Fun times at car dealerships.

[HHI944]

Recently I had this exchange with the parts department of my local LR/Jag dealer while hunting for a new dash gauge face for my SIII:

Me: I need a gauge face for my Series III
Moron: You mean LR3??
Me: No, I mean a Series III
Moron: Yeah, the LR3 is just a Discovery Series III
Me: No, it's a Series III. It's a 1981 model, the Discovery hadn't even been thought of at that point.
Moron: I've never heard of it, are you sure it's a Land Rover?
Me (pointing at my SIII through the door): It looks like a Land Rover to me.
Moron (God I wish this ***** was made up): It looks kinda like a Jeep to me.

[porsche4life]

Thats like when I went into the VW dealer looking for Corrado parts....

[Talewinds]

Closer to home, how many times has a similar story been echoed after taking an air-cooled to the modern Porsche dealer? Those guys just scratch their heads.

[LWJ]

Yep. I asked for a fuel filter for my SC on Saturday. Answer: "we will have to order that in for you."

I guess I am not really a customer for the dealership now am I?
Larry

[aigel]

What does a guy behind the parts counter make? Is it an attractive job worth hanging around for? There is your answer why you'll always find a moron there.

There is no skill involved in working that job. The computer has the inventory and tells you where to pull it out of the shelf. Then you have to work a cashier / credit card machine and that's it. The most parts go into the service department, where they know what they need already anyway, so no parts expertise required.

I love it when I go to AutoZone to buy something like a ligth bulb or a hatch shock and they ask "what engine size"?

George

[osidak]

oh that is like the last time I bought an oil filter for my TDI at the dealer. They all used the same engine

me - I need a oil filter for a 2000 tdi
dealer - what model is it?
me - a 2000 TDI
dealer - is it a passat, jetta, golf, New Bettle
me - it is a jetta
dealer - is that the 1.8 liter of the 2 liter
me - no it is the 1.9 liter TDI
dealer - what year?
me - i see the filter on the shelf should I go grab it for you

Never mind the fact the Passat did not have the TDI as an option at that point and never mind the fact the diesel engine from VW had been 1.9 liters for about 4 years at that point and they all used the same filter and they had been called TDI for at least 3 years at that point.


also the same dealer that changed the oil on a friend's TDI - forgot to put the drain plug back in and the engine seized up on him when he was driving it back due to flashing lights on the dash (yeah not much of a car person) The dealer claimed all they would need to replace was the camshaft - the car is turbo charged as well - turbos do not like to be run with out oil. - They tried to charge him labor in the end as well

[Embraer]

on a similar note....if I walk into Autozone (or similar) and they ask "can I help you?" If I need something fairly specific....i'll say: "I need an 1157 tail light bulb"

their reply is usually something along the lines of:

"whatcha driving, and what year is it?"........as they frantically start typing into their computer of knowledge

[legion]

I was very close to buying a VW Jetta after college. I was sold on the car, but the salesguy kept talking about anything but the price. I couldn't get him to come around and start making a deal. I think he thought that if he avoided the topic, he could get me to pay sticker.

Finally, he threw out: "It has 400 pound of paint on it."

Me: "Why is that a desirable feature to have on a car?" (And I knew at this point he was FOS. I just wanted to see what he would say.)

Him: "Oh, they paint everyting on these cars to protect them. That's why they last so long."

Me (being generous): "That's ten time the paint anyone else uses. That's got to absolutely kill the gas mileage carrying around that much dead weight."

Him: "Oh no. With the new VR6 engine, it makes up for it."

[masraum]

Originally Posted by osidak

oh that is like the last time I bought an oil filter for my TDI at the dealer. They all used the same engine

me - I need a oil filter for a 2000 tdi
dealer - what model is it?
me - a 2000 TDI
dealer - is it a passat, jetta, golf, New Bettle
me - it is a jetta
dealer - is that the 1.8 liter of the 2 liter
me - no it is the 1.9 liter TDI
dealer - what year?
me - i see the filter on the shelf should I go grab it for you

OK, I understand what you guys are getting at, BUT. I used to work at a retail parts place when I was younger. A great majority of the folks that come in to buy parts are clueless. Then, there are folks that think they know everything, they are almost as dangerous, and sometimes more so.

"just give me a filter for a TDI, they're all the same". That makes you look like the somewhat clueless guy that thinks he knows everything.

I had that sort of thing pulled on my lots of times. "I need a water pump for a small block Chevy." or they've pulled the same thing with a starter or alternator. I tell them I need to know what application and get the "they are all the same." Of course, at that point, there had been 10 different sizes of SBC over the course of 40 years in untold number of vehicles. So about that time, I'd usually go pull 5 different small block chevy starters/alternators/waterpumps off of the shelf (as different looking as I could get them) and say, great, these all fit a small block Chevy, do they look the same to you?

Another time, I had a guy who didn't know much about cars, but was young and proud come in and ask for brakes for some sort of small older Toyota. That particular year Toyota had 2 engine options (something like a 1.2L and a 1.6L) that had different brakes and took different pads. I told him, I need to know what size engine your car has because it makes a difference.

I've had folks not be able to tell me what sort of car they drove. I had one person tell me that they drove a Pontiac Grand Marquis Mercury Catalina. I tried to explain that it was 2 cars, but they wouldn't listen. I've been told "my car is a blue 4 door."

Never mind the fact the Passat did not have the TDI as an option at that point

And that right there, made you look like one of the clueless ones. So why the control issue. Was it much easier to get into the verbal fight with the guy than it would have been to just tell him the year and model of the vehicle that you needed the part for?

By presenting as a jackass, you're not helping the situation. You may know more about your car than they do (hope so actually), so why try to make the situation difficult?

[osidak]

Originally Posted by masraum

And that right there, made you look like one of the clueless ones.

Looked clueless?? - in 2000 VW had exactly 3 cars using a TDI engine. The Jetta, Golf and NB

All have the same exact engine code - the only difference is the engine lay out of accessories on the NB but that only affect hoses otherwise the long block is the same

Now if the guy knew what he was talking about he would not have asked if it was a passat (no tdi option in the USA) or name all engines but the correct one.

"2000 TDI" provided all the info he needed - he just didn't know what he needed. Of course there are plenty of people that are cluless. Have seen plenty of it myself.

In your example of brakes or water pumps - you had knowledge that they indeed where different depending on options ect. Looks like the guy I was speaking with did not.

[myamoto1]

I'll back masraum here. Doc O - you are one of the few people that go into the dealership that knows exactly what you want. However, you probably didn't provide a part number for the filter. Think of a dealership, that stocks thousands of different parts for cars that span several decades, as a library. There's a reason they have the dewey decimal system - there's just too much inventory to know right where everything is. Parts counters are similar. Everything is tied to a stock/part number and filed away accordingly.

For you to be able to walk up to the counter, expect the parts person to know the specific part for the specific car for the specific year that you want is a little ridiculous. Granted, the filter you were looking for happens to be shared across several models and may be sitting right there on the shelf. But, how many people that day, week, month do you think came in and asked that counter person for that exact filter, while giving him a speech about how it fits multiple models, etc.

I'm not saying that the counter monkey (I've been one, so I can use the term) is the brightest animal on the planet, but he does have his limitations. Heck Doc, I'd be impressed if you could rattle off the turbo part number (not common name) for your car w/o looking it up.

[ErVikingo]

Dad registering his 750iL

rep: you have a mistake in the form, you list 12 cylinders
dad: it is a 12 cylinder
rep: can't be there are no 12 cylinder cars
dad: lets go to the parking lot
rep: ok, what a car....

[Joe Ricard]

FLAPS are always an adventure.

Go in for a fuel filter for my race car. I need a fuel filter 3/8 in and out. What is the make what year yada yada.

Look I know you have them I buy this filter here all the time. Went back out to the car which was riding on my trailer. scribbled down the part number. Still took the kid forever to find in in the computer. I too could see it on the shelf from the counter.

Or a pack of CV bearing grease. Same what car questions. I said that pack of grease top shelf on the right. It's almost a sport these days.

[osidak]

again I am having trouble here with both of your logic

a customer comes into a car dealers parts counter looking for a part - He gives engine and year he pulls up ETKA (their parts systems)

assuming they have some knowledge of their product and one for which he supplies parts you would think it would be pretty easy to find the part number.

I did not and do not expect him to know the location of said part with out looking it up but he was given enough information to get what he needed assuming he knows anything about his product

I have ETKA at home like I am sure many of you have PET and it is a very simple program to work that gives you loads of information and you do not have to be overly specific in your search. So even if he did not know only 3 models had a TDI engine in year 2000 all he had to do (and I have looked for things this way myself) was put in year and engine information and then it will cross reference all items

Now if I went to Autozone I would not expect them to know squat about a VW and would have much lower expectations. Hell it is not like I said I need an oil filter for a Green car made this century with a 4 cylinder engine that burns refined dead dinosaurs.

[Embraer]

When I go to Autozone, if I tell them I need an 1157 light bulb, I don't expect to be asked what's it for...I expect to be told where they keep the light bulbs.

There's a general lack of common sense these days. ...And yes, I used to work at a Volkswagen dealership, so I would see it with my parts guys and also with customers.

[BRPORSCHE]

Originally Posted by ErVikingo

Dad registering his 750iL

rep: you have a mistake in the form, you list 12 cylinders
dad: it is a 12 cylinder
rep: can't be there are no 12 cylinder cars
dad: lets go to the parking lot
rep: ok, what a car....

I thought only the 760 had the v12?

[Schumi]

I went to get a stick of CV grease for reinstalling my transaxle over the summer. I found it on the shelf and took it up. Lady asked what kind of car it was for.. i asked why? She said it was for the receipt. I said it was for a Porsche. She asked what kind.. I decided to be a smartass and respond with "Carrera GT". She typed it in without missing a beat, and responded "that can't be right, it's not in the computer"

I wanted to shoot myself.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by osidak

again I am having trouble here with both of your logic

a customer comes into a car dealers parts counter looking for a part - He gives engine and year he pulls up ETKA (their parts systems)

assuming they have some knowledge of their product and one for which he supplies parts you would think it would be pretty easy to find the part number.

I did not and do not expect him to know the location of said part with out looking it up but he was given enough information to get what he needed assuming he knows anything about his product

I have ETKA at home like I am sure many of you have PET and it is a very simple program to work that gives you loads of information and you do not have to be overly specific in your search. So even if he did not know only 3 models had a TDI engine in year 2000 all he had to do (and I have looked for things this way myself) was put in year and engine information and then it will cross reference all items

Now if I went to Autozone I would not expect them to know squat about a VW and would have much lower expectations. Hell it is not like I said I need an oil filter for a Green car made this century with a 4 cylinder engine that burns refined dead dinosaurs.

OK, it's possible, and likely you got one of the clueless counter guys or maybe even someone new (that shouldn't be expected to have every detail and part number from every VW memorized)

Still, you expect it, so why don't you just cooperate instead of making the whole thing difficult and frustrating for you and the guy that you're dealing with? Was your frustration and everything that went on easier and more satisfying that just telling them the info that they asked for (needed since he was an idiot) and getting the part and leaving?

Better yet, you've got their system, why didn't you just take the part number in and ask for it? That would have saved everyone lots of time, trouble, frustration and raised blood pressure.

[GH85Carrera]

I went to a local FLAPS in need of some 3/8 vacuum tubing. I got the same question, "what car is this for" I told them is was for a Bugatti Veyron. He could not find that in the computer either.

[porsche4life]

Speaking you and the FLAPS glenn....

Dad and I were rather disappointed that you had Napa belts on the 911