Projects Parts store counter help, or not...

Use the computer to your advantage. The blisterpack stores are accessable online. I look up the part i want at home, check to see which local store has it, write down the part number and walk in the store with it. Hand it to the guy and he fetches my part. Simple, eliminates the the frustration of answering the unneccessary questions. Another thing that helps is to tell the counter guy "no application" when asking for a part. Apparently, at least at one local store, they can put that into the computer and just get the part. We had one local store with a great counter guy, he used to see me come in the door and run and hide behind the stacks then peek out and say " what do you need NOW?" Great guy who would let you look for stuff in the back room if he was busy. Unforetunately he p***ed away last year...

 

The independant stores such as ours have a very diverse customer base from doit yourselfers to the industrial to hot rodders and the store I am ay now has the most gearhead customer base outside of a speedshop! Everything from street rodders to rock crawlers to the airbag never to low guys, to us at the store? all valued customers, all hot rods are so much fun as compared to the typical daily stuff. We even have a 50 foot long string of our customers toys at the top of the wall behind the counter as sharing with everyone the joys of our day!

 

I got one of autozones old Wells catalogs and look up parts and come in with part numbers,sometimes you can ask for something in the catalog by make and model and it say its not available on the computer and when you come in with a number they can get it for you or have it in stock. I even get voltage regulators for my old lawn tractors from them and just imagine asking for that part for a 69 sears custom 10 lawn tractor and you would definately get a blank stare,there are parts listed for vehicles back into the 40s in that catalog and they can look to see if its a good number if they know how to do it. I usually go to those stores when the older guys are working since I know what they drive but I think most have had enough as they are mostly gone now. Jeff

 

Curious why AZ and other stores have such a complex computer system for finding parts. Go to Walrus world and they have these little boxes that bring up what your looking for in less than a minute, and they stick with the actual part u r looking for? Went to look for lamps for my 59 Olds and presto, the machine actually comes up with the right part number, only problem, no stock, but the little box works pretty good.

 

OK; my turn. I can only say that what a counterman knows, and how you are treated by them, comes from the top..when I started some 30+ years ago..I was personally trained...and believe me; much like this forum...you'd better be thick skinned to make it. My training was because the owner truly cared about his business and the customers....if an owner nowadays, hands his employ a book and a spot at a computer station for training....well....we can all see the results. If you are a witness to the ill trained..talk to the owners; or call corporate. I'm reasonable certain after being with NAPA for many years....the corporate people would gladly handle the situation for you!! And as far as the pay scale...I lived very well being a parts professional....and enjoyed going to work every day!!

 

Now it's tattooed peoples fault? Pathetic,get a life.

 

I few years ago I got a job at a Parts store and while I am certainly not the most knowledgeable, I can get by and what I don't know, I want to learn and am not afraid to ask questions. So, at the store I worked at, turned out they only had kids working there and all they did was play around so I basically learned nothing. Within 3 weeks the manager wanted to put me on overnights to re-do the entire parts stock room because he did not trust anyone else. Needless to say, I only worked there a short time. It was a chain store that was more concerned with other **** that they sold and not actual car parts.

 

then they shouldnt take the job

 

Had the same ordeal with a vacuum line on my Navigator. Just needed the end. Was told I had to buy the whole tube (about 3' long with a couple of intersections). It was expensive, real expensive. I finally made the end from a coil wire plug! Works just fine!!

 

Ive said the very same thing over and over .. Its all accessible on the net . Im starting to think most of these guys are ****ing lazy and just want to ***** about something ..... No actually im done thinking about it cause i see it ... How many times has this been covered in the past ? bunches... Now in the case of the guy having the dealer guys laugh at him i hope you told them that wasnt very nice... I sure would have..... I prolly also would have looked for the manager on that one... So you ****ed up but you got it apart and there was no reason for them to embar*** you....
Dave

 

amen brother. i too am a ford parts counterman; my tenth going on eleventh in ford, starting out in gm parts 22 years ago. there is NO MONEY in this game whatsoever, and good help is hard to find. in the past, i have been a (very underpaid) parts manager and i was blessed to have hired 2 pretty good young guys who were motivated and smart, so the dumb kid axiom does not always apply; but it is very frustrating to deal with an idiotic counterman at a chain store, whether or not it's on a professional level (i.e. :when our used car dept. decides our genuine ford/motorcraft is too expensive for their "quality inspected-reconditioned" rides and i'm forced to call an autozone or an advanced auto commercial accounts desk - yes, even their commercial accounts guys are idiots sometimes), or on my own time, which i try very, very hard to keep a rarity.

let me defend the vin-driven lookup in my cataloging for a moment that someone was hammering in a previous post. in the right hands, it can really help, and has made me a much more accurate counterman. however, errors and anomalys pop up now and again. on many occasions those have required me to use some intuition and other clues to see my way thru or avoid ordering an incorrect part due to a glaring catalog error.

 

maybe they shouldnt..they should pay the guy/gals, who have a clue better and ****can the others...

 

well put breeder! Thats why I just got a promotion at advance because i do my job!

 

cool! then hook me up with some brakelines and **** for my coupe!!!

 

breeder, find me fenders for my 37' Ford and we will do some major trading!

 

I use the heck out of the internet. Companies like rockauto.com, and napaonline.com supply the manufacturers part # in their online parts listings. Rockauto allows you to cross-reference any part to see any other OE application for that same part.

 

hmm.....maybe ill just buy the brake lines then!!! ill keep my eyes peeled man, but thats a pretty tall order around here!!! what yrs are the same???? pm me the details......!

 

Zookeeper, Being a parts guy myself for 25 + years there are some reasons for a vin # and with Merc-Benz or even BMW, the car are very high tech these days, and the Vin # takes alot of guess work out of things. Started using Counter books, then micro-film. Yes, I get those blank looks at the parts counter also, but I ask to take a look at the computer or books he or she maybe at. I'm not afraud to tell them I work in parts, believe me things get way less complicated and faster. and hey most the time the right part ! We all start somewhere, some parts stores use to have ASE certified parts guys .

 

I was just thinking about hitting the local advance about a job! After 31 years i was let go yesterday . Im thinking i need a new field and selling parts actually sounds fun. I do know a castle nut from a ball joint and computers are easy so maybe i can drum sumpin up ?
Dave..

 

counter man starts laughing and brings over a mechanic, now they're both laughing at me.
"you can't take those apart, you replace the whole unit"

WTF?
its a 3 part unit, it comes apart, but if one piece breaks you gotta replace the whole thing?[/quote]

And they were laughing at you????

 

Ok ! ...I will be your first customer I need an upper steering column bearing for a 32 Nash, but I am using a larger diameter inner steering shaft from a 34 Buick. Can I get that by noon today?


Seriously, I tried the bearing catalog I have..nothing there. I am going to try a bicycle shop for that thin walled ball bearing setup. I was thinking maybe a fork bearing for a bicycle; and a web search shows metric sizes but at least I found the correct terminology: A "head set bearing". Wish me luck.

 

well ok i wonder if i can bring my micrometers and calipers to work ? See if i can and you hadnt really got into this yet im one up on ya and if i have to ill write down the dimensions of everything for you and give you directions to the local bearing supply house and maybe they can help you ... But since your convinced that no one has what your looking for then I cant help you either The only other thing is having a back ground as a tool maker machine builder i may just be able to suggest a way ... Im really fearing the over qualified story if i go apply .. I will take the pics of the cars ive built though ... For now ive just read my little booklet for the unenjoyed on how i should relax for a few days so im not gonna hurry... Oh ya its not my fault either its just something that has to happen they say Damn that makes me feel better already.. Now wheres that new bottle if gin ? Im really thinking relaxing for a few months... So while im relaxing and since i must have missed the part on what your trying to accomplish do you have a sketch? Pics?? PM me ...Im willing to help if i can... Seriously... That also reminds me maybe i should get all my good catalogs from work also... I do have a good bearing catalog and some other ones that i could prolly use..

Dave

 

I cringe whenever I walk into a Schucks/Oriely auto supply store, and yesterday was like all the others. I just needed a tail light bulb for customers V.W. Jetta. Hoping the counterman would read the number of the side of it and cross match it to his store brand, but expecting him to look it up, the first thing he asks is what year and make. These things are unique to V.W./Audi/Porsche/B.M.W. and I THOUGHT he might have seen one by now, but I tell him anyway. Then as he's going over his computer he asks... "Is it a diesel?"..... SERIOUSLY???.... a diesel??

 

It's happening more and more-hate the drill-but there is a Kragen/O'Rielys here and there is an older guy who really knows his stuff-he is an old HotRodder--I always call and ask if he is working before I go-tell him what I'm looking for and he will find it proto or oder it if needed-other wise it's a foregone conclusion that it's gonna be a mess.

 

By and large I have patience with them they don't have a category for guys putting stuff together that was never meant to. I've found most try to be helpful if you explain exactly what you are trying to do. If you get one thats trying be patient and be sure to mention the fact that he's tryin to help to the boss. Just like everybody else they weren't born knowing stuff. Maybe we need to be not just a customer but also a teacher!