Now I know how some of you guy's feel.

About your NAPA store. We always had a good group of guy's at the local Napa store, but he sold out to a multi store group. The store owner that had it, used to have an idea where to get something that would work, if you were trying to come up with something that you were trying to make work. I was looking for some battery cable ends that solder on the cable. This guy finely found some that were left from the previous owner, but were for the negative posts. I told him I had them already, but needed the positive ones. He said he could order them and they would be in, in three days, AND would be $15 each. The other owner would have said they would be in by two o clock. His truck ran to Grand Rapids twice a day. Oh well, I got three of them plus shipping for the price of his two, and had them the next day. I guess I'll start getting more of my parts on the computer. Also every time I go in there, someone different is behind the counter

Jack, last time I went in there was a teenage girl behind the counter. She knew absolutely nothing, was the only one there, and did NOT appreciate my attitude in the least.

2 of my friends from high school own the NAPA store in Independence Iowa, great place to go.

Same thing happened here, local guy sold out to bigger multi store group. Used to be some old timers working there that had an idea of what you were looking for. New guys in there every other week it seems, the last straw for me was when I was looking for points and condenser and the guy told me he'd never heard of them.

Does NAPA have a website? If you know what you need, often it's better to shop online and have items shipped to your local store or directly to your home.

(quoted from post at 19:02:16 05/21/15) Does NAPA have a website? If you know what you need, often it's better to shop online and have items shipped to your local store or directly to your home.

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Yes NAPA has a site and you can have it set up to pick up at your local store too.

Some of the chains can be tuff to deal with but I've found the same thing in all but a couple of independent stores. People behind the counter who know nothing. IMO Autozone is the worst with Advanced a close 2nd.

Rick

You're showing your age with that comment. I bet there was a time you hoped there would be just you and a teenage girl alone in a NAPA store

I still like that idea

That doesn't apply in every situation. I stopped in at a NAPA store in Wahoo, Nebraska a couple of years ago. Kind of out of my neighborhood, but I was driving through town, saw the store, and thought of something I'd been meaning to get. Can't recall what it was, but I know it wasn't something common.

I walked in the door and found two thirtyish gals behind the counter. Can't say about the other one, but the one I dealt with was right onto what I needed. She could have blown the doors off of any ten male countermen. Since I figured I'd never see her again, I even asked a few stupid to complex questions just to test her, and she was right on top of it all.

In another venue, a lady manages our local O'Reilly's store. I think she knows more about cars than all of her guys put together, and they're pretty much on the ball.

So don't throw a blanket over all gals in the automotive business. Some of them are pretty dang sharp.

Our local Advance is actually pretty good, several times I've been in there looking for something but I didn't have specifics and they were able to work it out. There used to be a lady working there who was real sharp, she knew more about cars and engines than I ever did. I don't know why she left or where she went but I was sad to see her go.
On the other hand we used to have a Napa and they were ok, just incredibly high on everything. They are closed now.

Our locally owned NAPA just sold to a large multi store owner. Waiting to what happens..........

(quoted from post at 20:53:05 05/21/15) Our local Advance is actually pretty good, several times I've been in there looking for something but I didn't have specifics and they were able to work it out. There used to be a lady working there who was real sharp, she knew more about cars and engines than I ever did. I don't know why she left or where she went but I was sad to see her go.
On the other hand we used to have a Napa and they were ok, just incredibly high on everything. They are closed now.

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They opened an Advanced near me, didn't last 2 years. Long gone now. Mostly chrome do-dads from what I saw.

Rick

We've had kind of a different result here when the Parts Plus chain bought the local store. Like you said,two runs a day,have it by 2 o'clock. I got two hydraulic filters for the 1550 and 1850 that was the other day. Nothing against Tom,he's a great guy,but he kind of acted like he was getting tired. Jeff's managing the store now and he's pretty darned good at finding or having things in stock. I needed the cross and cups for a foreign made PTO u-joint for the spreader last week and he couldn't match it up,I had to call the dealer,but I needed a bearing for the disc Monday. I really didn't want to drive to Ithaca,so I took the pieces down town. Jeff was busy,but little Jeff interrupted him real quick to ask him,he pointed to a cardboard box under the counter. The darned thing was full of disc bearings,of all things. There were three of them in there for my Massey disc.
He knows his customers needs,I'll give him that.

yeah, obviously depends on who's behind the counter, but generally speaking around here, if you go in looking for a tractor part and you
don't have the year/model/engine of a car or truck, you're either walking out empty handed, or with the wrong part.

The worst are the guys who WANT to help you, and go overboard to help you, but don't really have enough experience TO help you. I mean -
gotta appreciate the effort, but you can get stuck in one of those stores for an hour with some guy trying to be help you out,when you know
deep down he can't.

Unless I need something right away, I stick to online shopping. Find a part number, look it up on amazon and you'll usually find the
lowest price there.

Now THAT is hitting below the belt, ROFL!!! I have had the same girl since I was 13 and she was not one to tolerate competition. Still isn't. You are probably right though. Back in the day, if she were cute enough, I probably would have bought the wrong thing three times on purpose just so I could return it!

Local NAPA store that had been in business since before the 2nd W/W,locally owned the entire time with two different owners.Excellent service and machine shop.Any thing you needed and they didn't have in stock would be there the following morning.They had an huge inventory.When you stood at the counter you could see into the rear area where the parts were stored and the shelves were filled with parts.
Business was sold to an outfit owning several NAPA stores.Wasn't very long before the only thing on those shelves was dust.They then moved to a new location,bigger and fancier than the old store.I don't know if there is a machine shop anymore.I haven't been in the place but twice-I broke the NAPA habit and deal with car quest now.It's locally owned and was started many years ago(at least 30) under a different name by some of the old timers from the NAPA store.

O'Reilly just opened in McCook. They don't carry ag
stuff but they seem pretty sharp behind the counter.
That will likely change as they hire in more local
people. Napa has some doozies.
"Do you have the latch for the back window of a
pick-up cap?"
"You mean a gas cap? What's it for?"

"Need a slave cylinder for suchayear Ford ranger 4
cylinder 5 speed"
"Is that a manual or automatic?"
"It's an I'll call Carquest"

"Need these oil filters, the wife will pick them up,
and throw in a set of wiper blades for a dodge full-
size truck. 96."
"Is that a 4 wheel drive?"

(quoted from post at 08:24:09 05/24/15) O'Reilly just opened in McCook. They don't carry ag
stuff but they seem pretty sharp behind the counter.
That will likely change as they hire in more local
people. Napa has some doozies.
"Do you have the latch for the back window of a
pick-up cap?"
"You mean a gas cap? What's it for?"

"Need a slave cylinder for suchayear Ford ranger 4
cylinder 5 speed"
"Is that a manual or automatic?"
"It's an I'll call Carquest"

"Need these oil filters, the wife will pick them up,
and throw in a set of wiper blades for a dodge full-
size truck. 96."
"Is that a 4 wheel drive?"

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Look, when the person behind the counter has to use the computer for parts look up the computer makes them enter year, make, model, engine, tranny and 2/4 wheel drive. They HAVE to ask that question. If they guess some of those questions and wind up with the wrong part then you are irate. Granted asking a lot of those questions isn't necessary for wiper blades that's how the computer works. That computer saves you a lot of time rather than having the employee find the book, then look up the part number, then consult the card inventory system to see if it in stock. Plus that computer updates the inventory as the transaction is completed then may be set up to automatically reorder so when you break that part trying to put it on another is in stock the next morning. And yes I do find it annoying when I get ask 2 or 4 wheel drive for a part that has no connection with either but I also understand how the system works.

You want better more knowledgeable people in the parts store yet you shop around to find the place with the cheapest parts? That's why they went to computers and high school kids was to keep the cost down. Knowledge and experience cost more.

Rick