A friend has an old Ford 8N gasoline tractor. The rear tires were new in 1972. They're checked severely and one just went flat.
He called the tractor tire place Wednesday and made an appointment for a week later. He asked for a call the day before they wanted to come.
He extended to them flexibility.
FYI: Two tires, mounting, weighting with modern fluid, removal of old tires and the old calcium weighting came to ~$1,000.
This is done in the field with a mobile tech driving out in an appropriate boom truck.
This is the company "everybody uses" as they are the closest.
Off my friends go for a long weekend visit with the grandchildren a hundred miles away.
The cellphone rang and it's the tire tech in his truck at their house with one tire and no idea of the details listed on the work order.
The tech was reported to have said he was, " ....just in the area".
The tractor was on the far side of a vulnerable leach field and my friend COULD NOT allow the guy to drive his heavy truck over it.
The tech in the truck says he owes the company the $115 per hour cost of transportation back to home base.
No mention was made of the cost of arriving there. A communication gap on their end totally.
My friend said the gal who took the info sounded like she was on the ball so he couldn't guess the source of the foul up.
He called me to vent. That's what friends are for. I listened.
He said he ain't gonna pay these people a dime for today's fiasco. I listened to more; then I took my turn.
I said, "The town they're in is one you go through VERY often. Shame on you for not going there in person from time to time to seek sales etc. and some more shame on you for allowing yourself to be surprised by a flat on a wretched, crispy 49 year old trash tire."
I added that expecting phone calls, "work every time" is a little too detached for reality.
$100 in-person deposit would've likely set scheduling in stone. Who spends $1,000 locally without going there?
Hey, that's what friends are for.
He called the tractor tire place Wednesday and made an appointment for a week later. He asked for a call the day before they wanted to come.
He extended to them flexibility.
FYI: Two tires, mounting, weighting with modern fluid, removal of old tires and the old calcium weighting came to ~$1,000.
This is done in the field with a mobile tech driving out in an appropriate boom truck.
This is the company "everybody uses" as they are the closest.
Off my friends go for a long weekend visit with the grandchildren a hundred miles away.
The cellphone rang and it's the tire tech in his truck at their house with one tire and no idea of the details listed on the work order.
The tech was reported to have said he was, " ....just in the area".
The tractor was on the far side of a vulnerable leach field and my friend COULD NOT allow the guy to drive his heavy truck over it.
The tech in the truck says he owes the company the $115 per hour cost of transportation back to home base.
No mention was made of the cost of arriving there. A communication gap on their end totally.
My friend said the gal who took the info sounded like she was on the ball so he couldn't guess the source of the foul up.
He called me to vent. That's what friends are for. I listened.
He said he ain't gonna pay these people a dime for today's fiasco. I listened to more; then I took my turn.
I said, "The town they're in is one you go through VERY often. Shame on you for not going there in person from time to time to seek sales etc. and some more shame on you for allowing yourself to be surprised by a flat on a wretched, crispy 49 year old trash tire."
I added that expecting phone calls, "work every time" is a little too detached for reality.
$100 in-person deposit would've likely set scheduling in stone. Who spends $1,000 locally without going there?
Hey, that's what friends are for.
Last edited: