speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

It is a corporate thing. Cheaper parts requires low overhead and cheaper labor. To have the cheapest parts, corporations try to build systems and procedures to allow the average layman to do the job. This means they can hire any minimum wage guy off of the streets to do the job. Just like there are no chefs at Mc Donalds, there are no automotive experts at your corner auto parts store.

Before you get too mad at these corporations, look at your own and your fellow car guy's spending habits. Companies change their business model to suit their clientele. If people were willing to pay more to shop someplace where there were experts, then auto parts stores would be filled with experts.

We are cheap bastards, so now we buy parts from Head Injury Harry.

Head Hunter

iTrader: (14)

I just don't understand how these guys can even get bad intel from their computers... I went for new wipers, the guy says they're both 24's - I get em, go to put em on, and the 24 on the passenger side is way too long and hangs off the windshield. I take it back in, say it must be wrong and I need a 22 - he looks at me and has the ***** to ask "Are you sure it's a 99?"

4WOFURY

iTrader: (2)

Went in for some 0W-30 GC. Went to check out and the guy doesn't even start to ring it up..

Him: What are you putting this in?!?
Me: My car
Him: What kind of car?
Me: :points to my TA: The Trans Am
Him: Why are you putting straight 30 weight in it??
Me: :looks at the bottle: :laughs: Almost thought I picked up the wrong thing.. It's definately 0W-30.
Him: No, it's straight 30.
Me: Oh. Oh well, I'll get it anyway
Him: You're going to blow up your engine!!
Me: I've used it for the past year and a half and it's doing fine so far..
Him: Well don't come crying to me when you drop a valve
Me: Don't worry, you'll be the last...

sUp3r_X17

iTrader: (7)

LOL, I remember when I had my GTP I asked for autolite 104's and a different supercharger belt and the guy at autozone said: "why do you want them? they are not for your car"

me: I know, I just need them because I put some mods (changed to a smaller pulley and suporting mods)

guy: You should NOT have done that, you are going to blow your engine.

me: I know what I am doing, I have a scanner that shows me KR.

guy: (looks puzzled) oh, ok.

blk_01_ta

I got one for you... I went to autozone, the guy behind the counter was an older guy he even had "manager" on his badge. He asked what he could help me with. I told him that I needed an air filter for a 2006 GTO. He replied, "who makes that?" Needless to say they did not have one in stock.

bayer-z28

iTrader: (14)

OMG that **** pisses me off to NO end!

I went into the local Vato-Zone here looking for a certain bulb and this broad that works there (heavy PuerTo my buddy and I call hair-lip) walks by, sees me looking at lights and asks what I needed, I said a bulb... She says "year, make and model, honey" as she waddles by. I smart-*** reply in a snotty tone "It's not for year make model" I was looking for a Silverstar Bulb for my 4 wheeler at the time.. All those *** tards know (MOST of them) is what is on the computer in front of them and have NO concept of how to order JUST the damn part #. But in THEIR defense, they need that to look stuff up. So if you can't get it off a Year make and model, they can't look it up.

But I HAVE run into one guy that works down there recently that knows his stuff. He couldn't find that I needed once and said "Hang on.. I know how to find it." I don't go there unless I need to though. Mostly it's just for stupid ****. If i need something specific, I go on the net or if I don't want to wait, I got to NAPA or my buddy over at Car Quest.

I don't know how many times my buddy and I have heard that hair-lip bitch tryin to pawn work off on soemone else.. "Uh uh! I no do dat chit maing! That SHO bad maing! I no godda clean dat chit!" (When SHE fukin spilled it in the first place.) Or else someone comes up to the register and she dipps out "Uh uh.. I'm on brrreak maing!"

__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

OH! One more...Latest one.. I got to get some brake pads for my truck.. (Saw some Duralast pads on here that looked pretty good, so I figured I'd try em) so I go and pick some up and ask the guy where the Anti-Seize is.. "Oh you aren't using that on the brakes are you?" Me: Yeah.. just the contact points and the lug studs. "No.. you don't ever use that on brakes.. They get hot!" Me: I know.. I've been doing it for a long time.. Sure enough it says RIGHT on the bottle: "Resists Temperatures up to 1600*f."

Mkelcy

iTrader: (3)

I've given up. Depending on what I need, my '68 Camaro is an early '80s Cadillac, a 2002 F-Body, a 2004 C5 and, on very rare occasions, a '68 Camaro.

ska4life07

iTrader: (2)

First, I work at autozone so screw you. Secondly, I'm sorry the AZ in Florida isn't good enough for you. Also, that's what you get for going to Advanced ******** to buy something for your car because those guys are idiots and never carry anything you need. And I'm pretty sure whoever came up with TR-55 is mental because that is an alternate part number which makes it hard to search in an everyday parts store computer. Our systems at AZ will search TR-55, but unfortunately I don't think we carry them. I would like to mention that I'm not mad that you're irritated and you can hate all you want. I hate working there anyway because I deal with idiot customers all the time. Plus, I only work there part time for maybe another year until I graduate southern miss and then some other poor soul can take my spot.

ska4life07

iTrader: (2)

We can order for ATV, lawnmowers and the like. Whoever works at your stores are dumbasses. I wouldn't buy any of that crap from any of those stores anyway. I order most of my stuff from summit or texas speed. The most I buy from autozone is car detailing stuff with the 20% discount.

bayer-z28

iTrader: (14)

^^ If you wanted plugs for the car, the NGK's should show up. IIRC, they show up at NAPA. Give the guy your car info and they should come up as an option. I don't get cocky with them when I'm there unless they're asking me some blatantly dumb question.

1A Dan

iTrader: (9)

I've been a counter guy for a loooooong time; I've worked for advance for 6+ years as a counterman, commmercial parts pro, and manager. Been working for 1A for almost 4 years as well. When it comes to your local stores, a lot of it has to do with who's running the show. Yeah, the pay's pretty low for most counter people, but if you enjoy your job and co-workers, you get a better grade of people working there. Then again, if the managers don't care and don't like what they're doing, it trickles down. I made a lot of regular customers because I didn't let the computer be my only source of info - people modify their cars and might know better than I do. I have my specialties, but when you deal with all makes and models, its impossible to know everything. But I always learn something new

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

What the hell is your problem? Why should he care you work at a different chain in a different state?

And if you think AZ, AA, or Oreilley's are really that different you need to wake up and realize if they are it's local. They all suck equally in different towns/cities and they all suck hardcore.

The Advanced here has everything the other 2 do and thanks to awesome online coupons you can get up to 40% off, order online, then just go pick it up in the store.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I am a little confused why you say "screw you" after quoting my story about not being able to get some TR-55s. It was a story about a different store chain, in a different state and obviously a different person. The story you quoted was just a dialog of the actual conversation. I was not rude or demeaning in that post at all.

If you wanted to say "screw you", it would be more appropriate if you quoted my post #21 where I stated:

Or, even better yet, in the same post were I stated:

If you were going to be offended, I would say that either of those statements would be far more worthy of your ire. But seriously, if you are a real pro, then good on ya. The mere fact that you are on LS1Tech.com tells us you are a real car guy. Just understand that these comments you are hearing are not directed at you personally. It is just the reality of your business that most retail auto parts stores are the equivalent of WalMart for cars.

dutinsss

iTrader: (2)

first of all. it's just as likely for an incompetant tard to work at any of these chain parts stores.

second of all. i work for autozone and have called advanced and o'reilly's for customers that need something that we can't get and a lot of times they do have it.

third of all. tr-55's are hard to search? that number doesn't come up when you search under application but as long as you enter that number in the item cross-over at the bottom of the screen they cross for ngk's that are normally stocked(in my store anyway).

fourth of all. I, like you, hate my job there and can't wait til i start my new one in january.

mmarlow21

the most dangerous counter guy is the one that has worked at an oil change shop or alignment shop for 4 months and knows it all now thinks hes a mechanic them guys really **** me off sometimes

O2Form

I had a part guy argue with me that the inlet to the stock muffler on my firebird was towards the frt of the car not the rear. He refused to order the muffler i wanted out of the catalog cause he said it would be wrong. I finally forced the guy to go look under my car proving to him it was right. Weird to say the least.

ska4life07

iTrader: (2)

It really is like a walmart for cars in a way. Oh well

duck33

reading all these stories makes a couple come to mind. I needed some water pump gaskets one time for a 454. guy insists on knowing what car it is for. I finally tell him it's a 66 nova ss. he types it in and says they didn't come with 454's. I said, are you ready to listen to me?

here's an f-body story. i needed to have a car towed off the road so we could do some resurfacing. tow truck driver shows up and asks if it front or rear wheel drive. i said all f-body's are rear wheel. he looks under the back of it and says nope, front wheel drive. i couldn't believe what i heard and went to the back of the car and looked under it. guess the big boy couldn't get low enough to see the rear end.

4WOFURY

iTrader: (2)

LOL at the tow story.

Sounds like a real winner there.

608kZ28

if i need a part i order online. its better than dealing with the asstards at these places.