By age, I fall into the area where I grew up without the Internet until just before I graduated high school. Referred to as the “Oregon Trail” generation (for the game we played on Apple IIe computers in grade school where we made everyone die of dysentery), we grew up knowing technology, so we adapted to the Internet well, but we still remember what it’s like to have to do everything without the help of Google, Amazon, and Wikipedia.
Ok…Most of us do. A lot of the people in the +/- 10 year range of my age have got the grasp of both the benefits and evils of the Internet. One benefit is that it puts power into the hands of the consumer. Don’t like the prices at one store? You don’t have to drive store to store for comparison shopping, you can just thumb through a few web sites on your phone and you can get the perfect deal. And I encourage that…provided you are a courteous shopper. “Wait, UPCG, what the hell do you mean by that?”, I can hear you asking.
Here’s what I mean: say you have a guy come into the store and asks you to help him by looking up some part numbers. Sounds innocuous enough, right? He wants information and you are happy to provide them said information. After thirty minutes of research on what this guy wants, you’re at the point where you have the right part number, can get the part, and are a split-second from making the sale. But when you go to pull the trigger, you get a line like, “Oh, don’t worry about it…I’m gonna order it off of Rock Auto. Thanks for your help!” and then they leave.
Those kinds of customers are the reason why I have court-mandated anger management sessions (just kidding…maybe.) That isn’t helpful research, that’s at least exploiting a system and at worst, theft of services. I just killed a half-hour looking up the whatever for your 1988 Chevrolet Nova, a car you’d be better off setting on fire than fixing, and you are going to be so f***ing cheap that my time wasn’t worth another dollar or two in sales? This is why throwing an alternator at someone’s head sounds so appealing. “Penny wise and pound foolish”…good luck if that part you scored off of Amazon used for half the price functions. One of my favorite sayings, ever: It’s called karma, and it’s pronounced, “HAHA, F*** YOU!”
If you’re going to make me do the legwork, at least let me sell you the damn widget.\
BMT…your not thinking through this. If you suspect a window shopper, just give him a part number one digit off. If he says ok, order it, just say “oh I made a mistake” and enter the correct order …no big deal. If he gets a roof skin when he wanted a sun visor from RA… 🙂
Bicycle shops have the same problem, with a twist. After you spend thirty minutes diagnosing the problem and suggesting a replacement part, they find a grey market option for below wholesale. Expect you to install it for nothing on the spot, and warranty it when they run it into a rock.
Or the customer calls to get the OEM part number that fits his car so he can shop for a cheaper option. Gets annoying when it’s the same customer or shop numerous times.
Yup, as a longtime dealership parts guy, I’ve taken my fair share of those calls. I usually try to be helpful, but if the person (won’t call them a “customer” if they aren’t buying anything) is being ignorant about it, I’ve often been tempted to provide a bogus part number. LOL
Going to the parts store is misery for me. They either know nothing, or act like they know it all. I worked at O, O, O, O\’Reillys for a year and the Quest for a few months when I was much younger. The amount of idiocy on both sides of the counter is astounding. I will not even start on the corporate clowns. Go online for all my parts and fluids unless it\’s cheap small stuff like vacuum caps.
had a person call many years ago to price some coil springs for his car. after I priced them he stated ” I can get them for $20. cheaper at the salvage yard. I told him that our coils have a lifetime warranty and you cannot look at a coil to see how good it is or how long it will last. same customer called back 2 wks later, recognized his voice, telling me sob story of salvage coils only lasting 2 wks and wanted me to credit price he paid at salvage toward our coils. my reply “NO”.
Typically I mine the ‘net for P/N’s, then call for availability from the local NAPA or wherever and go buy it from them because I don’t have the time (aka $) or patience to freakin’ mail-order something that’s already there (or will be the next morning) just down the street, in order to save a couple bucks outta my wallet.
Then I feel a little guilty for abusing Rock Auto (a wonderful site, really), just to see what’s out there generally and get accurate part numbers.
Do I have this backward?
I’m hunky dory with buying the parts from my local NAPA – PROVIDE – he doesn’t have to order in the part (not in the warehouse), and then charge me shipping for the part.
With that said, NAPA’s site thinks I’m a virus – so I figure I might as well make it real.
Oh! Is this a conversation you really want to have with me? Really? You want me to have a GD Arianism right the F now don’t you! GAH! these MF’rs cost me so much money it is ridiculous! The worst offenders are the tire shoppers. Hey, I need tire size XYZ for my 1902 Dizzlesmurf. Ok sir…I have multiple tires for your Dizzlesmurf from price point 75 dollars per to 325 per. I want to upsize and I want speed rating ZZ and I want 1.5 million mile prorate and if you have something with an aggressive tread pattern that would be great. Ok, well this is what I have……*30 minutes later* Okay Joe, thanks for the info but I think I am going to shop around some more. This means – I wasted your time, cost you 25 bucks in commission and am going to use this quote to pit the other tire stores against you. I will show them 4 tires for 100 bucks and they will offer me a better tire at 125 with free dice valve stem caps. Little does he know that he will not find 4 60K tires, mounted balanced, front end alighnment AND road hazzard for 400 bucks…but, you know…whatever…douchebag.
Yep
I get them all time
“I bought this part from ebay, can you fit it for me”
Me, “Sure, this is out hourly rate”
“WTF? the internet said it should be free to fit”
Me ” no problem, get the internet to fit it”