Biggest dummies you've encountered at a auto parts store

[Econoline 150]

Originally Posted by ghunt Isn't related to auto parts stores- but I used to go to school with a guy who told me whenever he changed his oil he just dumped it on the ground. He said, and I quote, "Oil came from the ground, so I put it back into the ground." I don't think he was the sharpest knife in the drawer either. lol, He'll be the poorest knife in the drawer if he ever gets caught doing that.

[FarmForward]

Years ago (at least 30+ years, anyway), what the county here used for dust control on gravel roads was to spray used oil on the roadway after putting down a layer of sand. Over time, this hardened into something akin to asphalt. Folks around here would generally take their used oil to the county maintenance yards so it could be used for this. A few people would just spread it on the gravel roads in front of their houses and farms. Well, apparently one guy who lived in town thought that what was good for the rural was good for the urban, and got caught spreading his used oil on the concrete street in front of his house. His defense was that the ad in the newspaper about collecting the oil said that it was to be used on "roads", and did'nt specify what sort of surface the road had to have.

Makes me kinda wonder just how big a dust problem the guy had, ya know.

[Rusty_S]

Mine is from while back. I went to go get a receiver drier for my 82 truck (it was a aftermarket dealer installed system) and they proceeded to give me a accumulator. I said no I asked for a receiver drier. The woman said the computer says "Accumulator/Receiver-Drier" I said so I asked for a Receiver-Drier not an accumulator. So she got the manager (whom by the way is in his 60`s) said whats the problem. I said I asked for a receiver-drier but keep getting handed this accumulator. He said the computer says "Accumulator/Receiver-Drier" and that their both the same thing. I almost lost it right there. I said ok cmon out to my car and let me educate you. Went out to my car and i opened the hood. I pointed to the Accumulator and said that is an accumulator it goes between the evaporator and the compressor. I then pointed to the receiver/drier and said this is a receiver-drier it goes between the condenser and the evaporator. I had to explain to the guy their two different things doing simmilar jobs located in two different places. That some cars had both and some had one or the other. Still I never got the receiver-drier I asked for so I ended up walking out saying if the mananger is this retarded and ignorant on automotive stuff and relies on the computer and tout it as fact I just wont shop here.

[blaineak]

girlfriend: i need a battery

clerk:what kind of car

girlfriend5 maxima, it's BLACK

clerk closes his eyes and puts his head down while i just try to act like i am just the next guy in line.

[spikedog]

Good one. Welcome to FTE, BlaineAK.

[Rusty_S]

Very good one. I would have probably backed away to distance myself lol

For those that want to screw with the idiots at the store you can go in and ask for parts that dont exsist the real idiots will actually look for the stuff.

I did it at autozone I asked them how much they wanted for their blinkerfluid cause they didnt have no price on the display.

Another one but this really exsist is I went to multiple stores asking for Type A transmission fluid and only the older guys knows what im talking about the others look at you like your an idiot.

[nutfarmii]

Just recently both alternators and a battery went out on my 7.3, go into Advanced Auto, asking to have the batteries tested,guy comes out and asks me why i have two batteries in my truck there should only be one.

Tell him that it is a diesel and requires two batteries to crank,

Clerk but why do you have two?

I walk away and go to Autozone across the road.

[f100jim]

I bought a brand new set of brake drums for the rear of one of my cars. One of them must have been dropped badly in shipping and was out of round. I took them into the parts place and asked them to turn them. The lady behind the counter got out her calipers and started to measure them. I said, "Don't bother, they are brand new." She continued her measurements anyway. Then she told me, "I'm sorry, I can't turn these drums, they are way under the maximum diameter." I just stared at her in disbelief for a while. I said, "Yes, they are supposed to be under the maximum. That's why it's a maximum. You know, as the drums wear they get bigger, not smaller." She said, "Yes, that's right, they do." I said, "So you can turn them." She said, "No I can't, they are way under the maximum diameter."

I finally gave up and went to another store to have them turned.

[Sand_Man]

I was in the process of swapping gears in my '68 Mustang a while back, and made a trip to the local parts store for a new gasket and some gear oil. Not wanting to bother the counter help, I retrieved the 90 wt myself, then went to the counter to get the gasket. I told the guy at the counter I needed a rear end gasket for a 1968 Mustang with a 289. So far, so good. The he asks the usual myriad of questions, "does it have A/C, does it have power steering, blah, blah-de-blah." I was patient, I mean after all, everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? Then he asks if it's the gasket for the rear end cover. Now the line is growing behind me, and at least one is giggling."
" 8-inch rears don't have a rear cover" I expain. So then he stares at the screen on the computer in front of him for what seemed like forever. Not pushing buttons, just staring. Now the line behind me is at least six people deep. So to help the guy out, I say, " look there's only two seals and one gasket in the whole rear axle, if you just grab something off the shelf, you gotta 50/50 shot at being right". The guy two people back is no longer able to contain himself and busts out laughing. Unfazed, the clerk stares for another long period, then declares, "we don't have one". So I explain (less patiently) that pretty much every Ford car from 1963 to 1970-something had an 8-inch rear and that I was VERY SURE he had one. By now, one of the other parts "specialists" came out of his coma to help out with crowd control and when questioned, he found it within seconds, without consulting the all-knowing computer. That's progress, the cars are getting harder to work on, and the parts guys are too stupid to find parts for the easy ones. We're screwed...

[Grems4ever]

I had to do an unplanned spark plug change on my Ram and after finding the plugs, the girl behind the counter asks if I would like wires with that. Knowing I had COP on it, I simply told her if she had them, I'd buy them. She got all happy and went to punching numbers on the computer. She asked whether I wanted the super premium wires - of course. After another minute she went back into the shelves and didn't come back for a bit. When she came back, she got the manager and quite seriously asked him, I kid you not, where they stocked the N/A wiresets. The poor manager took a look at me barely able to contain myself and completely lost it. The poor girl just looked like a deer in the headlights. By the time he got himself back together, he just handed me the plugs and refused to allow me to pay for them. He said that he had not had a laugh like that in a long time that I had earned them.

[broozerthehoundog]

Asked napa guy for u joints for front drive shaft on my f 250. He asked if it was the left or right u joint. I said its not an axle joint its the "front" drive shaft. He said "is it a four wheel drive?"

[Rusty_S]

Heres a new one from not too long ago.

Needed a new AC switch for a van. Took it out of the van to fix my truck it was the same switch but couldnt get it. Well to make a long story short I needed a harness connector cause this was a conversion van and I didnt want to figure out the aftermarket wiring since I knew which wire was where and what speed you got. Well I saw Orielly had lots of these harness connectors but no photos. I went in and they said they didnt have one. I said well I looked online and seen alot of them but no photos thats why I came in. He proceeded to say that they dont carry that. I said well why does it list it on your website then. He said "how many times do you go to the store and they have what is online in the store" I said "all the time" and he cut me off mid sentence to do a smug jokenly laugh like im joking as i proceeded to say "I even do it here I go online get the part number of what I need and tell you clowns this is what I need and even then you clowns still **** it up and bring me the wrong part and try to pass it off as being the same when its not". At this time I asked again "but tell me why list it on your website if you dont carry it. I mean that is false advertisement right there". I asked 4 to 5 more times without a answer from him before he got all pissy and walked off. I got pissed off at this time and told him off as well as the manager who was standing there as well (hes the one that got the wrong carb for me 4 times as well as telling me a Accumulator and a receiver-drier are the same thing). Long story short I went to Napa to see if they had the harness connector. I walked in showed the switch and said need a harness connector. Instantly this kid without even looking at the computer quickly said "we dont have that". I said well how about you get on that fancy computer infront of you and see instead of being a lazy bumb and tell me you dont have it.

It is amazing how ignorant those people are. I mean seriouslly youd think those people would need to have people skills or know that the customer is always right. Or at the very least answer your questions and not get pissed off and walk off cause you cant answer. But thankfully I got the internet I just order the part and wait for it to come in. Never been wrong since I started doing that.

[fonefiddy]

So the alternator went out on My 93, I do some internet shopping, find a good price at AutoZone. We've got 2 AZ's here in town, I call the first one.

Me: Do You have part # XXX in stock.
AZ: Nope, sorry. Check West Duluth store.

Me calls West Duluth Store

Me: Do You have part # XXX in stock?
AZ: What's it for?
Me, I'm on Your website, It lists P# XXX for My truck. Do You have one in stock?
AZ: Tell Me what it's for, Then I can tell You if I have one.
5 mins of make, model, engine size, etc.
AZ: Yeah, I've got one.
So I'm in a hurry, I've got about a 1/2 hour before I needa pick up My daughter. She's about a 1/2 hr from the W Duluth AZ

Me: I called about an alternator.
AZ: Yeah, I talked to You. What Year, again?
Me: It's part #XXXX
AZ: What year?
Me: I JUST CALLED 15 mins ago. Part # XXXX
AZ: What year?
5 mins of make, model,engine size, options.

AZ:Here ya go.
Throws a box on the counter. Guess whats printed in big bold letters? The exact part number I'd been telling this Joker, all morning.

Me: See, this is the number I gave You on the phone, and again when I came in.
AZ: Yeah, but that number doesn't mean anything.
Me: What do You mean, it doesn't mean anything? It's the same number listed on the website, it's the same number listed in YOUR computers.
AZ: Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything. We want to make sure We get You the right part.
Me: I went thru Your make, model, year, options bullcrap 3 times today. It all comes down to the exact same PART #. The exact # I gave You when I called and when I walked in here 10 mins ago.
AZ Guy just shrugs, and starts walking to the till.
Me shrugs, and thinks I needa get My Azz outta here, My Daughter is at the Girl Scout Cabin. Don't want Her left out there alone.

AZ: what's Your address? for the warranty?
Me: Type in My phone # I'm in the system.
AZ, I need Your address.
Me: Type 219-393-xxxx
AZ: Address?
Me:XXX Dow Road
AZ: City?
Me:Saginaw
AZ: ahh yess, here You are. This comes with XX warranty. then proceeds to ramble on about conditions, etc.
Me: I'm in a bit of a hurry, can You just ring Me up?
AZ: I need to tell You about You options.
Me: RING ME UP! I needa get outta here.

Then He looks at ME Like I'm the A-Hole.

It could have been an in and out deal. This Guy turned it into 20 mins.

Needless to say, the Girl Scout Leader was NOT impressed with Me being a 1/2 hr late.

[fellro86]

Ok, I can agree with you on that one, as like you say, the warranty is in the system by phone number. If you are giving me a part number, I am checking my stock, not hassling you any further. When it comes time to register the warranty, then I do need the vehicle specs, just to make it easier to find should we need to. I'm wondering why two stores in the same town can't check the stock of the other store, as we do that regularly... Saves a phone call, and the customer's time. I guess I spent too much time on the customer side of the counter... That fact sometimes gets me at odds with my manager, but he understands my position, it is just corporate breathing down his neck on some of the BS we have to do.

[fonefiddy]

I'll agree with You there. That warranty stuff is just part of the sale. But his Guys attitude was like I was an idiot. I Knew what I needed. He didn't. I've been wrenchig for 30 years.
I can see trying to insure the correct part and all. But the info on the website gave the correct part number.

When I called the first store, I was put on hold for a few mins. I'm sure they were just busy at the time I called. So I'd imagine that was the reason for asking Me to check the other store.