Battery Stores near Bellmead, TX

“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.”

“The staff in this store are always a great help. Very knowledgeable. They are always eager to help me with my boat batteries. I wont buy batteries anywhere else. Thanks guys”

“Most of the associates are very friendly and 1 or 2 act like the customer is bothering them when checking out. If you don't like to be friendly and acting like your wanting to help the customer then get another job. Your just running people out and hurting the others who are extremely helpful.”

“Nice selection of auto goods, some not available at other parts stores but the staff was not what I would call helpful. Acted like they were doing me a favor just to check me out.”

“I had my car serviced at the dealers, but knew that O'Reilly's could provide filters at a reduced price and I could install. Thanks for all of the help.”

“Staff is polite and knowledgeable. I prefer O'Reilly's over auto zone. Auto zone doesn't make me feel welcome. O'Reilly's does
..”

“Went to the store on Franklin dr to buy some washer fluid
The customer service was great
Mr. Calvin had me feeling great about the visit
I think I found my store”

“I had recently purchased a used vehicle and the very battery died. I looked at it and it was an Interstate battery with a 30 month guarantee. Took the car in and they replaced it with no charge!”

“The folks that work here are always knowledgeable and helpful. If they don't have what you need in stock, they will direct you to a store that does.”