#*%^!/# napa

[richard2717]

Originally Posted by piecesparts

I guess it centers on what you like and what you believe in. The NAPA in my town has a good group of people at the desk, and even though their process is just as F*&$ed up as the OReally guys and the Autozoners, that the computer is the Hamburger joint process. Many of the kids of today, you all know them-- many of them are from your loins, don't know a freeze plug from a corvair radiator; use the computers to get to some knowledge point so that they can at least walk to the back and find the right shelf area. The real problem is that there is no criteria of a knowledge level for job employment. The federal gubament makes that part hard, due to discrimination laws and what they can do to you if you don't hire them. There are stores that have a good staff of wrenchers and they can tell you what you want right off the bat. However for the most part it takes a person that cares about his job and for what they pay a counter guy, he can't care to much. We have all the stores in my area, NAPA, O Reillys, Autozone, and Carquest, thee out of all of them has kids at the counter and they have to use the computer to find parts.

I prefer the NAPA, due to the fact that the parts from it may look like the ones down the street at the others, they seem to last longer when I get the premium part. Don't ask me why, but they do. Maybe the rebuild shop put them out the front door, instead of the back. I believe you get what you pay for.

The ones that argue with you, for the most part are screwing with your mind more than anything--don't show them that they are getting to you and they will stop.

Next time don't throw the box away and expect the process to see it your way, just my .02 worth. Hate me for that if you must, but I ran a Farm parts outlet for several years and there were days where the guy BEHIND the counter is just as pissed at the person on the public side of the counter, as the buyer is at the guy behind the counter. I have actually had to tell people that their business was best being provided to my competitor.

Corvair radiator now that is funny right there. My dad used to play that on my mom getting her to go to the service station and get the oil checked and antifreeze topped off. The guy working there was a buddy so he played along

[specialtyretail]

I have sold auto parts for 30 years now. This has been an amusing thread if nothing else. Just to defend my profession and most of the people in it, maybe the lack of skill and service you feel you are encountering by your local parts man is partly to blame on you. We have slackers, just like any trade does, but we also have dedicated, knowledgable and helpful people as well. Everyone loves us until we have to tell them no to something, then we suddenly don't know what we are doing, can't even look up parts for a 350 chevy cause everyone knows they are all the same,,, or we must be selling car parts cause we aren't smart enough to work on cars. There, I think that pretty much covers it. Thanks, Fred.

[lilpoindexter]

I like this amusing thread too. I've been working on cars for 20 years. Every single core has had to be returned in the box. This is pretty much common knowledge. Even when I take my core to match it to the new part, I walk out with my new part with no box, because they kept the box to return the core in.
I also think Autozone (and the other lame auto parts stores) exist because having knowledgeable people costs money, and we all want to bargain to get 5 cents knocked off the price. The NAPA stores still seem to have knowledgeable people. When I go to an Autozone, I look up all my part numbers first, and just tell the counter person, just give me X part number. Lastly, 4 years ago when I was unemployed, I tried to get a job at Autozone or O'reiley's and I never did get an interview, yet I would see them hiring new people...I consider my self a car guy, and I would have enjoyed it...oh well.