I don't normally leave reviews, positive or negative, on many establishments unless I've had a noteworthy experience - and boy, I had an incredib
...le one with the O'Reilly's team in Salem, MA!
TL;DR:
The team at this O'Reillys ensured that I was safe, supported, and heard. They went above and beyond in a time of need and were some of the best people I've ever encountered - especially as a solo traveler.
Story Time:
This year, I took a sabbatical from working as a surgical/transplant ICU nurse in the city of Chicago due to experiencing burnout. Especially through nonstop care of patients through Covid.
With some time off, I embarked on a solo camping roadtrip to explore the New England region of the country in hopes to grow and challenge myself as an individual, meet and make connections, explore this beautiful part of the country, and have memories that lasts a lifetime.
On August 1st of this year, nearly halfway through my roadtrip, my trusty station wagon with over 200,000 miles, finally decided to give me issues. My starter motor had failed and my battery light turned on in Rockport, about 45 minutes away from Salem.
This was the only O'Reilly location that had the parts I needed. So that's where I went!
Upon entering the store, I was greeting with warm welcomes from the team. I had explained my situation and kindly asked if it was okay to attempt to fix my car right in front (knowing that some stores will not allow this). But the team understood my situation and allowed me. At the time, fixing my car out front was the only solution I thought of in order to get back home, a mere 1,000 miles away.
By the time I tried to fix my car, it was around 2-3PM, 90 degrees, sunny, and without any clouds in sight. Now you could probably see that I was drenched in sweat, working in a steaming hot engine bay, and fatigued. Which was all true.
Without asking for more than the approval from the team, one by one, different members came out through their door, offering me an ice cold bottle of water, giving words of encouragement, or simply making sure that I was still okay.
And that's what made all the difference to me, a stranger attempting to traverse a completely unknown part of the country.
Without Victor, Adam, Edward, Derek, John, Thomas, Jennifer, and the rest of the O'Reilly's team at 142 Canal St., in Salem, MA., I wouldn't have had the perseverance, willpower, and support that I needed to get my car back on the road.
So here's my utmost and warmest thank you. Thank you for turning one of the worst experiences I've had on this roadtrip to easily one of the best ones. Thank you for being present in supporting me and ensuring that I was safe. And thank you for being some of the nicest humans I've ever met.
Keep doing what y'all are doing!
Until next time my friends,
John Read More