bill said:
Not to throw gas on a fire....but after working in this business for 4 years, I am pretty convinced that more often than not, the person looking to buy parts knows less about what they are working on than the person looking for the part on the computer. If I had a dime for every part that I pulled for a person who returned it later because what I supposedly sold them was wrong, only to find out later they had given me the wrong year, wrong engine, or even the wrong car, well Id be loaded with dimes! Many people think that because they can turn a wrench or install a brake pad, that they are now ASE mechanics, when really they are just part swappers. Sadly, other people trust their opinion and even pay them to work on their cars, only to regret it later.
Bottom line is, there are few qualified mechanics and lots of shade tree part swappers.....and there are few qualified parts counter people...and lots of half wits running the computer. Just try to keep that in mind everytime you enter a parts store.
Agreed, I have been in the parts end for about ten years now, started off in retail (advance auto), now at a chevy dealer, my biggest gripe is that people don't what they have or want. The worst was when someone would come up to the counter and ask for parts for a "350"
. It was by far the most annoying type because they never wanted to give any info other than "they are all the same". I got fed up dealing with these types so my response became "Buick, Olds, Pontiac, or Chrysler?" Then they'd get pissed and ask to speak to someone that knew what they were doing. So I'd direct them to my manager, more often than not, my manager would then ask me questions on what to look up and which years has what :lol: . Parts people ask dumb questions because we are used to dealing with dumb people (when it comes to automotive knowledge), we do it so we can attempt to get said person what they need the first time, because we don't want to deal with them pissed off they got the wrong item.
Nowadays, I simply ask for the VIN, it saves me from sorting through 25-50 pages of things that don't pretain to that vehicle. My computer catalog is like a book, everything on that platform is included, for example, if I look up a tahoe, I have to sort through Silverado 15-3500, Sierra, escalade, yukon, avalanche, and suburban pages. I can filter vehicles out, but catalog accuracy suffers, time wise, having the VIN will take most of the human error out, and limit the dumb questions. On the other end, many parts people do not know how to properly use their catalog, which I encountered the other day, while trying to buy a differential cover gasket :lol: . It happens.......
, ok it's an engine oldsmobile made, sir there isn't a listing for that engine, no kidding now do you want the part number, are you sure it's not a th400 because my cousins sister's husbands lesbian friend who had this boyfriend said there the best? how many bolt holes does it have sir?, kid brings out a th 400 and asks if I have 13 bolt holes in the pan, Of course I do, now can you bring me the th350, lay it on the counter, well I'll be this one has 13 bolt holes also, now can I buy this one which is the one I needed in the first place but wasted a 1/2 hour of my life I'll never get back!!!
Well I'd probably give you a strange look, an 06 corvette with a 4.2 I6 is a very odd combo :lol: .
