I stopped by my local Sunoco service station, located on Cradlerock Way in the Owen Brown neighborhood of Columbia, Md, in hopes of having my tire repaired. Once I told the service manager about my request, he proceeded to ask me several questions about my service history, etc... I knew where he was headed, but explained that I was truly only there to deal with the tire. The truth is that I'm currently out of work, and can't afford to have costly repairs done, whether the car needs it or not, but I didn't think it was necessary to go into my difficult financial situation in order to ask my local service station to plug my tire. The service manager was nice enough, though, and showed me where to wait while they looked at the tire. A bit later, he came to me at said the tire couldn't be repaired, and they would need to replace it with a new one. Based on past experience of being over charged there, I said, ""thank you, I appreciate that, but I'll have to move along. If you'd be good enough to put the tire (i currently had a doughnut on the car) back into the car, I'll be on my way."" Well, he didn't appear to be terribly happy with that, and tried to talk me into letting them ""service the car"", but I could not be swayed. And so, he led me back to the desk where the car was. When we entered the service area, the hood of my car was up, and the mechanic was under the hood. He then came around the car and said, ""I don't know who's been servicing your car, but you need alot of work done,"" then proceeded to list off some of the things he thought should be done. Again, I said, ""thank you, I appreciate that, but if you'll just put the tire back inside the car, I'll be on my way."" The mechanic then got angry, and said I didn't need to be ""that way"" (not sure what way I was being), and yelled at me about my car, and said that I was being nasty. I felt like I was in a time warp or something. What was happening? I said, ""what did I say that made you so angry beside ""thank you"" and ""I appreciate it"". He was yelling over me and slamming things around. I also asked him why he was under the hood of my car when I had come in to have a tire, that was already off the car, looked at. He said that my transmission, which I've been having NO issue with, was bad, and that he couldn't even get the car in gear when he drove it the five yards into the service bay. Now, I had just driven the car to the station, so I think I would have noticed the transmission being bad. Meanwhile, the service manager had taken a call, and then came back to the ""conversation"", and told me to ""ignore"" the mechanic. By then I was done. I felt I had been in the position of having to explain myself, and so I explained that I was out of work, and had no money, and couldn't afford costly repairs at this time, and that I didn't understand how they could treat someone this way. I said I wouldn't be back as I left the shop to go to my car. The mechanic followed me, and as he gave me my keys he said, ""have a nice day!""
Upside: I drove over the BP station in Harper's Choice, where I should have gone in the first place. They we so nice, plugged my tire, and topped-off my fluids for 36 bucks. The service manager explained that the tire should be replaced sooner, rather than later. He gave me a quote and his card, and told me to give him a call when I was ready. Rest assured, when I have the money, which should be next week, I will have it done there. THAT'S THE WAY TO DO BUSINESS!!!
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