rant - parts guys ain't what they used to be...
12-04-2009, 10:41 PM
#23
Team Owner
I have learned how to creatively lie to the guys behind the counter....
I have notes of my modifications to various cars....for instance the alternator on my '72 vette is off a '79 Caddy Seville with RWdefogger....a 17SI...108 amp rating.....
the rack is a '92 Grand Am
etc.....
now when we get to my camper project and find my GM axle with FORD drums and brakes on it....well, things get really interesting THEN....
much less the DODGE a/c compressor, and the CS144 alternator on it....
I have notes of my modifications to various cars....for instance the alternator on my '72 vette is off a '79 Caddy Seville with RWdefogger....a 17SI...108 amp rating.....
the rack is a '92 Grand Am
etc.....
now when we get to my camper project and find my GM axle with FORD drums and brakes on it....well, things get really interesting THEN....
much less the DODGE a/c compressor, and the CS144 alternator on it....
12-05-2009, 01:58 AM
#24
Le Mans Master
I'm of the opinion it is irrational to expect a minimum wage earner who likely wasnt even BORN when your car was made to have any idea what the hell you are talking about.
He knows what a clutch is (probably) but the machine that tells him what is in stock doesnt list stock by diameter, or spline count. but rather by the vehicle in which it was installed.
This is not his fault.
Frankly your question to the poor O'Rielly counter guy is not unlike asking the McDonanlds counterperson the sodium content of a BigMac.
The information is somewhere in the building but he sure as hell doesnt know it.
For alot of us, buying parts for our cars requires knowing what to ask for, and that does not mean asking for something that never existed in our cars to begin with especially when we know damned well that the talent behind the counter is not what it once was.
He knows what a clutch is (probably) but the machine that tells him what is in stock doesnt list stock by diameter, or spline count. but rather by the vehicle in which it was installed.
This is not his fault.
Frankly your question to the poor O'Rielly counter guy is not unlike asking the McDonanlds counterperson the sodium content of a BigMac.
The information is somewhere in the building but he sure as hell doesnt know it.
For alot of us, buying parts for our cars requires knowing what to ask for, and that does not mean asking for something that never existed in our cars to begin with especially when we know damned well that the talent behind the counter is not what it once was.
12-05-2009, 07:09 AM
#25
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Member Since: Jan 2003
Location: Tuttle OK
Posts: 6,575
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
We would have worked through it but there were 10 people behind me and I wasn't going to train him. Like I said earlier, there are a couple of guys there that do know their stuff and get the books out when I'm buying for the vette or my '58 pickup so I know the info is readily available in the building. I told him it was not stock and the guy just has to have the wits to get the book..
Either way, I went to Blumenthals in OKC and got it taken care of. I suppose I knew I should have gone there in the first place.
Last edited by Avette4me; 12-05-2009 at 07:40 AM.
12-05-2009, 05:14 PM
#26
Le Mans Master
Need? Actually the way parts places computers are set up, No he actually doesnt need to know one from the other.
Should he know? Absolutely he should. But lets not kid ourselves into believing that to work at a chain autoparts place like an O'Reilley or Autozone that you need to know thing one about cars.
I've gone to parts places where I say Corvette and they start looking under Chrysler for it on the computer.
Should he know? Absolutely he should. But lets not kid ourselves into believing that to work at a chain autoparts place like an O'Reilley or Autozone that you need to know thing one about cars.
I've gone to parts places where I say Corvette and they start looking under Chrysler for it on the computer.
12-05-2009, 06:00 PM
#27
Burning Brakes
Hey, try owning a Vette in a country where they were never sold. If I need spares for my '76 I have three suppliers in the whole of the country. Or I have to get stuff shipped from the USA.
Our only national parts shops are called Halfords and the guys serving in Halfords stores still point at aeroplanes.
Our only national parts shops are called Halfords and the guys serving in Halfords stores still point at aeroplanes.
12-05-2009, 06:38 PM
#29
Race Director
That information gets you only part of the way
I want a 12 inch 10 spline disc is really not adequate if that's all thats supplied..I would immediately come back with 'what color'..... How would anyone come up with the correct disc with that information..you also need to know the diameter of the spline { 1 in...1 1/16, 1 1/8,..all the way to 1 1/2} ...not only the number of teeth on it. How the hell do you expect any one behind the counter to know that or do you think its better to look up all the 12 in. discs and drag them out for your selection....
PS, we probably also had it in stock,..but what color did you want...I could custom rattle can it to your color...
no offense gentlemen, but there's 2 sides....
PS, we probably also had it in stock,..but what color did you want...I could custom rattle can it to your color...
no offense gentlemen, but there's 2 sides....
12-05-2009, 06:54 PM
#30
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Member Since: Jan 2003
Location: Tuttle OK
Posts: 6,575
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
We had gone through the year, model, etc. etc. etc. and I had expleined it wasn't stock etc. etc. etc.. After all that he asked about it being an automatic or standard. I knew I didn't have time, nor did he so I just thanked him and walked.
Like I said a couple of times in this thread, I have a non stock vette and a '58 pickup so I'm used to people not knowing right away. I've gotten to know a couple of the guys there that get their books out and can be some good help. He just wasn't there...
12-05-2009, 07:04 PM
#31
Burning Brakes
I went in to NAPA today, getting some sand paper for the Vette, and I just asked about price and availability of a battery. I told the kid that it was converted to a top-post style some time ago. He was a bit confused. I just asked what group of battery it was, and he had no clue. He called in another guy to the rescue. They eventually were able to get me the group number, and then a price on the battery. $148.00!! I almost choked!! The one guy led me over to where the batteries were, and there was a price sticker under the battery...$104.00. I asked the guy to confirm the price, which he did, and I pointed out the obvious sticker price......"Oh, that's an OLD sticker....guess I need to check and see if all of the other batteries are priced wrong". I'm like, "what the..??!". For an extra $10, I could end up with an Optima battery!! They just lost a sale from me. If I was the guy, I would have at least OFFERED to sell for the sticker price....but alas, no. You don't get that BS buying online!
12-05-2009, 07:47 PM
#32
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 2000
Location: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
6 Posts
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
There aren't any Parts Men anymore. They are parts pullers, they follow the bread crumbs of their computer system's decision tree until it tells what bin to go to. 
12-06-2009, 12:42 AM
#33
Melting Slicks
12-06-2009, 04:20 AM
#34
Race Director
as a former parts guy at advance auto i will say its not always the person behind the counters fault.
The way you look up a part on the computer is by year/make/model.Its difficult to look up a set of brakes for a Ford 9" inch rear end when you dont know year and which cars came with that specific axle.
The way you look up a part on the computer is by year/make/model.Its difficult to look up a set of brakes for a Ford 9" inch rear end when you dont know year and which cars came with that specific axle.
12-06-2009, 09:03 AM
#35
Race Director
But these new kids could do better if the company would provide some better software for them to use. The only way to get into the computers is to enter the car and year. In the case of the OP if the kid could have entered 12" clutch , 10 spline it should have brought up all choices with those parameters. Might not have been any choices but then again there might have been. I think these company's are losing lots of sales.as a former parts guy at advance auto i will say its not always the person behind the counters fault.
The way you look up a part on the computer is by year/make/model.Its difficult to look up a set of brakes for a Ford 9" inch rear end when you dont know year and which cars came with that specific axle.
The way you look up a part on the computer is by year/make/model.Its difficult to look up a set of brakes for a Ford 9" inch rear end when you dont know year and which cars came with that specific axle.
That was my point , if the computer was setup so you could enter Ford 9" and then brake shoes you should then arrive with a couple part numbers the customer could then choose from.
12-06-2009, 10:39 AM
#36
Le Mans Master
12-06-2009, 02:09 PM
#37
Team Owner
I'm of the opinion it is irrational to expect a minimum wage earner who likely wasnt even BORN when your car was made to have any idea what the hell you are talking about.
He knows what a clutch is (probably) but the machine that tells him what is in stock doesnt list stock by diameter, or spline count. but rather by the vehicle in which it was installed.
This is not his fault.
Frankly your question to the poor O'Rielly counter guy is not unlike asking the McDonanlds counterperson the sodium content of a BigMac.
The information is somewhere in the building but he sure as hell doesnt know it.
For alot of us, buying parts for our cars requires knowing what to ask for, and that does not mean asking for something that never existed in our cars to begin with especially when we know damned well that the talent behind the counter is not what it once was.
He knows what a clutch is (probably) but the machine that tells him what is in stock doesnt list stock by diameter, or spline count. but rather by the vehicle in which it was installed.
This is not his fault.
Frankly your question to the poor O'Rielly counter guy is not unlike asking the McDonanlds counterperson the sodium content of a BigMac.
The information is somewhere in the building but he sure as hell doesnt know it.
For alot of us, buying parts for our cars requires knowing what to ask for, and that does not mean asking for something that never existed in our cars to begin with especially when we know damned well that the talent behind the counter is not what it once was.
What the hell is the kid going to do if somebody comes in looking for parts for an International Harvester?
12-06-2009, 03:23 PM
#38
Team Owner
A couple things to consider... our cars are older than many parts weenies. For these people "speed parts" means a new ecm reflash with larger injectors and a throttle body. Oh, and purple neon underneath. Carburetors are dead,guys. We are no longer in the mainstream, or even most tributaries. Specialty shops; whether local or internet based are our new reality. Can't blame the kids for lack of life experience, or the businesses for not catering to our hobby. We're not very large volume consumers even taken as a complete population!
12-06-2009, 05:19 PM
#39
Instructor
Don't be so quick to lump all together...
I would be cautious lumping all chain stores into the horrible category. In fact, I have an O'Reilly's nearby where at least two of the parts counter attendants are true "car guys" and know their stuff. In fact, they ordered a dealer only part for me at a cost less than the online resalers and even corrected the dealer parts counter guy when he tried to sell the wrong part. Now as far as the zone and advanced stores, they are a completely different story.
