Where did the brains go in the parts counter guys?

one place iv always had good service when i was playing air cool vw's ( Karl's Custom VW - Mesa, AZ ) they rocked. they knew there vw's. but this is probably cause its such a nich market for air cool vw parts. also, loved the discount they gave if you were a regular.. great customer service.. cant drive a stick anymore, so iv retired from the vw crowed.. sheds a tear.. herbie!!!!!!!!!!
chris.

 

You know I always get sucked into these threads for the simple reason that I sold auto parts for about three years and beleive me it was not an easy job. And for what these guys get paid you almost cant blame the ones who dont even try to learn the craft. I started out as a driver and worked into a counter position and for the first year I was trashed on day by day by customers. I worked and live in a rural ag community so the farmers had alot of old machinery with mis matched stuff witch made for interesting parts searching. This is where I learned ALOT of good stuff to be able to do my job and It wasent long before those very same farmers used me exclusively for their parts. I actually enjoyed the hell out of that job and learned so much stuff that has helped me get the parts I need now to this day. If they would have paid me what Im worth I would have stayed for sure And all the guys that are left and do the job regardless of how much they know still get my respect eitherway. So when I walk into a parts store now I have a pretty good idea of how to help them look up my random and wierd requests witch does two things, it helps me get what I want and also helps the next guy who asks for something wierd. Hopefully the parts guy remembers how to look for it. But if he doesnt oh well you cant blame em.

 

this constant bashing of auto parts store counter guys is getting old , don't you guys have anything better to do? no wonder i don't come around here much anymore

 

the O'Reilys near me has some very helpful people. you walk in the door and there they are asking what do you need...went in the other day looking for some light bulbs for the "home" part of my motorhome. I hear the guy ask what I need and I tell him "light bulbs" he does not show me where the aisle with the lightbulbs are, instead he runs to the computer. as I'm walking down the light bulb aisle I hear him in the distance asking what kind of car. so I grab the ones I need and as I'm walking up to the counter he asks me again. told him it does not matter, I got them right here.

thought that was kind of funny. sometimes I'd like to just go to O'Reilys and NOT be asked if i needed any help.

 

i just started a volunteer rop job at our local Oreilly and ive got to say that if you saw some of the people that come through the door and ask us for stupid things, you would swear it rubbed off. i was warned about the "duct tape exhaust" and wasnt sure what it was about, well weve had three people come in with a rust hole in the exhaust in the past week (i was really surprised) every one of them grabs duct tape. kinda just sigh and warn them, do they listen? hell nah. theres the "how hard is it to fix this" guy, well lets see you have to take half the engine off your damn rice burner to get to the crank to replace a seal so id say pretty hard. but there are some light headed ones at the counter, lucky for me the others know it and have them do stock and clean, and have them stand in when people are actually in the shop. finally, theres the damn computer, listen, if we could just pull out the book and read what the part is, that would be great. the computer has no search function so if its not the exact name of the part or part number, its alot of looking. filling out 5 pages worth of crap about your car to find out its a mostly universal fit piece will piss off any of the most aged profesionals. the manger at mine said that when the computers came, so did hassle and longer lines.

 

i got an idea, im goin to start a thread about bitchin about what you guys do for a living and be a key board bully and sound all mucho, get over yourselfs!

 

You get what you pay for. A reflection of society. Over realistic expectation of customer. A hiring glitch. Poor customer communication. Poor attitude (either side of the counter or both). Prozac, Ritalin, ect. nation of semi-zombie-fied drones. Nothing new, CALL ahead!

 

well guess i might as well throw my 2 cents,i have been a gm partsman for about 40 years,go diddy bopping in the local parts joint and a young dude asks if he can help me ,i say i am wanting sealed beams,you guessed it deer in the head light look,ok i screwed up should have realized young dude hasn't heard that term before,anyway older dude comes up and he says do i know what number i need i say"a 6052 or 6054 either one will work"this axxwipe smart xss says ,well do you know which one you need?pissed me off so i told him to just point out where you keep the god damn headlights.i feel your pain guys.thanks for letting me vent a touch

 

I work at a parts store. Some of you guys gotta remember, you cannot know everything. I've had people ask for parts that I have no idea what they are. Others are surprised when I can just walk and grab it without looking it up. Just depends. And you think the guys behind the counter are dumb??? Think of all the "experts" that walk through our doors!

Today had a guy come in and say "I gotta 1991 Mercruiser, I need a carb kit". That was it. I asked "do you have the numbers off the carb". He said "There are only two carbs, and they take the same kit". Remember, I don't even know what size engine he is working on. So I say "I need to know a little more info, what size engine are you dealing with" and he throws his hands in the air and yells "I'LL GO TO NAPA, THEY'LL HAVE IT WITHOUT THE RUN-AROUND!!".

 

Got at least one guy at autozone and advance who go the extra mile for me. They do all the good stuff that was mentioned earlier to help me out. The NAPA and Carquest guys and gals around here are all pretty solid. Give em' a chance, alot of them would love to have a car like we all have someday. I can't believe what a uninformed dumb... I was when I was as young as most of the kids at the parts stores today...just sayin.

 

The Brains were put into the jar labeled ...."abby normal".....

 

CRASHNBURNS You are my HERO.
Do we really need another " I am so much smarter that the counter guy thread'? Ron

 

Thank You!! I said this way back!!
JimV

 

The brains went out when the computers arrived on the counter.

 

oreillys has the worst because they are to damn cheap to hire good people hamburger flippers are easier to get

 

today at O'reillys:

10 AM: I call for 1956 Ford 223 water pump.
Ordered it by the part # for a commercial account.

Phone girl says it will be there 1PM. I go in at 6PM. Phone girl looks around 10 minutes scratching her ass/head. Finally, Mr Manager finishes bullshit session with customer. Girl is still looking.(I told her the account name, manufacturers name, part name, part#, even the size and color of the box)

I ask Mr Manager where a special order pump would be. He takes 3 steps backwards, pulls it off the special order shelf. Girl comes back to ring it up, I ask if she's going to install it for me. She says "I don't even put air in my Jeep tires, I have a husband for that"

Gave her the money, farted and left.

 

Wow, classy.

 

indigenous
thats y im leaving to be a journeyman bodyman, lol i feel to smart, my boss is about 5'1, red hair, and really dont know shit. plus all he wants to do is be about himself. fuck oreillys

 

Not only has this topic been beat to death why does anyone care?

The public wants cheap stuff and shops based on price. So what store survives?

The local hardware store, auto parts, whatever, folded up because they couldn't compete.

So now we have Home Depot, Lowes, O'Reilly's, Autozone etc. all selling made in China junk. Nobody wants to pay higher prices for quality stuff so whether it's molly bolts or wheel bearings it's all junk but thats what the public wants.

Of course now that all those factories are shut down we bitch about jobs as we stroll into Wal-Mart because prices were too damn high at Montgomery Wards.

Min wage jobs selling China junk is what to expect at the local so-called parts store. Selling air freshener, chrome geegaws for jap cars, oil, and a few junky parts.

Why expect anything different?

 

And on that Bomb Shell! Thank you and Goodnight!


Very well said James. I dont think I could have said it better myself.

 

i like spaghetti.

 

fettuccine is gooder....

 

I like corn on the cob... my new thing is to count each kernel I eat. Then I wait about 8 hours and recount....

 

i bet the re-count gets messy

 

It sucks but it is a sign (bad one) of the times. Unless a part exists on the computer it doesn't exist. I have an Olds with the 330 and when they ask me how many liters that is I just about come over the counter at them!!! I say, "It's a 330 cubic inch motor, you figure out how many liters!!!"

 

yea those idiots. . . . . . .

so how many are there?

 

the NAPA store in my town employs zombies.... they might know how to find you a part, if you push them, but you would have to awaken them first. too bad it's not a FUN place like Michael Waltrip depicts in the TV ads... no dancing in this store! looks like a tomb
i've been shopping in parts stores for 35 years and it has changed so radically in the last 20 especially. sad

 

I like how O' reillys sells the little milk duds,and the cans of soda pop!!!

 

took the late shift on the horse beating, i guess