a few simple things people should know before visiting an autoparts store:
1) Please, for the love of God, understand what a core charge is. If you're buying something like a radiator, starter, or alternator, there is going to be a core charge. If you don't have the core with you right then and there, we have to charge you whatever that core charge is. If you buy a $100 alternator, and there's a $50 core charge, and you have no old alternator, you owe us $150. If you have your old alternator, you still owe us $100. Not $50. If you still don't understand, get one of your friends to come with you that does understand.
2) I'm sorry we don't stock parts for your 1989 Yugo. This is a business. Parts that sit on shelves and do not move, don't make us money. You're the first person that's walked in here looking for a brand new alternator for your 1982 AMC Concord.
3) Yes, I can order the parts for you. As a matter of fact, I'd be more than happy to order them for your. And actually, they might even come from a different store as soon as the next day or two. The problem is, that other store is in California. And we're not in the freight business. We're in the auto parts business. I want your part here just as soon as you want it here... But there's not much I can do.
4) If you call us, and you're rude, or you swear at us. We're going to put you on hold. Expect to be on hold for awhile.
5) I work at a large store. We have three different divisions run out of this store. We do $10,000 a day in just our "do it yourself" division. And we help on average of 400 customers a day here. We're open for fifteen hours a day. Do the math, we help more than 26 customers an hour. On average, I'll be face to face with 10% of those. So about 40 people or so a day. We're not ignoring you when you're standing there, as a matter of fact, we said hello when you walked in. We're just really busy.
6) Yes, if you buy it on the internet, it is cheaper. There's a reason. It cuts my job out of the overhead equation. If they don't have to pay me to get the part from our shelf into your hands, it's going to be cheaper.
7) Yes, we price match competitors. No, I can't price match stuff on the internet. For one, I have no internet access at the store to see if the $120 brake rotor you want, sells for $10 on the internet. And if I sold it to you for $10, I'd probably lose my job.
8) Most of us that work here are ASE certified. Lots of us work on our own vehicles, our families vehicles, and sometimes other people's vehicles to make ends meet. This isn't our first rodeo. However, we literally deal with hundreds of makes and models of cars everyday. So no, I have no idea what size socket you're going to need to replace that EGR.
9) As I stated before, we're busy. We try not to be rude, and as much as I'd love to sit here and talk to you about your kids/job/life, or the fact that your Dodge Ram should have wing nuts holding your transmission on, I honestly don't have time. That's why I ring up your sale, make change, tell you to have a good day, and then walk away. We've got another 30 people just like you in the store.
10) Out of the 400 customers we see a day, about 20 of them know exactly what they need, they can walk out on the sales floor and get what they need off a shelf, and they are ready to go home. The other 380 need us to find the part for them. And out of that, most of them have no idea what the part on their car is.
11) Please know what you're buying, and what it's for. I have no idea if your car is a four cylinder or a six cylinder. Yes, I can tell by looking at it, but usually I'm the only manager here, and that means I can't leave the store. So I'd love to help you out. But really, it's not our job to guess what type of car you have. We understand most people don't know their rear end gearing or paint code, but we can point you in the right direction to find that out and you can get back to us.
12) If you walk into the store and ask for a battery for your Pontiac Aztek, I'll sell you a battery for a Pontiac Aztek. Please don't get angry when the alternator in your car is bad. And your old battery is just fine. Yes, our store offers free diagnostics, but you didn't ask me to test your car. You asked for a battery. You got a battery.
13) If you walk into the store, and you ask for a bracket. I'm going to ask what bracket. If you can't remember, I'll start... "Caliper, sway bar, alternator..." and I'll keep going. Maybe to jog your memory. If you still don't remember, there's not a heckuva lot I can do. Please step to the side so the guy behind you who knows exactly what he needs can get what he needs.
14) You're chosing brake pads, it's not like I just asked you an incredibly complex question. This answer should not take more than two minutes. Tops. As a matter of fact, if you sit and stare at the computer screen for more than two minutes, I might walk away, assuming that you've fallen into some sort of coma.
15) To add to 14, yes, there is a difference between the $15 and the $60 brake pads. If you have to ask, I already know you think they are the same, and you're going to buy the $15 brake pads. That's why I don't explain the difference too much.
16) When you go to check out, we have to offer whatever we have on special for the month to you. It's called a check out challenge, and it looks great if our store does better than every other store. No, we don't like it anymore than you do. But we have to do it.
17) Within the first few minutes being in our store, I already have you pegged as to what type of customer you are. There's four different types of customers. 1, the type that buys the best of everything, no matter what. 2, the type that will keep their car for awhile, so they buy decent parts. 3, the type that doesn't keep their car, but still buys decent parts. 4, the type that refuses to spend a dime over what they have to. If you're a type 4, we're going the extra mile for you. Sure, we'll carry that battery to your car. If you're a type 1, just tell us what you need, we'll sell you the part. Move on, there's a type 4 guy right behind you. We want that sale.
18) If you buy a part from us, and it fails, within the warranty period, I'll replace it for you. Please bring the old part in. We can do an even up swap, when it's covered under warranty. However, I can't just give you this power steering pump and assume you'll bring back the old one when you're ready. I have no idea who you are, and I'm going to have to account for this missing part.
19) No, I don't remember your Audi A6 from two months ago.
20) We close at ten, please don't pull in the parking lot at 10:30PM just as I'm locking the door and walking to my car. I really honestly, cannot help. I'd love to. But the alarm is set, and we've got security watching us. If I go back in, it looks really suspect.
21) Yes, it's my job, as a manager, to assure you're taken care of. Yes, I know the customer is always right. And yes, I know we have a liberal return policy. But if I refuse to return the fuses you bought two years ago, you've got to understand. Also, please don't abuse the return policy. I don't know why the non-factory keyless remote for your kid's Dodge Dakota doesn't work. We have a device to test it, and it seems the battery is dead. Don't ask me to replace all four batteries that you just bought for about $10. And when it still doesn't work, ask me to return them. As a matter of fact, if you open anything, and we can't reseal it. We can't resell it. Please think before you open stuff. And don't get mad at me when I can't take back that half used tube of JB Weld.
22) If you have a brake rotor that you bought, and is still covered under warranty. I'd be more than happy to get you another one. If it was metal on metal, and there are deep grooves in it. I won't be able to warranty it for you. If your brake pads are under warranty, and wearing funny, I'll probably sell you some new hardware, but I can't warranty the pads. Not my rules, just the ones I follow.
1) Please, for the love of God, understand what a core charge is. If you're buying something like a radiator, starter, or alternator, there is going to be a core charge. If you don't have the core with you right then and there, we have to charge you whatever that core charge is. If you buy a $100 alternator, and there's a $50 core charge, and you have no old alternator, you owe us $150. If you have your old alternator, you still owe us $100. Not $50. If you still don't understand, get one of your friends to come with you that does understand.
2) I'm sorry we don't stock parts for your 1989 Yugo. This is a business. Parts that sit on shelves and do not move, don't make us money. You're the first person that's walked in here looking for a brand new alternator for your 1982 AMC Concord.
3) Yes, I can order the parts for you. As a matter of fact, I'd be more than happy to order them for your. And actually, they might even come from a different store as soon as the next day or two. The problem is, that other store is in California. And we're not in the freight business. We're in the auto parts business. I want your part here just as soon as you want it here... But there's not much I can do.
4) If you call us, and you're rude, or you swear at us. We're going to put you on hold. Expect to be on hold for awhile.
5) I work at a large store. We have three different divisions run out of this store. We do $10,000 a day in just our "do it yourself" division. And we help on average of 400 customers a day here. We're open for fifteen hours a day. Do the math, we help more than 26 customers an hour. On average, I'll be face to face with 10% of those. So about 40 people or so a day. We're not ignoring you when you're standing there, as a matter of fact, we said hello when you walked in. We're just really busy.
6) Yes, if you buy it on the internet, it is cheaper. There's a reason. It cuts my job out of the overhead equation. If they don't have to pay me to get the part from our shelf into your hands, it's going to be cheaper.
7) Yes, we price match competitors. No, I can't price match stuff on the internet. For one, I have no internet access at the store to see if the $120 brake rotor you want, sells for $10 on the internet. And if I sold it to you for $10, I'd probably lose my job.
8) Most of us that work here are ASE certified. Lots of us work on our own vehicles, our families vehicles, and sometimes other people's vehicles to make ends meet. This isn't our first rodeo. However, we literally deal with hundreds of makes and models of cars everyday. So no, I have no idea what size socket you're going to need to replace that EGR.
9) As I stated before, we're busy. We try not to be rude, and as much as I'd love to sit here and talk to you about your kids/job/life, or the fact that your Dodge Ram should have wing nuts holding your transmission on, I honestly don't have time. That's why I ring up your sale, make change, tell you to have a good day, and then walk away. We've got another 30 people just like you in the store.
10) Out of the 400 customers we see a day, about 20 of them know exactly what they need, they can walk out on the sales floor and get what they need off a shelf, and they are ready to go home. The other 380 need us to find the part for them. And out of that, most of them have no idea what the part on their car is.
11) Please know what you're buying, and what it's for. I have no idea if your car is a four cylinder or a six cylinder. Yes, I can tell by looking at it, but usually I'm the only manager here, and that means I can't leave the store. So I'd love to help you out. But really, it's not our job to guess what type of car you have. We understand most people don't know their rear end gearing or paint code, but we can point you in the right direction to find that out and you can get back to us.
12) If you walk into the store and ask for a battery for your Pontiac Aztek, I'll sell you a battery for a Pontiac Aztek. Please don't get angry when the alternator in your car is bad. And your old battery is just fine. Yes, our store offers free diagnostics, but you didn't ask me to test your car. You asked for a battery. You got a battery.
13) If you walk into the store, and you ask for a bracket. I'm going to ask what bracket. If you can't remember, I'll start... "Caliper, sway bar, alternator..." and I'll keep going. Maybe to jog your memory. If you still don't remember, there's not a heckuva lot I can do. Please step to the side so the guy behind you who knows exactly what he needs can get what he needs.
14) You're chosing brake pads, it's not like I just asked you an incredibly complex question. This answer should not take more than two minutes. Tops. As a matter of fact, if you sit and stare at the computer screen for more than two minutes, I might walk away, assuming that you've fallen into some sort of coma.
15) To add to 14, yes, there is a difference between the $15 and the $60 brake pads. If you have to ask, I already know you think they are the same, and you're going to buy the $15 brake pads. That's why I don't explain the difference too much.
16) When you go to check out, we have to offer whatever we have on special for the month to you. It's called a check out challenge, and it looks great if our store does better than every other store. No, we don't like it anymore than you do. But we have to do it.
17) Within the first few minutes being in our store, I already have you pegged as to what type of customer you are. There's four different types of customers. 1, the type that buys the best of everything, no matter what. 2, the type that will keep their car for awhile, so they buy decent parts. 3, the type that doesn't keep their car, but still buys decent parts. 4, the type that refuses to spend a dime over what they have to. If you're a type 4, we're going the extra mile for you. Sure, we'll carry that battery to your car. If you're a type 1, just tell us what you need, we'll sell you the part. Move on, there's a type 4 guy right behind you. We want that sale.
18) If you buy a part from us, and it fails, within the warranty period, I'll replace it for you. Please bring the old part in. We can do an even up swap, when it's covered under warranty. However, I can't just give you this power steering pump and assume you'll bring back the old one when you're ready. I have no idea who you are, and I'm going to have to account for this missing part.
19) No, I don't remember your Audi A6 from two months ago.
20) We close at ten, please don't pull in the parking lot at 10:30PM just as I'm locking the door and walking to my car. I really honestly, cannot help. I'd love to. But the alarm is set, and we've got security watching us. If I go back in, it looks really suspect.
21) Yes, it's my job, as a manager, to assure you're taken care of. Yes, I know the customer is always right. And yes, I know we have a liberal return policy. But if I refuse to return the fuses you bought two years ago, you've got to understand. Also, please don't abuse the return policy. I don't know why the non-factory keyless remote for your kid's Dodge Dakota doesn't work. We have a device to test it, and it seems the battery is dead. Don't ask me to replace all four batteries that you just bought for about $10. And when it still doesn't work, ask me to return them. As a matter of fact, if you open anything, and we can't reseal it. We can't resell it. Please think before you open stuff. And don't get mad at me when I can't take back that half used tube of JB Weld.
22) If you have a brake rotor that you bought, and is still covered under warranty. I'd be more than happy to get you another one. If it was metal on metal, and there are deep grooves in it. I won't be able to warranty it for you. If your brake pads are under warranty, and wearing funny, I'll probably sell you some new hardware, but I can't warranty the pads. Not my rules, just the ones I follow.
metta:
wow its an autoparts bible.
