So I walked into NAPA today...

[special-K]

How does that help them get better at their job for the rest of the customers? Is that what people did to you when you worked the parts counter? I have no problem allowing my NAPA store do it's job for me. I ask for conversion joints I give the specs for each side and they get me one.

The NAPA in town had a sign up looking to hire counter help. I asked about it, thinking of my son, and the manager said job was filled. I asked what it took to qualify, what program they used. He said, "Someone who knows cars". He didn't care about them knowing the parts program, that it took him and the other good parts guy a year to get that crap figured out and they help new people with that. So, we lost our other long time parts guy and there are a couple newbies to deal with now. I will do what I can, as a parts buyer who never worked the other side of the counter, to get through their learning curve so they can better serve me and all the other customers who walk through the door.

I asked about the program because I had talked to my friend who is the parts manager at the Harley dealership. I remember when he was new in the late-80s. He said a lot of guys who know all about Harleys come in expecting to get hired up, but he starts all new people off in the back stocking parts. He said it didn't matter knowing every piece on a bike, that they need to learn the program. My other friend who worked at a Pontiac dealership said that was bull crap, that they all use the same program and it's easy, especially for a young person who came up on computers. Sounds like job protection to me. Put a longer road between himself and new recruits. So, a lot about a store's performance has more to do with the manager's philosophy than counter help's ability. Teach them and they will learn. Give them a chance and they will give you back more. It's the difference between having help or having a check collector.

[Grumpy old man]

I have to say I've found myself writing part numbers down before going to the local stores , and as mentioned before our local AZ and Advance both have female managers who run circles around the guys working there . They know the parts and where the are , I just went to get some drive shaft u bolts for the farm truck and the young guy at the counter says "we don't have them ", she over hears the conversation walks to the back and brings the box full of them .

[gmachinz]

Bottom line in automotive retail-the pay sucks no matter the position-even for a manager-make every effort to hit your bonus, next year it's 2X as hard to do and so on. AZ has a policy of not stocking parts that haven't sold for the last 3 months-that's why u rarely have vintage stuff on the shelf. Last year at a parts store I was a commercial manager and made the schedule, did deposits, blah blah. Well after a year of being #1 store in our region, corporate said our yearly store raise was 1.20 to split among 6 employees-that was in about 2002. You can't expect good help when the pay is crappy. I get along great with the guys who work in my local AZ-I didn't want to come off as an ass-I get my own parts sometimes so they can focus on quick customers who don't have as complicated parts to get-I help those guys out too when they ask me hey, how's that work anyhow?

[AnotherWs6]

Originally Posted by davischevy

I was in the NAPA in Harper KS the other day and saw the classic "wife sent to pick up parts, getting yelled at by husband".

The counter guy had gone to the back to get my part and she was on the cell phone, and husband was yelling orders about where the item was in the store. I tried to help her find it, but it wasn't there. We looked in a couple more places, with no luck, and her trying to calm him down.

Then she did what my wife would do. She said "If you say one more word, when I get back I'm going to stick these fittings up your a$$".

Larry

Good, really not fair to send the wife for something like that. Saying you need a Fram PH30 oil filter, she'll figure it out or get help. Specific stuff like fittings? Your asking her to go way out of her knowledge sphere.

Having said that, my wife had a hard time finding a specific Drain-o at Home Depot recently. She found the 3 foot wide section where all of it was. It was a big, red bottle. The only red bottle there. Couldn't find it. I can't help out much more than saying Its-the-big-red-one. So I understand the frustration.

[Valarius_Starchaser]

If I send my better half to get something I simply call ahead and get it waiting no need to make her more frustrated then she already is for needing to make the trip remember fellas "happy wife happy life"

I to am a part number finder and will often times just come in with a list of part numbers to speed things up a bit especially if it's a considerable shopping list

In my store if a guy walks in with part numbers I'm happy just makes his transaction that much quicker and keeps the line moving

[midniteblues]

I usually check online too see witch local store has what I need in stock. Most times I get there and they only have one in Stock after the puter says 4 instore.
At this point im Pretty frustrated with this.
Or drive there order what I need drive back when it comes in too pick it up forget too look the parts over. get home and realize it's wrong. drive back reorder again and drive back too pick it up. Yes it happens.

Even though my local Napa kinda blows they are one of the few stores around that still have the books on the counter.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

Bottom line in automotive retail-the pay sucks no matter the position-even for a manager-make every effort...

yeah, I hear ya there. I looked into Advance for a management job when the economy was at it's worse. I would have taken a job if an opening was in my area, at that time, but only to get me through to better days. The pay was not appealing and I felt safe assuming getting performance based increases would be more frustrating that rewarding.
I did react to the go get your own parts thing, mostly because of posts I had already made on helping the inexperienced on their way to become better. I see you have "a relationship" with your local Auto Zone. My buddy hass the same thing at his local Auto Zone. I actually pictured him doing the same as I read your post. I don't give him a hard time for it. We don't have Auto Zone, just Advance for the big box. It's a good day when I go in and there isn't anyone being waited on in front of me. It's customers taking for ever while they get educated on what they need or trying to get across the parts person which doohickey or whatchamacallit they need. Or worse, deciding over a three dollar difference which one they should take.

The one guy at my NAPA store is tired of people calling to get them to beat Advance's prices after they pumped him for the correct part number for Advance to cross-reference. Now he either gives a wrong number or leaves a digit out. I get better prices because I DON'T shop around. I'm a carpenter who works on his own stuff. Not a high volume account, but I get shop acct. pricing. They also have a sign on the door that says, "We no longer can accept checks", but I always pay by check. I only go to Advance if it's too late for NAPA or an attempt to get a part I need like right now, and NAPA didn't have it on the shelf. Usually the same story at Advance anyway.

[gmachinz]

The other thing too was that my first parts store job was at a small family type store which catered to local performance guys first, then the DIY guy second. We dealt with a lot if not all of the local dirt track guys, drag racers, even modified and sprint car guys. So about 75% of our business was performance stuff-and you HAD to know your stuff to work there. We always had a resident GM guy, a Ford guy and a Dodge guy too behind the counter-really made bench racing stories out favorite pastime in between customers. Heck, to some of our regulars I used to grab various catalogs for them to have so next time they wouldn't have to wait in line-just slip me a list of your Aeroquip, Holley and Moroso part numbers and stop back in an hour I'll have it all boxed and waiting for ya! Those times are gone around here tho.

[gmachinz]

And for the first week or so, new guys job was to get familiar with the catalog racks-not the computer-it was a more personal approach and customers never seemed to mind the wait that way-plus there were more details since it's a manufacturers catalog-not a bean counter entering in data whether it's right or wrong at times.

[pwdcougar]

There was a CarQuest in my area that had an amazing group of guys at the counter. Sometimes they would argue about what part number I needed without looking at the computer while one of the dirvers pulled the part. Even the drivers knew there stuff. If you ordered a part they were knowledgable enough to tell me that I needed such and such gasket and any other part necessary for the job. They knew my name and what cars I owned too. Prices weren't always the best but I knew I was getting the right part.

After 25 years of having the best auto parts store around (and there ar 4 in a 3 mile radius) the owner sold out to Advance. Most of the guys quit or moved on and now the store sucks.

Paul

[gmachinz]

That's usually how it goes-young people with no "real" bills yet but have bad ass cars are what makes the parts stores kick ass! Customers knew to go to our store on Sunday's for performance stuff! In our side parking lot it was almost like a cruise in spot from what we drive over every day-there were:

My 78 Monte with a built 355/TH400 and 3.73 Posi rear and Hotchkis Susp.
Co-workers 1991 Mustang GT 5/Spd.
Co-workers 1995 Mustang GT 6/Spd.
Co-workers 1988 S-10 350 conversion w/spool rear
Co-workers 1990 Iroc-Z (all stock but CLEAN!)
Co-workers 1997 T-Bird 4.6 and Flowmasters (low mileage and nice!)
Co-workers 1985 Pontiac GP w/355 swap
Co-workers 1970 Monte w/built 406/TH350 and a 4.11 Posi rear and full Hotchkis Susp.

Of them all my Monte was the fastest-slightly faster than the 70 Monte and only barely faster than the 350 S-10!
Weekends were fun times with quick street races every Sunday after work on a desolate industrial backroad area....those were fun times!

[3757chevy]

... and these guys were waiting for us. They were on their way to Buena Vista for a carshow.

[Coley]

I get a kick out of the stuff regarding the wives being able to handle this.
Clearly I don't know what everyone else's wife/spouse is like but my wife could figure this stuff out faster than about 90% of the current generation of young men these days...lol.
She runs a garden center and has to hire this younger generation to help with the grunt work, etc...and most of them still can't measure up to a full day's work without having to text their moms every hour and she constantly outworks them.
Guys....don't underestimate the women when it comes to getting things done...particularly in comparison to a lot of the young men these days.
That said, I saw something on tv in interviewing a bunch of young women about what they thought about the masculinity and perceived manhood of young men and they responded (comically) stating that 'guys are the new girls', clearly the result of the ridiculous 'super mom' craze where mom does absolutely everything for their son (..and Dad does it for the daughter).....lol, leaving these young people nearly devoid of skill and responsibility as they head into their adult life.....thanks mom!.
all good
Coley

[gmachinz]

Here's my thought on it...