LO
Lunar Orbit
Sep 24, 2026
I've always had good luck with Les Schwab over the years and in several different locations and with different vehicles, so when brakes unexpectedly started grinding as I was traveling through, and I didn't want to do another mountain pass without getting them fixed. Knowing that walk-in is first-come, first served, I arrived an hour before opening, and by the time the doors were unlocked there were another half dozen people in line.
The employees at all locations are always helpful and courteous. They got my vehicle up in the lift within a few minutes and confirmed that I needed new rear brakes. We talked about changing the rotors too, but the tech was okay with my preference that the old ones stay, since they appeared to be in fine shape. As far as actually doing the work, they couldn't give me a time or make a specific appointment for later in the day, but said that if I stayed, they would get it finished by closing time at 6:00 pm, or sooner.
The waiting area is fine, but wifi is so slow that it might as well not exist. There's free coffee, tea, ice cream bars and popcorn, so that helps. But, the neighborhood isn't much for spending an entire day, or even going for a walk.
I asked someone every couple hours where we were on the schedule. Each time, one service person talked to another and said it would be soon. They had several bays empty for the last few hours of the day, so I asked a couple more times how long it would be. One time though, I overheard someone say "oh, I forgot about that one".
They eventually fit us in, but it wasn't finished until well after 7:30 pm, and with unforseen extra expenses. The inside of the rotors were indeed damaged and needed to be replaced, but why wasn't that seen at the first inspection?
I understand that it's difficult to provide a time for walk-in customers when they have scheduled appointments, but expecting a customer to hang around all day with the slight chance that there might be a bit of free time with a cancellation or a mechanic with a bit of extra time is unrealistic. Even giving a rough time (like "sometime after 2:00 pm") would be extremely helpful. For those stranded in the waiting room, hourly updates would make the customer aware that he hasn't been forgotten. In this instance, I believe that was the case.
Why wasn't there follow-up? Each inquiry was answered and dismissed. No one actually takes charge or accepts responsibility. Doesn't someone notice that there's a couple in the waiting room for hours and hours and at least check status and routinely fill them in?
After 35 years, I'm not sure about Les Schwab anymore.