Customer service for us "old" folks

malpais

malpais

Well-known member
As we work on these old cars, customer service conversations sometimes get interesting.

Once such conversation occurred at NAPA.

"I need a coil for '53 ford"
"we can't get stuff that old"

"Your site shows one. Part No. xxxxxx"
"My computer doesn't accept '53".
"Try it anyway, please".
"Well look! a coil for a 53 Ford!"

Today it was glass setting tape. I picked up the glass for my '39 PU. Nicely cut and nice finished edges. Nice tint.

"I need some glass setting tape for that."
"We don't use tape. Doesn't stick well".

"It isn't sticky".
"Well then how does it stick"?
"It doesn't. Never mind".

So I called another auto glass specialty shop.

"Do you sell auto glass setting tape"?
"You mean the blue stuff that hold the windshield in while it dries"?
"No, I mean the stuff that you wrap around the edge of the glass before one pushes it into the frame". It should be thin, looks like electrician's tape".
"What does electricians tape look like? We have some tape that's 1 1/2 inch".
"I believe that's width. I need thin-thickness like 1/32".
"Oh, thickness! Butyl".
"You have butyl tape"?
"No. Butyl is illegal anyway. We can't take the risk. I better get a technician. You mean you want a windshield gasket....."
"No, setting tape".
"We urethane the windows in".
"You have urethane tape, or is like caulk or glue"?
"Yea, it comes in a tube".
"Guess we're not on the same page".
"Just tell us year and model of the vehicle - we'll get the right stuff".
"1939 Ford Pickup".
Silence. "OOhhh".

I gave up and ordered it on the internet. I know all young parts people are not like this, but sometimes it's funny!








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well I see you walked into my world, I was in a NAPA store to pick up a set of points for my car, a young,19, maybe kid came over and ask what I needed, I told him a set of points and condenser for a 57 Studebaker 289 v/8 engine, he said ok, went to the parts catalog and turned a few pages, looked confused, and ask me, who makes Studebaker? all older parts guy looked up at me and just shook his head, he looked over at the young man and said, STUDEBAKER makes Studebaker, lord have mercy on us restorers when all the old parts guys pass on or retire
 
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Thirty plus years ago I was in the Hi Desert at a locally owned auto parts store.
Watcha need?
I want a 12 volt universal starter solenoid ford type.
Watcha gonna put it on?
1975 Harley Davidson.
We ain't got no bike parts.
Is anyone else here?
This was before computers.
Bruce
 
I walked into our local parts house.They know me by name and I know them as well.Good people.The owner asked me what I needed. I said "A set of points for a blue Ford". He gave me a set of points.I hate being upstaged.
 
For many years, parts men were almost always mechanics, like myself, who got too old and creaky to be much help in the shop, so their years of practice came to the parts room. Over sixty years ago, those of us who were long on ambition, but short on experience, could go to the window and receive just what we needed. Those days are mostly gone. I overheard a counter man in a local national brand parts store tell a customer who asked a question "I'm a parts guy, not a mechanic". That sums it up in today's world.
 
At NAPA. I always search their great online site for whatever I need. Then, get the part # and go there with it or call to see if they have it. I have a warehouse near me that usually has everything. Counter people usually can't research our old stuff.
 
walked into a auto zone and asked for 180 degree thermostat, cp asked me for what year. I said it is a 54mm chev thermostat, the look and the attitude went down from there. cp said we cannot gaurantee that part as it is not correct for the car. I turned around and left. went to car quest and a car guy cp said no problem, looked it up and handed it to me. my old line auto parts store closed up, boy do I miss Vissage Auto and Jimmy!!!
 
WestCoast said:
well I see you walked into my world, I was in a NAPA store to pick up a set of points for my car, a young,19, maybe kid cam over and ask what I needed, I told him a set of points and condenser for a 57 Studebaker 289 v/8 engine, he said ok, went to the parts catalog and turned a few pages, looked confused, and ask me, who makes Studebaker? all older parts guy looked up at me and just shook his head, he looked over at the young man and said, STUDEBAKER makes Studebaker, lord have mercy on us restorers when all the old parts guys pass on or retire
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supereal said:
For many years, parts men were almost always mechanics, like myself, who got too old and creaky to be much help in the shop, so their years of practice came to the parts room. Over sixty years ago, those of us who were long on ambition, but short on experience, could go to the window and receive just what we needed. Those days are mostly gone. I overheard a counter man in a local national brand parts store tell a customer who asked a question "I'm a parts guy, not a mechanic". That sums it up in today's world.
Click to expand...
The experienced counter man and the "creaky old mechanic turned parts guy" started out in this business as young guys too. You aren't born with experience and knowledge. Just saying..... MARK
 
Flatford8, your right, but, the old guys learned, this new crop of c/p never will, if its not in the computer it isn't made, autozone as a prime example, they don't have a parts book in the store and wouldn't know how to use it if they did,, no one to teach them, the old ways are dyeing fast
 
Here's mine this week at Jiffy Lube. I just went in for a lube job, not oil change, just lube. They've done it many times but it's been awhile since I was in (Old Henry spent 3 months in the hospital for engine work). I pulled up and an enthusiastic new young woman rushed up. Didn't ask what I wanted before she swooned over the car with much praise. I said I just needed a lube job. "Oh, no problem. I'm a "hotrod person" and know where all the grease fittings are." I pulled into the garage and tried handing her my lube diagram showing the 19 fittings. She looked at it, "Wow, 19? I thought they only had 6 or 8." "Better use the diagram," I said, and she dove under the car. It wasn't long before she started complaining and groaning, "Wow, this car sure is "grease heavy". I asked her to check the ****** and diff oil. She tried and was groaning and grunting and whining struggling to get the ****** plug off. Eventually she claimed to be done. "Did you get all 19?" "Oh yeah." (She's a "hot rod person" remember.)

When I got home I had to lift the front end for something and, sure enough, she'd only got the bottom king pin zerks. Missed the top ones. I consider those the most important. So much for "hot rod people" and their "expertise."

DSC01024_zps3cfe593e.jpg
 
I go to Car Quest for my parts.Counter help are mostly Ladies, they seem really interested in looking up older car parts for me. Usually all 3 of them are digging out the old books in the back. They usually want me to bring the car back to see the parts installed,nice group of helpful ladies.
 
Actually, in my experience, the issue isn't age but atitude. The one willing to bother looking at the physical books rather than just tapping the keyboard is helpful. Really, the best practice is to research online and walk in with a fair to good sense of the right part to prevent the back and forth syndrome.
 
When Googling NAPA the following came up:

http://www.napa-activities.co.uk/

NAPA stands for National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People

Got to say it gave me a giggle in view of this thread :)

Have to agree on all the sentiments expressed. I worked in a Ford dealer for a number of years and the parts counter guys were excellent, recognising parts on sight, knowing the equivalents across models etc. I know cars are more complex now but I think pride in the job is the main problem....
 
Two recent stories to share, the CP at Advance Auto denied carrying lug nuts for anything as old as '48 Ford. I differed and made him look it up. He then became amazed at the number of parts they listed for old Fords.

Next, I think funnier, I stopped in the local hardware store to pickup a couple fender washers. The young man walking the floor seemed quite amused, He told me I was in the wrong store "we don't handle auto parts" as he beckoned me to leave.
 
Its not just our true antiques, these jerks do not know what point ign systems are, they do not know how to look up interchangeability. Every time I work on my 94 F250 axles, they try to give me the wrong bearings and seals or only the most expensive. Most fooks do not know that at Autozone there are different price ranges for the same item and quality is about the same.
 
Here's the real rub, the new counter brats don't give a s--t. It is far from what Flatford
mentioned, the counter brats do not want to learn for the most part.
Don't you love it when you walk into a parts store and the ex burger flippers roll
their eyes, the veteran guy, who the brats should be glued to, takes care of your
order pronto.
Charlie ny
 
The same problem exists at the dealerships. I worked as a counterman, then manager of various Ford and L-M dealers parts depts. Ford has 1980 and up on the computer only, so anything earlier is on micro fisce or if you're lucky, paper books. The last dealer I worked for we were the ones to come to if you wanted older parts. We could look it up, where as other dealer threw out all the older stuff. They'd send their customers to us, If it was obsolete, we could find the parts from other sources. All genuine Ford. The 3 of us were all in our 50's, so we started out with paper books. The people hired today are all young, no experience ( cheaper ) and really only see the cars and trucks that are no more than 10 years old. Dealers now refuse anything older than that. They fix one problem, something else breaks and they get blamed. So nothing older than 10 years comes in. So, they will almost never have any experience with "older" cars.
Yes, I get mad when I go to NAPA and the younger set can't look up parts for my F-1, so I go to the one guy who Knows his stuff there. I used to sell him parts when he worked for a bus fleet. Now I'm the customer. He finds me what I need and it's right!
 
Over the years of running my business the local Auto Zone in order to make it easier for both of us has compiled a list of the parts I use most. It has simplified the struggle to get the older parts I use. Keeps us both happy.
 
FortyNiner said:
Really, the best practice is to research online and walk in with a fair to good sense of the right part to prevent the back and forth syndrome.
Click to expand...

Forty Niner is spot-on. Research their websites for parts availability; provide the part number to the counter guy or gal and you will save yourself a ton of frustration with the puzzled looks or attitudes. Has worked for me every time I needed a part from the local parts houses. Steve
 
Steves46 said:
Forty Niner is spot-on. Research their websites for parts availability; provide the part number to the counter guy or gal and you will save yourself a ton of frustration with the puzzled looks or attitudes. Has worked for me every time I needed a part from the local parts houses. Steve
Click to expand...

Not only that but since we have a Auto Zone, Advance Auto, and O'Reilly within 2 miles of each other I will get the part number, price, and if it's in stock or not off the computer before leaving the garage - saves a ton of frustration!!
Blu Dice
 
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