Funniest lines from the parts counter

Never had a problem with any parts man and even been given some good tips.
Have heard a few really stid customer comments in years past.

 

Good thing you didn't have a 3cyl. Chevy Sprint! That would have REALLY blown his mind (not that it's really a car anyway! A Navy buddy of mine bought one to deliver pizzas in. Seemed he couldn't make any money in the hot rodded 429 powered Bronco he'd just finished! I wonder why.......;-)

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Alright, here's one for the customer side of the counter.....I was in O'Rielly's the other day, and the manager was helping me (he's a pretty sharp guy), and the kid at the next station over from us is selling this old crusty guy a battery for a BEAT Mercedes 240 D. As this transaction is going down, the guy tells the counterman, he might need another one next week for a Saab that's been sitting in his back yard for the last 15 years. I'm biting the insides of my cheeks trying to keep from laughing! So as soon as the guy's out the door, the manager asks me "What's so funny?" I said "Might doesn't belong ANYWHERE in that sentence" and he lost it too!

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We had a couple of Geo Metros for deliveries. The windows always fell into the door or were coming out of the channel.

We were in a pinch so I used it once to pick up an order of motor oil from the warehouse. I loaded the whole thing, even the passenger seat.
It was only about a mile drive but that thing felt like the front wheels were off the ground the whole way, talk about understeer. Haha

 

Great thread, I'm sitting here laughing my ass off! You should make a book out of this, someone ( with more ambition than me). I love going in to buy shit when you're building a hot rod---Body? 1930 Ford---Really? 1930?--Yup, honest to God----Well what is it you need?--- A flex plate for a 1985 Ford Mustang 302.-------But I thought----Wait a minute, I better get the Manager ( who's 20 and into tuners)---What is it you need, Dude?---flex plate---Does it have AC?-----Nope----Nothings coming up, man. You'll have to come back when the other Manager is here-----I kinda figured that, thanks. Went across the highway to another parts store, told the girl what I needed. She says"Wait a sec"--- came back with a CATALOG, and said "It'll be here tommoro by 9 am"---- And everyone wonders why this country is all f#cked up? Good thing there's a few people left who can think without a GD computer!

 

we had some too , good reliable cars in Chicago proper they were perfect for tight parking spaces , and we could park all 4 in the garage at once , the wagons we had prior you could only fit 2 , and it sucked coming to work and finding your delivery vehicle on the ground when they stole the tires . they never bothered the geos

 

Back in the day all the drivers had the habit of leaving the keys in the car during deliveries.

Early one morning before the guy that would drive the delivery truck came in, an urgent order came up. The owner let Ralph(same guy from earlier story) take his brand new Eddie Bauer Bronco to the warehouse to get the part.

A few minutes later a phone call comes in, somebody saw the Bronco sitting with the keys in it and stole it.

We sent somebody to pick up Ralph at the warehouse. He walks in all bummed, tail between his legs.

Not an hour had passed and another joker that worked there told the owner in front of Ralph "hey Daryl, Ralph wants to know if he can borrow the Cadillac next?(his wife's car, she worked there too)"

We were all like "too soon dude, too soon" (nodding our head)haha

 

Few weeks ago, a guy (I know) came in for points for his '62 Galaxy w/406. We had 'em! He was shocked as I was...

 

That is because the Ford dual point distributors use the same points as the 6 cylinders.

 

Guy in a wheelchair comes in picks up a headset. He didn't fit through the register so he hands the gasket set to his buddy to pay.
Dingy cashier sees the guy in the wheelchair leave with the gasket set and freaks out. "That guy didn't pay for that!!"
Ralph runs out. Does he say "excuse me sir"? No. Runs, grabs the guy in the wheelchair( yes not going to end well)
"I can believe you, stealing, and in a wheelchair!"
Guy pulls out the receipt. We look like fools and apologize. Cashier starts crying cause she messed up.

Did I mention Ralph still works the parts counter? I still see him once in a while.

 

This happened to me a few times.

I had customers come in to pick up machine work(heads cranks etc) and I couldn't find any paperwork on it.
Me "do you have a work order? I don't see anything back there"
Them " no"
Me "when did you drop it off?"
Them " about 5-6 years ago"
Me "huh?"
Them " I was away" lol

I would just pass them on to the owner. I was 20 yrs old and didn't have the skill to tactfully respond to tattoo teardrop guy.

 

Oh oh......Our times are a changin'

 

That's nothing, I had a kid in a hardware store ask me what's a pop rivet.

 

I have asked "where are your fasteners? " at the counter once, the guy said "we dont have those here". I had to explain to him what I meant. "Oh, nuts and bolts, right"

 

That is my biggest pet peave. No crime in not knowing something but when you say "we don't have that" or don't bother asking another employee for help, that pisses me off.

Had my first bad experience with Napa because of this a couple of weeks ago. It was Sunday and only one counter guy was working. I asked him for a 3/8 fuel line. He tells me they only carry 3/8 brake line. Ok, no problem, I let that slide.

Then I ask him for a coupler. He looks confused. I ask him if I can look through their fittings. He tell me "we don't carry any fittings"

That was the first thing I would teach the new guys. If you don't know, ask! Takes a second to say "I'm not sure, let me check" and ask another employee.

 

I always crack up when I see the Rock Auto commercial. Kid working the counter with his skull shirt.
"Uuuuuh. We might be able to get some from the warehouse." Haha

 

It is a little sad, when customers and shop owners don't talk the same language!

But on the other hand, we must stop and ask us self a very important question: stuff that takes me most of my adult life to learn, we blame youngsters for not knowing. No blame here, I often do make the same mistake.
But there should be an age requirement in any shop, 60% of all shop personal should be over 40 and have work with the product for at least a decade. Like if you wants to work at NAPA, you should be a skilled mechanic.

And every young kid they hire needs to be eager to learn, and never walk around with out and "adult" teacher around, until they are capable to work alone.
This will me that the 10% of the good customers will be more happy about the service they get.
And to pay for the extra skilled labor, they should raise the price on parts sold to non-qualified buys, because it costs more to service the lame/slow/ignorant.

But the best solution is often so fare out, that even reasonable shop owner will laugh in your face, if you propose this.

The only good solution except my first one would be to color coat employees: one dot for I work here because I need the money, up to 5 dots I used to be a full time mechanic. And so one with 5dots and a eyeball with wings; I can make 39 backing plates work with 41 brakes on a 32 axle with split bones that is flipped left to right to lower it with a suiside mount. And install a 40 front spring in the rear to make a 32 lower.

And also know that it means a hole car of one brand, and don't need to ask for a make when people says a; 32, 55, deuce, 5W, 50 merc, tri-five, doghouse or Advanced Design Truck.

Stuff to think about, and maybe try to implement. Because then there will still be jobs for Cosmo and Ralph in the future too! ️

 

In the early '80s I worked at a well known real auto part store in Milwaukee. The store was located in one of the worst parts of the city. If anything was left in a vehicle or it would disappear. While loading our trucks for delivery we had to have some stand guard so nothing would walk off. One of the drivers was the owners favorite employee and always had the newest delivery vehicle in the fleet. One day one of the regular crappy trucks took a puke so the favorite had to give up his new truck for the day. Later in the day he had to pick up some parts so he used his personal car which was a perfect rust free Camaro he was very proud of. He came back from picking up the parts with his arms full. After he dropped the parts off on the receiving counter he stood around for a few minutes and then realized he had left his keys in the car's trunk lock. He ran outside and found he car gone. About week later the towing company that towed cars for the city notified him that they had his car. He picked up the car and other than having a smashed center consol, loose seats and missing wheels the car was in pretty good shape, considering. He got the car back together and drove it to work. The first day he drove it I asked if he had the locks re keyed. He was a real smart ass and blew off my idea that since they sold the car using his keys they still had them and would probably come back for it. He just laughed at my idea. The car was gone within the week and the second time it was found it was totally trashed.

 

that's it! one of, if not THE best comedies ever!

 

And about the only funny thing in this whole thread!

Mick

 

Yeah but he's a paid professional.

Here's the last 3 minutes. Great stuff.

 

This is a funny one .....but funnier yet I got to thinking with no physical stores or counter folks at all, their stuff has no choice but come from a warehouse or sub contracted parts store. it'd be funny to see a flip side commercial made by a big chain store showing a room of cubicles' full of skull shirted computer kids with headsets taking phone orders. Well I think it's funny, but both scenarios are often sad but true. Flux

 

At my
Local Napa, I can get head gaskets, carb. rebuild kits and even complete tune up kits for my 51 merc flathead right over the counter. Some stores are better than others.

 

I went to my local autozone and ask for a resistor wire for a 1963, Chevy C20. The guy gets on his computer and says, "we don't carry those, we only have these blocks", as he shows me the picture of a ballast resistor. I said "That'll work, if it's the correct resistance. What's the ohm value on it? How many volts will it drop?". The guy clears the screen on the computer and says, "Awe man, that's not important, cars don't even use those anymore"........

So I found a NAPA that was open the next day.

 

I've coined a new term: "YouTube mechanic".

Anyone need a definition??

Thought not. They ARE scary, in the sense that I may have to share the road with these, um, Brain Surgeons.

We may have to licence screwdrivers...a class in their use would be but a thumb into the dike of ignorance...

Cosmo

P.S. As anyone who has manned a parts counter will tell you, when the customer shows up with his *smart* phone in hand, the day will very quickly turn, um, interesting.

 

had a guy come in yesterday that said we had sold him the wrong oil filter as he sets down the new and the old , oily messy one on the counter. i cross the the old number and it comes back as the new one we sold him , i look it up by application and it it's the same number

i ask him "what is wrong about it?"

his response... " my old was was white , the one you sold me is black"

 

You just can't make this shit up, folks...

 

I just found another video, probably made by the same people who made the last one.
"parts counter person fun"

 

In 1984-85 I worked the counter at the Auto Part Mart in Abilene, TX, I worked nights and weekends while I went to school up the street. Most nights were slow as you can imagine, a fine time to catch up on school work. I was sitting at the counter studying late one night when I noticed a white pick-up truck with a head-ache rack circling the store slowly. I was becoming curious when an obviously intoxicated Texan of roughly 60+ years of age entered the store. Dressed in the appropriate attire of the day as I recall; soiled tee shirt and well worn dungaree over-all's, the gentleman entered the store cursing and clamoring. I asked him what I could for him and he replied while he staggered through the aisles "why in hell did y'all take out the f'n drive-up winder"?.

I had to laugh as you see the liqueur store just down the street had a drive up window and the gentleman was obviously in the wrong establishment. I explained the situation to him politely, he put down his 32 ounce bottle of motor flush and drove off...in the wrong direction. Typical Tuesday night on East Hwy 80.