advanced auto parts

[straitnate14]

Well I just wanted to say how much advanced auto parts rocks. I had my supercharger that I bought from them lock up on Saturday and I took it to them on Sunday and I got a new one today at no cost and it was way out of warranty. I think it had a bearing failure and thats what caused the lobe to hit the side of the case and lock up. But I just cant get over the fact that they hooked me up like that not something you would expect but that just proves some company's care about customers more than the money

[c10addict]

Thats awesome! I gotta tell you though for the most part Advanced auto parts around here suck.. They hire a counter full of people that do not have a clue about cars or parts... I went last week for a B.S. steel fuel filter... I know what size hose I am running and the size is not really important .. Of course none of my stuff is stock and they always gotta know..... What year? 2wd or 4wd? stick or auto? what engine? 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton? DUDE just get me a freaking fuel filter!! I run a BMW dealer and can not always hire "car" people but some positions you HAVE to have some knowledge of vehicles..

[JayDubBlazer]

That's awesome that they helped you out. Around here it advanced or napa. I think napa has the more educated people but advanced seems to have more inventory and I can order stuff online and pick it up at the store.

[Bus Ted Knuckle]

It all has to do with the people behind the counter.

[Shyguy]

I am glad you got great service at Advance Auto Parts.

I work at a chain auto parts store myself, not Advance though.

I worked for Auto Zone for 3 years, but that was a while ago.

I have found that most of the big chain auto parts stores can not hire experienced people for the wage they want to pay them.

Where I work it is a team effort and it is encouraged if one person can not help the customer we refer them to some one with more experience.

I don't work at either Napa or Fisher's, but they seem to have more experienced people.

Danny

[c10addict]

I may have sounded a little harsh.. I know the advanced auto parts around here have "Parts Pros" but they never seem to be there when you need.. My family owns a shop and spends over 100 grand with advanced every year... They are good with the straight forward stuff.. I wish you were allowed to go to the shelfs and pick your own parts out!

[MonteSS454]

I work for O'Reilly's,and with a NAPA, Advanced, and Autozone all in the same town all of Claremore and the surrounding towns come to my store. We have real knowledgable guys and have the 2nd store in sells in the whole state.

The NAPA is always closed, and the autozone and advanced don't have anyone knowledgable, except for the Advanced manager.

[lowriden58]

Originally Posted by c10addict

I may have sounded a little harsh.. I know the advanced auto parts around here have "Parts Pros" but they never seem to be there when you need.. My family owns a shop and spends over 100 grand with advanced every year... They are good with the straight forward stuff.. I wish you were allowed to go to the shelfs and pick your own parts out!

you can pick your own parts if you are a regular they usually let me back there to match up stuff.

but i agree that they dont always hire "car smart" people

['68 C-20]

'Round here the Advanced guys try hard, and they stand behind their stuff, but they are kids who are only interested in souping up Hondas. I find that NAPA has a good inventory and older parts guys, but at least twice the cost.

[silverhog01]

Originally Posted by Bus Ted Knuckle

It all has to do with the people behind the counter.

True True!! All have their perks I worked at advanced for a few years and it all depends on whos there. For the most part luck comes into play on which manager you get. some will work w/ you some won't. Every situation is diffrent our local store has a couple of great guys in there. then of course the people you just walk to the back and get your own part type people. The best ones are the people you give a part # too thats stocking and they just kinda look at you like?? It was fun for the time being but had to move on.. Congrats on the replacement!

[CG]

Excellent service you got. Nice to know people still care about their name and reputation.

There is no way I would want to work in a parts store. Ten bazillion different kinds of cars out there now. A lot of customers that go in arent really even sure what they should be asking for. Other customers want you to know exactly what this odd little part you set down on the counter is for.

Basically parts store jobs have turned into any other retail job. You dont have to be able to add or subtract, you really dont have to know more than the very basics of your products. Such is the way of the world. You want it cheap, but you want a true expert to help you out...that hardly happens any more in the retail world.

I worked in an auto parts store when I was 17...yikes, 32 years ago...lol. I was amazed back then. Someone would come in and toss something on the counter...any one of the guys would just walk back to a shelf and come back with the right part. These guys seldom looked stuff up in parts books (no computers). Being the newbee I would have to look stuff up...I got alot of cross looks and comments in the beginning from customers...Those are Ford points not Chevy...geeze do you know anything about cars?...lol...the good old days.

[PanelDeland]

The local Advance has a couple of good guys.I usually get one of them because they know my stuff is a MUTT.They're good about working with me on figuring out which part will work for what i need.We spent an hour checking to see if a later model fan motor would work in my heater only truck.

[special-K]

I`m happy for you.But,I have a hard time getting a can of flat black viyl dyr from them which should be regular stock.After buying one and needing another to finish the job,they told me it would be on the next delivery,then the next,then the next.Finally I went somewhere else.I mentioned it to the manager the next time I was there,he walked over to the shelf,looked at the tags,said it`s because they don`t carry it.I figured they stopped carrying it.I was there again and mentioned it when they were telling me how lame the manager was.We walked over to the shelf and there was a tag and a few cans.Too bad I finished the job a month or so earlier.
I have a simular story on trying to get sway bar bushings.

[Long Roof]

I stay away from the chain stores because they never pay enough to grab good help. We have an NHRA drag strip in town so with all the weekend racers we have a few local shops with much better service. My cousin runs one of the shops and he has been in the business forever. He knows his stuff but he still needs to look things up. The plus is he has a huge inventory and is tied with a couple dozen other stores in Ohio so nearly anything can be had next day.

If I have time and know exactly what I need I will source my parts on the Internet. Summit, Jegs, JC Whitney, GM performance parts, any of the major suspension companies and others.

If you can't give the chain stores year, make, model, engine size, trans, 2wd/4x4, air, power windows, etc., they are as dumb as a box of rocks.

[BIG ORANGE]

You can get good and bad help in any auto chain store! I've worked for Advance Auto Parts for about 7yrs and I have seen it all in customer's!
They want know what there driving or anything about whats under the hood.
Stand infront of you talking on a cell phone while people are waiting for service.
Get mad at you because you dont know what they dont know!
Take 30 min. telling you what they need and then you put it on the counter and then they got to go to the car and get there money!
Steal you blind and then bring the stuff back for a full refund the next day!
Like Ron White says: You cant fix stupid!
I take my job serious and I try to treat my customers like I want to be treated when I'm on the otherside of the counter!
Congrats on getting what you need today in this world of aftermarket parts and half wit people!
For those who shop at A.A.P thanks for helping with my 41K plan.

[chevy29267truck]

they do good work trying too help you out what you need

[special-K]

It`s people,wherever,that are the problem.Not the sign over the door.My Advance Auto definately sucks,unfortunately.Maybe we`ll get a better manager someday.I`ve never worked in parts sales.My work is suckin`bigtime.I think I could do better than that manager after a week on the job.I wish I could talk to the right person and slide in there.I`m serious.I know what I need when I go for parts.I`ve helped parts guys help me for almost 40 years.The manager at my local Napa is a total bonehead,too.But,I still go to both places.I just try to deal with someone else.The "kids" at Advance do better than their boss and they`re totally frustrated with him.The manager at Napa is a "kid" and must have married the owner`s daughter.Sometimes you just gotta weed through the b.s.
I`ve been buying GM parts from the same dealership for many years.Been through several countermen.One of the original ones is still there with another job in that department.There was one counterguy that I about climbed over the counter to whip his butt one day when I had had it with his attitude.The manager came out and straightened him right out when he saw it was me.It all depends on the person.That`s all.

[truckdude239]

Originally Posted by c10addict

I may have sounded a little harsh.. I know the advanced auto parts around here have "Parts Pros" but they never seem to be there when you need.. My family owns a shop and spends over 100 grand with advanced every year... They are good with the straight forward stuff.. I wish you were allowed to go to the shelfs and pick your own parts out!

i'm allowed to pull my own parts here at advance auto mihgt because i use tyo work there but my work spends a lot there ina year