Auto parts people need to vent, do it here.

[jrock4224]

8th grade. Gotta be bigger and meaner than them. 6 classes of 22 pairs of eyes relying on your presence of mind, training, education and ability to deal with problem "customers" quickly and fairly. Wanna trade?

Id wager anyone against having to do and deal with what I have to for what I get paid.

Thanks jrock

 

 

8th grade hmmm no thanks to angsty for me ....i need more innocence and snack times ....lol...i do agree teachers most definately need higher wages...after the little shits we send them ... were lucky teachers dont demand us to send them on vacation in the summer...

[screamer510]

And YES, I have worked retail, foodservice, car dealerships, etc.

Cheap pizza buffet as a busboy and dishwasher.

Porter, lot boy, car washer, lead detailer, salesman, service writer at three different car lots.

Five depts at Lowes

Pizza delivery at two places while teaching.

Most working full time + hours, going to school full time, two degrees, four kids.

And customer service will always be #1 that's why I get ahead in my jobs and have excellent customer rapport.

 

Just so you don't think I'm not educated in the matters of CS.

[jrock4224]

i never questionined it i think in education u have to have customer serve expertise too ... at least in retail our customers wont band together and revolt like a classroom could just as easily do.... i think u might also need a hand in hostage negotiation to be a teacher above grade 5 lol

[metalmonkey47]

I used to go out of the way to help a customer, but after they all started selectively listening to my advice and screwing crap up, I've given up. They get their parts and good customer service, but I don't go out of the way for anyone anymore. Especially with all the ungrateful fucks. Next time they usually expect you to do the same thing, and I just don't have time to do that anymore.

 

For example:

 

We have a $700 Autometer tool to test batteries, starters, and alternators on the car. It's pretty cool. However, if a battery fails a load test, it won't run a starter/alternator test. Pretty stupid if you ask me.

 

Customer comes in, battery lights on. Grab a voltmeter because they can't pass a load test. 12.2V. I told them there alternator wasn't charging and that they were likely going to replace the alternator. HOWEVER (this is the part they didn't want to listen to) they needed to take it to a shop to verify that, since some cars have a fused charging system, and there are other possible causes.

 

They came back 3 days later raising hell and making all kinds of threats because they have the shop install an alternator, and 'it ended up being the battery.' Right. Autozone gives 'em a free battery and tells them to kick rocks.

 

Retail sucks. But hell, it's a job and it pays money.

[HRH]

Ah yes, the dangerous situation of knowing too much. After a while you can generally tell who gets the extra info and who gets the door. I've had dumb customers come in, intent on screwing up something and I bs them. "I don't know man, I don't work on cars, I just sling parts." - Safest answer ever. That one guy you explained everything to, WILL fuck it up and come back and blame you. I save my actual advice for those who are judged intelligent enough to use it. ;)

[KELMO]

me: can I have the VIN number for your car?

 

cust: do you want the whole thing?

 

 

no, just give me every other digit.....I'll guess the rest.  If I ever give my notice I'm gonna be DIRTY rude to some people.

[HRH]

I get some of my shops asking that too.  It's like seriously?  I think the dealers can look it up by model and only need the last 6 or so to differentiate.  Of course, conversely when we're looking at our wonderful computer systems that aren't geared towards the manufacturer, yeah.  Silly.

[metalmonkey47]

I talked to a customer about a Taurus the other day. Obviously didn't know what he was talking about, and obviously must have been drunk as shit.

 

 

--*Sir, is that DOHC or OHV?"

 

"I don't know It's a V6 3.0L."

 

--"Can you get me the 8th diget of the VIN number so I can make sure we're getting you the right part?"

 

 

Long story short, took me nearly 10 minuets to get the damn vin number, Apparently he doesn't know how to count to 8, so I just got the whole vin.

[datzenmike]

As I've said before this is also the fault of the auto manufactures too. They make cars so easy to drive that every incompetent, spastic, moronic, inbred POS can get one. Example: anti-lock brakes and how they are marketed. They pretty much say "go ahead at any speed with confidence because the braking system will correct any mistakes you make". Gas stations used too hand out road maps to the public for free. It was a sort of intelligence test for the driver (both reading it and folding it) and so if someone had trouble navigating they didn't drive. Everyone should have at least a minimum capacity/ability of knowing where they are and where they are going. Where is the skill in a navigation system? Just more morons on the road following the prompter "you just missed your turn ... to correct turn left here, left here, left here.... make a U turn in .3 miles ahead...."  Cars should preclude operators that shouldn't be on the road.

[c10jim]

I talked to a customer about a Taurus the other day. Obviously didn't know what he was talking about, and obviously must have been drunk as shit.

 

 

--*Sir, is that DOHC or OHV?"

 

"I don't know It's a V6 3.0L."

 

--"Can you get me the 8th diget of the VIN number so I can make sure we're getting you the right part?"

 

 

Long story short, took me nearly 10 minuets to get the damn vin number, Apparently he doesn't know how to count to 8, so I just got the whole vin.

I like when you ask the customer for the eighth digit of the vin#, The customer says do I start from the begining or the end?

[moparvwfreak]

so far i have 2 things that piss me off at my job. #1, i am the ONLY commercial driver in the store. our backup quit without notice 3 weeks ago. kinda makes it super busy for me. and #2, when a shop calls up, asks for a part and says they'll pay cash. i get there with the part and he chews me up one side and down the other for not bringing change for $100 for a $15 part. when ya dont let us know your gonna pay with that size bill, how can I bring change for it??? 

[metalmonkey47]

Commercial is annoying as hell. And I know exactly how you feel. Especially with companies cutting hours and expecting drivers to pick up extra work load.

 

 

We have one particular account that bitches us out over ANYTHING. Cool ass dude, helps me out a lot, but.... total dick. He won't generally talk to anyone in my store but me, and the commercial manager.

 

For example, we're currently looking for a trans filter/gasket for a '62 Lincoln. Everyone lists the wrong one. Napa, Orielly, Autozone, etc. Numbers matching car, so there's no way the trans model is incorrect. Don't know what the hell happened. 

 

And then there's the '49 Ford that we just hunted down an OEM 6V horn relay for. Also had to track down the two water pumps for it that we never did find, but ended up shipping his two water pumps off to have rebuilt. 

 

All kinds of weird shit we do for him that most places refuse to do. Hell, NAPA can't even get him a timing belt tensioner. End up sending him a belt tensioner, and calls us bitching about it.

 

 

 

But that's okay. He's probably one of the best body/paint guys in the USA and has done work for Chip Foose, and offered to repaint my truck for $100 + materials. 

[moparvwfreak]

like i said though, thats teh 2 things that piss me off. i am cool with all the rest of the shit i have to deal with. MOST of my customers are cool as hell. but this one guy is just creepy. and an ass to boot. the one good thing about being the only driver though is i am very friendly to the customers so people actually look forward to my prompt arrival and usually with the right parts. my commercial manager is good at finding the right thing and getting it quick if we dont have it in stock.  hell he found me some parts for my 620 that i could only find on Ebay. so its not all bad. i also go out of my way to help the installers on stuff if we dont send the right thing, i either take a pic or get additional info so we can get teh right stuff for em.

[HRH]

Commercial is annoying as hell. And I know exactly how you feel. Especially with companies cutting hours and expecting drivers to pick up extra work load.

 

 

We have one particular account that bitches us out over ANYTHING. Cool ass dude, helps me out a lot, but.... total dick. He won't generally talk to anyone in my store but me, and the commercial manager.

 

For example, we're currently looking for a trans filter/gasket for a '62 Lincoln. Everyone lists the wrong one. Napa, Orielly, Autozone, etc. Numbers matching car, so there's no way the trans model is incorrect. Don't know what the hell happened. 

 

And then there's the '49 Ford that we just hunted down an OEM 6V horn relay for. Also had to track down the two water pumps for it that we never did find, but ended up shipping his two water pumps off to have rebuilt. 

 

All kinds of weird shit we do for him that most places refuse to do. Hell, NAPA can't even get him a timing belt tensioner. End up sending him a belt tensioner, and calls us bitching about it.

 

 

 

But that's okay. He's probably one of the best body/paint guys in the USA and has done work for Chip Foose, and offered to repaint my truck for $100 + materials. 

 

What?  Napa wrong?!  Never!!!  :D  The older it is, the more likely it is going to be inaccurate, though it shouldn't on a '62.  Then again, half the time they forget to tell you something about the car, or they don't know what engine they have.  Like when you get a guy with a Ford Bronco who insists he has a 351 Cleveland.  No, no you don't, not unless you got it out of a Mustang and put it in and spent lots of money doing it.

 

I just looked up on prolink for the giggles.  Guess what I found?  A '61-'62 Lincoln Continental have one water pump.  '63-'68 Continental with the same motor has a different pump that looks very similar to the other version, but probably different.  Bet he had a late '62.  Anyway, shit like that happens all the time.  The better they are, the more they bitch when things aren't exactly right.  Which I can see.  Usually I try to maintain a better relationship with those customers so they can bitch then get off the phone.  In the meantime I've already found the right part and ship it down, and then they're all happy again.  And then I call them douchebags under my breath.  ;)

[datzenmike]

Back in the day the 351 Cleavland was a hot motor. I had a 340 Dart. I never met one guy, with a 351 Windsor, not ONE!!!! "Yup she's a Cleavland all right". Know how I could tell the difference? A real 351 Cleavland was within 3 car lengths at the end of the quarter.

[ggzilla]

When I was selling people would come in saying they had a Ford it's right outside, and there was a Dodge. But we did our best to make them comfortable and happy. We loved our customers and helped them be successful in getting the parts they needed. If you ain't got the patience, get out of here and get another job, my boss would say.

[philcas1987]

As I've said before this is also the fault of the auto manufactures too. They make cars so easy to drive that every incompetent, spastic, moronic, inbred POS can get one. Example: anti-lock brakes and how they are marketed. They pretty much say "go ahead at any speed with confidence because the braking system will correct any mistakes you make". Gas stations used too hand out road maps to the public for free. It was a sort of intelligence test for the driver (both reading it and folding it) and so if someone had trouble navigating they didn't drive. Everyone should have at least a minimum capacity/ability of knowing where they are and where they are going. Where is the skill in a navigation system? Just more morons on the road following the prompter "you just missed your turn ... to correct turn left here, left here, left here.... make a U turn in .3 miles ahead...."  Cars should preclude operators that shouldn't be on the road.

you should see the road testing of the gtr . Hydroplane at 100+ mph. No problem. Its a beast

[HRH]

When I was selling people would come in saying they had a Ford it's right outside, and there was a Dodge. But we did our best to make them comfortable and happy. We loved our customers and helped them be successful in getting the parts they needed. If you ain't got the patience, get out of here and get another job, my boss would say.

 

True, and I certainly do go out of my way to help people at NAPA.  I don't care if they're a blithering idiot.  If they interact with a nice demeanor and are polite, they're going to get that right back.  If they're douchebags, well, let's just say I'm not nearly as inclined to help to the best of my abilities.

 

And don't even get me started about the assholes who come in and bitch about the price of the $2 minimum donation Make a Wish foundation calendars.  Fucking cheap bastards every Christmas.  I'll call people out on that too.  Try and buy a calendar for less than $5.  Granted, they're not that great as far as stupid comments about the "Cool Rides", but still.  It goes to help dying kids, wtf, give a little, damn!

[KELMO]

So I tell the GM that the driver is gonna quit...Tuesday last week,  he still won't let me hire a replacement.....but he wants me to grow the wholesale business.  Lets see here grow the wholesale business with no driver....this should work out well.  Think I should quit tomorrow.

[Eric Happy Meal]

me: can I have the VIN number for your car?

 

cust: do you want the whole thing?

 

 

no, just give me every other digit.....I'll guess the rest.  If I ever give my notice I'm gonna be DIRTY rude to some people.

every brand is different.....

 

 

if you give me the last 7 of a BMW vin i can give you the entire thing.

[Eric Happy Meal]

i do have a problem with this though:

 

 

~i need so and so part

ok, ill need the last 7 digits of the VIN to look it up

~ok, the last four digits are 3489

 

since they have given me 4 digits so many times i actually thought that i was going crazy and THOUGHT i was saying "7" and was actually saying "4" so i started recording myself and i always say "7".   i do NOT know what to do about this.

[HRH]

You can't do anything.  It's like when I answer the phone at work with "Thanks for calling NAPA, could you hold on for just a minute?"  And instead of yes or no, I get, "Uh, yeah, I'm looking for parts for a ------" at which point I put them on hold anyway.  About the time the brain processes that, they realize, and then they're on hold anyway.  People never listen.  Almost never.

[jrock4224]

When I was selling people would come in saying they had a Ford it's right outside, and there was a Dodge. But we did our best to make them comfortable and happy. We loved our customers and helped them be successful in getting the parts they needed. If you ain't got the patience, get out of here and get another job, my boss would say.

 

 

 

front counter mantra there zilla nice thats kinda the way i looked at it...

 

worked with  older hawaiian that liked to say......if you aint made to teach the dumb to be smart get a job talking to boxes all day...

[ArchetypeDatsun]

[HRH]

As much as I would LOVE to do this to some customers, I really feel sorry for the employees who had to deal with the irate customers.  At least they have a good excuse of none of the people actually being at the store.  Or at least, I hope they do.  I could see some disgruntled employees doing this, but most wouldn't take the time.  Of course, if it was NAPA being pranked, I'd probably sing a different tune.  I'd like to say the intelligent customers would figure it out, but there aren't that many of them. :D