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Wagner Cadillac Service Center Is a Terrible Place To Take Your Car

November 15th, 2011

Wagner Cadillac tyler txI have been taking my Cadillac Escalade to Wagner for several years now and have had great experiences there. I always felt taken care of and never had a question about them not being able to service my vehicle. I have no misconceptions about dealership service centers. You are charged 50% and more over the same service at a regular car shop in town. I have always known this but never bothered to take it somewhere other than Wagner because my car was under warranty and so it wasn’t costing me anything to have them take care of me.

Since the Wagner dealership was sold some of the crew in the shop has changed and I no longer deal with the same people anymore. The last time we brought the car into Wagner was 4,000 miles ago and we asked them to check on why the car was shaking so much and to adjust the tire air measurements. The Escalade has a device that displays the tire pressure reading on the dash but often when doing something with the tires the devices need to be set back to provide the correct reading. What has happened on two different occasions is that we would bring the car into Wagner and leave it there for several hours. They would get the tire pressure gauge set back up but it would be setup incorrectly for the smaller version of tires. The last time there my wife waited 3 hours for them to get this setup only to find out later they did not do it right.

Now to get these tire pressure things working right you have to work in the wheel area of the car so you will get direct access to see if the brakes and wheel rotors are okay or not. The dealership did not say anything about our brakes needing replacement or that the rotors were beginning to wear. 4,000 miles ago there was likely no indication of wear on the rotors but the brake pads would have all started to look a little worn down. My wife left the shop with the tire pressure issue unknown to her still a problem and the techs at the shop never having mentioned any brake pad wear or need for replacement.

A week ago the car started to squeak and the following day grinding could be heard. My wife brought the car home and called me to ask me what to do. I told her to bring the car into Wagner as it may still be under warranty and I also wanted to figure out if it was a brake problem why this was not found on the frequent stops we make to their service department for various issues. We left it with Wagner and around 4:00 on Friday they called and told me it would cost about $650 to replace the two front rotors, spin the back ones, and replace all brake pads.

I told the dealership that I would have to get some more quotes and if they had the best price I would consider them. I asked the technician on the phone why they did not catch that the car needed brakes on the many times we have brought it in. He explained to me that it is a gradual thing and that it happens over time. The problem with his explanation is that they had access to this car 4,000 miles ago and were working with all four wheels during that time. I asked the service department manager the same question and he said basically the same thing.

I took the car over to A&B Brake and Alignment and they had a quote and had the car fixed in about 2 hours the same day. It cost me around $280 at A&B and it would have cost me $650 at Wagner. I understand dealerships routinely overcharge and I am aware of this and understand this as basically normal business practice so I am not faulting them for the high price. What I am faulting them for is an incompetent service department that let bad brakes get worse when they had a chance to easily tell me about it.

To make matters even worse, I explained to them why their service department was incompetent as brakes don’t go from great to grinding the rotors in 4,000 miles. They still asked me to pay them $60 for the brake check they performed when we brought the car in for investigation. Wagner service is not the same place it once was and it seemed to me they did everything they could to make me never want to buy another GM made car or bring my car into their shop again.

Wagner Cadillac

4100 South Broadway Avenue  Tyler, TX 75701-8719
(903) 561-1212

The Children’s Place in Tyler TX

January 29th, 2010

The Children’s Place

Broadway Square mall
4601 S Broadway
Tyler 75703
903 561 9192

The Children’s Place is a store in the mall where you can find great up-to-date fashions for babies and children’s clothing up to the age of 14 without paying a huge amount for them.

There are many things I love about the Children’s Place.

Firstly – the bright colors! Why dress your kids in drab colors when they can look cool and trendy in bright shades? They will have plenty of time in their adult lives for wearing pastels and black.

Secondly – the quality. The Children’s Place in Tyler TX is proof that you can have fashion and good quality. The things I buy last more than one season and more than one kid – you can pass them down or even consign them easily. The clothes wash well and are immensely practical for school and play wear.

Thirdly – you can buy things to match! I am not obsessive about having everything the same but doesn’t it feel good when you can dress your child in co-ordinating socks, hats and even hair accessories. Not only that, but you can buy matching outfits for different kids. My 7 year old is so proud that his baby brother has the same striped sweater as him. It is usually the girls that have all the fun with clothes but here is his chance to have something special that people compliment him on.

The Children’s Place also has really good end of season sales. You can sign up on their website to be informed about them or you can shop for bargains online. I have done that on occasions and been delighted to receive a large box of clothes for just $5 shipping. You can also return them to the store for credit if they don’t fit or you change your mind about a purchase. One thing I have found is that the sizes run slightly small – especially for baby wear so if you are not sure about the size, buy the larger. Otherwise I have no complaints about the clothes we buy.

Finally, I have found that a gift card for the Children’s Place is a good baby shower or birthday gift and if you are a coupon hoarder then sign up for the birthday club in store or online for discounts on your child’s birthday.

Matching fleecy Christmas pajamas – for a steal at $10 a pair from the Children’s Place

Tyler Barnes and Noble

January 13th, 2010

Tyler Barnes and Noble is a place where you can go and find the book you are looking for. They have all kinds of books on all kinds of topics. I go to Barnes and Nobles sometimes with my friends and I love to hang out and look around at the books they have. They don’t mind if you pick a seat and read a book or so. They make it so that you can feel right at home if you decide to read there.

They also have a place where they have magazines anywhere from those on fashion, people, cars, your home, food and other types of topics. They also have a selection for your children and they have it set up to where if you want to sit down and read to your child you can.

Inside the Tyler Barnes and Noble they also have a Starbucks and you know that everyone likes a good cup of coffee while you are reading a good book. If you don’t like looking around for a book or don’t feel like reading you can choose to hang out with your friends and have a cup of coffee and catch up on old times.

Barnes and Noble book store often has sales so you can find books there for a reasonable price especially if using your Barnes and Nobles customer card. If you don’t have the money to buy the book then you can just go and read while you are there. I am sure they won’t care if you hang out, have a cup of coffee and read a book without purchasing it. I have done this on numerous occasions although they know you will take one or two home eventually and this is why this type of setup works.

Substance Abuse Treatment in Tyler Texas

September 16th, 2009

An important consideration when deciding on a substance abuse treatment program in Tyler is whether to go with a 12 step program or a substance abuse treatment program based on clear science and statically proven results. I personally do not believe that 12 step programs like alcoholics anonymous work and have researched this matter extensively to come to this conclusion. After reading many facts and research journals on 12 step programs like alcoholics anonymous the final conclusion is that AA is a nice pep rally to go to but does not have the recovery results often lauded. One of the primary tenants of a program like this is a belief in a “higher power” I have a major problem with this and I’m not even an atheist.

Alcoholics Anonymous

The terms ‘Higher Power’ and ‘power greater than ourselves’ appear in the “Big Book”, on three occasions:

  • Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.[6]
  • The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.[7]
  • Follow the dictates of a Higher Power and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world, no matter what your present circumstances!

I except that there is a God but his name is Jesus and because of this a higher power just isn’t enough to believe in to fix your addictions. In fact because the “higher power concept is vague and does not refer to someone specifically it has no power. However, if you will read and learn about Jesus Christ as found in the Bible you will discover who the real “I Am” is. He is the only power and the only way you can effectively kick your addictions for the right reasons. Anyone can kick an addiction and occasionally AA works for some people but you don’t want to just kick the addiction because you are hurting others but because you are disobeying God. You have broken his law and must repent to God first through Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins you must ask forgiveness from Jesus Christ and repent of your sins and addictions.

After you have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins you have made yourself right with God and can now have right relationships with people, family, and friends. A part of being right with God, family and friends is to kick your drug addiction. Alcohol and drug addictions are not diseases but are sins that need to be forgiven. Alcoholism and drug addictions are just symptoms of much worse problems in your life related to your sins against God and man. You are in a state of death and destruction and are on a pathway to hell unless you through Jesus repent of your sins and trust Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins.

Through a Tyler Texas Christian substance abuse center you can be lead by loving Christian people to find out what your underlying sins are, get right with God, and put an end to your substance abuse problems and drug addiction. It doesn’t matter if you are hooked on crack, heroine, Meth, cocaine, or any other drug. There are preachers that used to be hooked on those drugs that are now clean and with families.

Although sin is at the root of a substance abuse problem there are typically four causes of alcoholism and drug addiction.

1. Chemical imbalance.
2. Events of the past you have not been able to reconcile.
3. Current conditions you can’t cope with.
4. Things you believe that aren’t true.

In the example in number 4 the root issue is the brain washing the public is fed through the media and AA that your addiction is a disease and can never be cured.We encourage you to learn about Jesus Christ in the Bible and his forgiveness for your sins instead of believing that you have an incurable disease.

Until your personal underlying causes are discovered and healed, you will most likely continue using drugs and alcohol, struggling every day, but with no end in sight. Once your underlying problems are solved, your drug addiction will cease to exist and you will be able to go back to your family in friends in Tyler Texas or wherever you may have traveled to come to a Tyler Texas substance abuse center.

When you check into a substance abuse center in Tyler, a team of Christian counselors will be assigned just to you and the issue at hand, getting you off of drugs or alcohol for good.. These Christian therapists work with you one-on-one, providing help in understanding your underlying sin issue and the forgiveness of Jesus and helping you admit too and repent of your sins. Your substance abuse treatment therapists work as a team, sharing and changing information as needed to get you to the point of recovery as fast as possible. Having an experienced team of people who have helped hundreds of people who have come and gone through their facility help you achieve freedom and release from the bondage of drug and alcohol addiction. This type of drug addiction care with a Christian focus is not something you will find anywhere else and it is not a AA pep rally by any means. Tyler Texas is the center for effective Christian drug abuse and substance abuse treatment, and this city is the right town, the the only city, for yourself, a family member, or friend.

For some reason people are scared to say you can be “cured” of substance abuse and drug addiction but this idea is nothing new in the Tyler Texas area. We are a historically Christian town in the bible belt of the United States. We do have bad churches and Christian hypocrites but the city of Tyler also has seasoned men and women of God that truly want to help you kick your habit and more importantly come to repentance and a right relationship with God and family. You do not have to buy into the theory that drugs and alcohol addictions are diseases. You will receive one-on-one substance abuse treatment in the Tyler Texas area with a licensed Christian drug abuse clinic. We are here to help you find your life in Christ and life free of the bondage’s that come with sin and separation from God.

Taqueria El Lugar

September 2nd, 2009

I have lived in Tyler off and on for a lot of years. I’ve been eating at Taqueria El Lugar for much of that time. The original Gentry location was the only store when I first tasted the super quesadillas but they taste the same today as they did back then. I have always been amazed at the incredibly diverse group of people I find there. Tylerites of absolutely all strips can be found in this local landmark which goes to prove the point that quality knows no favoritism.

El Lugar is a classic East Texas success story. All the locations are family owned and operated. After spending years in the same location the business has exploded into five, (yes count ‘em five), different stores around the Tyler area. And their fame has spread far beyond even our great State. I know, because on numerous occasions I have taken out of state guests for an authentic Mexican food experience. I recall once while living in St Paul Minnesota, I returned home for a teacher’s conference. While in Tyler I introduced my administrator to the favorite restaurant of my youth. We returned to El Lugar the following day, even going so far as to postpone our return trip to the mid west in order to have one last number seven.

Since I’ve moved home the restaurant has expanded again and again. The prices are slightly higher than they were when I moved away, but at three eighty nine a piece, the quesadillas are still so worth it! While the atmosphere is admittedly nothing to write home about, the quality of the food more than makes up for it. There is also the take out option, however if you exercise it I suggest calling ahead. So even though I realize I give the following advice a lot, I’ll say it again. The next time you have guests don’t take them to the local chain. Let them experience genuine East Texas food at its best. Neither you nor your guests will regret it. Try any of the five El Lugar locations in Tyler.