This is a review of the service I recently got in Mr. Tire Auto Service Center #679, at 708 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
Yesterday, I first scheduled an appointment in mrtire.com for Mr. Tire Auto Service Center located at 15119 Frederick Rd., Rockville, MD 20850 to get a set of four Pirelli Scorpion AS PLUS 3 tires. The price quoted by mrtire.com was $631.96 for the four tires after a discount of $140 from the original price of $771.96, with installation, disposal, and tax extra. However, the employee of the 15119 Frederick Rd. Mr. Tire quoted me the original price of $771.96, without any instant discount, for the same four Pirelli tires, in which installation, disposal, and tax were extra. I told him that there should have been a $140 instant discount. He looked at mrtire.com and insisted that the $140 was a rebate, not an instant discount, which according to him I had to process the rebate online or to complete a form and mail in after I have the four Pirelli tires installed. I was put off by his response.
He then said I needed alignment without having examined or checked my car. I asked him why I needed it. He said cars need alignment every year. I was thinking he assumed that my car didn't have alignment done within the past 12 months. He had no actual basis for his assumption. By then I was pissed off.
He also said that I should get four new valve stems installed, once again without looking at my car. I asked for my key back and drove to the Mr. Tire at 708 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The manager there was Rashad Franklin.
Rashad was pleasant and didn't try the hard sell that I received in Mr. Tire at 15119 Frederick Rd., Rockville, MD 20850. Rashad honored the $140 discount right there after I pointed out it was supposed to be an instant saving according to mrtire.com and a sign in the auto service center. None of those rebate crap the other employee had tried it on me.
Rashad asked me whether I needed an alignment, instead of telling me I needed an alignment. It appears to be Mr. Tire's policy for employees to ask potential customers looking for new tires about the alignment. However, there is a difference between a soft sell and a hard sell. Asking me whether I needed the alignment left the decision to me. It's a soft sell. The other employee told me I needed the alignment, which is an assertion, not a question, giving me a feeling that the guy was pushing it. In other words, a hard sell.
Rashad also did not tell me that I should get a set of four new valve stems. I had them install the Pirelli tires.
Before I left the auto service center, I told a lady customer waiting for her car to be serviced that Rashad was honest and fair. I recommended that, if she needs any car service in the future, she brings her car to that Mr. Tire Auto Service Center, where Rashad works.