Dear Napa,

[Dave 001]

And I think their parts quality that everyone used to spend the extra $$$ on is going way down hill.

I couldn't agree more....NAPA quality has gone way down yet they still want to charge top dollar. I've been using NAPA parts for 20+ years but I find myself avoiding them anymore. I've been having better luck Autozone and their prices are lower. And if I can wait a few days for shipping, Rockauto is great.

 

[Blind Driver2]

I have a NAPA 1 mile from me. They are more expensive and customer service is much worse then the NAPA 5 miles away.

Different owners, different policies.

 

[Wyreth]

When I lived in Sacto, I used to buy from Napa all the time. However that was partly because their warehouse location was like 3 miles from my house. The people at the counter KNEW THEIR S$&T!!!! I was glad to pay the $10 or so more to get special order parts right now, or hell, even just bs parts....

Then I moved to Vegas, after the debacle of my move. I went to the closest Napa to pick up a trans filter, they didn't have one in town so I ordered one. I had to ORDER A C6 filter. Then when it got there, they wanted $12 in shipping for a store pickup. Keep in mind, they didn't actually take any of my info. Not even a phone # when they ordered it. When they told me that, I told them to sit and spin. So then they said I would have to pay a re-stocking fee..... So I asked them: Do you know who I am?
"no"
Do you have my credit card?
"no"

then I just walked out, havn't been back to a Napa since.

It really does depend on the location. I'm young, but I've never seen napa parts last longer than any other cheap part. I've NEVER had luck with "in house" brands.

 

[projectdagger]

i mean no disrepect, but i'm one of those parts store more ons. what we find amazing most of the time, is 8 out of 10 people can not even tell me, what type of vehicle they are driving, or even remotely know what year it is. the customer comments it's in your computer, you tell me? or one of my favorite customers, was what i need is square shaped with 4 wires going to it. then they get made at me, for not automatically knowing.
but i do agree, most places can not even find their ass with both hands and a map. i tried to get a starter solinold for 76 ford pick up once at the local autozone. the clerk had not idea what i was refuring to.
thank you for allowing me a moment to comment

 

[Optikalillushun]

Used to use local advance until i had it out with the new manager. Then i switched to Autozone because a freind worked there, said friend left to the napa in town. So i started going there. The guy my friend replaced was as useless as **** on a bull, and never kept anything in stock. My friend changed everything and now i can walk in and get almost anything i need (he actually took note of what was common around here and stocks parts for em).

I can walk in and ask for a 3 sided doohickey for a 89 ferd f-teen 1000 and he'll have one, have it tomorrow or tell me where to get it. Havent noticed much quality issues with napa stuff, but i do get the higher grade. I still go to autozone for random things (like timken bearings) and as long as one of the two guys i know are working i wont have any issues. If its someone i know is a dumbfawk ill leave.

 

[icanfixall]

When I go to one of the 4 Nappa stores around me I try to use the woman that knows her stuff. She works very hard helping me and other customers. Some of the other stores are not so customer friendly... Kids behind the counter are the issues I have difficulty with most of the times.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

IMO its not all Napa's that are bad its any parts store that has "non-gearheads" working behind the counter.

Personally the local napa is great, the guys working there also work in their shop so they have somewhat of an idea whats going on. They always either have what I need or get it next day (no shipping charges). They know how to go to the paper catalogs if they can't find it in the computer and also when to ask for a make and model and when not to. Its a tiny store but he has a pole barn out back with tons and tons of parts. And best of all the owner is a friend of mine that lives down my road, so he will often times drop parts off at my house saving me a trip to town.

Now the car-quest in the next town over is terrible those counter guys couldn't find their way out of a wet paper bag.

 

[Jake_IN]

When I go to one of the 4 Nappa stores around me I try to use the woman that knows her stuff.

You must be registered for see images

/couldn't resist

 

[Blind Driver2]

When I go to one of the 4 Nappa stores around me I try to use the woman that knows her stuff. She works very hard helping me and other customers. Some of the other stores are not so customer friendly... Kids behind the counter are the issues I have difficulty with most of the times.

Never had that happen

BTW...it's spelled NAPA

You must be registered for see images

/couldn't resist

I see what you did there

 

[whiteboyslo]

Man, I see a lot of this all over the internet lately. That is, people ******** about the 'stupid kid' at the parts store. As a guy who worked at a parts store through high school and college not too long ago (about 7 years total), I must say I kinda get where some of you are coming from, but some of you need to get real.

First and foremost, you are absolutely correct that little to no prior automotive knowledge is needed for the job. I got hired at 16 and knew just enough to be able to change my own oil and maybe a couple other small jobs. Really, I knew darn near nothing when it came to parts and vehicle diagnosis. And, much to my surprise, there was ZERO training offered to increase my knowledge. The only training I ever took was on things that helped the company, like Loss Prevention and crap like that. Basically, I learned all my auto knowledge on that job from screwing up. I WAS that guy that fell for the old 'I need a water pump for my VW bug' gag. But, I learned, albeit slowly. Really, that's the only difference between the young 'dumb' guy and the old 'wise' guy at a parts place. He's just been around long enough to have already seen it all.

Secondly, why do people expect the parts guy to know every last detail about their car? That makes no sense. You may expect it from the parts guy at the dealer, but he only was one or two makes to know, and even then only back a few decades. And, especially in this day and age where guys like us that like to work on our own stuff freely share all our knowledge online with one another (seriously, God bless the internet!), OF COURSE you're going to know more about your vehicle than the parts guy.

So, the next time you're in the store and 'that young kid' doesn't know what you need him to know, here's an idea: teach him, and/or maybe hive him a little bit of a break. It seems older generations these days just like to bag on youth for their stupidity, which is ironic because, as I see it, the REAL root cause is their generation's lack of ability or desire to teach. Case in point, I went into the local parts store a few months ago to buy some Fleetcharge (the very store I cut my teeth in nonetheless). The kid behind the counter didn't know what it was, but I explained it to him and told him it'd likely be back at the commercial counter (granted, I only knew that because I used to work there). When he brought it up, he asked what was so special about it. So I explained to him all I knew about SCAs and cavitation, a topic I knew NOTHING about until a few months before, and now he knows. That's all it took.

Sorry for the rant, but obviously it's a topic I know all too well and is a little near and dear to me.

Mike

 

[icanfixall]

When I shop at any store I expect the customer service to be better than anyplace else... Or I will shop somewhere else. I want the person to know how to find what I want. I do not expect the person to know my truck or car as well as I do... Thats not realistic thinking. When you find someone that can use the tools on their side of the counter you tend to use them more often than other counter people. I do try to help those on that side to learn something too but I'm not there to teach either... Just some polite help. I have been around the cabbage patch for some time. I'm not knew to this counter person problem. Autozone young lady completely ignored me when I was clearly standing in the line to me helped next. she waited on three guys that I saw come into the store well after me aqnd she helpped them before me. Another counter person finally asked if I had been helped yet... Big mistake.... I unloaded how I felt about this english as a second language young girl helping three others as I stood there waiting in the clearly designed line. Funny thing was the guy I unloaded with was the mamager. I was going to buy around $60.00 worth of stuff.. I put it on the counter and said thanks for making it clear I should shop someplace that WANTS my money... Same thing happened at walmart once but only once.. I waited for 25 minutes for a cashier to come to the automotive dept so I could buy some oil and filters. Several times the outside mechanics wlaked by not giving me a single nod or any help. I walked into the store. Found a counter person and told them several customers needed help ... Nobody came to help us. So I walked to the door to leave thru the auto repair area like many customers do... Door locked by a buzzer security system. Then as if the guy came out of my hip pocket this guy asks if I need some help... Boy howdy do I... I told him off about how I would never attempt to spend my money there ever again because of the poor customer service myself and many others had just experianced. I went to Napa and spent a little more money getting the same items but was happy to be served with courtisy... We do live and learn along our lifes hiway.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Yea I'm honestly sick of allot of them. I'd rather buy from Rock Auto and wait for it than go to most stores anymore. My family had been buying the Mitsubishi style starters and all of our alternators from OReily's for over 10 years because of their warranty that they had on them. It was lifetime. Well 2 or 3 years ago we had 4 or 5 starter failures in one year and I took every one of them in to get replaced, they did it just fine until one day they said "we no longer honor the lifetime warranty on that starter". My dad got pissed, I got pissed, we talked to the manager and she insisted the only thing they could do was replace it one more time and after that we would have to buy them when they went bad, OR replace it for a denso starter without a nose bearing that would still carry the lifetime warranty. The denso is a POS that lasts half as long as the mitsu ones because of the added stress on the starter gear. My dad kept telling them they can't just change their warranty because we have the receipt with "Lifetime warranty" written right on it. They said their legal department had advised them anyone wanting to take legal action could do so, meaning they werent worried about losing, they have some sort of loop hole to get out of the warranty.

Continuing my rant, the other day I needed an EGR valve gasket for my turbo eclipse. Its a $1.49 gasket that is about an inch square and is commonly replaced because it burns out. NONE of the stores in town had one! I had to make something out of an aluminum pop can!

 

[bagpiperjosh]

I work in the parts dept at Toyota, and have been here almost 3 years, and I dont claim to know everything. But if i don't know the answer to something, im honest about it, and i tell them i will try to find an answer, and let them know... you see, like others have said. cars are getting way too many options and models to be able to keep track of everything.. with Toyota, you pretty much need a vin for just about everything, including brake pads.

But when i go to places like advanced and etc. yea, they usually dont know jack and they try to BS through it. I would rather them just be honest and say they dont know... but with these jobs, you get what you pay for. someone who knows their crap isn't going to work for $8 an hr.

 

[RLDSL]

Man, I see a lot of this all over the internet lately. That is, people ******** about the 'stupid kid' at the parts store. As a guy who worked at a parts store through high school and college not too long ago (about 7 years total), I must say I kinda get where some of you are coming from, but some of you need to get real.

First and foremost, you are absolutely correct that little to no prior automotive knowledge is needed for the job. I got hired at 16 and knew just enough to be able to change my own oil and maybe a couple other small jobs. Really, I knew darn near nothing when it came to parts and vehicle diagnosis. And, much to my surprise, there was ZERO training offered to increase my knowledge. The only training I ever took was on things that helped the company, like Loss Prevention and crap like that. Basically, I learned all my auto knowledge on that job from screwing up. I WAS that guy that fell for the old 'I need a water pump for my VW bug' gag. But, I learned, albeit slowly. Really, that's the only difference between the young 'dumb' guy and the old 'wise' guy at a parts place. He's just been around long enough to have already seen it all.

Secondly, why do people expect the parts guy to know every last detail about their car? That makes no sense. You may expect it from the parts guy at the dealer, but he only was one or two makes to know, and even then only back a few decades. And, especially in this day and age where guys like us that like to work on our own stuff freely share all our knowledge online with one another (seriously, God bless the internet!), OF COURSE you're going to know more about your vehicle than the parts guy.

So, the next time you're in the store and 'that young kid' doesn't know what you need him to know, here's an idea: teach him, and/or maybe hive him a little bit of a break. It seems older generations these days just like to bag on youth for their stupidity, which is ironic because, as I see it, the REAL root cause is their generation's lack of ability or desire to teach. Case in point, I went into the local parts store a few months ago to buy some Fleetcharge (the very store I cut my teeth in nonetheless). The kid behind the counter didn't know what it was, but I explained it to him and told him it'd likely be back at the commercial counter (granted, I only knew that because I used to work there). When he brought it up, he asked what was so special about it. So I explained to him all I knew about SCAs and cavitation, a topic I knew NOTHING about until a few months before, and now he knows. That's all it took.

Sorry for the rant, but obviously it's a topic I know all too well and is a little near and dear to me.

Mike

You see, young grasshopper, working at a parts counter was once a respectable profession. one that a fella could look forward too after YEARS of turning wrenches had finally taken their toll on his body and a fella could no longer bend and lift and twist, but had gained the experience of a lifetime, there was always a good paying job available with bennies available at the quality parts stores and dealerships where this knowlege was greatly appreciated and PAID FOR . where customers could come in and ask for a square do hicky for a 58 chevy and without a blink said parts man would run to the back and grab one. Parts store owners didn't need computers because these folks WERE the computers, and for the rare younger fella with lots of mechanical experience who showed promise ( but the young guys didnt start out at the counter, they spent a LOT of time stocking and learning everything before being let loose on the public) . When you worked in a parts store back then, you didnt go home and play video games, you had a spare set of supplier catalogs at home that you studied so you knew what fit what off the top of your head so you wouldnt have a line of customers strung out the door. A GOOD parts man always made sure to not sell someone something they didnt need so they would ask questions to make sure the customer wasnt getting teh wrong part, especially on electric items that were not returnable, which again meant knowing how to fix everything out there

Then came the ultra discount stores, put in computers to tell folks supposedly what to do, hire people with zero mechanical experience so you no longer have to pay for experience and hence break an existing sustaining lifestyle for countless people and create short term low paying jobs dealing low quality parts en-mass

As soon as Napa ditched their paper catalogs and put in computers and got rid of all the old hands and quality lines, I knew it was the end

 

[Black dawg]

Man, I see a lot of this all over the internet lately. That is, people ******** about the 'stupid kid' at the parts store. As a guy who worked at a parts store through high school and college not too long ago (about 7 years total), I must say I kinda get where some of you are coming from, but some of you need to get real.

First and foremost, you are absolutely correct that little to no prior automotive knowledge is needed for the job. I got hired at 16 and knew just enough to be able to change my own oil and maybe a couple other small jobs. Really, I knew darn near nothing when it came to parts and vehicle diagnosis. And, much to my surprise, there was ZERO training offered to increase my knowledge. The only training I ever took was on things that helped the company, like Loss Prevention and crap like that. Basically, I learned all my auto knowledge on that job from screwing up. I WAS that guy that fell for the old 'I need a water pump for my VW bug' gag. But, I learned, albeit slowly. Really, that's the only difference between the young 'dumb' guy and the old 'wise' guy at a parts place. He's just been around long enough to have already seen it all.

Secondly, why do people expect the parts guy to know every last detail about their car? That makes no sense. You may expect it from the parts guy at the dealer, but he only was one or two makes to know, and even then only back a few decades. And, especially in this day and age where guys like us that like to work on our own stuff freely share all our knowledge online with one another (seriously, God bless the internet!), OF COURSE you're going to know more about your vehicle than the parts guy.

So, the next time you're in the store and 'that young kid' doesn't know what you need him to know, here's an idea: teach him, and/or maybe hive him a little bit of a break. It seems older generations these days just like to bag on youth for their stupidity, which is ironic because, as I see it, the REAL root cause is their generation's lack of ability or desire to teach. Case in point, I went into the local parts store a few months ago to buy some Fleetcharge (the very store I cut my teeth in nonetheless). The kid behind the counter didn't know what it was, but I explained it to him and told him it'd likely be back at the commercial counter (granted, I only knew that because I used to work there). When he brought it up, he asked what was so special about it. So I explained to him all I knew about SCAs and cavitation, a topic I knew NOTHING about until a few months before, and now he knows. That's all it took.

Sorry for the rant, but obviously it's a topic I know all too well and is a little near and dear to me.

Mike

The difference in your story (the parts kid and sca) and what normally takes place, is that this kid asked (had willingness to learn) a question. What I see everyday, is people treating whatever job they have as only a job, do ONLY what is expected of them, and not trying to be any better at this job than they were day 1.