Poco's Pundits
Poco's Pundit 7-28-2010
The tragedy that has struck the Eric and Tammy Balch family has effected each of us in this community. I only wish the sorrow that we feel as a group would somehow help the pain that this family has been caused to endure. Eric and Tammy, may the peace that passes understanding find a home in your hearts.
Poco’s Pundit 7-21-2010
The 1967 Chevy Camaro, they don’t make ‘em like that any more! The Camaro was an awesome car. I know. I had one. I remember changing the spark plugs at least every 10,000 miles. Oh, and remember we also had to change the points and condenser and the fuel filter. WE changed the oil every 1000 to 1500 miles and the inside of an engine with 50,000 miles on it was filthy. The air filter needed to be replaced more often, partly because of the design and partly because we drove on a lot more dusty country roads. The tires wore out much quicker and there wasn’t much technology to keep us from hydroplaning in the rain. We had to have the wheels aligned much more regular, cause every time you hit a bump they were knocked out of whack! If memory serves me right, there were a lot more bumps back then than there are now.
Yes, they sure don’t make ’em like they used to! Thank goodness they don’t! I am driving a 1999 Ford pick up with 221,000 miles on it and wouldn’t be afraid of taking off to Montana in it tomorrow. I have had to do a few repairs along the way and replace the tires a few times, but other than that I just kept up with the normal maintenance. I cannot imagine driving any car made in the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s that would have been capable of that type of service.
I have said many times that an automobile is the absolute worst investment a person can make. The depreciation factor along with the maintenance were my reasons. I must retract that statement. I believe if a person makes a wise purchase (say, buy a year old car with less than 15,000 miles to avoid the initial depreciation). Now, keep up the normal maintenance and care for it like it IS an investment, I believe it could be a really good decision. Have the oil changed every 3000 to 5000 miles. Have the little things repaired before they become big things and your car should become a true and trusted friend.
Quote from Paul Harvey: “ In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.”
Poco’s Pundit 7-14-2010
Have you ever understood why the “new” customers get all the good deals? Go buy a phone, if you are a ‘new’ customer, Wow! You get all the good deals , but if you are an old standby and had the same service for years and always paid your bill on time……….. You can forget getting a good deal or any kind of a discounted price.
Four years ago, Poco Automotive tried a little different marketing scheme. We had cards printed up that had a 10% discount on tires and a 15% discount on service. We sent these card out with a “Thank You” letter attached to our existing customers. In other words, we spent our advertising budget giving our current customer base discounts rather than spending money trying to attract new customers. I remember when Daryl Royal said, “ You should dance with the one that brung ya!” I believe that stands true with business. Jennifer Poston is working on getting these cards reprinted. 250 of these cards will be going out August 1st. The cards will be good for one year and will be used at the discretion of the recipient. NOTE: We have installed a new point of sale system and the customer base will not be as current as I wish. If you feel you have been overlooked …. Please contact me and we will get you a “Customer Appreciation” card. It is our way of saying, “Thanks” to our customers. Let it be known…. At Poco Automotive, We have the BEST customers in the state!
This note is only for the readers of the Poco’s Pundit column. Beginning today, Wednesday July 14th, Poco is having a tire sale. The sale is on Michelin and BF Goodrich tires. Buy four of these branded tires with our Road Hazard package and get the price of one of the tires discounted from your invoice! That’s right! You get one tire free! There is a stipulation. You must go to our website and print the coupon from our ’coupon’ page. Bring the coupon with you at the time of the purchase. HEY! That’s not all! This sale is good through the end of the month of July and Michelin is having their own promotion. Through August 9th, if you buy a set of four Michelin tires, you get a $70 rebate. If you have been wanting to try a set of Michelin tires but thought you couldn’t afford them this is your opportunity to get them at a whale of a good deal! These tires are the first line product from Michelin. They are not last years models or the “club” tires sold by some of our competitors.
WISDOM: George Savile, Marquess of Halifax said, “Men are not hanged for stealing horses, but that horses may not be stolen.
Thanks for reading!
Poco’s Pundit 7-7-2010
Mr. Kyle,
I drive a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. My tires are really shot and need to be replaced. I have 500 dollars saved up to replace the tires but now I have front end problems. The estimate on my front end is almost 500 more dollars. Should I replace the tires or should I repair the front end? I cannot afford to do both right now.
This is a pretty common question we are asked at the store. Number one, always should be safety! If you are going to only be able to repair part of the needed repair, then by all means repair the most critical part first.
The Sunfire will make a good example. A high quality, major brand, set of tires will cost close to 400 dollars to have installed. The estimate on the front end included two new front McPherson struts and a four wheel alignment. My advice would be to talk to the repair facility. Find out how dangerous the condition of the struts is. The struts are a wearable item and are probably weak and not up to factory recommended specifications. They are very critical but will not break and cause the loss of control of the vehicle (except in very extreme cases). For this reason, I recommend replacing the tires and have the four wheel alignment performed. The strut replacement should be performed as soon as possible. The worn struts will cause premature tire wear on your new tires and could cause a dangerous situation in the handling of your car. Try and get the repair facility to agree to realign your car at no charge when you have them replace your struts. If you have this repair done in a certain time frame, say within 60 days, it should be easy to get them to agree to it.
It is always best to have your repairs performed when and as they are needed, but sometimes it is not financially possible. If this ever happens, you must get qualified advice on the importance and safety of each part that is needing replacement. If you are not satisfied with the repair facility’s explanation then look for another opinion. Preferably, that opinion wont be from cousin Bob that used to work on cars in his spare time back in college. The second opinion should be from a qualified technician either known to you or referred to you by someone you know.
Thanks for reading. If you have a questions concerning your car, please forward them by e-mail to kyle@pocoauto.com.
THOUGHT: Daddy reminded me this morning, “The essence of patriotism lies in the willingness to sacrifice for one’s country.” I told him,” A true soldier fights, not because he hates what is in front of him. It is because he loves what is behind him.” I hope you had a great celebration of Independence Day!
Poco’s Pundit 6-30-2010
We have team meetings every Tuesday morning at 7:15AM. Every employee of Poco Automotive is invited but the meeting is voluntary. One of the issues we talk about every Tuesday is customer service. Our customers are the lifeblood of our business. I read books and attend seminars trying to come up with new and fresh ideas for our customer service. We don’t want you, our customer, to just be satisfied with our service….. We want you to look forward to your next visit. We are constantly trying to add value to each visit by each customer. We perform courtesy checks for free when we do an oil change. We also use premium oil and filters that meet or exceed the factory recommendations. We offer road hazard warranty and throw in the tire rotations and flat repairs for the life of the tire. We are now subscribing to an e-mail service reminder system that will help you, our customer, keep up with not only the scheduled service intervals but also the history of repairs on your vehicle via e-mail. Good is not good enough in our business. We must continue to try to improve.
So, you see, when I ask you for your help….. I mean it. Is there something we can improve on? Is there something that is offered in Waco or Temple that is not offered here? If you see a need somewhere don’t be afraid to share it with me. Between the two of us maybe we can get something done!
Time to Share: Charles Beechly and I have just been visiting. Charles is the guy to call and find out if the river is out at Jonesboro! Charles shared a story with me about a hand he had one time that wanted to take off work and go help his wife change a flat tire. Mr. Beechly told the guy that his wife, Margie, had a flat in the field while plowing. She not only took the tire off…… She took it to the barn and patched the tire. By the time Mr. Beechly got home , Mrs. Beechly had the tire back on the tractor and was starting to plow. Wow! They don’t make ’em like that any more. You would be hard pressed to find a grown man that wouldn’t get on his cell phone and call for help, much less the lady that raised the kids, cooked the meals, done the wash and ….and …….Hey Charles , what did you ever do around the house?
Thanks Charles Beechly for a great story and Margie, be sure you have your application in at Poco!
I never did ask…….Did the guy get to take off work and go help his wife?
THOUGHT:
Freedom is not free! When you see a soldier at a restaurant, buy them lunch and tell them, ”Thanks”.
Poco’s Pundit 6-23-2010
Thinking about buying a new car ? Prepare yourself ! Is 0% Interest a good deal ?
I can buy a new pick up for $25,000.00. I have 2 options. I can take a 5000 dollar rebate and buy the truck for 20,000 cash OR I can buy the truck for regular price ( 25,000) and get 0% financing. Wow! 0% interest , that is awesome. But is it? I have two choices either take the 5000 dollar rebate OR 0% interest. So, in other words I am going to be charged 5000 dollars to finance my truck for 5 years. If you amortize $20,000 for 5 years @ 9% interest you will only pay $4910.20 in finance charges. It is pretty easy to obtain money at almost all the banks for less than 9%. My advice is to take the rebate and get your own financing. It will save you money in the long run.
Let’s just suppose for a minute. Suppose I buy my truck and I want the 0% interest. My monthly installment payment will be $416.67. ($25,000 amortized for 60 months @ 0% interest) Twelve months later. I still owe$19,999.96. I could have bought this truck a year ago for that amount of money. Now it has 15,000 miles on it and bent tailgate.
Let’s suppose again. Suppose I buy my truck and take the $5000 rebate. I obtain financing locally for 5 years. The interest rate is 5.35%. My monthly installment payment is $380.64. Twelve months later I owe $16,107.81. I still have 15,000 miles on my truck and still have a bent tailgate, but I feel a lot better about the use of my money.
Feel like another suppose? I want to buy a truck a year old to save having to pay that extra money . I find just the truck I am looking for it is a year old with 15,000 miles on it. It has a bent tailgate, but not really that bad. The truck sold new last year for $20,000. Depreciation has dropped the value of this truck to $14,000. I buy it and because it is only a year old good terms are still available at the local bank. I finance the truck for $14,000 @ 5.35% for 5 years. My installment payment is $266.45.
We keep begging our congressmen to be good stewards with our money! Which one of these scenarios do you think would be the best use of our hard earned money? In order for us to hold our congressmen accountable , we must first learn to be more accountable ourselves.
THOUGHT: An old Indian proverb says,” Call on God, but row away from the rocks!”
Poco’s Pundit 6-16-2010
I don’t like to plagiarize, but I just read an article I want to share with you. Sam Spence is the Chaplain at Lone Star Park, the beautiful horse race track in Fort Worth. I have read a couple of his devotionals and continue to receive a weekly e-mail/devotion from him. We have never met personally, but I look forward to that day!
Brother Sam writes: As legend has it, a good man went to Sodom one day. He was hoping to save the city from God’s judgment. He tried talking to the people, but none would listen. Next, he carried a sign that read “Repent”. Still no one paid him any attention. Finally he began moving from street corner to street corner shouting, ”Men and women repent! What you are doing is wrong. It will kill you. It will destroy you.” Now the people were laughing at him, but still he screamed the message as loud and as often as he could.
One day a person stopped him and said, ”Stranger, cant you see that your shouting is useless?” The man said,” Yes I see that.” The person then said, “So ,why do you continue?”
The man replied,” When I came to this city, I was convinced I could change them. Now I continue shouting because I don’t want them to change me!”
Speak out for those things you believe to be true and good. If you remain silent, others may take your silence as agreement with their position - which may not be at all what you believe. We must stand for something or we will fall for anything.
If you would like to join me in receiving e-mail/devotions from Sam Spence. You can contact him at sam.spence@lonestarpark.com .
I realize this article has nothing to do with auto repair, but I really felt obliged to share. Thanks for reading!
Note: Our lead technician, Jim Medley, received his Master Technician certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. I will share more on this accomplishment next week. Thanks Jim for your hard work at the store and your commitment to excellent service!
I told yall he was good!!
Poco's Pundit 6-9-2010
The difference in men and women: Two scenarios….. The first scenario is a man that brought his car in for us to work on. He informed me the right front wheel bearing was bad and needed replacing. I asked him if he wanted us to check it out and he said, “ No, I know that is what the problem is. Just replace the right front wheel bearing.” We replaced the right front wheel bearing and he paid his bill and left. Thirty minutes later, you guessed it, he was back because his car was still making the noise it was when he brought it in. I asked him again if he wanted us to check it out. He said to go ahead but it was probably the left front wheel bearing that was bad. We checked the car over and noticed it had an abnormal wear pattern on the front tires. We rotated the tires and the noise went away. Why is it that we men think we are supposed to know what is wrong with everything, especially when it comes to our cars or trucks? This guy spent a lot of money that was unnecessary.
The second scenario is a woman that brought her car in for us to work on. She said ,” Something is wrong with my car. It is making a terrible noise in the front. I am afraid one of my wheels is gonna fall off. When can you guys look at it?” We got her car in and diagnosed the problem. She had abnormal wear on her front tires causing the terrible noise she spoke of. She asked for an estimate. We told her the tire rotation would run $20.00 and recommended a wheel alignment to prevent further tire wear. Her invoice total was less than $100.00. Her car was fixed.
The man in the first scenario spent well over $100.00 before the problem was even diagnosed. Just chalk that 100 smackers up to gender pride.
The safest way to get your car repaired is to ask the store to diagnose your car’s problem and figure an estimate for the expense to repair the vehicle. Sometimes this estimate is free but more and more we are having to use sophisticated equipment and a master technician to do the diagnostics. Expect to pay a small sum for the technician and his specialized equipment to perform their diagnosis. Again, ask for the price of that diagnostic work before it is performed. Thanks for reading!
NOTE: Diamonds are just small chunks of coal that stuck to their job!
Poco’s Pundit 6-2-2010
My daddy called me on my cell phone a while back and said,” Well son , it has finally happened. You are gonna have to come help your Daddy change his flat tire.” Now don’t go to feeling sorry for my dear old Dad. He was completely capable physically to change his flat. He just didn’t know how to get the spare tire out from under the vehicle he was driving.
If you haven’t run into this problem , then you just haven’t had a flat tire in the last ten years. It’s only a guess, but I would venture to say that probably 70% of the people driving down the road would have the same problem experienced by my Daddy. Even if you do know how to remove the spare, it is gonna take you a lot longer to find the jack and jack handle than it will to actually change out the flat tire. Oh , and have I mentioned the name of the jack they send with most vehicles. They are made with a long bolt and when the bolt is threaded in or out it causes the jack to raise or lower. The jack is very appropriately referred to as a “screw up” jack.
Each vehicle has their own type of spare tire retaining system and each of them has their own hiding place for the jack, jack handle, and lug wrench. I would highly recommend to familiarize yourself with your own vehicle. Changing a flat tire is not as common as it used to be, but if you are not familiar with where the proper tools are, it can escalate to a nightmare situation.
Imagine yourself with a flat tire about an hour before sunset. You are between Jonesboro and Gatesville on Highway 36. You know, right there near Round Mountain where the phone service stinks. You have a flat on a highway with not much of a shoulder and in a place where your phone doesn’t work. The normal time to change your flat should be about 10-15 minutes. You search and search for the jack and finally locate it 20 minutes later. Now, you jack the car up and remove the flat tire. The sun is setting faster than you thought. How in the devil does that spare un hook? The kids are playing with the chiggers and beggar’s lice in the bar ditch. Now it is dark. This situation just turned into a nightmare!!
If you have never changed a flat on the vehicle you drive, then please come by Poco Automotive and let us locate the tools and show you how to remove the spare tire from it’s hiding spot. It might just save your life!
NOTE: Can someone tell me….. Is the guy painting the water tower by the Fire station with a four inch brush? He must be working by the hour.
Poco Pundits 5-26-2010
I was in Austin this week and stopped by a music shop on Anderson Lane. It belonged to an older couple that were just as accommodating as they could be. I stopped because I had been trying to find the lyrics and music to “The Solid Rock”. It’s an old hymn and I couldn’t believe I had trouble locating the song. Well the couple both started looking through what seemed like a million books and continually referred to a computer. I told them I usually just found the music online and bought it there. The owner told me ,” Yep, and that is why we are closing!” I thought how terrible it will be for an awesome store like this to close. It was easy to see , they had poured their lives into this store. They knew where every song in every book was. He said if they didn’t sell it by the end of the year, they would just close it down. What a loss for the community, but I understand his problem. His customers could buy the songs they wanted online and not have to fool with “going to the store”.
This is an awful trend I have noticed. One day my grandson, Brazos Wayne , will ask me,” Grandpa, what was it like to shop in a store?” These are the reasons that we must , as independent store owners, offer the best service. We owe it to you our customer to be knowledgeable about the product we represent. We owe it to you to be the best service technician that we can be. We also owe it to you to try and make your visit as pleasant as possible. I share these things to let you know that when I ask your opinion of the service at Poco, I want your honest opinion. Good or Bad! It is our pledge to be the best service in the area. We need your input to make sure we stay there. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next week.
Oh by the way, The couple did find the song. I bought the song and a few other song books while I was there. I am trying to learn “ The Solid Rock” on my guitar now.
Note:
Isn’t it funny, good judgment comes from experience, but experience usually comes from bad judgment!
Poco Pundit 5-19-2010
Question: My check engine light has been on for a few weeks. Should I have a technician inspect my car for a problem? My car seems to be running great.
Answer: Most of us, that have been driving long, have experienced this problem. That dirty little “Check Engine” light that comes on and wont go off. I have even seen cars come to the store with black electrical tape over the light so it wont “bother me while I am driving”. This question hit’s a little closer to home than I wish it did. It has only been a few months ago when I received a call from Cassie, my step daughter in Houston. She said her check engine light was on but her car was running fine. I told her not to worry , I would down there in a few days and take a look at it. Well a few days became a few weeks and a few weeks became a couple of months. The next report I got on the car was that the fuel mileage was terrible and the transmission was going out! I hooked on to my flatbed trailer and took off to meet Cassie and load her car up and bring it home. When I got the car home I found that the transmission was fine but the car was really running bad. When we scanned the computer we noticed several trouble codes but the original code had been the engine temperature was to low. The original problem was a stuck open thermostat. This job would cost less than 50 bucks almost anywhere. But nooooo! I wanted to wait and now look what has happened. The thermostat was stuck open and the engine was running cooler than it was designed to. When the engine is cold or cool the computer tells the fuel system to dump more fuel in the engine. When the engine is run for a long period of time in this type of situation, there is a large amount of unburned fuel that goes right out the tail pipe. The catalytic converter is designed to trap unburned fuel and it did it’s job. That is, until it stopped up. The repair on this car would have been less than 50 bucks if I had repaired it in time. The repair would now include a new catalytic converter, new spark plugs, and a new thermostat and gasket. The repair went from under 50 dollars to just over 600 dollars. I told you this story to answer the question. YES!! If your “Check Engine” light is on , have it checked by a qualified technician as soon as possible.
THINK:
Some people complain that God put thorns on roses. Others, thank God for putting a rose among thorns.
Poco Pundit 5-12-2010
What is an ASE certified mechanic? What makes them better than a mechanic without the credentials?
ASE is the moniker for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE is a non profit testing facility that tests automotive professionals in all of the technical areas of automotive repair. There are almost 400,000 certified technicians in the nation. A technician must first pass a written exam and then show proof of two years on the job experience or at least the equivalent.
The ASE test certifies the competency of the technician , not the repair shop. The technician is really on his own. He or she must attend classes and sometimes train online to stay abreast of the changing field he or she works in. There are many repair facilities that require an ASE certification before the mechanic is considered for employment. These tests are difficult. I can attest to this because I was a part of our store’s group of techs that headed to Waco last Thursday to test for our ASE certifications. We have 7 employees that are currently testing for their certification or their re-certification. Each certificate has an expiration date and must be retested every 5 years. Because of the expiration date, current testing helps the technician prove that they are staying up with the technological changes in our cars. I can guarantee you that the mechanics I know wear their ASE patches with pride.
The second half of the question, what makes them better? Absolutely nothing! That little blue patch or the certificate the technician receives does not make them one bit better than a lifelong mechanic that has been repairing your car. I know many mechanics that are very qualified to repair automobiles without any certification whatsoever. The little blue patch or the certificate we hang on the wall is simply our promise to you, our customers, that we are doing all we can to stay educated in the automotive technical field.
Now , when you see a technician with an ASE patch on his shoulder you can congratulate him or her. It is no easy task receiving this certification.
NOTE: I learned a lot from my teachers. I learned even more from books. But, I learned the most from my mistakes!
Poco Pundits 5-5-2010
Question: Does Bridgestone really make green tires?
Answer: Yes! So far I think black and green are the only two colors they make!
Let me clarify a little. The question is a little misleading. When a company comes up with a product that is friendly to our environment that product tends to be referred to as “green”. No, Bridgestone does not manufacture a tire that is the color of green. However they do manufacture a tire line called the Ecopia line. This tire line is referred to as green because of the environmental standards that have been followed in not only their manufacture but also their performance. Get this!! The tire lines are named the Dueler H/L 422 and the EP422. If you haven’t noticed the number 422 relates to a date … April 22nd…. EARTH DAY !! That should make the tire number easier to remember or for some of us it will make Earth Day easier to remember.
The Ecopia 422 uses recycled rubber and incorporates Bridgestone’s NanoPro Tech Technology that contributes to fuel efficiency and CO2 reduction by controlling the interaction between polymer filler materials and other rubber materials. Yes, I copied that right out of the book! What this means for us, the consumer, is that by using recycled rubber helping fuel efficiency and CO2 reduction this tire is produced much more earth friendly than other tires.
Now if that is not enough how about a 65,000 mile warranty? Top that off with great wet traction and you have a very environment friendly tire. But Hey!!!! We are not through! This tire, the EP422, has a 36 per cent lower rolling resistance than a conventional tire. The Dueler H/L 422, the SUV/CUV version of the tire, has a staggering 42 per cent lower rolling resistance. Lower rolling resistance means higher fuel mileage for us! They have tested as high as 4 percent higher fuel mileage. That is money in our pocket.
I sell many different brands of tires but if you cut me , I will probably bleed a little Bridgestone. This company has led the industry in many technological fields. Wet traction is certainly one of these fields. Now they have developed the Ecopia tire. Great for the planet and great for our pocketbook!
If you believe in saving the planet ….. This would be a great way to show it!
NOTE:Colt McCoy’s dad Brad McCoy was recently quoted: “ Do not prepare the path for your children. Prepare your children for the path!” The path is rough, narrow, and sometimes hard to find.
Poco Pundits 4-28-2010
A good friend of mine was by the store this week and had a problem that I thought was worth sharing. He has a 2003 Ford Focus. He is very faithful with his maintenance. He is in every 3000 miles for an oil change and every 5000 miles for a rotation. However, when he had about 25000 miles on his tires we noticed that two of the tires were wearing out before the other two and one of these tires was wearing faster than the other. The tires are rated at 60,000 miles. So we stared looking for a problem.
When we do rotations or flat repairs our techs look at the tire tread and if there is a sign of premature wear, they notify the customer. There are several types of tire wear that can cause a tire to wear out prematurely. Each of our tire techs are aware of these wear patterns. There is an inside tire wear or an outside tire wear. Sometimes the tire tread will wear in a scuffing pattern across the face of the tire. Other times the tread may wear in a scallop pattern along the inside or outside of the tread. As you can see there are many different ways our tire can wear out prematurely.
The Ford Focus had 2 tires that did not show any abnormal wear but were non the less worn much faster than the other two. I have been associated with the wheel alignment business since 1972. After looking at the tires and examining the wear on the tires my experience told me that the wear was not from an alignment angle being out of specification. However my experience also told me this should be the first place to start looking. The wheel alignment in the front was perfect. The rear alignment was out of spec by almost 2 degrees on each wheel !! These angles should have been producing noticeable tire wear.
If my friend had not been doing such a good job of rotating his tires, the tire wear would have been much more noticeable. The fact is that he had been doing such a good job of rotating his tires that it was hiding the wear pattern from us! The corrected alignment angles will correct the tire wear problem, but how do we prevent this from happening again?
Car maintenance covers several different areas of the vehicle. My friend was doing a great job of oil changes and rotations but had neglected one area. The alignment on our vehicles should be checked twice a year. Had the alignment been checked on a regular basis this scenario could have been avoided. For this reason we try to have a Free alignment check coupon on our website as much as possible. The current coupon expires on 6-19-2010. Go to www.pocoauto.com and print your coupon and get your free alignment check today!
Thanks for reading and thanks for your questions and comments.
Poco Pundits 4-21-2010
At times , I will ask the guys I work with if they remember what it was like to have a bad shopping experience. I also ask them what they remember most about a great shopping experience. We try to implement the good experiences to our customer’s experience here at Poco. Sometimes a good rule of thumb is to avoid the bad experiences!
I was out of town last week and had a little time to kill so I decided to get a much needed haircut. I went to one of those new ‘fancy’ kinda hair cut places where they have all the new chairs and scissors and aprons and stuff like that. Sure enough, they got me in right quick and I had barely gotten seated in that new chair when the sales pitch started. This poor lady was trying her best to sell me some shampoo and conditioner and some other treatment I had never heard of. It did smell good but that was the farthest thing from my mind at that time. Now , she did a really good job of cutting my hair but by the time I had heard the recited sales pitch for the third time….. I was just ready to get out of there. I wouldn’t have bought a “venti mocha frappuccino” from her, and my wife, Kelly knows how much I love my mocha frappes!
While I was checking out, (still being bombarded by these rehearsed sales ploys) I realized these products she was pushing were the same Paul Mitchell products that I had bought previously from Michele Latham. I don’t remember Michele ever trying to sell me any product. When I left I just wanted to buy some of the stuff she was using. Thanks Michele for making my shopping experience fun. I wish it didn’t take a bad experience to shed some light on the good experiences we take for granted , here at home. Oh , by the way , I did not buy anything other than the hair cut at the fancy store. I may make a special trip to Michele’s salon just to pick up some PM product! See ya soon Michele! Tell Randall , I said ,”Hi”.
NOTE: Kelly and I are traveling this weekend and wont be able to attend the Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser this weekend. So each of you that are able to attend…. I have a favor to ask. Have a great time and tell Walt Garrison I said, “Hi!”. He doesn’t know me from Adam but I would have told him Hi, had I been there!! The auction is a lot of fun and a great chance to meet some our old football heroes. Thanks, Cotton Davidson for making this a really great event for the Gatesville area. Cotton reminded me the other day to, ”Be the kind of man that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says, ’Oh crap! He’s up!’”
Poco Pundits 4-14-2010
Question:
This is our time to ask a question! Poco Automotive would like to ask you, our customers for your input.
I know very few people that enjoy having their car repaired. The money we spend on repairs could have been for a planned vacation or a new flat screen TV. Maybe we were saving up for a down payment on a new car. Whatever you were saving up for , just went down the tube. You know, come to think of it…. My pick up has broke down before and I wasn’t saving up for anything. I didn’t have any money saved up and my truck broke down anyway! Now what’s fair about that? I guess there just isn’t a very convenient time for our car to break down.
The surprise we all hate is that funny grinding noise when we apply the brakes. (Brake Job) Or maybe when you are 10 minutes late to take the kids to school and when you turn the key it just “clicks”. (Starter or Battery) Three days before your car payment is due, you notice a big puddle of anti-freeze underneath your car.( Water Pump) Or How about when you are out for a pleasant evening drive over to your mother-in-law’s and for no apparent reason your steering wheel just goes berserk, shaking from side to side !! (Bad tire, Alignment or Worn Front end Parts) Last of all, You are packed and ready for your well deserved vacation and as you are pulling out of the driveway the “Check Engine” light starts flashing. (Thi$ could be a number of thing$)
My point is this. We understand your day already “stinks” because your car is broke down and now you have to take off work to get the dad burned thing fixed. What I want to do is help take some of the “stink” out of the day.
In your opinion, what can Poco Automotive do to make your visit more pleasant? What can we do to help you take care of your vehicle? After all, this is our job…….. To help you take care of your car!
Please address your e-mail response to pundits@pocoauto.com. If you prefer regular mail: Please address your response to Poco Pundits 2201 East Main Street Gatesville Texas 76528.You may remain anonymous. Your opinion (good or bad) is what we are looking for.
Thanks again for reading and thanks for your questions and comments!
NOTE! April 23rd is the day of the Boys and Girls Club Fundraiser. Be sure and get there early and get a good seat! Get your team together and play in the B&G Club Golf Tourney Saturday the 24th!!
Remember: The company you keep will determine the trouble you meet!
Poco Pundits 4-7-2010
Question: When should I buy new tires? I mean how do I know when they are worn out?
Answer: I have located a video showing the results of a test that answers this question. I am in the process of having it posted on our website at www.pocoauto.com.
The test car is a BMW sedan. The 1st test is with brand new tires. New tires usually come with 10/32nd of tread depth. ( The 32nd measuring system was developed years ago by some ’genius’ and we still use that measuring system today.) The test car is driven on a test track at 70 mph. The test track is covered with .05-.06 of an inch of water. That is typical for a moderate rain shower. The car then makes a panic stop. The average distance to stop was 195.2 feet.
The second test is performed exactly the same as the first test, except on tires that are worn down to 4/32nds of tread depth. To measure 4/32nd use a quarter and the distance from the top of the quarter to the top of George Washington’s head is a pretty accurate way of measuring. Using a tread depth gauge is preferred but I don’t know many people that own one other than tire stores. The second test car’s average stop is 290.0 feet. That is almost 100 feet longer!
The third test is performed exactly like the first two tests except that the tires are worn to 2/32nd of tread depth. This tread depth is measured by using a penny and measuring from the top of the penny to the top of Lincoln’s head. Again, for a more accurate measurement, stop by and we will use our tread depth gauge or you can buy one for less than 5 dollars. The third test car’s average stop was 378.8 feet!! That is over 180 feet longer than the same car with new tires. NOTE: The third car was traveling at 44 mph when it went by the spot where the second test car stopped.
Imagine: You just topped a hill in a moderate rain and noticed a school bus stopped in front of you, kids are crossing the highway….you only have 250 feet to stop. I sure hope you have good tires!
These test results and previous experience prompt us to recommend tire replacement at 4/32nd of tread depth. More especially if you have any rain in your driving future.
Each of us should be aware of these test results to help us pick a more appropriate time to make a tire purchase.
Thanks for visiting! See ya next week!
NOTE: Don’t forget the Boys and Girls club fundraiser April 23&24. Wow! You should see some of the auction items for Friday Night. This is a very, very worthy cause. I hope to see you all there!
Poco Pundits 3-31-2010
Question:
What is the Steve Sievers story you mentioned last week?
Answer:
Since Poco Automotive opened in 1972 our goal has been honesty and great customer service. Several years ago when we started doing oil changes or lube services, one of the things I promised I would never do is to sell, sell, sell, like some of the specialty Lube shops do. You know the story. They get your car in for a cheap oil change and the next thing you know, you have a 150-200.00 invoice laying in front of you. These circumstances helped set our policy at Poco. We have always concentrated on doing the best job possible at doing the oil change and lube service, but not selling other “add on” sales. I always felt like this was the most honest and considerate way of conducting business.
On August 31st, 2009, Steve Sievers’ wife Kathy brought her Yukon in for a oil change and service. Steve and Kathy are not just great people they happen to be good friends as well as good customers. We serviced Kathy’s Yukon with out incident and she was soon on her way. Four days later, Steve called me with this news, “ Kyle, a friend of mine just showed me the front tires on my wife’s car.” With very little hesitation he added,” Kyle the tires are worn into the steel belts! My wife and grand kids ride in this car.” He was noticeably upset and said ,” I have more faith in you and your people than to let something like this get by you.” Wow! I couldn’t agree with him more! We should have noticed it.
Steve brought his car to us and we put 4 new Michelin tires on it and performed a wheel alignment. He would have been glad to have had these services performed that day if we had only checked the condition of his tires. I thanked Steve for his friendship and his business and later asked him if he would mind if I used his name in the promotion of our new store policy.
Our new policy states that when a customer comes in for an oil change they also receive, at no charge, a “courtesy check“. The courtesy check includes the inspection of over 25 items including the tread depth on tires, head lights, tail lights, wiper blades, air filters and much more. It is not only our job to perform these checks, it is our obligation to our customer. It is our job to recommend the repairs or replacement that is needed, it is our customer’s choice to have the work performed.
Thanks to Steve Sievers and friends like him we will continue to provide the best customer service possible here at Poco. Thanks again Steve!
Note: Are you ready for the Boys and Girls Club Celebrity Golf Fundraiser? It’s coming soon!
3-24-2010 Poco’s Pundits
Question:
What is the difference in a lug nut and a peanut?
Answer:
I told you if you kept asking this question I was gonna run it!! Sir, and I use this term loosely, if you will walk directly up to a mirror. Notice that slight swelled up spot on the top of your neck. Yes sir, That is a peanut. Now move your head, oops I mean peanut, from the left to the right as fast as you can. That noise you hear is a lug nut rattling around inside your head where a brain is supposed to be.
This question was forwarded to me through Scott Culpepper, here at the store. I never reveal the name of the people asking the questions and I’m not going to start now. So, Todd you can stop worrying, I wont tell anybody. Thanks for your inquiry!
Did you know that April is National Car Care Month?
This is the time of year we should concentrate on taking better care of our second highest investment. Because of the economic times, most of us are driving our cars longer than we used to. We should be aware that when we put off our vehicle maintenance it could lead to a major repair bill down the road. Not just maintenance , but proper maintenance must be followed to assure yourself of the best return on your invested dollar. I was visiting with Ken Luikart this week and he said he just couldn’t imagine anybody getting an oil change/lube service from anyone other than a qualified technician. (Ken owns Luikart’s Auto in Waco and has been in business since the early 70’s.) I couldn’t agree with him more. As trained and qualified technicians it is our job to perform more than just a lube service. It is our obligation to our friends and customers to perform a free courtesy check to each vehicle we service. Then make the car owner aware if there are any other services that need to be performed. Just ask Steve Sievers! Thanks , Steve for making me aware of this all important service! I will share Steve’s story with you later.
Address your questions to this e-mail address: pundits@pocoauto.com
Thanks again for reading. Don’t forget! Don’t put off feeding the cows to clean the chicken coop. In other words, it’s not enough to just be busy. Get busy doing the right stuff!!
Poco’s Pundits 3-17-2010
Question:
Why are some tires so much higher in price than the exact same size in a different brand? Aren’t we just paying for the advertisements of the big companies? Aren’t all tires pretty much the same?
Answer:
Would you rather drive a Chevy Aveo, a Ford Fusion or a Cadillac STS? Each one of these vehicles can be driven with great success. You have to ask yourself ,”What do I expect from my vehicle?” or “What do I expect from my tires?” The engineers sit at the table a lot longer designing the Cadillac than they do designing the Aveo. We will expect to pay more for the better technology of the Cadillac than that of the Aveo.
Tire technology is much the same. There are four major companies building tires. Bridgestone, Firestone, Michelin and Goodyear are the companies that you will tend to see the latest in tire technologies. Technologies include a quieter ride, a smoother ride, longer lasting tread wear, and more importantly better traction. Each of these companies strive to make the best traction tire without sacrificing tread wear. Most of these companies now include silica in the tread compound. One company’s engineers even changed the molecular structure of the rubber in their tires, trying to make a longer lasting tire. I could go on and on about tire technology but sometimes it gets a little boring.
Yes, I would have to say we probably do pay a little more for some tires because of the national advertising. The most critical thing we pay for is the superior qualities of these tires. Sometimes our budget will not allow us to buy the best tire. Our sales people always try to offer a good, better, best tire price. This gives our customers the freedom to pick a tire that will fit their budget.
Let’s say you drive a 2002 Ford Crown Victoria. Your tire size is 225/60/R16. The tire prices you will have to pick from are going to range from $60.00 up to $150.00 per tire. The difference is the cheaper tire has a 40,000 mile warranty and an acceptable traction rating. The more expensive tire has a 90,000 mile warranty and has a superior wet traction rating. These two tires represent both ends of the spectrum. There are several tires in the middle price ranges that will work just fine. It all depends on what you expect of your tires.
Last weeks answer: Three frogs sitting on a log. One decided to jump off the log. How many were left? THREE! He only DECIDED to jump he hadn’t jumped yet. How many frogs are on your log? When you have a great idea or great plan, don’t sit and talk about it. Get off your log and go do something to make it happen.
Thanks for reading ! See you next week! Thanks for your questions and comments at pundits@pocoauto.com.
Just a thought: A boy will become a man when a man is needed.
3-10-2010 Poco’s Pundits
Question:
How can I find a mechanic I can trust?
Answer:
Your car is probably your second highest investment you have. Your highest investment being your home. Care for your vehicle is very important. It is essential you find someone to do your service work that you can trust. Be careful when you look at the largest ads in the paper or the fanciest ad in the yellow pages. Anyone with a little money to throw away can buy a fancy ad. The best advice I can give you is to ask around. Ask your co-workers. Ask others at church. Ask the people at the coffee shops. This is advertisement that no one can buy. These people have nothing to gain by telling you anything other than the truth about the dealings they have had at different shops.
It would be a great idea to go and visit several stores and just “get to know” the people you will be dealing with BEFORE you have car trouble. Listen to what they have to offer. Is there someone there you feel comfortable talking to? Communication is important and ideally you would like to speak to someone you are comfortable with.
Try to find out how the management handles mistakes, accidents or just plain ole screw-ups. I have been associated with this industry for over 30 years and I know as well as most mechanics, sometimes the very best master technician can make a mistake. Maybe even misdiagnose a problem with a car. We have all been guilty of these things at one time or another. When everything is good and the work goes out as performed, everyone is happy. However, I think the true test of a store, or the management is how they handle failure. Hopefully you never have to find out first hand. Check with others, see if a shop messed a repair up. If they did mess up the repair, what did they do to rectify the situation.
Of course, I am answering this question from my own point of view. I have been a shop owner for over 25 years and been a mechanic for longer. I would love to get some insight from others in the community. If you have a good idea for locating a trustworthy mechanic send your ideas to pundits@pocoauto.com .
Just a thought: Three frogs are sitting on a log. One frog decides to jump off the log. How many frogs are left? For the answer go to pocoauto.com. Or just wait until next week.
Thanks for reading. See you next week!
Three frogs are left on the log. The frog only DECIDED to jump off the log. How many frogs are on your log?
Point: Deciding how to fix a problem is just the start. Action is the only thing that will fix it!
3-3-2010 Poco’s Pundits
Question:
Is there any difference in wheel alignment, wheel balance, and wheel rotation?
Answer:
Yes ! Definitely there is a huge difference in each of the services you asked about.
1. The first service, wheel alignment, should be checked twice a year. This is the angle of your four wheel and tire assemblies to the road surface. There are several angles that we check during the alignment process , but the two most important angles are camber and toe. Camber is the angle of your tire as viewed from the front or rear of the vehicle. An incorrect camber setting can and will cause premature inner or outer tire wear. That results in more tire purchases! Toe is the most critical angle in the alignment process. While sitting in your car , imagine your right front wheel turned slightly to the right. Now imagine your left front wheel turned slightly to the left. This would be considered a toe out condition. Each car has their own specifications for proper alignment. We align cars to these specs and the result is longer tire wear, better fuel mileage and better stability and drivability.
2. The second service you asked about is wheel balance. Incorrect wheel balance is usually noticed by a slight vibration at about 60-65 miles per hour. This vibration is uncomfortable and also causes premature tire wear. This service is performed by properly adding small weights to the inside and outside of the wheel. You know when the clothes all get stuck on one side of the washer during the spin cycle? That is what imbalance is! You might say we just raise the lid and readjust the laundry until each wheel spins perfectly with no vibration.
3. The third service is wheel rotation. Front wheel drive vehicles rotation procedure is: Move the right front wheel and tire assembly to the right rear. Move the right rear assembly to the left front. Move the left front to the left rear and move the left rear assembly to the right front. This process sounds a lot more confusing than it actually is. You just have to make sure, before you let the jack down that there is a wheel bolted on each corner! Rotations are important because today’s tire are made to be very good in the rain. However, a good rain tread tire is very susceptible to irregular tire wear. Important! Even if your tires are in correct alignment and are perfectly balanced you may still notice irregular tire wear if you don’t have a regular tire rotation scheduled. We recommend tire rotations every 5000 miles.
Your questions and comments are welcome at pundits@pocoauto.com !!
2-24-2010 Poco’s Pundits
Oil Change Intervals
Question:
When should I change my oil? First I hear every 3000 miles then I hear every 5000 or even 7500 miles. I want to take care of my car but I don’t want to waste money either.
Answer:
We have always recommended changing your oil every 3000 miles or 3-6 months whichever comes first. Today’s engines run extremely efficient and very clean. The engine oils we use nowadays are much better quality than they have ever been. For these reasons our automobile manufacturers will recommend 5000 to 7500 miles. This is when you use the factory recommended oil and operate your car under “ideal” conditions. Your owners manual describes “severe conditions” as:
1. Frequent short trips (under 10 miles)
2. Stop and go city traffic.
3. Driving in dusty conditions ( dusty roads)
4. Or driving at sustained highway speeds ( especially in hot weather)
These severe conditions cover almost all of us in the Gatesville area. That is why we continue to recommend 3000 miles or 3-6 month intervals, more especially on higher mileage vehicles(75,000 and up).
The newer autos suggest and sometimes require a synthetic oil or at least a synthetic blend oil. The synthetic oil is designed to run at higher mileage and less frequent oil changes.
ALWAYS refer to your owners manual for oil change specifications and recommended intervals. If you have trouble locating the data, please feel free to stop by Poco Automotive and allow us to assist you in locating the information.
2-17-2010 Welcome to Poco"s Pundits !
Our intent is to use this area to answer your questions about your automobile. Our ad should begin running in the Gatesville Messenger edition for 2-17-10. At that time, we will choose a new question each week to be published both in the newspaper and on our website. At times the answer will be to lengthy for the newspaper ad. (We do have to pay for the ad!) The more lengthy answers will be refered to our website for elaboration. Thanks and we hope you enjoy Poco's Pundits.
