Parts Store Rant

[knever3]

I posted a reply that got my mind going...

 

I am a fan of Advance Auto in my area. I have MANY to choose from in a 5 mile radius, Advance, AutoZone, Napa, 2 Car Quests, Auto Value, Circle Auto, ORileys, and I am sure I am forgetting someone.

 

Now back to the rant, I have "tried" all the rest and I like to say that Advance has always been my top choice based on these things.

 

Knowledgeable staff, save for two lazy "parts store part timers".

Great selection of name brand trust worthy brands.

Clean stocked store, there's nothing worse than buying a product and needing 1 more can, then a week later it's still out! This store keeps a great inventory.

Sales, they always have my oil of choice on sale and other detail products. As for the filter I perfer the Bosh Distance they carry. I would like AMSOIL filters but only Belle Tire carries them.

 

 

Now, I'm no novice when it comes to going to the parts store so I have not gotten screwed by the parts computer selecting the wrong part for my application. I do my research before I "CALL" first to see who has the part, which brand, and how pricey before I go waste my gas to go get the part. The internet is my trusted source for the right part, it takes some time to read through all the posts on forums such as this one but you get a part that will not let you down that way.

 

Just wanted to share my thoughts about my local area, maybe it will help someone sometime in their situation.

[Rymanrph]

I tend to like Advance better too, but I wish they had the program that Autozone has. If you spend more than $20 five times, they give you $20 off. Napa seems to have some better prices on certain things and they tend to carry harder to find parts, but they close pretty early compared to Advance and Autozone and sometimes you just need something late.

[JeepcoMJ]

I use napa or bumper to bumper unless its after 5, then I use advance, but only if I have to. The last time I used them, they have me incorrectly assembled brake shoes for an 01 saturn lw200 wagon....the ebrake arms are riveted to the shoe with a shoulder rivet, and shoes are different front or rear for each side. One ebrake arm was on a front shoe, one on a rear. Went back for anothee set, same thing. Ordered them from bumper to tbumper, correct first try. And one advanced drum was machined out of round. They said thats how it all is supposed to be, and loat the last remaining respect that I had for them. Only one full timer that I like, the rest are dumber than an ox.

[neohic]

Only one full timer that I like, the rest are dumber than an ox.

 

This is the O'Reilly in my home town. I try to go to the Napa right across the street when they're open but even then I have my small list of employees who I can trust. My Napa is the type of parts store that I can walk in with a problem and I can bounce ideas off them. Say if I need a bushing with X" inside and X" outside and X" in length... let'sget out the "big book of bushings" and find one! That's how they roll and I like that.

[knever3]

I use napa or bumper to bumper unless its after 5, then I use advance, but only if I have to. The last time I used them, they have me incorrectly assembled brake shoes for an 01 saturn lw200 wagon....the ebrake arms are riveted to the shoe with a shoulder rivet, and shoes are different front or rear for each side. One ebrake arm was on a front shoe, one on a rear. Went back for anothee set, same thing. Ordered them from bumper to tbumper, correct first try. And one advanced drum was machined out of round. They said thats how it all is supposed to be, and loat the last remaining respect that I had for them. Only one full timer that I like, the rest are dumber than an ox.

 

:doh: :rotfl2: That's exactly what I am talking about, if the person behind the counter isn't any more knowledgeable than you are you might as well order it blindly from the internet.

[Blue88Comanche]

I like our Advanced auto parts, its only 2 minuets from my house. Most of the staff there know me and what I work on, usually they will already have the Comanche stuff pulled up by the time I get to the counter. but they are the only parts store i have used because they are the just down the street from me. so i can't really say much about the other ones in town.

[dfreeman616]

I've used so many different suppliers as I've worked at different shops and just on my own, and I've found it depends entirely on the individual store. My old shop used autozone a lot because they were decently knowledgeable, at least on the commercial side. A couple of the guys even are into XJs. However, the autozone near my current shop I don't trust at all. At the my old shop, NAPA couldn't find their own rear end half the time. Over here, they do a good job for us. O'Reilly I don't have much experience with, but Advance I've had both good and bad with. It's like any other business, some people work hard and do a good job, some don't.

[mpace6a]

Here, Nearly all the autozones suck, I've had one good experience, and thats the one 5 miles away. The closest store to me is an autozone, and i'd rather drive and extra 2 miles to go to the closest oreilly's, because they all know their stuff, except one guy, maybe 2 since they just hired someone new. But were on a first name basis :thumbsup:

[richasco]

It pays dividends to make nice with the Parts Pro. "Usually" they are the one person in the store who knows the in's and out's of the system and can help you find the right part the first time. They should know all sorts of cool things like which year Wranglers and Corvettes weren't made, when a 396 isn't a 396 and that most stores carry sparkplug wires for a Delorean but not the flux capacitor.

[Automan2164]

I usually prefer the places that cater to the independent shops and dealers rather than the ones that cater to the public. There is a general hierarchy of parts places:

 

Independent shop / Dealer aftermarket:

Napa

Lee/Bumper to bumper

Carquest

 

Inbetweeners:

Murray's

O'reily's

 

Public:

Autozone

Advance auto parts

 

The prices also follow those most of the time too. The ones that cater to the shops, give the account holders and employees of such the best deals, while being usually the most expensive for the guy off the street. The exact opposite comes into play with the Public ones. I forgot the exact numbers, but the Carquest guy was rambling once, and said that Napa/CQ does about 98% of total volume to shops, while the Autozone's did about 90% retail walk in.

 

As such, for myself, I generally rely on the Napa/CQ's. CQ was actually the one that found my timing belt for the diesel. He actually got in contact with Gates, and they found a belt. Since then, I buy pretty much everything from CQ because I feel they did me right by going the extra mile. When it comes to some of the weirder stuff at work (public works fleet mechanic) I can run into some really horridly obscure parts and manufacturers, and Napa is the place to go for that. Like Ben said, I can walk in there, lay the part on the counter, and say "What do you think?". CQ comes close, but there is one guy at Napa that has been around since Christ was a Corporal, and knows the lay of the parts world.

 

Rob

[pilecenturyfarm]

i try not to use either but sometimes you have too... we have an advance and no one at our knows there rear from a hole in the ground, a napa that no one ever goes too and two local stores. i usually try to hit those unless its an emergency and need a part.

[MJeep]

Ive found that around NE Ohio the best ones youre going to find are NAPAs, mainly due to the customer service, knowledge, and parts quality. Just my .02 tho

[dasbulliwagen]

The biggest thing to make any parts store good, is the poeple there and how its managed. If all the stars align, then you get a good store, but if not, then it all goes to pot. And with the amount of turnover most of these places have, that can change on a day to day basis. Ive seen this working at the dealership trying to get aftermarket parts, one store will be in out parts guys favor, but then a management or advisor change happens and then they stop going there and try somewhere else till they get it right again. Mostly what I'm saying is its not really a chain brand that makes a store good, its the poeple that run it.

[86customanche]

I always go to Advance unless its something they don't have, and Napa is usually the place to have it. Advance is the choice because is by far the closest to my house. 15 min, compared to 30 for autozone and 20-25 for Napa. Sucks living out in the country sometimes. Advance recognizes me sometimes, as I spend lots of time looking aroudn when I'm in there just in case I see something that I need but had forgotten about.

[Comanche County]

Napa is always the first choice for me, after that, it doesn't matter.

[dfreeman616]

The biggest thing to make any parts store good, is the poeple there and how its managed. If all the stars align, then you get a good store, but if not, then it all goes to pot. And with the amount of turnover most of these places have, that can change on a day to day basis. Ive seen this working at the dealership trying to get aftermarket parts, one store will be in out parts guys favor, but then a management or advisor change happens and then they stop going there and try somewhere else till they get it right again. Mostly what I'm saying is its not really a chain brand that makes a store good, its the poeple that run it.

Yes, that!

[MancheKid86]

i use lordco for all my needs,

its 5 mins away from my house and if i don't make it in time theres another one 20 mins away open for another 3 hours,

I'm a daily regular there XD something always needs replacing or fixing so i know all the staff that work there,

they say I'm one of the more difficult customers XD (i think they are teasin me tho)

i get about 45-55% off, and if i can get a better deal they give it to me,

theres not many things i cannot acquire trough them, what ever i can't i get made at truckworx

customer service is key to buying parts, theres only one guy i don't like dealing with just because hes not the greatest at finding my needed items,

but when i do i like to make him look up every thing because it drives him nuts,

over all i think I'm one of the lucky ones on having well priced, good staffed parts store

[AMCJeepMJ]

Napa first, O'Reilly second, anyone else except Autozone third, Autozone last.

[whowey]

For me.. it depends on whether time or money is more important.

 

Napa is pretty good. There is a guy who knows to just go dig up what I ask for and not what the computer tells him. He will always get everything out of the box and we make sure its all correct. BUT... they are still 10-15% over what O'Reillys charges.

 

O'Reillys is about 15 miles away.. and their prices are always the lowest over very,very close. You just have to push the employees to listen rather than puke back what the computer says. But they sell alot of foreign parts.

 

Autozone.. I don't go in there anymore. After the counter monkey wanted to argue about whether my XJ had coil or leaf rear springs.. then proceed to tell me they don't sell spring eye bushings.. when my wife found them on the shelf while I argued with the idiot.

[mpace6a]

Autozone.. I don't go in there anymore. After the counter monkey wanted to argue about whether my XJ had coil or leaf rear springs.. then proceed to tell me they don't sell spring eye bushings.. when my wife found them on the shelf while I argued with the idiot.

Thats exactly how all but one of the autozone's near me are. I refuse to go there unless i need a part asap that only they have in stock

[Alexia]

Yesterday, Jeep dealership parts counter on the phone taking down a part order. "Is 2004 a Grand Cherokee or a standard Cherokee?"

 

Today, same guy, "Yeah, we have a few Comanche tail lights around the country." *Orders Cherokee tail lights.*

[dfreeman616]

not my story but found it in a mitchell tech tip discussion:

 

guy (i'll call him joe) walks into autozone and sees counter guy cashing out a customer with a heater blower resistor, blower motor, coolant, t-connector for flushing cooling system, chemical flush, and a heater core.

joe talks with the counter guy:

joe: what did he need all that for?

counter guy: check engine light

joe: a code told you he needed all that?

counter guy: (with a proud look) yup! b1 heater circuit fault.

joe: wow...(turns around and walks out the door)

 

what gets me the most is their little reader lists possible causes, so evidently he didn't even read where it talks about o2 sensors and wiring...but nothing about heating and cooling systems.