Found this amusing...

Man, These stories sound all the same. I thought I was the only person that had trouble at the local parts house. I twisted the rear drive shaft on my cj and had one made but eat the pinion seal up in the process. Well the first place told me it wasn't in the computer so he couldn't help me? The second place said it was discontinued and he didn't know where I would get one. Finally the third place measured it but didn't have it and told me it would be 3 days. The guy then called another store in town told them what he needed and it was in stock and had them to lay it out for me. I almost had a heart attack! He even asked if it had the same warr. as theirs and it did. Well I went to pick it up and it costed 4 times as much? The kid behind the counter told me it had a life time warr. if it was installed correctly. I asked him how could you tell after it failed and I pulled it from the rearend. He scratshed his head and told me he wasn't sure. So I went back and bought the 1 from A-zone. And Dylan I know which guy your talking about. If he is behind the counter I want even walk in the door I just wave at him and go some where else.
 
come to the Advance Auto parts on Western Blvd. in Raleigh and ask for Matt and I'll prove you wrong :flipoff2:

Actually pretty much all of the guys at my store are all gearheads into muscle/trucks/offroad. Our store was in the top 1% of the company last year.
 
In defense of Earl, he is good and knows his shat.
But since he moved no one else at Advance does...now O'reilly gets ALL my business.

There store manager Brad went to high school with me, and he worked at advance for ~10 years before they opened the o'Reilly and hired him. What was interesting was what made him good was that he knew jack about cars, but had a brain. I could walk in there and say I need X...he would dig through the computer, catalogs whatever and fin what I needed. But I have also sat there and watched people come in acting like an ass and he just act stupid....once they'd leeave he'd smile and say nope no abc245's in stock at autozone...guess he's gonna drive to another town now, nice job asshole.
 
bowtieman55 said:
I like how all you guys think that all parts are universal. I also like how you all know more than than every parts guy, yet you don't work there and have never dealt with customers...like yourselves.
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Universal = one size fits nothing! :flipoff2:

They werent talking about the good parts guys, which it sounds like you are, just the mo-rons that can barely tie their own shoes.

Working in the automotive/parts dept for 10+ years I have figured out how to decode some mfrs part #s and finneagle them to get what I need, and it blows the average parts guy's mind! :lol:

Like Chip with the belt, alot of belt Mfrs part numbers include the length in mm's, width, etc. if you can figure it out. Had to do it several times and it was funny as hell.

Will(brokeass4runner) and I have had excellent luck at the NAPA on Wilkinson recently with 2 different people. :beer:

Oh, and garbage in garbage out. When I worked at 4wp I did not try real hard to help someone if they were a dick. But if they were cool, I would go out of my way to find stuff AND give them a deal on it!
 
Just learn how to work around them. Or, here's an idea, talk to them like someone you'd like to be friends with. Chances are, they're at a parts store because they like cars. They may not know everything, but chances are, they're still "into" cars. Bring your rig by sometime, it's something different and they'll be interested, and likely not give you any crap ever again.

The Advance Auto in Holly Springs had a bunch of good people there then I moved away, and I was at the point where I'd use the computer on my own to look up stuff.

After I moved, I did the same thing.. stop by on my way home with the buggy in tow, let them look over it, and they don't give me the "year, make, model" thing anymore. ;)
 
On a good note i took Rich's advice a long time ago when I was building my last buggy. I walk in show them a few pics of my progress and they'd turn the computer around and let me search away. I'd need a part from this year lc then a part from this year mintruck. I'd print the pick ticket and we'd laugh about how easy it was!!!
 
I just got a AutoZone two blocks from my house. I prefer Napa, but that's a 40min round trip so I go to the Zone. I go in and always bs for a few minutes every time since they opened. I have now learned the people and they have learned me. They know I work on all kinds of stupid stuff and let me go in the back and pilfer through inventory to find something if it is not able to look it up. Hell, last fall I broke the axle in the xj and I ran in to rent a slide hammer. It was right before closing and the manager didn't want to ring it up. He gave me the hammer and told me to bring it back in the morning so he wouldnt have to do the paper work. He didn't even know my name, just my face.

Most of the time it just takes finding the right person in the store, then look for them each time. And when they are not there, the dumbies try to help you as much as possible because they know the boss treats you good and they want to make a good impression.
 
the advance in creedmoore use to have this guy that worked there, (i went to school with him and he was a really nice person but he was born 100yrs too late... real country, shaves with a straight razer, uses a pen that you had to dip in inc, had one of those round pocket watches on a chain.. the hole 9, well he use to lock him self out of the cash drawer at the counter, and would give change out of his own pocket becuase he couldnt get back in.
 
Rich said:
Just learn how to work around them. Or, here's an idea, talk to them like someone you'd like to be friends with. Chances are, they're at a parts store because they like cars. They may not know everything, but chances are, they're still "into" cars. Bring your rig by sometime, it's something different and they'll be interested, and likely not give you any crap ever again.

The Advance Auto in Holly Springs had a bunch of good people there then I moved away, and I was at the point where I'd use the computer on my own to look up stuff.

After I moved, I did the same thing.. stop by on my way home with the buggy in tow, let them look over it, and they don't give me the "year, make, model" thing anymore. ;)
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Very good idea. :beer:
 
madmonk said:
I'm going to let you guys in on the secret to dealing with these chumps, when they ask "make,model & year" tell them "Its a race car" this is what I need_____. The Oreilly's on elm eugene in greensboro used to have a guy that had a crawler and I always dealt with him but he's gone now.
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Go to Oreillys on High Pont rd and ask for Dennis....that's where al my buggy parts have come from. If you're in High point , go to the one on south main street and ask for Don...both very good at their job.
 
Rich said:
Just learn how to work around them. Or, here's an idea, talk to them like someone you'd like to be friends with. Chances are, they're at a parts store because they like cars. They may not know everything, but chances are, they're still "into" cars. Bring your rig by sometime, it's something different and they'll be interested, and likely not give you any crap ever again.

The Advance Auto in Holly Springs had a bunch of good people there then I moved away, and I was at the point where I'd use the computer on my own to look up stuff.

After I moved, I did the same thing.. stop by on my way home with the buggy in tow, let them look over it, and they don't give me the "year, make, model" thing anymore. ;)
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If I pulled mine in there..they would give me directions to the scrap yard.
 
There is good parts guys out there But damn I hate to stand in line that long and you know they are good because when you walk in and 10 people are in one line then some guy runs up from the back of the store and says who's next and all ten of them point at you. Your in the wrong line!
 
around huntersville and mooresville we get sometimes the UTI - NASCAR school kids workin jobs at the local parts store.
They don't give me any shit.

Also I cant rmbr who said it but talk get to know the most competent ones that work there and 'befriend' them.
They like cars or they wouldn't work there.
Plus it helps to pull up in your truck, buggy, jeep, project every once in awhile and they'll get it... you know your shit.
 
When I moved back to NC I had to have the NC safety inspection. Have onboard air with a York compressor in addition to the factory AC. The guy asked me why I have dual AC. I tried to explain the set-up but I don't think he grasped the concept... I had to tell him I like to stay REALLY cool!
 
My brother in law is a manager at Advance. He never ever worked on a single vehicle in his life (Can't even change a flat tire :shaking:) and his whole working life was in the grocery buisiness as a meat market stocker and manager untill Advance hired him last year. Remember this when you walk into one of these stores.



Snappy and Redneckcj5guy ,thanks for the help with the broke axle at Gulches.:beer:
 
It's got so bad with me that the store will have the new guy wait on me and stand around the corner and laugh at them scratching their head. The Manager at O"rielleys here is female and one of if not THE best parts person I have ever seen.
 
stevehayden said:
My brother in law is a manager at Advance. He never ever worked on a single vehicle in his life (Can't even change a flat tire :shaking:) and his whole working life was in the grocery buisiness as a meat market stocker and manager untill Advance hired him last year. Remember this when you walk into one of these stores.
Snappy and Redneckcj5guy ,thanks for the help with the broke axle at Gulches.:beer:
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And THAT is what makes all parts people look bad. The lack of training and lack of "enthusiasm" from the employees. I'm sure your BIL got hired as a manager because he had experience in "management". :rolleyes:
 
I have a few certain stores I will frequent anymore.

The CQ in Clayton has taken a dump since it went corporate last fall, even for my work stuff it's difficult to deal with some of the help. The CQ on Automotive Way In Raleigh is pretty good, Jim is pretty helpful, if not over run at times. NAPA store in Fuquay has been pretty helpful as well.

I don't even bother with AZ or AA for work stuff most times, it's too much of a hassle and to time consuming, I'm on the clock and billing the customer, I don't have time to play games.

Last time I went to AA, I needed a fan belt, was the closest parts place to where I was, I brought belt with me, ( what was left of it ) was asked application.... Um, ok, I'll play, Hyster S50 XM, 3.0L GM engine running LP, need the water pump /alt belt...... blank stare........

OR, you could measure it and match it up to something close, I ended up going to NAPA
 
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