Maybe it's just me.....new member posts asking questions
- Thread starter ve9aa
- Start date
Great timing
Had a former customer that I helped at the very first dealer job I ever had, in the 1990's (!) call me earlier. No lie, after the small talk was out of the way, he asked me "my jet ski won't run what do you think's wrong with it?"
Great. Soooo...I'm a helpful kinda guy but this question was so vague that I could not help myself. "Ain't got no gas in it". BBT is a personal acquaintance, so it was the first thing that came to mind.
I kinda thought I might have made him (guy on the phone) mad at first but he quickly realized his question was so vague that a smart answer was totally expected.
But we got to the bottom of it. It's got gas in it, it just ain't sending it to the injunktors. Fuel pump is bad.
Had a former customer that I helped at the very first dealer job I ever had, in the 1990's (!) call me earlier. No lie, after the small talk was out of the way, he asked me "my jet ski won't run what do you think's wrong with it?"
Great. Soooo...I'm a helpful kinda guy but this question was so vague that I could not help myself. "Ain't got no gas in it". BBT is a personal acquaintance, so it was the first thing that came to mind.
I kinda thought I might have made him (guy on the phone) mad at first but he quickly realized his question was so vague that a smart answer was totally expected.
But we got to the bottom of it. It's got gas in it, it just ain't sending it to the injunktors. Fuel pump is bad.
I had a blue heeler that ate socks like that. I have no idea why. I learned to pick them up, or they'd get ruined. Fun dog to have around, just had to keep the socks away from her. Now I have a cat that drags socks out of the drawer while I'm not home. When I get in from work the first thing I do is check the mail. Second thing I do is go into the bedroom and check to see how many socks that stupid cat has drug out. Most days none, some days just one. Then every once in a while the entire drawer is empty and they're laying on the floor, with the cat laying right in the middle of em. Yes he can pull the drawer open.
An ethical veterinarian wouldn't put a dog to sleep because of owner negligence but would find another home for it. Dogs will eat socks because they have the owner's smell on them, and they don't know any better, just like a child will put lots of things into their mouths because they haven't been taught not to. My dog used to pick up one of my socks every night and put it in bed with her because she felt more secure with my scent with her. She also slept with her favorite toy every night and would carry it downstairs with her in the morning.
I wonder if there’s a solution to this problem. So many…
Just teasing since we’re grousing about people thinking.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Ktrim
Well-known member
Equipment
B2400, lA352 loader,3pth quick hitch/z122r zero turn/restored 52 farmall super a
Some parts People aren't much brighter. They can only read what's on their computer screen. They have little to no knowledge of what the parts are even for. In my teen yrs in the 80s I sold auto parts for a mom and pop shop. We only had paper catalogs, made sure we got the customers the correct parts, and every employee had the wherewithal to talk them through the job if needed.Like Daren, I was never on any kind of forum before OTT.
But internet or not you start with Year, Make, Model, etc....
Have any of these people been to a parts counter?!?!? How can you forget that??!?!?
Now you go into a chain store and the employees are clueless. Ask for a clutch kit for a vehicle and when they get to the spot on their computer screen they ask if the vehicle is standard or automatic.
RCW
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
^^^^^
Keith - I’m old enough to remember those paper catalogs and the microfiche readers behind the counter….-
I remember going back of the counter a couple times to look at parts diagrams, I think mostly for my CJ-7.
Keith - I’m old enough to remember those paper catalogs and the microfiche readers behind the counter….-
I remember going back of the counter a couple times to look at parts diagrams, I think mostly for my CJ-7.
Ktrim
Well-known member
Equipment
B2400, lA352 loader,3pth quick hitch/z122r zero turn/restored 52 farmall super a
I mostly deal now with advance auto/car quest commercial dept. They still have paper catalogs behind the counter. They are a must especially for u joints and exhaust. The computer listing are never correct. Just don't ask the retail people up front to use them. They look at you like you have two heads.
That's because no one knowledgeable works for that low of pay. When I was on the parts business corporate wouldn't let me hire people for much over minimum wage, I think around $1.75 over. But on the rare occasions I got someone decent I couldn't keep them at that wage or the $.25 annual raise garbage.Some parts People aren't much brighter. They can only read what's on their computer screen. They have little to no knowledge of what the parts are even for. In my teen yrs in the 80s I sold auto parts for a mom and pop shop. We only had paper catalogs, made sure we got the customers the correct parts, and every employee had the wherewithal to talk them through the job if needed.
Now you go into a chain store and the employees are clueless. Ask for a clutch kit for a vehicle and when they get to the spot on their computer screen they ask if the vehicle is standard or automatic.
That said the customers are still worse and get dumber every year. It still baffles me to this day how people can spend thousands of dollars on a car. Then thousands more fueling it, insuring it, and maintaining it while having zero knowledge about it. Year, make, model? Its that blue one outside. Amazing that they can tell me the make and model of their $500 phone but not their $20,000 car.
Then they'd throw a fit that you weren't going to install whatever part they wanted in the parking lot without any equipment, or tools. I'm not talking light bulbs either.. I'm talking engine out gasket replacements, brake jobs, tire replacements when we didn't even sell tires...
I once had a customer crash into one if the parking bollards in front of the store then walk in asking for brakes. Another that crashed into the ditch and just left. They got angry when we had that car towed. Had a customers come in on a daily basis trying to return used parts because their "mechanic" thinks we should foot the bill for their lack of diag, or they'd sell the car but pull parts off and bring them back first for extra money. No idea how that works. Had a customer buy a battery, take it out to their car to install it themselves and hooked the wires backwards. Then blame me for "letting" them do that while I was inside still helping someone else.
I once heard a comedian talking about how the average IQ in America is only in the double digits and drops temporarily when under stress or high emotion. Then when factoring in that the cut off for mental retardation is 70 points means that when someone is screaming and arguing with you and not listening to reason its probably because the person you are arguing with is retarded. I laughed and googled it, it wasn't just a joke it is actually true and I feel explains quite alot.
Go into any auto parts store and ask for a 710 oil cap, and when they don't understand what you want, then tell to to forget that part and that you need a water pump for a 1969 Chevrolet Corvair 6-cylinder engine. Hell, you could ask them for a water pump for a 2020 Tesla, and they will still try finding it in their computer catalog, and never realize that it is an all-electric car. Now, does anyone know what a muffler bearing is? This isn't a trick question, because in the 1920s they did sell muffler bearings for automobiles.
I can confuse the counter guys real easy. I have a 2011 Dodge Dakota. None of their books show a 2011. It was the last year of mfg. so I have to get parts for a 2010.
I had a 1934 Dodge and whenever I needed anything for that engine, I had to ask for the part for a 1953 Dodge or Plymouth engine. That was back in the 1980s long before the computer catalogs, and even then the young guys didn't know how to find parts in the books. They couldn't get it through their minds that they still had books that went back that far, but they had to pull them out from under the counter because there was no room to keep them in the catalog rack.
I stripped the stupid lug nut covers on my f150 a couple days ago. Ran up to the local Napa to try and find replacement lug nuts without the stupid caps. Gentlemen asked what I needed. I told him lug-nuts for a 2017 Ford F150. He asked, what size wheel, black/chrome/aluminum wheels? I laughed to myself thinking of this thread. It was also about 115 degrees outside and I was frustrated.
I think sometimes we just need to lighten up.
Btw, Napa wanted $10 a piece for them. Luckily, I was getting new tires the next day and my youngest cousin runs the shop. He was able to get me new lug nuts with the caps for $2 each.
I think sometimes we just need to lighten up.
Btw, Napa wanted $10 a piece for them. Luckily, I was getting new tires the next day and my youngest cousin runs the shop. He was able to get me new lug nuts with the caps for $2 each.
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
I know Ford has at least 3 sizes of lug nuts...
12mm, on my F150
14mm, on other F150
1/2-20, on brother's Mustang
there was a HUGE 'recall' when Ford Canada went 'metric' and the line used a bin of 1/2-20s instead of metrics.....
12mm, on my F150
14mm, on other F150
1/2-20, on brother's Mustang
there was a HUGE 'recall' when Ford Canada went 'metric' and the line used a bin of 1/2-20s instead of metrics.....
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
You sir get the "understatement of the year award"......
THE WORLD IS GOING FU@@ING BATSH!T CRAZY.......
I remember a time that when you had "tranny problems" , it was gonna cost you 1K to fix your car.
Just sayin
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