I hate going to parts stores

I very rarely go into a parts store without already having looked up my parts. Now days, if I ask for help it's only to locate the items I've already looked up because I can't find them on the sales floor. I wish the parts store had better catalogs.....They seem to either give me everything, or nothing. Bulk hose is especially troublesome to find on Oreilly's site without the Gates number.

Had a 94 caprice with 4.3 v8. I went in for tune up stuff. Dude walks out with 6 plugs. I said it's a v8. He said u told me 4.3. Yeah I said, 265 Cid v8. He couldn't catch on so I said give me plugs for an LT1. He brought em out I said I'm gonna go put all 8 of these in my 4.3. He just looked dumbfounded.

I use the local parts store for consumables, fluids, and such. They are my last resort on parts. If I can wait, Rockauto or somewhere else online is way cheaper for the same parts. However, if I must use the local parts store, I usually look up the part on-line before heading out there or calling. I find it better that way, just takes a bit of planning. Sometimes I may have to look for several places if the on-line says it's out of stock.

I really can't complain, most of the guys behind the counter are either too young or made bad life choices. I've even shared some knowledge to the young guys that seem interested. I have come across some guys that know their stuff too.

My nearest O'reilley's has a bunch of Takuache trucks on the employee parking lot, mostly GMT400/800s. The young guys behind the counter are all ears when I go in there and we start talking engine/trans swaps and regearing...Not that I claim to be an expert on the subject, but apparently know more than them about it...

My local O'Reilly's is actually pretty good. Surprisingly good!

I work at a parts store and I cannot wait until my kind of job gets replaced by robots. Dealing with people's ****** attitudes, them acting like I'm dumb just because I'm young when I try to educate people on certain stuff that I know, customers constantly complaining about the prices, etc. Our system is so ****** that you have to get the exact name of it, or else good luck trying to find it! I try to help people the best I can, but in a few months I'm quitting and getting something better because my mental health is not worth the ****** pay. Otherwise, 70% of the customers are fun to chat with about cars and such. I'm not going to lie, there are counter people that know diddly squat about cars, and it's rough when they don't know what you are talking about, that I can agree with. Anybody that comes into the store, I have started showing customers what I am looking up on the computer with them telling me exactly what they need, takes the heat off of my a$$ with them seeing how stupid the catalog setup is.

Just two nights ago, there was a dad and his son that needed a passenger side CV axle for an 2008 Chevy Malibu. Ok cool, let's see what we got. I needed to know if it was a 4 speed or a 6 speed auto, of course they didn't know and expected me to know (like I built the car??!) So I order one, turns out it's not the right one. The CV axle they needed had 2 male ends, the Malibu's have 1 male end, and 1 female end. They return it yesterday and I see if it's a driver's side, it looks to be a driver's side one even though they told me it was a passenger side one. We didn't have it, they declined on me ordering it. No harm no foul right? Nope! His brother in law calls and bitches me out because I kept ordering them the wrong part. He proceeds to tell me it's for a 2008 Chevy IMPALA! Are you serious right now!?? Your brother in law told me it was for a MALIBU! I looked up a passenger side CV axle for a 2008 Chevy Impala, and low and behold... it looked exactly like the one the dad and son brought in, and we had them on hand at the store. But of course, it's always my fault, never the customer.

To anyone that wants to apply to any auto parts store, I recommend you stay far, far away, your mental health with thank you. If you can wait a week, order on RockAuto or Amazon, prices are more than half of what any auto parts place with charge.

How about the service dept at the dealer? I made myself the vehicle control officer at my last unit for the sole purpose of getting our 2008 F350 fixed. It'd throw engine codes and the last fix action was shift solenoids. So I take the truck to the Dyno, it hits limp mode, and I take it to the dealer. I pick it up and they'd put a Motorcraft air filter in and lectured me on using factory filters. When I checked the records, the same ripoff dealer who did the solenoids also put in an air filter. So the next time it threw a code I went back, in uniform, in full ******* I know more than you mode. Guess what? The turbo needed replaced. I picked that truck up smug as could be and it never had a problem since. I love it when a service writer who hasn't touched a wrench or diagnosed jack shjt in 20 years tries to flex on you.

I only go to local auto parts store to buy things like windshield washer fluid and to dispose of used oil. Otherwise, I do my best to plan in advance and buy online where I will most certainly find better prices (even after shipping is factored in). I can also find parts on my own...no need to have another person use a computer for me.

By the way, I used to work part-time at an O'Reilly's while I went to community college.

Back in my day...we didn't have these new fangled things called computers...you looked it up in the catalog! Our store had a 27' long run of catalog racks, for the brands we carried and the other ones we could get from different warehouses. At that time (1983-87) there were 7 or 8 parts warehouses in Houston. I think now it's down to 2 or 3, and the Irish place has their own warehouse in SE Houston. Just down the road from the u pull and pay.....

I've had fairly decent luck with O'Reilly's in my area. Course it helped when my friend was working there at the commercial counter (she had a lot of regular customers!). She retired and referred me to a couple of other people, that are reasonably intelligent and knowledgeable. One of the kids at my usual one even has a 400, ecsb, '98, that's pewter too.

It’***** or miss for me. I’ve gotten into the habit of looking everything up online before going to the local stores. Comparison shopping Advance, Auto Zone, Oreilly’s & Napa. Advance Auto almost always has a 15-20% off discount code for online orders and you can pick up in 30 minutes if it’s in stock. I use Amazon and RockAuto too if not in a hurry and the savings is worthwhile.