[bimjim]

I think I can comfortably say that most of us have our "other" tyres stored somewhere and twice a year have them swapped - for a fee, of course - by people who call themselves "qualified tyre professionals" - whatever that means. These people claim to have been in the "tyre business" for 20, 25, even 30 years, so we assume they know what they are doing.

These tyre centres do incredible business twice a year, and this business is because we, their bread and butter people, have had the foresight to buy a full set of "other-season" tyres and keep them waiting in storage - which we also pay them for - so we can make quick changes twice a year.

Yes, I know they make fat profits on tyre sales - because of volume discounts and increased margin that means - but I am sure the bread and butter of the business is tyre swapping and storage.

I think the bulk of their business is the approximately $30 per car and $75 (twice per year) they ask for, respectively, installing and storing four tyres. That is $210 (plus taxes) a year just to store and swap tyres. Storage takes almost no man-hours, so virtually all the time we sit and wait is towards the swap.But these folks have a problem that they seem to be refusing to address, probably because they think their customers are stuck with the situation and won't go anywhere else.

I speak of wait times... I have dealt with Steelcase, just off Woodbine near Steeles on Markham, for about four years. I bought both of my tyre sets and my steel winter rims from them (not the cheapest sets - nor the most expensive), and after sitting in line (and giving up after two hours later, three dars further on) I am hearing that in fact wait times are up to 5 hours or more for all customers.

Some folks who see no other option are parked in line from 5:30am waiting for the opening bell, and by that time the lines snakes around the building and away down the road outside.

I have exchanged a few short emails with one of the principal owners, and my impression is that he was willing to respond to my enquiries, but not willing to review their procedures and actually do anything about it. His final response to my suggestion that they hire seasonal workers for the twice-annual events and perhaps plan for the huge demand was "Its a nice dream, and maybe one day we'll get there."

My impression is that a few people buying new tyres - which requires much more time for finding the new ones from stock, taking the old tyres off, inspecting the rims for damage, thorougly cleaning the rims, removing the old weights, putting the new tyres on, then balancing them and ensuring they go on in the correct order (all this times FOUR) - are holding up the line, composed mostly people who have other-season tyres and rims already stored there, and who (with a little fore-planning) could be in and out in less than 6 minutes each.

This logically suggests TWO lines of cars, from opposite directions, a slow-moving one to the sales and full-service slots, the other a fast-moving line to the short-time tyre-swapping slots. But the system has always been one line, and I guess that's the way it will always be - which also suggests there is limited intelligence at play here, as well as resistance to improvement and change.

These folks are rolling in profits, although I have to concede that Steelcase has a good quality reputation. For them to spend the extra money to hire a few extra qualified people twice a year (one could even be a low-pay line-mover who checks with the drivers in line as to what is needed from storage, moves the driver's tyres from storage, and the others back there) to keep the line moving and everyone happy IMHO would actually make their place of business more desirable than the others simply due to speed of service.

Steelcase is desirable for quality of product, knowledge and service. But - like most other places - their wait times suck. Is there a place anywhere else in the central to northern or eastern GTA where the wait times are kept to a reasonable limit??

I suggest we remember that it is we - the bread and butter of these folks - who keep them in business. Yet we are pushed aside and kept waiting for their occasional blobs of profit when the usual dummy yuppie with more money than brains walks in demanding immediate service and several thousands dollars in tyres for their outrageously expensive and unnecessary vehicle.

So it is up to us - the bread and butter people - to say "enough is enough". Why should WE have to be be in line at 5:30am and/or wait two to seven hours for a 6-minute process?

How do we say "enough is enough"?? Find out wnat their web site address is, get the necessary info and be specific about your complaint - send an email, complain by phone (if you can ever get through), send them a letter on the mail or a fax, just do something. Put it in writing if you want it to be noticed.

And if you are a businessman, put it on your letterhead so the B2B influence (volume) comes into play. Ask yourself this question: How much is 7 hours out of YOUR business day worth to you? Or try the lowest possible denominator - how much is your employee's time worth to sit in your car for 7 hours in line to get the tyre swap completed?

[ians]

You dun like it then swap it at home by yourself, it is only a 1/2 hour work. Or just make an appointment with the stearler and let them rip you off but to save a few hours of times. We all know during Oct/Nov, all tire place are crazy line up not just steelcase.

[ctgazer]

you could change tires yourself? i do that to avoid the linups...$75 is not worth waiting 3> in line..if it were for free, then we'd be talkin

[perfectg]

you are in North america its tires not tyres

[who's ur daddy?]

I don't buy your complaints at all.

If the business is so lucrative, there'd be more people doing it. It is virtually impossible for any business to handle the onslaught of customers who do changeovers in such a brief period. An option for you is to do it earlier in the season or do it yourself.

[Two Sheds]

The wait times annoy me as well. I've used Tire 3000 in Markham for both my car and my wifes car to get the initial second set of rims and winter tires and had to wait hours each time. I just store them at home (in a cupboard in an a apartment and in the basement now I'm in a house) and do the change myself.

With the poor service there (both time I was waiting for hours I had made appointments) I will probably be ordering my next set of rims + tires online (possibly tire rack) despite wanting to give my business to local shops if they can't provide the service they won't get my business.

[halB]

Am I missing something here?

Is this tire shop a monopoly that does something nobody else can do? Are the cutomers held at gun points, forced to go there? Are they required by law to go to there and nowhere else? Is there anything wrong about running a successful business that has customers line up out the door for the service and make a good profit doing it? Is there anyhing wrong about letting the free enterprise system does its magic?

If the answer is no, then all their customers go there by choice. They could have gone somewhere else that has less wait time, or they could have simply done it themselves. But no, they go there because they choose to. So what is point of complaining? What's wrong with them making a profit because customers choose to let them make the profit? You are free to make other choices too, you know.

[SGxi]

I just know, for some reason, one shop doesn't really take good care of my wheels. The last time I swap tires/wheels, they scratched every single rim... but then the rims are not in very good condition already so I don't really care.

Lesson learned: next time, I'm not using them...

[Soni]

I do the swap myself. I have a complete set of summer and a complete set of winter. 1/2 hour job and save time and money.

[who's ur daddy?]

Originally Posted by Soni

I do the swap myself. I have a complete set of summer and a complete set of winter. 1/2 hour job and save time and money.

You got a proper torque wrench buddy? You can borrow mine if not...

[peanuboy]

Is Steelecase's service and prices really THIS good where people are waiting HOURS to get their work done?

I got my winters mounted/balanced and put onto the car for about an hr at my local tires and mags shop (Pickering Tires and Mags)

[MOAB]

I went to Tire Mag this morning, was there at 8 a.m. and was out the door at 8:45. Sure, there's a risk that they scratch my rims, but they haven't in the past and I guess I don't really care that much if they do.

[goldn]

wtf.
i went to the dealer.
was out of there in 30 mins.
$35+tax
even gave new bags for the wheels they removed.

[darklord]

Steelcase is total BS...their business model stinks!

[SGxi]

Originally Posted by Soni

I do the swap myself. I have a complete set of summer and a complete set of winter. 1/2 hour job and save time and money.

Originally Posted by who's ur daddy?

You got a proper torque wrench buddy? You can borrow mine if not...

I have one, but I don't do the swaps myself

One company that has done my wheels in the past managed to scratched every rim (yes all 4). I'm not going back there again for any fix on my car. If it's a car I don't care about, I'll probably go back, otherwise, no.

[tirana]

If you can, just do it yourself. It's a good opportunity to look at your wheels, wash them down (inside) and you can be sure of a good job done at your own convenience.

All you need is a good torque wrench ($70), some anti-seize paste ($5), a $2 white marker (to remember which wheels came from where so you can rotate) and a hydraulic lift ($60). I taught my kids to do it on their cars and I'm sure it increases awareness of the state of your wheels.

[MechUT]

Just did this today... it literally did take 1/2 an hour.

On sale at Crappy tire at various times, the better torque wrench was only $50, and I got a 2 ton hydraulic jack for $30.

Forget about lining up and wait times: 1/2 an hour is less time than what it takes to drive to a tire shop and back.