Parts counter rant

SHALER

Member
Isnt the first one, wont be the last. I recently acquired a Carter administration era John Deere 210 lawn tractor. It shredded the belt that runs from the engine PTO to the mower deck. Using the greatest invention of mankind, the internet, I did a search on how to change the belt. I got a direct hit from weekend freedom machines.com forum on how to do it (a very simple, 10 minute job). The forum post even referenced the JD belt part #.
Went to the local JD dealer with the part number. Told the middle aged man at the parts counter I needed Belt XYZ for a 210 lawn tractor. To his credit, instead of just taking my word for it, he began checking his computer to confirm this was the right part #. After clicking around on his computer for 5 to 10 minutes, he told me Belt XYZ is not referenced as a part for a 210. He DID NOT however tell me what he thought was the correct belt . Instead he showed me a parts diagram that was somewhat difficult to read and was very poor as far as describing the various belts on the tractor. From the cryptic diagram, we guessed we needed Belt ABC. I said ?go ahead and sell me both belts, hopefully one is correct and I will return the incorrect one?. Well you guessed it, the belt on the parts diagram was too short and Belt XYZ fit perfectly. Why is a post from some backyard mechanic better than the counter parts guy? There, now I feel better.
 

IIRC from my JD parts sales days mower drive belt from tractor to mower is determined by mower model(size & serial number) plus tractor model number. Did you provide parts man with this info?
 
The counter people at our Mega Dealer would barely qualify to be a door greeter at Wall Mart,,when looking up parts serial numbers are very important especially with grass clippers,,looking in the remarks list is very important..If you skip over these important bits of information you will more than likely get wrong parts...I try not to visit the local dealers in person,,I usually want to choke a counter guy when I do...I have one young Girl at one of the stores that don't really know much about tractor parts, "But" she receives my e-mailed list,, works it and makes the order,,then acknowledges it to me with a return e-mail,,"quickly",,my parts show up the next day with the UPS driver...I get every thing that I can from some where other than Deere.. To make a land line phone call to a dealer parts counter is like looking for Big Foot..they don't answer the phone,, and if they do you are put on hold for way longer than you have time for..
 
Jim (and Tim), guilty as charged, I did not have the serial number with me. However I had everything else, AND perhaps most importantly to me, the guy did not say something like "if you have serial# 0-100, its belt A, if you have #101-150, its belt B" and so on. Just to satisfy myself, I will take the S/N with me when I return the wrong belt and see if it would have made any difference.
And let me say Parts Counter Man is not a job I would really want to have. Probably behind me was a guy that needed a part for a forage harvester, then behind him was a guy that wanted something for his 1955 JD 730 tractor, etc. etc. That's a lot of things you have to know about! That said, I would think a lawn tractor belt would be pretty "first grade stuff".
 
I too remember it like you do. It always was a pain to get the correct belts for mowers. It isn't any better on newer stuff either ! This spring I got a L130 from around 2003 ? to get going for my Daughter's new to her place. It had 2 different mower deck drive belt numbers based off the mower deck serial number. Well to powder coated paint about all flew off when I started blowing it off with an air hose. So if there was still a tag(sticker) on it was long gone ! Lucky I still had the ragged old belt left to get a close measurement off of.
 
Maybe not "first grade" stuff. Could be more like 5 th grade ? Ever watch that show are you smarter than a 5 th grader ? How well did you do answering those questions ? Not many people ever made it to the end of that show because they were not smarter than a 5th grader ! LOL.

You really NEED to have spent time on both sides of the parts counters before you rant about parts people too. It sure is not fun on either side !
 
I cannot say I have similar problems to this at our local JD dealerships and their parts counters, but in most cases, I am there to purchase common parts and supplies. My local auto parts stores have been good to deal with as well, as I know the two men there quite well and we always share a laugh or two when I arrive. Customer service, when it comes to organizations I call for service, well, I feel like a foreign citizen because of all the prompts involved in choosing how and where to direct the call. I placed a call to a firm this week and grew very disgruntled by the lack of a prompt to speak to a customer service representative. It took some time and it took some intentional incorrect responses in order to speak to a live person. I do understand this modern corporate American business model of replacing people with machines and technology, as people cost more money than machines. When I am frustrated with customer service protocols and am unable to get to where I want to go, I feel like customer service has just "serviced" me. To expect today's millennial children to speak clearly and fluently in their roles of working at a company's checkout counter is asking a great deal when most want to communicate through their "coded" text messaging systems, rather than speaking face to face. I will also offer a comment about dealing with people. We are stuck in a vicious cycle where we, as consumers, are frustrated with how we are treated at the retail counter of corporate America. I think that frustration can come out of a number of people when at their own jobs, and their specific situation is not going very well. I feel I am old enough to recognize this, because I saw how customer service used to be, and I have also had to deal with customers for nearly 30 years in my career. I will bite my tongue before I say some things that might be crossing my mind at times when things are not going well between myself and a customer. I have only lost my "cool" 3 times in my career, with two of those times with the same customer.........................and he more than had it coming. I pride myself on having a very long fuse. Consumers, I feel, have become more impatient, due to our society being motivate and driven by "instant gratification." When you have the human involvement factor, well, we cannot keep up with the pace of machines, technology, the internet, or the 24/7 abilities of on-line purchasing. With the rapid change of specifications for parts on modern machines, the job of the parts man (or woman) is more challenging today. We have a combine and it is critical to have the serial number off that machine because that model specifies 3 different air filters for the 7 or 8 model years of production. I can go into the dealership and purchase most of these common service parts based solely on the model number of the machine, because they are all older (except for the combine). There no longer is a "parts book" and one has to be computer literate in order to work at a parts counter these days. Not sure if this truly is progress or not, but I am leaning towards it NOT being progress.
 
I agree Mike,, and I have spent time on the other side of the counter,back in simpler days..I have always felt that there should be 2 parts counters, one for Ag,,and one for consumer products,,and put a guy behind each one that qualifys for the job and "wants" to be there...Most consumer product customers don't know the important info about what they are asking for,,and it takes more time to "pull" it out of them,,serial number,model number,,deck info...and If I'm behind that guy wanting a bag of shear pins it gets a bit irritating...The Mega dealers around here only care about selling a big ticket item,,and man the counters with young guys with no experience,,at $10 per hour..
 
At one time the local dealer( where I use to work) would load the serial number of your equipment in there computer. Made getting parts easy if there was a split in the serial number on the same model. When I work on others stuff I take a pic of the numbers before I head to town.
 
Bought a Ford garden tractor at an auction.
The previous owner had written on the inside of the hood every part number for every belt, filter, blade, spindle and part that ever needed replacing.
Sure makes ordering parts for it a pleasure.
 
I right down part number in the tech manual as I fix things and leave the parts printout in the manual also. Another thing is printing off the filter sheet for each machine from Deere's web site.
 

The newest John Deere dealership online parts programs are hard to use and fraught with errors! The poor parts people are stuck with JD's latest and greatest online parts system.

I often look up parts on John Deere's part system they have online for everybody to use. It's an older system that's got problems of it's own...however it's easier to use than the current program the dealerships are ham-strung with...more accurate too!

A lot of the older parts and parts numbers have been superseded by newer parts numbers and some of those numbers and the parts they represent might be made by different manufacturers than the old parts were. The oompaloompas in charge of JD parts at the corporate level really don't have a clue what belts/parts might fit an older product...but look to save dollars and cents by obsoleting various older parts numbers and the parts they represent from inventory and replace with supposedly same/similar specification parts that fit current models. Not all of these substitute parts and part numbers actually fit the product JD claims it should!!
 
Our local dealer Shearer Eq. Was splitting up AG and Consumer parts counters at some of their locations. Not so sure they still do it though ? Many times you need both and then there is the old stuff too.
 
A lot could be done for efficiency at the parts counter...and the arrogant owners will not listen to common sense ideas,,their Idea to help is to have fresh doughnuts...I don't go there for doughnuts...
 
I had a 420 that I was rebuilding and the new parts man screwed up some things. Granted the 420 is a bad tractor for a new guy to learn on with all the variations. After that I bring a list or call/email the part numbers I need. The counter person likes that. I actually applied for a parts counter job at a different dealer and told of my years of finding part numbers, they were much more interested in my accounting and computer skills. I guess if you screw up half the time you need to do more restocking.
 
I guess that makes me feel better about 730 pony motor points and condenser. 43 and 45 EACH. They got out an actual parts book and had to order them in. They were correct, but a bill of nearly $100, I say where's the rest of them? Takes two of each. Later on I found everything on the internet. I could of had both coils, points and condenser with new plug wires for what I paid from Deere...
 
I understand your frustration, but I've been on both sides of the counter. Parts men do not have a monopoly on ignorance. I could write a book on my experiences dealing with customers as a parts man at a JD dealership and, later, as a farmer/customer at various seed, chemical, parts, & fuel establishments. The water runs both ways.
 

Years ago when I was a grunt at the local Deere dealership...I watched our parts manager take a major chewing-out for getting a guy the right parts!!
 
It gets frustrating for sure. I worked behind the parts counter at a fair sized dealer here in KS for a couple of years. I was pretty smart on John Deere parts when I went to work there, at least I thought. I found out real quick there are a million different scenarios when it comes to parts. Serial numbers are almost a must when it comes to part, for certain anyway back in the late 90's when I worked there.

I got fair with most eqt with a little time, but the lawn eqt was not something we sold a lot of, and when someone came in it was easy to lose focus, especially when you saw BTO's standing there waiting for service as well..lol. At any rate, I do have a new sense of respect for those who can do it well. My main trouble was standing on my feet for 8-10 hours a day. Just couldn't deal with it. Hang in there - Bob
 
The other day I called J.D. for a set of points and a condenser for my D. Points, $53.00 condenser, $48.00. I looked on line and found a kit. It had points, condenser and, rotor. $49.95 and free shipping.
 
Ha-Ha.... I read on a different forum 2-3 years ago that Deere consolidated their oil filters, at least on
lawn & garden. I went in one day to buy a new leaf blower, an oil filter for my Onan engine, and get a
chain saw chain sharpened. The new oil filter they sold me was a half inch smaller in diameter and 1/2 to
3/4 inch smaller in diameter. No oil filter wrench I have or knew existed would tighten that filter
recessed down inside the cooling air shroud. A guy sitting at a CAD terminal probably would not know that.
I had to go to their Other Store 5 miles away to get the leaf blower and chain sharpened. I had been paying
$5 to $7 to sharpen chains, they charged $10 plus Tax? On labor? Haven't been back there since I
returned the oil filter and picked up my chain.
 
As Mike Alyward pointed out a few times, as Deere decides to quit furnishing a part they up the price prior to deleting them from the system.. and as I have said Deere is just a "Marketer" for a lot of their parts, most they have nothing to do with actually making them,,we use to go to the dealer expecting Genuine Deere parts and a helpful counter man,,but that was in the old days...I shop for parts now, and have found some dependable as well as economical selections...
 
I, also like to find my own part numbers on Deere's site, then place the order online- each location has a target for online orders-helps my local guys out. Then I only have myself to blame for incorrect numbers.

Our dealer was a single location family operation, now part of a 16 store chain, but the surviving brother and a couple of the grandchildren still work there. Not at all unusual to have Kenny step out of his office to the parts counter when the line forms. He's not the best parts man, but helps keep things moving. One of the other guys worked at the local IH dealer from my youth until they folded. He lives nearby and has been known to drop parts off for myself or my neighbor on his way home at night.

I really like the feature that allows me to see where a part might be stocked if the local shop does not have it. Being a part-time/small-timer, I rarely would need to drive to get a part, but even I could see doing so for maybe a baler part with hay ready and rain coming.
 
I cut and paste to an E-mail then send it directly to the Girl that I deal with,,it also gives me a list for the job...
 
(quoted from post at 14:52:08 08/31/17) You are a Lucky Man ;^)
h: I just ordered another part over the phone...great service...also Ranter forgot to say that my parts man gave me a courtesy cap today....great people....
 
(quoted from post at 06:02:46 08/30/17) Isnt the first one, wont be the last. I recently acquired a Carter administration era John Deere 210 lawn tractor. It shredded the belt that runs from the engine PTO to the mower deck. Using the greatest invention of mankind, the internet, I did a search on how to change the belt. I got a direct hit from weekend freedom machines.com forum on how to do it (a very simple, 10 minute job). The forum post even referenced the JD belt part #.
Went to the local JD dealer with the part number. Told the middle aged man at the parts counter I needed Belt XYZ for a 210 lawn tractor. To his credit, instead of just taking my word for it, he began checking his computer to confirm this was the right part #. After clicking around on his computer for 5 to 10 minutes, he told me Belt XYZ is not referenced as a part for a 210. He DID NOT however tell me what he thought was the correct belt . Instead he showed me a parts diagram that was somewhat difficult to read and was very poor as far as describing the various belts on the tractor. From the cryptic diagram, we guessed we needed Belt ABC. I said ?go ahead and sell me both belts, hopefully one is correct and I will return the incorrect one?. Well you guessed it, the belt on the parts diagram was too short and Belt XYZ fit perfectly. Why is a post from some backyard mechanic better than the counter parts guy? There, now I feel better.
 
Wow,,My outfit "raised" the price of their caps,,and may give one away if you buy a new combine...I know there are some good ones out there,,,just not around here...
 
weekend freedom machines.com is a John Deere site. That was the site for their lawn mowers.
 
Somewhat the bottom line to all these raves is that a lot of the younger customers have been raised on the belief that if they went to school and got upward mobility...run the latest in technology then this would solve all their problems...more or less they didn't need many folks to get their education. Well I can assure you at 72 years of age and yes advanced education and yes computer and business skills, my most important education is people education. All folks from all walks of life have knowledge to offer. It is a shame that corporate society bundled all their direction to large cities and large dealership leaving or somewhat abandoning core principals....make a buck at all cost....this site is made of young timers and old timers and everyone has something they can learn in life.
 
Commonsense and Civility are two subject that should be required in every level of schooling.
I have always hated going to a parts store and ask for a valve stem and have to tell the guy or girl what year model, does it have A/C , is it manual or automatic, what color is it and then they still cant find a Valve Stem.
All of this is after you get the parts person off their cell phone.

Grrrrr. :oops: :oops: :roll:
 

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