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

I'm grateful for my local NAPA and O'reilly's. They actually still use books to work along with what's on the computer and have a good group of competent folks working there. I've also had good luck with the people at these stores who I don't normally deal with, if I go in with the part in hand and explain that it came off of who knows what particular vehicle they're pretty good at working with me and narrowing it down and will take the time to pull different things off the shelves until I get the right one.

I even had a guy at the O'reilly's bail me out of a jam when my girlfriend's old Rodeo puked the alternator. They didn't have what I needed in stock, and I needed it ASAP, so he called around and found the part at the AutoZone across town. Needless to say I was very impressed and very grateful for his effort.

I guess I'm pretty lucky but I try to go in prepared for what I need and show that I'm competent with cars too, without being arrogant about it. It's worked out well thus far.

 

I love callen up a parts store and asken. Do you got anything to make my trunk go boom!!! They say what??????? I say yea when my freinds turn their radio up their trunk goes boom boom boom. LOLOLOLOLOOL

 

As I walk into Auto Zone I get the standard "Welcome to AZ, what can I help you with?". I replied, I'm good, just need some sand paper and primer". The AZ kid says, "What year and model sir?"

 

I was behind this guy that wanted an oil pan gasket for a 350 chevy. They brought him one, and he said, "naw man it's got two of 'em!"

 

I work part time at an Advance Auto Parts so I hear too many to list here, but my favorite was the young girl who walked up to the counter and asked me to come outside to tell her what kind of she drove.

 

Two of my vehicles are Frankensteins. I always use the donor car's info when ordering the necessary parts. I never go to any of those chain auto parts stores without checking online and then calling to see if they really have it. There have been times the online part number has been different than their in store number which is why I call.
I don't recall any issues with any parts stores in recent memory. I know what to expect and what they expect from me. There have been times a vin was absolutely necessary for some things I needed for my Mercedes because there have been mid chassis run changes and that's the only way to get the right part. I almost never go to a chain store for it. I have an indy parts house that specializes in German car parts that keeps that car going. Their prices are no more expensive that your average GM or Ford parts cost at a chain store. The neat thing about the Mercedes is no parts have become obsolete on it and it's over 27 years old. For that matter there are parts on that car that have been used since the 60's. From what I understand you can still get most parts for any Mercedes from the dealer.
I did pull a fast one recently. I needed the front rotors machined that were near the limit for the Benz. I told the O'Reilly's machine shop guy they were the rears so I could get one more turn out of them. So far after a few thousand miles there have been no issues with warping, overheating or cracking.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago we went into an AutoZone for 4 feet of vacuum hose to run from the trans modulator to the carbs. Young kid looks at their inventory and sees they only have some very short pieces about 6 inches long and says "does it all have to be in one piece?" No, we'll take 5 or 6 pieces and just tape them together!

I also hate when they try to upsell you everything you didn't come in for. "Did you see our sale on injector cleaner and microfiber towels, Sir?" Sometimes I feel like Toad in American Graffiti when the used car salesman was trying to sell him the Vette...... "For Gods sake, just leave me alone!"

Don

 

Tell the parts guy you need a whatever for your hotrod, then they can start looking ,these guys are programmed to ask make/model/ does it have a/c.. none of which has anything to do with oil filter you need for your hemi powered pinto.

 

Not a salesman but a customer.
Bubba on the next stool commenting on a 25 dollar air cleaner i just bought.
"I never buy the expensive ones. They plug up to fast."

 

As a customer at kragens I had the exact part number for the spark plugs, but the guy behind the counter pulls up to his computer and asks me for make, model and year of my vehicle.
I responded with- 1957 chevy truck, with a 64 chevelle front frame clip and a 1972 chevy truck 350 with Trick flow aluminum heads. He stops using the computer and says-"I will go grab those off the shelf for you".

At the local auto paint supply I was in line behind a kid who was trying to purchase some paint to paint his entire car with and he asks about paint brushes. The counter guy tells him this paint needs to be sprayed with a compressor and spray gun. The kid sees the display for the little 2-3 ounce spray setups with the charged cylinder and asks about using those.
The counter guy suggests going to homedepot and buying the paint there would be a better idea.

 

One more.

I was getting some oil at O'Reilys and this lady walks in with a nasty old radiator hose and asks the parts guy for a new one. He asks her for make and model of car and she responds "I don't know".

So I run thru the scenarios in my head:
1. She just doesn't know what kind of car she drives. << So there is one stupid person
2. Someone sent her down to get the part and didn't tell her what type of car it was for << So now there are two stupid people
3. Ron White was correct "you can't fix stupid"

 

Just got back from the local NAPA. Usually good guys to deal with except one young girl. Guess who asked me if I needed help. Anyway needed a brass lug for a ground cable 3/0. Dumb look later one of the other guys says we can order it, said I will look at the marine store down the road. Next, trans pan gasket turbo 350. She gives me the make model crap. Can't believe she doesn't know the shelves, I just say try 72 nova automatic. Finally get a box with filter and gasket just wanted gasket. Took it and said bye bye.

 

I gave up asking for line fittings,.....I go to a local plumbing shop !

4TTRUK

 

Only somewhat related, but the poor customer service sure pissed me off: Went into a PartSource last weekend looking for one of those cloth roll up wrench bags. Stood behind the counter for near 5 minutes waiting for the guy at the desk to look up from his magazine - arms crossed, not saying anything, just waiting to see how long it'd take him to realize I was there. Finally got tired, said "can I get some help?" Guy looks up, says "sure". No apology, no asking what I needed, just "sure". Asked him if he had one of the roll up wrench bags, he replies with "nope" then looks back down and starts reading his magazine again. No customer service, no greeting or suggestion of where else to look, didn't even try and sell me something. Last time I go in that chain of stores.

On the flip side. I was in a NAPA last week pricing out engine stands. Guy was friendly, personable, looked up the different options, told me the cost, wrote me down a part number and told me that the warehouse had one and he could have it by the next day. He understood the 'Serve us' mentality.

 

I was rebuilding a 2-barrel carb off a mid-'70s Dodge 318 one day, and found that the float was toast. I went to the local CarQuest(ion) and told the girl behind the counter I needed a float for a '73 Dodge Dart 318 with a 2-barrel carb. She asked, in all sincerity;

"What's a carbruetor?"

My response: "You're pulling my chain, right?"

Her: "No, Sir, what's a carb?"

Me: "Have a nice day."

I went to the O'Reillys down the street, and got my float.

That was my one and ONLY foray into a CarQuestion parts store.

 

If you expect ME to know it, then why don't you know it? Most of us are not stupid. I challenge any one of you to do my job and do it well. It ain't as easy as I make it look. So fuck off.[/QUOTE]


AWESOME !!! i'm a cable guy and want to say that to the majority of yaps that get pissy when i breath their air or walk on their floors.

 

I think many of you may be missing a few points.

Auto parts stores don't pay very well these days, so they get mostly people who can get by on low income (e.g. kids). Kids are not very likely to know much about old, esoteric car parts, for cars older than them. Furthermore, as I have been told, the chain stores do not like to hire people with deep automotive knowledge, because they believe that those folks tend to steal auto parts. Whether or not that is actually true, I don't know. I'd like to believe that it is not.

All auto parts stores of a decent size have a website. Go there, do your own research, find the part number, and take that to the store. No complaining required.

Stop expecting so much from some poor kid, making $9/hr., who probably has more on his mind, than points for your Henway, like how he is going to feed himself, pay his rent, and keep his grades up, while going to college and working, both full-time.

 

I got the same thing over the phone....... What's a carburetor? I said, "you work at an auto part store and you don't know what a carburetor is?" he says, "no sir I'm in sales." I said Yeah! You sell auto parts! wow.

 

"Can I help you?"

 

When I was younger, I had a '99 Dakota R/T. I was looking at getting a Hypertech Power Programmer for it. I went to one of the chain stores and asked the young man at the parts counter to look up the price. When he asked me for the engine, I told him "the 360 Magnum". He told me that engine wasn't available in the system. After having a "huh?" moment, I realized he didn't understand the cubic inch displacement and told him it was the 5.9.

 

Not gonna add any more bitching to this already whiney ass thread, but I will say this: I count myself fortunate. I've got a NAPA and a CarQuest locally that have awesome counter guys. I can walk into either one looking for the Ark of the Covenant, and gaw dammit, they're at least gonna try their hardest to find me a map! So I'd like to take this opportunity to give much respect to the guys at NAPA in Mojave, CA (especially Greg and Sean, you guys are the shit), and CarQuest in Lancaster, CA (Dale and George the parts shamans!). It's nice to walk into an auto parts store with a staff that not only know what they're doing, they enjoy it

 

I was at the GM dealer getting a starter bolt for a 5.3 I tell the guy i need a starter bolt for one and he asked for the vin for the truck. I tell him i dont have one since i swapped the motor into a different vehicle. He then asked for the vin of that vehicle. WOW So, I told him to just get me a starter bolt for a 01 1500 silverado with a 5.3 just to get things moving. He then asks me if its 4WD? COME ON dude, its a freaking starter bolt, it dont matter if its 4WD. Then he tells me its special order. Really, they use the same bolt on like 50 different model vehicles, must be special.

 

This is exactly what I do. The last thing I want to do is wait for the poor guy at the counter to look something up. I am a very impatient person to begin with, so I always walk in with part numbers in hand.

 

Not a dumb thing but a good thing.

Walk into my fav store here in Fort Worth......S and S and ask for a fuel pump rod for a SBC.

The man didnt ask me a single question, just turned and walked to the back and got it for me.

good parts store.

 

Fact are facts. The good 'ol days are the gone old days.

You can still get lucky and find guys who really know the old cars, and can help you if you just go in and start talking. If you find those guys, tell their manager that you're very happy with their service.

But, don't expect to find those people every time, because you won't. Unfortunately, you have to do some homework if you don't want to spend forever in one or more parts stores getting what you need. Our shit is 50, 60 or more years old. Even people who want to know about how to serve us don't get a lot of chances to do it, hence it's usually new to them.

Cars are a lot more complex these days, insidious computer lookup systems are the norm, and a lot of the counter help out there doesn't give a shit (be it shitty pay, poor work ethic, whatever)

I'm not going to let it stop me from getting what I need, and getting it quick so I can get back to the garage.

 

Saw a good one today at a British Car show here in Jersey...

Lady walks up to a vendor selling parts.. "Do you have an interior door handle for a 67?" She repeats this several times, aAFTER the seller asks her what sort of 67 it is. The lady is getting slightly perturbed wen the husband says "Oh its an MGB".

Yeah, that helps...

 

My boss says you dont need a waterpump gasket...

 

Dumbest thing I've heard was "hi, can I help you?" with all the verve of someone that thought he was going to be able to look up my parts in his computer.

 

a lady comes in and ask for a 710 cap,we thought for awhile then she showed us on her car,it was an oil cap,she blushed we laughed good times,shes a regular awesome ol lady

 

I went into a parts store to buy sparkplugs for my 63 NovaSS 350/350, he asked what motor? I said 350, He said are you sure???? I said YES, sorry sir you must be mistaken you dont have a v8 The computer says that car didnt come with a v8,the computer says you have an inline 6!!! are you sure its a v8??? Thats just about when I said let me go back home and check! never went back there again!!