This rant is slightly off topic but not really because it can be related to incidences we've all experience working on our old truck.

The other day I needed a new master cylinder for my forklift. Brakes went completely out. I found at least half a dozen places on line that had the part I needed but I needed to use the truck the next day to unload incoming parts for a job in my shop so I went to the local Yale forklift dealer. The places on line had pictures and very detailed descriptions of the parts along with part numbers. I go into the parts department of the Yale dealer, there are two counter guys and no other customer other than me. I took the old part in with me to match up to a new one. I tell the one parts guy what I need and he asks me for the model and serial number of my forklift, I didn't think of bringing it because the information tag on the truck is worn out and painted over and is hard to see any information, so that was my mistake. I tell the guy I was able to find at least six sites on line with the part listed and I didn't have to give model and serial number information. The guy shuts down, he says he can't find a part without the model and serial number. He then tells me he has over a dozen catalogs he would have to go through to match up a part. I look at him, look around at the empty lobby and then give him a "Well, start looking" look. He then asks what size truck and whether it's gas or electric. I tell him "5000 lb, LP gas". He then says well that narrows it down to five catalogs. I give him the "Well, start looking." look again. He pulls out one catalog, flips to the master cylinder diagram, not correct. Pulls out a second catalog and flips to the master cylinder page, not correct. Pulls out a third catalog and flips to the master cylinder page and what do you know, there is a drawing of the master cylinder I have in my hand. Took all of three minutes. I then ask him, now that he has a indication of the correct part, if he could check to seek if it had a 3/4" or 1" bore. He tells me he doesn't have that information. I reminded him that the online sites had all of that information and seeing that he was a Yale dealer I would assume he'd have that information in his computer, no, he didn't. I then asked him to get one of the four cylinders he had listed in stock to match up to the one I brought in. You'd think I'd asked him to hike up a mountain and cross a dessert to get it. He got one and it matched. What a crappy example of customer service. Businesses complain all of the time about losing businesses to internet stores but the only thing they have to offer over the internet stores is in person customer service, if they aren't willing to provide that they are going to lose more business.

I've encountered this kind of service in the local McParts auto parts store with the high school kid but not too often in an industrial environment.

 

I had two great Ford parts departments close to me, would bend over backwards even for some stupid little nylon clip. Both of them 30% off list. The bigger dealer was bought by large chevy dealer and now sells Fords and Kia. Parts dept completely changed, no discount and no inventory. Other dealer change hands and personnel couple of times and redecorated. Several years ago I asked the new parts kid for 78 Bronco alternator bearings and brushes. He rolled his eyes and said we won't have anything for that old of a vehicle. Went down the block to Advance and left with my bearings and brushes. Never tried to buy a part there again. I had bought 3 vehicles from them and had spent thousands in that parts dept over the years. I still buy Ford parts from the few online Ford Stores. Sad state of affairs anymore. My wife don't put up with bs in our supermarket, was told by an ex employee that they had a name for her and knew when she came in the door. I'm thinking Bob, you and I have names in various places also.

 

But it's not on my computer . What's a parts book ? LOL

 

I just don't get it. Like I stated above they all whine because the internet is taking their business. I personally like to be able to walk into a business and see what they have and I also usually have questions about their products. I don't like looking at a picture on some website, ordering the item, waiting 3-4, or more, to get it and then find out it doesn't work or isn't correct and going through the hassle of returning the item. I like personal service and am willing to pay for it but if it's not being offered I might as well go on line.

 

I regularly drive 20 to 30 minutes farther to a number places that offer great service and it is always worth the time and extra effort. No surprise that these businesses are doing very well and growing as the more local badly run places are shutting down. As with the example above where the dealership changed hands the culture of these places is set by the owner / management and is reflected by the employees. The differences are often dramatic.

 

I have to have a serial, model numbers at my local lawn and garden equipment dealer or they won't even talk to me. I keep all the info on my cell.

 

It's not always the parts guy's fault although they are often pretty low paying jobs which of course attracts the best of the best . The way the programs are set up you can't skip to alternators " for instance " without allot of info . I find that the better parts guys learn which questions are relevant to what you're looking for and which one aren't important like " is it 4 wheel drive when your looking for a door handle .

 

Years ago I worked at an auto parts store. I found out really quickly that it was just another retail job. I worked there long enough to pass the one year mark, and was give $0.24 per hour raise. That's when I gave two weeks notice and moved on. My boss was a good guy who knew his stuff on auto parts. The corporate structure above him didn't give a damn about me or how much knowledge I had about car parts.

 

And they want a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour? Yea right..........

 

Brick and mortar stores the ones that do exist, don't even have anything in stock anymore, whats on the shelf is whats in the store, so what's the point of going to travel to them, all they do is look on a computer read off of it, and ask you if you want them to order and ship it to you.

Related story; I waited a week to get 3 radiator hoses fixed in my 2017 transit van. One hose they had to order cause you know... a 'Ford Van' ...wow, not too many of them around the Tri-state area, and golly gee a rubber radiator hose, wow, that's like a part that is rare.... and never, never, ever, ever breaks! LoL.

 

That right there is the main reason customer service in many places stinks. I have two examples. My wife worked for a mortgage company and worked hard. Anyone who knows my wife knows she's the second hardest working person on this planet only beaten out by her mother. Both were raised on farms and have it in their heads a job doesn't go by what a clock says. My wife worked at this mortgage company which at the time was one of the biggest in the industry. She worked second shift and answered the phone dealing with irate customers who we getting screwed my the company. She would take a call and work with the customer until she found an answer for their problem. No one else there did this, they'd either give the customer a bogus answer and move to the next or some even would take note of the empty cubicles and transfer difficult customers to the phone in the empty cubicles. These people would handle twice as many calls a night as my wife. When it came to review time the mangers would tell her she didn't handle enough calls and it reflected in her wage.

My son worked at a big box farm supply store for his first job while in high school. A customer would come in with questions about there products and my son would take the person over to the produce shelf and go through the customers' questions and offer suggestions. The older woman he worked with would only grunt and point the customer in the direction of the what they were looking for. He worked there for six months before he was let go because he spent too much too with customers. That was over ten years ago and the woman is still working there.

These places only work by the numbers, nothing else. They don't care about customer care because they know there are enough new customers to replace any customers that might get ticked off.

 

I had a good customer service experience today. At NAPA. I'm currently in North Carolina attending to some matters with my elderly parents and stopped in to a tiny little NAPA store to get windshield wipers for my Mom's car.
Her wipers were shredded due to salt air and time.
Anyway, I bring one wiper inside to match up.....The guy at the counter saw me come in the store wearing a mask so he put one on too. He saw a wiper in my hand from 20 feet away and asked if it was for the car I just drove up in. Yep, I said.
I was parked right out front, he glanced at the car to gauge it's age, and started typing. I figured it wasn't necessary to do that but he very quickly came up with the size and part number - then reached directly behind him where he had a stash of wipers. He asked if i wanted two. He didn't do the usual "Can I have the Year, make model" Bullcrap.... He was already on it.
He told me he confirmed the size because some people walk in with old wipers and want then same exact one even though it was the wrong size one they had on their car to begin with. Fair enough, I respect that.
Well the forking wipers were $37. For basic NAPA brand ones. I gave him a look and he said that is what they cost now. $17 bucks plus tax each. He offered to come out to install them. I bought them, then jokingly asked if my old wipers had a core charge refund. He laughed and said no, but I'll give you some of these....He handed me three of those rubber counter mats with the Napa logo on them. Said they were good for cleaning fish and guns.
Now that was pretty cool, these will come in handy.

I know I can probably buy wipers online and have them shipped for far less than $37.......but I wanted those wipers before it rained again.
This North Carolina NAPA counter guy was attentive, helpful and generous. To a Yankee, no less. (I can't hide my Maine accent)
I was happy with the way the store visit went, and will go back there if I'm down here again and need something.
Tom

 

Not to counter Tom's story above, or shine a negative light on all NAPA stores (most are great!)

I went into one of my more local NAPA stores on my lunch break some years back, there were only two customers in the store at the time and I was the next in line to talk to the only counter person on duty at the time. The guy ahead of me was being a total jerk to the poor counter guy, who was trying his best to nice to the guy. That customer was finally done, and now its my turn. I am trying to be careful and nice to the counter guy because what he just went through, but instead he is now being a total jerk to me! I walked in with the NAPA part numbers, I gave him the list, he didn't even have to look anything up. He's going around the back of the counter, gathers them up, puts them on the counter in front of me. There was one thing I remembered I needed, and asked him to see if he had one. He totally dismissed the idea of even punching it into the computer saying "I don't have time right now to look it up". I told him, "we'll then I guess you don't have time to ring these up". I pushed the small pile of parts back across the counter and turned around and walked out. It was just a couple of turn signal bulbs, a gas cap, radiator cap, and a fuel filter. But I wasn't there to pay for attitude. Hope he enjoyed putting them back away.

 

Just my 2 cents on Napa Auto parts stores. They can be independently owned or corporate stores. I worked in dealership parts or independent stores before buying a store. If it’s a corporate store good luck. Independent stores typically have better service but that depends on the ownership. If you can find the one that owns one or two stores it will usually be a better store. I sold my two stores two years ago because it was impossible to find competent people and the retail people were becoming impossible to deal with

 

Our local NAPA store is a family owned franchise. They are the greatest. They have a garage, machine shop, radiator shop, and knowledgeable counter folks. If they don't have an answer, they will actually send you to another store where you will find it.

Our local Autozone also has knowledgeable workers. They are usually good to work with, within the limits of a corporate big-box store.

I guess I live in a good area.