[masraum]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I went to Batteries+Bulbs to get a battery for my car this afternoon. I like the place, they have RayOVac 1.65 volt AA batteries on sale sometimes for less than the 1.5 volt AAs at other places. But I digress...

I went to the counter and asked for a Group 25 battery.

Blank stare from the kid at the counter.
"It's for my car."
"Oh. What's the make model and year."
He's standing in front of the computer.
"It takes a Group 25."
"But I need the make, model, and year."
Kid staring at me.
"OK, it's a 1956 Porsche 356 coupe with a 912 generator. It's been converted to 12 volts. It takes a Group 25 battery."
Now the kid is staring at his computer.
Someone, maybe the manager, comes out and rescues him.
"I'll get it."
$111 with my corporate discount. It's not a real common battery, but they had it.

I worked at a parts place in the early to mid 90s. Many of the other young guys that I worked with "got it." Many of us were either car guys or reasonably intelligent. Maybe it had to do with being in a college town or something, I don't know. We had computers, but we also had a full compliment of paper catalogs.

I'm not sure if you find many folks that have a clue these days. If I need something, I mostly do my own research online ahead of time.

Back when I was in the biz, we would use the computers or catalogs, but we sold batteries by group number. These days, a lot of the employees, don't seem to know what the group number of their batteries is or what it signifies.

These are the same folks that if your bill is $4.65 and you give them $10.15 they don't have a clue what to do.