Well flip the coin here..Both my sister and i both worked at Auto Parts stores in the past...We both know our cars and trucks..We both like the ones coming in asking for this 'thingy under the hood thats making noise' cuz the person is clueless,Most ppl dont even know what they are driving..Ive had to go out in the snow to find out what kinda car they have..and hope im getting them the right part...so its not always the person behind the counter thats clueless[8D]

 

get that all the time. but luckly i used to work for them so i know the computer.most of them dont know what to do or ask unless the computer tells them. then u ask if its right and they stare at the screen than at the part and say the numbers match it must be. i know its really frustrating.i got guys at HONDA that dont know there own a -hole from a hole in the ground

 

I'm not saying every parts store employee is completely clueless, just some. I know what you mean about the customers not helping the matter. I work at a car lot and people ask me all the time,
CUSTOMER: "How much is that white car out there?"
ME: "Which white car are you talking about? The Camry, the Accord, the Taurus, or another one?"(Theres about 20 different white cars)
CUSTOMER: (Points)" I don't know, it's the one by that red one"
ME: (thinking to myself- "Oh well, another no-sale)

 

I have been to some stores where they dont know squat especially pepboys. I usually go to autozone though. This guy that works there had the same car as me so we always would talk about it and now he gives me discounts on everythign i buy, only 10% but its still something But Pepboys emplyoees **** me off.

 

Yeah, I went to Advance the other day because my Accord pooped on me for the first time ever and there was a WRX (not even an STi, mind you) all riced out in the parking lot so I figured one of them must at least know something... wrong. I talked to the youngest guy there, the obvious owner of the Sub, and he couldn't tell me anything. I think they hire people to know what things are and not what they do.

 

jeez, Pepboys is the only store where they know barely anything out here at all! and they don't hire even cute girls at any of the stores at all! although I just got the expanded Checker down the road and have yet to check them out....keeps fingers crossed.....but I always go in armed with knowing what I need so when the guy/girl brings out the wrong one....I can, uh....no that aint it sherlock...try again

here's one for you though.....ex wife and I are about to have a baby, so the truck has to go, just won't work, Jeep Commanche/stick/standard cab and 2 adults and a baby.....so we pick out a gently used 1990 Nissan Stanza which was in excellent shape....well, the brake calipers needed a rebuild after awhile and since I do most of that myself, I go and order my parts without taking down the calipers first....I mean cmon, its a Nissan! well, get home, tear everything apart....and notice the dust boots aren't even close...not at all! WTF?? so head back to Nissan, guy claims and SHOWS me the parts....well they aren't fitting on my car I says, we go back and forth and eventually my Dad pops in on the whole thing (always let us boys try to handle it first) and he tells and shows the guy that there is a difference here....finally, ONE employee who happened to be walking by asked what my VIN was...show call Mom, she reads it off....guy, without even looking....says "you have a inter year car, so you have a mix of 89 and 90 parts." so I had to buy 2 separate rebuild kits because they didn't have it as one kit for my car....now that's just freaking retarded....car was put for sale the next day.

 

In dealing with parts stores cluelessness I feel your pain, but I think you have to consider what you get in return: convenience and low prices. The stores need to staff many locations as cheap as possible, so there is usually 1 or 2 employees per store that knows what they are doing and the rest are just whoever they can get cheap.

When I started driving in the '80s, there were 2 parts stores in town and both were staffed by grumpy old mechanics. The stores were barely open for 8 hours a day, forget weekends, and don't think for a second that they were going to put your wipers on for you. The only other option was Pep Boys and it was about 40 minutes away. Now I can throw a rock from my house in any direction and hit a parts store.

I've got plenty of stories, but I try to remind myself of how it used to be when there is a problem.

 

I only deal with the manager at Strauss ..... he knows me by name and his employees know that he always helps me, so they do what they can to not look like an @$$. He's a gearhead too!!! He rolls in a G35 coupe, show style on 19's and 20's.