Can I speak to a SMART person at the Autoparts Store??!

[Downshift]

Well, I can say from experience that there are SEVERAL factors that determine the kind of experience you will have in any respective Discount Auto parts store.

1. You have to be respectful and courteous.. Do you even realize half of the shit that most of us who work in parts stores have to deal with? MOSTLY lower class scum that have no respect, aren't polite in any sense of the word and treat you like complete dog shit.

2. Most of us aren't making jack.. I have about 4 years of retail experience and basic automotive knowledge.. Do you want to guess what I make as a SALES MANAGER?! $10/hr. I don't know about you guys, but that's not very motivating..

Also, those of you who go into any parts store for any kind of advice (other than simple everyday situations) are out of your minds.. You must realize that the people working there ARE NOT mechanics. The job doesn't require much, if any automotive knowledge. The employees there are not there to help you fix your car, they are there to get you the part that you are asking for, if you need a mechanic... Go to a mechanic.

Some of you have mentioned that it is a sales job. It is not. You ask for a part, we look it up, you buy it. The employees of various auto parts stores do not pressure you to buy their parts, therefore there is no 'sales' involved. Now, Im sure that many of you will argue that money changes hands, blah blah blah.. That isn't sales, I don't care how you look at it. If that were considered sales, then I guess Wal*Mart cashiers are allstars by now.

OK, well Im done venting.. For now... I get to hear enough bitching every day.... :comando:

You hi the nail on the head. Next time you go in there or talk on the phone think about this, at least 60% of the people who we deal with daily are there because their car broke or needs something that costs MONEY and TIME which no one likes to spend so most people are to say less than pleasant.

For all you who get the wrong parts or get a guy who is a dick. There are THOUSANDS of parts back there and we can only rely on personal experience and what number the computer gives us. For the most part we have been customers and have gotten pissed for getting wrong parts before we worked there. But we dont do it on purpose and there some who try to help and know the difference between a water pump and brake pad lol. And everyone has bad days especially when you have to deal with at least 10 people a day who want to make everyone around them miserable.

 

[NYC94GT]

Well, I can say from experience that there are SEVERAL factors that determine the kind of experience you will have in any respective Discount Auto parts store.

1. You have to be respectful and courteous.. Do you even realize half of the shit that most of us who work in parts stores have to deal with? MOSTLY lower class scum that have no respect, aren't polite in any sense of the word and treat you like complete dog shit.

2. Most of us aren't making jack.. I have about 4 years of retail experience and basic automotive knowledge.. Do you want to guess what I make as a SALES MANAGER?! $10/hr. I don't know about you guys, but that's not very motivating..

Also, those of you who go into any parts store for any kind of advice (other than simple everyday situations) are out of your minds.. You must realize that the people working there ARE NOT mechanics. The job doesn't require much, if any automotive knowledge. The employees there are not there to help you fix your car, they are there to get you the part that you are asking for, if you need a mechanic... Go to a mechanic.

Some of you have mentioned that it is a sales job. It is not. You ask for a part, we look it up, you buy it. The employees of various auto parts stores do not pressure you to buy their parts, therefore there is no 'sales' involved. Now, Im sure that many of you will argue that money changes hands, blah blah blah.. That isn't sales, I don't care how you look at it. If that were considered sales, then I guess Wal*Mart cashiers are allstars by now.

OK, well Im done venting.. For now... I get to hear enough bitching every day.... :comando:

You hi the nail on the head. Next time you go in there or talk on the phone think about this, at least 60% of the people who we deal with daily are there because their car broke or needs something that costs MONEY and TIME which no one likes to spend so most people are to say less than pleasant.

For all you who get the wrong parts or get a guy who is a dick. There are THOUSANDS of parts back there and we can only rely on personal experience and what number the computer gives us. For the most part we have been customers and have gotten pissed for getting wrong parts before we worked there. But we dont do it on purpose and there some who try to help and know the difference between a water pump and brake pad lol. And everyone has bad days especially when you have to deal with at least 10 people a day who want to make everyone around them miserable.

I hear you, but how do you explain all the responses to this thread from people who have had the same experience I had at the autoparts store??
One word: COMPETENCY!

 

[scarface]

I think the point is, you dont need to know cars to work at an autoparts store. if it was a requirement, they would pay a mechanics salary. It is your responsibility as the costumer to look at the part, and see if it matches your before you buy them.

If you want parts with no confusion go to the dealer and pay the BIG price... if not know what your parts look like when you go to get them, or bring in your old part to match it up...Thats what I do.

 

[dapack69]

I work at AutoZone part-time and actually make more money working on the side fixing peoples cars then I do working there.

What cracks me up the most about customers coming in is that they do not know what year there car is, or what size engine it has. Then they ask if I know. How the hell am I suppose to know, its not my car.

 

[Downshift]

I work at AutoZone part-time and actually make more money working on the side fixing peoples cars then I do working there.

What cracks me up the most about customers coming in is that they do not know what year there car is, or what size engine it has. Then they ask if I know. How the hell am I suppose to know, its not my car.

Thats my favorite type lol. At least 2 times a month someone wont know if they have a 4 or 6 cyl but somehow know they need spark plugs. Kinda need to know how many to give ya.... lol

 

[wnracing]

I work at AutoZone part-time and actually make more money working on the side fixing peoples cars then I do working there.

What cracks me up the most about customers coming in is that they do not know what year there car is, or what size engine it has. Then they ask if I know. How the hell am I suppose to know, its not my car.

Thats my favorite type lol. At least 2 times a month someone wont know if they have a 4 or 6 cyl but somehow know they need spark plugs. Kinda need to know how many to give ya.... lol

Twice a month?!?!?! LOL! Try atleast twice a day! :rollinglaugh: Seriously....

 

[97vertstang]

some people shouldnt even be working in cars :nonono:
when i go to autozone i have all the info ready and i dont care who attends be a girl or the most knowleadgeable guy there cause i know what im looking for and i inspect and make sure what im getting.i never had a problem at any parts store except one time they tried to short changed me (whole different story) i even look up my own filter , pcv valve everything i can. where i work at people want me to basically do everything for them short of breathing.

 

[wytstang]

wnracing is 100% correct, I worked at Advance for a few months before moving to SC. It was normal to have no it all's and dumb ass everyday and low pay.
Sorry for not knowing what that one little sensor on your intake on 86 Buick is.
I actually don't know why your check engine light is on sometimes.
People expected me to diagnose there shit from a counter. What really sucks is I worked at a store next to the ghetto. I dealt with crack heads, drug dealers, and just very low class people. If it wasn't a dirt black mechanic asking for a fruel pump for a bruick, it was a dirty white mechanic asking if I could tell him where this fitting went, or the dirty hispanics mechanic that can't speak english I tell him my spanish sucks (even though I am spanish) and now he's pissed cause we can't communicate since he refuses to learn english.

 

[Fryrice]

This is kinda long ,so take your time.

Look there are many guys that work at auto parts stores that are certified mechanics by day and parts store employees by night. They are usually working two jobs to pay the bills. And yeah they know their shit most of the time ,but they dont get paid more because of it. Great.

Then the other half are driveway mechanics who know what "5w-30" means but have no idea what a lash adjuster or gweebo disc is. If all the employees at Advance or Autozone were "experts or professionals" and were paid their weight in expertise ,then you wouldn't be paying cheap prices for aftermarket parts ,which is obviously why we go there instead of the dealership . Why ? Because pros/experts get paid what their worth. So if they were gettin $20+ an hour plus benefits , the auto parts store wouldn't be able to pass the savings on to you the customer. And its not a sales job . A sales job would require them to convince you why you need oil in your engine. Sorry but factory level auto parts are not an option ,they are a necessity that you have to have if you want to drive. So therefore they dont have to sell you anything when they have the cheapest prices. And the employees dont get commission last time I checked.

They are a PARTS store .Not a technical service hotline. If you need a rotor for your car ,you tell them what year/make/model etc. And they pull it off a shelf ,scan it and put it in a bag. Now if they pull the wrong part ,then yeah they fucked up. But if your such an expert ,then you should have noticed the part was wrong before you left the store right ?

There have been millions of cars/trucks built and thousands of different makes/models ,all of which contain thousands of parts on just ONE vehicle . Are they expected to know what that "do dad" is under the "whatcha call it" on YOUR vehicle ? No ,the only reason dealership mechanics are experts on the particular brands they work on is because they work on the same vehicles everyday and get continuous training on those same vehicles. They also have fellow mechanics there to help them in a pinch.

Look Im not flaming the author of this thread. And this is directed at any one on here. But Ive seen it at least 1000 times where people are mad because the parts store guy cant degree a camshaft blind folded with only a flat head screwdriver and a lucky rabbits foot. Do you expect the people in Wal-Mart to be experts about everything in the store ? No you dont. These are not career jobs ,they get paid minimum wage plus their day job and their job is to help you spend your money and chances are they wont be in that store a month from now.

If you wanna talk to an expert 100% of the time, you wont be payin $50 for a IAC.

 

[Fryrice]

when i had my blazer, i saw those tornado intake devices (you just put it in the intake pipe before the manifold and it feeds more air),

Sorry ,I dont know who the bigger doofus is,the parts guy or you for actually buying one of those "super duper Tornados" ,lol :hammer:


BTW- About NAPA. I went to the NAPA store recently and told the guy I wanted copper plugs and to tell me what they had for my Stang . He told me "No you want platinum "....I asked him why ,even though I know I want copper and he said "cuz thats what came in your car"..?????? Yeah ,he read that off the computer screen , so I asked him to elaborate but he couldnt explain why they were better. And anyone who knows anything will tell you that they come with platinum because the auto maker is worried about fuel mileage ,warranty costs and longevity.

And I had to explain to him what a swivel joint was.So no ,NAPA guys are not a special breed.

 

[ripper]

if you need a mechanic... Go to a mechanic







well said :thumb: most people think that were mechanics, in my job i will guide to what u need but i dont know what the f**k is wrong with ur car.
also older people 50+ piss me off cause they dont like it when u know more then them and dont want to give u much if any info.

OUCH! That one really hurt bro OGFMC member #3 (old guys ford mustang club) :hammer:


I always take the part off the car and tote it with me. No matter what. Then he can compare it and I can.

 

[NYC94GT]

I think the point is, you dont need to know cars to work at an autoparts store. if it was a requirement, they would pay a mechanics salary. It is your responsibility as the costumer to look at the part, and see if it matches your before you buy them.

If you want parts with no confusion go to the dealer and pay the BIG price... if not know what your parts look like when you go to get them, or bring in your old part to match it up...Thats what I do.

This is soo off the mark I don't know where to begin! So if I'm in a Resturaunt and I order my steak Medium Rare, I need to go in the Kitchen with the Chef to be sure it is cooked to my desire?? Please dude, the problem lies with those who are competent at their position and those who breeze through the day without a care. If you don't like your job than quit. I don't believe we should pay someone $45/hr to select the correct part for the customer. to "William B.'s defense, If the computer is not complete in giving their employees the right information to select the right parts then they need to look at that too. If you Look at the DMV offices in NYC here is a great example of incompetency at its finest. I actually went back to Advance with the rotors for a refund and it turns out they HAD THE CORRECT rotors listed in their computer. The woman who waited on me accepted the rotors for refund. Good to see that Advance has a comparable return policy.

 

[scarface]

my point is, there is no competency level to work at advance. you can work there with a workers permit. Im not saying people dont make mistakes, but its common sense to match your parts up at a place that is know to give people the wrong parts. Thats my 2 cents, if you dont like it, ignore it. Ill continue to match my parts and go home with the correct stuff.

 

[Downshift]

my point is, there is no competency level to work at advance. you can work there with a workers permit. Im not saying people dont make mistakes, but its common sense to match your parts up at a place that is know to give people the wrong parts. Thats my 2 cents, if you dont like it, ignore it. Ill continue to match my parts and go home with the correct stuff.

Scarface your right. If you dont wanna big hassle with getting the wrong part then make sure you know what it looks like or bring it in as comparison. I always show the customer the part before I take their money if they say looks right and the number is right its not on me anymore. People make mistakes I dont know why autoparts should be any different. We work with numbers ALL DAMN DAY. someone comes in wanting 5 parts thats 5 parts that have at least a four digit number that runs through my head. At the end of the day sometimes a 562 looks like a 652 when you are trying to get the part quick. All im saying is, taco bell and McDonalds gets drive through orders wrong every 10 minutes so you check your order before you get all the way home and if you dont ya they fucked up but you shouldnt be pissed you drove all the way home with out checking to see if your food is in the bag. Its just like any other job in the universe, there are some that do the job right and some that dont know anything and dont want to learn so they give everyone a bad rep.

 

[Fryrice]

Well said. ^

Heres a great tribute to the Advance that I always go to :

Last night I was running some errands when I heard a thrashing noise under my hood while driving. It sound like a plastic bag actually. Anyways I was gonna pull over a look and suddenly my car shut off and I coasted it into a parking lot. Luckily I was going fast enough to aim my car towards the lot since my power steering went out ,or else I would have be stuck on Holland Rd. Very busy road. Anyways....

I get out and look under my car and see something hanging down,so I popped the hood and see that my fan belt had 2 ribs that were shredding off. Well what happened was the belt was whipping so hard that it broke the clip part off my CPS and shut the car off. I called my wife about 8:40PM and told her to HURRY to the Advance and get me a fan belt and borrow a breaker bar. Well she got there at exactly 9pm and the guy was locking the door and going home. But she ran up and told him it was an emergency and what had happened and what she needed.

The guy actually opened the store back up ,wow. So he pulls the belt and their loaner belt replacement kit and was gonna ring it up.But then my wife realized she forgot her Visa check card at home during the rush. FU*K !....Right ? No ,the guy gave her all the stuff anyways as long as I promised to come back the next day and pay for the belt and returned the kit. So she brought me the belt and kit ,I patched the CPS to get it home and all is good.

Anyways,that guy didnt know my wife from Adam ,but she is attractive so maybe that helped. Really,he took a big risk giving that stuff out with no payment and really helped a customer out. Well he doesnt know it ,but Im going to write a nice letter to the corporate office and give him big props. Im not going to say exactly what he did ,cuz I doubt they would like that,lol but Im gonna make sure he is commended my his bosses .

Bottom line is that as said before ,these guys deal with hundreds of customers everyday and they all have different problems. The guy that helped my wife may not know shit about cars.But his attitude saved my ass in a pinch and for that Im very greatful. On the flip side he could have been a mechanical wizard but not given a shit about my problem and just went home.

They make mistakes and sometimes its not human error. But what really counts IMO is how they treat you and if they make it right.

 

[NYC94GT]

my point is, there is no competency level to work at advance. you can work there with a workers permit. Im not saying people dont make mistakes, but its common sense to match your parts up at a place that is know to give people the wrong parts. Thats my 2 cents, if you dont like it, ignore it. Ill continue to match my parts and go home with the correct stuff.

It's a sad state of affairs when the CUSTOMER has to do the job of the CUSTOMER SERVICE Person behind the counter. Maybe if we DEMAND more from the store like Advance to train their people to correctly read their inventories and ask the correct questions which, in turn, produces good Customer Service hence someone like me who walks out with the right parts we'd be all better off. YOU say ignore but you'll continue to get the right parts may be right but for all the wrong reasons. This can be said as a general rule because if we accept this behavour from the $7/hr dude then the store wins and we loose. Believe me, I let the store know about my "more than an inconvenience" the night I put the wrong rotors on. My time is my money so having to postpone this to the following weekend caused me to delay what I had planned. To simply ignore this and do the legwork myself will only continue to fuel this incompetency. You too can ignore this but your not helping the situation.

 

[Fryrice]

my point is, there is no competency level to work at advance. you can work there with a workers permit. Im not saying people dont make mistakes, but its common sense to match your parts up at a place that is know to give people the wrong parts. Thats my 2 cents, if you dont like it, ignore it. Ill continue to match my parts and go home with the correct stuff.

It's a sad state of affairs when the CUSTOMER has to do the job of the CUSTOMER SERVICE Person behind the counter. Maybe if we DEMAND more from the store like Advance to train their people to correctly read their inventories and ask the correct questions which, in turn, produces good Customer Service hence someone like me who walks out with the right parts we'd be all better off. YOU say ignore but you'll continue to get the right parts may be right but for all the wrong reasons. This can be said as a general rule because if we accept this behavour from the $7/hr dude then the store wins and we loose. Believe me, I let the store know about my "more than an inconvenience" the night I put the wrong rotors on. My time is my money so having to postpone this to the following weekend caused me to delay what I had planned. To simply ignore this and do the legwork myself will only continue to fuel this incompetency. You too can ignore this but your not helping the situation.

Are you basing this off one bad experience ? Cuz I gotta tell ya, every single company in the world makes mistakes no matter how much training they do.

I worked in a Ford truck assembly plant. No one has better error proofing systems that auto manufacturers .But yet they make lots of mistakes every day. The kind of mistake that could cost them $10-14,000 a minute...yes a MINUTE. As far as the store "winning" ,you say that like they want you to get the wrong parts and bad mouth the company/people. I was in Advance yesterday,and had GREAT service. Actually it was more than was really needed.

Besides, shouldnt you have noticed it was the wrong part if you yourself are an expert on auto parts ?

 

[jfor441]

I can honestly say that I use Advance Auto Parts exclusively for most all of my replacement parts needs. That being said, I can remember going into the parts stores as a kid with my dad. He ALWAYS took the part that needed replacing. Just so he could compare the parts and also in case there was a core charge. Today, I have identified the employees who know their shit. Whether it be a Ford guy or a Chevy guy. They know what they are talking about and ALWAYS show me the schematic if I don't have the part.

My local speed shop on the other hand. I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire. If it ain't a Chevy it ain't shit in there opinion and they'll tell that to ya everytime. Funny thing is though is that they have more Mustang stuff in stock than they do Chevy shit. They could have what I need and it be 50 bucks cheaper than ordering online and I won't give them my business.

 

[NYC94GT]

my point is, there is no competency level to work at advance. you can work there with a workers permit. Im not saying people dont make mistakes, but its common sense to match your parts up at a place that is know to give people the wrong parts. Thats my 2 cents, if you dont like it, ignore it. Ill continue to match my parts and go home with the correct stuff.

It's a sad state of affairs when the CUSTOMER has to do the job of the CUSTOMER SERVICE Person behind the counter. Maybe if we DEMAND more from the store like Advance to train their people to correctly read their inventories and ask the correct questions which, in turn, produces good Customer Service hence someone like me who walks out with the right parts we'd be all better off. YOU say ignore but you'll continue to get the right parts may be right but for all the wrong reasons. This can be said as a general rule because if we accept this behavour from the $7/hr dude then the store wins and we loose. Believe me, I let the store know about my "more than an inconvenience" the night I put the wrong rotors on. My time is my money so having to postpone this to the following weekend caused me to delay what I had planned. To simply ignore this and do the legwork myself will only continue to fuel this incompetency. You too can ignore this but your not helping the situation.

Are you basing this off one bad experience ? Cuz I gotta tell ya, every single company in the world makes mistakes no matter how much training they do.

I worked in a Ford truck assembly plant. No one has better error proofing systems that auto manufacturers .But yet they make lots of mistakes every day. The kind of mistake that could cost them $10-14,000 a minute...yes a MINUTE. As far as the store "winning" ,you say that like they want you to get the wrong parts and bad mouth the company/people. I was in Advance yesterday,and had GREAT service. Actually it was more than was really needed.

Besides, shouldnt you have noticed it was the wrong part if you yourself are an expert on auto parts ?

No, I'm truly not. Just THIS ONE cost me a lot of aggravation and time. I've been given wrong bulbs, and shit like that, but never had the wrong rotors given to me and not realize it until their on the car at 10:00pm.

 

[NYC94GT]

my point is, there is no competency level to work at advance. you can work there with a workers permit. Im not saying people dont make mistakes, but its common sense to match your parts up at a place that is know to give people the wrong parts. Thats my 2 cents, if you dont like it, ignore it. Ill continue to match my parts and go home with the correct stuff.

It's a sad state of affairs when the CUSTOMER has to do the job of the CUSTOMER SERVICE Person behind the counter. Maybe if we DEMAND more from the store like Advance to train their people to correctly read their inventories and ask the correct questions which, in turn, produces good Customer Service hence someone like me who walks out with the right parts we'd be all better off. YOU say ignore but you'll continue to get the right parts may be right but for all the wrong reasons. This can be said as a general rule because if we accept this behavour from the $7/hr dude then the store wins and we loose. Believe me, I let the store know about my "more than an inconvenience" the night I put the wrong rotors on. My time is my money so having to postpone this to the following weekend caused me to delay what I had planned. To simply ignore this and do the legwork myself will only continue to fuel this incompetency. You too can ignore this but your not helping the situation.

Are you basing this off one bad experience ? Cuz I gotta tell ya, every single company in the world makes mistakes no matter how much training they do.

I worked in a Ford truck assembly plant. No one has better error proofing systems that auto manufacturers .But yet they make lots of mistakes every day. The kind of mistake that could cost them $10-14,000 a minute...yes a MINUTE. As far as the store "winning" ,you say that like they want you to get the wrong parts and bad mouth the company/people. I was in Advance yesterday,and had GREAT service. Actually it was more than was really needed.

Besides, shouldnt you have noticed it was the wrong part if you yourself are an expert on auto parts ?

BTW, my profession is in Manufacturing so I know a little bit about QA/QC. The Store is "winning" because it seems the responses by people like you who are content with checking the parts yourself instead of relying on the dude behind the computerized inventory allows the Store to put forth incometent people and pay them so accordingly. If you accept that then fine, but I won't. My company won't that I work for and I don't tolerate it from those who work for me. Companies play the odds with numbers in the sense that they would rather pay someone less knowing the guy who is actually doing the work themselves will do the legwork and check the parts. A little badmouthing won't affect their bottom line. You gonna stop going to Advance or any other Autoparts store that screws up?? Didn't think so. Shit, McDonalds has pictures on the damn buttons....