Where did the brains go in the parts counter guys?

I am a parts counter guy, but I work the parts counter for irrigation supplies. The same could be said for customers. We have roughly 30,000 different items and EVERY day someone says "I need that thing for my irrigation system". Ok....That narrowed it down to around 30000 different items. What item are you looking for? "I don't know"......The people that install and do the work are the idiots. So, maybe the counter guy needs a break......Dealing with the public is the worst.

 

I worked briefly for O'Reilly. A solid 25% of my customers needed something wierd like I would. We were REQUIRED to know how to use the paper catalogs and indexes because the company knew the other guys don't. If I couldn't find it, it wasn't available through the company but if it was being made I could get it anyway. 2 years later I still hear from the guys there about people comin in askin for me.

 

I dont see whats so hard with telling them you need spark plug wires for a 1977 Chevy truck. Youll get what you need and out the door in a couple minutes. It goes both ways.

 

Klutchmaster427, partly your fault, I'd say. Could you explain to me the difference between HEI and "non" HEI spark plug wires?

Obscure reference, but doesn't she have a brand new pair of roller skates?

 

Yesterday I called the local chain store to see if they had rear wheel cylinders for my 47 Chevrolet truck. The guy asked me, "is it power or manual?" I paused for a minute because I was confussed about what he was asking and responded, "its a 47, they didnt have power brakes then." He tells me, "dont get smart with me. I am just trying to get you the right part."

ended up that they would have to order them ad the n.a.p.a. store had them in stock and auto zone lost my business and $184

 

Yah, and I got a brand new key... maybe we'll get together....

 

It`s simple : Tell them you want plug wires for a 1978 Camaro with a 350.

Geez, why do you guys make this hard on yourselves ?

When you`re ready to work until 10 pm for $8 hour then by God you can go train all these so-called dumbasses.

WHEN WILL THIS HORSE FINALLY DIE ??????

 

We have 2 auto parts stores in town with a few youngsters working along with some old timers in each and I think the young dudes are every bit as knowledgeable and helpful as the old coots like me.

I must be in a luckey location.

 

Bleh....

 

I worked at a Main Auto Parts store in Dayton Ohio over 35 years ago. The pay and the hours sucked even then. I moved on to other jobs ,but I still remember the part number for Chevy valve cover gaskets. VS12869 Fel Pro. Another thing I remember was we had 4 prices in the books. The more trouble a customer was ,the more it cost him.

 

Enough...

 

I'd let this die..... but.....

Went to NAPA the other day for leaf spring center bolts so I could take a leaf out of my truck. Guy on counter SWEARS to me there is NO bolt in the spring pack. and its held by clips, the axle and U bolts. He did however agree that there was a "button" on the leaf pack to locate the axle on. But wouldnt agree that it was the head of a bolt.
After that and refusing to look at a book or budge, I broke down and called him a moron LOUDLY, and told him before he stands behind a counter he should learn a little bit about suspension.

Normally I'm not a dick, but I work the counter too, and if I think someone is wrong I'll at least hear them out, and go get a book so they can try and point it out to me and get on the same page.

 

I used to have this problem all the time. Finally a found a reasonably intelligent group of people at one of my local Napa locations.

 

I walked into O'Reillys the other day (I just dread walking into any of these places) and it was an older gentleman at the counter. So I'm thinking this is awesome, a guy that will know something about cars! I told him I needed brakes for a Ford 9 inch, he asked me front or rear....

 

I have been doing this for decades(was a parts guy at a local speed equipment wholesaler 30 yrs ago) It often doesnt work. Usually, not only does the guy behind the counter not know anything, he seems to want to demonstrate the fact. Real incident here: Some time back, I called the local parts store and asked for 2 Holley PN#26-36's. His response, "what are those?". So I told him "Holley power valve plugs" BIG mistake right there, should have just said "none of your business, order the number I gave you", but hey, I figured play nice. "I'm the head performance guy in here, I've never heard of them. Why would you wanna plug the power valves for anyway?" "None of your business why I would want to plug the power valves, can you just order two of the part number I gave you, and call me when they come in?"
"Well, I can order them, but it isnt gonna do any good, I know the holley catalog forwards and backwards, and there isnt any such thing. Its a waste of time, bla, bla,bla " After five minutes of this BULLSHIT I told him "allright guru, you can either order the fucking part number I gave you, or put me through to the manager, and I can explain the problem to him, alright??"
"Ok, I'll order them, but it aint gonna do you any good, theres no such thing." Two days later, I get a sheepish phone call..."uh, your power valve plugs are here, you can come in and pick them up."

I've actually had the same thing happen with other parts guys, I'll tell them the part # I want, and they will respond by asking me the year make and model. Absolute morons.

 

Some are good and some are terrible-I went to a Kragen store (now O'Rielly's) several years ago and an older fellow with an accent asked what I needed-kinda hard to understand but I gave him the info (chevy wheel cylinders). Said not a word and went and got it--found out he is an old time hot rodder and very knowledgable about 40's and 50's cars--always ask/look for him when I go there.

 

We got pretty good peopel at the parts stores around here, but we do got this one guy and damn do we have fun with him. I went in there the other day and told him I had two 74 Impalas, a blue one and a red one. I told him the transmission was out in the blue one, but the red one had a good one, but someone told me that the put a different tranny in the red ones that the blue ones. No shit, he spent an hour looking through books and asking everyone in the store to try to figure out if the color of the car made a difference. Now he knows me and knows I am a car guy so, even though I mess with him all the time, he trust that I knew what I was talking about and he gave it heart and soul....poor bastard.....anyhow, finally I just asked him where the red spray paint was and said I would spray paint the blue Impala red so it would work and finally he caught on. Atleast I was a good sport, I met him at the bar next door and bought him a few beers latter while we all had a good laugh at his expense

 

Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!


once you guys figure out that the information they ask you for is logged and calculated you'll begin to understand. Until then its back to this.

Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!

Once you guys figure out the programer of the software is to blame for asking if its manual or power, two or four doors and on and on, you will begin to understand . Until then ....

Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!

Once you guys figure out they use the logged info to keep track of the sales persons activity and the cars being maintained to provide better aftermarket support you will begin to understand. Until then its back to this


Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!
Come on horse, stand up, wack! Wack!

 

Naw, I have a better idea. I found a guy that orders the part number I give him, and doesnt ask ANY questions. If he has a day off, I dont order any parts. Dont know WTF I am going to do when he retires...

 

nine years in parts,everything,mixing paint,ag parts industrial supplies.900 customer charge accounts and almost as many suppliers.i got educated on parts,in my last 5 years there,nothing suprised me.the last year i worked there i made just over 30 grand.yeah i knew my shit,but the owner was looking to sell and we couldnt come up with a reasonable deal.so i moved on.

if you go into the same place today,with the new owner and staff,its hopeless.
their motto should be "if we dont got it,you dont need it"
flat out refuse to order small special order stuff,there's no money in it.
i think they have 3 suppliers now....
the competition is 20 miles away,they will deliver a 20 cent o-ring if i ask.i just dont need to be in a hurry.

i always did my best to make sure a customer got what he needed,even hunted up torque specs when asked.

 

No wonder you had a hard time. Chev didn't make many of those HEI equipped 4WD ChevyIIs in '63! Better hold on to it!!

 

it went away with thier paycheck...

 

Don't you know! HONDAS are whats happening now. All the kids are doin' it.

 

great response !!!!! :d:d:d

 

Agree 100%

 

That JOB should pay better ....

 

right out the door with the rest of the world. Nobody needs to care about how their car works anymore because Facebook is more important.

 

My local parts guys (at least the guys that work during the week) are pretty good. The local motorcycle parts counter is the one I have trouble with. If its not a crotch rocket or a brand new MX bike, they don't really care. I don't care if you know everything, nobody does. The ones who are not willing to learn or figure it out are the ones I have problems with.

 

Order online and pick up at the store.

 

Napa is a pretty good parts store, the problem is that the greedy coporate parts stores only want to pay minimun wage to their parts counter employees, so you end up with a fifteen year old that does'ent know were the zit on his face is, let alone a car part, there is one good auto zone in El Cajon, but thats cause they have an excellent maneger, and a couple of my gear head buddies work there, E and M is good too.