local auto parts store not stocking our parts ?? never thought Id see the day

[heyjoe]

The O'Reillys up the street from me did not have points, rotor, distributor cap for my 250. Yeah, I could have ordered it but I declined and went to the next closest parts store Advance. They had it!

[heyjoe]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

A part store not stocking a PF1218 (PF35) doesn't sound right, My local Wally world has that filter.

I agree!

[heyjoe]

Originally Posted by 19673ontree

I went in another auto parts and got A good laugh a while back the person working the counter was a young girl she asked if she could help me and I said YES I NEED A RAG JOINT FOR A 1967 C10 ,,, she laughed and asked me who put me up to this ??? I told her again ,,,, she said their was no such thing ,,, someone had her look for a radiator for a 1968 VW beetle a few days before LOL so I asked her if the computer would do a search ? she said yes it would ! I said OK TYPE IN RAG JOINT ! she typed it in and it came up !

That's funny!

[Russ.W.]

Also a sensible idea now to buy in bulk. Maybe not buy a case of 50, but buying 3 or 4 and putting them away for a rainy day so stuff like this never happens.

[Walts_restoration]

Originally Posted by heyjoe

The O'Reillys up the street from me did not have points, rotor, distributor cap for my 250. Yeah, I could have ordered it but I declined and went to the next closest parts store Advance. They had it!

Location location, my store keeps 3 different flavors of points in stock, as well as an electronic ignition conversion!

[PanelDeland]

I went to the local O'riellys.They could get the new radiator that day where everyone else needed a "Few days".The manager was training the guy who was waiting on me.No biggie,we all start somewhere.The manager was probably late 40's early 50's.So while I'm waiting I decided to "Help" with the training.I asked him to quote me a price on an Ignition module for a 68 chevy c-10 with a 250 er 4.1.He started punching #'s into his computer.The manager let him do the search and when the trainee said,it doesn't go back that far,the manager told him to look in the book.Once trainee looked and couldn't find it,the manager tried.I'm standing there wondering if either of them realized that I was "funning" them.Finally the manager say's I'll give the parts specialist a call.I stopped him."I was just wondering if you knew anything about cars."

[cdowns]

and did that make you feel all types of superior and big and important

[Tx Firefighter]

I don't have time for that crap. I have one parts store here in my little town, and that's O Reilly's. I just hit their website using my iPad in the shop, get my own part numbers and walk in there with a list. No reason to make it any harder or cause hard feelings. I try to be that nice guy that they enjoy talking to when they see me walk in. My little corner of the world here is too small to pee in any Cheerios.
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[72bowtiestepper]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I don't have time for that crap. I have one parts store here in my little town, and that's O Reilly's. I just hit their website using my iPad in the shop, get my own part numbers and walk in there with a list. No reason to make it any harder or cause hard feelings. I try to be that nice guy that they enjoy talking to when they see me walk in. My little corner of the world here is too small to pee in any Cheerios.
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You are a wise man Firefighter !

[calvin78612]

Originally Posted by cdowns

and did that make you feel all types of superior and big and important

Bummer !
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[19673ontree]

I for sure dont want to put anyone down at all my son is 20 he rides a 68 c10 with a 355 he went and asked for a clutch disc while we had the motor out NOBODY had one ! I figured out when I was about 8 years old that I liked the cars and trucks that GM made from 1954 to 1974 when I was 15 and got my license I got a 71 c10 and over the last 30 years ive had c10's chevelles camaros firebirds and have ALWAYS been able to walk in to my local auto parts stores and get maintenence items ie points plugs dist caps rotor buttons oil filters air filters , and now its going to be so that they wont have these items on the shelf anymore and its sad , I am 45 years old and I still like the cars and trucks that GM made from 1954 to 1974 .
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[Lee H]

Originally Posted by 19673ontree

I for sure dont want to put anyone down at all my son is 20 he rides a 68 c10 with a 355 he went and asked for a clutch disc while we had the motor out NOBODY had one !
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Hum.....10 second search found one in stock at autozone, carquest, and napa. Would not like to try and find parts in your neck of the woods.
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[69heavychevy]

I worked in the parts business from 04-10, never did we stock cartridge type oil filters for older GM vehicles. Points and condensors, forget about it. The one thing that really ticked me off though was customers who would come in and try to "test" your knowledge or be a smart a**. It gets really old really quick, so after a while I just started playing along...customer would come in ask for plugs on a SBC, I'd asked what year or if they had a part number, they respond doesn't matter they are all the same...I'd go to my plug section and hand them plugs for a 283 (yea we actually stocked them) ring them up and send them on their way. 30 minutes later when they came back pissed off saying I sold them the wrong parts I'd explain to them that being more cooperative and helpful will get them the right parts 99% of the time. And that the plugs I gave him are for a "283 small block" and judging by the r43ts plug in his hand he probably had an 80'ish "350 small block"...usually didn't go over too well but they sure didn't try that BS again

[69heavychevy]

In this digital age you should have no problem getting a part number for what you need, it doesn't even have to be the stock number the store uses. The parts store should be able to cross reference part numbers through their merchandising software. But like I said before answering all the questions the counter person ask you will usually get you the right part 99% of the time...no matter how stupid the questions seem...

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by 69heavychevy

I worked in the parts business from 04-10, never did we stock cartridge type oil filters for older GM vehicles. Points and condensors, forget about it. The one thing that really ticked me off though was customers who would come in and try to "test" your knowledge or be a smart a**. It gets really old really quick, so after a while I just started playing along...customer would come in ask for plugs on a SBC, I'd asked what year or if they had a part number, they respond doesn't matter they are all the same...I'd go to my plug section and hand them plugs for a 283 (yea we actually stocked them) ring them up and send them on their way. 30 minutes later when they came back pissed off saying I sold them the wrong parts I'd explain to them that being more cooperative and helpful will get them the right parts 99% of the time. And that the plugs I gave him are for a "283 small block" and judging by the r43ts plug in his hand he probably had an 80'ish "350 small block"...usually didn't go over too well but they sure didn't try that BS again

I would never buy anything from you again. Then, I would tell everyone I know not to buy from you ever again. Then, I would get on the internet and give your business a bad rating and blast you on message boards. Get the picture? Doesn't matter if the customer is the biggest a-hole in town, customer service is helping get the parts they need, not trying to teach them a lesson. The customer is always right still applies today.

I understand people are a-holes. I deal with a-holes every day, but in the end, I do what THEY WANT. If not, I could potentially lose a couple hundred grand, or a few million dollars worth of work...

[19673ontree]

When I go in to an auto parts store and ask for an oil filter its not because I want to test the knowledge of the person at the counter I asked for the oil filter because I need it to service my car , I never play jokes on parts counter people I just ask for what I need and ask them to look it up and see if they have it , I am good with computers and as mentioned several times I guess I could go online and find part numbers but that wont help me if I need a simple item today and they dont have it , a cartridge oil filter should be a store stock item in my opinion it fits 1000's of engines that still power a lot of cars and trucks on the road today .
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[Tx Firefighter]

The thing is, your local chain parts store has bean counters. They keep track of every sale.

Look at it this way, say they allot shelf space for 300 oil filters (arbitrary number I randomly chose). Their computers track the sales of oil filters. They will only stock the 300 most sold filters. It doesn't matter how many of a certain application are still on the road. They only stock the 300 most sold filters for that store.

That's why Cottoncrotch Kansas Autozone will stock different filters than Seaweed California or Chillynuts Alaska. It's all regional. But I guarantee you this, they stock the filters that the computer records the most sales on at that location.

As an example, my local OReilly stocks the points and condenser set for my 1948 8n Ford tractor right on the shelf, but not a 72 GM car or truck. That's because there are many more old Ford tractors getting used around here than there are GM vehicles with points and condensers.

And if I ran the place I'd do the same thing. My business would be to sell auto parts and a whole lot of them and I'd stock the part numbers that statistically were hot sellers and wouldn't worry about slow sellers taking up my shelf space.

Time marches on and things change. Keep your parts guys as friends and be grateful they can get what you need from their warehouse within a few hours. I assure you the alternative, which is mail order for everything is much worse.

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[19673ontree]

I know and understand it its just sad ,,,
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[Tx Firefighter]

I agree with that. Like I said on the first page, I've come to realize me and my old trucks are getting to be dinosaurs.
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[dirtyjim]

i have three parts stores in town & i can check their stock on line so i know if the part is in stock or not. i usually just give them a part# but i also give them the part type and manufacture since several parts now carry the same numbers.
even with the part number many of them still need the vehicle info for the waranty and depending on the computer sytem the part number may not come up if the wrong vehicle info is entered for the part.

[volksworld]

can't always fault the counterman...on a recent quest for a front rubber brake hose for a one ton chevy box truck, both advance and autozone had incorrect listings in their computer...and the listings at advance stated "front drums" when it should have said rears...nothings more fun than waiting 24 hrs to get the wrong part...finally found it at napa online with a picture to positively identify it ,gave them the # and got the part....so,go online ,do your own research,and you'll get what you want...and if you don't,you'll have no one to blame but yourself...