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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Parts Counter Clerk

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May 10, 2010 9:48 p.m. Wayslow Reader

I needed a 42" 5 rib serpentine belt, for my latest project. Since a big nation wide chain store is close to my office I dropped in at lunch to pick one up. I explain what I'm looking for to the mouth breathing 17 year old behind the counter and he tells me that serpentine belts aren't sold by length but by car type. I told him that he's partially correct however the last three numbers on the belt part number are the length. He sneers and reiterates that he needs to know what car I have. I decide to play along and proceed to tell him it's a 1969 Lotus Europa with a Toyota 4AGE engine and a 45A John Deer Gator alternator. He stares at me gape jawed and then tries to type it into the computer. He didn't have much luck so he concludes that you can't get a belt for that car. I surrendered.

I dropped by my local NAPA shop, where they know me by name, and they grabbed a belt off the wall in about 5 seconds.
May 10, 2010 9:58 p.m. DrBoost Dork

Now go back to big chain store and repeat that story to the manager.
May 10, 2010 10:06 p.m. Lesley SuperDork

With staff like that, you'll hardly notice a difference when they outsource service to Mumbai. Or automate it.
May 10, 2010 10:41 p.m. Stealthtercel Reader

This is a good time to bring up David Freiburger's rant a few years ago in Another Magazine about what it does to his blood pressure when he goes up to the parts counter for Quadrajet parts and the mouth-breathing robot on duty poises his fingers over the keyboard and asks if the car has air conditioning.
May 10, 2010 10:46 p.m. DoctorBlade Reader

What's the difference between "Big Nationwide Store Chain" and NAPA? Last I checked, NAPA was a large, nationwide store chain.
May 10, 2010 10:53 p.m. Stealthtercel Reader

I think Wayslow is just being tactful, like a good Canadian, and skipping over the name of the place with the moron. (Of course, if he just happened to mention casually where his office is, some us who live nearby might be able to figure it out....)
May 10, 2010 11:06 p.m. Wayslow Reader

DoctorBlade wrote:

What's the difference between "Big Nationwide Store Chain" and NAPA? Last I checked, NAPA was a large, nationwide store chain.

I agree with you but my local NAPA store is owned by the guy who works behind the counter and the "Big Nationwide Store Chain" sells everything from toilet paper to lawn tractors
May 10, 2010 11:21 p.m. HiTempguy HalfDork

Stealthtercel wrote:

This is a good time to bring up David Freiburger's rant a few years ago in Another Magazine about what it does to his blood pressure when he goes up to the parts counter for Quadrajet parts and the mouth-breathing robot on duty poises his fingers over the keyboard and asks if the car has air conditioning.

I think people were amazed they could ask me for parts for their insert car here without me asking them for the manufacturer.

Oh, except for the guy who thought we'd have parts and whatnot for his commercial 367 Chevy small block Ah, what its like to be 16 and running a parts counter.
May 10, 2010 11:30 p.m. Appleseed SuperDork

Wayslow wrote:

DoctorBlade wrote:

What's the difference between "Big Nationwide Store Chain" and NAPA? Last I checked, NAPA was a large, nationwide store chain.

I agree with you but my local NAPA store is owned by the guy who works behind the counter and the "Big Nationwide Store Chain" sells everything from toilet paper to lawn tractors

Plus, at least around here, they have gigantic books of parts numbers and know how to use them.
May 11, 2010 12:12 a.m. Trans_Maro Dork

Stealthtercel wrote:

This is a good time to bring up David Freiburger's rant a few years ago in Another Magazine about what it does to his blood pressure when he goes up to the parts counter for Quadrajet parts and the mouth-breathing robot on duty poises his fingers over the keyboard and asks if the car has air conditioning.

Actually, that's valid.

The A/C cars have a idle-up solenoid on the carb that kicks in when the A/C clutch engages.

Shawn
May 11, 2010 12:18 a.m. novaderrik New Reader

Trans_Maro wrote:

Stealthtercel wrote:

This is a good time to bring up David Freiburger's rant a few years ago in Another Magazine about what it does to his blood pressure when he goes up to the parts counter for Quadrajet parts and the mouth-breathing robot on duty poises his fingers over the keyboard and asks if the car has air conditioning.

Actually, that's valid.

The A/C cars have a idle-up solenoid on the carb that kicks in when the A/C clutch engages.

Shawn

in a lot of applications, that solenoid has nothing to do with the AC- it kicks the throttle blades open when you turn the key on, and lets the butterflies close all the way to prevent dieseling when you shut the car off. that's the way my 74 Monte Carlo is wired. it was the 70's and they were trying to figure out all this new fangled 'emissions' stuff... but that solenoid has nothing to do with getting a rebuild kit or accelerator pump or anything else carb related.
May 11, 2010 1:31 a.m. NYG95GA SuperDork

Y'know, I used to work a parts counter back in the 80s, and think I did all right. But these days, Im not so sure I could keep up with all the stuff they come out with.
May 11, 2010 2:39 a.m. VanillaSky Reader

This is one of the downfalls of a computerized society. While I can get along fairly well without a computer, if you threw me in a parts store and asked for a part that hasn't been used on a car since I was about 3, I'd probably have to look it up, too. At least pull out a parts list.

Ask me about some minute detail about a Honda and I'll probably be able to blab it off the top of my head while I go pull the part off the shelf without having to think twice about it.

How stupid you are depends on where you're from. I don't expect a neo-hippie to know the correct part number for a rebuild kit for a Keihin carburetor, but I don't expect farm folk to understand why I have long hair, why I get excited when a Miata with a roll bar pulls into the parking lot, nor do I expect them to know who Andrew Lloyd Weber is.

Just sayin'.

Over this summer, I'll probably get a parts counter job. I don't know a hell of a lot about old cars, but I'm learning. Sometimes that "mouth breather" might be an out of work single father of 3 making ends meet by moonlighting as a parts monkey.

I just try to be nice. If I get a real idiot, I just talk to someone else there. I've often walked out of a parts store (including a Napa) because my go to guy was on lunch break and the person manning the counter couldn't handle a keyboard nor a book. Not a big deal, they have to learn somewhere.

/ramble off
May 11, 2010 4:37 a.m. petegossett SuperDork

I stopped at Aotozone last week to get a cheap muffler to replace everything post-cat that fell off my '88 Chevy 1/2-ton(about 1.5-years ago). I got the same story from the counter guy there - only he was mid-50's. I tried the same tactics, and he assured me he needed make/model & couldn't look it up by size. I finally talked him into looking at the boxes & got the size I needed - turns out they had a nationwide recall on muffler clamps & were completely out.

I worked at an Autozone 10-years ago & had a "regular" with a Maseratti Merak, sometimes I just want to whack 'em over the head with the keyboard & show them how to do it...
May 11, 2010 5:57 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

If you kew how to read the numbers on the belt, why not enlighten the mouth breather by requesting an 050 042 (5 rib - 42") ? Coulda helped him better serve the next guy.

Dan
May 11, 2010 7:01 a.m. Kramer HalfDork

914Driver wrote:

If you kew how to read the numbers on the belt, why not enlighten the mouth breather by requesting an 050 042 (5 rib - 42") ? Coulda helped him better serve the next guy.

Dan

Because that belt would have been 4.2" long. Actually the number would be 050420.
May 11, 2010 7:09 a.m. Twin_Cam Dork

NAPA around here means just as bad as Autozone/Pep Boys/Advance, and with worse hours.

Glad they're better in your area.
May 11, 2010 7:15 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

Kramer wrote:

914Driver wrote:

If you kew how to read the numbers on the belt, why not enlighten the mouth breather by requesting an 050 042 (5 rib - 42") ? Coulda helped him better serve the next guy.

Dan

Because that belt would have been 4.2" long. Actually the number would be 050420.

If only my fingers were as clever as the rest of me....
May 11, 2010 7:36 a.m. TJ Dork

NAPAs are franchise stores and I've been to some that were an autozone in disguise and others where I could actually talk to the people and learn something from them. I think it all depends on who has the local franchise. I'm not sure if they are all that way - there may be some corporate stores.

I've got an alternator from a saturn on my Mini and Ford escort ignition parts on my BMW. I've been there - trying to get something from a person behind the counter who doesn't really understand what you are trying to do and can't think past their computer prompt.
May 11, 2010 7:47 a.m. zomby woof HalfDork

Twin_Cam wrote:

NAPA around here means just as bad as Autozone/Pep Boys/Advance, and with worse hours.

Glad they're better in your area.

The Napa's around here are typically used by the trades, and don't sell a lot of retail. That's covered by Canadian tire, or Partsource (Canadian tire).

The Napa's, and Carquest's are generally quite good, but the little independents are still the best.
May 11, 2010 7:50 a.m. NGTD HalfDork

I managed to get a starter for my 1973 Grew 215 with a Mercruiser 888 (188 Hp Ford 302) by going to Crappy Tire and asking for a starter for a 302 Ford from a 1973 F-150.

Sometimes it is how you ask the question and no it did not have AC!
May 11, 2010 7:50 a.m. Bobzilla Dork

Well, being "that guy" on the other side of the counter I can tell you that I had my share of "mouth breeders" (as you call them, I call them morons) as customers. I can tell you at one point the next person to come in and ask for a starter for a "small block chevy they're all the same"... or a valve cover gasket for a tree-fiddy, they're all the same I was going to give them a swirlie. How about the moron with the old mopar that kept returning the alt he bought because it's th wrong one and we're f#@*'in idiots and then when he brings it in to show us up it's his AIR pump? Or the guy that wanted a refund for putting in 5 quarts of 80W90 into his iron duke because wew didn't tell him not to? Or.....

They're on both sides of the counter there.
May 11, 2010 7:51 a.m. DILYSI Dave SuperDork

The grungier a NAPA looks, the more useful it is. A nice new one will probably leave you wanting. One that is in a 50 year old building that needs to be painted, has a logo that is 3 generations old, has bars on the windows, An "open" sign that is covered in greasy fingerprints, a busted up parking lot, and 2/3 of the fluorescent bulbs dead or flickering will prove to be a goldmine.
May 11, 2010 8:01 a.m. joey48442 SuperDork

I've heard just as many stories about stupid customers as well. Like at the autoparts near me, a women works there, and alot of dumb rednecks won't talk with her, so I always go see her, as there usually is no line. And if I ask her something she doesn't know, she finds out for me. Works out pretty well.

Joey
May 11, 2010 8:27 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I have three Napas within easy distance.. one I can walk to in 15 minutes... ALL are owned by people who know cars. One of them (the closest) actually had a guy who remembered my Father's Guards Red Opel Kadett Rallye when he raced it here back in the early 70s.

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