Just wonderin how you stay in business? The national chains are taking over around my area and it's harder and harder to find someone who know's what anything is or goes to without looking it up in a computer!
I don't own one, but I'll tell you that I drive out of my way, past the national chain store, to a small guy to get my parts. There's a couple of cranky old *******s behind the counter who will get me what I need without the blank stare I get at the other place. It's worth the time to get there
Besides the old parts guy you can also seek out a local repair shop that has that cranky old ******* tech still working in the bays who can help you out on info and advice which can go alot farther then the parts guy because the tech at least knows what to look for in getting the job done right. Up this way I call on afew such shops that have been in the same location for at least 60+ years and these guys are great for advice and for some great stories plus their not at all crusty to deal with. Good luck!
see, i've had really good luck with the national chains. well, one particular store to be fair. the local stores never seem to have anything i need in stock, and are always incredibly overpriced. the one exception i've found is tower auto parts in lowell MA. those guys are awesome, but unfortunately not really local to me. they were the only place i could find within fifty freaking miles that had a ball-joint tool kit.
Heres a little tip.If you know what you want then research it on the net . Find some numbers go to the national parts store web site and plug in the numbers then print out the description of the part while making sure they have it in stock and head to the store. I **** with the guys at advance near me all the time cause before they even ask what kind of car and all that **** i hand em the sheet,tell em its in stock and go find it. I had a little trouble a month ago cause 2 of the items i wanted showed stock but the inventory was off. Im gonna try thier other store but havent had time yet. Oh ya ive gone in for things that i didnt look up and it was outta stock but they told me they had it at the other store and i told em have em bring it over here? They really didnt like that idea and i dont know why but they did it.. I just didnt feel like driving across town that week and it wasnt an emergency. Dave
We have a 'local' parts store, its right across the street from a Kragen, and 99 times out of 100, people go to Kregen 1st, then realise the guys know nothing unless you need H*nda bling & go to the 'local across the street'
hey A32...what is the name of the" local " store ? i used to live in campbell, and worked in the auto parts biz for years.. wondering if any of the old names are still surviving .. dave
I think that the key to owning a smaller independant parts store is to do what the larger chains don't do. Get out into the community, marketing and getting involved either sponsoring a community day or get your buds together and have a little show or open house. It's all about relationships, customer service rarely exists in these days, bigger chains only care about the bottome line and hire those that they can pay at a minimum to keep operating costs down. One of my best friends owns a small local parts store and has a loyal following based on being a stand up guy with a good rep in the community. I make a point to support the small guys. All the old shops you see in the pics posted here were all small independent shops, i would like to think this still exists today.
That's just it, the majority don't exist today. If they do they are 50 miles away. Which is fine for a small town. The local store still has to compete to stay in business. Being loved and a good guy in the community doesn't pay the bills. Don't get me wrong, I see your point about customer service.
We have a mom & pop store chain here. I think they have three locations. They can find damn near anything you need. The bad thing is they hir ekids and they wont look in a book for anything. You still have to get the old guys to look up you rparts. I bought my 49 Ford brakes fromt hem and the total for everything new wa sless than carpenters wanted for one set of shoes.
A lot of Mom and Pop stores are closing. I bought all the inventory from a store in Texas, they had been in business for over 30 years and didn't have an inventory list! He just knew where everything was. It took me 8 months of weekends to get it all inventoried!!! It was two full 53' semi loads. Lots of neat stuff back to the 30's, but mostly 50's and up. If you're in So Cal and need anything, check with me an if I have it, it'll be cheap. or if you want a list, just pm me and I'll get it to you. Dave
We have a good parts store in my hometown, a place where you can't buy minibikes or anything that lights up with LED's. We also have a lumber yard that's in an old mill building from the turn of the century. You know why those guys make so much money and have such loyal customers? Because they don't **** you on the prices of everything. They're pretty much the same price as everyone else, plus they're good people who know what they're talking about. The Mom & Pop stores that go out of business are the ones that are still charging 3 times what everyone else gets. That's foolish to me. No one would use the Auto Zone stores with the Burger King flunkie kids working there if they weren't a ****load cheaper. Our mom and pop stores get tons of business because they're compe***ive in their prices AND they know what they're talking about. That's getting rare.
Ever try going into a national chain with a simple radiator hose for your hotrod? It goes something like this counter clerk - what year, make and model of vehicle? customer - I want one that matches this one and hand over the hose. counter clerk - what year, make and model of vehicle did you say it was. customer - I didn't and the make and model won't do you any good since the radiator is custom and the motor isn't original equipment. counter clerk - Sir if I don't have the make then I don't know how to "code" the search into the computer. customer - How about getting off your stool and going into the back and stand in front of the shelf of hoses and find me one. counter clerk - Sir I don't pull the parts from the back the "runners" do that. Its a great time, everyone should try it at least once. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with them on a regular basis for my livelyhood. Now I hear the counter clerks are wanting the VIN to "code" anything in. s.
There is another branch of Towers Auto Parts in Chelmsford. A little easier to get too and only about 45 miles away Still it's a good place.
Speaking as an " old parts guy"- I started selling parts in 1969-most people entering a parts store don't have a clue what they have in their vehicle. The people who know what kind of car they have often don't know what engine ,transmission, etc. their car might have. I would rather deal with a hotrodder anytime. And as far as " techs " go , most of them don't know how to make a part work unless it is a perfect example of what they took off. "tecks" can replace a part , MECHANICS can make things work and then explain it do you!
There's a cool old NAPA around here. They don't ask year/make/model and they'll let you behind the counter to search for stuff. The difference is, they're car guys, and they don't treat you like an idiot. Most of the people coming into Autozone ARE idiots who need someone to change their wiper blades, so we should expect bad service for "experts" like us
I work at a statewide chain auto part store here in Iowa. It used to be a local store until 10 years ago when it was bought by Arnold Motor Supply. The guys who worked there stayed on and still work there. We know how to use books to find out what you want. So do most of the other stores in our chain. It is funny when we get a customer from O'rielys Auto Parts because they didn't know how to look it up on the computer. We keep our old catalogs so we can find older parts for our customers. So there is still some good stores out there.
I went into a chain store today, told them I needed a universal power steering return line. He asked make and model with hands poised over the keyboard. I told him a 56 Ford truck with an 84 Toyota steering box, and an 85 ****** pump. Then I gave him the part number.
I have learned the phrase "no application". Apparently they can type that into the computer and then get the part you just gave them the number for..............
When I walk into my local NAPA the guys behind the counter always look nervous because they know I'm going to want something that they just can't find in the computer. The only one who really knows anything is the owner who happens to be a friend,but is not always there. To be fair,the regulars behind the counter want to help,but just aren't always able to. Mark,the owner is not a car guy,but is second generation in the business and has an impressive knowlege of his inventory. When I explain what I want to Mark,he always has several options for me. He is a real parts man!
My mom's sold to a national chain. Family owned / privately run for many years, but it was the last one in town that wasn't a chain so it was quickly coming. Her service from the chain itself ****s - not to mention they want it run their way with absolutely NO exceptions.
What about the never ending question::::::::oes it have air conditioning??? Go in for a lug nut for a '76 f-100 truck and the counter person asks the never ending question.
I worked at an Advance for a while,for the most part,they do train there employees to be knowledgable and choose people with prior experience,however that isn`t always the case.I was the only one in my store that knew what the books were for and knew how to use them.I am "only" 24,alot of the "older" customers started to get the idea that I actually knew something about cars.So they would come in and only want to speak to me,they learned things from me that they didn`t know.I had the highest sales in the store,ateast twice that of anyone else,and I did it by being honest to everyone.I would rather tell them the truth if they really just needed a terminal cleaned instead of buying a new battery.I have a real problem with lieing to people to make sales,which is all my superiors really cared about...sales.They didn`t care that I was doing better than anyone else there,they just want the $$$.I would also always get the a$$hole customers that try to outsmart and trick you,then get pissed off when they fail.I will admit that Advance can get you parts for older cars,and usually pretty quick,and for a fairly good price,but if your unfortunate enough to find one of the bad stores,you need to research the part numbers online beforehand,and NO...there is no way to check store stock over the internet,it just shows that the part is available for store pickup,which does not mean it is in stock.The nice thing about them too is that they have a daily shuttle that delivers parts from another state,even on Sundays!! I left them because of a disagreement with a Regional Manager who didn`t like "young punks" I now work at a Lee Auto Parts/Bumper to Bumper.It is a completely different environment.They actually care more about telling the truth and making the customer happy,then making alot of money.Yes,there prices are generally higher for a Walk-In customer,but if your nice to us,you will get that price marked down considerably.And if you talk to anyone behind the counter,they will know how to open up a book and look for your parts. For some stupid reason though,the computerized catalog only lists VW for Pre-`67 vehicles!
Believe it or not,questions like those do pertain to alot more than you might think nowadays. Sure,a lugnut is a lil extreme,but those kinds of questions do matter for more than you might think.
Thats the difference. Somebody who is not afraid to look through a parts manual and/or parts to get familiar with them vs. some droid who doesn't to do anything but be a number fetcher. Chevy starter?? Diagonal bolt pattern?? Fits any chevy v8 or inline 6 built during the 70's and 80's?? Make model year, or my head will explode! The woes of vehicle breakdowns when the real parts stores are closed. Alex.
It's all about who's running the store. Granted, you have a greater chance of finding idiots at the bargain chain stores, but any retailer that takes the cheap Wal-Mart approach will only hire idiots who work for peanuts, to get those cheap prices. I've met a few people with half a clue at the chains -- usually some kid who's really into cars, and even if they're rice burners, the kid at least has an appreciation for what you're trying to do. But I've been behind the counter a few times, and the percentage of idiots who come INTO the store match the idiots behind the counter. The one chain that always has knowledgeable counter staff, if you want to call it that, is Summit Racing. The worst time, though, was in an Auto Zone. My stepdaughter broke down one Friday night and called me. It was right a few minutes before closing time when I went in, and the ***holes working there did NOT want to even check me out -- they were hiding in the back, afraid I would ask them to fetch a part and add five minutes to their quitting time. I had an armload of tools and supplies I wanted to pay for, and they would NOT come to the front. I called out a few times, but they kept ignoring me. So I got mad and just walked out with the stuff. I wanted them to come after me, but they wouldn't! So I just left with about $45 worth of supplies. Just as well... I was in a serious mood to kick some ***, but I really needed to get back and fix my step-daughter's car.
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