I hate part stores..

Reply #15 – August 10, 2006, 12:52:21 AM

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.

I hate part stores..

Reply #16 – August 10, 2006, 01:11:53 AM

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!

I hate part stores..

Reply #17 – August 10, 2006, 02:33:50 AM

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

I hate part stores..

Reply #18 – August 10, 2006, 07:21:47 AM

Quote from: David

Moral of the story.. The CUSTOMERS are the ones who are the idiots in parts stores 95% of the time.

the auto zone here has a bunch of kids and old ladies so its not the customer :bs:

I hate part stores..

Reply #19 – August 10, 2006, 08:50:31 AM

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.

I hate part stores..

Reply #20 – August 10, 2006, 02:49:30 PM

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?

I hate part stores..

Reply #21 – August 10, 2006, 02:59:40 PM

Quote from: cougarman

Next time just ask for intake gaskets for a '96 Explorer.:D

Ditto.