Parts counter men/women

[RON WOODGEARD]

I've been needing an adapter to complete my disc. brake/Line lock install. I didn't know what size of fitting/s I needed so i took the parts with me to NAPA today... I waited for this guy to get done with a customer and put what I had on the counter and said I need this to fit to this, one way or the other....... This guy didn't look at what it was or what I needed, He said "IT CAN'T BE DONE" I looked at the guy and said don't tell me that, it can and has to.. Again his comment was the same... I said now wait a minute, SUMMIT, and JEGS sell the part. His comment was well I advise you to buy it there then, I said good idea and left...

Now I have never been into this place before, I don't remember ever pi**ing this guy off somewher in time, or throwing him out of the CASINO..... I went to "BIG A" and handed the same handful of brake lines to the counter person, with the same line. I need this to adapt over to this... This guy looked at it, walked over to his Drawer of fittings , pulled "one" out, fit the two pieces together and asked if that would do it...

I get very upset over stupidity and laziness.. It was very apparent that the first guy didn't want to go out of his way to have to look..

Along with the fitting,,I bought a can of Wrinkle paint, a set of brake shoes for a trailer, and a set of side marker lights for the trailer,, Guess who I bought them from......

BUT there's more... Being the jerk i CAN BE,(YEA ME.
I took the part back to NAPA, And when I walked in, The guy looks at me and ask if I have some other great idea... I said yea,,, I want to show you what an impossibe part looks like. I flashed it in his face and walked out, shaking my head...

My favorite counter man was a WOMAN, This girl knew where everything was, and even if you were doing some sort of weird changeover (I like to put CHEVY's in everything) She knew what would adapt to what.. Damned her, she just had to have a baby and quit...

OK,,, I'm done venting.


RON

[slam33]

Parts houses are scary today, I should know , I had a parts house 22 yrs. ago ( ahhh the good old days ). Best thing to do is look up the stuff yourself on the net or thru cataloges. If your looking for a brass fitting do a search for Weatherhead. they do brass fittings and there is a online cataloge out there some store has it, I found it but don't remember where I stuck the bookmark. As for regular parts I go over to carparts.com. I look them up there first so I have a part number to work with.

[nu2-72]

Ron, rest easy. It is everywhere.
A few years ago my Corvette had the dome light stay on. I looked for the relay and could not find it. So I went to the local dealer to get a new one and get a better idea of what I was looking for. I was told "It is in the console." Nope. Then told, "It is taped to the steering column. " Nope. Third trip, "It is behind the right side dash panel and it is orange." Nope. On my fourth trip, a friend who is a Chevrolet mechanic ( not Vettes though) came over after I had been there for an hour talking to the counter-woman. "What are you doing here so much" , he asked. I told him I could use a good Vette man.
Without batting an eye, the gal says, "Fourth and Arcadia." I said, "What?" She says again, "Fourth and Arcadia. That's where I take my dog."
I lost it. Where had she been for the hour we looked at microfilm?
Lights on and nobody home.

[jmanz69]

My favorite is the high school kid behind the counter who can tell you all day about "his buddies" 5-0 Mustang that has like 500000000000000 HP, but can't get the right size wiper blades for you. I listened once to a kid tell a customer how he had a 400 small block in his S-10 in the parking lot and it was so fast he was afraid to drive it. Well I saw this truck, and if it did have a 400 in it, it wold have been the most solid part on it. He was at a light in front of me and this thing was smaking and coughing, then when he went to go, I heard it... and let me tell you it was not a 400. Unless of course he had his 2.5L 4 cyl bored to 400 cu in. I try to get an idea of what I need before I go in. Never know who is going to be behind the counter.

[ChevLoRay]

I have been interested in cars as long as I have been able to stand up in the back seat of my Dad's '38 Ford, V-8, 60-horsepower 4-door. My uncles were mechanics....not the pull and replace types, but the kind who trouble-shot the problem, took off what needed to be fixed, fixed it, and put it back on. I learned how to make gaskets with a ball-peen hammer. I learned how to use a growler to check an armature on a starter, and I learned how to pinch-off some damaged tubes in a radiator and solder them shut so they wouldn't leak. I learned how to use a parts book so I could fix what I drove. I bought parts books from GM, and got used Mitchell "Crash books" for body stuff. I worked at a service station, drove the wrecker, and later worked for Auto Shack, aka AutoZone. I have had people come in and ask for "stermistat gaskets" and "center head gaskets". I sold a 600CFM Holley carb to a kid who swore it was bad....until I showed him the air cleaner top was shutting off the air to bowl vent.

When it comes to parts, it matters not whether the employee is male or female, but I tend to favor the men, not the boys, who work there. My NAPA store is not the kind of NAPA you visited, for sure. But, I agree. If I go to a store, and get no help, I don't go back. The store that has what I want, whether help or parts, gets my business, even if that means spending a few more $$$.
Gender doesn't guarantee that you'll get no help or the most help. If the employee doesn't have any "want to", it doesn't matter who, or what, they are.

[rusty ol' 69']

The last parts place I worked for Kragen's aka kmart auto parts hired several folks that didn't know how to read a manual or parts book (they could only find parts on the computer) and called for help when they needed to fix their own ride. Anytime someone came in with a part that had to be looked up in a book they would tell the customer they didn't have it!!! I got fed up and left, but really it's not 100% their fault, because they really don't know sh!t and aren't willing to learn sh!t, and to top it off the pay is sh!t. I remember going into the local napa when I was a kid w/ my pa and standing in awe of the all knowledgeable parts man, but in today's world it's all gone to sh!t!! They get hired by the mirror test (ie if ya hold a mirror to their mouth and fogs up their hired). It's just nucking futz mang!!!

[RON WOODGEARD]

Originally posted by ChevLoRay
I learned how to make gaskets with a ball-peen hammer.

CHEVLORAY,

It's been so long, I forgot all about doing that..

Days of future past..................
But what can we expect? these guys work for a couple of bucks an hour..
Then again there was a time it didn't matter how much you made, There was HONOR, and PRIDE, involved.

You're right,, I know where I won't go back.

RON

[Longhorn Man]

Originally posted by ChevLoRay
I learned how to make gaskets with a ball-peen hammer.

I learned this trick in the army. Turns out what I thought was common, onluy the old times know.
All the guys under 45 in my shop were amazed when I was making an axle shaaft seal the other day for a F-550.

[marcuspboldt]

I've gotten to where I go into Autozone and just get on one of thier terminals,and when the counter person does come up I just point to the screen and tell them "I need that".
The last time I went to autozone I was needing to replace the front seal on my 69cst 350, Which means I basicly needed a lower gasket set,and A timing cover set. They didn't carry "kits"
and we're going to have to piece it all together,and to top it off the we're going to have to order all but one gasket.
So I left and went to Orielys' (another chain store) same damn story.
So by now it's 6 p.m. and I said screw it I'll try again tomarrow
I pass by and old auto parts store on the way home and at the last second I said what the hell can't hurt to ask so I pulled in.
it's about ten after six by now and the sign on the door say's they close at six ,but the door wasn't locked so I went in. Turns out they had everthing I needed and at half the price.
I don't know why I never stopped in there before, but I'll always go there first from now on.
These guys actually know cars not just how to log on to thier terminals, half of thier business is an auto shop for crying out loud.
So I guess my advice would be to seek out the not so chainstore looking places, you may find somebody there who actually gives a damn and has actually been there and done that .
I don't mean to preach but to many of the really good places are going under because of the chainstores. So give 'em a chance.

[Longhorn Man]

not to mention the mom and pop stores are all going under since auto zone and the others have popped up on every corner.
Support mom and dad by buying there parts.

[palallin]

Just after I bought my truck, I swapped my pet 327 into it. In the process, I wanted to replace the clutch: who knows how many miles/years were on the old one, the old one was a diaphragm clutch, and changing the clutch on a 4WD with an SM465 is a cast-rion b!tch (literally).

Anywho, I went to three different parts houses looking for a 12" 3-finger B & B before I could get someone to even work with me. However, even at this third place, the first kid at the counter, after diligently looking up my truck, told me it wasn't listed as an option in his book, so it wouldn't fit. As I was about to tell him what to do with his book, an older guy came over and asked what the problem was. I explained what I want, and, as Junior tunred to him to tell him what the book said, the older guy quoted the part numbers to him. I think the kid even learned from the experience.

[Project1970]

I guess I'm lucky; the guys at the local Checker's are pretty dang smart. Of course, they also happen to know my dad as the guy who looks for a certain employee who bears a minimal resemblance to Vin Diesel of Fast&Furious "fame".

All joking aside, most of the employees, especially that one, know their stuff well...he's got a '49 Ford he's built "old school" - primer with primer flames, a pistol-grip trunk release, the whole nine yards...

[69sixpackbee]

This one still work for me. Walk into your neighborhood chain store and ask the pock-marked faced kid working behind the counter that you need a water pump for a 1964 Chevrolet.....Monza, 140 HP with a six cylinder...watch the poor fools hunt for that one!! Go a step further and have them call around whilst in your presence and see how long (and I doubt if ever) they catch on!!!

[RON WOODGEARD]

Years ago,

I was at THRIFTY AUTO, In Spokane Washington, Greenacres store.. Like I posted before I like to put Chevy engines in just about anything, (including a motorcycle frame) I was doing a S.B. in a 69 JUDGE, The Pontiac driveline has a different U-Joint Then the Chevy tranny output shaft. I'm trying to explain to this high school kid what I was doing, and using. He also kept saying "THE BOOK", "THE BOOK" I was getting a little shall we say Boisterous,,,,,,,,,,,,, Then an elderly guy walks up and asks what's wrong, I told him, he looked at the kid, told him a part number to go get off of the shelf.

The kids name was TERRY ALLEN, We became good friends, Til he stole my 66 chevelle rag top.. nuther story,nuther time. But the kid did become a hell of a parts counter person.

RON

[cableguy0]

when i worked at our local parts store i used to always rag on all the new guys hard especially the ones that just didnt care never asked any questions and just said oh well we dont have it which was normally wrong.i would force em to use the books just because most of the time their outdated dinosaur age computers and parts software were totally wrong it was faster to look in the parts book

[rusty ol' 69']

Amen to the mom and pop stores. I used to work at one til a damn kragen opened up right smack next door and put them out of business. I say we boycott all autozones and kragens, and stick to places that know the parts they sell. Just my .02

[Lippyp]

Sometimes they surprise you, I once spent half a day running round different so called specialist parts suppliers looking for a rebuild kit for the twin SU carbs on my old Triumph Spitfire with no luck, including being told that they don't make them any more (SU carbs are one of the most common carbs on British classic cars of the 30's to 70's) I walked into Halfords, a big glossy chain over here in the UK, on the off-chance they might have something and the man behind the counter said "sure, how many do you want, what jet size blah, blah blah"! It was the absolute last place I expected to find this.

Main dealers are just as bad, I remember trying to find dealer only parts for my Alfa Romeo Alfasud was a total nightmare. The problem was if a car was more than a couple of years old they just weren't interested. Most of the kids in the dealer hadn't even seen and Alfasud let alone knew what one was (it was only about ten years old! Most of the dealers over here are now big chains with multiple franchises and they know nothing about the heritage of the marques they service and sell. In the end I found a dealer that was family run and had been selling Alfa's for years, they stunned me when I needed some suspension bushes and they got a mechanic in at the weekend to press them into the arms for me for free whilst I waited!

We have exactly the same problem in the UK with large chains killing the little guys, I worked with a woman who's husband owned a small parts shop and he just wasn't making any money. I use my local small parts store for all the little bits and pieces (everything major I have to get from specialists or direct from the same guys you all use over there) It's within walking distance from my house which is great if you have something apart and realise you need a .... and what's more he's just bought a 1970 Mach One Mustang so understands American cars.

[Mandrake]

Not only parts stores..but how bout repair shops? I took my dads 68 to the guy who does all my transmission work a few months ago. They have sold out to new owners due to health reasons. The new owners son (some punk kid) informed me that they don't work on old vehicles! "if it isn't hooked up to a computer, we don't work on it". What a looser.....I'm sure they will stay in business a long time. Great attitude. Then there was the time I injured my back & need to get my oil changed in my '55 chevy. I took it to one of the "chain" 10 minute oil change places. The kid in there spent 25 minutes under my car and finally got mad & yelled "where the f**K is the oil filter??!!! Idiot....55's don't have oil filters in them. I never went back.

[Fred T]

Longhornmail is right! Support your mom & pop parts stores before they all succumb to Ottozones. Unless you like to be treated like trash by the tattooed kid with the stud in every appendage. A friend of mine has a shop in Wichita and it's a rare occaision when I can't get what I need with two hours notice. And he likes selling parts, even if he does have to look them up in the books (for my 52). I've even bought parts for an 8N tractor there, and he's in the middle of the city!

[gashog]

Had a great parts guy down at the local napa,he'd find you any thing and the bigger the challenge the more he enjoyed it, the guy just wouldn't give up. Well they wouldn't pay him so now he's over at the ford dealers parts counter and now I can't even ask the napa guys for a specific heat range spark plug without their eyes glassing over. Oh well just needed to vent.

[694X4]

I know what you mean. Ever go into auto zone or some place and try to get a ignition module for an hei that is in your older truck. I just tell them I need a ignition module and then they say what is it in?....................oh crap here we go again!!! I went into auto zone last night to get ball joints and the guy asked what size carb so just for fun I said tpi fuel injection. He scratched his head and said that is not an option. I told him to fill in the blanks how ever he wanted because there was no motor in it. I love playing with them. There was young girl that worked at the advanced auto that sposored our mud races and she knew her stuff and good looking to boot. She drove a 85 chevy 1 ton lifted 4x4.

[texnician01]

i've worked for six years now in auto parts stores. five of them I spent in the same place. for about a year we were a napa but it was running him into the ground so we went back to an independent store and ordered from the jocko's warehouse. we had computers when we were napa but since then we have had all books. I loved the books. plus we were in a farming community and everyone had some sort of vehicle that was pre 1970. the books were great. now unfortunately the guy quit selling auto parts and expanded his hardware store. I went to the local oriellys. they're ok but I hate that stupid computer. I like it when someone comes in and needs a part that is too old for the computer cause i am one of the very few there who can find it. I never claim to be the most knowledgeable and there are always new things to learn but I have a good head start on most of the guys there. this one new kid that we hired is the laziest thing i have ever seen. he won't even put the recipts in order. he can't count, doesn't know how to use the books, won't use his own two eyes, and if he doesn't know he just spews out some kind of BS as to why we don't have it or can't get it. some nights I just wanna deck him!!!! I want to get away from orielys though cause they're too corprate minded, they really don't care.

nathan

[ckhd]

Well, I worked for a NAPA in high school, and then a Checker (same as Kragan and Shucks) after.

I always figured that if they were in there asking me for it, then the part must exists. great thing is that at NAPA, they didn't have computers, so I learned fast how to look things up in the book. The people at Checker were amazed that I could find stuff in the book when the computer didn't list it.

We now have three parts stores in my town (there used to be only two before CarQuest). Nice thing is that one is a mom & pop joint - that the owner completely pisses me off on a continual basis because he is a tool, but can get the weird stuff - and the other is the NAPA I used to work at.

NAPA used to have a guy that pretty much knew all the part numbers in his head. At least for a Chevy. I would go in, "I need an inner wheel bearing seal for my 'burb." He knew what I drove, didn't ask stupid questions (like, "what size engine?). He didn't even look in the book. He'd just walk to the back, come out with a box, and that's all there was to it. NAPA didn't want to pay him, so he went to work for the city. They now have a guy that is good, but doesn't know the part numbers as well as the old guy. At least the new guy doesn't ask stupid questions, and isn't afraid to use the book.

Don't get me started on Car Quest. I had to take two parts guys and the owner outside to my Taurus to prove to them that Ford completely redesigned the Taurus in '96 and a '95 upper radiator hose wasn't gong to work (the owner had a '95 sitting right there that I parked next to). Their reply? They said their books only went to '95 (and this was in 2001). I only go to car quest if the other two don't have it and I am absolutely desperate.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

Where I live we are fortunate to have a chain of REAL parts house's by the name of "Monument Car Parts" these are REAL parts people that KNOW cars. I drive past 6 other so called parts stores to get to them. 1 of the best counter persons is at the Antiock store and is a woman who really knows her stuff. I think there's like 6 stores including a wearhouse all with knowledgeable people and great prices. If your ever in Concord, Pachaco or Antiock CA check them out.

MONUMENT CAR PARTS

No computors, all by the book


no I dont work there, but would like to

[bouncytruck]

My parents own a parts store in Coos Bay, Oregon. The problem with the hiring counter men/women is that stores just can't afford to pay the knowledgeable people what they are worth. With the big chains selling parts at such low prices, the profit margins are way down. With less $ coming in, there is less $ to pay employees. The intelegent, hard-working employees are all finding jobs otherplaces, out of the parts counter business. That leaves the stores (mostly talking independently owned stores like Big A, Napa, mom & pop's, etc.) to hire the teen agers who think that working in a parts store would be great because they can tell everyone about their buddy's Mustang with 5,000 HP. They really aren't there to work, just talk big and maybe pocket a few parts when the boss isn't looking. It's sad, but that is the way it is. My best advice is to get to know the owner of the store. They are the ones who have the passion for cars, know all there is about the parts they sell and are willing to take the time to find the right parts.

Avoid the Schuck's and AutoZones if possible. I know the prices are enticing, but every purchase at a large chain store is taking the business away from a mom & pop store. Most Napa's, Big A's, etc. are indepentently owned, the stores just have agreements to purchase parts from those suppliers and carry the name.