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Just because your passengers are scheduled to spend half a day or more at a theme park, museum, casino or outlet mall doesn't mean your driver has to sit there and twiddle his thumbs for hours on end. Summer or winter, an empty coach is an idle — or worse, an idling — coach, so why not use the time to get an oil change, lube job, HVAC adjustment or vehicle inspection? MCI service centers promise to get you an estimate quickly, plus they guarantee that fixes for your MCI coach estimated at under four hours will be completed the same day. Whichever MCI Service Center you visit, you can count on a friendly welcome, a comfortable lounge, satellite television — and sometimes even lunch. Below is a list of attractions that are within an hour's drive (traffic permitting) of an MCI service center. Southern California California native David Martinez regularly welcomes touring operators to his Los Angeles-area facility. The coffee's always hot, the lounge is well-furnished, and Martinez has been known to buy lunch for visiting customers. Plus, Los Alamitos is MCI's West Coast parts distribution hub, making it a convenient stop for stocking up on filters and other necessities. Martinez says it isn't unusual for customers to stop in while their passengers are seeing the sights, buy a windshield or other large part, and ask that it be loaded into the luggage bay to make the return trip home. Great if you're visiting: Or attending: Texas General Manager Buddy Myers promises good company and quick, reliable service at his centrally located MCI service center. Drivers can expect to relax in a comfortable lounge with satellite television, coffee and maybe even lunch. Great if you’re visiting: Or attending: And, as Myers points out, it's never too early to start planning for the 2011 Superbowl. Chicago area Conveniently located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, the MCI service center in Des Plaines is near several expressways. Most downtown Chicago attractions are a quick drive away, and the suburbs are a tourist draw as well. General Manager Mark Thuer has been working for the last year to let drivers at area attractions know that the MCI service center is available to them — a service he says should be especially welcome during Chicago's frigid winters, when many drivers find themselves idling their engines during downtime just to keep warm. Thuer promises hot coffee, good TV and fast service. And he may even throw lunch into the deal. Great if you’re visiting: Loudonville, Ohio Though Loudonville is indisputably the place to go for major collision and rehab work on your coach, and the MCI service center there does routine maintenance as well, General Manager Ron Miller concedes there's not much within an hour's drive of the facility. But if you expand the driving boundaries to an hour and a half, possibilities include Cedar Point Amusement Park and some attractions in Cleveland and Columbus. A possibility if you're visiting: Nashville Branch Manager Gary Myers promises an endless pot of coffee, comfortable lounging facilities, satellite TV and, he jokes, "a chance to see me." That's on top of fast, excellent service at one of MCI's newest service centers, a stone's throw from Nashville's many popular attractions. Great if you’re visiting: Or attending: Orlando Orlando is the world's theme-park mecca, and where there are parks, there are vast parking lots full of coach drivers with lots time on their hands. General Manager Dan Heath has been working hard for the past year to let them know he and his MCI service center are there for them, whether for routine maintenance or quick repairs. While drivers wait, Heath offers them coffee, satellite TV, X-Box and a comfortable lounge. There are usually doughnuts in the morning, and oftentimes Heath orders lunch for the crowd. Great if you’re visiting: Or attending: Philadelphia area/New Jersey Located less than an hour from Philadelphia, the MCI service center is in Blackwood, NJ. Run by General Manager Walt Novak, this busy MCI service center is close to a major MCI parts distribution center. Novak offers customers big-screen satellite TV, wireless Internet and comfortable facilities, along with doughnuts in the morning and, typically, pizza lunch for customers. Great if you’re visiting: Atlantic City It's Atlantic City! The Boardwalk. Casinos. And MCI is right there. Need we say more? Montreal General Manager Robert Leduc says he's happy to provide coffee, TV and DVD player, and even lunch for visiting customers, but few take advantage of the offer, because so many of Montreal's great restaurants, shopping venues and attractions are a short walk away. The MCI service center's super-central location also means it's close to nearly every downtown Montreal museum, park and attraction. Plus, the New York state border is only about an hour away. Great if you’re visiting: Or attending: The FYI from MCI editorial staff values your feedback. Please e-mail any suggestions, comments, or ideas for future articles to fyi@mcicoach.com. |
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