Carquest Descriptions

[scarruther1]

the new Carquest catalog has terrible descriptions. I order a Front rotor and this is what shows up on the invoice "Drums & Rotors - Disc Brake Rotor - - Except Police Package". Good pictures, lousy descriptions

[steven kiser]

I really never put much thought into it. I looked after reading your post and saw what you were talking about. I know for a fact the catalogue has been formatted a bit different to reduce the ordering of incorrect parts by shops. If you look at the descriptions you may see (especially in the brake section) four or five different application descriptions for the same pad. At first i found it a bit confusing but after i caught on i was fine. Some of the descriptive wording is even in caps to be more definitive. I kind of chuckle and think the next step in the series of changes to the catalogue will be a pop up of someone yelling "are you sure, look again, we don't want to have to make three trips because you can't order the same part" If Car Quest used a vin decoder like World pac then it would not have to be so definitively objectionable .

The pictures were upgraded for one reason only. Simply put, i've been at the parts store picking up something and watched a "tech" put a part on the counter and say "I want this, it goes on a Ford Truck". I've noticed in some repair descriptions it's been worded so a child in a sand box can successfully repair a vehicle and "techs" still can't seem to comprehend the basic instructions. I know i have taken this around the corner a bit but that's the way i see things. At one time there were parts stores that dealt at different levels of expertise. The do it yourself stores are trying to step it up a bit and deal with shops and the top notch stores are having to deal with the do it yourselfer to stay in business. This just about defines the detailed pictures and confusing descriptions.

[Rich]

Love it! I have complained alot about it.

On our system we use "auto Value" and if you look up a part, say brake pads for a Neon and they don't have choice one and there is a "also fits" parts the discription shows up as "can use for WAG PC841". Gets old deleting these thing and re typing them.

Wish it was a Mitchell problem, at least then I know it would get fixed.

[ricmorin]

LOL. One of my electronic vendors lists ball joints as 'coil action kit/ball'. Yeah, right.

[Rich]

It goes along with:

2012 Cadilac Escalade:

Power steering? Air Conditioning?

Um, no has neither.........

[steven kiser]

Look at the newer version of the parts "tech". I've walked into some stores and all that was missing was the stick figure pictures on the fridge and stars on the calendar. I'm old school and the only time you slow down a bit is when you're tired. Dust settles faster than some of these "tech's" work. I was asked to leave one (Auto Zone) because i was waiting to purchase something and everyone working at the store was everywhere but the register and after making all the associated noises that usually get attention i reverted actually asking for someone to take my money. Nothing, i finally said i wanted to pay for this spark plug before my truck became a f*^&%ng antique. Someone came over and asked me to refrain from using foul language, i asked him to refrain from being an idiot and process my purchase. He looked at me with a stare and i told him there wasn't enough pimple faced or diaper wearing employees in the store to save him from getting tuned up.

Basically this is what we're facing. People that McDonalds turn away. A person that can successfully check their own oil or know the exact fragrance someone is looking for in an air freshener is a top notch parts store manager. Can't understand the language but can look up a picture. I would like to see a picture of a part store employee with their head up their a** when i order a head lamp and get a battery.

Even the "good" parts store we were once accustomed to is turning to the do it yourselfer or bargain hunter. I see 5 to 10 different brake pads offered for vehicles. I have a Mountaineer in the shop that needs brakes. This person is cheap, so cheap he wouldn't allow his picture under the description of cheap. He squawked at the 25 dollar pad. I made him sign a disclaimer because i didn't want him back so many times with noises i would throw good pads into it to shut him up. So in ending, the part store is being forced to scrape the bottom and offer lower priced products to stay competitive.

[Johnny5]

Now that there is funny...

It goes along with:

2012 Cadilac Escalade:

Power steering? Air Conditioning?

Um, no has neither.........

[Johnny5]

...This just about defines the detailed pictures and confusing descriptions.

[steven kiser]

Not being at all condescending here but here goes with my next rant. On a personal level i really like most of the parts guys. On a professional level i'm having a bit of an issue. It's also a supplier issue, maybe even more, as well. Since i've started to wind down from working on vehicles and spending more time on the counter and ordering and tracking parts i've learned a few tricks and Scott has shown me a few as well. I'm not of the computer age but am catching on real quick. Let's say i look up a part in Car Quest and can't find it or for the lack of a better word am not able to understand the "language" they use i look it up in my OEM section of mitchell take the part # and paste it into the interchange area on the Quest page. Many times after waiting for an ordered part and it being incorrect i look it up on the OEM section, paste the # and find out it's been sitting on the shelf across the street.

A tip off for me was one day when i called for a part as opposed of ordering it through the internet one of the drivers answered the phone. This particular person is a nice guy but i've watched him loose thoughts while walking and have a difficult time figuring out which side of a pen to use when it has a cap covering the ball stem. I'm being serious and using examples i've seen. He looked up the part and it was correct. I was at Quest a few days later and walked behind the counter to look at their screen. It was a program that was so user friendly it amazed me. It actually prompted the user to ask the correct questions and connected the dots to the correct part. It also prompted a series of questions and you may also need this part to go along with what you need. A complete moron could function as a parts counter person. This is what we're dealing with. I started using the on line ordering mainly because when i called for a part i was rolling the dice. There are 6 people at the store i use and 4 of them couldn't find their a** with both hands. One is so bad that when he asks if he can help i ask him to get someone that knows what they're doing. I'm not embellishing here at all. One of the drivers that answers the phone occasionally is a one thing at a time person. I pointed it out to Scott one day. The driver walks into the shop and delivers a part then just stands there with a blank stare. Suddenly he comes to life and away he goes. I explained that i've noticed it for a while and basically what he's doing is he's done with a task and he takers a second or two to reboot and leave. This is the future of the parts industry. Many of the part suppliers are owned by number men and they will forfeit knowledge and common sense to make the number formula work.

So in ending here what i'm basically saying is that the way things are going in out industry we need to be salespeople, tech experts, service writers, parts locaters, price shoppers, quality shoppers, shrinks, referees, installers, removers, customer retention experts, chauffeurs, etc and yet we have to be satisfied when we get anywhere near 50% of what we set out to do accomplished.


So i'll end whit this. Fridays are my most dreaded day. This is the day that is set aside to ruin the weekend. Why is it that any catastrophic event happens about 3ish or right as your getting into your vehicle to leave. I look for a lull and run or start getting ready at noon and if i'm lucky get out by 3. I've actually walked by my wife as she was coming in and stepped up my pace to get away.

Have a great weekend. It's supposed to rain in my area so it looks like i'm going fishing. Let the rain knock down the pollen and wash it off my fishing rods. I really dislike looking at my reel spool and seeing all the pollen in the spool and trying to cast not looking like a 5 year old.

[Rich]

Steve, here yah go! From the parts guy side!

I worked at CQ for years, answered the phone one day many, many times. Seemed each call was brakes. Pads, rotors, wheel cylinders, pads, rotors, seals, shoes and rotors.

Guy calls "How much for a rotor for a Chevy 350, 1985?"

"62.50" i say

He hung up. I guess he wanted a DISTRIBUTOR ROTOR. oops.

[steven kiser]

I can understand how frustrating it is being a parts guy. Understanding it's difficult doesn't mean it's easier for us.