Parts Store Inexperience

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blackace

blackace

The KING of flats
Joined
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I have a 94 Ford Thunderbird as my daily driver. The car was driving like I had bad miss in it and had given it a tune up about a year ago. I check it and I find out I have a bad spark plug wire. I remove the cap and rotor and its all gunked up. So I go on my way to the parts store. I stop over at Advanced Auto to pick the stuff up. Tell the kid at the counter that I want a set of spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor for a 3.8 liter. He then starts looking the stuff up and then to my amazement asks me if the motor was distributor less? I look at him like he has three heads and I state "Well I wouldn't be asking for a distributor cap if it didn't have a distributor". The he says that he didn't have the wires in stock. So I just said never mind and left and went over to Auto Zone. Not like they are any better but they had everything in stock. When I was leaving with my son I just chuckled about the whole thing. I never gave the kid an attitude just had a smile on my face the whole time laughing inside.

I have nothing against anyone who works there but if you're working at a parts store you should have some basic knowledge on cars / parts.
 
What I enjoy more is the pimply faced kid who is more wrapped up on talking to some chick on his cell phone while attempting to give me service.
 
I went into Auto Zone last week looking for spark plugs - Autolite 65's. The kid at the counter asked me what car they were for. I said I wasn't sure, he looked at me like I had three heads. I asked him to just look up Autolite 65 and see if they're in there. So he tried, said it wasn't in there. I said try again, he did, still not there. I peeked around to see what he was putting in:

"Autolights sixty5"

I said "try auto lite - ELL EYE TEE EEE". So he did:

"Auto lites sixty5"

I said "try auto lite without the s". Still nothing.

"Take out the space", I said.

Amazingly, he was able to find them. He said "I didn't know we carried any AutoLite stuff". I look at the wall of spark plug wires behind him... That all say "AutoLite".
 
I went to Checker to get a 90 amp Bosch alt tested off of a '89 Ramcharger that I got from Memike. The kid insisted that it was internally regulated. I let him know that if that was the case, it wouldn't have two field terminals. I got blank stare in return. Then he said that "but that's what the computer says".

I told him that computers are only as good as the input and, "let's just try something different and test it as externally regulated". He wouldn't have it so I walked out and drove to next Checker. I went through the same thing with him, but the difference being that the kid said "Cool! let's try it!" We fired up the machine with the code for an externally regulated Bosch we found on the computer and low and behold, it passed with flying colors (14.8 volts). The kid was genuinely thankful and said "Wow! Learn something new everyday."

I guess my point is to try to teach the youngsters without sounding too preachy and some will listen and be appreciative. It tries my patience on most of them, but it just may be worth your time.

BTW, I always go to the preceeding Checker now and the kid goes way out of his way to make sure I get what I need. I also wrote a letter to Checker in regards to his efforts. He may just become the manager.

Just a thought. :)
 
mikelbeck said:
I went into Auto Zone last week looking for spark plugs - Autolite 65's. The kid at the counter asked me what car they were for. I said I wasn't sure, he looked at me like I had three heads. I asked him to just look up Autolite 65 and see if they're in there. So he tried, said it wasn't in there. I said try again, he did, still not there. I peeked around to see what he was putting in:

"Autolights sixty5"

I said "try auto lite - ELL EYE TEE EEE". So he did:

"Auto lites sixty5"

I said "try auto lite without the s". Still nothing.

"Take out the space", I said.

Amazingly, he was able to find them. He said "I didn't know we carried any AutoLite stuff". I look at the wall of spark plug wires behind him... That all say "AutoLite".
Click to expand...

Oh man.....That's bad, lol!
 
LOL, I just love when they listen. I had a similar exp. the other day. I just looked at the kid and yell loudly, Miiiiiiiiike, I need you up front! Mike is allways around and has more years behind the counter than the kids working it.

He he he. Mike comes around the corner, "Heeeeeey, whatcha need brother! Move over kid, check this out.

Service! Ya baby!
 
I went in to the parts house the other day and asked for a pair of #63 Jets for a Holley carb. The kid pauses in his cell phone coversation long enough to ask what car I'm working on. I tell him I'm not working on a car, just the carburetor. That's when the major fog closed in. He says what is the carburetor on? I said it's not on anything right now, I'm just kitting it so it will be ready when I'm ready to use it. There are no jets in it and I figure 63 will be a good starting point. He says I can't help you if you don't know what car it's on. So I said, "It's an aftermarket Holley R1850-AAS but just a pair of plain old style large Holley jets in #63, 64 or 65 is all I want." The kid says,"just a minute." and walks around the corner so as not to suffer from cell phone withdrawl. I hear him talking to the person on the other end about the additional horsepower he is getting and how hard it is on his tires....blah, blah, blah. He finally comes back and asks if I remembered what kind of car it is yet?! So, I said it will be going on a 1964 Barracuda but your computer won't list it under that car because it's an aftermarket carb. The kid lays his cell phone on the counter, leans forward like Mr. Bigshot and says, "We don't handle any of the aftermarket stuff here, you'll have to get that from the dealership." As I'm heading out the door trying to refrain from laughing out loud I hear him tell his buddy on the other end of the phone, "I just had another idiot in here who didn't even know what car he was working on!"
 
blackace said:
I have a 94 Ford Thunderbird as my daily driver. The car was driving like I had bad miss in it and had given it a tune up about a year ago. I check it and I find out I have a bad spark plug wire. I remove the cap and rotor and its all gunked up. So I go on my way to the parts store. I stop over at Advanced Auto to pick the stuff up. Tell the kid at the counter that I want a set of spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor for a 3.8 liter. He then starts looking the stuff up and then to my amazement asks me if the motor was distributor less? I look at him like he has three heads and I state "Well I wouldn't be asking for a distributor cap if it didn't have a distributor". The he says that he didn't have the wires in stock. So I just said never mind and left and went over to Auto Zone. Not like they are any better but they had everything in stock. When I was leaving with my son I just chuckled about the whole thing. I never gave the kid an attitude just had a smile on my face the whole time laughing inside.

I have nothing against anyone who works there but if you're working at a parts store you should have some basic knowledge on cars / parts.
Click to expand...

those guys at parts stores just piss me off. but most newer cars are distributor less. kinda makes me wonder what kinda stuff the people there actually know. go in and ask for spark plugs for a diesel. theyll look it up. ( that guys got his wheels on upside down) lol. dummys
 
I understand that most are distributor less but why would I be asking a distributor cap and rotor for a distributorless car? That just like you said ask for spark plugs for a diesel. LMAO!!!!!

Thats what made it so funny.
 
Grim, thats when I take the time for a manger and phone calls to any upper boss to complain loudly and often about it. I also have no problem embelishing a story without lying.

Tell the story exactly the way it happened from a discuntled and almost over the top point of view.

WHY! Is this kid on the phone and ignoring me?
Why must I wait 10 min.s and suffer threw his story to his bud on the phone about how much HP he making and he doesn
t know anything about a Holley carb jet?
He insists to his freind that I have no idea what I'm talking about when ......

Sorry dude, theres no mercy with me on crap like this.

If it were me, he'd be nothin but splatted guts under my tires when I was done.
 
damn, I guess this is nationwide problem. I thought that I was the only one that could never get what I needed at a parts store. For some reason is you can't tell the kid behind the counter exactly what year car you are working on, then you are screwed. Every time I go to the parts store I blow there mind when I ask for a part. First they have to call the other guy over. Then you have to re-tell that guy what you are working on. And after ten minutes of that **** he gets the other guy that's kinda knows how to get the books out, cause there computer don't go back that far. And maybe then they can order the part you need now in a couple days. I refuse to go to Autozone anymore. I actually have a local Napa that still have a few oldtimers that can help you. Yea, they are a little higher on the same part, but the time and headache you save is totally worth it.
 
He he he. Only when I read exper. like poor ol'Grim had.

Thats why I smiled at the kid (Post above) and yelled loudly for the man!

I actually do not mind going slow with the kids most of the time. In a rush... I gotta go else where.
I don't mind explaining things. But bull headed snotty kids.........Ya, my mood darkens quick.

Local NAPA store has a old time like guy, he aint that old, but has the brain for it. Old schooler.
He has his 2 sons working for him. There young and very young, but, there attentive and on the ball a whole lot better than the OE posters jack *** counter men.

At least, when the kid at the local NAPA doesn't know, he says it right away and will listen to the problem struggling to se and understand while I wait for Dad to come up. The kid sticks around and listens to what Dad and I say and what Dad does.

That my freinds, is a great thing and probably, more than likely, my future "Parts Man"
 
rumblefish360 said:
He he he. Only when I read exper. like poor ol'Grim had.

Thats why I smiled at the kid (Post above) and yelled loudly for the man!

I actually do not mind going slow with the kids most of the time. In a rush... I gotta go else where.
I don't mind explaining things. But bull headed snotty kids.........Ya, my mood darkens quick.
Click to expand...

No doubt! The cell phone crap is bull. :axe:
 
grimreaper said:
I went in to the parts house the other day and asked for a pair of #63 Jets for a Holley carb. The kid pauses in his cell phone coversation long enough to ask what car I'm working on. I tell him I'm not working on a car, just the carburetor. That's when the major fog closed in. He says what is the carburetor on? I said it's not on anything right now, I'm just kitting it so it will be ready when I'm ready to use it. There are no jets in it and I figure 63 will be a good starting point. He says I can't help you if you don't know what car it's on. So I said, "It's an aftermarket Holley R1850-AAS but just a pair of plain old style large Holley jets in #63, 64 or 65 is all I want." The kid says,"just a minute." and walks around the corner so as not to suffer from cell phone withdrawl. I hear him talking to the person on the other end about the additional horsepower he is getting and how hard it is on his tires....blah, blah, blah. He finally comes back and asks if I remembered what kind of car it is yet?! So, I said it will be going on a 1964 Barracuda but your computer won't list it under that car because it's an aftermarket carb. The kid lays his cell phone on the counter, leans forward like Mr. Bigshot and says, "We don't handle any of the aftermarket stuff here, you'll have to get that from the dealership." As I'm heading out the door trying to refrain from laughing out loud I hear him tell his buddy on the other end of the phone, "I just had another idiot in here who didn't even know what car he was working on!"
Click to expand...

Next time talk to his manager and state that this service is "completely unacceptable and it's obvious you want me to take my business elsewhere". Another little trick my father in law uses is immediately calling the person who is serving him by their name. For some reason by using their name, you kind of establish some type of weird hold on said person. Trust me guys, it works. I've seen my father in law get all kinds of special service by using little tricks like this.
 
I also try to use my local NAPA where there is a bit more experience behind the counter. There is even one young guy there who will quickly admit to not knowing about the old cars and will readily accept assistance and then thank me for helping him learn. That is actually where I got the carb kit.....I guess I should have known not to go to the store that was open in the evening instead of the usual NAPA because my experiences at those are usually disappointing, but I thought anyone could sell me a couple of jets!
 
moparsegura said:
I refuse to go to Autozone anymore.
Click to expand...

The only reason I go there is they have a lifetime warranty on most parts... I keep getting new rotors, brake pads, etc for free.

rumblefish360 said:
Local NAPA store has a old time like guy, he aint that old, but has the brain for it. Old schooler.
He has his 2 sons working for him. There young and very young, but, there attentive and on the ball a whole lot better than the OE posters jack *** counter men.
Click to expand...

I'm going there tomorrow, I'll look for the old guy. ;-)
 
Went into the parts store one day. Asked for plugs for a 1970 Dodge Dart with a 340. He looks in his computer and then informs me a 70 Dart never came with a 340. I say yes it did. He tells me no if it did it would be in the computer. So after a few minutes of this I tell him look up a 70 Challinger 340That worked.
 
It's good to see that I'm not the only one experiencing this phenomenon.

The last time I went to a certain nearby parts store cost about 35 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. I grabbed some brake cleaner and brake fluid and went to the counter to purchase a nice puller set. I did the "loaner tool" thing when rebuilding the Jeep motor, so I know what they have and what it costs. I tell the lad in the baggy pants behind the counter what I want and he immediately goes into the "What year? What make? etc." thing. Okay. I'll play along. He's scrolling through screens of stuff for a while before asking "What was the part called?" I explain that it's not a part, but a tool that should be listed under "puller set" under the "tools" category. Unfortunately, the blinders are on. He types in "polar", and oddly enough, nothing comes up. At this point I'm still slightly amused by his choice of vocation given his elusive aptitudes. [about 20 minutes pass with no results] "I guess we don't carry that part, sir." he says. By now, the sensation of amusement had long passed and my thoughts are turning toward pulling him across the counter in hopes of establishing some communication (but ultimately decided against it).

It is abundantly clear that I should exit before an impulse screws up my plans for the week. I tell the punk to forget it and just ring up the chemicals. The total comes to something like $5.36. I have a five, a twenty, and no change. I hand the kid the twenty. He pauses for a moment and asks "So you don't have $5.36?". Oh. Wow. Maintain discipline. I kept my cool, dropped my speaking voice by a half-octave and said distinctly "If I [expletive deleted]ing had the exact amount, I'd give you the exact [expletive deleted]ing amount. Is it too [expletive deleted]ing complicated to make change? The [expletive deleted]ing computer figures it out for you. If you're done with your slack-jawed staring session, let's finish this. The clock is ticking."

Amazingly, I didn't have to give a physics demonstration. What happened to the days when dudes working parts counters had at least touched a wrench? I'll waste time pretending to look at air fresheners until the old guy is free from now on.
 
i work at a parts store.
if i can't figure anything out, my boss is a fountain of knowledge.
ill go the extra mile for most people, but others that come in are just jackasses.
and if i hear anything mopar or performance related im on it quick.
ill bust out the books and anything that will possibly help me, calling other stores, friends at the dealer, you name it!
 
MoParMetal said:
i work at a parts store.
if i can't figure anything out, my boss is a fountain of knowledge.
ill go the extra mile for most people, but others that come in are just jackasses.
and if i hear anything mopar or performance related im on it quick.
ill bust out the books and anything that will possibly help me, calling other stores, friends at the dealer, you name it!
Click to expand...


I do to o wait its the same company, My store is the only one with competent people and the local people know it. The reason you have the kids on cell phones is because "parts" stores don't pay very well and they don't train. The store down the street hired a babbling idiot and decided to pay him more then me, now why would I stay with the company? Im not. I found a dealership that is willing to may a lot more. sorry about the rant but but idiots at the parts store piss me off the give me a bad rep
 
I am lovin' this thread. Here's mine. Went into the local NAPA looking for a bypass hose for my 69 340 Dart. The kid asked me what kind of car so I told him. He then brought out 5 different hoses none of which would fit. I then told him to look up a 1987 Dodge D series pickup with a V8. 2 minutes later the right hose magically appeared on the counter and I went on my merry way. Now, an old school parts guy would have said, 'early small block mopar? I got just what you need'. I'm thinking the computer systems are organized ***-backward.
 
Lack of training, in store management problem, poor pay, main company's issue and the wonderful lack of actual work ethic, partly to blame from the parents, is how this happens.

I figure IF your on the phone, it's your parents or wife calling you for something important and not to babble on the latest hop up mod on your car or what movie is coming out or etc......

But a call to come home for the emegency GOD forbid or something short like, get eggs and milk, baby formula and some hot dogs. Thats something I could live with. The call is short and ethier you'll be with me in a second or FLYIN out the door layin wheels to get somewhere

It's a Biz, run it like it's a biz or be out.
 
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