As for most parts stores, it is best to build a good relationship with one and not jump from store to store on every purchase.

I am in very good standing with my local parts store of choice and they let me go back in the stock room and look at the parts on the shelves when I am R&Ding something. When I was looking for an inexpensive rubber bushing to make mounts, I was in the back room of the store and opened every bushing box they had looking for something that fit. Found 3 contenders and priced checked them the lowest one was under $6 and the highest one was about $28... I needed 4 of them so guess which one I picked.

For me, being able to look at their parts for R&D purposes is far more important than saving $5 a month on parts.

[This message has been edited by fieroguru (edited 08-12-2010).]

quote Originally posted by SNAPPY829: Ask if anyone there is ase certified and work with them if possible.

I read that is if to say that just because they have an ASE patch on their arm they will know more then some one that is not certified.
In one of my past experiences, this could not be farther from the truth. I'll take my chance with a guy that has been behind the counter a few years, over one that just got their "patch" last month.
Now if it comes down to two new young guys starting at the same time, the guy with the "patch" might, and I say might know more then the other.

Kevin

I personally have worked at AZ, Advance and Carquest. Only difference among them all is the age of the avg. employee, as stated before they all have their good and bad counterman. I'm sure if you ask some of my customers some will say i was terrible others will say i was great. However you can not lump them all together and say they are all idiots, remember some of these counter pros are just starting out in the field, and will get better with time. I am sure we were all idiots when we started in our respective fields. just my .02

dan

[This message has been edited by bonaduce (edited 08-12-2010).]

quote Originally posted by bonaduce: I am sure we were all idiots when we started in our respective fields. just my .02

We're all still idiots. The trick is knowing how to deal with people (getting them to give you the correct information, because most people going into these stroes don't know wtf they're talking about either), knowing how to spot and correct mistakes that you and those around you make, and finding ways to keep those mistakes from happening again.

Lambo nut, I dont care if you have been in the business years or a young guy starting out, the ase parts exam is not an easy one to pass, not saying that everyone who has it is better than anyone who hasnt but it does show that the person has a pretty decent knowledge of automotive systems and components and should have the knowledge to take care of your parts needs. If you think its easy to pass take the exam and we will see....just my 2cts

I agree with Bonaduce....you cant lump together an entire store and call them all idiots...its all about the individuals ability and/or drive to learn the job. I am 22 years old and have been with Carquest for 4 years. I have customers come to me over people who have been here for 35+ years because im willing to learn what the customer wants and also learn with the customer. Its all in how you take the job.

I usually operate from the "Get the guy that hired you" principle. Getting parts for a 3.4 engine when there's a Fiero parked outside and the computer says the Fiero doesn't have a 3.4 tends to short circuit some folk's wiring. If I'm asking for something I know darn well is on my car and the kid says it ain't, I say "Get your manager out here."

Hopefully, HE knows his anus from an exhaust pipe.

Wait....that's redundant, isn't it?

i tried to get a job at advance...aparently im not up to their standards...=rolls eyes=

quote Originally posted by SNAPPY829: Lambo nut, I dont care if you have been in the business years or a young guy starting out, the ase parts exam is not an easy one to pass, not saying that everyone who has it is better than anyone who hasnt but it does show that the person has a pretty decent knowledge of automotive systems and components and should have the knowledge to take care of your parts needs. If you think its easy to pass take the exam and we will see....just my 2cts

I took and passed the P2 Parts exam, it was fairly easy, easier than the Michigan mechanic certification tests. If a parts guy has ASE certification, it means 1) He's been working as a parts guy at least 2 years, and 2) Knows how to take and pass a written, multiple choice test. Chances are he will be fairly knowledgeable, though.

I confuse them when I get parts for a 64 and a 66 on the same car. Its a 66 Dodge, 64 engine/trans.

Autozone does pizz me off sometimes just buying a battery. Ive went in several times, picked up the one I wanted and took it to the counter. They HAVE to know the year, make and model to sell it to you apparently. Confusion arrises when it was for a big screen tv or my boat. Funniest one was when guy absolutely insisted on knowing and I told him it was for my 1977 Cessna 172XP with a IO 360 engine. It wasnt listed in his book Imagine that.

yes...maybe someone can explain why they need to know the make and model of your car to get a none oem part...in my case a thrush glasspack...yes knowing the part number is the smart thing to do now...but the fact is you SHOULDN'T have to...we're doing their job for them at that rate...honestly...excerpt for the very rare case...its smarter and easier to buy things online. ..and much cheaper.

hey roger i work at autozone and ya sometimes its cuz the persons an idiot but up untill the recently znet (autozones parts lookup thingy) wouldn't let us put a battery's warrante in the system without having it listed under a car so if its not for a car and they ask its easer to have it put under a car you have to keep track of it.
oldlar most people that work at autozone dont know we usually have catalogs or how to use them and for some reason it pulls up a 2inch id od glasspack for pretty much every car on earth, the company trys to discourage us from using paper books sometimes because there "slower" than znet or something like that

quote Originally posted by Fiero Reagan: never been to pepboys before, dont even think there is one near me. But this advance auto parts store has really stupid people working there.

yeah....that's because you don't have a pepboys nearby. I hate them all, but not the folks working there. I blame the management.

Never Mind. If you haven't walk in the other guys shoes, you simply wouldn't understand.

Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 08-12-2010).]

as for entering the cars info on a battery, it is for warranty purposes. Let me tell you a story about how dumb some customers are. I went through the same situation with a battery customer, he just grabbed a 75 series battery because it fit his application.

me: Sir, what application are you using that for, so I can enter your warranty info.
him: It's for a tractor.
me: Ok sir, what automobile would you like me to enter so your tractor battery will have a warranty.
him: I told you it was going into a tractor.
me: Sir, I understand that it is going into a tractor, however for AZ computer warranty i have to enter a vehicle, any car will do.
him: It's going into a tractor.

After about 5 minutes of this I gave up trying to explain it to him and proceeded to the check out, where he asked
him: So if this goes bad how do i warranty this?
me: Sir that is why i was aking you about what vehicle you wanted me to enter in the system for warranty?
him: I am putting it in a tractor.
me: Sir, how bout we just say you have a 85 fiero for warranty purposes
him: I don't have a fiero, I have a tractor that is getting this battery.
me: just hold onto the reciept. if any issues arrive you will need that for warranty purposes.

dan

Went to Advance to get some exhaust/muffler sealer in a tube. $14.97... same size/brand tube across town: $2.39 Glad nobody was around to help me at advance, I very well might have paid that. Instead, I lucked out for once to their stupidity and laziness not helping someone front in line at the counter for over 10 minutes because of a phonecall and 3 people hiding in the back.

quote Originally posted by blackrams: Never Mind. If you haven't walk in the other guys shoes, you simply wouldn't understand. Ron

I liked the previous version better!

I've had very good luck doing business with the Advance Auto here on the south side of Indy, inside I-465 north of Southern Plaza. They have gone the extra mile to help me out many times. A store is only as good as it's employees and turn over means that they may not always be reliable, just as a bad store may eventually hire some good people and get there act together.

------------------
RickN
White 88GT 5spd (<10K miles)
White 85GT (SC3800 Series II w/ AOD)
White 99 F250SD 7.3PSD 6spd
1956 Ford 860 Tractor w/ Freeman Loader
20Ft H&H Tilt Bed Trailer

quote Originally posted by RWDPLZ: Try looking up the part yourself on their website, get the part number, and go in there with the part number.

I look the part #'s up myself and then ask them to pull the parts. Many times they ask what I'm working on(53 F100) and they start to look it up. Then I have to explain that the cab is the only thing original on the vehicle. Then they go and get the parts like I originally asked them to.

Around here I only use advance. The district manager that runs this area is a moron. My father actually worked with this guys father back in the 80's when my father worked for Nationwise auto parts. The Autozones around here are fully of arrogant employees that feel you as the customer are dumb and they are right no matter what. Seeing the trend around here and working in retail you can tell it starts from the top poor district manager hires poor managers who higher poor employees. The one Autozone was selling american manufactures key chains, and talking to my brother in law I said dam there missing the best. They had no Pontiac key chains. The kid behind the counter goes what Honda. I am like no you don't have Pontiac. He literally says why would we sell that **** they don't make those cars anymore. I walked out and will not step foot back in there. This is the third instance from that company I have seen bs like that. I was buying a quart of Mobil 1 synthetic for my motor. The manager on duty was insisting on selling me the better deal of 5 quarts of oil and a filter for the same price as my one quart of oil. I looked at her and said do you even know anything this is synthetic that is standard oil two completely different formulas. My first bad experience of Autozone was when the idiot told me that the wouldn't have any oil filter for a 2004 cavalier back in 2004. I said then give me one for a 2002 with an ecotoec. He got pissed looked it up and went see i told you that fram doesn't make that dam filter yet. I was like OK sir I will take this above you to your district manager. I walked out the next day with a 2 filters and a free case of full synthetic oil.
I have the most respect for parts people my father is one of 20 years now, but Autozone highers the worst out there. Its almost like Advance wont take you Oriley wont take you zone will.

I used to buy from Autozone, but now I buy from O'reilly's. They seem to know wha they are doing, and have helped find parts for me many times.

People - people - people ...

It's not the store or even the chain. It's who you get when you go to the counter. And that is true wherever you shop for whatever you shop for. Some times you will get a chain that tends to hire with less discretion (Auto Zone will hire most anyone around here) but they can still have very talented people working for them. Others are very very selective but somehow manage to get a bad apple now and then.

I work for OReilly and have friends at NAPA, AutoZone and Parts Plus. I would put it to you that you that you could go into any of these three stores and get great service from 80% of the people in them and terrible service from the other 20%.

I still contend that often times we give bad service when we get bad customers. As I posted before - asking for non stock parts is going to be an issue. I can show you manufacture catalogs and all of them list only by OE application. There is no listing in most of them that will tell me the non-stock parts that will also fit or a listing by spec. There is no rotor catalog that will tell me Grand Am rotors will fit on a Fiero. Fiero people know it and some counter people might know it but give us a break.

Your attitude will also make a big difference also. I know it should not but I refuse to go out of my way for a jackass. You want to be a jerk that's just fine with me. You take your smart ass to CarQuest. There will be a smart ass coming here from there.

I agree about it depending on the counterperson. I once had a young female behind the counter look up rod bearings for a 305 Chevy. She comes back with 4 boxes and says "The computer says we have eight, but we really have sixteen." Yes, you have 16 halves. Another time, same store, I was looking for parts for a '64 Scout, and the young kid behind the counter actually pulled out a book when he couldn't ind it in the computer.


After reading this, I can understand why some parts people here are upset.
http://www.goingfaster.com/...er_in_the_world.html

quote Originally posted by ARKaiser: It's not the store or even the chain. It's who you get when you go to the counter.

The latter is merely a product of the former. If the store or chain cared, they would actually hire people that might be respectful and know something, other than what they can see in the store's computer. They're not looking to hire people who might know what's what. They're looking to hire the cheapest labor they can get. It's like pretty much any other retail/service oriented chain. They hire a few full time people, and most of the employees are part time, and just don't care. They're just trying to get in enough hours in the week so they can get the next XBox game or crappy stick-on fake fender vents for their Honda, when that paycheck comes.