The Parts Counter

[Peregrine]

i love how everychain say they have there expert parts people yet they pay them just over minimum wage. I also hate how there is one or two people there working there getting the phones and getting parts and it take 30 min just to get a thermostat.

Magic word: Thermostat

So... I have an 87 with the little 2.0 carbed... man I hate that carb... but I digress. The thermostat housing was pretty crappy and when I saw the aftermarket one was 15 or less, I thought... since I had to take it off, might as well go for a new one that wasn't as crappy and prevent any future trouble. So I go and get the Four Seasons (this is to FS ) replacement. The bolt hole for the top of the two bolts is off about 1/4 inch rotated to the left. The included gasket is correct, but fine... So I take that back since I didn't want only about a 1/8th inch seal on one side of the housing. Ok... go to Napa and get thier housebrand one. Gee. Box looks familiar. Another Four Seasons one... @$#$% Ok.... check ford... just shy of $100. And with that, there are evidently only 2 dealerships, both on the east coast,that still have that little sob. Checked Carquest, but of course, they only have... the four freaking seasons part available. Checked all the local wrecking yards and nothing. (Scored an uncracked, mint condition dash for my 87 that was even the correct color, so it wasn't all bad) In the end, I used a dremel and a lot of elbow grease and got my original back in decent shape... So there is my parts counter hell.

 

[gcfishguy]

I started working at a tire shop years ago, and the manager told me to never turn away from a customer in front of me to answer the phone.
I agree 100%. The guy in front of you is there now, and if you treat him right, he's there to buy. The guy on the phone is calling everybody in the book and trying to find someone $0.05 cheaper than the last guy.

I pulled wrenches on a large farm (over 100 pieces of equipment, from freightliners and macks, to pickups, combines, swathers, and tractors as big as a Versatile 1150. (that's an 1150 cubic inch turbo diesel...mmmmmmmm) and was talking about that with the manager after work one day over a beer. He shared my view of a counter guy treating you like dirt to keep answering the phone.
He said, "Next time, just turn around and walk away." It was a fairly small town, and a 56,000 acre farm bought a LOT of parts.

Next morning I was at our usual truck parts place waiting to get a part we ordered in. When the guy reached for the phone to answer the 3rd call, I said, "Could someone else get that?" He ignored me and took it anyway...while he was looking up an air fitting or something for the guy on the phone, I left and went to the truck parts store across the highway. The part I left behind on a pallet was a complete 3rd member for an International floater truck.

By the time I picked up everything else and got out to the farm, they had already called the manager. He was a bit shocked, but told them "I'd have done the same thing...bye."
We had a good laugh when I got there.

The truck wasn't needed for a couple months when we were to start spraying, so ordering another one wasn't a big deal.

If the phone are that important, have counter men, and phone men.

As far as parts go (and I owned 2 jeeps so I consider myself an expert..haha) someone's not going to drive from store to store hunting for a best price and wasting your time. If they made the trip, they're there to buy something. Look after them.

 

[Jason]

Autozone must be doing something right. 30 years from one store to over 3000.

 

[Jason]

i constanlty get people looking for a lifetime brake pads, but brake pads are designed to wear out so how do i benefit by offering them?

Simple. It's a numbers game. If you require the receipt, and also require the same even wear you will only exchange about 1 out of every 5 sets you sell. The rest comes down to salesmanship. The person WILL come to your store. You will have the opportunity to tell them what happened and sell more parts all the while looking like a genius because you explained a problem to the customer that they weren't aware of. If nothing else you can bring people in the door. Most people can be sold all the peripherals if you are good.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

you guys are all making good points, especially with the phones. theres nothing i hate more than being bombarded by ringing phones when im trying to help a customer. sure the guy on the phone cant see im busy, but as was said earlier theyre usually only checking to see whos cheaper and the guy in front of me is there to spend money given i have what he wants. as for the four seasons parts, some are good and some are a far cry from what they need to be. standard motor products is the manufacturer of four seasons (the name given to their heating and cooling parts line) so that explains a few things right there, trying to find a blower motor resitor for a gm truck that actually fits is next to impossible.

 

[OilPatch197]

Magic word: Thermostat

So... I have an 87 with the little 2.0 carbed... man I hate that carb... but I digress.

Hmm, I had a '83 with a 2.0 and the carb kept stumbling.

But my '87 Ford with a 2.0L has about 200,xxx miles on it with NO problem.

I also could use a new thermostat housing, that info is good to know.

 

[scottg]

I work at a VIP Parts, Tires, and Service as a Service Manager, but ive worked all sides of the counter. I admit to not knowing everything, but I know our computer look-up and know when to grab a paper catalog instead. I am actually the type that listens to my other co-workers and helped them out with their customers as well. I find it fun when a customer comes up to one of the part guys and I have the proper part sitting on the counter before they even get it looked up all the way. One time a guy came in, parts guy went outside with him to see what part for his blazer he needed. I could see him moving the front swaybar (both links broke) and I had the proper parts on the counter by the time they got back in. Didn't even know the proper year, just which generation, turned out I was right too.

i hate impatient customers that come into my store and dont want to give me enough info about what they are working on. i constantly get the guys that say "i need spark plugs and wires for a small block" or "i need a trailer connector", and then when i ask them to elaborate and give me more info they get defensive and say " what do you mean, theyre all the same!" i do agree with you guys though, before i started working in a parts store i hated going to auto zoo or o'really auto parts because i knew i would be making more than just my one planned trip to the parts store because the employees were going to screw things up for me. i dont know what ill do when i stop working here, its awesome having free range in all the parts books that most people dont even know exist!

ha, I've actually taken part books home so i can look threw them

Worked for autozone right out of highschool. They train employees to answer phone calls first. Phone calls are potential customers, people at the counter are already there to spend money.

That being said, I usually let the phone ring, or made someone else get it.

And don't get me started about the "packets" of grease.

i've never been a big fan of selling those, but my bosses see it as another dollar

 

[OilPatch197]

The worst thing I've seen with "big box" autoparts stores is a guy was in there, needed a Universal joint for his TRACTOR, except this was Sunday at AUTOZONE!!!!

So the Parts counter guy was "going thru the boxes" to find one to match!

I don't remember why I was there, but DUDE that was crazy to see! Who would do that, really I guess he needed one REALLY BADLY, but that was near insanity to see that.

 

[Jason]

A huge problem at the big boys is they don't have all the catalogs. It's impossible to match bearings and u-joints by measurements without the proper book.

 

[Hopman]

A huge problem at the big boys is they don't have all the catalogs. It's impossible to match bearings and u-joints by measurements without the proper book.

The guys I deal with use both. Especially on oddball parts. It's saved my butt a few times.

 

[Mudhound]

One of the things that REALLY ticks me off, other than the FNG trying to push the COC product on me after I say "No.", is the idiot counter clown that sees me drive up in a whatever, come in, buy the part that I ask for, and then try to tell ME that I don't use that part on a brand "whatever", as I drove in in a different make, so I really should not be trying to install the part on a different make, i.e: Dspark converted 2.8 using a GM HEI module to run the Dizzy , the Delco 12 series alt. hanging on the 2.8 FORD motor, or the Chrysler 3.0 V6 plug wires becasue they match the socket style dizzy cap, AND were about $15 cheaper than the ones for the 78 Pinto that my Dizzy cap is for. STFU and leave me ALONE. It is MY ride, and I know what is going on with it. Now, there ARE good partspeople and then there are the rest that couldn't even get a job at McDs'. The LATTER are the ones that cause the majority of headaches, old or young counter people.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The worst thing I've seen with "big box" autoparts stores is a guy was in there, needed a Universal joint for his TRACTOR, except this was Sunday at AUTOZONE!!!!

So the Parts counter guy was "going thru the boxes" to find one to match!

I don't remember why I was there, but DUDE that was crazy to see! Who would do that, really I guess he needed one REALLY BADLY, but that was near insanity to see that.

If you desperatly need something at an odd time when somebody that knows something isn't there that is the best service you can hope for. The guy gets some points for trying that hard, most "filler" people would shoo the guy out the door.

That is one greatly great thing about the internet, it is really easy to go marching in with part numbers in hand that even most "filler" people can decipher. It kind of freaks them out actually. The big three ag companies (Deere, CNH, and Agco) all have free parts manuals on their websites that seem to pretty much go back to the begining of time. The automakers are just now getting in the game, Ford kind of has something similar but they don't go back NEAR as far or as in depth.