Motorvation- Walt’s Monthly Newsletter Issue #104

Spring 2010

Happy Sunshine! Spring is always a great time of year. The longer days and extra sunshine puts everyone in better moods. This newsletter is filled with a variety of quick notes.

Anniversary- 2010 marks the 50th Anniversary for Walt’s. I have only been a part of the Walt’s team for 11 years, but we’ve been serving customers in the Puget Sound for a lot longer. From small beginnings in Lakewood, Washington we have grown through our continued focus on the customer and our efforts to provide the best value possible in auto repairs and maintenance. As the year goes on, we will be having a big 50th anniversary sale. Hope you can help us celebrate.

Toyota- Toyota certainly had a tough winter. Thanks to generous offers, they finished their winter and started spring with strong year over year car sales numbers in March. Folks within our industry have joked about how nervous we get every time we are stopped at a light and see a Toyota approaching us in the rearview mirror. Will it stop? The reality is that almost anyone who works in our industry would tell you how good a product the Toyotas have been and will continue to be going forward. If you are a Toyota owner you should remain confident about your vehicle choice.

Brake repair questions- A friend and neighbor was at a local tire store getting an alignment the other day. He overheard an employee tell another customer they needed brakes on their vehicle but that it would be a week before they would have the parts in stock to repair her brakes. She mentioned that she didn’t feel comfortable driving another week without addressing the brake system issues. She asked if there was another place in the area she could go for brakes. The counter person told her there were probably a number of shops in the area that could help. My neighbor mentioned that there was a Walt’s store around the corner. The counter person then mentioned that Walt’s would probably only replace the brake pads. The reality is that Walt’s would replace those brake parts that needed to be replaced and could justify being replaced. As a rule, this tire store replaces all brake components when they do a brake job, whether these parts need to be replaced or not. While this is perfectly legal in Washington State, there are states, like California where this practice is illegal. In these states, you can only replace those items that need to be replaced. Walt’s approaches brake repairs differently. We help our customers get miles for their money by only replacing those parts that need to be replaced. We have always done things this way as we feel it is fairest for the customer.

To RV or not to RV- That is the question. My wife is planning a long driving trip this summer. She thinks it would be fun to make this trip in a small RV. We have never owned one and I am a little nervous about buying something that spends 350-plus days a year in storage. If you have read this newsletter for awhile you may remember that I love road trips. An RV could be fun, but will it get used? We are still contemplating the pros and cons of this decision. I will keep you updated. Walt’s works on a lot of RVs and trailers, so I know I will at least have a place I can trust to help me maintain the vehicle if we take the plunge. Our Fife store in particular is well known throughout the area as being a great place to take your RV.

Service Specials-
1. Get your RV ready for summer- 15% off RV maintenance and repairs.
2. Free brake inspection and 25% off brake pads.
Offers good at all Walt’s locations. Not valid with other offers. Mention the newsletter or bring a copy with you to receive these offers.

Happy Motoring!

Doug