I hate O'Reilly Auto Parts

[MichiganXJ]

The O'Reilly near me is actually pretty decent. It used to be a Murray's (MI/OH chain) and it had to be the second worst parts store I ever dealt with (second only to the nearest Autozone). Pretty much all the chain parts stores in my immediate area are pretty good these days. The Advance is phenomenal, the Napa is quite good, and the Autozone is even decent (by AZ standards-I still refuse to buy anything but oil/filters from them). By contrast, all the same chain stores in the east side Detroit 'burbs were horrendous.

We still have a few independent parts houses near where I live. They are definitely the kind of place where the guy at the counter has visible ink, is missing at least one finger from a wrenching-related accident, and the whole place smells like a combination of Camel filters, grease, metal shavings and oil from the machine shop-it's quite intoxicating. One of the shops was still using paper books to track part numbers until 2005(!). The only problem is that their prices simply aren't competitive with the chain stores. When I can look up a part number online and take it to Advance, I just can't justify paying 60% more at the indie place, nor can I afford to. It's a shame, but unfortunately I don't have money to burn for the sake of nostalgia.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

I worked parts for 4 years. I knew my job and did it well. I listened to the customer and did my best to get them what they needed. I had customers that I could swear with, and joke with. I usually tried to take a minute to find out what the actual problem was.

In the time I was there we fired countless visible ink wearing, chain smoking, swearing doushbags, who would rather use the outdated and incorrect parts books, than the computer. In my mind those guys do not equal the ideal parts counter.

The parts computers we had have every part we sell in it, you just have to take the time (about 4 minutes, 5 if you have an IQ lower than my dog) to learn how to use it correctly. Sure, the books have part numbers in them, they have every part that the manufacturer makes, but they are not necessarily parts that we carry, and 8 times out of 10, they are not the number that we stock the part buy.

You guys have to realize: You may know exactly what part you need. You also know what kind of car that you drive. That puts you in a slim category, especially now that a lot more people are starting to buy parts to do work themselves with the economy where it is. When the counter clerk asks you if it is a Grand cherokee after you say cherokee, it is because the other 6 people who cane in that did did not know that there was a difference. Shit, I sold a lady parts for her Toyota Camry only to have her come back an hour later with her husband who politely corrected her and got the parts for a honda station wagon.

 

[kastein]

You guys have to realize: You may know exactly what part you need. You also know what kind of car that you drive. That puts you in a slim category, especially now that a lot more people are starting to buy parts to do work themselves with the economy where it is. When the counter clerk asks you if it is a Grand cherokee after you say cherokee, it is because the other 6 people who cane in that did did not know that there was a difference. Shit, I sold a lady parts for her Toyota Camry only to have her come back an hour later with her husband who politely corrected her and got the parts for a honda station wagon.

Definitely a really good point. I see SO MANY Cherokees listed on Craigslist as Grand Cherokees, and so many Grand Cherokees listed as Cherokees. Apparently they can't read the title or the badge on the fender.

Hell, you expect people to know what kind of car and engine they have when they can't figure out how much air to put in the tires, or for that matter don't realize their tires need air? And they forget for YEARS to get an oil change?

This is why the first thing I say when I walk up to the parts counter is "<year> Jeep Cherokee NOT GRAND with a 6 cylinder engine, 4 speed auto transmission, and 4 wheel drive". I find that 4.0L tends to confuse, since the number 4 is also mentioned in "4 cylinder 2.5L engine."

 

[souske]

This is why the first thing I say when I walk up to the parts counter is "<year> Jeep Cherokee NOT GRAND with a 6 cylinder engine, 4 speed auto transmission, and 4 wheel drive". I find that 4.0L tends to confuse, since the number 4 is also mentioned in "4 cylinder 2.5L engine."

but then you might get parts for the shitty 2.8 tbi V6:roflmao:

 

[hawk_sixsix]

Hey, just to throw some gas on this fire..... does any place use buyer's guides anymore? I've spent many hours combing through "starter mugshots" trying to find a match for someone's project car. Ditto for alternators. "Hey, this one should work... if we reclock it." :read:

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

no, mainly because the only people who ever wanted me to do something like that were complete jackasses about it. So I told them to go figure out where the motor came from that they jack-rigged into the piece of crap.

They came in with a broken alt (missing pieces) and all they could tell me was that it was from V8. My guess is that they dropped the motor off a hoist with the accessories still attached and broke it that way. They then changed the story when they came back in and said that it was defective and that if I wanted to keep my job I had better give them a new one on warranty. I had a good boss who pretty much told them to piss off.

 

[dellstopjeep]

Its amazing how shitty we get treated by people sometimes. I have almost been punched over a customers anger with waiting in line or not having something in stock. Auto parts is a dangerous lifestlye haha.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

I was glad to quit when I gaduated and picked up my commission. Although I am apparently still technically employed. Since the company did not process my paperwork fast enough it was easier to just mark me as military and be done. Which means that they have to give me a job if I come back, which is cool I suppose.

 

[ReverendOD]

We have a local parts house right by my house, the kind of place that looks every part up in a book still. And if they dont have it or you need something odd for a project they will pull out 6 books and look through them to find you exactly what you need. If they dont stock it they will order it and usually they are not much more expensive then buying it

 

[88 Wagonman]

They came in with a broken alt (missing pieces) and all they could tell me was that it was from V8. My guess is that they dropped the motor off a hoist with the accessories still attached and broke it that way. They then changed the story when they came back in and said that it was defective and that if I wanted to keep my job I had better give them a new one on warranty. I had a good boss who pretty much told them to piss off.

I just heard a report on the radio from the Better Business Bureau that said that there has been a recent 50% increase in "Friendly fraud." They went on to say that businesses need to be careful with "the customer is always right" motto. It sucks that people can't just be honest and own up to their own mistakes.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

Yea, I had great return rate because I tried to help people out instead of selling them everything we had. I also would refuse to return used parts. Flippin' middle eastern cab drivers were the worst for that. Those guys would buy a complete tune up, then when the 400k mile, ex police interceptor still ran crappy they would pull all the tune up parts back off and put the old ones back on. Then try to return the greasy nasty used parts. Sometimes they even tried to pass them off as unopened. The big tip off for that is when you do all the work in our parking lot.

 

[Darky]

My friend who works in the Geek Squad had a customer take a swing at him when he wouldn't return a hard drive that wasn't purchased there. Another guy tried returning an XBox that was all dirty and caked in dust, claiming it was the one on his receipt form the day prior. Another woman tried returning a 3 yr old laptop that was a completely different model from the one on her receipt. When the Geek Squad pointed out that it wasn't the right one, she came over to the computer department (where I worked) making a scene crying that she can't believe that she's being treated like a criminal.

I had a guy when I worked at Hertz, I had to throw him out. It took me and a huge guy from the parts department of the dealer to convince him it was time to leave.