Neil Ericson, the owner of OK Tire in Osoyoos said he was glad to help a stranded RCMP officer by providing her with a free spare tire. The officer was in a hurry to get to the airport in Vancouver after visiting friends in Castlegar. Photo by Keith Lacey.

 

 

A thankful RCMP officer says her first trip to Osoyoos is one she will never forget all because of the kindness and generosity of a local business owner.
Allison Barker, 28, says she still can’t believe that Neil Ericson, the owner of OK Tire in Osoyoos, showed so much compassion and kindness and didn’t charge her a penny for installing a tire on her rental car after she informed him she had to get to Vancouver in a hurry to catch a flight back to Ottawa the morning of Monday, Dec. 3.
“He didn’t charge me for anything and just told me to get on my way, drive safe and get to the airport on time,” said Barker, who worked as a constable in Castlegar before transferring to Ottawa this past August to become a member of the famous RCMP Musical Ride.
“He knew I was in a hurry so he decided not to charge me anything for the tire or labour. He just wanted me to make my flight. I found that to impressive. I had never met this man before and he decided to go above and beyond to help me. I was more than willing to pay, but he told me it wasn’t a big deal and he wanted me to make that flight.”
Barker wrote a detailed email to the Osoyoos Times to detail her experience.
“I wanted to share a wonderful customer experience and illustrate the human generosity I encountered on my way through Osoyoos,” said Barker. “I was presented with exceptional customer service at no cost as well as a truly touching display of human compassion.
“I wanted to ensure that local residents are aware of the great service available at OK Tire in Osoyoos. I just had to say thank you so much to Neil and the others that helped me … just so they know how much I appreciated it. And yes, I did make my flight.”
Barker had planned a busy weekend flying from Ottawa to Vancouver and then on to Castlegar, however, inclement weather forced her to opt to get a rental car because there was a good chance she would have been stuck in Vancouver for one or two full days.
“When I realized I couldn’t get to Kelowna or Penticton Airport, I decided I was going to get a rental car,” she said. “If I waited until Saturday morning and more flights were cancelled … I might not get to Castlegar at all.”
She met another woman at the Vancouver airport who was travelling to Castlegar and they made the eight hour drive without any problems.
After attending a Christmas party with the volunteer fire department she had joined in Castlegar, Barker was on her way back to Vancouver when she heard a “strange noise” near Rock Creek.
“I looked and saw a rear tire had been completely shredded,” she said.
Another complete stranger stopped and removed the flat tire and installed the spare “donut” tire while she called the rental car company in Vancouver, who informed her the best option was for her to purchase a new tire as quickly as possible, said Barker.
“The guy who was kind enough to remove the flat and put on the donut told me the closest place to buy a new tire would be in Osoyoos,” she said. “I know I could drive with the donut to Osoyoos and I did … I went straight OK Tire.”
“I had many things running through my head,” said Barker. “I was worrying about the rental company reimbursing me, will I make my flight?”
The receptionist at OK Tire was very helpful, but discovered there was only one tire option that would fit the Hyundai Accent she had rented, although it wasn’t an exact fit.
She decided to call the rental agency to get approval to buy this tire and this is when Ericson first said hello, said Barker.
After explaining her story and predicament in trying to catch a 4 p.m. flight out of Vancouver, Ericson told her he had a used tire that would get the job done.
“He genuinely wanted to get me back on my way to alleviate my obvious stress,” she said laughing. “Within 30 minutes I was all set and ready to get back on the road.”
When she approached the counter to pay, Ericson told her not to bother.
“He just said ‘get out of here. I just want you to go and make your flight. Don’t worry about the cost.’
“I just could not believe he was so gracious and kind. He took time out of his busy day to simply help out a stranded traveller passing through town he had never met before. He could have made me pay and I know in other cities, some might have taken advantage of my situation and gouged me. But he was just nice and very kind and I wanted to let the people of Osoyoos know about this.”
While the tire was being installed, Barker informed Ericson about her joining the Musical Ride and she invited him and his daughter, who is an avid horse lover, to watch her perform when they visit Penticton, hopefully next summer.
Ericson, who has owned OK Tire for six years and has lived in Osoyoos for 11 years, said he’s very happy Barker made it home safe and was able to catch her flight.
“I believe in karma and that what goes around comes around,” he said. “She seemed like a very nice young lady who was in a difficult spot and I just tried to help as much as I could.
“She made it very clear how important it was for her to catch that flight, so my only objective was to get her on her way as quickly as possible. I appreciate her response, but in all honesty we had this spare tire sitting around the shop and I’m glad we were able to help her out.”
His daughter is studying veterinary medicine at university and he will accept Barker’s offer to watch the Musical Ride if and when she comes to the South Okanagan in the coming months, said Ericson.
Ericson said he “loves being from a small town and running a business in a small town” because you get to share experiences like this one with your customers far more than you ever would in the big city.
He also credits his entire staff for helping out Barker in her time of need.
“I have a great staff here and they all pitched in to make sure she could get on her way as quickly as possible,” he said. “We’re all happy it worked out for her.”