Almost foiled by the parts store counter man again!
#21
One of the stores near me the entire place short of about three are high school kids or possibly a few years older. I've been modding cars longer than they have been alive and I'm not even that old! They don't bother my as much as the 55+ year old guy trying to make a living from it who can't change his own oil because they try to learn.
One of the quirks to our hobby.
One of the quirks to our hobby.
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.
#22
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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?"
#23
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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...
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...
#24
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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...
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...
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.
#25
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.
#26
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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."
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."
Last edited by bayer-z28; 12-13-2010 at 07:45 PM.
#28
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The last fun I had was at Advanced Auto Parts. I asked for some NGK TR-55s. The counter man looks at his computer and goes in the back. He comes back with TR-5s. I said: "These are incorrect. I asked for TR-55s". He said: "I cross-referenced them and this is what the computer says you need". I said: "These plugs are incorrect. They have a smaller electrode that does not allow for proper gap. I would like TR-55s". Of course, you know what is next. He asked: "What is the year make and model?". I said: "Look man, I just want some TR-55s". He said: "That is what I typed in and this is what it cross referenced to. The plug you asked for must have been super-ceded". Then I realized what the problem was. So I Googled NGK TR-55s on my phone while I was standing there. I got the part number from the listing and said: "Okay, I want eight NGK part # 3951 spark plugs". The counter man went in the back and came out with eight TR-55s. Viola. Problem solved. He was standing there with eight spark plugs from his inventory that his computer said did not exist.
#29
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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.
#30
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^^ 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.
#31
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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
#32
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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.
#33
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.
If you wanted to say "screw you", it would be more appropriate if you quoted my post #21 where I stated:
Just like there are no chefs at Mc Donalds, there are no automotive experts at your corner auto parts store
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.
We are cheap bastards, so now we buy parts from Head Injury Harry.
#34
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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.
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.
#35
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
#36
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.
#38
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.
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.
#39
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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.
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.
Sounds like a real winner there.