Parts Store Rant, the other side of the story

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That being said, I was at the parts store yesterday and the this place always has the right part. I odered a headlight for my Trailblazer and I got home. The part store being 20 minutes away. He gave me the wrong one. Last night being Sunday, they closed at 6. Its a pain. Now I have to go the the part store and do it all over again.
 
I ran the local schucks hear in caldwell idaho for 5yrs yes most of my employes where dumbasses when it came to cars none who knows anything about cars will work for 8.00hr. But at the same time most cust are jusst as bad if not worse.
Like the ones that just know all sbc are all the same and so forth. For all you shop guys yes all our delivery ppl are girls for a reasion gives you motivation to call them back out and spend more $$$ lol. Just a tip if you need perts that are dealer specific when you go in to the dealer tell them you work for a parts house in the area most of them have accounts set up and you can get anywhere from 10-40% off your parts :)
 
I went to autozone yesterday and I was asked what I needed. I said just some transmission fluid for a Plymouth. The guy had a puzzled look on his face and asked if that is a GM product. I laughed and said no it's MOPAR.
 
I believe it goes both ways.

I found most (not all) of the guys working in the part stores around here have no clue about anything they are selling and if they can't find it in the computer, they just say they can't get it even if they do stock it. Luckily an O' Reilly's opened up down the street and they know what they're doing.

I agree though that people need to know what they are working on before they start asking for parts, my uncle worked at the local Advanced about 20 years ago and he had a guy walk in and asked for some spark plugs for a Buick deuce & a quarter, when he asked what year, the guy didn't know, when he asked what engine, the guy didn't know, he said he needed more info, the guy said the car is blue.



gts340 said:
That being said, my local AutoZone sucks. I tried about ten years ago to get a part time job there. I had worked as a parts/service writer/tire salesman at two different jobs for a few years, and had also been a GM dealership tech. I knew catalogs and computers. I turned in my application and took the computer based automotive quiz to see if I knew enough abut cars or not. The lady said it would take 45 minutes. Well, it didn't. It took about five it was so easy. They kept the hiring sign up and never hired me...
I figured I knew too much. This was the store tht ALWAYS gave me the wrong parts, and I was one of those guys who happened to know what it was I was working on.
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That's exactly it, the manager at our local Autozome knew cars and even had a few real nice ones himself, but when I asked him about a part time job, he told me they would never hire me unless I acted like I knew nothing about cars because they didn't want people with knowledge behind the counter. From what he said, they figured that a knowledged person would not sell someone parts they knew they wouldn't need but someone who knew nothing of cars would sell them whatever they ask for.
 
Blownfish said:
I believe it goes both ways.

I found most (not all) of the guys working in the part stores around here have no clue about anything they are selling and if they can't find it in the computer, they just say they can't get it even if they do stock it. Luckily an O' Reilly's opened up down the street and they know what they're doing.

I agree though that people need to know what they are working on before they start asking for parts, my uncle worked at the local Advanced about 20 years ago and he had a guy walk in and asked for some spark plugs for a Buick deuce & a quarter, when he asked what year, the guy didn't know, when he asked what engine, the guy didn't know, he said he needed more info, the guy said the car is blue.






That's exactly it, the manager at our local Autozome knew cars and even had a few real nice ones himself, but when I asked him about a part time job, he told me they would never hire me unless I acted like I knew nothing about cars because they didn't want people with knowledge behind the counter. From what he said, they figured that a knowledged person would not sell someone parts they knew they wouldn't need but someone who knew nothing of cars would sell them whatever they ask for.
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That is true to a point on the other hand they also limit there lyability that way because iff they have a bunch of so called mech. behind the counter and they give bad advice on how to fix somethin that custer in this day and age might try to sue the store its a hole lot easyer to have the clueless button pushers then the a.s.e. p2 certs behind the counter.
 
the one I love is when I call the performance parts place and ask for the composite intake gaskets for a 318 and he says yup we got it. I say make sure they're the ones for a 318 I don't want the ones for a 360. he says yup we got it. I say are you sure? he says yup. I drive 20 miles past the local AutoZone to get the gaskets and sure enough they're for a 360. I say I would like to talk to the manager and the very same guy who kept saying yup is the guy in front of me and he says he's the owner.
it makes me wonder what makes people go into the business if they aren't interested enough to know at least a little about cars. also if a customer makes the point several times maybe the parts guy should double check.
sometimes I feel like a bank robber, I have to say "just do as I say and nobody gets hurt!"
on the other hand, a good parts person is worth much more than they are paying him or her, and you should make sure they know you appreciate them.:-D
 
My ***** is the parts counter where the one person there is clearly overwhelmed. You've stood in line for 1/2 an hour and it's finally your turn, the phone rings and he has to spend the next 10 minutes dealing with the customer on the phone. I know it's because the store owner won't staff his store properly, but sheesh!
 
PartsGuy said:
I ran the local schucks hear in caldwell idaho for 5yrs yes most of my employes where dumbasses when it came to cars none who knows anything about cars will work for 8.00hr. But at the same time most cust are jusst as bad if not worse.
Like the ones that just know all sbc are all the same and so forth. For all you shop guys yes all our delivery ppl are girls for a reasion gives you motivation to call them back out and spend more $$$ lol. Just a tip if you need perts that are dealer specific when you go in to the dealer tell them you work for a parts house in the area most of them have accounts set up and you can get anywhere from 10-40% off your parts :)
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from list price
 
blowfish we had a parts guy always told us the buick story what kind on car do you have a buick what model. i gots me a spitzer that was the dearler name on the trunk.SBGARRCUDA i always felt bad for the lady book keeper she would go through all the invoices and pull the cards and reorder everything. before 4.00. for 2.50 hour, i got min wage 1.95 hour at the time.als
 
I give you parts guys and gals allot of credit...i would not like your jobs at all.....i have been that jerk guy before and thought I knew what part i needed and I was wrong......I brought back the part and a six pack....
 
:cheers:
chasduster said:
I give you parts guys and gals allot of credit...i would not like your jobs at all.....i have been that jerk guy before and thought I knew what part i needed and I was wrong......I brought back the part and a six pack....
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thank u we need more people like u i love my job
 
alsdemon said:
blowfish we had a parts guy always told us the buick story what kind on car do you have a buick what model. i gots me a spitzer that was the dearler name on the trunk.SBGARRCUDA i always felt bad for the lady book keeper she would go through all the invoices and pull the cards and reorder everything. before 4.00. for 2.50 hour, i got min wage 1.95 hour at the time.als
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Damn boy you as old as me!
 
i remember hilling potaoes for .50 hour when i was 12. 10hour days but they gave us water . boy was i a tool. and did not know it. als
 
Yea i worked at a T.B.A. parts store in albany Ga 20 years ago, But i got asked twice while there for plugs for a deuce & aquarter, Can't tell you how many times they'd ask for parts and i'd ask which engine, Uh i don't know can you walk out and look We had a choice of 4 prices we could give, I'd tell em 275 per plug they'd say i can get em for 69cents at western auto, I'd Say better go there, But i was selling my freinds cheap parts carbkits 4 bucks, rotorbutton 40 cents,Cap 120, Come to think about it I had alot more freinds back then
 
hemi62valiant said:
.I also would get upset when I had to tell the customer in front of me to wait while I answer phones..The idea was the customer in front of you was already in the store...get the guy on the phone to come in..very rude in my opinion..
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I love the phone. I've actually reached across the counter at AZ and hung the phone up by pushing the button when the parts guy answered the phone and I was standing there. And this was waiting patiently after him dealing with three other customers ahead of me and answering the phone on them, too. By that time my patience was out.
"What the hell?" he asked.
"Look, dumbass, I'm standing right here with the f***in' money in my f***in' hand buying the f***in' part. That guy is sitting at home calling everyone in the f***in' phone book to get the best price. You want my money? I'm first in f***in' line. Or if you'd rather I can leave and find someone who wants my business." The kid wasn't happy with me and the manager tried to explain that it was corporate policy. I told the manager to give me corporates' number so I could talk to those s***heads.
Doesn't happen with the NAPA store I deal with. Or the Carquest, where the customer in front of you is the customer who is actually buying for the part.
 
i know all the guys a t my local AZ and 4 out of 5 know their stuff one even has a 440 duster I have bought parts from him but I also used to work there so when I go in I just grab an empty computer and look up my own parts and let them get the parts from the back I was told that custmers are allowed to look up their own parts but no one tells them that so next time your in O-zone get on a computer and see what they say
 
shiifty_dart said:
I was told that custmers are allowed to look up their own parts but no one tells them that so next time your in O-zone get on a computer and see what they say
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Our local AZ moved the computers around so they face the customer now so you could look up your own parts.
 
there is no way i could work at a parts counter. was friends with the manager at a carquest in Az. if i ever needed to be entertained i would just go hang out with him. some of the questions he had to answer were to much. But then again I don't think I could have ever had a job dealing with the public. I used to go out once a day and collect the mail from in front of the postal facility I worked at, had to deal with some very interesting folks.....
 
I sold parts jobber and retail, ended my career as an asst. manager for Car Quest. A quality person can answer a phone and handle the walk in's at the same time. We had 5 lines in and a direct line to Sears who was our biggest account. Sundays I was there alone...lol. That's what note pads and what I called "Parts shorthand" come from. The first post about "they're all the same..." reminded me of a guy asking for "a starter for my Chevy truck. It's a 350." So I hit the book and asked all the questions. I got attitude and finally he says "Look. I don't know how long you've been doing this... But Chevy350s are all the same so just give me a starter for one..." We had the starers and alternators on the 2nd floor, so I went up, grabbed 5 starters in boxes that were listed in the catalog for 350/5.7L turcks, and dumped them on the counter in front of him. Then I started opening them one at a time pointing out tings like clock position, grounding studs, nose cones, etc. I said "I'm a mopar guy, and I've probably got more time behind a counter than you think. (I was 22, but worked jobber parts 6 years by then) If you can get past the 'it's all the same' bull **** I'm sure we have a starter for you..." He was a regular customer after that and never questioned when we questioned him for anything. Now I go in places with the attitude that the person helping may not know as much but is doing their best. I worked retail based parts too. That sucks. They are like the Wally Worlds of auto parts and staffed/trained accordingly.
 
im also standing behind the counter sometimes,buts its just exhaust and to be honest i can see why people get upset,but i can also see the problem from the other side of the counter when someone wants some tailpipes for a 70dart and i know just as good as the customer that i could get away with the same tailpipes from 67-76 but its just not that way its in the catalog and for good reason since those tailpipes are made to fit toghteter with a lot of diferent frontpipes and muffler combinationts, its just the same as the example above about starters for chevy trucks.. from time to time customers come back and have a problem with say a tailpipe not fitting and many times its because he or she doesnt have the frontpipes made for that application or the customer doesnt even realise that that mess of "homedesigned frontpipes/wrong offset muffler is what gives him the problem in the first place, so im alitle sick of the mentality that i sometimes get from the customers also,but most are understanding and i and the guys i work with try very hard to get the right part for the customer nomather what his atitude is in the first place and nomather how f****** up the catalogsystem may be in the first place im just glad some of the catalogflipping can be avoided with some experience, i have worked at the same place for 9 years now and i still learn alot of new stuff both from customers and catalogs and experience all the time :)
 
I am real lucky as far as parts stores go. I have been friends with the assistant manager of my primary place for 30 years. And his staff know their stuff. The second place a childhood friend owns and he takes care of me personally. His staff isn't as good as the first place but they aren't bad. The third place, which is where I buy my paint, has a fellow car enthusiest as the paint expert. I am also friends with the son of the owner of the local Dodge dealership and he runs the parts department. I also went to school with one of the counter guys there. I get Bubba prices or better at all these places.

I guess I have been blessed as far as getting parts. LOL

Jack
 
So, everybody has thoughts on what makes a good or bad counterguy, but what makes a good or bad customer?
 
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