Meeting people as a mechanic.

[talisman]

Working behind a parts counter (and actually knowing what the fuck you're doing) has it's moments....

Back in '07 I had this....dilapidated black woman come into the store, and I, pen in hand ready to write shit down, ask her how she is and what I can help her with. She proceeds to say "I need a part for mah car....", to which I reply "what kind of part?". She says "Hell, I don' know! Dat man done sint me down hur to get a part." So I ask the obvious question, "Well what kind of car do you have?" and she blurts out "Hell, I don' know! You's the parts guy, you sposed to know dat!" O.o

lol. Wait until you ask them what kind of Cadillac they have and they reply "Moritz." Happened to me multiple times. Or of course, the people asking for Cadillac Converters. I had an African tell me I was an idiot one day and I pointed out he was wearing his jeans inside out. That went over well.

[Baron Von Crowder]

sell both.

Or sell one and when he comes back say you told me other one lol.

Hate retail.

its not just retail. I get it daily.

I dont know why I have customer's that want me to pay a parts puller to take down something like a rear axle assy and send two different ratios so they dont have to try and figure it out for free. It's not like it is sitting on the shelf and it's no big deal to return, we loose money doing it.

[helosailor]

can you give me a price on both?

sell both.

Or sell one and when he comes back say you told me other one lol.

Hate retail.

Sure, let me pick one of the hundreds of parts that go under the hood (you know, the one that makes it not run right). Oh, and if I happen to pick an electrical part (right or wrong), you get to keep everything you buy.

[VaderTT]

I had an African tell me I was an idiot one day and I pointed out he was wearing his jeans inside out. That went over well.

Hahahaha!

[cool cat]

To be fair I had a counter guy at Autozone tell me OHV is the same as DOHC, when I was trying to get parts for my SHO.

I also had a store manager at Autozone try to convince me the oil drain plug on a 68 Cougar could be different on 4V compared to 2V, because he knows his old Fords and has been through a few himself. This wasn't an old guy either, he was my age or younger.

[helosailor]

To be fair I had a counter guy at Autozone tell me OHV is the same as DOHC, when I was trying to get parts for my SHO.

I also had a store manager at Autozone try to convince me the oil drain plug on a 68 Cougar could be different on 4V compared to 2V, because he knows his old Fords and has been through a few himself. This wasn't an old guy either, he was my age or younger.

Well there's your problem.

[LaserSVT]

lol. Wait until you ask them what kind of Cadillac they have and they reply "Moritz." Happened to me multiple times. Or of course, the people asking for Cadillac Converters. I had an African tell me I was an idiot one day and I pointed out he was wearing his jeans inside out. That went over well.

Or Fleetwood Bro-Ham in cinnamon mus-ka-tell.

[JimD]

I reluctantly loaned a torque wrench to one of my neighbors, he brings it back a couple hours later and said he needed to borrow a socket also, his wouldn't go on the wrench....What a douche, gotta mash the release button.

[03mustangdude]

Sure, let me pick one of the hundreds of parts that go under the hood (you know, the one that makes it not run right). Oh, and if I happen to pick an electrical part (right or wrong), you get to keep everything you buy.

Most part stores take back electrical just say you didn't install it. Some have ahole managers who are by the book witnessed one when I worked fill in for one of our regulars got into a shouting match with a longtime customer over a 20 dollar electrical item that didn't even look installed just had some scuffs and box was dusty. When manager left for smoke break returned that part, granted as a warranty return, but anyway he was pissed off. Made it worse by asking how his stress level was.
He complained all the way to regional manager about me. Had a "sitdown" where I pointed out that losing a customer that spends 20k+ a year over a 20 dollar item was retarded. Got a raise that day. Still hated retail since it was only a .22 cent raise?

[cool cat]

Well there's your problem.

I know, force of habit, Autozone is closest to my house.

[LaserSVT]

Most part stores take back electrical just say you didn't install it. Some have ahole managers who are by the book witnessed one when I worked fill in for one of our regulars got into a shouting match with a longtime customer over a 20 dollar electrical item that didn't even look installed just had some scuffs and box was dusty. When manager left for smoke break returned that part, granted as a warranty return, but anyway he was pissed off. Made it worse by asking how his stress level was.
He complained all the way to regional manager about me. Had a "sitdown" where I pointed out that losing a customer that spends 20k+ a year over a 20 dollar item was retarded. Got a raise that day. Still hated retail since it was only a .22 cent raise?

That's how the local Oreillys treats me. That is to say, what you did. I spend $7000 a month there and if I order a TPS and discover I didn't need it then they refund me without question. Another thing I like about them is that even if all I need is that .89 thermostat gasket I forgot to order earlier then they still bring me out one.
Other parts stores try to entice me away but you cant beat good customer service.

[helosailor]

Most part stores take back electrical just say you didn't install it. Some have ahole managers who are by the book witnessed one when I worked fill in for one of our regulars got into a shouting match with a longtime customer over a 20 dollar electrical item that didn't even look installed just had some scuffs and box was dusty. When manager left for smoke break returned that part, granted as a warranty return, but anyway he was pissed off. Made it worse by asking how his stress level was.
He complained all the way to regional manager about me. Had a "sitdown" where I pointed out that losing a customer that spends 20k+ a year over a 20 dollar item was retarded. Got a raise that day. Still hated retail since it was only a .22 cent raise?

That's how the local Oreillys treats me. That is to say, what you did. I spend $7000 a month there and if I order a TPS and discover I didn't need it then they refund me without question. Another thing I like about them is that even if all I need is that .89 thermostat gasket I forgot to order earlier then they still bring me out one.
Other parts stores try to entice me away but you cant beat good customer service.

Yep, you definitely have to pick your battles. Big customer = make it right for them. Mouth breather you've never seen before = try to make it right for them beforehand, or make it right for the company on the back end...generally speaking.

[mschmoyer]

Just wanted to drop in and say thanks for the prompt service & fair price on my F150.

My only contribution here is that you may get a few more stories than the average shop mechanic here in Waco. We got some crazies out here driving some real hoopties.

[BP]

My only contribution here is that you may get a few more stories than the average shop mechanic here in Waco. We got some crazies out here driving some real hoopties.

And not a one of them knows what a traffic light is for or what the colors mean.

[Cooter]

That's how the local Oreillys treats me. That is to say, what you did. I spend $7000 a month there and if I order a TPS and discover I didn't need it then they refund me without question. Another thing I like about them is that even if all I need is that .89 thermostat gasket I forgot to order earlier then they still bring me out one.
Other parts stores try to entice me away but you cant beat good customer service.

that's bad ass... our local OReilly's sucks donkey dick. If we have an issue like that, we'll get a customer or a random derelict go return it and they'll probably get a free blow job with their refund. If we try to return it, they get all pissy.

We order $5k/wk from parts stores. Never mind the $5-10k/wk from OEM parts departments. We order shit from a Napa store 35min away because they treat us better than the OReilly's that's LITERALLY right across the street. We still buy fluids and shit from Oreilly's for the sake of convenience sometimes, but any time we can afford the time of ordering from Napa, we do.

Napa still sucks... the dealers suck... getting parts is our number one headache. Be VERY thankful if you have a convenient parts network for your business!