Automotive store employees

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:39 am

I(and I'm sure art as well) would like to think so.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:34 pm

Splinter wrote:If you dont know cars, you shouldnt be working at a job that revolves around them. There are plenty of other jobs in burger flipping and such.

I work as a computer technician, before that I worked in computer sales. How would you feel if you went into a store like Staples or Best Buy and the sales guy knew less about the product than you did?

The chances that someone who DOES know jack shit about the products in a non-commission retail sales establishment actually working there for near minimum wages are astronomical.

If most of the guys and gals who work in a computer store have the knowledge level of a technician . . . I would really start to judge their advice based on the fact that they're not working a better job and earning a higher wage for that knowledge.

Come on, people. . . the only way you're even halfway guaranteed that a salesperson knows much about the product they're selling to you is to visit a commission-based sales establishment. Without incentivised sales, most employees simply won't go to the trouble of learning the products that well.

All of that said, someone going into an autoparts store looking for advice deserves whatever misinformation they walk out the door with.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:02 pm

Advise is one thing, being told a product doesnt exist is another thing entirely.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:41 pm

Yukonart wrote:
The chances that someone who DOES know jack shit about the products in a non-commission retail sales establishment actually working there for near minimum wages are astronomical....

Having worked a fair bit of retail, i found that it was less work to take the time and know what im talking about than to BS my way with customers. The customer usually has an inkling of what is up, and so already having the answers on hand made me have to think less in the long run. (not to mention that being caught BS-ing was terribly embarrassing) To boot, in these non-commissioned retail jobs, knowing enough to spend a half hour chatting with customers about product was a fun way to kill time, and the intelligent management didn't mind my doing so since it led to a reputation for being knowlegable.

All this was pretty dependant on what was being sold, the general level of knowlege was far lower at Officemax than at the outdoor retail places; who gives a crap about office supplies?

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:12 pm

Splinter wrote:Advise is one thing, being told a product doesnt exist is another thing entirely.

He was just stupid for not clarifying your question before answering. Had he done that, he might have made a "less-stupid" claim. After all, he never said that a MBC does not exist. . . only that you can't control boost on a turbo.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:23 pm

no, he said that you cannot manually control the turbo.

That's true. You can manually control the amount of boost that the turbo builds before the wastegate is opened though

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:41 pm

The guy obviously doesnt know forced induction from the hole in his ass.

If I asked any of you "How do I manually control my turbo" you'd say "With a boost controller", unless you felt like being a smartass.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:35 am

As an auto parts store employee I'd require more information than just manually controlling a turbo. It IS impossible to manually control a turbo, you're controlling your wastegate which I think of as different from a turbo. Also, people who shop at auto parts stores for performance products usually deserve to be shot, so really cannot be trusted to give any kind of credible information

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:37 am

Uh

So if you dont buy them from a store, where do you get them, stealing them from other cars?

eBay?

Plus, I didnt say 'I want a manual turbo controller' I said I wanted a manual boost controller.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:49 am

if you said a manual boost controller then it would make sense.

For performance parts, you're supposed to go to a performance shop. If there isn't one around you, then order it online. Auto parts stores sell nothing but pure shit, I will guarantee you of that. The CSK "performance" section consists of chrome for american muscle, and indiglo for imports. 99% of the "performance" gear for imports is APC brand as well.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:05 am

This place sells:

NOS brand nitrous systems
Autometer gauges
MSD and NGK ignition components

Thats the only performance gear I've looked at there, but I wouldnt call any of it crap.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:20 am

we sell autometer gauges as well. They have a very high markup, and it's tough to get one of any worth.

We sell MSD and NGK ignition components as well. They're horribly overpriced, and most of them fit only fords and gm vehicles.

We also can get other stuff, but it's a little tough.

Just because someplace sells "performance" parts does not mean that anyone that works there knows ANYTHING about them.

Just out of curiosity, what place did you go?

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:31 am

LordCo, they're local, BC only

They had NGK wires right in the store for the Scooby

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:45 am

Splinter wrote:They had NGK wires right in the store for the Scooby

NGK wires are a performance part now?

Laurel, i was under the impression those msd boxes were somewhat universal.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 10:50 am

It'd consider thicker core wires to be a performance upgrade

They also sell turbos, although I didnt really look into it

They sell a TON of high performance stuff for domestics, but Ive never looked into that

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:34 pm

Splinter wrote:This place sells:

NOS brand nitrous systems
Autometer gauges
MSD and NGK ignition components

Thats the only performance gear I've looked at there, but I wouldnt call any of it crap.

Seriously, aside from the nitrous systems, this is the kind of stuff I almost expect Fred Meyer and Target to be carrying these days.

Upgraded parts do not necessarily mean performance parts.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:39 pm

Splinter wrote:The guy obviously doesnt know forced induction from the hole in his ass.

If I asked any of you "How do I manually control my turbo" you'd say "With a boost controller", unless you felt like being a smartass.

Think of the vast majority of cars that people there buy parts for. How many of them do you think are turbocharged? Okay, out of that (microscopic) number of customers, how many of them do you think actually WANT to buy parts there for said turbocharged cars, aside from miscelleaneous hose clamps, hoses, and piping? (custom-fab matierials)

Seriously . . . this is like walking into Future Shop (Best Buy for us Americans) and asking them where their Martin Logan section is among the other speakers they carry. Most employees simply wouldn't know what you're talking about.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:45 pm

No, its more like walking into Future Shop and asking them if they carry dual core Athlon 64's and them telling you "Theres no such thing as a dual core"

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:46 pm

Its not the fact that he didnt know what he was talking about that pissed me off as much as they fact that he implied that I didnt know what I was talking about

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:59 pm

Splinter wrote:Its not the fact that he didnt know what he was talking about that pissed me off as much as they fact that he implied that I didnt know what I was talking about

Well then. . . sounds like one salesman's attitude vs. the knowledge expected of them. Different things, entirely.

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:01 pm

did you explain to him how it worked? alot of times to people that don't understand the system very well, parts do not make sense. I myself have been in this boat, and until a customer has explained the logistics of it, I have trouble even imagining what they may be talking about.

I of all people understand the frustration of being told that you "don't know what you're talking about" in the automotive world, but alot of times you just need to describe to the person exactly what it is you need/want to display your knowledge of the subject, and if they realize that they know less about it then you, then they'll STFU and send you somewhere else.

Yukonart · Post by **Yukonart** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:15 pm

Splinter wrote:LordCo, they're local, BC only

They had NGK wires right in the store for the Scooby

And this confirms my theory . . .

LordCo AUTO PARTS http://www.lordco.com/

Any place that carries RV supplies and marine equipment is almost certainly guaranteed to NOT be a place to shop for performance parts.

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:44 am

My local pepboys employee hooked me up.

"I need something to glue plastic fittings to a metal coffee cup to make a new turbo inlet"

reply: "Try this. If it doesn't work, bring it back and I'll return it for you and try something else."

LaureltheQueen · Post by **LaureltheQueen** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:47 am

I'll hook people up as well, but seriously, most auto parts store employees aren't like me.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:56 am

BAC5.2 wrote:"I need something to glue plastic fittings to a metal coffee cup to make a new turbo inlet"

coffee cup? Ghetto!

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Automotive store employees