Always weary when shopping for tires, wheels, or any auto services in general. I did my research within a 10-mile radius and Discount Tire seemed to be the smartest (and coincidentally most convenient) choice.
It does help getting a shopping cart started online and having item numbers ready; Also having the service you want and the price point you're looking for is ideal, but it also depends on the person you're dealing with. In my case, Julian was amazing to work with. He gave me an accurate estimate over the phone and was able to look up a comparable model in my price range since the store didn't have enough of the one I originally chose.
I promptly took the wife's car over and he came out from behind the counter to greet me and we looked over the car. I only had the rear two tires replaced but the front driver's side had drawn some concern in the past with a small piece of rubber that had been torn off. He didn't try to blast me with 'OMG 911 fix this now, you need 4 tires and warranty!' Like Tire Works had tried to do so in the past. He did tell me the tread level however and that it should be the next thing on the list. In respect to that we will be coming back in about a month or two to buy a full whee and tire package from him.
I paid what I was expecting to pay, and went on my way. He gave me an estimate of 45min-1hour and it was done within that time frame. Came to pickup the car with my wife, who'd wanted to thank him personally.
We'll be back soon!