Maybe it was a learning experience for him. I remember at age 15 when I started working part time in a gas station, I'd mentally subtract a purchase amount from the amount the customer gave me. What a revelation when the owner told me to just add change until I reached the amount the customer gave me.

That brings back memories. It’s been a long time since anyone counted change back to me.

Being adept at "mental math", if I have change, or dollar bills on me, I will give a $20 bill, plus singles & coins to make it easy to give back what's owed me. One time I tried to correct the cashier when she gave me the wrong amount but I wasn't gonna convince her, so I pocketed my "windfall". Looking at the receipt later .... she had mistakenly entered 10.02 instead of 10.00 and we are so domed...

That's my .02 worth ... thanks to that cashier :D.

But I wouldn't know batteries by "group" either ;)...

Not a ig surprise. Most people at parts stores need to punch buttons in a computer to find anything. I've given them a part number for something and they'll still ask "whacha workin on?" so they can enter it in the computer even though I already entered it and verified fitment.

And that it's a 2-door and not a 4-door.

You guys joke, but when I worked at the parts store, there were plenty of folks that had no idea what they drove. It wasn't uncommon to have to go out and look at their vehicle to figure it out. They probably knew the year, the color, how many doors, sometimes the make and if you were really lucky, the number of cylinders.

I've been told that a guy had a "Mercury Grand Prix Pontiac Marquis". I've been told "19xx Ford Van, blue." Toyota 4 cyl. etc....

I had a younger guy get really pissed once when trying to buy brake pads for a toyota corolla.
It's a 4cyl.
Yes, sir, but that year of that car could come with either a 1.2L or a 1.6L, and they took different brake pads. What size is the 4 cyl?
Just give me my damn brakes. It's your job to know what size engine my car has.

When I had my 914 race car I went to the VW dealer as I mostly did cross referencing parts. I started doing that in 1972 when I had my first 914 and Porsche dealers were small outfits.

I needed a long shoulder bolt in metric and I knew where it went on the engine, but to get it I had to make up the model car I was driving to get the exploded diagram up on the screen.

"There, that one."

Remember when VW's were so popular there were shops that only sold aftermarket VW stuff. They'd have a wall of BugPac stuff hanging on it. Headers, carbs, interior items. Those were the days.

Still one of those shops here in LB. It's called Foreign Unlimited if you want to look it up.

Yup, nowdays they give you crumpled bills and your coins and say, "Here you go."

Until the early 70s we actually had an independent auto parts store (along with a Chevrolet and a Ford dealer) in our town of 3500 souls. The guy at the parts counter liked to give customers a hard time.

Customer, "I need an oil filter for a '65 Olds."
Joe, "Two door?"
"No four door."
"Color?"
"Blue."
"Whitewalls?"
"No - WTF? Just get me the oil filter!"
Joe is walking back through the shelves.
"I always wanted a '65 Olds 2 door, red, whitewalls."
"Will you just get the damned oil filter!!"

There was a poem posted on the counter. I can't remember the whole thing but the last lines are

I'd grin from ear to ear
If the customer would just give me
The model make and year!

You should see the look on their faces when I told them the part was for a 1919 Maxwell or a 1929 Porter.

I was at a chain parts store with a friend and he asked for a part for his Ford sedan. In response to the question "What year?" he told the young counterperson "1929 Tudor Sedan". The reaction from us and from his manager (who was standing behind him, smirking a bit when he heard this) when the counterperson tried to type that in was priceless.

I'm trying to remember when I last paid cash for anything.
Hmmm. Maybe it's a sign of advancing age. I do however enjoy "adding to the depth of training " for new staff in local stores.
Beware of old guys with nothing better to do!:D

Best
Les