Parts People what are you smoking?

Why are parts people so bad at their job.

I give them the VIN and I still get the wrong parts all the time. I tell them "I have to have the correct part come in by such date" and they still give me the wrong part on that date.

I tell them I have a 2015 Tacoma & then they ask me if I have a 2016. I say I have a 2015 again, they bring me an oil filter for a 3rd gen!

What the heck!?!?!?

 

Non educated idiot's.

 

Millennial Life's Matter.

 

What parts require you to use a dealership?

Is this local or online?

 

When I order parts for myself online I never get the wrong part, but if I go to a dealership they mess something up at least half of the time.

I tried Magnussen Toyota in Palo Alto, Stevens Creek Toyota in San Jose, Michael Toyota in Fresno.... This is just Toyota. Don't get me started on O'Reilly Auto or Ford...

Even for the two times I bought something on this Forum something got messed up. I caught one early though..

I'm starting to think we shouldn't have legalized Marijuana. lol

 

I sold parts for years over 30 years ago before computers. Used books . Was actually good and new a lot about cars of that time and earlier. Now as long as they know basic automotive and can use a computer they get hired. Not always their fault if they just go by the computer without any real knowledge of what it is. Dont get me wrong, there are still a lot of good parts people out there who know their stuff.

 

I used to sell motorcycle parts using books too. Didn't get the wrong part often & if we did it was often b/c the customer was an idiot.

 

It really is a highly technical job. Why else would you need to ask if the vehicle had four wheel drive and the V6 when buying wiper blades.

 

No you got it wrong. It's technically a job that most of them do high-ly. lol

 

A few times I have had new hire parts people screw things up it happens.

Dealing with my local dealer the wrong parts might have happened 4 times in 20 years pretty much a order once a week

 

I just finally got rid of a real moron we hired last year... he'd been a Toyota dealer guy for ages... and he was just a complete fuckface. Not a goodamn bit of sense, no work ethic, and couldn't/didn't learn a damn thing. He was screwing up the same shit last Saturday as he was 11 months ago.

Even among my dozen or so coworkers, I'm one of only a few "car guys". Anyone can look at stuff in a book, but to be really good at it, it's really helpful to actually know what in the hell you're looking at. I know several dealer guys who are generally pretty damn good, but they don't know how it applies to the car, and if I don't know exactly what I need, we're both screwed.

It doesn't help that most places don't want to pay worth crap, or if they do it comes with crazy high hours and burns most people out fast. My boss at least has the sense to know he's gotta pay $$$ for competent parts guys... but then he offers $2 over minimum wage and VERY limited OT to the warehouse guys who make it possible for us to do our jobs. Ain't nobody worth a damn sticking around for $25k around here, you can literally beat it flipping burgers, AND make extra off the OT.

 

Man I feel your pain. I went and got my tag at the courthouse today only to find out the previous owner had stuck just any old screws in the holes where the tag used to be. So I couldn't put the tag on. I called the Toyota dealership parts dept and ask the young man what I would need. I got:
"I don't know"

To which I replied: "Isn't there a schematic with a breakdown of parts for that area of the truck?"

And I got: "I don't really know"

To which I replied: "Bet your ass Ace Hardware does" and hung up.

 

Better off looking it up yourself with the help of the members here.

 

Thanks. I got it figured out. I am missing some inserts and the correct size bolts. I am just going to get some slightly longer bolts and put nuts and lock washers on the back side of the plastic. I have room to get a wrench back behind the plastic.