MstngLX50 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 I'll introduce the cast first, myself in need of a drive belt(knowing both the type and length of said belt), Autozone employees X 3(who will be represented in order of appearance as idiots 1-3), and other customers at random. After waiting ten minutes for the one employee at the front it is my turn at the counter. Me: I need an 84 1/4" 6 rib serpentine belt please Idiot 1: And what kind of car is that for? Me: I have no idea Idiot 1: You don't know what kind of car you have?(with condescending tone) Me: You didn't ask me what kind I was putting it on, you asked me what kind it was for. Idiot 1: You need the belt your specific model calls for. Me: No I don't, I need the belt I asked for. Idiot 1: How could you need a different belt than the one it came with? Me: Because I'm smarter than your computer. Idiot 1: Well I really think you should use the right belt. Me: I am, I no longer have all of the accessories that came on the car, so I no longer need a longer belt, nor will it even fit the car. Idiot 1: I'm not sure I can sell you a belt if your car doesn't call for it. Me: Is there a manager here I can talk to please. Idiot 1: Umm, I guess, hold on(Idiot 1 dissapears to rear of store and returns following Idiot 2) Idiot 2: Yes sir, can I help you. Me: Yes I need an 84 1/4" 6 rib serpentine belt please. Idiot 2: (Now in front of computer) And what type of car is that for sir. Me: (turning red) Sir I already went through that with the other guy, I need this belt for a car that didn't originally use it. Idiot 2: You can't just get any belt for a car you know, they're different. Me: I've told you the belt I need, I'm positive it's the correct one for my particular car, now will you sell me one. Idiot 2: Ok, I just hope you know what you're doing Me: I assure you I do, can I please just have the belt. Idiot 2: I'll go see if we have one. (Idiot 2 dissapears never to be seen again, instead Idiot 3 appears) Idiot 3: We don't have that belt in stock. Me: Just give me one close, a half inch either way is fine I've got plenty of adjustment Idiot 3: Ok, I'll look.--1 minute later--sir we don't have anything close. Me: I find that hard to believe, can I look for myself. Idiot 3: You're not supposed to but Ok Me: Thanks(upon looking at the belts it takes about 3 seconds to figure that the part number is almost exactly the length, and that they're in order, smallest to largest. Within another 20 seconds I am holding the belt I need.) Idiot 3: Oh I didn't see it there. Me: No problem thanks anyway (I now return to the front of the store where Idiot 1 is helping a lady at one of the parts computers, I walk to the checkout register to wait) Idiot 1: I'm sorry but she was ahead of you to check out. Me: How's that. Idiot 1: I was helping her over there.(he points, in case I didn't know where the only employee in the front was) Me: Yes you were but I was helping myself behind the counter, because you are incompetent, before she was in the parking lot. Idiot 1: Sir, I'm going to have to check her out first. Me: Ok no problem, go ahead. I then threw the belt behind the counter at the distributor caps and told them to keep their damn belt and next time somebody needs one give me a call and I'll save them time and send them somewhere else. I then drove to O'reillys and got a belt without incident, giving them only the length. The guy behind the counter has actually been under the hood of a car and correctly surmised that I indeed had no smog pump on my mustang. Since I had been next to Autozone already I thought I would save some time and get it there. I guess I had forgotten exactly what kind of morons work there. Not only did I fail to save time I will now require anger management courses, and possibly a lawyer if I ever see those short bus refugees again. I'm so glad the chain stores shut down our local indy autoparts store while I was in Kalifornia, they aren't any cheaper, but for some reason the idiots at large went to them instead of the store that had been in town for 4 decades. Maybe it was the brighter lights or something, it certainly isn't the brain trust behind the counter. So yeah, I hate autozone with a passion normally reserved for rapists and pedophiles. Venting is nice, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew_Mink Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Been there with ya and got the Tshirt to prove it. Auto-Zone sux. I haven't been too many places where I have witnessed several different customers in several different stores in several different states get that PO'ed at the 'help' that works in the store. Don't ever go to an Auto Zone in need of a car part that goes on your inboard boat. I almost killed me a man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gun Geek Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Ahhh... The constant fight between lower prices and good service. It will never end. I struggle with figuring out how to tell them (either one) that they have gone too far. I like O'Reily's. I haven't bought enough stuff to figure out if they have good prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 My preference in auto parts stores is NAPA. Good service. Knowledgeable people. Quality parts. It's comforting to see the same employees behind the counter since your last visit six months ago. Recently I had a major project on the wifes car. Water pump went out and the timing belt was due for retire. There was several routine maintenace items that were due also. Went to NAPA's website, searched for all the pieces and widgets. Put it all together and faxed it to them with instructions to verify what I had on the list is the proper item for the task. Showed up a couple days later and my order was ready and the reciept printed out. And yes, there was an item or two that were substituted due to my error. Got to love service like that. As for Auto Zone, I don't buy anything there that doesn't come in a can. [threaddrift] When I lived in Kansas City, there was an auto parts store called Midnight Auto Parts. It opened from mid-afternoon to midnight. Staffed with enough employees that you could be in and out in a few minutes. Used the place many times when I was in late night thrash mode getting my vehicle back in operation. Haven't seen another place like it and have always thought it would have been a great idea to be copied. [/threaddrift] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmark Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 As for Auto Zone, I don't buy anything there that doesn't come in a can. I'm even skeptical about buying anything there that comes in a can. I sent my wife into our local Autozone for a bottle of automatic transmission stop leal / seal conditioner. The transfer case in my new (to me) Jeep Cherokee was getting it's fluid changed and the seals were seeping ever so slightly. This transfer case calls for Dexron tranny fluid. I know this, and have owned several. Well, two employees give my wife the "dumb woman" treatment. She calls me almost in tears because the clerk won't even help her look for the seal conditioner. If the seals are leaking, he says, they need replaced. And if the seals are shot, the transfer case is probably shot as well. Probably because someone ran tranny fluid in it, instead of gear oil like all transfer cases are supposed to use. So I get on the phone with the manager, who is the second person helping her. I ask him what his experience is with the New Process 242 or NP 231 transfer cases. He asks me what year make model it is for. I tell him. He looks on the computer and confirms that it takes tranny fluid. By now the wife can see the look on his face change and hear him start to stammer. She can only guess what I am saying to the idiot. I follow up my coversation with him by having him tell my wife to just come home, as she shouldn't be second guessed when she comes in for a specific product. I hear him tell my wife my exact instructions, and then apologize to her. Then he comes back on the phone and asks if there is anything he can do to help me further ......... No thanks, I say, you've helped me plenty for one day. Evidently Autozone sends their employees to "Superiority 101; how to be an automotive expert without ever getting your hands dirty" Every Autozone I go into seems to be the same. I too am a NAPA fan. They will do whatever it takes to get you the right parts. They stock better quality parts as well. In the early 80's, Chapparell Auto in Mesa AZ ordered me a set of thier parts calalogs. (several catalogs the size of a Sears Roebuck catalog.) This allowed me to find parts by components used, instead of by year/make/model. I would just call in a part #, and the next morning they would have the correct part ordered and ready for me to pick up. This made buying parts for my fleet of International Harvester pickups smooth and painless. They even called me for I.H. specific questions, as ordering parts without a copy of your "line sheet" could be confusing to everyone involved. Sadly, the "old time" counter person is going the way of the horse and buggy. At least you can still find some at places like NAPA, and some CarQuest stores. And don't get me started on Wal Mart's "Automotive Technicians" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Sounds like AutoZone employees go to the same training center as the folks at Dave Chappelle's "PopCopy"..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTOSHootr Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Beware NAPA is a franchise. We have two on our road. The one about ten minutes away is great. They're courteous, knowledgable, and will bend over backwards to get you the right parts. The one about a mile away recently changed hands and is a disaster. One day one of our guys walked in and asked for an air filter for a Bonneville and an O2 sensor for a Tahoe. The salesman scratched his head asked how do you spell Tahoe and who makes a Bonneville! Our guy informed them that Pontiac did and they had since the 60s. So the guy leaves and proudly comes back from the stock room with a little box and says "here you go, an air filter for a Bonneville". Of course, it was an oil filter and it he didn't have a clue as to why our guy just walked out. Since then we've pulled our account and have heard nothing but horror stories from other ex-customers. It really sucks for the people who are going to these places to supply parts for their livelihood. Time is money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 But Jesse James endorses Auto Zero......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 But Jesse James endorses Auto Zero......... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Actually I think he endorses VATO ZONE Here in San Jose, I go to my favorite auto parts store "Winchester Auto Parts" Nolan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRT Driver Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I bet they can't even make change at AutoZone..never been to one don't know. Here is a cruel joke that we used to play on new counter guys. Call and ask for a radiator cap for a '64 Corvair or torsion bar bushings for the same. And see now long it takes them to figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeInNePa Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 ALL big box store are the same. Minimum wage, untrained help. I worked for a year and a half at the local Gander Mountain store. Nothing like working in the firearms dept with guys who spent last week in footware. Well, he saw a gun on tv once, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Murphy Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 In highschool I went to work for Pep Boys. Not knowing a whole lot about car repair, I applied to be a cashier. In the interview the manager said he'd hire me as a parts guy. I said I did not know anything about cars or car parts. He said, "that's okay, none of them back there do." And with the exception of the odd gear head working there for the discount, he was right on the money. That was the days before the computers, so you ended up learning some stuff just to be able to use the books. Today with the computers, they ask for make, model, and engine code even for things that don't require such information. They won't even use the paper book to look up wiper blades or oil filters. Ted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRT Driver Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 That's sad!!! Back when I was in high school (20+ years ago) you had to be a gear head to work the counter. And you HAD to know the books! In the old days, you'd look up the "regular" part number in the book and ask what length was needed. Back then, Gates serpentine belts were numbered by their length in inches. You'd go back to belts, and look for the series of belt and the length. 99% of the time it worked unless the original measurement was off. Computer can't figure that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precision40 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I've had the same problem at Auto-Zone too. Last time I was there I was looking for some exhaust pipe wrap and they had NO idea what I was talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 "I need 6 inches of small brake hose" Here. "That's the correct inside diameter, I need the outside to match as well" No you don't. "Yes, I do. " Huh? "It's not for a car?" What do you mean it's not for a car? "My ammunition press uses a quarter inch length as a bumper on a roller pin" After three stores, I found one which had hose with the correct inside and outside diameter for the 1050. If I don't lost it, the section I bought should last a lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I bought some wiper blades late last year/early this year at Kragen. No book out so that I could check what length/type refills I needed, so I ask at the counter, takes 'em about 5 minutes to sort through all the damn options (which don't matter a lick). On top of that, the manager's like "I don't recommend refills as nobody knows what they're doing installing them". I just turned off my brain and bought what the ass clowns told me. So, supposedly I needed two different lengths (the Almighty Computer said so) for the driver and passenger sides. The driver's side set of two is far too long, and I ain't trimming 'em. The passenger side single blade fits both sides perfectly, so I put it on the driver's side and return the driver's side set to the store about a week later... took me 20 minutes of waiting around before I was finally "gotten to." And, yes, they were actually telling me that they'd "get to" me in a few minutes. NAPA rocks. We've got a distribution center not too far away, so I just go down there—after calling and speaking with someone that -a-understands my needs and -b-confirms that the part is, indeed, in stock—whenever I'm looking for parts. I'll probably still punish myself by going to the crappy chains whenever I need piddly stuff, but I'm an idiot.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carinab Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Rob - same experience for me. I bought some fuel line hose so I could modify my mag holders to sit further away from my torso. Once I explained that it wasn't for a car but for my gun gear, they quit arguing with me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MstngLX50 Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 Oreilly's has my vote as far as cookie cutter operations go. They can get a part from Houston within a few hours, they make 3 runs a day. When they sold me a defective loc-wire head gasket they actually sent an employee in one of the trucks to Houston to get another one, then called and asked for my address so I didn't have to stop working on my car again. I was trying to make the brackets that night and was fast running out of time. Until recently our also refilled nitrous bottles so that was another reason to go there, I think that was a local decision that was squashed when corporate caught wind of it. NAPA is nice and clean but our franchise doesn't stock much besides the basic oil and filters. Anything ordered will take at least a day to get there, they don't have daily runs to Houston and suffer because of it. They are generally my last call and I've never had them tell me they had something in stock. In their defense though things like ARP head studs aren't a real commonly used item. I had pretty good luck at Kragen/Advance when I was in PRKalifornia. Both were staffed by import street racers it seemed, the parking lot looked like a drifting event. I didn't drive a Honda but they were at least willing and eager to help me with my Ford, and even willing to endure my litany of rice jokes about their 17hp at 15k rpm. They went so far as to invite me to the local races(of course since this is illegal I declined ). Most of my automotive business goes to Summit Racing. They know what I'm talking about(even if I don't) and actually enjoy their job. Their tech assistance is second to none. Not to mention no sales tax on a 2k dollar set of heads. I totaled it up once and I've spent more money at Summit than I spent purchasing the car. Local parts stores get only the little stuff or something that I need immediately, I won't even get oil at them. A local transmission shop has the synthetics I use for less. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I hate car problems and all things associated with them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTOSHootr Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Most of my automotive business goes to Summit Racing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> They are second to none. I've been order from them weekly, everything ships the same day, and never a problem. In fact, I have a carb on my desk right now ready send back (my mistake this time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 "I need 6 inches of small brake hose"Here. "That's the correct inside diameter, I need the outside to match as well" No you don't. "Yes, I do. " Huh? "It's not for a car?" What do you mean it's not for a car? "My ammunition press uses a quarter inch length as a bumper on a roller pin" After three stores, I found one which had hose with the correct inside and outside diameter for the 1050. If I don't lost it, the section I bought should last a lifetime. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Rob, Primer Slide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benny hill Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I have a auto-zone across the street from my shop & dry fire my AR on them a lot. O'Riley's is just 1 block away & it's where I shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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