Auto Parts Places and Stupidity

It is supply and demand working at an auto parts store does not require a technical degree or training. If it did the chains would have to pay $20-$50 dollars an hour and that is going to happen right?

You should not blame the person behind the counter, if you only made minimum wage what type of service would you be providing. You should ask yourself what type of training are they provided has the company invested in it's employees, does the company care, and what improvements could the company make.

Rather than rant to a news group get off your duff and be passionate about it write the company they are at fault not the poor slob behind the counter who is just trying to get by. You are rather condescending in your attitude and you probably expect to get blood out of a rock.

It is supply and demand working at an auto parts store does not require a technical degree or training. If it did the chains would have to pay $20-$50 dollars an hour and that is going to happen right?

You should not blame the person behind the counter, if you only made minimum wage what type of service would you be providing. You should ask yourself what type of training are they provided has the company invested in it's employees, does the company care, and what improvements could the company make.

Rather than rant to a news group get off your duff and be passionate about it write the company they are at fault not the poor slob behind the counter who is just trying to get by. You are rather condescending in your attitude and you probably expect to get blood out of a rock.

Yes, well there are no more independents around me. The hot rod places ironically cater only to serious drag racers and the FWD Honda crowd.

Hot Rod shops cater to Hot Rods.. speed shops cater to P.O.S import junk.

If you want an independent parts store around so bad, then put up them money and open one yourself, maybe then you'll realize why there aren't that many around.

Snow...

They put in a kragen in my county, it is the only source of Fel-Pro gaskets around but has no other redeeming qualities. The rest of the parts stores around here, the people behind the counter are owners, or their family. They may not know what i do, but they do aim to please. I prefer to buy from local people, rather than corporations.

Those that can't achieve the minimum level of stupidity at parts stores are referred to Home Depot.Those surpassing the minimum level of stupidity are then fast tracked into management positions.

A few years ago NAPA spent millions of dollars in training. There were sent to training facilities across the continent and you'll probably find that they can say "it's not in the computer" with the same level of confidence as in the old days when they'd say "There's nothing in the book".

With that said, I don't expect these people to know everything about every part on every vehicle. I just wish they could acknowledge that for whatever reason the part isn't available through them instead of saying that the part you have in your hand doesn't exist at all.

Have you ever had this conversation?

Me: Hi, I need a 2" ball and receiver for a Class 3 hitch. NAPA: What year is the vehicle? Me: '92 Suburban, like that matters. NAPA: Air conditioning? Me: Let me go check. ...I still wonder if the guy was thinking "what an idiot, he doesn't even know if he has air conditioning" while I drove off to another store.

-Brian

I have a Napa store near me that sucks on prices, but there are several guys behind the counter that can find parts for my Jeep when I need them.

Basically, I can get anything I need at the Napa store, and I can get anything else at Kragen or AutoZone.

I can't help but wonder why you would need the guy behind the counter to help you find a Class 3 receiver and a 2" ball.

Most NAPA's here are just 3 or 4 aisles of product and 60 feet of counter for 2 or 3 employees. I'm sure if I had stuck around the parts guy would have said "we don't have it in stock but we can order it". The only reason I continue to go there is for prices (I get dealer discount) and it's across the street from work.

-Brian

Hey... hold your breath... and count to ten. Exhale slowly. You have to remember that the folks down at the local auto store are not MIT graduates. You'll have to do the thinking and do as much as you can to get the parts you need.

Professor

Got LEDs?

You ever try to buy a rad for an '89 Caprice Wagon at Cambodian Tire???? the one dude was insisting that there was now way I needed a rad for a 307, since the Chevy 5 litre is a 305... I knew he was wrong but he insisted the

305 rad was what I wanted and needed, So I let him order it, then went back after lunch to pick it up. Guess what???? wrong rad (LMAO). This time I had a different guy but the "know-it-all" was still there behind the counter. The parts manager asked me why I had ordered the rad for a 305 and not a 307 (they were attempting to charge me the 10% re-stocking fee). I told the manager that if he cared to check he would see the know-it-all was the sales clerk, and unless the guy lied like he order parts he (the manager) would find out the the clerk had "decided" I needed the 305 rad.

I got the proper rad special delivered to my parents place inside of an hour and got a free jug of fluid...

Snow...

That is how it works. You tell them what you want, and when they get it, you must make sure it is correct and free of defects. If you expect anything else you will be disappointed.

Yep, I agree the Checkers, Autozone and such really suck. So I use a privately owned store down the street. It's only fair to name the store. If in Madison, WI area, goto J&H Auto on Monona Dr.

They allways beat the big chains and even the 4wd.com people for most parts.

Brian

The 307 is a non-Chevy engine, then? What's good for one SB Chev radiator-wise should be ok for any, as far as the radiator goes, I would think.

There was this tiny mom & pop shop in NW San Antonio (wish I could remember the name!) that I used to go to when I was here a few years ago. It was down the street from my house, a bit higher on the price. but the guys were awesome with customer service. Sometimes they didn't have my part, but tried their best to get it right away. Even taught me how to change my serpentine belt (no, back then I had no clue how to do that). Really good guys.

Wish I could go there more now, but that's on the other side of town from me... this discussion has just made me want to spend the extra time/money just to shop there again.