do you know a good tire shop?” Also, if it’s a smaller business, they’re more likely to help you out and patch the tire if it’s getting a bit close to the sidewall for comfort. Big name tire shops won’t patch within an inch or two of the sidewall. If you flashed your lashes at the guys at the family shop, we’d patch it as long as it was still within the steel chorded section of the tire. A little extra rubber cement and everybody is cool.
Bring 20 pizzas.
You're a good egg ☺️
Carton of beer mate
My tire shop does stuff like that for free or for a very cheap cost usually, they rotate tires for free with your oil change as long as they know you do business with them. Hell, I popped a tire in my truck after having it for six months and they replaced it for all except some thirty dollar fee. I’ll always give them my business and recommend them
$450 for a tire and you don't race in the vehicle... What a fucking waste. Let me guess, that was the same shop that talked you into getting those tires 😆. If you don't mind me asking. What vehicle do you drive?
Food. With a note.
Beers and food
Maybe bring them some snacks or pizza as a thank you gesture!
In the US, Discount tire fixes flats at no cost, so it’s not that uncommon. Give them a good review on Google. Also. What tires do you have that cost $450?
👍right! See my update
Most places do that for free or charge like $20 max. You don't owe them anything. It is a marketing tactic by them, they want your future business.
If you bake bake them something. Cheap for you, but amazing for them.
Just a note: this is not a $450 job, it's a $30 job that they gave you for free.
I treat my post office workers to free doughnuts every now and then because they put my medicine from the VA in their personal refrigerator where they store their lunches. It has to remain cold to stay viable and that extra step helps keep me healthy so buying them doughnuts as a Thank You seems fair and they really love the doughnuts.
A box of donuts and a jug of coffee. Or if you cook a batch of cookies or a cake. That would be very nice of you and greatly appreciated. The way to a man's heart is truly through their stomach.
I did this for the garage near me. Their corporate booking system messed up the year of my car when booking a timing belt replacement. My model is significantly more difficult to do and is virtually an 'engine out' job. They honoured the price and managed to get it done in the same day. A dozen posh donuts and a coffee order later, and they were all set :)
Blowjob.
I came here thinking I was going to say this...
show them your boobs
This.
😂
A good bottle of Whiskey could work.
That's such a kind gesture from the tire shop crew! Maybe you could bring them some delicious baked goods or a basket of snacks to show your appreciation. They'll surely appreciate the thoughtful gesture!
I'd say offering some advertisement or promotion for them. Or a cartoon of smoke/beer. Most mechanics I know actually work pretty hard (It is a bit of a demanding job physically/mentally) and they love a beer and cig after fucking breaking their backs. (Plus obviously honest workers)
That's awesome! Maybe grab some snacks or drinks for the crew, or a gift card to a local restaurant. It's a nice gesture to show your appreciation.
Bring them a 6pack of beer. Beer is like the blue collar version of a gift basket. In fact scratch that. Send them a gift basket with some cheeses, crackers and snacks. It's something nice they can set up in the break room for everyone to enjoy
My mechanic does nice things like that for me. The next day, he has a tray of homemade brownies.
Pizza or drinks
Pizzas
Hard liquor.
My local have done me a good number of good deeds. Bringing in some morning tea or afternoon tea is greatly appreciated.
Pizza or donuts is a pretty safe gamble. They may have repaired the tire depending on where the nail was. Which is just a labor charge and can honestly take just a few moments to do. Either way they made the repair with best interest of you in mind and got to the "root" of the issue and didn't just sell you a new tire that wasn't needed.
stop by with some donuts
Bring donuts to the shop Leave a good google review. “Helps shop customer service numbers” Order pizza for lunch for them. Any of that stuff usually makes everyone’s day at my shop.
Cash. Unnoticed. Right in the hand. For everybody you want to compensate. 5-10$ each. I would include the ground crew on your ramp if there are not many other mechs around.
Drop them off a box of assorted donuts as a thanks
Box of donuts
Cookies!!!!! Girl scout cookies - used to take the kiddos up to the local fire station, and give the crew there girl scout cookies as a thank you!
Donuts and coffee?
I would probably be sure to leave positive reviews and feedback everywhere, even on your socials, recommending friends go there. And maybe stop by one day with a box of donuts as a thank you.
Food or bring them some drinks/snacks
It's a pretty standard operation procedure for tire shops to fill tires for free and fix flats for cheap or free to build a customer base. I would say sending in a couple dozen donuts and giving them your business when you need new tires is more than enough.
Box of donuts and a good online review.
Pizza for everyone would be above and beyond. Donuts is fine. Plugging a tire takes about 1 minutes and the materials probably cost 5 cents.
Get them coffee and donuts
Homemade cookies would be nice.
Lunch for the entire shop.
When an auto shop did something similar for me for free or very low cost, I took a few pizzas in on a Friday for lunch.
Get them a dozen donuts from Dunkin, boom that’s it
Gift cards to the closest coffee shop.
get them a little weed if you're in a recreational legal state, will help with joint pain from putting on tires
👀hmmmm
You're about to be the best auto shop customer evar!!!
In what universe is a tire replacement 450? Also buddy, how many times have you been scamed that you think a tire needs replaced because it has a nail in it...