What's the dumbest thing you've heard at a parts store?

why is it you guys only think the guy behind the counter is dumb ?

let's talk about dumb customers...like the guy who wanted to replace the rotted out steel brake line on his car with rubber fuel line and a couple hose clamps. or the guy who was waiting in the parking lot for the store to open to get new wheel bearings for his car trailer. after finding the new correct bearings to replace the totally destroyed ones, and helping install new races in the hub he then puts it all back together with absolutely no wheel bearing grease. said it wasn't needed as he only had about 75 miles to get home. or the guy who wanted his money back for a gallon of windshield washer fluid because it all leaked out due to a hole in the washer reservoir.

i have many , many more

 

I was asking for a 1 1/4 socket for an oil filter adapter amd was asked what that was in metric. The response I gave him was " the wrong size. I'll go somewhere else."

 

This topic is getting old.

It is our fault that there are so many "mis-informed" parts guys out there. We want $1.49 spark plugs and $2.50 oil filters and to stay competitive the chain parts stores can only afford $8 / hour counter guys. How smart do you think an $8 / hour kid is going to be ?
The more experienced counter guys are promoted to store managers or district managers and seldom ever actually sell any auto parts.
Let`s get real, most of us already know when we walk in the store that the computer is not going to list spark plugs for a Nailhead in a 32 Ford, so stop being a wise-ass and just ask for spark plugs for a 65 Riviera.

 

Bought a trans gasket for my 350 turbo hydromatic, got the questions, Make?, Chevy, Type? Pickup Year? 1968, 4 or 2 wheel drive? Two wheel drive. Automatic transmision?.....Dumb Ass

 

yep. i got tired of being a smart ass at parts stores a long time ago. figure out the tricks to get what you need.

 

mmm...when I go to "camuck tire" I just get my oil filters off the shelf. If I don't know the oil filter number I look in the book provided...

 

fucking parts monkeys are all idiots nowadays, once in a while you run into a good parts house but it's mostly chain stores hireing bums and idiot kids.

 

Screwball on here was a parts guy at Crappy Tire (as bad or worse than Pep Boys) I dropped in to shoot the shit one day and he was busy with a customer , so I asked the pimply 16 yr old to get me a price for a radiator for a 75 Beetle ....Pete just kinda rolled his eyes after I told him what I did lol!

 

WE ARE their pain in the ass customers to them because our cars are not so easy you may think. Old and modified by owner who nows how.

If you don't already know how computer parts catalogs work you may try right know for example Rockauto internet parts catalog. Then you know.
That is why they need to know make, model, engine, trans, options whatsoever before seeing the part number. With these systems it is nearly impossible slow to compare anything and there are no pics or dimensions in most cases. It was easier up to about twenty years ago BEFORE the computer era. The books were way better on the counter.
If you get the old books somewhere SAVE those NOW. It would be a big help with the numbers and applications here when somebody asks.

The only real problem solver is the parts guy who has been in the hobby AND parts guy long enough AND is interested to help you. PLEASE don't be too nosy to that guy if you fínd one.

Behind this comes to fking modern economy and inventory value thinking.
The smartass businessman think that inventory value is bad thing. They like the idea of getting your prepayment first and then order the part. They usually have a month time after they get it to pay your part. They get interest instead of your money instead of stock their money in parts.

It gets worse when their supplier up to major parts factories spread worldwide don't stock either. Heck, they make the parts after they have sufficient amount of orders in. So, if you and possible hadful other guys only need that part and nobody else does it will be discontinued no matter of cost.
Then if the factory have or make the part they send only by ocean containers full on their schedule. No express or exempts made. Then it takes time to distribute the parts by truck freight to your local shop.

 

you were saying?

 

Customer : "I need a motor spoke for my ride"
Me : "Uh, what?"
Customer louder: " A Motor spoke ! "

Took two of us to decipher that one


Poverty leaves an impression

 

I was in Autozone in Galveston a couple of years ago, asked the girl behind the counter if they stocked spark plug lead sets. "No sir, we don't stock them here" she told me, dead-pan and dead-disinterested.

It is funny now I look back, but as I asked I realised that directly over her shoulder was a veritable wall of the fuckin' things, in boxed kits, right behind her at the counter.

'What about those there, any to fit a 350 Chevy?" I asked.

I got a look that would cut glass and "no sir, we don't stock them for a 350 Shovey"

I walked over to the guy ten feet away, decided not to waste any more breath on the single cell creature with the attitude and aptitude problems. He sold me what I wanted in a second.

 

so, care to enlighten the rest of us?

 

Oh didn't finish - more coffee - he needed a connecting rod !


Poverty leaves an impression

 

Supply chain software, regardless of it's end use, is designed to streamline inventory management and automate order fulfilment. It's not designed to make the customer's life easier. Therefore, no - they really don't need to know cars.

You may be able to tell the difference between a distributor cap and a brake pad, but can you tell me what the correct part number for the drive side exhaust gasket on my '05 Dodge Dakota 4.7 from memory? Do you know the difference between an '04 Dakota front wheel bearing and one from an '05? Do they interchange?

It's easy for us to judge based on our own cars - but the reality is there's a LOT to know.

And sez? Really?

 

that ford never made an aluminum 302 water pump. auto zone for you....

the same day i brung back a paper from their online store of a water pump. made the guy so mad. i just laughed and told him to get me my part.

 

I was told at the autozone that plugwires for my 96 riviera were a dealer only item. I said "Now it's a pontiac grand prix gtp" and had what I needed.

 

"what's a valve spring compression tool? Valves don't have springs" - autozone guy

 

oh no shit?! LOL

 

These days, I save myself a lot of time and aggravation by going on the parts store's website, looking up the part myself and calling them to check stock on the number. Catalogs are usually available online with a section of pictures. I was looking at an Echlin ignition parts catalog the other day and they have at least 4 different number for a set of externally adjustable GM V-8 points. They used to have the regular and gold series.

 

I needed a wheel bearing for a trailer.I took it in and the guy eyeballs it and says "Looks like a Chevy Nova wheel bearing". He brought it out.No where near it, natch.
I went down the road.
Another time needed a condensor for a motorcycle.I always ask for 351 Ford since they have a long pig tail. "That is $129.00 !" What! Last time it was 2.50!
He thought I meant AC Condensor.They don't stock ignition condensors anymore.

 

I went to Advanced for a Chrysler ballast resister, the guy didn't know what I was talking about. He looks up pictures and I point out the correct one. A minute or two later he tells me they don't have one but may their competitor Auto Zone across the street has one.

 

What `s your pleasure? Inexpensive parts and a wait at the counter or truly knowledgeable counter staff and.... you know the drill. My head quit hurting after I stopped hitting it on the wall. If I was on the other side of the counter and some wise ass started giving me the gears , how much help do you think I`m gonna be? Do you ever wonder what the cook does when you send something back to the kitchen?

 

Several times, when trying to get parts for a 327 AMC engine, I was told 327's are Chevy engines!

I now always ask for parts for the car the engine was originally in. Saves lots of time!

Recently I needed exhaust manifold gaskets for a 327 Chevy and was told: "we don't carry parts for engines that old"! It took awhile, and two parts guys to convince them that most all exhaust gaskets were the same!

Now I have a '55 Desoto with a 291 hemi. Do I even bother going to an autoparts store? Can I even get simple things like plug wires, dist.cap, rotor, points, and gaskets?

 

Well I wish I could say this happened at the chain stores, but it happened at my favorite performance store. Went in on a Sun. so the weekend help was there, which might explain things. Up to the counter and tell the guy I want a gasket and filter for a TH350. Of course he says what car, and since it's in my 1946 Austin I tell him it doesn't matter since all TH350's use the same gasket and filter, so pick one.
Now he still wants a year, so I say 1980. He brings out 3 different boxes. Box #1 is a pan gasket for a 350 Chevy. #2 is a pair of valve cover gaskets for same 350, and #3 is the whole gasket set for.....you guessed it, a 350 Chevy!
I walked down the counter and stood in line behind another guy to get a different sales person, and the guy walks down to ask what one I want. I told him if he didn't know the difference between an engine and a trans I wanted to talk to someone else. He just strolled back to the other end and started holding the counter down again.

 

Damn right, this is why they ask stoooopid questions about your car like is it a two door etc.
This is because the computer will not let them go any further until that information is entered. The computer does not need it to locate the part its information collection like Vicky with a Hemi said.

I am lucky, the local REPCO at home is run by a great mate of my Father, he is a gear head and can almost locate a part from,
'I need a watsit thing for my umm car'
Damn hes good!
He also carries parts that we hotrodders would be the only ones to use.

Doc.

 

nope... i used to cook for a living.

 

These threads get so frikken old. I'm 63 years old. I NEVER take my vehicles to a shop, except for automatic trans stuff. I do all of my own repairs and maintanence. I, also have never experienced any of the problems/anecdotal stories/lies that people post about on these rants. I have never seen a counter person with an inordinate number of pimples, yet every other one seems to be a pizza faced mouth breather. I'm glad I don't live where the rest of you do, where you breed these lackwits. I always go into the store with my facts straight. As to the computers and lack of parts books, get over it. It's the 21st century. The books are gone.....forever. Asking if the car has an automatic is not a stupid question. The computer HAS to know or you're not getting to the next page. I was an old parts guy. I managed two dealership parts departments. We had books and microfishe. I knew hundreds of part numbers and hundreds of interchanges. That was over 30 years ago. Our parts departments serviced, at one store, 6 or 7 different makes of cars. Try that today without a computer. Cars are more complex, change more often and there are more variants. Just because some old fart knows a wheel bearing from a Hudson will also fit a certain Stude means dick.
BTW, stop all of the lies and bullshit about your, alleged, experience at the A/P store

 

You didn't know the #'s for SBC oil filters?

I thought that was a common as rattling off the firing order from memory.

 

local auto-zone, really sucks, guys walks in with a clutch plate, pressure plate and TO bearing. 67 mustang, counter guy sez, "automatic or stick?" Last time i was there.