I'd rather just pay a bit extra at a real parts store than deal with idiots.My time is worth more than an afternoon of agrivation.p
To be fair, those people behind the counter at auto parts stores have to stand there and deal with that kind of thing all day. After about a week of that, they probably aren't interested in arguing with anyone else, or deciphering any more problems. Even if the person behind the counter knew all there is to know about cars, they probably aren't interested in using that part of their brain after they've been standing there for 4 hours already, and there is a computer right next to them that they can absentmindedly punch data into. Honestly, if I was in that situation, I'd just be doing whatever it took to get you the hell out of the store as quickly as possible so I could go back to thinking about the weekend, but that's why I'm never going to work in sales....:laugh:
Yep Brian Kentucky Fried Chicken, Australian's are lazy if we can shorten something we do. All the company branding out here is simply KFC, wow didn't know they didn't serve burgers there, we get the wings, drumsticks etc, but they also serve burgers and wraps here as well
Here : Autozone = sells armorall and no one speaks english . O'riellys better Napa , a few old school parts guys that have a clue . DL
I've used the online lookup charts before, and then gone to the store for the parts, with the part number in hand. They sometimes still can't find it. I've been let behind the counter before to show them where the parts are, and I didn't even work there (that was in an AutoZone, before one final cluster bomb swore me off of them). I have actually gotten the guys where I do most of my parts buying (it's an O'Reilly's) to bring out the paper catalogs when I want something. They know I know what I'm talking about, and I have 6 vehicles. I spend a lot of money there. Money talks. I used those racks of catalogs when I worked in a parts store back in the late '70s. In those days, we had the ignition parts and a lot of other ones in our heads. A guy comes in to tune up a car, all I needed to look up was the plugs, then pull the rest from the shelf. Unless it was Italian or British or something. Looking up a part number for one of those cars every 6 months or so doesn't put it in the old long-term memory.
No joke. They all think Im a weirdo over there. One time I was in a jam and needed a couple of wheel cylinders on a sunday. AZ had em but they were made in CHINA (naturally). Normally, I wouldn't of bought them just on principle, but I was stuck. When I read the country of origin, I groaned and commented about them being made in China. The girl behind the counter asked me "what's wrong with that? I was going to go into my speel about them being made by 12 year old girls that are probably chained to the equipment. but I just sighed instead. I didn't have the energy to explain it to her. Yeah, they know me over there :grin:
I end up going to the nearby advanced after everybody else is closed. I drive them crazy. what kind of car? a 1968 front engine dragster with a 350 buick. after saying that and it finally sinks in, they start to listen and stop asking stupid questions. and I spent 30+yrs pt/ft behind the counter.
That's what I used to use as well. And in the same time frame, late 70s. The place I deal with the most has computers, but they still have the catalogs as well.
last summer i went to AZ to get the batteries tested in my 99 dodge diesel. so the kid comes out with his little tester and starts to hook it up to a battery (the truck has 2, diesel remember?) i ask him do you think i should disconnect them from each other, he looks at me with a dumbfounded look and says "i guess" so i disconnect the ground cable off of 1 of them and he checks it out and then the other and they check out good so he says "do you want me to check the alternator"? sure why not, so he hooks up his little tester and asks me to start the truck, now a 99 dodge with a cummins engine is noisy and its rattling and he looks at me and says "is this a diesel"? i guess the dual batteries and the engine making more noise than you can talk over isnt a good enough hint. at that point i just told him to never mind. my wife was sitting in the truck and she asked me "did he ask you if this is a diesel"? yuuup sure didou: she got a chuckle out of it.
Am I the only one who read this and wondered why he just didn't use the calculator on his cell phone? Even my cheapo TracFone has a calculator on it.uzzled:
Good question- I actually hate cell phones. They are the scourge of humanity. I have one because I need one for work and my employer provides it. After working hours, I usually don't even want to have it with me.
I've done without one for 68 yrs. now & really don't see the need in my situation. I'm either at work, home or in between. Leave a MESSAGE!!!!
I have the same sentiment, really. I use the calculator on mine more than I use it for a phone. It's never on when I'm home. I guess that's why I don't have a high end phone or the bill to go with it.
On the cell phone, that's pretty funny. I have one; I keep it in the console for emergencies, or if I get a page and it looks like it's important. Then I'll pull off the road and use it. One of the managers at work told me on last Monday that one of the other managers had been trying to get hold of me since Friday. I pulled out my pager and said, "I didn't get a page". I've told them repeatedly that my cell phone is for emergencies only and is turned off. If you really want to get hold of me, page at my company provide pager number.
Bangshift has a recurring column about this subject from the perspective of the parts guy: http://bangshift.com/general-news/unknown-parts-guy-dealing-with-the-species-known-as-the-mega-db/
Anyone who has worked in any retail/customer service business can tell stories of asshats like that moron customer. I sold automobiles for a living for a long time. There were customers that I had all I could do to not strangle them. There were some rude, condescending, etc..bastards. But, I bit my tongue, sold them vehicles and muttered obscenities about them, their family and their dog under my breath as they drove off, after enhancing my paycheck. If I had let them know just how I disliked them and they bought a vehicle elsewhere, who really would have won? The good part was that there were a lot of good folks who came in and were a pleasure to deal with. Then I opened my own businesses and had to deal with both customers and employees. Whole different ballgame. Business is what you make it when you own it.
what do you expect for min wage. anyone who knows cars is going to be at a dealer or garage making more money.
It should be noted that the parts guys and the managers have no control over the price. the most they can do is the managers 10% discount. They can key their own prices in, so don't expect them to bend deals. They simply can't. I do feel for the parts guys. 90% percent of the customers treat them like crap, expect them to have a wealth of knowledge on every make and model, even our obsolete rigs. Half the time the customer doesn't even know the name of the part they are looking for. Most car guys walk into AZ looking for a reason to roll their eyes or waiting for a chance to lecture the poor kid about points.
AutoZone took a wet bite out of my mother-n-laws azz this past weekend. She had a check engine light come on and being on a budget, she went to AZ to have them run an OBD-II scanner on it to pull the codes. Well the guy at the counter does this (which this is a great thing they offer customers for free) but instead of pulling the codes and just writing them down for her and giving her some basic info (and letting her, at her own risk, look the codes up) he gives her advice on what he "thinks" is wrong with the car. With that advice, she proceedes to order 2-o2 sensors for the downstream side of her exhaust system... she comes to me with no more information other than her sensors are bad and she'd like for me to replace them. NBD, I've done this before, even have the tool. So after fighting with the engine mount and those stupid hard to reach harness ends, 4 hours later I have the two old sensors out and the two new ones in. After resetting the system all is fine, half hour later the light is back on. After beeing nagged for a week by her, via my wife, I ask her for the codes that AZ gave her so I can do my own researach, and the codes read ... Bank 2 sensor 1 with low voltage.... Thats the upstream sensor by the radiator. ou: She had me change both downstream sensors... First off, why did I just trust that AZ knew what they were talking about and just install the part. :spank: Secondly, why did the AZ have to give advice? They are offering this service to help people with an expense, but ended up costing her money (and 4 hours of my weekend). So now she has two brand new sensors that were around 50 bucks each that she didn't technically have to change, and has to buy a 3rd sensor that's twice the price (upstream are always higher). :blast:AZ!
