Great service can make even the most stressful of times seem easy.
I suffered a flat tire just before the arrival of this past weekend. As the Journal’s go-to sports guy, weekends tend to be jam packed with events, and since this weekend required my presence in Saddle Lake, Mallaig and around St. Paul, having a blown tire threw me into panic mode.
As a reporter, rescheduling or calling in to take the day off in the case of a situation like a blown tire is out of the question, especially with a newsroom that has just shrunk to two people, so I knew I had to act fast in order to save the weekend.
I managed to get an appointment at a local business on Friday afternoon, and I was informed that my tire was blown beyond repair. While they did not have any matching winter tires in stock, the staff made sure my car was safe to drive with the spare tire and gave me their time free of charge, something I truly appreciate considering I was soon to face a big expense in replacing the tire.
By this time, local businesses had shut their doors for the night, and I did not feel safe enough in the driver’s seat of my car to make a late night trip to Saddle Lake for the Warriors and Canadiens Junior B game. I was lucky to have a great friend in town for a visit, and he offered to lend me his vehicle so I could make it out to Saddle Lake without having to worry about further mishaps.
The next morning, I managed to locate a pair of matching tires at another service location in town. I was beyond relieved to hear that they not only had the tires I needed at an affordable price, but also, they could have my car in the garage within half an hour.
I grabbed my keys and slowly made my way across town, where I was greeted with a smile and provided with fantastic service in a comfortable environment.
Within the hour, my car was back on the road, and most important of all, I felt safe as I took off to cover my next event without missing a beat.
There is nothing more important than safety, and I am truly thankful to have experienced such wonderful service from multiple locations in town, with staff that held my safety as a top priority.
