Auto Parts Store Rant

[cantflip]

Went to AZ.
Asked for 10' of 5/8ths heater hose.
Moron brings out two expensive prepacked 6 footers and says that's the way they come.
Told him to pull 10' of the bulk roll.
View attachment 115656
I told him to get the manager.
Manager tells where to find it.
He brings out ~10'.
Now he has to price it.
View attachment 115657
Goes and gets manager.
Manager shows him how look up price.
We go to checkout.
Enters sku for hose priced per foot.
Enters for quantity: "1".

Great...now the inventory in every store in FL will be off... next time I need 4' they will all only have 3' on the shelf and I'll wind up buying the friggin overpriced bagged 6'.

 

[cantflip]

Sir, would you care to make a donation to the Children's Hospital with your purchase?

Actually the local Oreilly's have either very young and busty ladies of fat guys with faces only a mom could love. I gravitate to the young ladies, they don't seem to mind a polite older guy looking over their shoulder at the screen. The guy's prefer to tell me they don't have whatever I called in and verified they had before making the trip.

In general, NAPA can give my *** a big slurpy kiss... I have been rounds with them before. The NAPA I used to deal with is dead, I have spoken with the FL regional manager who couldn't give a crap about taking care of a tech in a commercial shop when his scumbag franchisee started substituting parts. They have about 5% more brain cells than the other chains, and I buy wherever I can get what I need at a fair price. I have no faith in any of them living up to my expectations... I ran Auto Care Centers for several years... I feel bad to have ever sold their parts.

 

[Dobalovr]

I find its like most things I purchase...it's not the name on the building it's the person I buy from that matters. That goes for parts/furniture/banks etc. if I can find that ONE guy smarter than the rest and knows how to get around the corporate roadblocks to get me what I want I will stick to him like glue and send all the business I can his way. Kinda like the guy 300Rag goes to for service on his Ram.....

 

[CanCritter]

ahem......hate being left out.....

 

[300rag]

I find its like most things I purchase...it's not the name on the building it's the person I buy from that matters. That goes for parts/furniture/banks etc. if I can find that ONE guy smarter than the rest and knows how to get around the corporate roadblocks to get me what I want I will stick to him like glue and send all the business I can his way. Kinda like the guy 300Rag goes to for service on his Ram.....

Don't get hurt patting yourself on the back

 

[Dobalovr]

Don't get hurt patting yourself on the back

I'm just sad I had to say it...

 

[Dobalovr]

ahem......hate being left out.....

I don't always get masonry work done but when I do i use Critter...

 

[Rwc]

I think the hardest time I had was at an advance auto parts. Went in, asked for an air filter for my Ford super duty with a 7.3 power stroke. Went home and it was almost twice as long as it should have been. Went back and told the guy it didn't fit. He went into his computer and looked at me and said that is the one, no question. I said " come install it for me out front, and if I am wrong I will give you $20". He took it out, found it was way too big and says to me, " You didn't tell me it was a crew cab". I said that he didn't ask me, and it turns out they are different, but he was mad at me for holding back critical information. Good times

 

[commando1]

Great...now the inventory in every store in FL will be off

I'll let you in on a dirty little secret. There is NO inventory control at AZ. Seriously.
Give me half an hour with you and I will tell you why.

You didn't tell me it was a crew cab". I said that he didn't ask me, and it turns out they are different

Why would a Crew Cab have a different filter?

 

[Dobalovr]

I will admit in my younger days purposely being obtuse to asshats who came in with big attitudes and demands....I once told a customer his tread separated because he was using winter air in the summer...

 

[commando1]

In 1999 after buying a set of tires, I went back and told the newbie at the service counter I was concerned about whether my new tires were Y2k compliant. I was able to keep that dialogue going for about 5 minutes while the other guys behind the counter had to go into the office and close the door because they were laughing so hard.

 

[GregG48203]

Why would a Crew Cab have a different filter?

Cabin filter?

 

[65 500]

I gravitate to the young ladies, they don't seem to mind a polite older guy looking over their shoulder at the screen.

Is that the story you're going with?

 

[cantflip]

Is that the story you're going with?

Absolutely... nothing would embarrass me more than to have the 19YO hottie kick my ***. Besides, I'm not THAT creepy.

In 1999 after buying a set of tires, I went back and told the newbie at the service counter I was concerned about whether my new tires were Y2k compliant. I was able to keep that dialogue going for about 5 minutes while the other guys behind the counter had to go into the office and close the door because they were laughing so hard.

Y2k was a lot of fun... I usually helped set everyone's mind at ease when the subject came up with "Who cares? My car has a carburetor."

I will admit to being a little disappointed that the whole thing fizzled and anarchy did not occur.

I'll let you in on a dirty little secret. There is NO inventory control at AZ. Seriously.
Give me half an hour with you and I will tell you why.

As I understand it, the computer does all of the stock orders. Inventory "control" is a serious overstatement. Most of the stores I have dealt with have empty boxes on the shelves and used/incorrect parts in many of the ones that are there. It seems a ricer boy was looking for gas money, parts for his car or too stupid to notice when he took the return. Advanced sent me a set of used/warranty moog ball joints for my suburban on an online order... so the warehouse is no better. BTW, the store refused to exchange them until I got the online customer service involved.

 

[polarus]

My problem is with the companies that do the rebuilding, one caliper I received looked like the bleeder screw was installed with an impact driver.

 

[GJS]

My problem is with the companies that do the rebuilding, one caliper I received looked like the bleeder screw was installed with an impact driver.

Sucks that torque tolerances and the theories behind them are almost entirely lost in training these days.... I mean, realistically, if you are involved in manufacturing you should be at least interested.. but I can't count how many guys I've seen take a 3' section of iron pipe and slip it over the handle of a socket wrench to "sock down" a damned 1/4-20 cap screw.

 

[Dobalovr]

I'm not THAT creepy

Give yourself more credit...

 

[commando1]

There's a quadrillion stories out there about auto parts stores. These are just a few of them.
Probably the saddest state of affairs of any type of retailer in the country.
And you know what? The bar is so low now that it is acceptable by the consumer, the industry, and Wall St.
AutoZone is going to implode someday under its own weight of greed. Expansion in lieu of sales. Increase asset net worth (real estate), post declining sales, declare bankruptcy, top management cash out with millions. They are a Ponzi scheme.
(read: Circuit City, et al)

 

[MoPar Maniac]

Go to an Auto Zoo sometime and axe the counter jockey for a Corvair water pump.
After he cant find it he says it must be a dealer item.
The reason they go through the 64 question drill is for liability reasons. If you install a part and it ails and messes up the vehicle the custmer cant come back and say they were sold the wrong part.
My brother worked in parts for years. When the box stores finally put him out of work he went to one for a set of plug wires. A friend worked there. He told the guy he needed some wires for his GTO and the guy handed him a set.
The guy was fired for not looking it up.

 

[MYSINBIN]

A few things that I've learned along the way:

1. Whenever possible, I bring the failed parts with me for comparison AND open the new and inspect.

2. Like others have said, once you find a good parts person, stick with them and wait it out at the store until they can work with you. It usually takes less time anyway.

3. Rockauto's website is a great learning tool if nothing else. I've also had pretty good luck with purchases through them-if I could wait for the part.

4. Whenever possible, I try to have an original starter, alternator, etc. rebuilt by a local shop that supplies the box stores. I once walked in with a starter from a 50's vintage Gravely. Before I finished saying good morning, the counter guy(also an owner) said; "Gravely starter? Does it turn at all anymore?"

5. I never give the box stores more than the absolute minimum personal info needed. First name only, no email, no phone # unless necessary for pick up notification. One of them will try to tell you that they need your phone # for the warranty. I tell them: "Do I look like the kind of person that's going to lose the receipt?"

My latest adventure:

The starter failed in my '89 Crown Vic wagon. It was the classic Saturday afternoon getting dark thing. I went to the newly opened AZ a mile from my shop. I brought the original Motorcraft unit with me. I got lucky and the counter guy was older and knowledgeable. I decided to get the cheapest one they sold and then have the Motorcraft rebuilt. What the computer said and what was on the shelf didn't match. So he starts checking inventory at other local stores. He calls another store to do a physical check, puts the phone on speaker while he cashes someone out. They have one, so he tells them to pull it and hold it for me.

The kid on the phone says he needs a name to hold it. I tell him John. Then he needs a last name and phone #. The guy that's waiting on me looks at me and rolls his eyes. I said that I'll be there in ten minutes. The kid says ok, but I can't guarantee that it will still be here without more info.

At that point I said:

"Do you want my SS# and shoe size as well?

"I didn't realize that there could be a sell out for a 28 year old car on a Saturday afternoon."

We were still on speaker, so that got the whole store laughing. As I left, the counter guy wished me luck.

I pull into the other store in my '94 F350 and go inside. Two guys are at the counter, neither one is Rob from the phone call.

One guy says: "Looks like we need a starter for an OBS (fyi, old body style referring to my truck).

I told him it was for the wagon and you should have it pulled. Sure enough, it was sitting on the counter. After a physical comparison, I paid and left.

When I got back to the truck, I looked at the pull receipt taped to the box.

Customer name: John Doe

My next thought as I was driving away:

If I needed a starter for my "OBS" how did I drive it there with the bad starter in a box on the floor in the cab?

Hope the long winded rant was entertaining.

John