In last months issue, FordMuscle came down pretty hard on national chain stores in the article Mini-Bikes and Vinyl Protectants. Considering parts counter service will probably never match the service found at the independent stores of yesteryear, the points made in the article are valid. However, when comparing national chain store to national chain store, if there is one player that is clearly rising above the rest in their effort to serve Do-It-Yourselfers like us, the leader is Advance Auto Parts. On January 16, Advance announced it has launched a new online consumer education initiative under the brand “Advance Know-How.†Behind the link “Advance Know-How” on the Advance Auto Parts home page you’ll find step-by-step articles, product and project brochures, and two sections dedicated to video content. The FM staff took some time to review some of the articles and we must admit we are pretty impressed at the breadth of coverage and readability of their tutorials. More importantly, we are pleased to see that Samuel Hampton, director of marketing for Advance Auto Parts, considers more serious Do-It-Yourselfers and the internet a priority. Remember, efforts like “Advance Know-How” take a lot more capital and planning than figuring out how to stuff another tire protectant in the wash and wax section. See Advance’s Advance Know-How section and give us your thoughts.
I am an employee at advance auto parts and from most of the parts pro’s point of view…we are stuck in a 3 way squeeze…the 1 month wonders, 18 year olds who barely know how to fill a gas tank…the upper management who absolutly refuses to hire anyone else or pay better wages to attract other people to the workplace…and the constant customer who needs to know how to help theirself before I can help them…I consider myself lucky, I am only 20 and hold the assistant manager at my store, I was ‘brought up’ by parts guys who have been in the business 30 plus years when I started the job I would have been hardpressed to change my own oil…3 years later I am the parts professional at my store. It never fails to amaze me how many customers expect me to know EVERYTHING… Here;s a secret…I DON’T! Haha but I do know where to look! When I have a customer who comes into my store and when I ask them for example…year make model and engine…their reply is a shrug or it doesn’t matter their all the same! I hate this with a passion because they are the customers who will be back demanding a refund and questioning my intelligence when they don’t even have a clue what motor is in the car or truck the drove to my store! Or, perfect example, ford guys who can’t tell the differences in 351 C 351 M and 351 W! Or my personal favorite…its a chevy small block! Technically so is the motor in a cavalier! Sorry about ranting I just wonder sometimes would the extra effort by some customers really hurt them?
By melvin. September 18th, 2008 at 10:26 pmi have to say something, most people that go to advance or az, are looking for the cheapest part with the best warranty, that means with the amount of competition these companies ave to find other ways to make a profit. What they have decided is to cut both hours at stores and higher incompetent people i will tell you i am a part time manger that close the store almost 6 days a week and i wont pul a book out for a customer, its not becuse i cant, or dont want to, it is becuse there is usually only 2 people in the store me and a low lever know nothing and i cant leave the other 3-10 customers to him while i help 1 person with a hard to find part, if you want to improve the quality of service and parts there are 2 things you can do
#1 complain to corporate for the right reasons eg inadequate sales people, lack of part, poor quality ect
#2 be understanding about the people working there some are expierenced and some are very unexpierenced, i pick my customers if they are cool to me i will be cool to them, if they just come in and say their car wont start get me a part and they dont know the year make and model then i play dumb
you guys needto remember we sell parts we do not memorize every part and part number for every car! just becuse you know the part fits on every model from 1965-1995 does not mean i should, i work on my cars i have both early and late model ford and gm cars and trucks and i can honestly say i know 90% of anything brought in and dropped on the counter, and i know we dont sell everything brought in these chains are out to make a buck not stock what you need, so if it is not a fast moving item they stop selling it just like the dealers. try going to them to get any parts for your 60 something cars and see what they say!
By greedy. August 29th, 2007 at 8:04 pmI wish one of the parts chains like AZ or Advance would do a weekly radio show that has good information and is fun to listen to. Click and Clack are freakin annoying, bobby likis is boring. How about it?
By David. February 17th, 2007 at 6:37 amI wish a parts chain would have a car advice radio show that I could enjoy. It seems click and clack just laugh at their own jokes, bobby likis is dull and boring. Somebody find a host and have a REAL show on the rdaio!
By David. February 17th, 2007 at 6:36 amI gotta toss in my two cents. I quit going to most chain stores for two reasons:
By fairlyfast66. May 22nd, 2006 at 1:13 pma)inexperienced counter persons
b)poor inventory
You wanna know where i shop now-NAPA. I’ll pay a premium for the simple fact that they seem to hire more qualified individuals,at least around here. They almost always have what I’m looking for, and never give me the “I have to look it up in the book” grimace when asking for parts for my 62 or 66. That and they seem to have a lack of 30 day guarantee parts. Why would i put something on my 40+ year old car when you think it might break in the next month? On top of that, most of the kids are honest-if they don’t see it in the book, they’ll offer it to you instead of saying “we don’t have it, can’t get it, it doesn’t exist” and shooing you along so they can have another smoke break. It might cost twice as much, but with what seems a higher percentage of quality parts and employees who actually try to do everything they can to help the customer. There’s nothing worse than being frustrated by your car and then being doubly frustrated by out of stocks and “we ain’t got it”s.
First off, I will be the CSK naysayer here - and I AM a member of management.
To be quite honest, I am only a retail CSK (Schucks) worker because I am in college - and they have flexible availability along with full time - in a college town. I am one of the few who not only works on cars, but buys cars that aren’t running or have no engines and restore them to life… Including a car with an upgraded transmission, supercharged engine, and running on a Full Standalone programmable ECU which I both soldered together and wired (Megasquirt).
That all being said, I really do not like working at Schucks. The main problem IS the incompetence of the employees I work in an area where within 10 miles there are 4 schucks, 2 napa’s, and a slew of other parts/auto stores and only ~100,000 people. I can tell you that within that area, unfortunately, my store does have the most incompetence in parts knowledge. We have all of 7 employees, and only 3 of us are able to hold our own when talking with customers. The other 4 just make it up as they go. And whats most scary about that thought, is that one of those 4 is ASE Parts certified.
My specialty (seeing how I am not even 23 years old, and never had an automotive background until I got my first car) is Toyota’s…. Anyone with toyota specific questions, usually in the city, gets directed to me. I can, however, find 95% of the parts that every customer asks for… Be it new, old, classic, Japanese, Domestic, Brittish, etc… I strive to help the customers with challenging questions.
One problem is that these companies are out to make money — a LOT of money. The markup on the products is huge and they require a low payroll for each store. It isn’t too uncommon where there is anywhere from 10-200% (or higher) markup on any item in the store. All the while they pay their employees terribly.
Parts Example: For kicks, every now and then I will compare the retail prices for parts versus special commercial accounts (for local students, which get the highest possible discount). Recently I added 4 brake rotors together - Retail after tax was ~$290, the discounted price was under $70. That’s a markup of more than 3 TIMES the retail price.
Pay Example: I have been with the company for over 2 years, am an Assistant Manager (full time), have one of the higher knowledge bases in parts and business of all the Schuck’s employees in town, have a high repeat-customer percentage, and do more work at keeping the store looking good and organized than the combined work of all other employees in my store — And I still make under $11 an hour (in a state where the min. wage is almost $8/hour).
The problem is not the ‘possible’ employees. It is the corporations being what they are. They want the highest possible earnings at the lowest possible price. If those in charge would actually open their eyes and realize that if they paid a decent wage for what the job requires, then they would (really) in turn make more money. Having smarter employees who are able to get that knowlege to the customer regardless of the automotive level of the customer is what’s required. Low wages, high employee turnaround, and customers who end up being disgruntled towards those low-wage employees only hurts the entire situation.
I am sorry if this comment seemed a bit lengthy or ‘random’ in thought, but it’s a little difficult to get my frustration that is CSK out while applying my knowledge of business as a whole.
Thomas
By Thomas. April 25th, 2006 at 1:24 amI hear a lot of whining going on, but no one offering solutions! I’m both a hot rodder and a parts guy at Schucks Auto Parts. When retail companies (not just auto parts) pay minimum wage, you’re not gonna get experienced help at the parts counter. An intelligent purchaser can find someone at their local parts store that they can interface with comfortably, and generally leave the store happy. I have been into rods in one fashion or another for 3 decades and only 2 years ago became a parts pusher. I can’t address the motorcycles and other non-auto stuff sold by these chains, but the knockin’ of the parts people by both your readers and the mag. editors is uncalled for. You (editors and readers) obviously don’t spend a lot of time in your parts stores, because if you did you would establish a rapport with one or more employees and get the treatment you believe you deserve. It sounds like you only occasionally visit there, trying to find a part for your resto-mod. Nobody is an expert when they first start their job, and this includes YOU! I’m sounding a little terse, however, I’ve had to call a number of customers on the carpet when they were being verbally abusive to the new parts employees. When I come into a parts store I like to be greated, then wait my turn to be helped (not making comments about the length of time it takes), and if I read the parts person’s experience level correctly I try to help them out. If the parts person demonstrates that they’re marking time, then I request another parts person. Generally there is another one ready to jump in but won’t interfere in the current situation. Face it guys (and gals), you need to be a part of their educational process-both in the personality dept and in the auto parts knowledge. Figure it out, one day you’ll need to warranty that $200 starter and lost your receipt. You’re hoping you’re still in the computer’s customer history and walk away with a new starter. But lo and behold, the parts guy/gal you embarrassed last time is waiting on you and can’t find you in the computer, what now? If you were previously decent to them, they would acknowledge the starter sale and you will be happily on your way with the new starter. But if you were rude guess what, you’re walking away unhappy and with an expensive boat anchor in your hand!
As to parts availability, come on! How many years have cars been in existence? How many cars are on the road today? Even a warehouse couldn’t house that many parts, let alone a parts store! However most parts stores can get common parts in within 24 hours. At the very outside 7 days.
I guess this could be an informative article (to us the readers and the management of these chains) but it could have had more thought and depth and not branded the employees with the same iron used on the chain management. I am a happy parts guy that bends over backwards for my customers. Most of them I know by their projects and am learning their names. When I don’t have an answer for their question, they know I will call them with the answer. Everyone must leave with a smile! The next time you’re in a Checker/Schucks/Kragen look at your parts person’s name tag, call them by name and ask them what the acronym on their nametag “G.R.E.A.T.” means.
G greet your customer
R respond to their needs
E expedite their order
A ask them if you can help them further
T thank them
You deserve this kind of service, and the employees deserve respect. I challenge the editor(s) of this article to visit a CSK store, call their parts person by name and ask them what “GREAT” means. And if you really have ‘nads, tell who you are and what you wrote. Then, if you are pleased with the service compliment them and let their manager know in front of them that you will be back. Everyone appreciates a pat on the back!
And to answer that burning question you’ve waiting to fire at me, no I’m not management and never will be.
This letter is a little lengthy and goes against the current so there is little hope that it will get printed in your mag, but I’m a Ford Fanatic and a loyal reader so keep up the good work!
Doug Erickson
By Doug Erickson. February 5th, 2006 at 11:07 pmThe advance employee has no knowlege of basic parts & if the computer is not in front of him you are in deep trouble. They ask what vehicle, you say 65 mustang for a eng. part & they say we don’t go back that far. You have to explain a basic part that is the same up to 1993 & just tell them to pick a year. Seems to me also they hire only G.M. people, they have no knowledge of Ford. Maybe it’s just me. Thanks!
By fran5238. January 30th, 2006 at 6:27 pmUntil places like Advance start hiring guys behind the counter that have any common sense or mechanical knowledge, I’ll continue to use them only as a last resort. They consistently hire low grade employees, have limited inventory and poor inventory control, and marginal quality products. The only major chain that I’ve found to be worthwhile is NAPA, and I pay dearly for their competence. If a chain were to offer decent products, sold by guys with a pulse, and actually have the items on hand…they’d be a market leader in no time.
By chilly460. January 24th, 2006 at 11:57 amAgain, it isn’t about the online articles or the parts…it’s about the guy behind the counter.
You put a “by the book” guy behind the counter and you will continue to hear stuff like…that part isn’t in the book or they don’t/didn’t make that part, regardless of the fact that you have one laying on the counter in front of him.
I know companies are in business to make money, but putting the new guy (or better called the “No guy” as in No, we don’t carry that!), will continue to be the down fall of Chain stores. I happen to appreciate a little “gray” in the hair of the guy behind the counter, it makes me feel like he knows what he is talking about.
By Beoweolf. January 21st, 2006 at 3:19 pmHey not bad. I checked out a few of those Know-How articles. They sure have added a lot and yes it’s good to see Advance is making those efforts but I think they could make some better use of photos in the articles. I mean, it’s the internet you know…. no need to skimp on photos that SHOW steps rather relying on a bunch of text to do it. Anyway, it’s a step in the right direction and I don’t see Kragen or Pep Boys doing it. I second what 71hotrodpinto says…We need some out here on the west coast, never been to an Advance Auto.
By Paulus429. January 21st, 2006 at 11:52 am