You guys have to start looking at things from more than just one perspective.....
As a business owner, it's frustrating to get an incompetent parts person. Especially when you've done business for years and years with the store, and you get some newbie flippantly telling you they can't get something you know darn good and well they can.
As a parts store owner, you don't want employees sending people out the door without selling them parts. It's one thing if you really don't carry it.... but another entirely to have an incompetent employee.
Rip on me all you want, but I do expect people who are employed to be able to do their job. I'm expected to do my job, my employees were expected to do theirs, and do it well or they wouldn't be working for me. I will add that I had some of the best employees in the world. They worked hard for me, and in turn, I took care of them. Never had any leave on a bad note, but did let a couple go. The ones that got "fired" were for good reason.... but no one that left on their own, left on bad terms. All that left were actually pretty upset at leaving. Even the ones that were offered better jobs. None were looking for better jobs.... people sought them out.
Someone mentioned better pay..... I do somewhat agree. Years ago, when a mechanic got "too old" to work like he used to he would either go into a management roll, like a shop foreman, or he would move to the parts counter. Some of the best parts guys I've ever met used to be mechanics. Nowadays, experienced mechanics make nearly $30/hr. Some make more, some just less.... but no way are you going to get part stores to pay that. A parts store is going to pay about $10 to start and go up to about $15/hr. When I was looking to close the shop, I interviewed for a store manager position at O'Reilly's. I was appalled at what they offered me. I don't recall the exact number, but it was less than $50,000/yr and that was at a store that sold over $500K but less than $1 million a year. (Don't recall exactly how much... it a few years ago.) For that kind of money, your not going to get experience, I agree. But, training.... you'd think they would train better. Someone is certainly making money at those stores... but not the employees! It's like pulling teeth to get a kid at a counter to open a book. If it's not on the computer in front of them.... it can't be had. Which is not true. Lots of things don't come up on that PC that are in their rack of books. That's why they have parts books.....
Sorry boys.... this subject does get me going. I just have no tolerance whatsoever for incompetent parts salespeople.
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