Auto Parts in Bellmead, TX

“Came in Thursday night after everything under the sun started blinking on my dash on my drive back home. Emily and Tabitha were on register 20 minutes before closing, turns out my serpentine belt was missing amongst other things, Emily went above and beyond with the service, stayed almost 2 hours after closing time trying to get me up and running again! 10/10 employee, amazing customer service and just an overall absolute blessing from god to have had around in this situation! 5 stars to this location and it’s wonderful staff”

“A HUGE thank you to Calvin! Not only did he help my girlfriend find the parts she needed (even looking for some unavailable at the store), he made sure she made it safely to her vehicle and helped install what she needed to get safely on her way! THANK YOU!”

“These guys specialize in the impossible and do what other auto care centers say can’t be done. They replaced my tire in less than 20 minutes and had me safely back on the road in no time. Huge thanks to Ryan and Jha-Quise for their technical mastery, professionalism, and top-notch customer service. Exceptional work all around!”

“I recently left another Google review for an O'Reilly Auto Parts store up in Dallas. It was very positive, based mostly on my experience with their employee, Paul, who was a knowledgeable and engaged employee who went out of his way to be helpful, but was also an exceptional human being on a personal level. I wrote that it is possible to get a sense of the ownership of a company (even a publicly-traded corporation) by observing the behavior of employees. So, my opinion of the O'Reilly corporation was definitely positive.

I replaced my fan belt and continued on my trip but got no further than Waco when my RV began overheating again. It turned out that my water pump needed to be replaced. So, I got to the nearest O'Reilly Auto Parts.

Relacing my water pump turned into an expensive days-long ordeal that would have been much much more unpleasant than it was if it weren't for Nicole and the employees of this O'Reilly in Waco. Paul up in Dallas wasn't a fluke. The Waco location employees were just as exceptional as Paul and his co-workers were. Again, it was on a professional, but also on a personal, level.

To me, it speaks volumes that two different O'Reilly stores in a row achieved a level of customer service that is rare in the retail industry overall. So, applause for you guys. Thank you.

OK, but now I have one negative thing to say.

Employees at auto parts stores everywhere in the country are a good resource for finding local mechanics. They deal with these same guys every day. They get customer feedback in real time. So, they are in a position to help our system reward honest, competent mechanics by referring customers to them.

As a customer, I appreciate this resource. And it has always worked out well for me using that resource. The sole exception was here in Waco.

Several employees at the Waco O'Reilly made recommendations. Initially, I chose a mechanic who quoted $400 to do the job, but our schedules didn't line up. I ended up hiring a local mechanic named B-Dot, short for Brent Dotson, who was recommended by O'Reilly employee, Allen. Brent said he could replace my water pump (and thermostat) for $300.

Now, replacing the water pump in a 1984 Winnebago is a tough, complicated job that requires a lot of work because, essentially, a 1984 Winnebago is a Chevrolet 454 big block engine on wheels with a house built around it. To get to the water pump, you almost have to tear down the house. Deep into the project, in recognition of how much work it was, I told Brent I raised the pay for the job to $400, which is what I paid him when he finished. There was still a little coolant coming out, but he said it was from overfill coming out of the weep hole and that it would stop when it had run awhile.

Well, that leak only got worse. The water pump was not installed flush to the block of the engine. Brent said he would come take a look at it, but didn't show up. Now, technically, Brent should return all my money since he hadn't fixed the problem as agreed, but, it seemed to me that he had made an honest attempt, so I sent him a message asking for $200 back. He said he wanted to come make sure the leak was coming from something he had worked on, but he never showed up. Then he just stopped responding to messages and calls.

I'm left with a water pump that still doesn't work and I'm out $400. And how unprofessional is it to not respond to messages? I wish I hadn't taken Allen's recommendation because I feel cheated.”