Top Tyre Company - McManus Tyres Dundalk

We were delighted to receive the news that McManus Tyres in Dundalk came out on top in the 2012 Tyre Trade Secret Spy Consumer Report! This was a 'secret shopper' style investigation carried out in the North East mainly in Newry and Dundalk.

Tyre companies are rated from 1 to 5 stars in 10 different categories. We received 5 stars for Service, Product Range, Staff and Advice as well as Appearance and Signage. Read the full report below:

Everything about this operation is top class - including, in particular, the excellent friendly and immensely helpful attendant, who dealt with our man promptly on arrival.

McManus Tyres occupies a superb site, with a superb forecourt. Signage is terrific, while it also boasts an impressive customer reception area, replete with tea and coffee-making facilities.

On hearing our requirements we were offered us a Kormoran for €50, a Dayton or Hankook for €55, a Firestone priced at €70 and if we were taking four tyres, we could have a Bridgestone for €75.

The attendant offered to take a look at the tyres on our car - an offer we had to politely decline but, before our departure, he furnished us with his business card and invited us to return with the car when it suited.

Had our man been genuinely in the market for a tyre, he would find it very difficult to locate a level of service as that offered, at least on the day of our man's swoop, at this highly impressive outlet.

Tyre Spy summary - Dundalk & Newry

Honours, following this revealing swoop on the border region North and South, were clearly defined - dividing neatly into three categories - the 'excellent' as in McManus Tyres and Modern Tyre Service, the 'adequate' as in Fast Fit, Global Tyres, KwikFit and Kingfit Exhaust & Tyre Centre and, holding up the league table, the 'poor', as in Castletown Tyres and the Dublin Road Tyre Depot.

There was a considerable divergence between the quality of the premises of those companies which came out on top and, especially, those who finished at the bottom.

Standards of service varied considerably, too, but most notable of all was the considerable divergence on prices being asked for some brands north and south of the border.