Shout out to all the professionals!

[Taz]

Anybody else notice how hard it is to find real knowledgable professionals in service & sales these days?

I'm not terribly old yet, but I spent most of my life living in the same county. I knew all the places one could go for help solving a problem. My father owned an automotive repair shop for 30+ years, and as a small boy I remember going to the local parts store, where you could order parts for just about anything. Most of what we were looking for, wasn't ordered by year/make/model, but rather we dusted off an old reference manual, identified the specs, and ordered a part with the same specs. The man at the counter had worked there for 25 years, and made his "living" there all 25 of them, I was still buying parts from him in my 20s.

I've lived here for 3-4 years now, and don't need both hands to count the places I can go for that kind of help. It struck me yesterday, as I wanted to make a fine-feed for my drill press, and needed a worm gear/wheel. I landed at an IBT north of town, and for the first time since I was a young boy, saw that same thing. I gave him a brief explanation, he turned, snatched a 5in thick book off the wall, and in about 10 seconds flipped the book around and said "that?".

I can't count the number of times I've been in a store and been harassed by a salesperson who told me they didn't sell a product that was clearly displayed right behind them... So here's a shout out to all you real professionals out there! Thanks for being good at your jobs! Thanks for taking the time to become an expert at your craft! Thanks for sharing your expertise! And most of all... Thanks for saving us hours/days of searching or doing ourselves!

Also here's to the local shops I regularly visit in Tulsa because they are true professionals.

IBT Inc.
Mingo rd. NAPA
Wholesale Tool
Re-tool

Chad

 

[mitsue]

I may be mistaken but I believe a "Parts Person" is now a apprenticed trade here in Canada now. Having a knowledgeable parts person instead of a clerk on the front counter is hard to find.

Thanks for adding your local go to guys. That will hopefully help some one near you. Maybe we need a sticky thread by local to list good go to parts places. Support the businesses that keep these guys on staff.
Darcy

 

[Taz]

Now that is a novel idea! I think that anyone who deals with 20k+ SKUs, or units that vary from one model year to another even though the model/appearance doesn't, should have to be that quality of professional.

This may be dinosaur thinking, but I'll go out of my way to buy from those who I think "earn" my money, especially when it's local. There is a tire shop about 40mi from here that I go to for all my suspension work, because I once had a flat on an full time 4WD vehicle and the spare it came with was 2 sizes bigger than the rest, after hobbling dangerously at 20mph for over an hour and a half with a transfer case that didn't know what it was doing, and offering the fella every penny I had to my name ($18.00) and my spare in exchange for a used tire, was told he couldn't leave me without a spare, and my money was no good either. I'll spend my money there for as long as I live here.

I think I sticky for recognizing the local shops that provide that type of professionalism and care is a great idea!


Chad

 

[Tony Wells]

I believe ASE has a program to certify countermen (and women). If it is as comprehensive as most of the ASE programs, it should mean something. I remember the parts guys from way back that knew what they were doing, and compared to the computerized parts systems now.....well, no comparison. But then, 40+ years ago there weren't 100 makes to keep up with either, and them changing every year.

 

[Taz]

You could also take a nap in the empty space in an engine compartment when you got tired, and you had to hunt for a wire that wasn't attached to a spark plug. I'm sure a fine group like ASE offers such education, but I can't think of any time in recent past when I saw an ASE badge on a parts store. Come to think of it though, when I DO remember that sort of thing being common, a parts store would charge you twice what they charged a shop. These days it's the shop charging you double what the parts store does if you're not careful.

Chad

 

[upTheHill]

This may be dinosaur thinking, but I'll go out of my way to buy from those who I think "earn" my money, especially when it's local.

Chad

before moving out of Mass. I always went to the same mechanic since the 1st time I used him, when I went in, said my car was running like ****, I need a tune up. and he asked if I wanted a tuneup, or for him to find out why its running like ****. :thinking: turned out to be a $15 part. anyone who talks me out of wasting money has my loyalty.

 

[cvz6977]

This thread reminds me of why I miss my local Ace hardware. Always had some ancient guy at the way back counter that made keys and found unusual parts out of what may have been leather bound books with parchment and written in sanscript. Didn't matter what the key was for or if you only had half, he could always make a new one. I truely miss that.