O'Reilly's Auto Parts--good customer service
 

We took a family trek down to see some sites today in the Montana. Wifey and kids stayed in the store while I took a break. I go to start the van and it just clicks. WTF?!!!! We haven't had a bit of problems with this one. We are 70 miles from home and it's snowing. wonderful.

An ORAP store is in the same parking lot so before I find wifey and fill her in on my plan. She gives me the look but knows that I will take care of the problem.

I tell my problem to the first counter fella I run into. They don't have jump boxes anymore but he can loan me the tools to get the battery out and then he can test it. (I carry a small toolkit inthe 911 but not our everyday cars. DOH!! I am going to now, though.)

I removed the battery, took it in and they told me it was bad. Picked out a new one and had it installed in less than 30 minutes in a mall parking lot.

They didn't charge me anything to borrow the tools and even sold me a more CCA battery for the same price as the standard CCA.

Good guys, IMO.

Had a similar experience yesterday...only it was a friend I helped out. Glad I bought a few basic carry tools for the Mustang... here's a cut & paste of an email explaining the event:

A friend dropped by. His dad is in an Alzheimer's care facility. Friend lives in Portland, had hired a live-in caretaker for his dad's place. She has no license, but took his dad's pickup to Eugene, where she has family. Got caught by the cops, pickup impounded. So, I drove him down to get the pickup. 1st to city hall downtown, pay the fine...then trying to find the impound yard, some miles away...then discovering the truck's battery was gone. Then to a a parts store, buy the battery, install by flashlight...glad I have carry tools in the Mustang or we'd have had to buy tools as well.

What was supposed to be 90 minutes away from home turned into 5 hours. Cluster "screws" at every stop.

That's a worse story than mine.





paul, I see a Bullitt almost every week in a town I work near with the plate "MCQUEEN".Did you ever get a custom plate for yours?

I went to the local O'Reilly (aka Kragen out here) for a battery for my M3. They had one, but I had him test it before I bought it - it looked like it had been sitting on the shelf for a long time - sure enough, it was dead as a doornail. He offered to charge it and knock off $10, but I declined. I don't know where I'm going with this story, but oh well.

As far as customer service with the chain stores it's hit or miss.. Most of the folks behind the counter don't know too much about DIY auto repair or the parts they're selling... It is always refreshing to find someone who knows and understands what you need or what you are trying to accomplish....

Nope...I've never had a vanity plate. Always figured this state takes enough money from me.

Oh yeah, installing a battery in an old pickup, by flashlight, in a dark parking lot during a rainy period...just gangs of fun! I hadn't enjoyed such a grand experience in years...:rolleyes:

But, credit to the chain car parts store...also an O'Reilly. They made sure the battery was fully charged. Once installed the old Ford Diesel pickup started right up after the glow plugs were warmed. There was a St. Vincent's DePaul near the impound lot...I suggested he just donate the old thing to them...

Wow.

We were at a Salvation Army store when our van died.

Free tools are the modus operandi at Oreillys... Now around here customer service is nonexistent... We look up the part #s before we go. Go in and tell them the number and how many you need....

Like I told the counter fella: "I have tools for just about any problem........................................... ..................at home."

Good to know they loan as SOP. I would have purchased a tool kit if I had to right then. A tow home would have been costly.

Yep...even a set of cheap harbor freight stuff is better than no tools when you need them.

For the Mustang, I went to Sears, bought what they call a "truck box", a plastic box with no shelves or compartments...then bought combo wrenches, breaker bar & extension with lug nut sized socket, a small socket set in both 1/4 and 3/8 drive, needle nose & regular pliers, cheap pair of gloves, tire pressure gauge, small rolls of tape & utility wire, 4 screwdrivers in both blade & phillips. vice grips, and probably other items I've forgotten.

I just feel better packing tools...even with Ford's free roadside coverage. Old habits die hard, I guess. :)

Same here... plus, "roadside coverage" doesn't always mean "prompt roadside coverage."

Around here, Advance Auto, Autozone, and O'Reilly all have big signs on display out front saying they'll loan tools. But for batteries, they'll come out and test it, test the alternator, and if the battery needs replacing, they'll take yours out and put the new one in.

That was problematic for my buddy & I, since we couldn't get the truck to the store...he did take the old battery back to the store, got a $10 "core charge"...

Have had nothing but good experiences in my locaql O'Reillys. Same with Discount Tire and the oil change place I use. For the most part the service businesses in my area make it real easy to support them. They are always clean, courteous and helpful.

Went to our O'Reillys when the timing light died. Told the counter guy I had a 911 and left the store an hour later with a new friend. Good people.

My Grandmother was the book keeper for a NAPA store for as long as I can remember. We always used the store for obvious reasons, and after she retired and then passed away I still liked doing business with NAPA because they seemed a "cut above" the other guys.

Not any more.

A couple of months ago my battery died on the Volvo. I made it to NAPA to get the replacement.
Not only was their "tester" not giving us correct readings on my old one - I had to limp down to AutoZone to have it tested correctly - after I returned to NAPA to actually buy their battery, which was more expensive and I considered better quality, they would not install it, nor did they have proper tools to loan to install it myself. I had a few odd wrenches in the trunk so I was able to handle it, but I was in good clothes and now had battery residue and dirt up to my elbows..

Next time, I may just use AutoZone or one of those guys. They'll install batteries, loan tools, help in any way they can, not just stand and look goofy.