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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I needed a 6 vt battery and my brother in law sourced one at auto zone. he arranged for me to make the pickup.
I went there and was greeted as I got in the door and they had the battery waiting for me. then I asked for some ether (corrected it to starting fluid for the 20 something) and ran in the back for a tube of grease.
when I was finished I wen to the counter where a goth dressed twentysomething was next to a register with a head in a magazine. I excused myself and said to the chunkster that it was my battery and I would like to pay for it.
she then explained she did not work there and called on of the guys to the front. mind you she was AT THE FREAKING REGISTER reading a magazine.
I joked saying something like "if you have to hang out here for fun you really need a life"
she obviously did not take it in a joking manner. she snapped at me to look outside at her "show truck" (some 10 year old import something or other with blacked out windows" and that hanging out there was her life and her hobby and it was what she wanted to do.
then she stormed to the rear of the store, still behind the counter mind you, to complain to the guy that was probably her boy friend or whatever. So now I have 3 twentysomethings staring me down because I pissed off one of the chunksters.
I told the guy that rang me up that I guess I made her mad and I was not concerned abou it.
so? talk to the manager? he was ringing me up.
call corporate? looked on the website and there is no phone number.
so I did all I could do which was write an e mail complaint.
is it just me? or is the quality of service just something that should not be expected any more.
I knew we were doomed 10 years ago when I had to show the kid how to cross referece a ngk spark plug for my line trimmer but come on!!!!
is it too much to expect that someone that is behind the counter works there?
is it too much to expect to be treated with courtesy and not be given attitude by someone that DOES NOT EVEN WORK THERE?
someone just shoot me. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Al, to them, you are an old fart. Just remember that and everything will be OK. It doesn't matter to them that you may have defended their freedom or have more experience in just about everything than they do. To them, their world revolves around a 3000.00 primer'ed vehicle. In 100 years, it won't make a difference. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Get outta the city, man.
But don't bring your city ways with you..... |
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Joined:
May 2005
Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | Forget it. The cha-ching kids have already. If it suits you to return there, do so. The losers you met will probably be gone by then and if they're not, so what? Ignore them, even if they attempt a stare-down. Ever do any method acting Al? Walk in like you're a cop or a Mafia soldier. The attitude will show through.
If you call corporate to complain, you become an unpaid consultant. Your time is more valuable than that. I never complain. I go back if is to my advantage, or elsewhere if it isn't. What I don't do is give myself ulcers over a confrontation with non-entities. |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | A couple of years ago I went to Auto Zone for a timing belt for my wife's Honda. Young kid a t the register, he looked up the part number and i paid for the belt. My neighbor was changing it for me and noticed it didn't look right so he counted the teeth and it was three too many. I took it back and got the correct belt. When I told the same kid that it was wrong and would have caused irreparable damage to the vehicle he just shrugged his shoulders and said it must be wrong in the computer and he would see it got changed,(yeah right), then he went on to the next customer. I wrote them but never heard back.
Customer Service is a thing of the past but it does make us "Old Farts" mad. :mad: |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Gospel Guitar Guy:
.
Customer Service is a thing of the past but it does make us "Old Farts" mad. :mad: ....except, at Ovation! ;) |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Al,
Is it worth bothering..?..let her misbehaviour be her problem,and, appearances can be deceiving,I know of a cabby in Stockholm,who had to pick up a WorldFamous Swedish photomodel,who bossed him about,complained about him being slow while putting her luggage in the back(in the rain),got him to carry it into the hotel lobby,again blah blah...and No Tip..!!..
Vic
..You`re too Good to bother about it.. |
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Joined:
January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Al, If I read your post correctly, YOU started it. Why pick on the youth of America? The well being of our golden years will rest upon their shoulders. Relax old man and take solice in the fact that appearently she could at least READ. 30 years ago that was you and me, and most others of us. Like a flare up of herpes, this too shall pass. And come back again. Dave |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | What's a chunkster? ... So you're surrounded by three short fat people dressed like goths angsting about empty lives in an auto zone ... That's like a scene from the Big Lebowski!
It would have been funny to ask them if they were nihilists. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Dave,if I read your post correctly,than you`re joining the fore,and that`s allright buddy,get the clothing,look the part,and send me all your guitars,Ovations,Martins,Takamines,I do n`t discriminate,free yourself..get rid of those conventional burdens... :)
Vic
..a Man in transit is a Woman`s Prey.. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | chunky + Youngster
equals
chunkster |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Please remember... You were young and stupid once.
Take heart in the knowledge that their petty problems will fade when they get a life and real problems.
And just tell them, "Hey! I'm Old! I ain't got that much time left to be screwing around here! Next time I'll go to Pep Boys!"
Be a jerk! That way, they will remember you. Next time they will serve you quickly... to get rid of you!
Whatever works.... |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7224
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | It's stories like these that make me glad I moved from the East Coast, and specifially to where I am in Washington.
My last experience at the local "Schucks" which is the local version of PepBoys/Autozone etc.. I needed a PCV Valve. I wasn't using it in a car, but as a breather on a motorcycle crankcase. I needed one with a reed valve vs a ball valve. I figured I was in for a fun afternoon.
The girl who met me at the counter could have passed for the sister of the lab girl on NCIS. I tell her what I need and what it's going to be used for and that I didn't have a part number as it wasn't going to be used for its normal purpose etc..
She walked off, and a few minutes later came back with a PCV valve attached to a small piece of hose she "assumed" (correctly) that I would need.
That's pretty typical of the service around here. In fact today I went to Lowes looking for a solution that is too long to describe here, but when the guy asked if he could help, I let him and he did.
The thing that surprises me most, is that for the most part, especially if you go to a larger Mall or such around here, it feels like that Star Trek show where no one was older than 25. And it seems like everyone knows exactly what is in their store, and where it is, and if they don't have it, they know who does.
Frankly I don't know how I survived on the east coast without literally killing someone. |
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Joined:
November 2004
Posts: 1330
Location: ms | I worked in a auto parts store a few years and after that was a parts and service manager at a Pontiac/ GMC dealer. Back then you could go to a parts store and the guy behind the counter usually knew more than you about car repair. Now days its fast food auto parts. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12759
Location: Boise, Idaho | My nephew worked at both Auto Zone and Schucks. They aren't bad kids, but like most, have spent all of their spare time on the computer. They don't spend much time under the hood and if it's not on the computer they don't know what to do. I learned about cars so I could keep mine running. Most of them haven't had to learn. My nephew had rebuilt a few cars before he was 19 and owned more cars than I had at 50. Learning something by doing it is better than learning it on the computer, so this next generation is at a loss. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Yeah Mark... I, and my Family, liked Chevy's with the 350 engine cuz they were easy to fix, the parts were common from year-to-year, and cheap to buy rebuilt or new. Nowadays you cannot set the timing on anything newer that 20 years-old without a computer. The days of twisting the distributor around til it sounds right are long gone.
You can't fix your car with a 'Leatherman' and a rock anymore :rolleyes:
Oh, and Miles, stay with Lowe's... I go to Home Depot frequently, and alot of my time is spent telling other people where to find stuff...
Cuz the employees don't know where the stuff is, or how to use it if they found it. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Tupperware:
Al, If I read your post correctly, YOU started it. Why pick on the youth of America? The well being of our golden years will rest upon their shoulders. Relax old man and take solice in the fact that appearently she could at least READ. 30 years ago that was you and me, and most others of us. Like a flare up of herpes, this too shall pass. And come back again. Dave I'm gettin' to really like you, Dave!
Getting back to what Mark said about having to fix your cars. I think we all went through that. Back then you had points to fiddle with (whats dwell?) and a real carb to mess with. Now cars are like bic lighters, when they're used up, you throw them away and get a new one. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | I miss the local parts stores. they all have been swallowed up by the big name places.
one of my best friends dad was a ford dealership parts man. He could not only tell you all the part numbers you needed but how to fix your problem and what special tools or issues you may have.
my best experience was when I was putting a new thermostat on a slant six. I needed a gasket, went to the counter told the guy what I wanted. no book, no computer no nothing, he turned around pulled it off the wall and handed it to me and said "get out of here".
for those of you making this a generational thing, you are wrong dead wrong. It is about being treated in a professional manner in a retail situation.
Sue often tells me not to speak unless I am spoken to. |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I remember being able to go to a junk yard (not recycled parts house as they are known now) and just walk through with a few tools looking for what you needed. You could pull the part yourself, take it up front, and the guy would charge you what he thought it was worth to him, not what the computer says is half new price. Ah, the good old days.
Al, I agree with you about the "being treated in a professional manner" thing, but I'm afraid that has slipped away right with the morality that people used to have. I used to travel the neighborhood when I was about 6 yrs old and be gone all day without my parents worrying where I was. Now, I have a boy thats about to turn 10, and I make sure he has his walky talky when he leaves to be with his friends, so I know where he is. It's a different world. |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I miss the local parts stores. they all have been swallowed up by the big name places.
Yeah local music stores are becoming a thing of the past....what, we're not talking music? Well isn't it the same thing...
Auto Zone = Musicians Friend? |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 608
Location: Caribou, ME | I have a good working relationship with the 2 auto parts stores I patronize, so I don't have much trouble. Thankfully one of them employs an older gentleman that used to work at an International dealership, and since I have a 1942 K-5 truck, a 1943 Farmall H and a 1961 International school bus, he is my IHC maven.
My daily driver is an '82 Ford pickup complete with Farmall Red brushed on paint. I, indeed, CAN fix that with a Leatherman and a rock.
My wife's is a '94 Explorer I bought for $650 and so far hasn't cost me Dime One.
My oldest daughter has our hand-me-down '93 Tempo that I bought 4 years ago for $600. So far this year it's cost me an exhaust pipe and a starter. Big whoop.
I have much MUCH more trouble with the local small engine place. The past few years I've picked junk lawnmowers out of the junk yard and used them. A recoil went bad on one and they wanted $45 or so for a replacement. Recoils are dime a dozen you say? Yeah, maybe 20+ years ago. They're made out of plastic that wouldn't hold a six pack together. And Briggs & Stratton change them every four hours so nothing fits unless it lines up with your serial number.
A new push mower is $139, so most of the time you're better off pitching the old one and buying a new one. Bic Lighter mindset strikes again.
Meanwhile I bought a 1988 Ariens 12 hp lawn tractor for $100. The couple moved and the inlaws sold it for them (they already had a 20 hp). I could NOT believe the difference between that machine and WalMart/Lowes/Sears garbage. It actually has grease fittings! I can actually maintain it and hope to get a few years out of it. Last year I sold a 1990 Walmart/Lowes/Sears 14 hp tractor on the front lawn for $50 because the deck had disintegrated and the steering was downright freakin' dangerous. Lesson learned the hard way, you get what you pay for. And don't ever go back to Sears for a part; you'll get just as much satisfaction by sitting on the sidewalk beating your genitals with a piece of car antenna. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | you'll get just as much satisfaction by sitting on the sidewalk beating your genitals with a piece of car antenna. I love this place. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 234
Location: Phoenix, AZ | And to think I clicked on this because I thought Al signed up AutoZone as his O retailers. I thought I could just drive to AutoZone and pick up an AlPep O without having to wait for shipping. Sigh. Back to relying on UPS/FedEx.
Oh well, at least there's no sales tax to pay when buying from Al. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 841
Location: CA | At Pep Boys, their computer was down one day, forcing them to actually figure out the tax. Even with a calculator, cashier girl tried several times but couldn't get it right. Trying to be helpful, I gave simple instructions (anyone who's ever worked retail in pre-computer days can do tax in their head), but I think she thought I was somehow trying to screw the store. Another guy came over to 'help' and he couldn't do it right either. When they finally settled on a final incorrect price, I just kept my mouth shut and paid the few bucks too much just to get out of there.
Having not quite learned my lesson, I returned to the same store, this time to take advantage of a sale on shocks. Turns out they didn't have any of the shocks advertised in the flyer. I mean, the flyer right in my hand that I picked up at the front door. Two counter guys had no idea how to find it in their computer (obvious — "No? try tires. Not there? Uh, try wheels. Hmmmm. . ."), and so told me they were "out". When I asked if they could order them and how long it would take, no, some gobbledegook about closeouts or overstocks or warehouses or something, the gist being every one of these types of shocks was gone from the face of the earth. So I went down the street and bought the same thing from Kragen, which they had tons of, for a price within a buck or two of Pep's 'sale' price. Only thing I've bought from Pep Boys since is wipers and oil.
And don't even get me started on Target or K-Mart. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | I attempted to buy tires at walmart
The backs can in 4 days. Everything was fine.
The I order the fronts.......
I ordered 6 days before I needed them.
On 7th day they showed up.
But they could only find one
6 phone calls and 7 phone calls latter.
They figure the shipped one correct tire and one wrong tire. Then they tell me replace the order via the net. I tried to get an answer when it would ship. No one could tell me. Some said
sept 12th. This had started Aug 24th.
Weds the 5th I get a call saying says my tires had arrived. I asked if they had both, Oh yes both are here. I get there and there 1 tire.
I ask to speak to a manager.
After 5 pages and 1.5 hours I left.
Drove around the corner and bought two tires
from Pep Boys costing $50 more.
I get home send a email canciling the tire order.
I get an email telling the pool I ordered had arrived. I never ordered a pool.
Then I got a call from store on Thursday saying both my tires had a arrived.
Worst retail expirence I ever had |
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auto zoned
