Lets bash the parts counter guys!!

[diesel4me]

I read the post about the rims,and saw some of you have had some bad experinces with parts counter "people"(it used to be "counterMAN,until some of them grew boobs!)--being a former counterman,I enjoy hearing horror stories about the ones who dont know jack--or are just plain lazy,and want to do as little as possible for as much money as possible!--thanks to guys and gals like them,the stores I worked at were always very busy--too bad they didnt pay us what we deserved though--

We made the owners of those stores very rich,but we got very little of the pie..but at least we got the satisfaction of knowing we could figure out what people wanted,without knowing every serial number,production date,etc--all that is due to the computer being the brains of the outfit instead of the human (chimp?) pushing the buttons now..and most stores I go too dont have catologs anymore,if they do they never use them,Napa and a few other places are the only ones that still use and know how to read them here....it used to be the bosses would say "dont let them leave till you figure out what they need,and sell it to them"--now its "I'm sorry,the computer doesnt list that part"---and the blank stare..

If I said we didnt have something,my boss would grill me,"did you look in this brand?,that brand?"--he had 7 different lines of oil filters in the same store!-Wix,Fram,Purolator,Baldwin,Group 7,Worldparts,and some cheesy 1.99 brand (TVI?)--so if I ever said we didnt stock a certain filter,he'd either make me look dumb when he found it in one of the other brands,or he'd add it to his inventory!--We had filters in stock the warehouse had to special order!(mostly because this is cranberry bog country,and those growers cobble together some pretty strange rigs to pick the berries)..Now its "We dont have that,we can special order it to be here in a week,if you pay in full today--and NO refunds if its the wrong part!--at least we'd take it back with a handling charge....

So lets hear some more parts counter stories!--I know you guys must have at least a few!

We have a few female parts persons in our local stores--some are smart as whips,but not exactly femminine,and some are very good looking,but cant look up squat--but they are the most popular!--One time at a store where a nice "partsbabe" works,a guy kept asking her for lug nuts for his truck for about 10 minites--I was a few aisles away,and overheard the conversation-the lug nuts were loose in boxes under the counter,and she had to bend over to reach them--after the guy looked at every lug nut and walked out,she let out a disgusted sigh--she said,"I dont think he was looking for lug nuts at all"--she was partly right--her low cut shirt was the main attraction if you ask me!

 

[RubberFloorMat]

i worked at 2 different parts stores and made it my mission to be able to find any part, i knew what catalog to look in for just about everything including tractor parts, knew most of the most popular stuff from memory.

still remember most of the Wix filter numbers.
most of my co-workers didnt know the first thing about how to use the catalogs, and if it wasnt in the computer, it didnt exist.

now that im out of the business and have to put up with parts guys who dont care, dont have a clue, and dont want one.

i think part of the reason is all the parts stores want someone who knows thier stuff, but they dont want to pay jack squat, so no one stays in the business long enough to become a effective parts guy/girl.

i had a parts guy tell me that they never offered a TBI motor in the Blazer the other day...

 

[3 on the tree]

I used to live ina small community in N california. I ordered an alternator for my 70 Ford 1 ton and paid up front. When the part got there, it was not even a Ford alternator, and the part # was not the same as on my invoice!!! This was a NAPA store, and I have always found them to be the most knowledgeable of any of the chains. The owner of the store told me no exchanges on special orders. I showed him that the alt wasn't even the part # ordered, but he still would not budge. I then asked him how much his 10 X 12 front store window costs to replace. He just looked at me funny. I then told him he was getting this alternator back, either in his hands or through his window. 2 days later, I had the corect alternator.

 

[sweetk30]

napa rules in my area thay are willing to go not 1 mile . if needed thay will go 10 miles. and thay have afternoon shuttle if order is in by 10:00am and the hub has it . it is a rare sit thes days to find a store like that. and for all those other stores that say we want to make you are family friend or we will be there for the long hall , take a lesson or 2 from napa. !!!!!!!!!

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

I feel you guy's pain.

That is why I'm here. I go the extra mile for my customers on those parts I can supply them, and if I know of a cheaper place or I can find the part number, I'll supply you with the part number and where to get the part.

I'm good with parts so that is why I'm here to help you guys out. If you get in a bind, send me a PM and I'll do what I can for you, anytime.

 

[darkshadow]

i hate the part guys i look for the oldest guy inther the one who might actaly know what he talking about.
i f get some kid i quiz him se if he knows what he talkin about. so hell shut up and do what i want.

or help other cutermers out in line find things lol

 

[Robert79K5]

Our local NAPA is full of slackers. Last time I was in there the "counterperson" argued with me that a flexplate and a flywheel were the same thing because it was listed in the computer under the same category. Even when I explained the difference its like she refused to believe me.
Our NAPA used to be really good back in the day. Fortunately Advance lets me look up my own parts so I just go there now.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Our local Napa is pretty good. There is only a couple guys who work the counter and they know their stuff, especially during those times when you don't exactly know what the part is called you can just describe it to them and they will figure it out pretty quickly. There is no way you can do that at the local Autozone or Advance.

There WAS a 4WP store (only lasted about a year before closing) and the counter guys there didn't know anything about off-road or four wheel drive unless it was fancy rims or KC lights. I tried to order a Lock-right for my Dana 60 twice, even had a print out from the Lock-right site showing p/n and such, and the guy kept telling me they didn't exist. He than told me that a Trac-lok was the same thing and I should just get that instead.

 

[eclipse]

Napa.... I guess its who works there. We have several stores and the main store has the most counter guys I have ever seen and none of them are friendly to help you and just assume you go away. And at work our mechanic is always just sitting in his office on the phone on hold with napa!

 

[sled_dog]

The few Napas we have, are great but its easier to go to Advanced or Auto Zone, they have better hours for someone who actually works for a living. The Auto Zone back home became RIDICULOUS. I went in there one saturday night. There were 8 or so people waiting just for the parts counter. There were 2 people working the parts counter and one guy must have been on break cause he just walked right passed everyone and everything and went in the back. After they would help a customer get the parts they would help the next one, so no one was checking ANYBODY out. It was insane. THis old man started saying, well can't you ring me up? In a bit sir I have to deal with these customers. I just put my misc. exhaust stuff on a shelf with air conditioning crap and left. I went over to Advanced and walked out with what I needed in about 5 minutes. They may not be as knowledgable as Napa but they actually give a **** about a customer. Most parts places don't even know the phrase "we can get it..." anymore. Its just, "nope don't have it" then they stare at you till you leave. What happened to trying to actually make money? Oh the funniest thing, when the Advanced opened up, one of the guys high up at Auto Zone quit and went to Advanced. So I guess even the employees don't like it there

 

[sled_dog]

I went to Autozone for a u joint for my 84 K5. I went there 4 times. 3 ujoints. Finally I took the 3rd one back, when to Napa and bam they had the right one in my hand in about a minute. I guess there is a different joint for the Manual equipped 84 K5 vs the common auto one. AutoZone just couldn't figure that little trivia out.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

I tried to order a Lock-right for my Dana 60 twice, even had a print out from the Lock-right site showing p/n and such, and the guy kept telling me they didn't exist. He than told me that a Trac-lok was the same thing and I should just get that instead.

4 wheel Parts doesn't sell Lock-Rights nor do they sell any Richmond Gear product as far as I know. Look closely next time and you'll find a lot of reputable companies that will not deal with 4wheelparts and their shady business practices.

 

[eclipse]

"phrase "we can get it..." anymore. Its just, "nope don't have it" then they stare at you till you leave."

lmao!!!!


We dont have any advanced or auto zones around here. Just Napa and Schucks. For small stuff I usually go to the closest Schucks, usually I'm too lazy to drive any further but they are usually helpful for the parts they do have.

 

[mikey_d05]

I've bashed NAPA a lot in the past but there are two counter guys there that are good. The rest are absolutely worthless.

I had a blinker go in my DD and I needed replacement sockets for the bulbs. The parts lady working at Advance told me there was no such thing because the blinkers were sealed beam units...mind you my DD is a '93 so the headlights aren't even sealed beam. Wow, just wow.

Ran into one of the worthless fellows at NAPA that didn't know what a spindle was. Hey, must not have been in the computer.

I'm sure most of you have read the other post but I asked for a cover gasket for a 14 bolt once and the guy brought me a cover for a 10 bolt. I explained it wasn't the right one and 14 bolt cover gaskets have 14 holes, so he went back and got another of the same &%#$ one. He got pretty pissed off when I started counting the bolt holes in the gasket but eventually he got the message.

 

[grindkings]

Ride on. Okay, i went to a parts store to get and engine rebuild kit. Now i ask the guy for a kit and he hooks me up. Come back a week later and pick the kit up. TUrns out its a FACTORY REBUILD kit. I was like "what the hell is this". I tried to explain to him that not very many people rebuild an enige to factory specs AND put .60 over DISH pistons in a motor. He just look at me and said, "you did say you wanted performance". I couldn't beileve my ears. I was in a terror rag. Here i spen lots of hard earned money and a box of ****. Facotry parts for a nice motor. So turns out i have to pretty much build a kit from scratch with the bull**** they sold me. Have a nice day!

 

[6.2Blazer]

4 wheel Parts doesn't sell Lock-Rights nor do they sell any Richmond Gear product as far as I know. Look closely next time and you'll find a lot of reputable companies that will not deal with 4wheelparts and their shady business practices.

In that case it was even worse because the guy told me they sold Lock-rights and could get them for other applications.

I never liked 4 Wheel Parts but they opened up a store in a local town and invited our club to have meetings there, and would give us a discount. They thought they would get a lot of business off of us, but nobody in our club wanted to buy chrome nerf bars or Pro-Comp AT's, which was about the only thing they ever had in stock.

 

[sled_dog]

Your mistake was thinking it was a good idea to buy rebuild parts at a big parts house. At a performance shop, sure but not at a Pep Boys or Advanced or something. I won't cosnider a rebuild kit unless I know who manufactured each and every part of it and know they are a reputable, quality part producer. Those places sell motors made in mexico and parts made in the same damn plant.

Ride on. Okay, i went to a parts store to get and engine rebuild kit. Now i ask the guy for a kit and he hooks me up. Come back a week later and pick the kit up. TUrns out its a FACTORY REBUILD kit. I was like "what the hell is this". I tried to explain to him that not very many people rebuild an enige to factory specs AND put .60 over DISH pistons in a motor. He just look at me and said, "you did say you wanted performance". I couldn't beileve my ears. I was in a terror rag. Here i spen lots of hard earned money and a box of ****. Facotry parts for a nice motor. So turns out i have to pretty much build a kit from scratch with the bull**** they sold me. Have a nice day!

 

[mr_beer]

My local NAPA is the best!!! They are a great bunch of guys, that will do what ever it takes to get you the right part. They always pick on parts that fail prematurely and say that they "must be Auto Zone"

 

[afroman006]

Our Napa is badass. Its quite frankly the best and nicest parts store I've been to. Everyone there is extremely helpful and they have soooo much cool stuff. Prices are a little bit higher but even my broke ass has no qualms about paying for that kind of service. Of course it helps that its the closest store to me. Autozone can suck a nut every time I go in there I have to wait in line for 20 minutes and basically look the part up myself.

 

[big_truxx]

I once called either autozone or advance auto for a price on a flywheel. It was before I had actually gotten to see my 84 for the first time and fiddle with it. My dad had gone and bought a truck for me since I was out of state and he said the starter made an awful sound when they started it. So I figured the starter was improperly shimmed and had chewed the flywheel considerably (not knowing by looking at it) and wanted to know how much it would cost for the flywheel. And after I told the guy (I like to mess with them with my sometimes odd vehicles) that the truck was originally a 2wd but had been converted to 4wd he asked me which tranny I had in it... I was like well I'm fairly sure that it would be the 4x4 since I don;t think the 2wd would work with the transfer case. He told me he couldn't give me an exact price w/o knowing which tranny for sure it was. I was like ok gimme the 4x4 tranny price on the flywheel for the 454... I think he told me $45 which seemed hella low to me... but I guess the $95 core charge would make up for that in a hurry. LOL But he almost wouldn't give me a price on the phone not knowing what transmission I had for sure... I sometimes find it sad that I know more than the guy that's supposed to be there for people who know nothing to begin with...

um does yer 4x4 have a 4x4 tranny in it? i dunno lemme go ask it. it didnt say anything to me. got any other ideas?