Problems with auto parts stores

[cumminstinkerer]

I work for an independent carquest store, the two of us behind the counter have both been in parts and turning wrenches for the better part of 30 years each, we try our damndest to find what you are after, the systems suck and books are almost impossible to get anymore. We have books here and use them a lot but they are getting hard to read from all the use. i get you folks frustrations, advance owns carquest now and the corporate stores(either color) hire any warm body they can get, i fight every day with the people at those stores, and they call me trying to find stuff they cant figure out, i help the ones that are nice to me but those that aren't well kiss off. any of you ever need help with stuff give me a ring I'll do what I can, Jason 515-981-4209

 

[NY 986]

Corporate in a lot of places have yanked paper references out of their respective stores. I understand the thinking as some part numbers are no longer
offered. But most of the employees are smart enough to run a number on the computer before they make a promise.

 

[Wheat47]

We have AutoZone, O'Rilies, and NAPA in our small town.
My personal opinion, AutoZone is for the Fru-fru cute things.
Napa had a family feud a while back and really went down. It is now
a company store. The company store got the people back that quit during the feud.
It is quickly coming back up.
Several years ago, the local owned CARQUEST store burned down.
Most of the guys went to ORilies. And they are/were real good.
One of the guys there still gives the railroad discount, even though I'm
retired.

 

[Levi81]

No idea the point of your statement as it pertains to the discussion. Such a broad stroke type statement could be applied to everything in life. You have not been turning wrenches long.

 

[Dave G9N]

(quoted from post at 15:22:36 12/21/23) I buy most of my parts from the NAPA dealer. All of the guys in there are very competent and helpful. What I don't get at NAPA, I generally get at O'Reilly's. Some of the guys are outstanding and some of them are just okay. Fortunately, I have a pretty good idea of which are which so if the good guy(s) are working, I go directly to them.

Tom in TN

f you will pardon a little plagiarism...

I buy most of my parts from the [i:2431649231]O'Reilly's[/i:2431649231] dealer. All of the guys in there are very competent and helpful. What I don't get at [i:2431649231]O'Reilly's[/i:2431649231], I generally get at [i:2431649231]NAPA[/i:2431649231]. Some of the guys are outstanding and some of them are just okay. [b:2431649231]Un[/b:2431649231]fortunately, [b:2431649231]while[/b:2431649231] I have a pretty good idea of which are which, [b:2431649231]when I start with one[/b:2431649231] of the good guys, [b:2431649231]the other guy buts in and takes over[/b:2431649231].

The problem with chain stores is that some of the links should be missing because they are staffed with missing links. It varies from store to store and time to time as the personnel turn over.

Dave in MN

 

[grandpa Love]

Really?? You can be annoyed at the guy in the parts store for not being as smart as you, or you can choose to not be annoyed. How does that not apply to the discussion?? I've been a business owner for 24 years and I've dealt with folks who were extremely knowledgeable and helpful and some folks who didn't have a clue. I try to not let folks affect my mindset. Choose happiness, peacefulness and joy, why be angry and always looking for what's wrong in life??

 

[Crazy Horse]

Jim has a habit of calling everyone who is not as smart as him an 'idiot'. Being so smart, that would account for almost most of the people on the planet.

 

[jimg.allentown]

Well, sir, I don't recall calling anybody here an idiot. So, how does that become a habit? Perhaps you might elaborate?

 

[Crazy Horse]

So first time today are you saying? I don't think so but before you ask, I'm not about to go into search mode to back up my statement. I'm too busy being positive and saying nice things about those I deal with .... LOL !!!

 

[onefarmer]

I've had good luck at Oreilly and Carquest. I won't go to Autozone after they told me to junk my car. i usually lookup my parts before I go in anyway.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Try not to be too hard on the kid behind the counter. They were given a shirt and minimal training, then left to their own devices.

Companies decided that the career parts man was too expensive so they turned it into a minimum wage entry level job. If you're any good at it, you move on to something better quickly. The person behind the counter is never there long enough to really learn the job.

 

[jimg.allentown]

I deal with reality and truth. Not so much the touchy/feely stuff. Sorry to say, not everything in this life is positive.

But, on the brighter side, without the bad, we would not appreciate the good, eh?

 

[Crazy Horse]

I won't argue with any of that Jim. I guess my point is that name calling and referring to individuals as idiots is not an acceptable means to communicate your point in online discussion forums. Anyways we can put that all aside, have a Merry Christmas and we'll see each other around the site.

 

[Levi81]

I agree with about choosing how to react to things and what mood to be in. It is not as straight forward as that.
My point is these people are pointing out observations about how parts counter people are trained at certain stores and how it relates to customer service.

 

[jimg.allentown]

For what it is worth, sometimes it is almost laughable.

I have made the mistake of walking into a parts store looking for a specific piece of hardware, like a bolt, screw or nut of a specific configuration for something I am working on like a piece of outdoor equipment. Clerk comes over to me and asks if he can help me find something. When I tell him I am looking for a 10mm flange nut, I get this ''bambi in the headlights'' look and the next thing he says is ''what's it for?'' I tell him it is not for a car. He returns with something like he needs to know the year and make of what I am working on. Then when I tell him I am working on a rototiller, he asks me ''who makes that? Ford, Chevy, Toyota?''

By this time, I am totally frustrated and ready to go elsewhere and try my luck at the Ace hardware. The parts store is within an easy walk. The hardware store is 10 miles away. Sometimes they are so obtuse, that I find myself sitting in a corner babbling..... The stores around here use the ''body theory.'' That is ANY warm body can do the job. Then they usually find out too late that their theory is less than ideal.

 

[tall german]

Often in the past, I would stop at a auto parts or farm machinery parts counter to get a part. After standing in line for 20 minutes, it would finally be my turn. Just as I started to tell the attendant what I wanted, the phone would ring and he would leave me to answer the phone. It never failed, the guy on the other end was pricing spark plugs or some other winky twink part. He never bothered bringing his wallet and buying the part. Mean while I was standing there with money in hand, ready to buy the part and It wasted my time.
I know a guy that was plowing and blew a hose. He went to the dealer to buy a replacement. Three times, the above happened to him. Finally, he was so mad, he stepped into a vacant salesman's office, picked up the phone and called the parts counter and ordered the hose. He hung up the phone and walked to the parts counter to pick up the one they had laid out for him. They should accommodate the walk ins first!!

 

[wingnuttx]

In the small East Tx town i happen to live in, O’Reillys happens to be my go to parts store. Employees all range around 55 yoa. Probably 50% female i go to every time i get a chance. Much more polite and experienced than the male counterparts. All of the other parts stores are a waste of my time with the exception of Napa. Napa store in another town 8 miles away but they know tractors better than O/R’s. Wingnut