Experienced Counter Help

E

Eugene

501 Club
Stopped in at local auto parts store. Told the counter guy I need a Champion CJ8. Two, three minutes typing on the computer, said "we don't have anything with that part number". Told him it's a spark plug. He looked at me sort of strange. I told him to ask his supervisor for help. Wait, wait, pause, pause, no supervisor. I finally pulled the old spark plug out of my pocket and laid it on the counter. He picked up the spark plug, walked down the spark plug aisle comparing the number on the spark plug with the numbers on the stored boxes. Nope not there.

Walked to the back of the store and searched the small engine display. Finally found the correct spark plug.
 
yes good help is gone,all retired out, champion also has changed their # system so the #s we are use to are not being used, for example a D21 is now a 502
 
Eugene, consider yourself lucky that the person knew what a spark plug was! Tim is right, people who knew the parts business (and a lot of others) are all gone, retired. And a lot of them have passed on to the big tractor garage in the sky!! JMHO. Stan
 
State Technical College, Missouri is located on the edge of town. Local businesses hire the students for part time help.

Not complaining because the tech school and the students really boost the economy. Part time work experience is great for the students.

Just frustrating sometimes. Story. Grocery store looking for fly strips. Ask a male stocking shelves where the fly strips were located. Had to explained what a fly strip was. Male told me "fly strips are only in comics".

OH. Kind off topic. Fixer upper house neighbor has rental property, 2 buildings that he is completely renovating, entire gut jobs. Total of 8 efficiency units, already rented to Tech school students. Water and sewer included in rent. Renter pays electricity which is lights, heating and A/C. Average unit rental, $500- a month. Property owner's expenses from the $500- is approximately $55- a month for each unit, for water, sewer, and garbage. - - - Pretty good income for a buildings built in 1965.
 
Did it again. Auto parts store. Looked on the small engine rack for Kohler K series engine condenser. Not there.

Told the counter guy I wanted a condenser for a Kohler K series engine. Guy, "A what?" Me, "condenser, a capacitor."

Guy. "What is the make and model." Me. "105 IH Cub Cadet." Guy. "What's that." Me. "Garden tractor made by Internationa Harvester. It's a lawn mower."

Guy. 'We don't sell a lot of lawn mower parts." Me. "Prime Line small engine catalog."

Guy gets the catalog, opens pages to the Kohler section. Flips through the Kohler section, passed the listing for K series engines. I'm thinking he is going to tell me that he can't get the part.

I asked the guy for the catalog. I turned back a few pages. Ran my finger down for the condenser listing. Told the guy I want that one.

I miss the old guy manager at the now closed down in town auto parts store.
 
It pays dividends to ALWAYS have the part number you need when you walk through the door, regardless of who is behind the counter.
 
Don McCombs":38sc2sey said:
It pays dividends to ALWAYS have the part number you need when you walk through the door, regardless of who is behind the counter.
Click to expand...
YA. Next time. Might work if they haven't changed the part number, or can't find an IH 105 Cub Cadet in their computer, or don't know that Champion is the name of a common spark plug.

The auto parts store is fairly new, located next to the Missouri Tech school, and caters to the local mechanics shops. Doesn't seem to be set up for local farm trade or small engines.

Ebay if I can wait longer than two days. Ebay is cheaper and free shipping.

The recently closed auto parts store had condensers hanging in their well-stocked small engine rack.

Since I'm thinking about IH tractor parts. I frequently do business with the in town New Holland dealership. The lady shop owner has been in the business for 30 plus years and has old guys behind the counter. I should have gone there.

Signed: Old and grumpy.
 
I just love the "What Year, Make, and Model" request about a part that is needed. Hmmm. The body and chassis of the truck is a 2000, and the engine is from a 2003, the transmission has been swapped previously with a Jasper.

I just need a generic cupholder.
 
Thats what the guy ran into with the homemade truck I sold him. Parts guys went ape! motor was a hi-perf 283 chevy out of a 67 car, trans was a 4 speed out of a 50 chevy dump truck, drive shaft was half dump truck and half GMC half ton, ( ya I welded them together), truck chassics was 64 GMC half ton, bed was a 58 chevy 3/4 ton, stacks were from a kids swing set pipes with turnouts welded on top and elbows on the bottom, glass packs with the glass burned out for mufflers, I used what was on the farm at the time to make it, drove it for 11 years til the front end needed fixed so I sold it to a guy that had one like it with good front end so he swapped parts and drove it for another 11 years before he got a diesel 1 ton to pull his big trailer with.
Gotta love these parts people, --- dont know what they smoked before coming to work! lol!
 
closet thing to experienced counter help is the guy at the gas station who has been working there more than a week
 
Yup, like the counter clerk that didn't know that a WILLYS was a vehicle when I asked to purchase points, plugs, and condenser. Ha Ha, gotta love it!!!
 
I had my 72 Olds Cutlass in for an oil change recently. The cashier looked at me and said "This car has nearly 700,000 miles?" The kid writing up the repair order (Ford dealership) apparrently never saw a car with a 5 digit odometer rather than a six and started from the left side instead of one digit in and added a zero at the end. The correct milage? 69,600. I'll have to explain it to him. Vern
 
I am getting a kick out of this...I think I retired after being a Ford partsman since 1985 and selling parts since 1979....Yep...finding anybody that knows parts is hard....To me ...it was second nature...Its funny cause I am getting calls at home for old part numbers on old stuff...I have a micrcofice and old ford slides..My employer pissed me off so I walked out....wasn't even making much money...Glad I am gone.....I even had a hard time finding an aftermarket parts person that did a good job...I am getting good and always have been at finding stuff myself....PS...being retired[or whatever I am doing] is a blast!!!!!!!!!!!! I love tea in the morning on my deck.....LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!
 
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