Advanced auto parts morons

[86LK]

Over heard a story from a friend today. He had recently bought an Aston Martin (4dr sedan v1 engine) that ran great, and took it to a exotic shop for maintenance/tuneup (plugs and oil). They were taking a little longer than normal to return it and finally broke down and told him that something had broken while in the shop and they couldn't figure out what was causing it and how to fix it; at about 3500-4000rpm it would stumble and misfire. So with his permission they took it to THE guy in town (independent shop, used to work in dealerships for Maserati, Lotus, Lamborghini, etc), apparently he quickly diagnosed it as a bad coil. just goes to show..........

as for stores and counter people, I've been pretty lucky. I know longtime employees at my closeby O'Really, Advanced, AZone, and Discount Tire. They are the knowledgeable ones who get treated right by corporate. It always seems to be the new guys (young'uns) who need to be taken down a notch or two to show that the computer doesn't have every piece of data programmed into it. I've also read where the counter guys that work in those same stores are actually expected to upsell you on the counter junk; they're expected to average $*** dollars per hour/day of sales of the overpriced last-second items. So they're not just parts guys either.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

In my case with the grounding strap, it was a older guy, much older than me who had no idea there were such things as ground straps. I don't expect them to be master experts, but they should not be helpless either. A ground strap is a basic thing to be aware of.

 

[buzz77]

I'm luck as there are many auto parts stores by me. I find pep boys to be the worse. The advanced auto is pretty good probably because they seem to have many commercial accounts. But the best are still the no name independant parts stores, the ones that still have the brake lathes in the back from the years when they would cut rotors and drums for us at home "shade tree" mechanics and the consumer section for waxes is only the size of a doctors waiting room .

 

[melloelky]

I'm lucky enough to have a few chain stores not far but i can understand that they're not car people.it's not their fault,when they ask me the elementary questions,i know They're just doing their job.every retail job has an algorithm behind it.the software they have is watered down so it's very easy to use and understand.the questions are a pain for some of us but it's the way it works for them.i think most people are good employees but there's some that don't want to work at all.you can find that anywhere.the days of parts guys are going away,i also think car people aren't as prevalent as they used to be,as cars aren't the same,so the stores must cater to the way cars are now,they don't need as much mechanical attention as they used to so appearance products become front line.nothing stays the same.
there was a napa store when i was a kid that would turn parts but they don't do it anymore,I'm sure for multiple reasons.when that store went from corporate to privately owned they got a little more relaxed.there's a big flat screen and it's usually politically based programing..
Like most of us knowledge is power and we usually have something in mind when we go in there.

 

[fleming442]

My independent Carquest still turns drums and rotors as well as making hydraulic hoses. 2/3 of the counter help are real parts guys, and we're on a first name basis. Ol' Donnie gives me the wrong part almost every time. F you, Donnie!