Talk me into, or out of, it...

[Caman96]

That's a shame, NAPA used to be the standard of quality/availability back in the 60s and 70s

It’s been updated to - No American Parts Available.

 

[someotherguy]

NAPA stands for Not Any Parts Available.

When I had my shop, I dealt primarily with two parts houses near me. One was an independent place that had been there forever. The other was a huge NAPA warehouse. When the guy would say, "let me check stock on that" - it was usually followed with "yeah I've got 1,653 of them" or some other ridiculous (but true) number. I found myself there frequently because the indie guys weren't physically large enough to have everything under one roof, but I'd check with them first anyway (they also made hydraulic hoses, so I was there a lot for that, too.)

That NAPA however was the one where a counterman copped a very unprovoked and unexpected attitude with me because I came in with the part # for a fuel pump I needed for a '96 Vortec 7.4. He tried to give me a plastic trash can assembly and I told him no, it's the separate pump, here's the part #. "We don't have that" he snipped, and "This is the one it needs." I informed him that the part # I gave is the one that I need. "Well how do you know that?" Just argumentative and confrontational for no reason. I'll confess I was letting him charge me up too, and we were both getting loud. I told him I know because I had the old pump out already, I looked it up, and plus I know what the fck I'm doing. He lost it and started hollering unintelligible insults and curses at me, and I was ready to climb over the counter and beat on him.

One of the commercial account guys came and hustled me towards their counter and quietly suggested I open an account and only deal with them instead of this freak up front. That's how we did business since that day. Of course they went back and got the pump that I asked for, and I walked out of the store taunting him with it the whole way...

Richard

 

[movietvet]

This is a true story: I tried selling parts one summer to take a break from shop work. It was one of the very first O'Reilly's in KC, Mo. area. Shop calls up and says "I need front caliper's for a Vega". I asked for year of Vega. He said. "Does not matter, they are all the same". Having worked in shops, I knew they were not ALL the same. I tried to ask him again and he got snotty and said again, "They are all the same and DO NOT ask him again". I said ok. I pulled front calipers and saw there was another set with different part numbers right next to them but I said to myself, "50/50 chance". They got delivered and about 3 hours later the shop owner comes in and throws the calipers on the counter and says in a loud obstinate nasty voice, "These are not the right calipers"!!!!! I looked right at him and said, "Nope, they gotta be right, THEY ARE ALL THE SAME....REMEMBER"!!!!!!

I then immediately turn to the store manager and hand him my keys and told him "I QUIT". "I don't want to work at a place where you have to deal with idiots like this A*S*S*H*O*L*E".
I was twice the size of THE A*S*S*H*O*L*E and he did not say a word. I walked out but knew I would see them at that store again because I lived in the neighborhood and used them for parts. I was told the store manager looked up and gave the A*S*S*H*O*L*E the other calipers and told the a*s*s*h*o*l*e that I was right after all and he cost him an employee. That story was legend around there and brought up every time I came in.

 

[Scooterwrench]

I've been dealing with my local NAPA since '88. Haven't had to threaten to drag him over the counter,tear his head off and $**** down his neck in years. He knows me and knows I do know what I'm doing.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

The closest parts house we have is O'Reilly (~16 miles), when I go in they ask me what year truck, I say "88 but that doesn't matter"

 

[Road Trip]

This is a true story: I tried selling parts one summer to take a break from shop work.

Hello movievet,

Looks like we are traveling down parallel paths through life. A few years ago I did the same thing
at a local chain parts store. On the mend from getting so sick from the burn pits in the sandbox, I
was just looking for a little spending money from a no-stress gig. Took a position delivering parts
on the double to local commercial customers.

It was perfect. All the shop owners were pleasantly surprised that I had a clue, so when the parts
that were ordered didn't match the busted bits they needed to replace, I could get on the phone
with the commercial mgr and drill down to the correct answer in the fewest possible words. Or
even chit-chat a bit about how they troubleshot to a particular part -- they seemed to enjoy
sharing how they went about their craft.

It was like being the off-season Santa Claus, especially with the mom & pop shops. Felt better than
it paid, but after working on high stress fighter jets, this was a pure lark by comparison. The
motorhead version of working on a better than average foodie truck -- smiles all around. :0)

****

Of course all good things must come to an end. Because I passed all the required training & word had
gotten out that I had a clue under the hood, the store mgr kept pressuring me to work with the
public at the counter. Watching what transpired at the counter made that opportunity look
pretty unappetizing.

Funny, but what finally forced my hand was O'Reilly's opening their first store in the area (NY was
the last state that they entered) and when they started hiring we lost 5 coworkers in a single day.

In the ensuring chaos, they offered me a non-trivial bump to work at the counter. So trying to be
a team player, I started dealing with John Q. Public. Although it was a lot of fun to provide unexpected
technical assistance to unsuspecting customers that helped them out of a jam, in no time the bad actors
removed all of the joy from the job.

People who navigate through life with pure emotion and no knowledge twisting up every transaction with
so much drama and vitriol. A sense of entitlement that allowed them to do anything they could to try to
force a company to unfairly subsidize their cost of mobility without a trace of guilt?

Nope. Not for me. Even a little bit.

I had a couple of transactions nearly identical to yours, and I also walked away. Funny how you end up
learning some of the biggest lessons in life in unplanned moments.

Bottom line? Makes me appreciate how folks interact with each other in here all the more.

:0)

Cheers --

 

[Supercharged111]

The closest parts house we have is O'Reilly (~16 miles), when I go in they ask me what year truck, I say "88 but that doesn't matter"

Try owning a 99 or 2000 GMT400. It's easier to tell them it's a 98, lest they bring you GMT800 parts.

 

[movietvet]

Hello movievet,

Looks like we are traveling down parallel paths through life. A few years ago I did the same thing
at a local chain parts store. On the mend from getting so sick from the burn pits in the sandbox, I
was just looking for a little spending money from a no-stress gig. Took a position delivering parts
on the double to local commercial customers.

It was perfect. All the shop owners were pleasantly surprised that I had a clue, so when the parts
that were ordered didn't match the busted bits they needed to replace, I could get on the phone
with the commercial mgr and drill down to the correct answer in the fewest possible words. Or
even chit-chat a bit about how they troubleshot to a particular part -- they seemed to enjoy
sharing how they went about their craft.

It was like being the off-season Santa Claus, especially with the mom & pop shops. Felt better than
it paid, but after working on high stress fighter jets, this was a pure lark by comparison. The
motorhead version of working on a better than average foodie truck -- smiles all around. :0)

****

Of course all good things must come to an end. Because I passed all the required training & word had
gotten out that I had a clue under the hood, the store mgr kept pressuring me to work with the
public at the counter. Watching what transpired at the counter made that opportunity look
pretty unappetizing.

Funny, but what finally forced my hand was O'Reilly's opening their first store in the area (NY was
the last state that they entered) and when they started hiring we lost 5 coworkers in a single day.

In the ensuring chaos, they offered me a non-trivial bump to work at the counter. So trying to be
a team player, I started dealing with John Q. Public. Although it was a lot of fun to provide unexpected
technical assistance to unsuspecting customers that helped them out of a jam, in no time the bad actors
removed all of the joy from the job.

People who navigate through life with pure emotion and no knowledge twisting up every transaction with
so much drama and vitriol. A sense of entitlement that allowed them to do anything they could to try to
force a company to unfairly subsidize their cost of mobility without a trace of guilt?

Nope. Not for me. Even a little bit.

I had a couple of transactions nearly identical to yours, and I also walked away. Funny how you end up
learning some of the biggest lessons in life in unplanned moments.

Bottom line? Makes me appreciate how folks interact with each other in here all the more.

:0)

Cheers --

Yea, it was great when a customer came in and needed help deciphering what they actually needed. Being from the shop atmosphere, I helped a lot with that. Some of the shop owners were jerks and even some of the walk ins. This was before they got smart and started doing the commercial counter.

When I walk in to my AZ, they have retail counters and one commercial counter. The commercial people never help at the retail counter. They need to be available to commercial calls at all times. They also have a retired ASE Master Tech that helps at both counters and is there to answer questions that the other counter people cannot handle. He knows my qualifications and helps me get in and out asap. I was going to try to deliver parts for them but when there was not deliveries, I was gonna be expected to "front" shelves, dust shelves and also put away stock and that included climbing the roll around tall steps for the high up shelves. I am afraid of heights. That was a big no all around. Even the Master Tech that helps at the counters is seen putting up signs in the windows for sales and such. No thanks.

Maybe when I get old enough that I cannot turn a wrench but that is years off. I HOPE.....

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

I have had 4 LS swapped hodgepodge vehicles, and when I get parts I give them the year make and model for the vehicle that had the part I want.

So, when they look up my vehicles on file for the "warranty" it's hilarious because I have at least 12 different vehicles that I've never owned but they had to put in. I think I got one of every GM truck from 96 to 07 in there, plus a couple Corvettes and Camaros.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Try owning a 99 or 2000 GMT400. It's easier to tell them it's a 98, lest they bring you GMT800 parts.

Yup! Went through that with our '90 square body Burb, and with both '99 Burbs. Multiple times.....
One time Dad and I were doing rear axle/diff service on the '84 Burb and I had to look in the pictures at the back of the gasket catalog, cause the parts counterman couldn't look up the diff cover gasket for a GM truck 12 bolt.....
When you grew up in the automotive parts business, and read catalogs for entertainment during slow times, seeing people who don't know what they're doing is just kinda sad.