I went in about 3 month ago and got all the stuff I needed to rebuild my engine. Well I looked at all the gaskets and found out the gaskets they gave me for the 93 Cobra engine had the intake gasket for the SO/HO intake.
Well I decide to just let it slide and wait till I needed it and go in and get the right one when needed. So Monday I go to Auto Zone and order the gasket. I ask the girl behind the counter if that is the one with the round intake runner holes and she tell me she had no way of telling if it did or not.
Today I go in and pick up the gasket. Can you guess what gasket it was. Thats right it was for the SO/HO intake. I tell the guy it is the wrong one and he decides to go in the back and look at the gasket set they have in the back, that has all the gaskets in it.
It was also for the 93 cobra and it had the gasket I needed so I had to spend $21 for 1 gasket instead of $5. And the girl that waited on me the first time told me maybe I needed to try a different year. My first though was just like a woman to tell me I had the wrong year how does she know what I drive.
So all in all I hate stupid parts counter help that don't know the first thing about their job.
And on a side note if you buy a cam and lifter set from Auto Zone make sure its what you wanted. The Cam for the 93 Cobra I picked up had flat tappet lifters not rollers.
I had a similar problem when I had to get intake gaskets. I went to Pep Boys and the girl behind the counter knew absolutely nothing. I told her a '93 Mustang Cobra. She pulled out gaskets for the standard 5.0 intake. I told her they were wrong and she got all nervous so I just left.
I didn't have a problem with Auto Zone though. They had the right thing in stock and the guy actually understood the words that came out of my mouth. I was surprised it wasn't a special order.
I had even more fun with the Pep Boys girl on another visit. I needed something from a Lincoln Mark VII. She had no clue what a roman numeral 7 looked like.
All the discount chains have idiots working there. I am frustrated with them all. Unless you go in looking for batteries or a wiper blade the help is useless. I went in looking for brake shoes a few weeks back, and the kid came out with pads.
Don't get me started. One time I went into Auto Zone for a lower radiator hose for the T-bird. I told them it had a 5.0 but the girl came back with one for a 3.8. She told me that's the only one they had for an 88 T-bird. I told her to try a 88 5.0 Mustang. Vola she found the hose I needed. :hick:
Right there is the problem.... I never go to auto zone they are a bunch of underinformed retards.. (well in my area) I get all of my parts from O'reilly's.
Next time just ask for intake gaskets for a '96 Explorer.:D
You know, I used to work at one of those 'parts stores' and was one of those 'parts store employees' that you talk about. Most of the time, you have to deal with total idiots who come in and think that "this" and "this" interchange and "I want to make this work with this, how do I do it?"
Now I'm not saying that everyone at these stores is a fart smucker, but not EVERYONE sucks. If you actually get someone you like and knows what you're doing, EXPLAIN IT TO THEM. Most of these people would be more than interested in someone who's actually modifying their car rather than "What wiper blade size does my car take".
Moral of the story.. The CUSTOMERS are the ones who are the idiots in parts stores 95% of the time.
I completely understand what you are saying I worked in the tire busniness for 5-6 years. I now the type.
But I went in knowing exactly what I needed and they got it wrong not once but twice. I also know the store manager personaly, we are on a first name turms.
But me knowing him that way means he can't wait on me. Its one of those store policy thing becasue they don't want money vanishing. So I end up talking with one of the other people there.
As for O'rilleys never will I go there again. I used up 4 set of ther brake pads in 6 month. Thank god for the lifetime warrenty. The guy tried to tell me something on my car was messed up. I had completely rebuilt the entire front brakes. The only place I have never had problem is NAPA but they are kinda out of my way most of the time.
I do have to disagree, here in GF advanced autos and checkers have wonderful people working there. I can go in with the vagest description and they will pull answers out of nowhere and they usually work!
I love those guys.
Anyways my 2 cents
Daniel
The guys at the Autozone near here knew exactly what i wanted, they had all of the radiator hoses out for me in seconds, kinda wierd. I like Autozone and OReillys.
Agree 100%. I worked at Canadian Tire for three months after I got out of high school, as a kind of "in-between" before going to trade school. The people I met and the stupid things they said. One of the most common problems was their inevitable reply to the question "What engine's in it?". They'd always say "I dunno". Of course that reply also applies to a lot of other questions, including some no brainers ("Does it have A/C?" "What year is the vehicle?" "Rear disc or drums?" And even "Front or RWD" for some vehicles such as New Yorker, Cutlass)
My personal favorite was the girl that we asked what kind of tires she had on her car now and we all stared in disbelife when she gave us an answer.
She said black round ones. I just about lost it and started laughing at her.
I hate part stores very much, at least the ones here....
In the last 4 trips to the store, i got nothing but wrong parts for my car/truck...
first, i needed to change the spark plugs in the explorer, and they are platinum. Well, i ordered "platinum plugs for the explorer 96 v6", preferably motorcraft, and the employee came back with a platinum plugs for a 3.8. Those even fit in the block for the 4.0. Well,i asked for other brand and got for answer "i have nothing but motorcraft plugs"..."well" i said, "give me the autolites you have under your shoulder, those marked for the V6 OHV 4.0 for Explorer 95-00"....
Second, i needed an oil filter. "I need an oil filter for an explorer v6 4.0 ohv" trying to be more convincent. I nearly started to laugh when the guy came with a Diesel FUEL filter........
Third, ordered a battery from wal mart. Yep, we have assholes too in the car department. "I want a battery for a 85 cougar V6, Is that red car near the poole" I dont know why in the world the guy took the biggest battery he can, and when i noticed, i asked why . He replied "is a big car, isnt it ?".........
Fourth, this is the worst....When my car had the Bad TFI i wento to the service shop and simply said " I want a TFI for my v6 3.8 1985 cougar" . The guy said "do you have enough money to buy that??" i shocked. I replied "What?, how much a TFI costs here ?" ... the guy said "well, you need the computer, fuel system, wiring harness, etc etc...that will cost you 600 USD" ......i answered "Do you have the minimal idea what a TFI IS ?".........he asked without a doubt " do you think i´m an idiot? of course it is a Tuned Fuel Injection...."
i Walked away from that store like a thief....and made my day......
^^ lol :giggle:
I love it
Daniel
I was a manager at Autozone.. and I agree whole heartedly with David...
My favorites were the people that would storm in the store screaming "You sold me the wrong ****ing part you ****ing assholes!! I'm never coming back here again!!! You ****ing idiots!" Smash the bag down on the counter and force the reciept in your face... I would then kindly look the customer in the eye and place the "Advance auto parts" reciept beside my "Autozone" Name tag and watch them fall off there high horse so hard they almost cried. Had that happend once a month at least... Store 1738 didn't even have an Advane auto in town!!!! Happend there too! Now store 0721 was right across the street from Advance, and it happend alot!
Well well well!! I just had to chime in. I work in a parts store as a counter man. I don't work for any of those mentioned but hey is it a Big parts store chain. Any how I have to agree with both sides of the coin on this one. First of let me tell you good help it hard to find everywhere and at parts stores low ass pay it is even harder. So most of the time you run into the young pile of that knows nothing and cares even less. They are just there to get money for there worthless that mom & dad won't pay for. Not that they are like this just MOST. Then you also may get helped by that guy that is trying to do his best but has been working 3-4hrs without any break or anything and he is just brain dead and what you just asked may take some thought. I his current state you'll get what you want but it may take a min. (these guys are eazy to spot just listen to hear what guy others are asking for) Then we have the dreaded if it isn't in the computer then there is no way I'm looking in the book type if people. Alot of the book types are young people that don't know how to read a book anyway. That is just a slim run down of the type of people that I work with.
Just to let you know most of the auto parts store software really sucks and doesn't give much of any helpful information. The stuff we have just gives you part numbers and it is even in some old 1970's computer language. It does have a decent part number interchange and a good look up by part name that is besides the regular part look up by type. I do know that most of the time there is no specifcation if you have a special model of a car. If you have a turbo coupe you still look it up by thunderbird. Just to day the computer wouldn't interchange a dayco belt number get out the book and in min or two I've got the gates number I needed, but also today I couldn't find a listing at all for a speed sensor fo a 02 dodge minivan. I still matched it up by pics that were in the book. I know my company has a deal with mitchell online that we can look in but the connections is so slow with all the traffic we have that is takes for ever.
Then we must talk about the customers. Most of them don't know what they want, what to call, it or anything remotely about there car but Now they are gonna put some brakes on it or somthing like that. Then you have the very undestanding customer. Then you have the A-holes just like anywhere. Then you also have those cheap asses that want to cut every corner there is and wants you to work 45min to get the parts looked up and ordered when you have the asembly right there but it would cost $5-$10 more.
So to make sense of all this I have a recomendation to get you what you want the first time. Some of these may seem stange but I'll try to explain the best I can.
1. Bring a deent looking women with you and I bet you'll see a difference right off. Most of the time it is a competition to see how gets to help her and then doing what ever it takes to get her the right stuff. Even better have her act like it is her car and you are just doing the work and ther to make sure it is right.
2. If you doubt what they are offering tell them you would like them to look it up in the book the see if there is any others offered.
3. Bring the old part or the part the gasket goes to with you. So you have proff of what you need.
4. Inspect everything before you leave the store.
5. If you don't ask more questions you'll never know what your parts guy knows.
If those were fel-pro gaskets you bought printed on the package some where there is a list of all the gaskets included with indivual part numbers for each. So if they sold you the set get the plenum gasket part number have them order it in put it in that set and take the set back for a refund. Also the fel-pro book list engine by size and does make note of different models such as 2.3t vs 2.3N/a or the Cobra engine.
Well guy I just had to not trying to dog on anyone just stateing the fact as they are in the parts store that I work in.
Ps. You can look up parts yourself on line for most Major Chains. I know for mine you can even see if they have it in stock. Then you can go in with the part number in hand. Then you took the parts guy out of your problem if that is the problem. But always make sure that the numbers are the same he may have pulled a TCS1269 when the real number was TCS1268.
All I really know is if that guy across the counter tries to sell me 20 wheel studs instead of 16 I'm gona smack em in the f'n face!
Anyone who has ever worked in retail will tell you that customers are ****ing idiots.
Here most of the parts counter are occupied by ten aged girls who know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! its agravating as hell! Worst was when I was trying to find red tail light bulbs for my sprint, went to three different places and was told they didnt exist before I found one place where the spikey haired F&F wannabe actually understood and got them for me, suprisingly he was working at Lordco which is the worst place in town to go to for parts, Napa on weekdays in good and one cheiftain auto parts locaton in the evening is goosd, canadian tire ishiznit and miss
the auto zone here has a bunch of kids and old ladies so its not the customer :bs:
I deal with a locally owned independant parts store.
First when I went there I was told to ask for Collin. He seems to be the go to guy. Even the other clerks go to him when they are not sure about something.
There was one time when he did shag me up though. I was planning on doing a brake job on my truck over the weekend. I picked up the pads on Friday and got a loan of my friends garage for Sunday (this was before I had my own garage). I put the truck in the garage on Sunday and took off the tires and the calipers and removed the old pads which were worn down to the metal. I had everything cleaned up and ready to install the new pads but when I took them out of the box it was obvious that they were the wrong ones. I had to call my wife and get her to pick up the right pads at Canadian tire, since the parts store was closed on Sunday.
When I returned the wrong pads we figured out what happened. When he grabbed the box off the shelf he misread the part number. Insteed of...lets say 751 part number he grabbed 715. Innocent mistake.
They all know me by my first name now so when I was working on my manual handcontrols, they would tell me to go in and get what I needed myself.
I always go there first but if they don't have what I'm looking for I go to Napa or Canadian Tire.
One reason to like the parts guys.Yesterday a friend of mine had his wallet stolen from him. The Idiots used that card at a parts store of my brand. Then they tried to return the items for cash later at a different store. By then we were on to them so They got busted this morning. NOW doesn't that sound like a good parts guy?