i work at a parts store

Hungary Bill wrote: You kids here have it so easy. Why back in Hungary I had to give my engine number off my 50cc scooter just to get a spark plug and pod air filter! (that's no joke) and this is after I gave the usual "2006 Derbi GPR50" info. The folks at the local O'reillys (sp?) are all pretty cool. No stories there. 'Cept one day when I asked the young 'un (who was probably my age) for "Points, cap, rotor, and condenser" for my Impala. He was very hung up on the "points" part. "Breakable ignition contacts???" (or something to that effect). He made triple sure they really were what I wanted before I left (because they didn't look "pointy"), but can't fault him for that. Good times (and I really missed this thread, glad to see it's back)

yeah … points are a foreign language to the younger parts house guys … much hilarity can result from the request for them

bigmackloud wrote: Ill post one redeemer for humanity. We got behind one day and this guys oil change appointment takes literally 2 hrs. (He's there waiting on it). Now any other customer wold have cussed me out at the 30 min mark. But this guy was super chill. I felt terrible for how long it had taken and apologized repeatedly. The guy was so nice that he kept insisting that he pay for the oil change even when I told him that it was on the house because we took so long.

2 hours seems to be the going time for an oil change around here. Even at Pepboys. Unless I drive an hour to go to the one place that takes 15-20min. (rolling my own at the mother in-laws now)

And here they had me thinking I was being picky for feeling that 2 hours for an oil change is absurd!

Apexcarver wrote: 2 hours seems to be the going time for an oil change around here. Even at Pepboys. Unless I drive an hour to go to the one place that takes 15-20min. (rolling my own at the mother in-laws now) And here they had me thinking I was being picky for feeling that 2 hours for an oil change is absurd!

We had 2 bays (4 techs total) for our "Express Service". On a Saturday (our short day 7am-4pm), we could roll 150+ cars through those 2 bays. It was crazy stressful. But a 2hr oil change was still unacceptable. I didn't have the heart to charge the guy.

RealMiniDriver wrote: The manager (or maybe he's the assistant mgr) at the O'reilly's near me is actually pretty good. I had ordered a tool (Lisle electrical connector pin removal gizmo). Got the call that it had come in, the day before I was heading out of town for a few days. I didn't make it in, that day, to pick it up, and apparently, they have a policy that special orders are to be returned to the warehouse after a couple days. Manager got the call to return it, but knew who it was for, so he held onto it. So, not all parts monkeys are that bad.

Link to tool? I'm gearing up my electrical work stuff. Have to build a harness from scratch.

a 2 hour oil change would get me fired, even if the lots full so about 12 cars they expect the ticket times from write up to finish to stay under an hour running 2 bays with all the courtesy guys bullE36 M3. its really fun when there all full service on 4wd trucks.

dropstep wrote: a 2 hour oil change would get me fired,

Yea, it was a no-win situation. When we (the service writers) booked appointments like sane people, customers would complain that we were booked solid a week out for an oil change and nobody plans an oil change that far ahead. So we'd get yelled out to not turn people away. So now we're booked to gills with scheduled appointments. Then the dealership advertised "no appointment needed." So we'd get tons of walk-ins. So we were already booked 110% with scheduled appointments, but I'm not allowed to turn away walk-ins. And that's how you end up with 2hrs for an oil change. That place took years off my life.

I worked for a place once that had a running 2 week schedule, not including walk-ins.

On the other hand, the bike shop where I worked had a perpetual two month backlog. So it's not that bad.

Swank Force One wrote: Link to tool? I'm gearing up my electrical work stuff. Have to build a harness from scratch.

Like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-56500-Terminal-Tool/dp/B0009OR906

Knurled wrote: I worked for a place once that had a running 2 week schedule, not including walk-ins. On the other hand, the bike shop where I worked had a perpetual two month backlog. So it's not that bad.

Yes,

While in college I hustled bikes & did some mechanic work as well. We carried Kawasaki, BMW, & Royal Enfield. But tried to service pretty much anythig that came in the door.

What I soon discovered is that all the Japanese brands were so competitive they were constantly updating their line. No wait for a model number change or model year change. They were changing part numbers on the fly!

You could get a shipment of six H-1s at the same time. At least two or three of that shipment would have been updated & take different parts, even though the serial numbers were very close. A two month wait for a different repair part based upon a serial number difference of maybe 50+ in one shipment was actually pretty fast.

I used to work in a shop up in Maryland. One day a man with a Subaru came in because his car was making some horrible noises after he had changed his transmission fluid. Upon further inspection he had completely drained his transmission and then dumped the prescribed amount of transmission fluid into the engine.

In reply to EdHigginbotham:OUCH!!!

We currently have a customer trying to return an Altima cam/crank sensor that he has tried to use and did not fix his car. What WRONG with people...

EdHigginbotham wrote: I used to work in a shop up in Maryland. One day a man with a Subaru came in because his car was making some horrible noises after he had changed his transmission fluid. Upon further inspection he had completely drained his transmission and then dumped the prescribed amount of transmission fluid into the engine.

Ohhh, now that's a good one!

In reply to Rupert:

The older Hyundai's (pre-2000) had build dates with the actual DAY they were built. That was extremely important when looking for replacement parts because in one month there may be 2 or 3 part changes. Such a nightmare.

Hell, in some mid 2000s Kias the front doors, door glass and windshields were different for the 1.8L and the 2.0L. Try getting the average person that drives a Kia to know anything about it except where the gas goes and how to work the radio.

And don't even get me started on mid year parts changes, even the new camaro does it. The windshield changes the mirror bracket location by 1 damn inch in the middle of the 2011 MY I think.

In reply to Swank Force One:

Steelman 95839 off Amazon. That's on my wish list as the electron guru of my shop.

Dude calls the store, says his car is acting up, and needs some advice. I ask him what kinda problems he is having, he says "listen for yourself" and sticks the phone out the window of his truck AS HE IS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.

It's because of this thread that I get the overwhelming urge to say "Yes, I'd like you to diagnose my car's problems while I angerly describe, in the most vaguest of terms, it's symptoms" to the parts store guy/gal every time I walk into O'vanced-zone.

It's for that reason, I thought I'd bring it back to page one (you know, in case someone had more stories).

noddaz wrote: We currently have a customer trying to return an Altima cam/crank sensor that he has tried to use and did not fix his car. What WRONG with people...

He probably had some shop throw a part at a problem that didn't fix it and got a refund for the work they did.

Attention customers: The size of the part generally has no bearing on the price. Quit making assumptions that since a part is small that it won't cost more than $20.

Along that same line, I get annoyed by customers assuming prices before actually pricing an item. You price a part and get

"that's too much".

Me: what kind of prices have you gotten from other places?

Customer: You're the first place I called, I just thought it would be cheaper.

Ugh.

I work at a Hyundai dealer in the parts department, let me tell you, I get people on a weekly basis that try and get a spare key made for their car

it goes a little something like this:

Customer: I need a spare key for my car

Me: ok sir/maam do you have a valid registration and license?

Customer: No, I need this key now I am in a hurry

Me: well sorry sir/maam I cannot, by law, make a duplicate key for your cehicle without this information.

Customer: (yelling) what do you mean? I talked to someone here and they said you could! this is bullE36 M3!

Me: Well sir/maam I am the only one who works in this parts department and I never gave anyone that advice. I would be hapy to cut the key for you if you have the correct paperwork

Customer: Let me talk to the general Manager, you are lying

and he tells them the same thing. its silly

Or, the people who call in, get a 35$ quote on wipers and an oil filter, and demand a discount. Why should I give you a discount? so I loose money? I already make next to nothing on those parts and you are now waisting my time. they call back, price goes up 5$

Spoolpigeon wrote: Attention customers: The size of the part generally has no bearing on the price. Quit making assumptions that since a part is small that it won't cost more than $20.

Wait until they see the price of a MAP sensor

tjbell wrote: Or, the people who call in, get a 35$ quote on wipers and an oil filter, and demand a discount. Why should I give you a discount? so I loose money? I already make next to nothing on those parts and you are now waisting my time. they call back, price goes up 5$

Or the flood of people who call on a Craigslist item or ride already listed below average market value. At least 8 out of 10 will at some point ask. Will you take less?

I have a buddy whose Camaro was listed for $15,000. A guy from Michigan said he was coming down with a trailer if my buddy would take less. So my buddy called and laughingly told me he'd take $14,950 if the guy showed up. I advised him to quickly call the guy back with the "lowered price" lest he get shot when the guy arrived.

Spoolpigeon wrote: Attention customers: The size of the part generally has no bearing on the price. Quit making assumptions that since a part is small that it won't cost more than $20. Ugh.

I remember when I bought my first 240Z new. Everyone I worked with was shocked that it cost $3,500 with A/C. The common response was "You could have bought a new Chevy (or Ford) for that price and it's a much bigger car!"

I tried using the price per pound analogy comparing hamburger to steak. That usually went right over their heads.