Tired of Bad Service at Parts Stores!

[banzaitoyota]

Ever have this happen to you:

 

Walk into Parts Store, Wait for counter person to get off phone. Start describing the part ou need, get interupted by them answerign the phone? Wait some more only to find the part you need has to be ordered. Order Part.

 

Come back later that day to pick up part; only to be told that the part with your name on it was sold to a shop that needed it now. WTF am I? Chopped liver?

 

Way to grow your business pal!

 

 

[MnTom]

I have actually seen ONE parts person grab the phone and say ---parts. Can you hold? and before the person on the other end could say anything he punched the hold button. Either they were there when he got done with whomever he was helping or they hung up. He said the people that took the time to come there are more important than anyone on the phone. For them to sell the part out from under you like that is really low and underhanded.

[Cowboy]

If you don't mind me asking, what store was this at?  Out of all the stores I've been to, Napa has always been the best.  Mine has plenty of guys at the counter, so always someone there to help, and always willing to help. 

 

Now when it comes to others... not really.  Just recently, I went to Advance Auto.  After searching for something for a couple minutes, I ask the (very grumpy) counter guy where I might find something, he didn't even look at me, and pointed in a very rough direction, that's it, didn't look, didn't talk...  Still took me another 2 minutes to find there very small selection.  Then went to Napa for the same thing, they didn't have any the size I needed in stock, but he gave me a list of all the ones he could order and would be there the next day (for a DIY type project, so I was flexible in the diameter/length I needed). 

[Mopar1973Man]

I always get excellent service from my local Napa stores. they all know me by name and I get to use Lindy's account and gain a small discount for all my parts. Most of the time I hit them with odd parts and we have a understanding. Give counter guys the vehicle information, what part your looking for, if they can't find it right then they will call you back with a answer. Ford products tend to be the weirdest vehicles rarely in stock and most need to be custom order from the dealer.

[banzaitoyota]

Believe it or not this is at NAPA!

[Mopar1973Man]

I guess its time to file a complaint to the manager of the store.

[banzaitoyota]

I will, he owns the 2 stores in town. I went to the NAPA on the other side from me owned by someone else.

[JAG1]

Next time they keep on answering the phone, call from your cell phone while your waiting in the line.

As for the needed part sold out from under you.... I would tell the manager that you want a discount large enough to make up for the double trips you have to make to go for it again. Maybe even a gift card otherwise I think I'd go somewhere else.

At least they didn't lie to you

Edited December 7, 2014 by JAG1

[IBMobile]

   My problem is they don't listen to what you say.  Last week I ordered a left rear door latch/lock assembly for a 2000 Volvo v70 and a power steering pump for a 1998 Volvo XC70.  Next day in comes a  door latch for a 1998 Volvo  and a power steering pump for a 2000 Volvo. I call him up and he says he'll send the right things out first thing. Three days later I call " where's my parts" and he tells me he  forgot what I ordered and couldn't call back because he lost my phone number. Now my customer is calling me when is his his car go to be fixed. It's hard dealing with stupid.       From another supplier I ordered front brake pads, front rotors and rear brake pads. 2 hours later they deliver front brake pads, rear brake pads and rear rotors. This goes on all the time. It's rely hard to deal with stupid.

 

I go into a parts house and wait my turn. In walks a nice looking young lady. Counter guy gets off the phone and asks the gal if she needs help. With that I ask him "if I wore a skirt would I get faster service"? Probably not. I'm tired of dealing with stupid!   

[hex0rz]

Good healthy competition and them being brought to attention of it works well. When someone realizes they could lose their job to the loss of business, most of the time they 180 on you.

 

We had an autozone recently put in and the local o'reilly's got quiet... Attitude adjustment is in order!

[Wild and Free]

Our locally owned parts house " Hedals / Benco" is excellent to deal with and they have grown into several states from good customer service. The greet you by name and have held onto most of their employees for decades.

The chain store parts houses are the worst and I have had lots of similar experiences like that, different week different personal at most of them and seems most don't know the difference between a bumper and a wiper blade some days.

[anoldbiker]

I understand when they are busy with customers and you need to wait your turn ... BUT ... when you are next and your telling them what they want or need, then the young employee attending you stops in the middle of your sentence to answer a personal text or cell call crosses a line.

 

It's bad enough the kid orders the wrong part, or some other screw up, but this takes the cake. That is why I will not go to the local AutoZone. I like they try to help the upcoming next generation get a foot hold in the working environment, but it's not helping them allowing them to feel their personal life is more important then the paying customer that assist in their paycheck.

 

I know this sound like an old man, (and I am), I miss the old days and the way they treated customers / people.

[Mopar1973Man]

I got one for you. This happened day before yesterday at the shop. Lindy shows up and he's got a door release handle to install in Chevy pickup. Get the door all tore down to the frame and get the old broken handle off. The open the package and finds its RH door handle and not the LH door handle. Oh! Was he pissed off. So he gets Stephanie his wife to order the correct part. So 2 days to install one simple door handle.

[IBMobile]

Would you like that oil filter super sized? How about some fries with that crank seal?

[Wild and Free]

Would you like that oil filter super sized? How about some fries with that crank seal?

And that is from people with a masters or Dr. degree these days..................................

[IBMobile]

This morning I go to Hyundia of Escondido. I order a gas tank air filter for a 2009 Azera. 'No problem sir, we have that part in stock. Here you go, that will be $17.81'.

 

An hour later the phone rings. 'Mr Mobile I sold you the wrong part. The part you have is for a 2008 Elantra. You'll have to come back and change it out, with a new price of 58.95'. Well at least they still had my account info with my phone number.

[hex0rz]

I understand when they are busy with customers and you need to wait your turn ... BUT ... when you are next and your telling them what they want or need, then the young employee attending you stops in the middle of your sentence to answer a personal text or cell call crosses a line.

 

It's bad enough the kid orders the wrong part, or some other screw up, but this takes the cake. That is why I will not go to the local AutoZone. I like they try to help the upcoming next generation get a foot hold in the working environment, but it's not helping them allowing them to feel their personal life is more important then the paying customer that assist in their paycheck.

 

I know this sound like an old man, (and I am), I miss the old days and the way they treated customers / people.

 

I admire your passivity of it, but I like to take more aggressive approach. You have to look at it this way:

 

-As a customer you are essentially their BOSS. You are the one putting that money on their check. If you don't assert yourself as such, of course your going to walked on. Tell the kid to get the   off the phone and get to WORK!

 

I'm not afraid to hand someones *** over on a platter to their manager. I have done it before and when the manager comes around I'm getting the *** kissing service I deserved in the first place. I have had a manager escort me through a store as I took my sweet time to find what I needed because it was past closing and then received a discount on top of that. Sometimes you have to grab them by the balls and show them whats up!

 

This morning I go to Hyundia of Escondido. I order a gas tank air filter for a 2009 Azera. 'No problem sir, we have that part in stock. Here you go, that will be $17.81'.

 

An hour later the phone rings. 'Mr Mobile I sold you the wrong part. The part you have is for a 2008 Elantra. You'll have to come back and change it out, with a new price of 58.95'. Well at least they still had my account info with my phone number.

 

This reminds of a time when I first bought my 5ther. I had to have it taken back to their shop to get a hydraulic jack replaced as it was leaking before I took possession of it. The shop was 45 min away from where I lived. Well, I was at work and ensured that the wife make it clear what keys the delivery guy needed for the shop to do their work on it. I get a call about a couple hours later from the service manager and she tells me they cannot get into the trailer. OH, really?!

 

I asked her why and she says she needs our keys as we locked the second lock and their master wont work on it. I told her that I had my wife check with the driver to make sure what keys they wanted. She wanted me to drive out to their shop and drop the keys off. I say hey, okay, but because there was a failure of communication on your part, your going to reimburse me for driving out there. She protested it but I reminded her it was not my fault. I did my due diligence!

 

She agreed to credit me $50 towards anything in their store. Fine, I shall see you after work. She was not present when I arrived, but told another associate of the situation. So I asked this guy for help in finding the adapters I needed to reduce the connection down to use an extension cord to power the trailer when I do not have a 50 amp hookup. He said the plug for going to 50 amp to 30 can differentiate between trailers. So I told him mine is in the shop and went to look for me. I once again explained in detail which one mine was. He double-checked said he was 100% confident that the plug was the proper one. So the service manager returns and she checks me out. It was slightly over and she was okay with it.

 

So, I wait the next day, the trailer is delivered back to the house as I did not have my hitch in yet. I get off work and go straight out to the trailer to hook the plug in. WRONG ONE!

 

So, I grumble from this guys lack of grey matter. Me and the wife take another drive out to the shop and asked for the service manager, they said they would let her know. She was not present but would return soon. I wait about 45 min. and she finally returns. I'm waiting by the bathrooms and she comes walking by. She takes a double on me and wonders why I was back. I told her that the plug I had got on the credit was the wrong one. There was only one other style for the 50 amp adapter. So she grabs the guy that helped me and they discuss it. She grabs the other plug and rings it up to exchange it. The guy retorts back that the plug is much more expensive than the one he picked out for me. I told her that I made sure that the day before I would leave with the right plug.

 

Heres the kicker, the guy snaps back and promptly told her that I was lying and that I never told him about my trailer or something to that affect. Now, typically I would come uncorked on the guy for calling me a liar, but the service manager ignored him and followed through. The plug was $120 for mine, and the one he sold me was like $30! Whew, I bet that came out of his check!

 

I'm sure when I walked out that door, his rear was tore to shreds...

 

I guess the moral of the story is, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease!"

[anoldbiker]

I found out over time, you can be a squeaky wheel with only a look of being upset. When I bought my Dodge, we selected a truck, had the trade in paperwork completed, the check for the final payment sent to the payment department and waiting for the truck to be brought out. I mentioned to the salesman that he has yet secured the keys and it could be sold by another salesman. He assured as long as the truck was up on his computer, no other salesman could sell it. I asked him if there was a timeout on his computer, and he assured me there wasn't. Then he spent quite a bit of time bantering with the sales manager, other salesmen, answered another customers question and so on. 

 

I told him it's getting late, I noticed our trade in truck was cleaned and put on the lot and sold right away, the finance department had closed and I seen the guy with the bag go to the bank, and no new truck for us yet. He assured me, with the sales manager there as long as it was on his screen it was in the process to be brought to me.

 

I went out for a smoke and I seen a truck like I selected pull up and a lady came out with keys, smiling. But she walked past me and handed the keys to a younger gentleman. I was getting pi$$ed and talked to the salesman and the manager. Someone had sold the truck I selected. But they would get me something else I would like and I wanted, Sorry, nothing was like I had selected was on the lot. So they said they will try the next day. I walked into the owners office and had it out with him. It seems they sold my trade in, took the check to there bank and deposited it and the wife and I are without any ride home, and that this old man who is really pi$$ed off did not want a rental for a day or two while they tried to find something. He either had to make me whole or make me happy. (Oh, I mentioned I was going to seek a lawyer and call the local newspaper with this story, a bad PR story.)

 

So I went into the lot again, selected and received the truck I have now, and the additional add ons that were on it ... at no extra cost ... PLUS the registration fees and taxes that were higher was taken care of and additional warrantee ... as long as I would say I was happy when leaving there and letting this drop. Never raised my voice once, just looked pi$$ed off. 

 

I'll more than likely never get a deal like that again.

 

And

 

as for that AutoZone issue I had, it seems like several others have had the same problem and the store manager has changed and different employees are there. might consider going back and trying again, but in no hurry.