<VV> Parts house fun

[henry kaczmarek]

Folks
Keiths story, true many more times than his own singular experience, is a 
sad commentary on the service industry, and the auto parts business in 
particular.

It's true that everyone has to start somewhere. But that doesn't mean you 
start on the counter trying to help customers knowing virtually nothing.

NAPA hires drivers with no parts experience, the drivers begin to get a feel 
for the business delivering parts that are invoiced to the customers. By 
having to compare parts numbers and descriptions to the invoices, at least 
they know a muffler bearing from a knibbling pin <G>.

As a Counter Trainee (next step up from driver), a trainee continues to 
drive, but starts learning the computer system from the training course, so 
at least they know which category a customers request is in to look it up. 
Of course NAPA's Parts Pro computer system now reaches back to 1928. 
Trainees also have courses on how to use the books, something AFAIK NO other 
company does.

I believe this training by NAPA is done because 90% of their business is 
still commercial, and they can't have their customers po'ed by having to 
talk to a (through no fault of their own) ignorant newbie in the parts 
business---time is money.

And, of course, how much can you expect from someone who is making 7.00 or 
less per hour for a full time job on the counter because the chains don't 
feel it important to pay a parts person like it's a real career??  NAPA 
drivers start at 8.00/hr.

Until the last scenario changes, regardless if it's a Corvair, or your 
relatively new water pumper in the driveway, a trip to the parts house will 
continue to be many times exactly as Keith described, less the pretty blonde 
part.

Hank
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Hammett" <khammett at stainlessfab.com>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 8:41 AM
Subject: <VV> Parts house fun


> Last night I went by the local parts house.  Walked in and right up to the
> counter.  Now nothing against a women working at an auto parts counter, 
> but
> I spent 45 minutes getting a belt and a brake line.  I showed her what I
> wanted and she asked what it was off of.  I informed her that she would 
> not
> have it in her computer and it would be easier to just match it up.  The 
> guy
> that normally helps me started laughing and insisted that I let her look 
> it
> up, so I told her it was off a '62 Corvair95.  She just looked at me, she
> never heard of one.  The belt was more fun.  She tried looking it up in 
> the
> book, but it was useless.  You needed the original number off the belt in
> order to find the gates equivalent power belt number.  Someone told her to
> just measure it, after doing this she kept looking in the book instead of
> going to the shelf and getting the belt.  Once she did get a belt she 
> didn't
> think about the width and we got to spend more time trying to figure out
> what to do.  A positive on this is that she was a nice looking blonde, she
> can look up my parts anytime...
>
> Thank goodness we don't have to go through this every time we need a part
> for our vairs.  Way to go Vendors!
>
> Keith Hammett
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