Hey ! I can fix you up buddy I'll even throw in some new muffler bearings ! Cheep ! Only $78.95 plus shipping .

 

I learned a long time ago to go into any parts store
armed with what I need and what it should look like.

I still got bit at a Ford parts counter on an Explorer
transmission gasket and filter. I took it back and
said it's too short. The guy said you much have 4X4
and said YES. Then I said you did not even bother to
say there were two.

Sean

 

Thats the one i looked at this morning at Napa, same 38-1003 part number on the box, but A1 Cardone is on the actual part. Same pump that O'reilly has

 

I've had the same problem with auto zone, oreilys, advance, and Napa. I have all these stores local to me and wouldn't you know they all sell the exact same parts at different prices. I don't understand why we have 4 parts stores and they all sell the exact same junk.
I still get motorcraft parts when possible. A lot of times I've found better parts and prices on rock auto than the parts store.
When I go in to get parts for my Bronco I'm almost always asked if its a chevy or ford.

 

I guess I'm really lucky here. We've got a local NAPA store (run by a friend of mine) that is top-notch. The owner ran a Texaco service station for nearly twenty years and during that time bought the NAPA store. He's a very knowledgeable mechanic and he trains his counter help very well. I can go in and get pretty much any common replacement part for my Dentsides; he has them in stock. I very rarely have to wait for something to be ordered and it's extremely rare to have a problem with getting the correct part. Plus, I always opt for the highest quality part, with lifetime warranty if possible, and they know that. He's also the guy I bought my '79 F-150 from. One of his brothers still runs a service station and the other has a tire store, both right down the road from the NAPA.

The only other parts store we have in town is an O'reallys. That place is a joke. I don't know how it's stayed in business the five or so years it's been there. They used to be open on Sunday (NAPA isn't) and the only time I've ever bought anything there was last year when I was trying to finish my Crew and ran out of window film tint and didn't want to wait until Monday to finish. None of the mechanics in town trade there and none of the 'serious' gear-heads do either. I've been told the counter help can hardly ever get the right part for you the first time and most of their parts are crap.

 

Well, i dont pump my own water, crop my own vegetables, or breed silk worms for my garments. But if i pay money, i think something should work, and at minimum, i should get it with zero hassle. If someone offered a PS pump for $100, or a Pos PS pump at $30, which would you buy? The problem is, they dont have a choice and dont label the Pos parts as pos

 

Funny, I am of the same opinion, but all too often am met with the same disappointment! More often with services than products though. When I'm buying a thing, I have more control over what I'm buying. I can only do so much with people I'm paying to do work.

 

I work at OReillys in batesville arkansas and it bothers me when customers have a bad experience because i know how to treat customers.Ive been in the buisness for 20 years and oreillys 11.keep sending comments because corporate and the store will see them.not that it matters but health ins has them thinking we can hire people for 20 hrs a week for min wage and think they can run the store.dont give up on us yet.

 

i've pretty much already have. i've been working there for 5 years. when oreilly's took over the store, i went from being full time 40 hours a week, down to not being allowed more than 23 hours a week. i watch as new hires come in, do nothing except talk on their cell phones or update their facebook account. oreillys, wants only greenhorns that way they can keep their profits high as the employees slowly looses everything since they can not pay their bills or have to work 3 jobs to try to make ends meet. i've lost my truck due to a poorly rebuilt carburator from oreilly's now have a bad water pump that barely lasted 3,000 miles. granted most counter people do not know much. but their is some that do try. most customers ive dealt with. can not even tell me year, make, or model. they usually comment it's in your computer. or expect me to know what they want when they comment it's blue round and has 3 wires plugged into it. heck, i've even had someone wanting tank parts. even get upset with me, when they expect me to know what spark plug their 1954 evinrude boat engine takes.

 

This whole statement is the story of my job. While there are a bunch of smart cookies, most are not.

Case in point. Shortly after I started working at the store, a customer came in. This is how the conversation went (didn't help that he didn't have the car there)

me: "hello, what can I help you with this evening?"
Him: "I was wondering if you guys can get custom fit mufflers"
"Yes, we can. What kind of vehicle is it for?"
"Uh, it's a station wagon"
"Ok, so what brand is it?"
"I don't know"
"Do you know what model it is?"
"No. It's a green station wagon"

Now by this point, I kinda figured it was a Subaru legacy, and he was getting a little frustrated.

"Sir, is it by chance a Subaru?"
"That brand doesn't sound familiar"
"Ok, well I won't be able to look up a muffler for your car until I know what you have"
"It's a goddamn green station wagon, like the ones you see all around. Can't you look up a muffler for it?"
"No sir, I can't. If you can drive the car here, I can figure out what you have. Or, you can look at the vehicles registration, and that should tell you the year and make"
"Well, I don't think I have that sort of paperwork, and the car doesn't run because the muffler is bad"

He then walked out before the conversation got any farther...

That's about the worst it ever was. Most are not nearly as bad.

over. Carry on
-Jameson

 

FWIW there is a flip side, I had a regular who knew exactly what he wanted. All he wanted was a counter guy to understand him and get it. Most of my co-workers hated him cause he wasn't let's say pleasant about it. I dug the guy, bing bang boom, done.

 

Jameson,
I think I saw that one sitting on the side of the road a while back.
Yes it was green. Moss Green. Or was that the moss?

You have to make it to the next meet. bring the family they will like the food.
Jimmy Macs is a very family friendly place on top of the very good food and
reasonable prices.

Sean

 

Here in the Bay Area we have a chain called Monument Car Parts. Usually a ton more knowledgeable than your typical Autozone or O'Reilly's employee. Had my first bad encounter, which was a little depressing.

Needed a 1330 u-joint and u-bolts. He spent about 1/2 hour going back and forth bringing out different ones to match to my old one I brought in. The manager starting giving the kid a hard time telling him to put the keyboard down and look it up in the book. For some reason the kid ignored him and kept scanning through the computer. I kept telling him that my rig does not have the stock u-joints (which were 1310) and going by make and model would not work. He finally got lucky and found the right one, I think he went through every u-joint in the stockroom lol.

Then the real kicker, he brought me exhaust u-bolts instead of the u-joint u-bolts - doh!

Now normally these guys (especially the manager) know quite a bit, but in this case the particular employee was clueless when unable to use the make/model lookup.

 

I've got a couple like that. When I joined everyone warned me about how rude he was. After a couple encounters I thought to myself "hey, they aren't so bad" and we now get along swimmingly.

-Jameson

 

I always thought it was fun when someone bought a modified vehicle but had no idea what was in it so out come the measuring and the books