Those guys at the auto parts store . . .(long)

[TiRod]

Many of you buy parts at parts houses, and I'm sure you have favorites. The industry is consolidating a lot now, there are fewer independents and bigger chains every day. I work at one of them, and have for another.

We all pretty much know what we own - XJ's. That can still be a challenge, as Jeep did change things up over the years, with Renault transmissions, Chevy V-6 motors, two wheel vs. four wheel drive, carbs, Renix, OBD I, and OBD II.

What probably won't change at all are the kind of parts countermen and women you meet at stores. Let me set the stage:

A parts house is an auto pharmacy. We sell chemicals, repair parts, and accessories. The chain organizations are set up to sell, sell, sell.

We don't do much in the way of emergency room work. A lot more cars get towed away than towed in, right? You all pretty much know that - but the general public is, as usual, clueless about what we can do.

Federal court decisions tell us we can't attach and run a code reader. Too many folks were erasing codes under warranty, and "Detroit" was left with the bill to make warranty repairs they didn't even get to find. If a Friend/Neighbor asks, go ahead and tell them we read codes - but the owner does the work.

We sell light bulbs and wiper blades, and can install them. Most stores will - but there's no promise or guarantee. We get swamped some days, no time to even dump the trash. Sure, go ahead and tell your F/N we can do it - but if it's a down pour on Sunday afternoon and the store is full, they may have to wait.

Some stores will install other parts. My town has an actual regulation preventing any work in the parking lot. Pulling axles to press bearings, installing alternators, thermostats, or popping in new brake pads generally can't happen. We don't have the tools, training, work area, time, or liability insurance. Remember, we're the pharmacy, not the emergency room.

That gets back to the countermen. Many have auto experience, some have high school or college, most have done repairs, work on their own cars, may even have been mechanics. Under the parts house roofs is a lot of knowledge - but ASE certified, factory trained and qualified mechanics are damn few. They can work in a dealer or repair shop for double the pay. Most Jeepers understand that - and wouldn't expect a Toledo trained expert there. Let your F/N know that they can get some simple answers to a lot of questions, but that's all. The rest is in the Chilton/Haynes they should buy from us.

Most of you also know that calling over the phone for specific directions on disassembling a Ford Focus interference motor isn't something we know off the top of our head. We can look it up in the Chilton book they should have bought, and tell them they need the cam clamp tools to keep them indexed, or that they have to release the cam bearing bolts in the correct order to keep from bending the cams. But - it would be better if you let your F/N know before diving in that they should have gotten the right information up front before causing damage to $300 worth of cams and a $350 cam indexing fee from a shop. Modern motors are NOT what they used to be.

Auto parts houses get a lot of turnover, good and not so good countermen come and go. What your F/N's need to know is the EXACT year, make, model, engine, transmission, transfer case, differential, brakes, etc., if they are doing the work. They're being the mechanic - the surgeon. Surgeons don't often ask pharmacists much except what for potentionally harmful interactions - like pouring green antifreeze in a late model with red. And not knowing the exact information can lead to wrong parts - an 88 Ranger extended cab has a different left brake hose than a 89. They don't need to go to three parts houses trying to correct their part because they keep changing the year. They blame the countermen, and as we know, the customer always thinks they're right.

Help your friends and neighbors from misunderstanding what a parts house can or can't do - and help teach new Cherokee owners around you, too. That's the legacy I was handed in the '60's and '70's, and it's an even bigger job today.

[WB9YZU]

The end run of all of that is this simple truth:
An autoparts counter person is not a pharmacist, or are they a surgeon, they are Salespeople who should be knowledgeable in the product they are selling. As with any sales position, the object is to sell the customer what they need in a way that will cause them to look to you for their future parts needs. You sell parts, and in some cases, services.

Store owners need to realize that just grabbing some kid out of high school shop class and putting them behind the counter does not work well in most cases. The customers quickly get frustrated with this approach and will not come back.

Sure, the business gets the newbie customer who has never fixed their stuff. It sounds like an opportunity to get a return customer, not to make them feel stupid.

Databases/ books may not have the right parts listed, that happened to me on a D30 recently. The book and the computer listed the bearings for a different axle. That is where how the counter person's skill comes into play. It took 3 trips back to NAPA to get my situation resolved, but it worked out and I will return for more parts because of the way it was handled.

I realize that the object of your post was to somehow educate Forum Users and Club Members to provide the Year/Make (NO! It's NOT a F'N Grand Cherokee damnit! :D)/ engine/ transmission info. And to not expect the customer to diagnose the Unit, though this is a service that some of your competitors do perform. However, atleast to me, it came off as an unsuccessful attempt to compare your industry with the medical field.

-Ron

[AL BUNDY]

I started to write a long comment about all the problems I have had with bad parts counter guys and how a good one is worth their weight in gold but I wont. It is up to you to raise this service to a higher level. You are the only one that can do it. Jeepers and gearheads everywhere will seek you out and tell their friends to go see you if you are good.

[tommyr]

When I tell the guy at the counter I need a axle shaft u-joint and he says "Oh drive shaft U- Joint hold on" and I say no, axle shaft, at the wheel, and he looks again at his computer and says "I'm not showing that" or comes from the back with some U-Joint with external clips I know it's going to be a long day.......

[Curtis_H]

I think the greater lesson to be learned from this is that while you may trust your local pharmacist, you should also realize that they have been to school to learn their trade, and they are also only dealing with one model (the human body) with limited options. Your local parts store desk clerk has more likely than not never been under the hood of an XJ, or whatever it may be you need parts for. In my experience, most have not been under the hood of anything, or at least not anything useful. When i pull up to my parts store and see a fleet of civics and cavaliers with giant wings and exhaust by folgers, I am not enthused. I was actually asked what a thermostat was once, im not kidding. Would you be confident in the product you recieved if you walked into McDonalds and the cashier asked you what ketchup was? The sad truth is that most McDonalds employees are viewed as qualified candidates if they are to apply at the local chain parts store. Just yesterday I was in a parts store waiting my turn at the counter, and I couldnt help over hearing the conversation at the counter. A guy was there trying to get an output seal for his TH350, should be fairly straightforward. They didnt have his particular application listed, so he said "I used to work here, it's in the National book" to which the reply was "I'm off the clock in 4 minutes, I'm not looking in the book". The guy asked to see the manager, and the manager told him to come back tommorow, his shifts were almost over. Keep in mind the store didnt close for another hour. I was shocked, and after uttering some choice words, left the store to go to the competition. Moral of the story, even if you can't provide knowlegable employees, you can still provide quality service, all it requires is giving a shit about the customer.


P.S. the next time they tell my I must have a Grand Wagoneer I am going to kill someone......

[TiRod]

Thanks for the input, guys. I am aware there is a lot of experience out there. I was taught to listen to the customers and learn - I usually pick up something every day.

I had no intent to elevate the status of counterman to that of a trained professional dispensing prescriptions - the allusion was simply to point out that taking a vehicle to a parts house for immediate repair is like sending the ambulance to the local Walgreen's. And yet, people do it everyday.

I arrived at work 2pm to see two customer's finishing up a water pump changeout in the parking lot. I didn't even ask for details - like as not they were stranded on the road for the holiday weekend. Nonetheless, we shouldn't and wouldn't expect surgery to be available in Walmart's Rx section, would we? I may be old school now, but street repairs as a habit are exactly that - a bad habit, and one my town prohibits. Had they had the luxury of overhead shelter, they wouldn't be working on their Explorer for four hours in the rain.

On the other hand, we did sell a new rotor, hub bearings, lockout screws, and seals for a F250 "Spicer" 50 yesterday. What my coworker couldn't find, I could, and we got to close on time at 8PM, too. Lots better than Sun and Sat open 15-20 minutes late selling tail light bulbs after the computer controlled store lights go out. I've gotten used to taking care of the last customer, not shooing them off.

Pulling the book out to me is what the business is all about - I'm sorry the other place I worked for did literally structure their system to spend no more than a few minutes on a customer and avoid the books. I could make more money there, but the culture of merchandising is pretty extreme to a guy who's sat on a counter stool watching a real parts expert flip through 5 feet of catalogs finding what could interchange for my hot rod. Parts men stayed with the job for years back then - now the chains won't pay for longevity and good people move up or out. It's not a great system.

Again, I'm only attempting to enlist all of you in an information campaign that you already engage in - where the good countermen are, and what a customer should really expect, not what rumor or Dad says will happen. Parts houses are a poor substitute for service stations or garages - nobody tows to us, but they will be towed away if they don't run. Just asking for help to let the public understand it better.

And airing a few issues about here is good therapy for us all.

[MTBracer367]

i pretty much only have one autoparts store i deal with and i know the majority of the employees especially one guy who i've delt with there since i was 13 and first started working on cars on my own and they're great they all know how to look up parts well and how to listen to a customer and if they don't know they don't hesitate to ask another employee or manager which saves a lot of stupid issue like what tommyr mentioned about u-joints but on the flip side the exact same company has another store much closer to my house that i won't go to unless it's 100% nessicary last time i tried to get any "over the counter" help the guy i was dealing with was a total f$#* first he couldn't comprehend that i drove a grand cherokee to the store but needed parts a for a regular cherokee and then when two younger atractive ladies walked into the store he imedatly walked away form me and started helping them on anoter computer and ended up throughing a can of undercoating at him. i wasn't even asking him for an opinion or advice or help putting the part on just to look up a part number and pull it from the shelf if they had it adn he managed to piss me off to where now he won't look at me if i walk in there, which is rare, and it's unfortuate because they are the closest parts store to me by far and thats an autozone i've had much much worse experiance at an advanced auto store

[88cherokeexj]

in response to this i can see where your coming from but there is definately a lot more morons than knowledgable sales people at the parts stores ive been to. when i ask for a front cv axle for a dodge truck and they ask me if its a 2 or 4 wheel drive i think we have a problem. needless to say i hung up and called another store

[IslanderOffRoad]

Yesterday I went to autozone to get a belt. I handed the guy the sleeve from the last gatorback belt I bought, which had the part number on it for him to reference, and he still brought me the wrong damn belt.

Literacy should be a requirement.

[5-90]

I spent three years holding down the counter at one of those "big chain" stores - I'm amazed not that I quit two packs a day there, but that everyone survived the ordeal.

When it comes to pure, raw, weapons-grade stupidity, I honestly think it's a toss-up on which side of the counter sees the most at the big chains. Yeah, you get some parts guys that know what they're about (can properly identify a flare nut wrench from an double-open-end wrench, say,) but I'm still trying to figure out how most of these guys got out of middle school.

Then I recall "social promotion" - explains a lot, really.

The customers are another breed of headache. While I got some very good ones (the ones that would stock up on everything that got pushed as a "related sale," pushed my relates down, and got me in Dutch with management) who would come back again and again - and had a sense of humour, and didn't mind working on weird stuff, and ...; I also got more than my share of true idiots who had no business whatever being anywhere near a motor vehicle, much less in control of one, much less working on one!

I am not kidding. Here's a conversation I'd have over and over:

"I need a fan belt for my car."
"OK. What sort of car do you have?"
"Blue" (or insert other colour.)
"?!?!? Can you be a little more specific?"
"Dark blue."

At which point, just because I'm an incorrigible smartass, I'd go back and get the biggest, longest serpentine belt we had. I'm not sure what it was for, but it cost about sixty bucks - fifteen years ago.

About an hour later, the guy comes back with a greasy belt:

"You sold me the wrong belt!"
"I remember you, you were the guy with the dark blue car. What did you expect? You couldn't tell me the make, model, and engine - how am I going to know what's going to fit?"

Half of the time, they'd end up asking to borrow the phone so they could call back and get the information. I guess it was too much work to write it down on a slip of paper and stick it in their pocket, no?

And the looks I'd get when I told them they'd have to clean the belt off - or just eat the sixty bucks, for their mistake - were priceless. Cheap lesson harshly learned - know what you're working on before you get parts for the thing.

I've honestly lost count of how many times I've had that exchange. In three and a half years, tho, it was plenty (I went from that job to running Maintenance at Adobe - six of us supporting 2200-2500 employees in three cities and ten buildings, and about half of them were serial whiners. Not much of an improvement, but it was about a 50% pay rise and I got loads of overtime out of the deal...)

You can find idiots working behind the counter, but there's plenty of weapons-grade stupid walking up in front of the counter as well - and that does tend to wear. I can "play stupid" with the best of them, having had years of practise doing so in various support occupations (try working Tech Support for a year or so. Or Telecom.)

The analogy given by the OP is flawed (as most are,) because pharmacists are still specially-trained. A parts man is more like the cashier at a drug store - not a pharmacist, most are just button-pushers. Some take the time to learn, but they're still not certified pharms. (This analogy is still flawed, but it probably fits rather better.)

NB: If you do find a good counterman out there, keep him! (I use "him" in the general sense. I've run across good countermen who were female, but I find the use of "him/her/it/them" cumbersome and dumb. I was taught pre-PC anyhow, and I see no reason to change.) I got transferred around the district as I spent as much time pissing off my managers (most of whom were as dumb as some of the worst of the customers) as the customers - but there was always a bloc of core regulars who would find out where I'd gone and follow me - just because I could smack a curve ball good and hard.

I've got a few good countermen at my local now - even though the local sold out, and is now a CarQuest. As long as the lads stay there, I'll keep going back...

[Backroads]

Last time I went to the 'zone' the parts guy working by himself looks at me when it was my turn and says 'WHAT?' Needless to say I'll NEVER go back. XXXX that!

[Metal Thrasher]

I spent 8 years working reatail parts counters selling parts and teaching fellow "counterpeople" the job. Most of my teaching was a waste as the companies only hired low grade - low potential people. The few who had potential were just working a part time job to pay for child support or rapidly moved on ( mostly to other fields). I currently sell parts at a wholesaler and work with two guys who I have worked with at a total of three companies now. Whenever one of us found an upgrade we pulled the others along. We've never been smart enough to get out of the auto parts business but all swear to make sure our kids don't wind up in it.
The general situation for a parts counter person is low pay and long hours coupled with customer abuse and company indifference. The training is very limited and as mentioned there aren't that many enthusiasts who take parts jobs. If you are going to search for the cheapest price everytime you buy a part you should accept the cheapest help that goes along with it.
One place I worked had two company names and two yellowpages ads, one for each name. The number of callers who price checked parts by calling every store in town was a serious waste of time. The number of guys who had their ladies call with incomplete information was even worse. The request for consideration of your parts guy is great but the shear number of uninformed Do it Yourselfers is insurmountable.

BTW. When I enter a retail parts store I have the part number already looked up on their website or a competitor's and hand it to them quietly when they give me a different answer. loudly pointing out the underpaid / overworked counterperson's mistake doesn't get results.

[stewie]

thats why i go to one specific NAPA store near my home. the owner of that store knows its me even before i get out of one of three vehicles (my heep, my truck or mommys car). there is only two guys i go to at the counter, and usually there is a little wait because other people have the same favorites as well. i have got my guy trained not to ask too many questions. he knows that only a very small percentage of the parts i buy do NOT make it on my jeep, yet i end up asking for some really off the wall stuff (well, for his line of work it may be off the wall). when i tell him "oil filter" he goes and grabs me a wix 1515, and two gallons of rotella. hows that for customer service?

speaking of cust service, i have had Erich (yes spelled that way) hunting through parts catalogs for 45 minutes searching for my parts. computer had no listing, and most of the catalogs didnt have a listing either. he had to dust off one that had not been used for quite some time. he found it. i had the part the next morning when the door unlocked. i have never been able to get the same quality of service from vato zone or chuckers. and the limited experience from o'craplies isnt so good either. heck, one of the other guys at my NAPA gave me LEFT HAND THREADED lug nuts when i had ordered the one piece ones! so yah, i tend to stay with the same two guys (Erich, or the franchise owner).

anyone know if NAPA is listed on the stock exchange? i spend enough there that i might as well own some stock in them!

[BIgDaddyChia]

I go to one specific O'Reillys where all the guys know me. I have spent about 5 grand in parts or more between several vehicles with them. All the people that work work on cars as a hobby and have descent knowledge of cars. I recently went to napa as they are the only company that carries KYB shocks, looking for shocks for one of m vehicles. They couldnt find any in their system and when I told them to look in the catalog it should be listed there, they told me know it wasnt. I asked what catalog they had and they said the 2009. I told them the part numbers had t be in their because I saw them in the online catalog. Needless to say they told me I needed t get the part numbers and then they might be able to get the shocks but becasue they dont list them they probably dont carry themm. So I found them online.

[bjoehandley]

A little background info here;
I work in a Hobby Shop and do the parts counter thing for RC's as well as being a low level "supervisor" (and that includes counting the registers if I'm the closing manager), stock boy, price tagger, customer service, cashier, janitor, and sometimes all around grunt.

NB: If you do find a good counterman out there, keep him!

That is something I found to be very true when I owned the mid 80's Turbo Mopars, and still find it handy when it comes to the Jeeps as well. I've even discussed that with some of my customers at work, and they've completely agreed with me on that count......and it turns out that's the main reason they come back to my store is that I'm one of the more knowledgeable employees and that I won't give them a BS answer if I'm not sure what the right one is.

The number of guys who had their ladies call with incomplete information was even worse.

That right there aggrevates me to no end when guys do that to their GF's/wives/sisters, mother/ect or worse send them in to get a part and not even tell them what kind of truck they have to get parts for! Not all of them know what their hubby/BF/ECT have and what the part is called (hell sometimes the guy doesn't either!) I don't know how many times I've had these poor women have to call their man so he can tell me the right part over the phone when he could have left a note with the info, a header card with the part number on it, or called me himself and have me put a part off to the side so she can come in and pick it up when she's in the area.

Here's another one that actually pisses me off when people do this. One of the store owner's and one of my supervisors are both women, and it seems that every so often we have somebody call looking for a vehicle or part, and even have a number and brand name that they can use to look up the part, that won't believe what one of these women tell them. We can have somebody call for a T-Maxx front bulkhead and have one of these ladies go back and look on the wall and find that the part is out of stock and tells them so. Well, that is not good enough and they insist to talk to a guy in part...me... so I go and look on the wall in the exact same spot (if I didn't already know the answer) and find that, low and behold, we're out of stock. I even had one guy complaining on the phone that the clueless broad he talked to at Tower Hobbies didn't know what he was looking for was and couldn't even find a description of it in her computer. The main reason for that is that the part as disco'd a few years back because it was a fragile POS that usually fell apart after a couple uses. Of the employees in my store, only one other person besides myself knew that and even had a clue as to what he was talking about and the male supervisor that I have to deal with would have not been as likely to even know what it was as the two women in the store!

[muduck18]

I have never been a "counterman"
But I will say that it makes all the difference in how I shop..
since I was ~13 I have been visiting my local parts store for parts. (so about 15 years)
They hardly ever got a part wrong.
but about 5 or 6 years ago, the "chain" they were with folded, and they merged with NAPA, with the NAPA merge... came the parts guy from NAPA, who I have always hated.
When that guy started selling from behind the parts store I went to, I lost my loyalty to them.

The reason I hated this guy...
When I was 15 I had a 67 Plymouth Valiant with the slant 6 in it. my great grandma had bought it new, and my mom got it when she died. So I got it from her.

Well, I went to the NAPA (because they were the only ones that had the correct distributor in stock) instead of the normal one I went to (who actually called NAPA for me to find if they had the parts I needed)

anyway...
I got cap rotor, points, air filter, plugs ,plug wires. the whole tune up, oil oil filter. I was getting ready to drop 60 to 70$ on this guys counter...
I went over and picked up a can of carburetor cleaner.
They guy wouldn't sell me the carb cleaner, because he thought I would snif it or somthing...
A$$ hole wouldn't sell me carb cleaner. I had to go out to the car, give my dad the 80$ and tell him to go in and get the parts.
WTF.
Still pisses me off.

[BIgDaddyChia]

I went over and picked up a can of carburetor cleaner.
They guy wouldn't sell me the carb cleaner, because he thought I would snif it or somthing...
A$$ hole wouldn't sell me carb cleaner. I had to go out to the car, give my dad the 80$ and tell him to go in and get the parts.
WTF.
Still pisses me off.


U were underage and the wouldnt sell u carb cleaner. And u got pissed. Ever heard of laws. That was nothing wrong with the counterman he was doing his job and did it well.

[bigalpha]

I like my local Advance Auto. They always seem knowledgeable and I've never gotten the wrong parts. I go in so often now, to buy crap for the Jeeps, the counterman gives me discounts :D

[muduck18]

U were underage and the wouldnt sell u carb cleaner. And u got pissed. Ever heard of laws. That was nothing wrong with the counterman he was doing his job and did it well.

yes there was. He was a dick. he was rude, he treated me like a piece of $hit.
Don't give me that crap.

1. he should have recognized it was for a carb.
2. he should have seen my dad in the car and let me get it.
3. he could have sold me the rest of the stuff and let the carb cleaner stay, but when I wanted to by the carb cleaner her wouldn't sell me any of it.


my point was that a counter man is as important as anything when it comes to the store.
I still Hate talking to the man He is still a dick.

[BIgDaddyChia]

yes there was. He was a dick. he was rude, he treated me like a piece of $hit.
Don't give me that crap.

1. he should have recognized it was for a carb.
2. he should have seen my dad in the car and let me get it.
3. he could have sold me the rest of the stuff and let the carb cleaner stay, but when I wanted to by the carb cleaner her wouldn't sell me any of it.


my point was that a counter man is as important as anything when it comes to the store.
I still Hate talking to the man He is still a dick.

In your OP u mentioned nothing about him not selling u everything. Also agian federal law says u can not sell anyone under 18 inhalant type products such as spray paint, carb cleaner, brake cleaner and so forth. And all the parts stores I have scene u cant see out the front windows so how was the guy supposed to know ur dad is their with you. He did his job by not selling a substance to a minor that could have gotten him and the store in a lot of trouble. You obviously have some growing up todo.

[GrimmJeeper]

to the OP, well said. there are many many people working counters at parts places that * shouldn't* be there. its up to us to pick up the slack. and i completely agree on the customers expecting too much from the parts guys. there is a reason mechanics make so much money you know, just calling me on the phone and telling me the funny noise your car is making and where you think its coming from does not help me at all. please don't get angry when i can't diagnose your problem over the phone.

i don't mind changing a tail-light or a wiper blade for an elderly person or someone who obviously has no idea how to do it, but don't ask me to do it just because you are lazy. and please have patience when asking for some extra service. i need to clear the store of customers before i can help you. i don't mind helping, if you don't mind waiting.

i am very good at my job, and i strive to be better every day. when its slow i read the parts catalogs like novels, cover to cover, so i have a better idea of what is available and what is not.. i've found things that even my boss thought we stopped making.

i've been working on cars for over 20 years, since i was a kid helping my dad build engines for his hot rod buddies. i have gone through tech schooling, and hold ASE certifications for engine, transmission, and chassis/suspension. i also hold my ASE parts specialist certification. the biggest problem i have with customers is when they walk in and automatically assume i have no idea what i am talking about. i know there are a lot of people out there who shouldn't be working the counter (trust me, ive run into more than a few) but give the guy behind the counter a break... you just might get lucky and get some actual help with your problem. when people come in giving me an attitude i cant help but lose any desire to help them with their problem.

i guess what i'm getting at is a little more patience on both sides of the counter would make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable for both parties. i manage a NAPA store and if any of my guys are not up to par they don't last very long.

[thethinginthewoods]

I couldn't agree more with all of your comments (except for selling aresol cans to minors :)). I have worked for a few years at a Schuck's (CSK Auto, recently purchased by O'Reilly's) and started out with just basic automotive knowledge like how to change filters, bulbs, etc. After basic training, working as a backyard mechanic and spending lots of time behind the counter and on the sales floor helping people with their problems, I have come to be very knowledgable. Myself and a few of the others are the folks that people talk to when they are struggling to find a part or need extensive catalog digging and interchanging. I am not afraid to call up the nearest competitor to see if they have a part in stock that i don't if it means that my customer will be happy and return just because of the excellent customer service.

The unfortunate part about autoparts stores is that service can be great or horrible depending on who you talk to. Sometimes I feel that some of other associates would be better suited working at Wally world or Micky D's. I always keep a positive attitude and provide the best customer service I can, but I have to say some customers really make me doubt that humans are the intelligent species. I saw a funny fridge magnet once that said "show me somebody that works in retail and I'll show you a deep loathing for all mankind."

As a backyard mechanic/tinkerer/hobbyist and Jeep enthusiast, I always do my research before going to the parts house. I even look up the part and price on the store's website so all i have to do is walk in and say "can you grap me this part, your website says you have three in stock." This eliminates confusion and room for error. And If I recieve good service and the person I am working with seems pretty knowledgable and like they truly want to help me, I am much more likely to come back and spend more money. I have been to way too many stores with terrible customer service.

As long as the customer puts forth a little bit of effort to at least figure out which kind of vehicle they drive, I am much more likely to help them get ALL the parts they need, although I always do my best to provide consistant excellent customer service. I often chuckle on the inside when a customer throws a fit because we can't install a part for them (other than wipers, of course) and they say "fine, I'll go next door to Autozone!" The guys from the "Twilightzone" and i are always laughing because they have the same policies and will tell the customer the same thing. "Go to a shop for installations."

[muduck18]

In your OP u mentioned nothing about him not selling u everything. Also agian federal law says u can not sell anyone under 18 inhalant type products such as spray paint, carb cleaner, brake cleaner and so forth. And all the parts stores I have scene u cant see out the front windows so how was the guy supposed to know ur dad is their with you. He did his job by not selling a substance to a minor that could have gotten him and the store in a lot of trouble.

my OP was not dwelling on the Dick behind the counter. it was dwelling on the fact that his store, and the store he moved to lost thousands of dollars of sales because he was a dick.


You obviously have some growing up todo.

Excuse me?
Would you mind elaborating on this one?
Cause Your really getting on my nerves.

[Backroads]

In your OP u mentioned nothing about him not selling u everything. Also agian federal law says u can not sell anyone under 18 inhalant type products such as spray paint, carb cleaner, brake cleaner and so forth. And all the parts stores I have scene u cant see out the front windows so how was the guy supposed to know ur dad is their with you. He did his job by not selling a substance to a minor that could have gotten him and the store in a lot of trouble. You obviously have some growing up todo.

Maybe this guy works at a parts store too, why such a shithead approach to all this? I mean seriously, hes talking 15years ago. Sure today you cant buy any kind of aerosol product without ID, but 15years ago? That was still a 'new' kind of high. Why be such a prick??

[BIgDaddyChia]

Maybe this guy works at a parts store too, why such a shithead approach to all this? I mean seriously, hes talking 15years ago. Sure today you cant buy any kind of aerosol product without ID, but 15years ago? That was still a 'new' kind of high. Why be such a prick??

U couldbuy an aresol product 15 years ago with out an id. and if this guy is holding a grudge after 15 years then he needs some counseling.

[warrpath4x4]

lol i have been buying parts for quite a while now and i also work at a parts store. as many stories as i have from buying parts, i have a ton more from selling parts. all i will say is three things.

1. if you cant speak english, your probably not gonna get the right part cause i dont know what your saying.

2. all 350 engines are not the same

3. the other day i had a guy come in with a body mount and tell me it was his tranny mount in a F150 and he had 2 of them.

[muduck18]

Maybe this guy works at a parts store too, why such a shithead approach to all this? I mean seriously, hes talking 15years ago. Sure today you cant buy any kind of aerosol product without ID, but 15years ago? That was still a 'new' kind of high. Why be such a prick??

I know... right.
have you had to deal with any of the guys at Morgantown AP?
There are some really nice, and smart guys there, but there is one guy, i can't stand. Not only because of the previous story, but because he has been rude to me and my dad for years. You know, come to think of it, he was rude to my wife once too...


U couldbuy an aresol product 15 years ago with out an id. and if this guy is holding a grudge after 15 years then he needs some counseling.

wow. Counseling? because I hate the guy at my local NAPA. (That I visit at least once a month)
Big daddy...
u need to chill.

Just like any other business an auto parts man has to take care of and be nice to customers.

[BIgDaddyChia]

I know... right.
have you had to deal with any of the guys at Morgantown AP?
There are some really nice, and smart guys there, but there is one guy, i can't stand. Not only because of the previous story, but because he has been rude to me and my dad for years. You know, come to think of it, he was rude to my wife once too...




wow. Counseling? because I hate the guy at my local NAPA. (That I visit at least once a month)
Big daddy...
u need to chill.

Just like any other business an auto parts man has to take care of and be nice to customers.



Then report the guy to the manager. There is no reason to put up with asshole customer service people. And if the manager wont do anythign keep going. That guy dosent need to be in the industry if he is gonna be a jerk.

[BajaCurt]

to the OP, well said. there are many many people working counters at parts places that * shouldn't* be there. its up to us to pick up the slack. and i completely agree on the customers expecting too much from the parts guys. there is a reason mechanics make so much money you know, just calling me on the phone and telling me the funny noise your car is making and where you think its coming from does not help me at all. please don't get angry when i can't diagnose your problem over the phone.

i don't mind changing a tail-light or a wiper blade for an elderly person or someone who obviously has no idea how to do it, but don't ask me to do it just because you are lazy. and please have patience when asking for some extra service. i need to clear the store of customers before i can help you. i don't mind helping, if you don't mind waiting.

i am very good at my job, and i strive to be better every day. when its slow i read the parts catalogs like novels, cover to cover, so i have a better idea of what is available and what is not.. i've found things that even my boss thought we stopped making.

i've been working on cars for over 20 years, since i was a kid helping my dad build engines for his hot rod buddies. i have gone through tech schooling, and hold ASE certifications for engine, transmission, and chassis/suspension. i also hold my ASE parts specialist certification. the biggest problem i have with customers is when they walk in and automatically assume i have no idea what i am talking about. i know there are a lot of people out there who shouldn't be working the counter (trust me, ive run into more than a few) but give the guy behind the counter a break... you just might get lucky and get some actual help with your problem. when people come in giving me an attitude i cant help but lose any desire to help them with their problem.

i guess what i'm getting at is a little more patience on both sides of the counter would make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable for both parties. i manage a NAPA store and if any of my guys are not up to par they don't last very long.

Which is why I drive 28 miles to Grimm's Napa even when there is a Pep Boys or AutoZone or Kragen on almost every corner here in Southern California (the nearest being 2.4 miles from home) :cheers:

[5-90]

Reading about wives/girlfriends/mums/sisters going in for parts with incomplete information makes me feel even luckier.

My wife has had no trouble running parts for me. This is probably for a few reasons:
1) I write down exactly what I want. She has a logical mind (and would make a damned decent mechanic in her own right, if she chose to,) but she does lack experience. I make up for that in my note.
2) She's usually going to pick up something I've called and arranged, or had ordered a day or two previously.
3) If I don't have the part number already and don't have the time to get it, I write down what I want, what I want it for, and what I'd accept. The better countermen at the local all know her (she's the short blonde with the halo,) and they'll work with her to make sure she gets what I need. Problem solved.

In short, if I send her to get parts and she comes back with the wrong stuff, it's my fault. We both know that from the start! I have been wrong once or twice (it happens to all of us,) but I'll take my lumps and figure out what I did wrong for the next time.

When I go in, they love it because they all know I've been on their side of the counter, and we can give each other a hard time and that lets them blow off some steam. When she goes in, they're very patient with her and she can get things sorted out rather quickly.

So as you can probably guess, much of it is a matter of approach (I like your approach. Now, let's see your departure.) If you approach the problem with a modicum of intelligence and logic, it's going to solve things that much more quickly. If you don't, it's only going to make things worse.

That doesn't mean that you'll be able to make up for the yo-yo behind the counter - you can get stuck rapidly doing that. But, you can also download catalogues from most manufacturers' websites these days, and just look the parts up yourself. Or, if you have a good working relationship with the countermen and the parts house, have them order paper copies for you - and look the stuff up before you leave the house. It's pretty much the same thing they're going to refer to as well, but I know I've always been happy with people who brought in their own part numbers, hand me a list, and wait patiently while I pillage around the stacks and get them what they need. Saved me so much trouble...

And, working on the backside of the counter gave me a new perspective on what they're dealing with all day, which changes how I do things for them. I take in as much information as I can (including drawings & photos, when necessary.) I tend to be rather patient, as long as they seem to be trying to move forward. I am very rarely in a hurry to get something done (you can try, but if it takes me forty-eight hours to figure something out, your harrassing me while I'm trying to do it is only going to make me take longer. It's a known fact - don't piss of the guy doing the figuring!)

But, in all the jobs I've had, I honestly think I just can't beat Tier 2 Tech Support for encounters with raw, WMD, weapons-grade stupidity.

(Tier 2 is unscripted, and the regular "brain-in-neutral" stuff doesn't apply. Every call that came to me was a cross between "How did you do that?" and "How did you do that?" I honestly once got to say "You did what to the entire RAID array? Cool!") Since I was also running production for the company at the time, we hired someone to do tech support, and a few of us got to write the scripted answers for what he could handle. He got good at it, and ended up expanding the scripts himself after a while...

[TiRod]

Input from last nite - while the telecom computer connection was down, no search, no credit/debit unless we got the 1800 line . . .

Lady comes in wanting to fix the little coolant return line boss on the radiator of her Kia - it had stripped. She says her dad - 35 year mechanic - told her to retap it and screw in a hose nipple to match. Fine concept.

She has it in mind to use brake tubing, and wants to thread it externally to match the new internal threads. Wasn't my customer to begin with, so I keep quiet until my coworker finally hands off so he doesn't have to say no alone (policy.) I suggest the brake line tubing isn't thick enough to thread externally without seriously weakening it.

"Oh, fine, you're just saying that because I'm a woman!" and storms out the door . . .

Playing the gender card to cover up mechanical illiteracy is pretty common now.

Last week another female customer wanted license plate brackets - her new to her car was missing the front plate hanger. She wanted to just bolt some on the lower air dam holes where it could scrape the pavement. I suggested those holes were spaced too far apart to match the license plate. Again, I'm a male chauvinist dissing women in general. What have I got against them, didn't I have a mother? Oh, obviously not.

I won't really argue that countermen may not even have the training of a pharm-tech, but after the service I was getting from that department at a big box, there's a reason we all try to find decent help whereever it is since the prices are mostly the same. There's no reason for either side of the counter to try to socially supercede the other. It's just two people doing business - and what each puts into the transaction is about what they get out of it.

Step up with informed and knowledgeable expectations, and you should get what you're looking for.

[WB9YZU]

Why can't you sell the customer what they want and leave the mistakes to them?

You are a salesman. Your job is to sell parts, not correct your customers.

You are not a doctor, not a pharmacist, you sell parts. So, sell parts and stop whining about your customers on-line?

-Ron

[wim hoppenbrouwers]

Hallo. I like to read the stories of TiRod.
I am not a counterman myself but I understand his problems.
In Holland I do my homework first when I purchase things.
I look into Haynes and google a little bit and ask NAXJA, if the purchase has to do with the Jeep.
So please when is the next story, Tirod ? Sorry Zuki-Ron. :spin1:

[GrimmJeeper]

another delightful response from Ron :D

[ECKSJAY]

Why can't you sell the customer what they want and leave the mistakes to them?

You are a salesman. Your job is to sell parts, not correct your customers.

You are not a doctor, not a pharmacist, you sell parts. So, sell parts and stop whining about your customers on-line?

-Ron

A goal of any business is to minimize loss and maximize profit. By selling them 'what they want' and not what will work, you're flirting with the expenses of returned items and/or poor 'word of mouth' experiences. There are certain times to leave it to the customer and allow them to 'know it all'. That's when the return policy is thoroughly explained and when I like to mark the invoice with 'customer knows part is not for intended application' or 'customer supplied part number'. ;)

[bjoehandley]

Why can't you sell the customer what they want and leave the mistakes to them?

You are a salesman. Your job is to sell parts, not correct your customers.

You are not a doctor, not a pharmacist, you sell parts. So, sell parts and stop whining about your customers on-line?

-Ron

A goal of any business is to minimize loss and maximize profit. By selling them 'what they want' and not what will work, you're flirting with the expenses of returned items and/or poor 'word of mouth' experiences. There are certain times to leave it to the customer and allow them to 'know it all'. That's when the return policy is thoroughly explained and when I like to mark the invoice with 'customer knows part is not for intended application' or 'customer supplied part number'. ;)

Exactly Ecksjay, You can sell somebody the part they want, but then they'll come back to piss and moan about getting the wrong part even though you tell them it's the wrong part and won't fit and can't be made to fit.

[WB9YZU]

Exactly Ecksjay, You can sell somebody the part they want, but then they'll come back to piss and moan about getting the wrong part even though you tell them it's the wrong part and won't fit and can't be made to fit.

Selling an alternator for the correct application is one thing. Giving a customer a hard time about wanting to buy a piece of pipe or a bracket is yet another (which is what his last story was about). Why cheese off a customer just so you can feel good about yourself? I does not make good business.

One needs to learn when to back away from situations like that and to let the customer have their own learning experience. Because in the end, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't sell them the part they want.

-Ron

[ECKSJAY]

Selling an alternator for the correct application is one thing. Giving a customer a hard time about wanting to buy a piece of pipe or a bracket is yet another (which is what his last story was about). Why cheese off a customer just so you can feel good about yourself? I does not make good business.

One needs to learn when to back away from situations like that and to let the customer have their own learning experience. Because in the end, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't sell them the part they want.

-Ron

I think you're reading way too far into this entire thing...as usual. ;) Do you ever wake up on the right side of the bed, or are they both wrong?

[WB9YZU]

I think you're reading way too far into this entire thing...as usual. ;) Do you ever wake up on the right side of the bed, or are they both wrong?

:moon:


:D

[goodburbon]

I have yet to find a parts counter guy who can successfully cross reference a spicer 1310 or 597X, and I've only found one that could find me a CV centering ball for the front drive shaft. Yes I am sure I don't own a Grand cherokee, and when I ask for rear brake parts for a late nineties ford explorer, just get them, because when you ask "what year, what engine, what is this going on etc.? and I reply "doesn't matter" and you insist to know what it is going on and I reply "97 Jeep cherokee" you're going to look at me like I'm stupid, and it will annoy me (yes I have gotten in the habit of just picking a random set of numbers for the poor guy behind the counter).

and X eleventy billion on the damn axleshaft u-joint.

[TiRod]

Why can't you sell the customer what they want and leave the mistakes to them?

You are a salesman. Your job is to sell parts, not correct your customers.

You are not a doctor, not a pharmacist, you sell parts. So, sell parts and stop whining about your customers on-line?

-Ron

You're right Zuki. I shouldn't even try to help, just let my customers try to do things that won't work - or even do things that are flat out dangerous.

I can't tell you how many times I've refused to sell compression fittings to repair rusted brake lines. It's an accident waiting to happen, and I don't want me or my family to be the ones hit by a brakeless vehicle. But, if it's my karma to suffer from other's mistakes, maybe I should suck it up.

I've meet three people in the last five years burned from tossing gasoline on a smouldering brush fire. I should start supporting those who suggest it. Maybe Darwin was right.

Even the little stuff - like converting from OBDII to a carburetor just so the owner won't have to learn about fuel injection. It's not my problem if it won't pass state inspection - I've mentioned that here more than once. I'll stop.

Passing along the right information would just stop most postings, too. After all, if the kid wants a body lift kit for his Cherokee, we should just suggest how to stack the factory cab isolators for the same effect. Longer bolts? Aisle 3A.

Zuk, I sure hope your counterman isn't reading this thread. :D

Here's another one - lady calls and wants a PCV for her import SUV. I need to know which engine - they are both similar, V-6's - and she explains her check engine light was on. She called her "mechanic," who told her over the phone that all she needed to do was change the PCV, as that was what the trouble was.

He could read the codes over the phone for a non-electric part with no sensor?

I suggest the PCV could simply be cleaned with carb spray - which she had - and as long as it rattled when shaken, it was working.

Maybe we should start a thread on "mechanics," or those who think they are - but I understand folks who get those phone calls are often just trying to go along with what the customer wants . . .

[RedJeep2.0]

I work at Baxter auto parts

I hate all other parts houses
There dumb

Ha ha call and ask them for parts for and 83 corvette

They made an 82 and 84
Ha ha we do that when there's not much to do

[ECKSJAY]

I work at Baxter auto parts

I hate all other parts houses
There dumb

Ha ha call and ask them for parts for and 83 corvette

They made an 82 and 84
Ha ha we do that when there's not much to do

Maybe you should become a failboat captain. :cheers:

[GrimmJeeper]

note to self, stay out of Baxter Auto Parts.

[5-90]

Is that like calling up my orders desk on a slow day and hoping for a new guy? That way I could ask him for a water pump belt for a Corvair, or maybe a propeller shaft for a VolksWagen Bus...

[muduck18]

I still enjoy sending people to the parts store for a muffler bearing.

actual conversation... about a 1992 Eagle Talon (in 1997)

"my car is making an exhaust sound I think it has a leak can you listen to it?"
"sure"
...
knock knock knock..
"when was the last time you put oil in this?"
"oil?"
"yeah engine oil..."
"um... they do that when you get it inspected right?"
"no"
"oh, well I will get some.. what kind should I get?"
"get a new car"
"really? why?"

I went on to explain the concept of oil and oil changes...

[TiRod]

A radiator cap for a Corvair? Yep, there's one. Part of the heater system on the van model, IIRC.

And yeah, the 83 Vette is even used here as a source for a coolant temp sensor mod. Opens at 170*.

The 96(?) Wrangler is another missing year, but the books are also full of dropped names resurrected after a decade. Camaro and Challenger come to mind.

The best one I find amusing are all the knowledgeable owners of pre '99 Silverados with 350's. Yeah, sure. They are C/K1500's, guys. NO true Silverado has ever been made with a small block, they are all new metric motors. Up to then, Silverado is just a trim package and a decal, like Laredo. I like asking those owners "Ford or Jeep?" when I hear that.

And if they do say it's a '99, I get to go through the painful process of determining their Silverado with a 350 aint.

We know well enough here to almost never say, "They're all the same!" A 258 isn't quite a 4.0 isn't quite a 4.0 HO. There are differences. And the Renix uses that metric filter. Just try telling that to a SBC owner. Yes, I do have to "ask is it 4WD?" because the filters are different and the wrong one will dump all your oil on the ground. It's just one mismatch combination of the 8 different filters on that engine. They are definitely not all alike.

If there is anything a parts guy does learn, it's not to assume the same part was even used throughout the entire model year. Early vs. late production comes up often. And a 3/4 ton truck can be "under 7000 GVW" or over. Two different axles, brakes, u-joints, etc.

God help us when we're told wrong, tho. It's always our fault because the consumer really doesn't know what they own, and is nonetheless making the repair.

Like the guy filling his A/C with the engine off, happens all the time . . .

[TheAlmightySam]

I work at Baxter auto parts

I hate all other parts houses
There dumb

Ha ha call and ask them for parts for and 83 corvette

They made an 82 and 84
Ha ha we do that when there's not much to do

Oh good, now I know which Baxter to stay away from in town.

[steed76]

I really like this thread.. thanx TiRod! I've worked in the auto industry my whole career. Worked for the big 3 dealers doing heavy mechanical to driveability. worked at the mopar parts counter. Body shop. etc.. I know alot of aspects. but continue to learn everyday. I'm currently mgmt at local Carquest. and my Counter pro has been with the company since 1966 I think he knows a thing or two. The reality of this thread is crazy! And as TiRod can relate I see this everyday! From people asking for pvc valves, to "serendipidy" belts.. it takes all kinds but i find that helping the customer make the wise choice by coaching and offering different alternatives to accomplish the same goal is by far the best customer service you can provide. The customer will always return to a knowledgable counterman they feel comfortable with. Without being taken advantage of. So many companies hire people to use computers but give them a catalog 800 pages long with bearing specs in it and they freak out! Great thread thanks!

[bigalpha]

I work at Baxter auto parts

I hate all other parts houses
There dumb

Ha ha call and ask them for parts for and 83 corvette

They made an 82 and 84
Ha ha we do that when there's not much to do

Speaking of dumb ...

[goodburbon]

One of my all time favorites came from a tire guy. I showed up to get a replacement tire under warranty. The store no longer carried the exact model of tire. The guy at the counter told me that I couldn't put another type of tire because it would cause the truck to "shimmer".

[muduck18]

all that shimmers in this world is bound to fade... away..

[5-90]

If there is anything a parts guy does learn, it's not to assume the same part was even used throughout the entire model year. Early vs. late production comes up often. And a 3/4 ton truck can be "under 7000 GVW" or over. Two different axles, brakes, u-joints, etc.

The Ford fanbois are probably about to crucify me for this (good thing I've got thick skin...) but am I the only one to find it ironic that Ford is the very worst manufacturer for part number supercessions, mid-model-year parts changes, production shifts, and production variations? I've had an easier time finding parts for grey market Japanese forklifts over here!

(If you do find it ironic, tell us why. I want to make sure you're keeping up with the rest of the class...)

[souske]

[quote=5-90;244426394
(If you do find it ironic, tell us why. I want to make sure you're keeping up with the rest of the class...)[/quote]

Because Fords initial success was due to complete standardization on the assembly line, one model, no options, and "any color as long as its black":read:

[5-90]

Because Fords initial success was due to complete standardization on the assembly line, one model, no options, and "any color as long as its black":read:

Gold Star on your term paper! Minus one point for improper punctuation ("Fords" (sic) should be "Ford's" - the possessive...)

[Metal Thrasher]

I work at Baxter auto parts

I hate all other parts houses
There dumb

Ha ha call and ask them for parts for and 83 corvette

They made an 82 and 84
Ha ha we do that when there's not much to do

Now that's funny! I spent an hour talking to a new customer this morning who is fed up and done with you PW guys. Please keep it up your attitude coupled with the occasional mistake we all make just makes it easier for the rest of us. O'Reily's is moving into the NW hard and heavy, it's good to know they'll have you to pick on first.

P.S. It's they're or they are. There is a location. Corvette is a name and should be capitalized. The little dots at the end of sentences are called periods. Dumb is as dumb does.

[Starboard M]

when I ask for rear brake parts for a late nineties ford explorer, just get them, because when you ask "what year, what engine, what is this going on etc.? and I reply "doesn't matter" and you insist to know what it is going on and I reply "97 Jeep cherokee" you're going to look at me like I'm stupid, and it will annoy me (yes I have gotten in the habit of just picking a random set of numbers for the poor guy behind the counter).

and X eleventy billion on the damn axleshaft u-joint.
I still dont understand why people do this. Why cant you do your homework, and actually pick one. Rather then pretend like you know everything, say 99 Ford explorer with XXX engine. Is it really that hard, or do you have to make everyone mad at each other.


btw, I bet they arnt looking at you like you are stupid because you said you had a Jeep......:D




Sorry, thats just one of my pet peeves.

[WB9YZU]

I still dont understand why people do this. Why cant you do your homework, and actually pick one. Rather then pretend like you know everything, say 99 Ford explorer with XXX engine. Is it really that hard, or do you have to make everyone mad at each other.


btw, I bet they arnt looking at you like you are stupid because you said you had a Jeep......:D




Sorry, thats just one of my pet peeves.

I can see that, especially when you start out with one vehicle and end up with another. Unfortunately it's the nature of upgraded vehicles in general that they become mix and match. If it's handled in a good natured way, and as you mention, you either have the part number or enough information to generate one, it's generally not an inconvenience to either party.

It's all how you handle it. If you get all centered on having all the right info you could loose a customer for no reason. For all you know, the customer could have sourced the part original part from a junk yard and the customer may not know the exact make, model, or year.

-Ron

[muduck18]

I still dont understand why people do this. Why cant you do your homework, and actually pick one. Rather then pretend like you know everything, say 99 Ford explorer with XXX engine. Is it really that hard, or do you have to make everyone mad at each other.


btw, I bet they arnt looking at you like you are stupid because you said you had a Jeep......:D




Sorry, thats just one of my pet peeves.

Yeah, I have always gone back and forth on this one...
I feel bad for the guys at the counter when I don't know where it came from, but when it happens I would appreciate as much help as possible.

My rear axle is a Dana 44... that's about all I know. I picked it up from a friend. I think its out of a Cherokee, but I have no idea what year.
So when I go for brake drums and pads... I don't know what to ask for. Its certainly not for a 96' (which is what I have)..
I have taken the parts with me...and guessed.
different places have different reactions, autozone and advance auto seemed annoyed that I don't know where my rear axle came from.. and depending on who i talk to at NAPA they either tell me I am an idiot, or take me to the stock room and point to the boxes and say "have at it man"

I have it narrowed down.. the e-brake cable that's in there is from an '88 Cherokee. but the drums and pads, I still don't know, because I opened a stack of boxes and found the ones that matched...

[steed76]

The Ford fanbois are probably about to crucify me for this (good thing I've got thick skin...) but am I the only one to find it ironic that Ford is the very worst manufacturer for part number supercessions, mid-model-year parts changes, production shifts, and production variations? I've had an easier time finding parts for grey market Japanese forklifts over here!

(If you do find it ironic, tell us why. I want to make sure you're keeping up with the rest of the class...)


Amen brother!!! I worked for Ford dealer for 6 years in svc mgmt... Ford part supercessions are the absolute worst!!:banghead:

[heyhar]

Amen x2! Back in the day when I had Pintos, after "What year?" was the question "What month was it made?"

[SeansBlueXJ]

It's funny the level of ingorance out there, in college I was a mall cop, we had these "over night" forms if for some reason someone had to leave a car overnight we wouldnt tow it so long as we had their contact info. I saw a "ford surburban" and a "lexus jeep" among others. People don't know what they drive.

[5-90]

It's funny the level of ingorance out there, in college I was a mall cop, we had these "over night" forms if for some reason someone had to leave a car overnight we wouldnt tow it so long as we had their contact info. I saw a "ford surburban" and a "lexus jeep" among others. People don't know what they drive.

Is that anything like a guy I had come in one time, looking for parts for a "Montego Carlo" with a 302?

Doubly damning - GM actually did have a 302ci V8 engine - I think it was a Buick (and I believe the 307 was an Olds. But, I may have those reversed - it's been a while since I had to know that.)

Granted, management wasn't any better. I was actually asked one day (while I was in the back room on break) how many head gaskets went on a Small Block Chevvy. Being a smartass, I answered "Seven" without hesitation.

I came out front off of my break to see the manager standing opposite one of my regulars, the customer grinning like mad, and the manager on the phone with other stores trying to track down four more head gaskets (we only had three on the shelf - inventory hiccough.)

[WI88XJ]

Yeah, GM did have a 302 sbc for a short time. It was used in the Z28 Camaro from '67 thru '69.

Mechanical lifter cam, 11.0 compression, alum intake, headers,etc.

Then it went away.

Chebby also had the 307. A real turd for power. Came in Novas and a few other models.

[FlexdXJ]

Granted, management wasn't any better. I was actually asked one day (while I was in the back room on break) how many head gaskets went on a Small Block Chevvy. Being a smartass, I answered "Seven" without hesitation.



HAHAHAHA! :roflmao: Thats good stuff!

[Darky]

I work at Baxter auto parts

I hate all other parts houses
There dumb

Ha ha call and ask them for parts for and 83 corvette

They made an 82 and 84
Ha ha we do that when there's not much to do
Their brains are probably capable of correctly spelling they're over there, as well as using proper punctuation.

[Darky]

Is that anything like a guy I had come in one time, looking for parts for a "Montego Carlo" with a 302?

Doubly damning - GM actually did have a 302ci V8 engine - I think it was a Buick (and I believe the 307 was an Olds. But, I may have those reversed - it's been a while since I had to know that.)

Granted, management wasn't any better. I was actually asked one day (while I was in the back room on break) how many head gaskets went on a Small Block Chevvy. Being a smartass, I answered "Seven" without hesitation.

I came out front off of my break to see the manager standing opposite one of my regulars, the customer grinning like mad, and the manager on the phone with other stores trying to track down four more head gaskets (we only had three on the shelf - inventory hiccough.)
I believe Chevy or GMC also had a 302 6 cylinder (can't remember if it was I6 or V6)

[heyhar]

The inline six Chevy truck engine was a 292. I had a brand new '83 Chevy/Grumman bodied step van back in my potato chip days, and there was a sticker in the front quarter window proudly proclaiming that the 'engine in this vehicle is from Mexico'...never did run all that well. Ford had a 300 ci straight six for their trucks, and it found its way into passenger cars as well. Back in the early seventies, a buddy used to come around with his dad's '68 Custon 500. Quick for a big car, back in the day. Pop the hood, and right in the air cleaner, 3oo cubic inches.

[Darky]

Heh. For some reason I thought it was a 302. My uncle had a GMC camper and he said it was a 5.0 6 cyl. Must've been one of those times when people round the numbers up.

[ECKSJAY]

Is that anything like a guy I had come in one time, looking for parts for a "Montego Carlo" with a 302?

I have people come into the store looking for "roller flareheads" for their "Warren wenches". I shit you not. :rolleyes:

[5-90]

I believe Chevy or GMC also had a 302 6 cylinder (can't remember if it was I6 or V6)

I think there was a 302 V6 from GMC (1950's and 1960's,) and there was a GMC 702 V12 - it was two GMC V6-351's end-to-end, and it had four cylinder heads (two on each side.)

Going to a green counterman (or one that you know to be a Ford fanboi) and asking for parts for a V6-351 out of context is a lot of fun - kinda like going to Starbucks and ordering a plain, strong, black coffee.

I had my own share of strange customers as well:

Had a guy with a 1978 Jaguar Pickup. Yeah - he worked in a body shop, got hold of an old Jag, and cut it back into an El Camino. Did a pretty damned good job too - looked like it left the factory that way!

The 1972 Datsun pickup with 1985 Corvette running gear - from the fan to the rear axle, with the only change being the driveshaft. He used some variety of luggage latch to pop the wings off so he could change spark plugs. Almost bought it, too.

The mid-1980's Crown Vic with the Chevvy 400ci and THM700R4 behind it, going to a Ford 9". Why? Because he could, why else? And, like me, his favourite plaything was the human mind.

Had a guy come in to get parts for his runabout so he could do a tuneup. His RV was a converted Greyhound bus. His runabout stowed in the main luggage compartment between the axles. His runabout? 1970 Honda 600 (yes, it was a car. It used a motorcycle engine and transmission) with about 18" removed, converted to a two-seater, and a removable hardtop (that stowed in the rear luggage compartment on a crane.) I had to see this - the runabout stowed on a pull-out tray with ramps. WAY cool!

And idiots?
- The engineer measuring sockets with a vernier caliper. I know what you're thinking - he had to make sure it would fit down a hole (and if it's down a hole, why not use a socket head capscrew instead? That's what they're for.) But no, he was measuring the inside wrenching surface of the socket. Right.

- The guy looking for a tool to unlock lock washers. Genuine bona fide no-sh**er here - I've got witnesses! I couldn't convince him there was no such animal, so I ended up selling him a hammer and a cold chisel for about $75 as "specialty tools." "It is morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money." -W. C. Fields

- The guy who was told that the best way to remove road tar from the rocker panels was to use a good strong soap (I like Tide for this sort of thing,) in hot water and apply plenty of elbow grease - and he wanted to know if we had any? I couldn't help myself - "Yeah, it's back with the other greases. It's used to pack muffler bearings..."

I don't miss working behind the counter overall, but I should have taken notes of the weapons-grade stupid I encountered there. It would have made for an amusing book, I think...

[bjoehandley]

Granted, management wasn't any better. I was actually asked one day (while I was in the back room on break) how many head gaskets went on a Small Block Chevvy. Being a smartass, I answered "Seven" without hesitation.

I came out front off of my break to see the manager standing opposite one of my regulars, the customer grinning like mad, and the manager on the phone with other stores trying to track down four more head gaskets (we only had three on the shelf - inventory hiccough.)


Hahahahaha:thumbup:

[TiRod]

For all you know, the customer could have sourced the part original part from a junk yard and the customer may not know the exact make, model, or year.

Guilty - I had a '66 Mustang with '70 Maverick 302, some wide ratio Top Loader 4-spd, a driveshaft with u-joints, a '84 Grenada 9 inch (or maybe not,) '68 Mustang master cylinder, '66 Mustang disc spindles, '67 Cougar 4 pot calipers, a set of somebodies tri-y headers, '69 Torino 390 w a/c station wagon cut down front coil springs, '69 Mach I 4-speed rear leafs, and genuine Turbo mufflers.

My parts guy ribbed me a lot on these deals - but we now work for the same company since his dad sold to a major chain, and I still hold him up as a shining example of how to support a customer to get stuff done.

When I sold the car I gave a detailed list to the new owner, right down to the '71 Pinto handbrake.

Guy comes in and starts spouting off to the other counterman, Hey, I just got my chip reflashed and my (Korean import sedan with V-6) has 550 hp and runs 9's!

Frequent customer comes in to show off his finished Camaro - and this bitch can run close to that - he's always laid back, never needs to brag. Another brought his just finished rat rod '30's lakester roadster with ancient Kansas body stored outdoors since it last ran. Rust? Not so much considering he never painted the frame and left it outside to match.

Brother in law finished the 5 1/2" chop on his 49 Buick and I prodded "All ready to channel it over the frame?" and he said Yes before I could tell him I was joking. We then discussed what could be done with his stock '29 Chevy fordor, which was mostly leave it alone, rear mechanical brakes only notwithstanding.

And I'm selling my parts cars to finance leveling the ground for the garage pad. Old men have to have some place to putter after retirement, a Cobra kit or rat rod sounds like a nice hobby. I may buy a winch for the XJ just to help raise the timberframing during construction. It's getting to the point I treat it like a tractor anyway . . .

[Boatwrench]

Hmmm... reading these stories makes me rethink if I really want to work the parts counter for my next job.

[bigjeepman]

I have not had to deal with much auto parts stuff, but the motorcycle and boat business can be way worse at times.

The thing that irks me the most. The husband that talks to the wife while the wife is talking to me on the phone. Pick the damn phone up yourself and talk to me.

That irritates me more than anything else!

More great examples:

MercuryCruis(who made that?) it is Mercruiser!

Mercruis(again who,what) is is Mercruiser!

[GrimmJeeper]

The thing that irks me the most. The husband that talks to the wife while the wife is talking to me on the phone. Pick the damn phone up yourself and talk to me.

aahhh i HATE that.

Or, when the husband sends his wife to the store with half a broken something, and doesnt tell her what it is, and she has no idea even what kind of car its for, and gives me the blank stare when i say i cant tell her if i have one or not. :cry:

[5-90]

For all you know, the customer could have sourced the part original part from a junk yard and the customer may not know the exact make, model, or year.

True - but I still consider that their fault, because they didn't take notes. How big are a few index cards and a pen? I'd note make, model, year, engine, body, and write down the VIN (particularly if I pulled something off of a Ford) - but I'm just cranky that way.

It do make it easier to source replacement parts, tho...

@Boatwrench - if you want to work a parts counter, go ahead. You're probably more patient than I am - I'm still amazed that anyone at all survived when I quit smoking. There are still people who know what they're about out there, but you'll get your share of idiots (and don't forget the drones you're usually working with.)

You'd probably do well behind the counter - particularly because you've got a mechanical background, you're a mechanical hobbyist, and you won't really "need" the job anyhow (since you'll have been a retarded 30-year Coastie by then, right?) Having "F*** You" money always makes it easier to bear when things get stupid...

[TiRod]

I have not had to deal with much auto parts stuff, but the motorcycle and boat business can be way worse at times. The thing that irks me the most. The husband that talks to the wife while the wife is talking to me on the phone. Pick the damn phone up yourself and talk to me.

The boat and motorcycle owners can make things a lot less difficult if they would consider one very special fact: WE'RE NOT A BOAT OR MOTORCYCLE PARTS SUPPLIER, WE'RE AN AUTO PARTS HOUSE !!!!! And the same goes for all the Class 8 OTR shops looking for obscure Baldwin filter cross-references for a Case 580D backhoe.

Give us a minute, we're not trying to cop an attitude, it's simply that 1) Your special stuff is NOT in the computer, we will have to pull out a little used 1000 page catalog to look up your part 2) You better know exactly what it is your working on - there's a LOT of different kinds of backhoes in there, buddy, and the maker has been pretty indiscriminate over the years fitting engines to them. 3) Expect failure - the industry is distinctly separated into segments, and the boat, motorcycle, and OTR parts houses have a deal to prevent us from stocking what you want - it's their turf, not ours, anyway.


I've got a related thought, which I think points out some things:

HOW MANY OF US ORDER OVER THE INTERNET FOR LOCAL STORE PICKUP?

All the major chains offer this now - you look up the make, year, model, select a category, and then place your part in the shopping basket. Pay online, print a receipt, drive down, show your receipt and credit card, pickup the order already pulled, bagged, and waiting.

I'd say less than .01% of the members here can do that, much less the general public. Since starting 90 days ago, I have seen 0 - zip - nada - not one internet order at my store. I have seem one commercial customer at a previous store do it - he had worked at a parts house in a prior life.

My point: the general public can't navigate the screens, doesn't know their own vehicle, and won't stand to be caught looking dumb because they bought the wrong part. They don't want to face up to their mechanical illiteracy and are too proud to tolerate making a mistake - let the poor dumb kid do that, it's what he's underpaid to do . . .

[WB9YZU]

I've got a related thought, which I think points out some things:

HOW MANY OF US ORDER OVER THE INTERNET FOR LOCAL STORE PICKUP?

All the major chains offer this now - you look up the make, year, model, select a category, and then place your part in the shopping basket. Pay online, print a receipt, drive down, show your receipt and credit card, pickup the order already pulled, bagged, and waiting.

I'd say less than .01% of the members here can do that, much less the general public. Since starting 90 days ago, I have seen 0 - zip - nada - not one internet order at my store. I have seem one commercial customer at a previous store do it - he had worked at a parts house in a prior life.

My point: the general public can't navigate the screens, doesn't know their own vehicle, and won't stand to be caught looking dumb because they bought the wrong part. They don't want to face up to their mechanical illiteracy and are too proud to tolerate making a mistake - let the poor dumb kid do that, it's what he's underpaid to do . . .

I shop via on-line parts catalogs all the time. I use the on-line catalogs because they save me gas and time on the phone. No longer do I have to call around and ask a 1/2 dozen busy people to see if they have a part in stock, I can find that info on-line.

As far as your point: The general public probably doesn't know that many large parts stores have on-line look up. And as prevelant as the web seems to be, there are lots of folks who simply do not have a computer. That does not make them illiterate, or proud.

-Ron

[Darky]

I use the online lookup myself. Last time it was the wrong part. Trying to get a new aux fan relay for the Jeep, they sent me one with the right plugs, but a very wrong case. No chance of fitting. I returned it went down the road to NAPA and got the right one first try.

[TiRod]

2 out of 45,000 members isn't real good.

Perhaps it highlights the point - and I certainly understand the wrong part thing. I had a customer today looking for the right brake pads - and the listing in the book and online was flat wrong. Human error does occur, but the system does try to minimize it.

Unfortunatelly, the customer doesn't because he's not had to suck up his mistakes - the counter guy has to do that.

I had a really unique customer the other day who came in with her boyfriend on the recommendation of her ex-husband that we could do diagnosis. I explained, sure, we have a code reader, but no, she wanted me to get under the hood and find out why the vehicle was leaking water. It had overheated once already - and the radiator cap was tightened down.

Upshot was after explaining they need to loosen the cap, keep it filled, and take it to a mechanic that they insisted I find the leak which was coming from under the intake near this little hose right here and look at that, it's broke off from the connection - would that make it leak?

Well, folks, it looks like you figured it out after all.

Nobody tows their car to the parts house, but I guarantee they all leave one way or the other. I started the thread to have enthusiasts spread the word that a parts house is like a pharmacy, not the emergency room. Well, so far, we all agree there's no brain surgeons working there.

It was said before, the demand for cheaper parts just forces lower paid help. It's the public shooting themselves in the foot.

[Darky]

2 out of 45,000 members isn't real good.
Yes, but I'm fairly certain that the entire membership hasn't logged in, read your post and decided not to comment because they can't use the online lookup. The online lookup isn't hard. I'm pretty sure that if I told my wife what part I needed, she could look it up and order it for me.
That said, as my previous post illustrates, sometimes it just best to have the personal touch. Where the computer told me the wrong part, the counter man was able to compare and find the right one within 5 minutes.

[tbburg]

2 out of 45,000 members isn't real good.
Maybe the other 44,998 are like me. I realize I'm "old 'n busted", and getting older and busteder every day, but,...

What's the point? :dunno:

I use NAPA online to look up parts, but, 1) the closest NAPA is about 3 minutes away (less if I could ever catch that frickin' light green), and even ordering/paying online, I'd still have to drive down to pick it up, right?
and 2) I honestly don't mind spending a few minutes talking with the guys at the counter. They're not a bad bunch there.

My usual procedure is something like:
Figure out what I need. If I don't know, I'll go online and look it up(I don't find the screen navigation hard to use, by the way.)
Call NAPA.(usually, occasionally it's Airpark Jeep) Confirm availability and have them pull it for me.
Drive down, browse, pick up parts and pay.

I could spent another 10 or 15 minutes(or a lot more, in some cases)online, and save 10 or 15 minutes at the store, but to what end? Usually, I go in for brake fluid, an oil filter, etc, and walk out with 20 bucks worth of other stuff I remembered, or just wanted. If I ordered/paid online, They'd still have to run my card for the other stuff. Time saved = 0