Trying to find an appointment to have your winter tires installed can be stressful in Central Oregon, depending on where you get it done. One Les Schwab Tires store in Bend is trying something new — overnight appointments.
“Tire changes are stressful for both the customers and us and with limited availability and appointments around town, we thought it would be beneficial to try to add some more capability for the customers and some availability as far as appointments,” said Alan McNamee, the manager of the Les Schwab location along Cooley Road on Bend’s north side.
From now through November 18, the Cooley Road location is trying the overnight appointment pilot program.
“We do ask that they drop their vehicles off by 6:00 p.m. and pick them up after 8:00 a.m. the next day,” McNamee said.
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Appointments can be made at the Les Schwab website. Only the Cooley location (63590 Hunnell Road) is trying this overnight pilot project.
“We’ve actually seen a good response,” McNamee said. “We started on the 6th and appointments are filling up. So we have quite a few every evening, but we still have availability for more slots and we can still service more customers.”
McNamee said it’s too early to know if the program will be extended beyond this season.
The company, which is headquartered in Bend, traditionally sees its Central Oregon stores booked out for weeks as people switch over to their winter treads. Some people regularly stand outside the stores in the freezing cold an hour before they open in hopes of sneaking in a last-minute appointment.
