After reading the post in the lounge about Autozone and their inept counterpeople,I feel obligated to speak in their behalf.I was a parts counter person at several large and small auto parts and paint stores for nearly 20 years.All that time the most I was ever paid was 8 bucks an hour--searching for a job now,the pay is not much different--10 bucks an hour is considered average pay for a manager,not a counterperson--as a couterperson you must answer the phone,wait on customers,pull parts from the huge warehouse behind the counter,unload delivery trucks,occasionally make deliveries if the parts drivers are all out on the road,call warehouses to order parts and remember to fill out the log sheet so the drivers will get the parts,sweep the floor when its slow,stock the shelves,turn brake rotors and drums(now your a machineist,and have to inhale asbestos and metal filings)and often you have to do 2 or 3 things at the same time,this is expected of you,and you get no extra pay or benifits for doing the work of several people--and as far as getting any respect,auto parts counterpeople rate right up there with Rodney Dangerfeild--we had his picture on the counter with the words "Parts People Get No Respect"on it!.Oh,yea--you have to be phsycic too--more people ask you whats wrong with their car than they ask their mechanics(many "mechanics"would call ME and ask if I knew the problem!).I would often have to bite my tounge if the boss was listening--they didnt like us giving advice(even if it meant a sizable sale /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif)
The real problem is the management of the stores--the computer HAS ruined the parts business--you dont need any brains to be a counterman today--you just need to ask the right questions,push the right buttons,and hopefully it will give you the correct part numbers.If you cant provide an application for a certain part,they say "sorry,then we cant sell you this"because they are paranoid they will be sued if a part not belonging on a certain car causes problems.This makes it very difficult for anyone like us here on CK5 to buy any parts--unless we know exactly what to ask for,your out of luck--they will fold their arms and look at you like your crazy,and tell you sorry,no parts.
This is why Napa,and many other "jobber" stores still exist,despite their higher prices and smaller sized stores,they are about the last place you can go where a guy at the counter actually knows what your talking about,and will take a few minites to let you look through an illustrated parts guide catolog(yes,some people can still read them,and actually HAVE catologs,and dont rely on the almighty computer for everything)--but you pay a premium price for all this /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif-(and it takes at least 2 hours of your day--our Napa is in no hurry to wait on anyone)-When I worked at the larger stores,the management would frown upon me spending more than 5 minites with any customer---if they overheard someone say "I have this vehicle and I want to put this driveshaft from a different year in mine"type of question,they would practically time me with a stopwatch--they knew I was rather knowledgeable about such things,and I was always glad to help people,but they felt it lost more money in the end than they made--often it meant many returns when parts didnt fit,and returned in greasy torn boxes,and hard feelings between employees and management.
It didnt have to be that way,but since today its all about speed and efficiency,not personal service or customer satisfaction,thats how the auto parts world has become--take any boob off the street that can push computer buttons,and the hell with having to actually know your job.I'm not blaming the counterpeople--most of them just need a job,like everyone else.But I think its wrong of big chain stores to not hire experienced counterpeople because they expext to be paid what they are worth for their knowledege,and they arent pretty with nice boobies,and put profits before customer satisfction.While I was at the "Zone"getting parts for my motor swap,the girl behind the counter was very upset,almost in tears,because someone called to ask for a water pump,and they didnt havre it in stock--so the guy on the other end of the phone said"thanks for nothing you stupid C---t!--she was ready to quit,I told her she wasnt stupid(or the"C"word either /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif)and said she impressed me with her knowledge (she actually knew what an oil pump driveshaft and screen was!)and also told her how I put up with people like that jerk several times a day for nearly 20 years---I felt really bad for her,I knew exactly what she was going through. Would you want to go to work every morning knowing that this is going to happen every day??--or look foreward to someone wanting to shove a part down your throat,when it was the wrong one through no fault of your own??--or get blamed for a defective part,like YOU rebuilt it??
So--next time you go to buy parts,and they give you that blank stare and say their sorry,dont blame it all on the person at he counter--direct it towards their employers,they are the real villans here for their policies.The counterpersons get paid rather little for the amount of work they do (and nowhere enough for all the crap they have to put up with from the public and their employers).Not to say there arent some arrogant A-hole counterpersons though--I have met some of them too---I avoid their places of employment like the plauge.Maybe if enough customers boycott places with poor counterpeople,they wont be able to keep them employed--and they will have to be nicer at their next job.
Sorry for the long rant--but I had to get this off my chest. In my job search,I've learned that you can make about 2 bucks an hour more working the counter VS being the parts delivery driver--I'd rather drive and put up with all the road rage and jerks on the road,than be imprisoned behind a counter all day---a job can feel like a paid prison term if your not happy doing it. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif And that leads to "Countermans Atittude", like the girl in the lounge post--a disgruntled employee is usually a result of poor treatment by the employer and the public--you get tired of being treated like crap after awhile! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif--But I can say this also--employees seem to be able to get away with bad atittudes and poor performance in general than back when I worked in the retail world--seems all Wal-Mart and similar stores want is warm bodies that show up every day--intelligence and courtesy seem to be optional,not really mandatory like it used to be. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
The real problem is the management of the stores--the computer HAS ruined the parts business--you dont need any brains to be a counterman today--you just need to ask the right questions,push the right buttons,and hopefully it will give you the correct part numbers.If you cant provide an application for a certain part,they say "sorry,then we cant sell you this"because they are paranoid they will be sued if a part not belonging on a certain car causes problems.This makes it very difficult for anyone like us here on CK5 to buy any parts--unless we know exactly what to ask for,your out of luck--they will fold their arms and look at you like your crazy,and tell you sorry,no parts.
This is why Napa,and many other "jobber" stores still exist,despite their higher prices and smaller sized stores,they are about the last place you can go where a guy at the counter actually knows what your talking about,and will take a few minites to let you look through an illustrated parts guide catolog(yes,some people can still read them,and actually HAVE catologs,and dont rely on the almighty computer for everything)--but you pay a premium price for all this /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif-(and it takes at least 2 hours of your day--our Napa is in no hurry to wait on anyone)-When I worked at the larger stores,the management would frown upon me spending more than 5 minites with any customer---if they overheard someone say "I have this vehicle and I want to put this driveshaft from a different year in mine"type of question,they would practically time me with a stopwatch--they knew I was rather knowledgeable about such things,and I was always glad to help people,but they felt it lost more money in the end than they made--often it meant many returns when parts didnt fit,and returned in greasy torn boxes,and hard feelings between employees and management.
It didnt have to be that way,but since today its all about speed and efficiency,not personal service or customer satisfaction,thats how the auto parts world has become--take any boob off the street that can push computer buttons,and the hell with having to actually know your job.I'm not blaming the counterpeople--most of them just need a job,like everyone else.But I think its wrong of big chain stores to not hire experienced counterpeople because they expext to be paid what they are worth for their knowledege,and they arent pretty with nice boobies,and put profits before customer satisfction.While I was at the "Zone"getting parts for my motor swap,the girl behind the counter was very upset,almost in tears,because someone called to ask for a water pump,and they didnt havre it in stock--so the guy on the other end of the phone said"thanks for nothing you stupid C---t!--she was ready to quit,I told her she wasnt stupid(or the"C"word either /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif)and said she impressed me with her knowledge (she actually knew what an oil pump driveshaft and screen was!)and also told her how I put up with people like that jerk several times a day for nearly 20 years---I felt really bad for her,I knew exactly what she was going through. Would you want to go to work every morning knowing that this is going to happen every day??--or look foreward to someone wanting to shove a part down your throat,when it was the wrong one through no fault of your own??--or get blamed for a defective part,like YOU rebuilt it??
So--next time you go to buy parts,and they give you that blank stare and say their sorry,dont blame it all on the person at he counter--direct it towards their employers,they are the real villans here for their policies.The counterpersons get paid rather little for the amount of work they do (and nowhere enough for all the crap they have to put up with from the public and their employers).Not to say there arent some arrogant A-hole counterpersons though--I have met some of them too---I avoid their places of employment like the plauge.Maybe if enough customers boycott places with poor counterpeople,they wont be able to keep them employed--and they will have to be nicer at their next job.
Sorry for the long rant--but I had to get this off my chest. In my job search,I've learned that you can make about 2 bucks an hour more working the counter VS being the parts delivery driver--I'd rather drive and put up with all the road rage and jerks on the road,than be imprisoned behind a counter all day---a job can feel like a paid prison term if your not happy doing it. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif And that leads to "Countermans Atittude", like the girl in the lounge post--a disgruntled employee is usually a result of poor treatment by the employer and the public--you get tired of being treated like crap after awhile! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif--But I can say this also--employees seem to be able to get away with bad atittudes and poor performance in general than back when I worked in the retail world--seems all Wal-Mart and similar stores want is warm bodies that show up every day--intelligence and courtesy seem to be optional,not really mandatory like it used to be. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
