I went to AA today to get some parts for the dump tk I'm working on. I just needed a brake adjuster ,nothing more
The counterman had a snotty attitude and acted like it was an inconvenience to wait on me. I said what I needed and gave him the part number, he got all pissy and wanted to know how I got the part numbers, so I said I looked it up on there web site. He then explained too me that I didn't know what I was talking about, He then said that they didn't have my parts and the only way I could get it was with a kit that cost about 20.00$ more. I said that I did,nt need a kit just a brake adjuster. Well then the Fireworks flew he got has pantys in a wad!! and started shooting his mouth off. I explained too him that He was Just an employee of AA and I would take itup with someone that was His superior. Well next he tells me that I can't talk to him that way because he was the store manager and I was asked to leave the store. As I was leaving I told him what he could do with his attitude. I'll put up with a lot but not crap like this-- what do you fellows think? I'v ran my own shop since 1967 and never ran acroost a jerk like this! Oh well live and learn . I spent close to $15000.00 there last year -----guess what I'm buying parts where the service is better.
Sorry about the RANT but I thougt the forum members should know about this!
Thanks John Ferguson

It has been that way for 15 years for me.

When I was in highschool I would bring in the flap off the sparkplug package that contained the part number.

Easy right?

Nope, they (Western Auto at the time) insisted on looking up year, make, model blah blah blah

Although the Checker Auto that is nearby is finally coming around to accepting part numbers from their website. But I find, like you encountered, they usually do not have it in stock and then I have to run thru the whole spiel of "year, make, model, blah blah" to find a compromise.

Another nice thing about this particular Checker Auto is a huge selection of Holley and Edelbrock parts. Makes getting that power valve or rebuild kit easy to aquire.

Josh

I just tell them that this would be a good place for a parts store and go to NAPA.

Jeff Colvert
Jeff Colvert Racing CNC Cyl.Heads
69 Mustang SS/G first in the 9's
68 GT500KR 2330

It seems these people hate their work. The guy behind the counter at a local NAPA store gave me an attitude when I was looking for a double flare tubing kit. Acted like he didn't have time for me and I was bothering him. Said he didn't have one and the nearest was like 20 miles away, basically trying to rush me out the door. Then as I was walking out there is one right there on the shelf!!!

In some cases nothing can be done about it....but in case it can you just might make it better for all customers by contacting someone further up.

relations you experienced and send a copy to the manager of the offending store branch. Chain stores love to get customer feedback so fulfill their wet dreams. Letters work everytime and who knows, your efforts might be worth a one or two discount coupons.

i run the parts / service at a mom and pop trailer shop here in denver and i ENCOURAGE the customer to know what they want / need. it's nice to have a person who has a part number, even better a part to match up to. of course the trailer business is a bit more difficult, due to the amount of people building them. you just don't know what's offered on a particular model............

call and ask for the DM, Distric manager, If they will not tell you, call the nearest stores until you find one that will. Take note of any that will not help with the information.

Usually, well, always, now when I'm about to look for a part I look them up on the their website and print out the paper. So far they love it since, if its busy, they can just pull my parts and get me out the door. When I used to look up parts I loved that kind of customer.
The main problem with auto parts stores today is that it isn't a trade anymore. I remember back in the 60's when I was a kid going to the parts store with my old man and NEVER seeing a woman in there. It was always full of older greasy looking guys and LOTS of cigarette smoke. Back then looking up auto parts was a trade. A good counterman got paid good money and was courted by other competing parts stores.
Today, counter people only get paid a little above minimum wage. I was out of work for a while and asked about a help wanted ad in the front of an Advance store. I told the manager that I had over seven years experience and he asked what I had to have to work there. I told him $400 a week before taxes, he almost fell out of his chair and said "even he didn't make that much".
Mostly you get college kids just passing time until they graduate. Also, its a very tough job even back when I was in it. Think about it, as a customer your already frustrated, or even mad since most of the time you've been working in a tight engine compartment or on a stuck/stripped bolt, busted knuckles, etc and then the guy doesnt have the part you need in stock.........which is another problem I have with todays parts store. Back when I used to work at one we had just about everything, all of the brass fittings made, any bolt you needed in grade 8, any single freeze plug size, engine kit, etc. Now everything will have to be ordered and YOU have to drive there and pay in most cases before they even order it. Hell, all you had to do was tell us to order the part and it was done. If you didn't pick it up in a week it was sent back................Mike

I currently work for Auto Zone and Ive been there , I am 49 and most( but not all ) of the employees in auto parts chain stores are younger and have just gotten out of school and/ or they think they know it all,( In my store this is NOT the Case) , I was once young and full of myself, but in todays job climate that is unforgiveable,I wish everyone would come in with a part number.Call the stores DM and talk to him,and hopefully it will change the guys attitude

I figure they would WANT people to come in with part numbers. I know I would. I can see where they are somwhat covering for themselves if someone looked up the wrong part at home. I know I have done that a time or two, but I blame myself, not the store.

Are returns that big of a deal that they would rather not deal with it?

My recent experience is with a heater core for my 74 Ford F100. I swore I had the HIGH OUTPUT heater, looked up the part, got it home, tore my dash apart and lo and behold I had the standard core. Looked up that part, called it in, had it next day with return.

Checker was cool about it.

Josh

I was on the hunt for parts today too. First I went to my local Advanced Auto Parts to order the FelPro 1020 head gaskets for my Stroker build.

There's a guy there (Dave) probably in his late 20's that always has a perminant scoul on his face and acts like he would rather be doing anything else but talking to you. He opened up with "whata ya need". I replied "FelPro 1020" He gives me a look like what's this guy think he is and says "What's That?" So I told him. He looked it up, ordered it and I paid him but he maintained his less than pleasant attitude and couldn't give a shit what I was working on.

I then drove about 25 miles to a NAPA Store & Machine Shop for some Cylinder Head Dowl Pins that Dennis found for me. Before I left I also called the Parts side and inquired about Victor 95159SG gaskets. The guy that answered (Len) explained how NAPA had switched from Victor to FelPro but there were left over Victor Gaskets that had been labeled with the FelPro equlivant part number and according to his inventory he had a set but would need to look for them.

When I got there Len turned out to be this crusty looking old guy with a tattered NAPA Cap and a great senser of humor. He appologized that he was unable to locate the gaskets and called Victor to check the number and see if they had any. The guy from Victor advised him that the part was discontinued. He really went out of his way to help me.

I then went around the corner to the machine shop to see Dennis who had a stash of Dowel Pins. He gave 4 of them and said good luck with your engine build and have a nice day! He didn't want any money for the pins!

I wish I had ordered the 1020's from Len at NAPA! ww

1965 Galaxie 500XL 445ci Stroker (soon) C-6
1965 Galaxie 500XL 390ci P-Code, 4-Speed
1965 Galaxie 500XL 289ci Cruse-O-Matic
2001 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 5.4L
2006 John Deer X320 Garden Tractor

WARREN CANCELL YOUR ORDER FOR THE 1020 FEL-PRO GASKETS....order them from jegs or summitt under the ford performance parts. these are fel-pro 1020 gaskets in a ford wraper. the price for a pair is the same as the fel-pro price for 1 gasket... ask me how i know lol... they have fel-pro stamped on the gasket....save a few extra bucks for the bowling green trip next year......gopher

Yea, I'm looking forward to BG. I'll have fresh tires on the trailer this time! ww

1965 Galaxie 500XL 445ci Stroker (soon) C-6
1965 Galaxie 500XL 390ci P-Code, 4-Speed
1965 Galaxie 500XL 289ci Cruse-O-Matic
2001 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 5.4L
2006 John Deer X320 Garden Tractor

It is real simple for me when I get bad service at different places. I just never go back, period. Doesn't matter if its a resturant,parts store,clothing store,grocery. whatever. I don't go back and I don't mind telling people I know about the bad service.

Lets think about what they deal with each and every day. Ive eavesdropped on more than one conversation while standing in line and man, how dumb some people are. One guy was mad because he screwed up his drive shaft while trying to take out the U joint. Seems the guy at the counter that sold him the new one didnt tell him to remove the retaining clips before trying to remove the old one from the driveshaft. Now dude is all pissed off at the guy behind the counter because he screwed up by beating the hell out of it. Then he really freaks out when he finds out how much a new shaft is going to cost him.

I too get frustrated when I know what I need and they dont think I know what Im talking about. I have since decided to always play dumb and let them go through the process/procedure they have been trained to do and look up the parts for me. Now and then, you have to approach the topic differently. For example, I needed a sensor for the air intake on my daughters 98 Cavalier. Haynes manual called it an air intake sensor. Auto Zone stated there was no such part. So I ask what part they would give me if they read the ODBC code on my car. He looks up the code and comes back with my air intake sensor all the time looking at me like I had pulled a rabbit out of his hat.

Most of these guys dont work on cars and never will. All they know is how to look up the parts and if its not in the computer, they dont know.

Of course none of this excuses an Ahole behind the parts counter.

Tim

and let them know how I was treated. Corporate types like to hear about these things.

I went to Advance one night and told the guy what I was looking for. He messed with his computer for a while and said they didn't have a listing. I asked him if he had a paper catalog, and he gave me a stupid look, but then with a smart ass attitude told me to come around the counter. I said fine, go wait on someone else. I looked the part up myself (I worked for NAPA and an independane jobber in my past)and gave him the number, and lo and behold, they had one in stock.

I went back the next day and told the manager about him, and I'm quite certain he got his a** reamed (I know the manager). He didn't last too much longer.

I once relied on a bloke to get me a set of spark plugs. How hard is that. I used to know the champion numbers. Today, I do not even know the names of the plug manufacturers. So he looks up the numbers, goes and gets the plugs, and I am on my way. And that began a month's long journey of pure misery. Lousy running car that nothing would fix. By dumb luck, I found out that he had transposed a couple of numbers when he took the plugs off the shelf. Nothing to do about it then except suck it up. Last time I had a wrong plug issue was in the late 60's on a Cadillac. The customer squawked so much after a tune up that we redid it and discovered our mistake. After we unnecessarily changed a fuel pump.

So now, I always go parts hunting armed with the part number. It is easy enough to do with the internet.

Go into Auto Zone,Advanced,Checkers et all and ask for a set of spark plugs for a 1964 Mercury Comet,351w,5spd with aluminum heads. They will actually start pecking the keyboard then tell you they only show 260, 289 and 289hp but no 351.

Just give me a set of champion yb11's and I'll be on my way.

wage to high school aged employees???????? That just happened to be flippin burgers last week???? You get exactly what you pay for. Cheap parts gets you cheap service. What older, more experienced parts guy wants to work for minimum wage????

if you're the UAW you 800lb. GO-RILLA'S.

I got a clerk at an O'Really store reamed when I went into the store to get a AC hose for a 85 Olds with the old 2.5 4cyl. This lady informed me that GM didn't make 2.5 and I needed to go back to check what motor I really had. I got pissed and told her to look it up and she refused. She already knew I didn't know what I was talking about. Off to the manager who told her to look it up and low and behold Olds did have a hose for a 2.5. She then refused to sell it to me because I wouldn't show her my ASE refrigeration certification card. Back to the manager to tell him to get bent. They were still apologizing as I was walking out the door and I went and got the hose from Carquest. I hate O'Really but sometimes it's the only place that will have what I need at the moment.

We got a big local store in town, third generation now, White-Cummins-Detroit certified, machine shop, hose machines, etc. The grandson owns it now, suffice to say he's a few years younger than me, I started going in there in '73, buying from his dad, and he started stocking shelves on his summer vacation in '75- I sold him a Detroit Locker and got him a set of axles for his first hot rod, a '57 Chevy, in '77. He's done real well, expanded to 3 stores and opened a big truck service operation at one. So I go in one Saturday, just need a set of VC gaskets for the 406 car- I get this wise-ass pimple factory, freshly graduated from Kragen, and I tell him to just get me a set for a 390 in a '66 Thunderbird to make it easy- I get the 'ol "Just give me the make, model, engine, transmission please SIR!!. The owner (grandson) is a few feet down the counter looking in a parts book, looks over and starts to grin. So I tell 'ol Pimples, OK, give me a set of VC gaskets for a '62 Ford Galaxie 500XL 406 High-Performance with a 427 with 2-4 barrels, a C6 trans with a 4000 converter, and 5:14 gears- THANK YOU. Kid stutters a little, uh, uh, uh,... Here comes the owner, says why don't you just go get him his Thunderbird gaskets- NOW...

John, Been there done that!

My favorite thing to do to people like him is if I ever go back into the store

same person that was a jerk the last time

"can I help you?"

Yes, Can you go ahead & find someone for me that knows what they are doing?"

They stand there with the jaw flappin. I then proceed to another counter person or walk out...

These days ya' gotta train them because if they cannot look it up on the computer they dont have it, they also dont have it if they dont know what you are talking about as they dont want to admit it..

I was putting together a bunch of steering boxes one weekend and ran out of sector shaft seals before I finished the last two. Since it was the weekend, I couldn't get any seals from my regular supplier, so I went down to the closest auto parts store for 15 miles, a NAPA store.

I go in, a guy behind the counter asks what he can do for me, and I tell him I need a couple National Seals and give him the part number. I tell him, if he doesn't have National, he could cross it over to another brand and that would be fine.
He asks me what the seal is for, and I tell him he doesn't need to look it up, that I know it is the correct number that I need.

He wants to look it up. Go through the Q&A on his computer and look it up. ::sigh:: OK, it is a lower sector shaft seal for a 1968 Ford Mustang. He immediately tells me they don't carry parts for an old car like that. I ask him to check the number in his computer and just check for me. He reluctantly starts punching keys on his computer, and after a while, tells me that the seal was used in Chevy applications and so would not be a Ford part. I tell him that I am sure that the seal was probably used on some Chevy application at some point, since the Ford steering box is a Saginaw design box.

He then says,"You have a GM steering box in your Mustang?". Well, kinda. Bearings and seals are the same as a Camaro box - You got any in stock?

He kind of laughs at me and says,"You haven't worked on many steering boxes, have you?"

I told him,"Oh, probably several hundred. You?"

He just gave me this pissy look and punched the keyboard for several minutes, went to the back, came up with a couple of Chicago Rawhide seals, I took them out of the box, pronounced them to be correct replacements, and he took care of the transaction without another single word.

What happened to the days when you walked in, gave the partsman a part number, they walked to the back, pulled it off the shelf and sold it to you?

I think the main difference is that when I worked the counter, we actually gave a s@#&. The corporate rated the local stores against each other and we were always #1 or #2 running against the big main store. And when we'd beat 'em in sales on a day, we'd let them know LOL. AND, we were right next door - shared a wall - with a Kragens. They didn't stand a chance. Our manager expected us to be able to grab (now this was late 70s') point, plug, condenser, wire set, oil, filter for most of the common engines - 350, SBF mainly. And where to look in the books for all typs of parts. Maybe we were good at it because it was pre-computer. Also, you chat up the customer and up-sell "you ought to just get an air filter and PCV filter while you're messing around in there, hey we have Penzoil on sale this week...", etc. If the customer didn't quite know what they had ("I want to tune up my truck." "What ya got?" "That red one in the parking lot.") you go out with them and give it a look-see. People don't mind so much waiting in line if they know they'll get decent service and your full attention when they make it to the counter. Word gets out about that work ethic and pretty soon the store is jammed to the doors on a Saturday morning.

The AA, AZ and O'Reillys here are not too bad - most have one or two car folks back of the counter. The family owned Reeder's stores are pretty good and both NAPA stores have good folks at the counter. One NAPA carries a lot of hot rod parts and the main counter guy is a racer.

But I've shut down my share of keyboard jockeys with stuff like "OK - sure! It's a 96 3G alternator from a Mercury front drive mounted on a 70 Mustang with a 351 Cleveland and disk brakes from a 76 Comet." Thank you for loitering, please come again

1967 Falcon 4 door 351C-4V
1970 Mustang 351C-2V
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod
Owner built, owner abused.

I always used to make snide remarks when asked if it was a two door or four door for something like a valve cover gasket then the counter guy showed me the fu(#ed up system they have to use to search.

Ever use Tirerack.com site? Sort of the same deal, you can't easily check for different sizes of the same tire, it shows different brands of one size. A paper catalog is far easier to use.

But we DO have Canadian Tire (a big box retail chain, from coast to coast). I wnet in there years ago hoping to buy a valve cover gasket for my R code 70 Mach 1. I asked the pimply faced kid behind the counter for a "valve cover gasket for a FE big block Ford", he looked at me as if I had just landed from Pluto. "Uh sir, I need the year, make and model please." So I say OK, it`s a 70 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with a 428 Cobra Jet engine, the engine code is "R" if that helps you. After about 10 minutes of staring at his computer screen, he said, "Uh, Ford never put a 428 in a Mustang, are you sure it`s not a 390, although they only did that in 1969". I said, yes Ford certainly DID install 428`s in Mustangs, but I`ll take the 390 gaskets anyhow. He comes back with rubber gaskets, which I don`t like, so I said, how about looking up the gaskets for a 72 Ford Pickup with a 360 or 390. He goes to a different "truck" microfiche, and after asking if it was a F100 or F250, and was it a 360 OR a 390, I finally walked out with my cork VC gaskets, shaking my head.

428 powered Fairmont drag car, Best ET:10.03@132.11MPH, best 60 ft: 1.29
59 Meteor 2 dr. sedan 332, Ford O Matic
74 F350 ramp truck 390 4speed

Every time I go there, and I go only because it is 2 minutes from my house.

I am so Happy if I walk out with the part I went in to get.
that just doesn't happen enough though and I usually end up driving elsewhere, pissed because I just wasted 30 minutes of my life that I can never get back


Thanks..
Ian D..

I love ordering parts for my Stang there.



68 Mustang F/B
67 Fairlane GT

I'm with somebody that wants to "save" some money (and waste their time).

I'll get in line while they shop and when it's my turn I ask for parts for my '58 Ranger. Something I'd use someday if they will look it up, like valve cover gasket or thermostat. They usually go into some kind a rant about how Ford never made a '58 Ranger. I reply with "who said anything about Ford. It's for an Edsel Ranger."

And I'm not welcomed at the Fayetteville "retarded" store because I always ask for somebody that speaks English.

Bob

1966 7 Litre Convertible
1959 F-100 (under construction)
2005 GT40 (in my Dreams)

Re: "I'll get in line while they shop and when it's my turn I ask for parts for my '58 Ranger. Something I'd use someday if they will look it up, like valve cover gasket or thermostat. They usually go into some kind a rant about how Ford never made a '58 Ranger. I reply with "who said anything about Ford. It's for an Edsel Ranger."

And I'm not welcomed at the Fayetteville "retarded" store because I always ask for somebody that speaks English."