Stupid Things Uttered by Auto Parts Store Workers

[captorquewrench]

The worst I've heard is
"Does your husband know you're doing this?"
or some variation on that theme.

 

[Moonman]

BuckeyeChuck,

I retired from a Fortune 500 company. You need to see the dumbfounded look on the IBM guys face when you tell him you're completely satisfied with the present IBM product that you are using. He then goes into a speel about there is absolutely no way that you could be satisfied (we were though).

Update, Update, Updates, software and hardware because if you're satisfied and the existing products are doing ALL YOU NEED, then I'm out of a job.

 

[Moonman]

+1 for Great parts counter guys and I've seen a few gals too. Old NAPA type were the guys to talk to around where I lived, guys that knew you could use a part on other vehicles too, without having a computer. We didn't have computers, now you need one to find the part you need and many times to install it and make work. (Built-in DEALERSHIP service profits).

 

[Marshwheeling]

I have more dealings with motorcycle parts guys than car guys. They seem to have it on the ball, but every so often I will run across a young guy who does not know much about the older bikes.

When I ask for parts for a CT200, if the comeback is "A pushrod Trail 90?" then I know I'm in good hands.

 

[Rule3]

Kinda off topic a bit but when going to the Big Box Homestores always look for the old guy with grey hair and a beard.

Oh, by the way, Nissan is reviving the Datsun name.

 

[bobsdad]

Surprised at Auto Zone

Sometimes I get pleasantly surprised. I broke a belt on a lawn mower. Checked at the 2 local small engine repair shops and on-line. The proper belt must be made out of gold! I thought the price was ridiculous. Yep, I sometimes am reluctant to throw money away.
I took the broken belt to Auto Zone. With some trepidation, I asked the fella behind the counter if he could find a belt in his stock that matched the one I broke. I mean dimensionally, etc. This was no kid.
He went in the back and returned in a few minutes with a new belt that looked right.
I installed it. It worked. It is still just under 3 years later. It cost me much less than 1/2 of an original replacement belt.
Sometimes you find a "shirt" that has something on the ball.

 

[HalfStack]

I used to be a mechanic so I know the feeling.

I like to point out that semi-metallic shoes does eat your rotors but that's what makes them work so well. Organic? Junk! They glaze over and fade on you way before they needed to be replaced.

 

[Badquaker]

I have over a dozen years as a partsman/manager, mostly at motorcycle shops. Unfortunately, the retail parts world couldn't keep up with my lifestyle, so I moved on to greener fields.

There are hundreds of stories on both sides of the counters.

The "dumb" customer who have no clue what they own.
The "dumb" counterman who has no clue what he is selling.
The "smart" customer who knows everything about his one vehicle.
The "smart" counterman who knows something about everything he sells.

It's easy to learn about a single car/bike.
It's much harder to learn about an entire line of vehicles, or multiple lines.

Smart parts people are getting harder to find.

 

[tacreload]

To Mr.Eick and Jframe,you guys live in the real world.Rule 3 that's me gray hair and gray beard.To Chuck you need to make the drive down to see me.I will do my best to hook you up with whatever you need or whatever you want and I'll do it with a smile.I think I saw the word engineer in here somewhere.Hmm those are the guys that design a vehicle here and there that requires removal of a fender or a back seat to replace a battery.Same guys that design a vehicle that will turn it's own lights on in the middle of the night and drain that battery.I can probably name a few more "engineering miracles" out there but I'll stop there cause I won't be on the planet that long.I have a belief that if you design it you should be able to fix it.I've never seen that happen.I've done both sides of this as a mechanic and a parts guy and it's all ugly.The aftermarket parts business is a nightmare of trying to be the cheapest and the best at the same time.Guess what?That ain't possible.There is little to absolutely no quality control anymore and as previously mentioned these counter guys are paid next to nothing so I deal with that cause you get what you pay for.The sooner some one pulling down Engineer cash realizes that the better off we'll all be.By the way the young guys who want to learn deserve somewhat of a break.DWFAN please forgive me for not mentioning you earlier,you are also my hero.

 

[mtgianni]

I have learned through sad experience that when you live 30 minutes from a parts store you only work on one vehicle at a time. Always have a running spare rig.

 

[fiasconva]

A few years ago the battery in my mother-in-law's Buick died. I called Advance Auto and asked if they installed them. He said it depends upon the car. If it's "labor intensive" they don't do it. When I told him it was a '98 Cierra he said no because the computer says you have to take off the right front wheel to remove and install the battery. What??? I called a Buick dealer, talked to the service manager and he said all I needed was a long extension for the socket wrench. I did have to remove the brace that goes from the fender to the radiator housing. That battery was squeezed into one tiny space but I changed it, despite bloody knuckles, scratched hands, etc. Who designs these things?

 

[HalfStack]

Back in 68 I dropped out of school and went into trade school for auto mechanics. After I graduated and got a job I felt I was doing good. As the years go by and more stuff are adding to the cars I was becoming frustrated. The labor charges goes higher and the job gets harder but my paycheck doesn't get much better.

So much for good times.

 

[BuckeyeChuck]

To Chuck you need to make the drive down to see me.I will do my best to hook you up with whatever you need or whatever you want and I'll do it with a smile.

That's very kind of you and I appreciate the offer.

I have a belief that if you design it you should be able to fix it.

Please pardon my forward nature, but this is absurd and as ridiculous as saying to a farmer "I have a belief that if you can grow it you should be able to cook it."

This absurdity is amply illustrated simply by turning the statement around:

"I have a belief that if you can fix it you should be able to design it."

There's a reason why (most) mechanics don't have degrees in engineering: math.

I've never seen that happen.

The idea that because you are skilled in one area you should also be skilled in another is at least unrealistic, and in reality, it's just plain wrong. The reason is simple: for your expectation to be true, you must believe that the skills for design and repair are exactly the same. Of course, they are significantly different, both qualitatively and in terms of rigor. (Read: engineering is intellectually more difficult than wrenching.) And since the skills for each are different, then people with different talents and desires can easily excel in one and not the other. Any expectation that they should excel in both is a bit inhuman, in my opinion. What is needed is a cooperative relationship in which they work together to build a better product. More on why that doesn't happen in the next post.

Personally, I'm glad for the extreme division of labor that contributes to our prosperity. This division of labor includes the parts counter workers on whom I rely to identify and fetch the parts needed for me to complete my repair. What I *don't* need is unsolicited error dispensed as sales advice, which is the crux of my gripe. Don't tell me that semi-metallic pads damage my car. I know it's not true, and I know that you're trying to buffalo me.

 

[BuckeyeChuck]

Who designs these things?

Excellent question, but an even better question is "Why did they design it this way?" Every one of us who has bloodied our knuckles changing an alternator has sworn at the engineers who require us to remove part of the intake to get access to the alternator bracket mounting bolts.

Vehicles are designed with two considerations in mind. First, all THOSE parts have to fit into THAT space so that the vehicle keeps the shape that design and marketing thinks will sell. As vehicles have gotten round where they used to be square, and as vehicles have dedicated less room to machinery so that more may go to the people, packging engineers have had to solve some interesting challenges. Second, the manufacturer *only* cares about the speed and cost of assembly. They are in the business of selling new cars for as much profit as possible, and if designing a car a certain way requires removal of extra parts when the vehicle is eight years old, why would they care, especially if the design allows them to steal a few thousand additional sales at their competitors' expense?

We often wish that design and assembly engineers for the OEM's spent time fixing cars so they would learn some lessons. Well, those of us who fix cars need to learn the lesson directly above, and learn it well. It's so important it bears repeating: OEM's are in the business of selling as many cars for the highest profit permitted by the market. If you have to remove a brace or three and an intake manifold to get to the battery, *we* think that's kinda dumb, but the guys who designed the vehicle probably chose this because (a) the parts fit, and (b) they could assemble it quickly and cheaply.

Could manufacturers add "serviceability" as a design criterion? Yes, but why would they? They'd have to spend additional time (read: cost) and/or hire additional engineers (read: more cost) just to review all designs for compliance to a criterion that probably won't sell any cars and will surely decrease their profit.

Some will say, "Yeah, but they could save money on warranty claims by making the vehicle easier to fix. They might even increase their reputation in the market, thereby leading to increased future sales." Both of these may be true by themselves, but they can only be properly evaluated within the context of the choices faced by the OEM. Reduced warranty costs may be effected by improving vehicle serviceability, but they can also be reduced by improving overall quality (both design and assembly). These two approaches are not the same, and generally, improving quality is a better expenditure than trying to design for serviceability. Why? *Because there's more profit in it."

 

[LVSteve]

I bought new wipers for my car at Autozone Friday. Clearly I broke the "rules" as I simply marched up to the stand with the wipers, picked out what I needed and got in line to pay.

"Are you sure those are the right ones, Sir?"

Me: "Yep, a 22" and a 21"".

My money was taken with glances between the staff that clearly said, "He'll be back". The wipers fit my car just fine.

 

[Badquaker]

 

[BuckeyeChuck]

I like to point out that semi-metallic shoes does eat your rotors but that's what makes them work so well.

What?! You mean that using my brakes actually wears them out? Man! Those engineers have to do better!

There is no context within which The Shirt's statement about damaging my car could be evaluated as correct. As you note, the pads and discs are supposed to wear each other away. More importantly, as a matter of cost, the rate at which semi-metallics eat my shiny new rotors is completely irrelevant. I changed both discs and four pads for just under $85, including 6.75% sales tax. Suppose these discs last only 50,000 miles because I use semi-metallic pads, but they'd last 60,000 miles using organic. Does it really matter? Of course not. $85 in 50,000 miles vs. $85 in 60,000 miles changes the total cost of operating a car so little that any assertion is rightly laughed away.

What I'm about to say will be controversial to some participating in this thread, but I disagree that the drive to provide inexpensive aftermarket auto parts is a scourge. On the contrary, I think it a boon. I could have gone to Ford for the same parts and probably paid $200. Even if the parts from Ford were actually better (which I *highly* doubt), there is no way the increased quality could even begin to offset the massive difference in costs. Cheap auto parts exist because that's what the consumers want, and because I'd rather change my discs and pads twice in five years for $170 than I would to change them once for $200.

And let's dispense with any hint that OEM's don't also want the cheapest parts. Oh, they want the cheapest parts like a hormone-crazed teenage boy wants the touch of the girl next door. OEM's entire purchasing process is *built* on a competitive bidding process that provides the cheapest possible parts that meet spec.

What I *don't* want is advice about perceived superiority of parts. It is unlikely that Shirts at any parts counter, whether discount chain or dealer, really knows enough to make such judgements.

 

[jws1006]

I have a good one.A friend of mine was replacing the starter on his 77 bronco.the starter would engage but wouldnt turn the 400m engine over.After I took him to Auto Zone 3 times and got the same results he wired it to the battery to test it .It engaged and turned,but he hit the gear with his thumb and stopped it.We made a 4th trip to AZ and got another went home and installed it same problem but he noticed a fingerprint on it that wasnt wiped off very well.He found an out of the way spot to scratch an x in it and took it back.Same counterman gave this **** about we didnt know what we were doing(he was a mechanic up until 2 years before,and I worked in a shop on diesels and heavy equipment and helped him build this engine and others )and he threatened to test it on the machine to prove us wrong.He hooked it up flipped the switchreal quick and said "see it works".Bill said do that again and he did and was looking real arrogant when it started making a grinding noise.He looked down and Bill was holding the gear still with his thumb.That wont turn over a v8.
Einstein went to the back came back set it on the counter,and gave us a dirty look(by this time the mgr was close watching the problem customers).Bill took it out of the box looked and there was the x scratched in the housing.He explained the whole ordeal to the mgr said he wanted his money back and was mad about the $10 dollars worth of gas blown getting the same bad starter 5 times.We went to NAPA and didnt have to make any extra trips.


Then there was a friend who worked at one in high school.Guy came in wanting a guide rod for a Mercury ford.He asked all of the questions.Merc or ford engine size etc. Customer said it didnt matter.So he tried finding out what part the man wanted.Not the push rod,not the piston rod,he patiently went through everything on a car that could be considered a rod.He finally gave up and told him he didnt know what he wanted.The guy looked at him and every other employee(they drew an audience) and said "The guide rod, man the guide rod, you know the rod over the grill that you use to guide the car down the road"

Everyone started laughing and the owner looked at him and said"you have to go to the Mercuryford DEALERSHIP to get a D@#N HOOD ORNAMENT.

 

[tacreload]

So according to Chuck,farmers can't cook what they grow.Mechanics can't do math.So if you can't excel in one you can't excel in the other.This is pretty scary thinking.Skilled in one area and not in another?This type of thinking is exactly the reason this country is in the shape that it is in.So you are telling me that if I design it I don't have to to fix it?I don't have a college degree like you.I'm probably not as smart as you.You are surely part of the problem in this country.Don't mean to offend you.You can still come to me for all of your parts needs.I'll be the guy with a smile on his face.Let me know if you come upon a problem that nobody else can solve,I may be able to figure it out.

 

[tacreload]

That's very kind of you and I appreciate the offer.



Please pardon my forward nature, but this is absurd and as ridiculous as saying to a farmer "I have a belief that if you can grow it you should be able to cook it."

This absurdity is amply illustrated simply by turning the statement around:

"I have a belief that if you can fix it you should be able to design it."

There's a reason why (most) mechanics don't have degrees in engineering: math.



The idea that because you are skilled in one area you should also be skilled in another is at least unrealistic, and in reality, it's just plain wrong. The reason is simple: for your expectation to be true, you must believe that the skills for design and repair are exactly the same. Of course, they are significantly different, both qualitatively and in terms of rigor. (Read: engineering is intellectually more difficult than wrenching.) And since the skills for each are different, then people with different talents and desires can easily excel in one and not the other. Any expectation that they should excel in both is a bit inhuman, in my opinion. What is needed is a cooperative relationship in which they work together to build a better product. More on why that doesn't happen in the next post.

Personally, I'm glad for the extreme division of labor that contributes to our prosperity. This division of labor includes the parts counter workers on whom I rely to identify and fetch the parts needed for me to complete my repair. What I *don't* need is unsolicited error dispensed as sales advice, which is the crux of my gripe. Don't tell me that semi-metallic pads damage my car. I know it's not true, and I know that you're trying to buffalo me.

The absurdity is that I responded to this.I apologize to all.I am done.