Advance Autoparts

[pillen140]

these parts stores are online,i get numbers before i go.then i don't hear we ain't got it,just we got to order it,be here tomorrow.

good idea, just less entertaining.... its cheaper than a movie!!!

I get my parts at my local Advance. Great store, knowledgeable people, and a HUGE parts selection. They've gotten things for me that no one else had, even dealerships. They know me well so I can just use the computers and then go out back and get what I need.

thats rare!

 

[Mark_88]

In Canada we have many parts stores...Auto Source is one that is pretty good...the guys are pretty knowledgable and even brought out a caliper to show me how it should look when I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the new pads on (my Zuki, not the Ranger)...but I've had my share of people who worked there that couldn't find parts or didn't know what I wanted...

Canadian Tire used to be a great place to have work done...but they've gotten a reputation for replacing things that don't need to be replaced...I needed to have some work done on my Ranger and asked them how much to tighten (as in torque) the head bolts on...the head was already installed and all they had to do was torque them down...they wanted $800 to torque ten bolts...I asked them three times to check and they kept coming back with $800 quote...I bought the torque wrench for $100, torqued the bolts and brought it back the next day for a refund because I just didn't need a $100 wrench that I use once every four years or so...

 

[skippy]

In Canada we have many parts stores...Auto Source is one that is pretty good...the guys are pretty knowledgable and even brought out a caliper to show me how it should look when I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the new pads on (my Zuki, not the Ranger)...but I've had my share of people who worked there that couldn't find parts or didn't know what I wanted...

Canadian Tire used to be a great place to have work done...but they've gotten a reputation for replacing things that don't need to be replaced...I needed to have some work done on my Ranger and asked them how much to tighten (as in torque) the head bolts on...the head was already installed and all they had to do was torque them down...they wanted $800 to torque ten bolts...I asked them three times to check and they kept coming back with $800 quote...I bought the torque wrench for $100, torqued the bolts and brought it back the next day for a refund because I just didn't need a $100 wrench that I use once every four years or so...

for $800,they better be providing more than head bolt torque work.like a wet bar and shoe show in the customer lounge.

 

[Mark_88]

for $800,they better be providing more than head bolt torque work.like a wet bar and shoe show in the customer lounge.

LOL! Unfortunately, all they offer is a snack machine and a glass cage where you can sit and watch the mechanic take your vehicle apart then take his lunch or dinner break...but the chairs can be arranged into a bed...

 

[KELLY88]

The Advance Autos in Florida aren't too bad, everyone speaks English and are fairly knowledgeable. Just have to find the right people. I knew one guy who worked there, never had a problem finding parts and even gave good explanations on parts for my dad's 66 Chevy pickup. One problem is that most of workers seem pissed at you for coming in.

 

[Mark_88]

The Advance Autos in Florida aren't too bad, everyone speaks English and are fairly knowledgeable. Just have to find the right people. I knew one guy who worked there, never had a problem finding parts and even gave good explanations on parts for my dad's 66 Chevy pickup. One problem is that most of workers seem pissed at you for coming in.

Yes, disturbing their naps can do that...LOL!

 

[Jspafford]

I work in a RV Parts Department.

What angers me is when you try to look up a part for someone and as soon as you turn around to punch the info into the program on the computer the customer gets pissy because everything is computer related.

Dude... I have no control over the fact most of the catalogs and part breakdowns are now online. I have very few repair part books behind the counter anymore.

Just because we (I) have to use a computer doesn't mean I don't know my stuff. Would you rather me pretend I know EVERYTHING and give you the wrong part?

I actually had one old bag who told me I didn't know what I was doing, even though I already had his breakdown on the screen when he said it. He saw one of the older trailer salespersons walk by and asked him about the parts he needed.

It was so hard to contain my laughter when the salesman told him while pointing at me, "He knows a whole lot more than I do"

 

[jonsranger]

yea there is soo much we can order for customers( ive worked for advance for about 3 years), but the worst prob we have is gettin good poeple, the store manager is awesome, out of like 25 people that we have workin there he said he would get rid of everybody but me and one other manager. all the other part timers dont know a distributor cap from a radiator hose. my boss and me do 90% of the sales for the store everyday we work, we use keystone for most of our aftermarket parts, but we also have nickels and a few other performance parts places. I hate it though when people have looked something up online because for some dumb reason when u go to look up parts at advance it transferes you to parts america, which has more than just advance that they supply, so you get the lowest price for a part out of like 8 stores who carry different inventories, so if you see a specialty part online the store you go to might not have it, you will do better to order it online, you will also get it cheaper online as well.

 

[sbsumerix]

the auto part store around here suck no one knows anything i've had the person give me the wrond serp belt 4 times and i kept say no not this one and i even gave him the numbers on the belt the first time so then you just have to tell them go find find the belt with this exact number and he brought it out. i thought about not going there anymore since they always give you the wrong parts but i figure at autozone you get the $20 every now and then so i can deal with them for that.

 

[flyingbrick]

I used to work for the #1 parts store in Manitoba, i was a driver, and i think dealing with ''full-on'' customers can be much worse then walk In's, and some of the things I've seen in shops would make you wonder how there in business still. But then again i have gotten to seen some of the coolest cars in town before anyone else (Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, hot rods, muscle cars you name it).

 

[94STXRanger]

I work at Oreillys right now. We deal with Aerospeed and can do basically the same thing. Order almost anything. Its a bitch dealing with customers though. A guy came in the other day and bought a switch of somesort, i didnt sell it. Anyway came back in the next day wanting return it so we told him we cant return electronics that have been installed. He asks, so i cant return a thirty dollar switch that didnt fix my problem? Well you bought it, never asked anything on what you needed, advice or anything. Our policy is that we cant return these things. So he starts getting pissed, rollin his sleeves up and yellin and screaming at my coworker. Threatening to call our store manager and DM. Total jerk off. Gotta love em!

 

[pillen140]

i hate when they ask you to look up something rediculous, say "that much for that!", dont buy it, then want you to look up something else stupid you know they wont buy! or, ask for part #'s, so they can go buy it somewhere else!

i also hate when a jerk will say "give me a discount!", i say sure! and jack up the price rediculously!!!!! btw, if you go to a dealer, be nice to the parts guy (i.e. ME), i usually give discounts off list price to nicer people, jack up the price for a-holes! in a dealership, we can make the price what ever we want! that is usually the case for most dealers. although, most of the time we do charge list price. and sometimes if you explain your problem and you have been trying yourself to fix it for a while, we give discounts.

BUT PLEASE! "NEVER SAY I'VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE FOR ONE OF THESE!!!!!!!" this opens the door for the salesperson to charge what ever he wants!!!!! i dont do this, but everyone else does!!!

 

[rboyer]

I think all the parts stores in my area have the normal mixture of smart and dumb employees. I had to wait two days for A&A to get my skyjacker shocks only to find out that I waited for the idiot to order them for a 4 inch lift when in fact they had a full set in stock for a 6 inch lift the whole time! Autozone is fairly decent to me as far as not contradicting me on anything with the exception of a couple of their employees who would do better off working at mcdonalds. Actually the one manager at my local Autozone told me about how you can ask them to do a price lookup on your part against their sister stores to see if one of them has it cheaper and then demand "competitor pricing". Apparently certain Autozone stores that don't have alot of cheap competition within a certain mile radius like to hike up their prices a little bit and the one in my town only has to compete with A&A and NAPA, so of course they can add a few percent onto a part and get away with it.

 

[dude772]

ask them to see there second source accessories catalog, in my region it is Keysone Automotive, you can get pretty much anything u want from them, i personally get most of my parts from them becuase of the warranties are CONSIDERABLY better then that of many online stores or 4x4 stores, and 9/10 they wont know that u used them on a wheeler and will replace it as long as its under warranty.

And for those of us that live in Canada, Canadian tire also has this exact same catalog, lots of usefull stuff that the counterperson would never think that they could order for you.

 

[mhughes165]

my all time favorite asshole from advance was a older guy, about 50, was coming in every feew weeks wanting us to replace a caliper, wheel bearings, rotor and pads because they kept on locking up, the VERY first time he came in i said i would do the exchange this time, however that was not the problem, i advised him to but a new soft line for the van, he told me i didnt know what the hell i was talking about......

three weeks later he comes in again, gets the store manager to replace the shit again after i adamantly refused to do it, well the entire time he was cursing about how i was a stupid piece of shit, and that he was gonna make sure i was fired for what i had done....well....i get WRITTEN up for that shit....

three weeks later like clockwork, he comes in againimmediatly asks for the store manager....wanting another replacement, well, this time the store manager has me order a different brand (the guy managed a target before advance and knew less about cars then my dog) well, i take in the cardone and give him the bendix shit, and of course hes continuing to curse me the entire time.....

three weeks again liek clockwork dude shows up, now every time hes come in i told him he needed a new rubber line because it was internally rotted and it would collaps inside and not release pressure.... well this time i called my district manager when he came in, this fat slob who knows nothing about cars, he sets up a show to take a look at the van, if the part was defective and caused the problems then advance would pay to fix it, if it was anything else then it would come out of his pocket, well took the mechanic at the dealership all of 5 minutes to tell them the cause was a rotted rubber line.

He comes into the store the next day, i say with a big smile on my face, SO Would u like me to get u the rubber line and all new parts for the van, hes rudely says yes, i get him his shit and under order of the DM, charge him list price (vs his commercial discount), he walks out the store and everyone in the store celebrates lol, he never came into the store again as long as i worked there LOL