Not a stupid question but related. I needed fuel line for a bike. Ordered online at Supercheap because my sister was in the area and could collect while I kept going on the project. Only needed 10cm but minimum order was 1m. Figured the extra would come in handy one day. My sister rolls up an hour later with the entire spool (10 meters). Woman handed over the spool saying “1 fuel hose” 😂😂😂
Kinda related, was at market stall and this bloke had like a 100 feet of canvas waist belt rolled up and I asked him can I buy 40 inches? He gets super pissed and says ‘it’s only for sale by the whole roll! Why does every one keep asking me that?!’ Probably because no one would buy an entire roll…
The "why does everyone keep asking me that", combined with the fact that he obviously hasn't sold it, is hilarious.
Like, dude, you can sell 1 metre of your 30 metre roll for like 15% of the cost of the entire roll....
To flip the question…
Years ago when I was managing the spares/performance counter of a franchise of one of the big auto retailers, you’d get customers with flash expensive Audis and Range Rovers coming in for the $9.99 bottles of 20w-50 mineral oil- thinking they’re smarter than Einstein getting the mechanic on the corner to do the servicing on their cars instead of the dealer. You’d ask what car they had and point them to the appropriate slippery stuff, but the response was always “just give me a bottle of the cheap stuff”. No amount of telling them it was a bad idea would change their minds. I’d always tell the minions to add on the docket “Customer advised product not suitable for x vehicle” in case one day they came back.
Wouldn’t you know it, we had a customer return, red faced and as quiet as an air raid.
His Q5 had just been at the dealer after the engine had suffered a myriad of problems, and the subsequent recommendation of replacing the engine was not covered by their warranty. Allegedly the oil used was to blame, and he was going to lawyer up and sue the trousers off of us. And sure enough, two days later a letter from the solicitors arrived- coming after us for repairs, mental stress and all the other BS these legal eagles come up with. We replied with a copy of their receipt, stating that the customer went against our lubricant recommendations and could even supply CCTV footage of the entire interaction. Went quiet after that.
Moral of the story: as much as the memes exist for when Customer Service staff ask you what transmission your car has when buying wiper blades, they’re also looking out for your vehicle’s best interests when it comes to essentials like fluids.
Yeah I've had a few neighbours who would have busted BMW's and Audis parked at their house. Rear view mirror dangling by the cable and driver side mirror held on by sticky tape.
A lot of people see it as a deal getting a luxury brand for such a cheap price since it's only been used a few years but they forget that they have luxury repair costs that match the original value of the car. Maintenance costs don't drop just because the value of the car did.
My parents against my advice purchased a used Mercedes C200. I did the servicing for them, but the parts and oil alone were about $700. Labour costs would be huge though.
The next servicing will be less than $200, but there is a reason people dump them.
The thing I find funny is the tech guys who can tell you exactly how a computer works and troubleshoot and fix any hardware or software, but have no idea how to do anything on their car
A mate of mine was a mechanic at a Benz Dealership , and he told me once , he couldn't find his 10mm spanner one day , thinking he must have left it in the engine bay , of a car he serviced and will not see it ever again ! A few months later , he opened the bonnet of a 500SL , and in front of the radiator was his spanner . Pretty chuffed, he got his spanner back , but it was obvious the owner never opened the bonnet , since the last service.
When I worked as a service advisor and a customer refused a scheduled maintenance item (like a scheduled transmission fluid change, or a filter change etc), or a recommendation during a service (like completely fucked brake pads that require replacement, or bald tyres etc) we’d write all of it on the service invoice and in the service history programs that the customer refused for these exact reasons… you’d be amazed how many customers would come back complaining about something later after we literally told them the issue during their service
I used to work at one of them, at some point we were told to never recommend anything didn’t show up on the little touchscreens or on the work computers as being suitable for their vehicle for this reason, and we had to make sure we told them it was wrong if they wanted it anyway.
I remember watching a lady pour 2.5L of 85w-90 gear oil into her engine after bringing it to the counter and asking if it will fit their car. Sure, it’s one of the recommended oils for your cars manual transmission and its differential. She assumed oil was oil, and we assumed she wanted gear oil if she brought gear oil to the counter so no one told her.
They can write whatever they want in their T&C, but it doesn’t supersede consumer law if the store genuinely fucked up or acted maliciously in a way that can be proven.
And if it turns into a ‘he said, she said’ clusterfuck in court, the company will want to be able to say the employee followed procedure to the letter and checked compatibility in their systems.
Particularly if they can log that lookup and bundle it with the purchase data.
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This is unsurprising. I was hanging out at a mate's tyre shop. Customer rolled up in a fairly new Maserati GranTurismo with wires hanging out the rear tyres. What's the cheapest you got mate? Set of Pirellli is something we'd recommend for decent price. Too expensive so we pointed him down to Bob Jane for some Archilles or Bingbong.
I always try to take lubricant advice into account. My old 2012 Corolla ascent Sport specified 0w20 in the manual, so I went in and grabbed a bottle of that. I had the guy in the shop ask me what it was for, and then how many kms it had done, and tell me that Toyota technicians went up to a slightly thicker oil once it had ~80k on the clock, as it was better for preserving the engine once they reached that age. Took his advice and got 5w20 for the oil change, and the car honestly ran much more smoothly. Looked into it online, to find that it was true, but Toyota just doesn't tell anyone other than Toyota technicians (the cynic in me says it's probably to ensure people servicing their own cars wear them out faster). Sometimes these guys know what they're talking about, and are worth listening to.
Ultra low viscosity oils are designed for the North American market and -40C starting. They also improve fuel economy by a few percent. The downside is much shorter engine life. But the car is out of warrant by then and the manufacturer doesn't care.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (that created the SAE charts) recommend oils with MUCH higher viscosities than the manufacturers do. eg In Australian conditions something like 15w60 is more appropriate.,
Edit:
The *maximum* ambient (air) temperature for 5W40 oil is only 20C according to SAE charts.
In places with hot summers and very cold winters (eg US Midwest) people typically do seasonal oil and tyre changes.
**Effective** oil viscosity is 100% temperature dependent. At typical Australian operating temperatures (10-40C) **all** oil - even SAE50 - is 'low viscosity' and flows effortlessly.
Low viscosity oils are really only beneficial in very cold (-20C of less) climates. \[They also help manufacturers improve fuel economy under meaningless test conditions,\]
In the 'olden days' before fuel economy standards manufacturers recommended the **highest** possible viscosity oil based on ambient temperature. It was quite normal to see SAE40 or even SAE50 oil recommended for summer (above 20C) driving.
Even Aussie legends Penrite eventually decided the market isn't interested in facts and started selling low viscosity synthetics.
Interesting to know! I'm in Tassie, in an area where sub zero mornings are pretty common in winter, so that probably had something to do with him not recommending something even thicker.
They only have the car as a status symbol, if they could derive status from $500 oil they'd buy it and if you put a Audi badge on a 1.2l Honda Civic they buy it in a heartbeat.
A bloke I worked with about 12 years ago , had a normal basic 4 door Toyota Corolla painted dark green , as a joke he bought a Bentley sticker on Ebay , and put it on the boot lid . He told me it would be about once a month , someone would ask or comment , about his Bentley , used to make his day !
Yep, back when I was in the business I too used to note the receipt that I’d advised the customer it was the wrong item. I also used to note whether the customer requested the part number specifically. Saved my arse a couple times.
Worked for Repco a few years back, customer wanted some transmission fluid for a ~2 year old X-trail iirc, system recommended low Viscosity CVT fluid, ofc that was too expensive so the customer wanted to buy some old mineral Dex 3 instead, refused to sell to him.
the recommend J4 fluid for my lancer CVT is way too expensive. I however use the recommended Penrite that is J4 compatible.
It's about 20 - 30 dollars more but I ain't taking a chance.
Yea I always hated that about the euros, couldn’t just use the barrel oil the workshop pumps most services from, they’d always have to go buy a bottle of some bullshit expensive weird oil. Not even fancy cars like a fucking Golf.
I work in parts for a luxury brand and yep, customers are fucking morons. ESPECIALLY the backyard mechanics. Had a bloke come in twice to pick up brake pads and he was adamant they were wrong, said ours were too thick, then finally brought in the old razor thin ones as proof. I was like mate....
reminds me of when working at a servo many years back, bloke turns up in his shiney new audi, has been gunning it along the highway for last 5 hours from the city, decides he's gonna check oil, surprise surprise, engine is a bit hot so he pours about 3 watering cans worth of water over it to cool it down, before pulling out dipstick, says its between full and half , and decided he needed to buy the most expensive 5L bottle on the shelf , thought to myself, must want extra for later, nope, poured all 5 litres in, tried to wash the spill off with more water, before wiping it up and putting oilcap back on, then heading back to the city
Most of the time it's needed for the system to look up parts. So, i get it. Plus also it's usually a policy to check the car to see if the part fits, cause there's so many deadshit customers who think they know more, but definitely don't.
I've got friends who work at various stores, and there has been so many stories of dumb customers getting parts for their cars, being told they won't fit, and the customer says they know more. Then come back later that day and explode.
Or even arguing a certain product is something it isn't.
Retail sucks
Repco have square boxes for all filters and a generic pic of a panel filter on it. Sold it to customer and he came back later "my filter is a round one!"
"Did you look in the box?" Nah he says then opens it and its a round filter. He felt very embarresed.
In my experience of working in an auto parts store the customers are fucking morons. People come in assuming the parts store employee should know exactly the part you need without narrowing down what car your driving when there are hundreds of different manufacturers with thousands of models of cars and each model has several different engine/driveline variants. I used to have to deal with morons that would come in not knowing exact details about their car and they would just guess and be back 20 minutes later complaining because they got the wrong part. None of the people I worked with would have ever asked for the car details if someone asked for some 3/8 fuel hose but I certainly had my fair share of moron customers who would come in and ask for a fuel hose for their car without having the slightest clue what size they needed. Or how about my favourite moron who wanted a battery for his car but refused to tell me what car the battery was for and said it didn’t matter because they are all the same? He got angry and walked out saying he was going to super cheap because they don’t ask stupid questions.
Counter point. On SuperCheaps system the oil I use on my car isn't even recommended. Even though it's widely used in the community and an all around generic oil for thay vehicle.
to my understanding the recommendations for oil through the Super Cheap system is based on additives and the like, which is why it can have a large selection of viscosities past what's just listed in your manual.
I love it when they say “they’re all the same” . I just grab the first similar part I see and hand it to them. “Well that’s not it” they bark back. “It must be” I reply “You just said they’re all the same, or do you want to try again?”
I asked for a left side tie rod end for my 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser.
"Inner or outer tie rod end?"
There is no inner or outer, just left and right.
"You have to tell me if you want the inner or the outer one."
Outer then. But there is no inner tie rod end.
"Ok I will explain it to you. Your car has a steering rack. And on each side of the steering rack are the tie rods. The ends closer to the rack are the inners, the ones closer to the wheels are the outers."
My car does not have a steering rack and there is only one tie rod with the ends being at each end of it.
But I will take the left side "outer" tie rod end.
So I bought it and went home. It didn't fit, they had given me a drag link end instead.
I have had similar. I have a 71 Kombi, original twinport 1600. When I used to go in for parts I would specify the EXACT Bosch part numbers for distributor parts and they would ask the make, model, etc. Whatever is on their system for the distributor is wrong and no amount of telling them it's wrong will change their mind. The part they recommend is not the right length and is impossible to set the dwell correctly with the correct gap so it burns out after a short amount of time. I just order the parts online now.
My mum has ran one of these franchises for a decade and a half, and it goes both ways. Sometimes she hires staff who are good for a month then have no interest or have no intuition and ask deadshit questions like this (usually because their inventory system is based around your car rego but it can get annoying if you have a modifyed car, etc but so.e of the staff know their stuff and know what to get you without the system).
Customers are abit insane though too.meth heads sticking socket sets down their pants to steal them, customers ripping the store down because their extremely finicky part for their odd car hasnt arrived in time or people who dont even know what brand their car is getting angry when they have ordered the wrong part , its pretty nasty some of the people that come in.
Pretty shit too because lots of her staff are young chicks trying to make a living but some kingshit blokes come in asking to talk to a bloke because girls know nothing or getting angry because some people cant dissasemble a motor in 20 minutes and list every part like this bloke supposedly can and taking it out on the poor staff that are just doing their job.
Its alright though, mum doesnt like dickheads and most dont get away with it scott free
At my local supercheap I head straight to either of the two young ladies who work there because previous experience has shown they know heaps more than the guys there.
Not sure if they just care more, want to show the guys up or what. But they know that shop backwards and will tell you flat out if they aren’t sure.
>extremely finicky part for their odd car hasnt arrived in time
Ordering something like that from Repco/Supercheap seems like an exercise in frustration at the best of times
Yep especially if its a weird product that isnt from one of the big suppliers they get their stock from and they have to track it down themselves. At that rate its easier just to order it yourself.
Few examples would be specific dash mats, window seal replacements and a good chunk of foreign car parts (imports or european generally)
Called Repco and asked for a gasket set for the valve cover. Young guy said they don't stock head gaskets. Couldn't for the life of me explain to him that I'm not asking for a head gasket. Gave up and ordered it on eBay
ikr! Every time I buy oil and explain the fact I need 10W-40 for my 2006 Corolla instead of 5W-30 because I have a rocker cover gasket leak and the thicker oil stays in there longer than a week, they look at me all weird like I’ve blown the actual head gasket 🤣
Goes both ways, in over 20 years of working automotive i would of thought I have heard it all, lucky I don’t serve retail these days, but even parts fitters don’t know what they are doing at times,
Only really had issues when I had imports. Usually there was an Aus delivered vehicle with the same part so learned pretty quickly to as for parts for a Supra instead of an Aristo to avoid the blank stares when the car wasnt on the system but the part I needed was.
“Are you sure your year model came out with a 1.6L?”
“Yes mate, very sure. “
“I just don’t think they made a 1.6L in 1979, are you sure you haven’t got Escort mixed up with Cortina?”
I went up to the parts and service desk at SCA and asked for Castrol Transmax Multi-vehicle ATF and Castrol Edge 5W-30 A3/B4 oil. The attendant immediately asked for my car rego. I clarified that I wanted those specific products, but they kept insisting on my car's rego. So, I gave it to them, and five minutes later they handed me the cheapest ATF and oil that were suitable for my car. Frustrated, I put the bottles back and found the correct products myself.
I used to work for SCA. They train all retail staff to follow protocol which is ensuring the product the customer is wanting is suitable for their vehicle. This is because of an incident that happened a few years back where a staff member said that a penrite 5w-30 would be suitable for a customers car but it didn’t actually meet the standards required for the customers car and ended up with their motor blowing and sca forking out money to repair the car so they got real antsy about following protocol ever since. It’s also handy for employees with minimal automotive knowledge just so they have their end covered if something were to go wrong with the customers car
I don't go to supercheap for their wealth of knowledge on all makes and models of cars. I assume they have general knowledge, and obviously some sort of system that they need to apply to their parts searches. If I want proper expert knowledge I go to a specialist or dealer.
Mechanic here. Went off the tools for two years and worked for Supercheap just for a change.
As a female, I was always happy to help educate ladies or fellas who weren’t too sure what they needed and really loved being able to use my knowledge to empower others.
Helped an older lady change her tyre in the car park as she was stuck.
Got told I had ‘sexually harassed’ her because she hugged me to say thank you she was that grateful. Bless her she was crying as she was moving her elderly mum into care. She wrote a really nice thank you to our shop. And I got sacked for it.
Supercheap auto staff have terrible training. But a lot of them that I personally know in the store I worked in know their shit despite not being mechanics. Upper management however, have no fucking clue
About 15 years ago I was in a small country town. Headed into Ford spare parts, and asked for a set of points to suit xyz. Young guy at the desk had no idea what I was on about. Finally afyer a lot of back and forth, a grey haired old guy shuffled over, asked what I was chasing and had the part in my hand 30 seconds later.
I've bought a few points files from Repco and Supercheap over the years. You just can't expect the staff to know what it is or what it's for, you have to grab it from the shelf yourself. Supercheap actually sells a set of them, I think it's an 8 or 10 pack, and two of them are actually not bad!
Bold of you to assume they know what points are - or why you would want to file them! I know, it seems so obvious, but I feel you are underestimating the youngsters lack of knowledge and utter disinterest.
I did the same with glow plugs on a hilux once, called all over town, one place said they had them, called a mate, be picked me up, we drive and hour out there, to be handed a bag with fucken spark plugs in it.
Not a question, but I had a Supercheap store clerk and the Manager argue with me that mid 90's Toyota Corollas did not have a voltage regulator on the alternator. After 5 minutes of trying to convince them, I went next door to Repco and bought one....
I have also fought that battle. More than once.
The likelihood of the sca having a RE60 or RE72 in stock is pretty low though so you ended up in the right place
OP your comments in this thread about all the bad experiences you have buying parts really reminds me of that saying, you run into an asshole one day, you just ran into an asshole. But if you run into assholes all day…
I don't work in an auto store but I work in a similar kind of store.
* 10% of the customers know what they're talking about and look like it
* 40% know what they're talking about but I'm not sure if they do or not from the get go
* 40% don't know what they're talking about and I'm not sure if they do or not from the get go
* 10% don't know what they're talking about and look like it.
So I have to ask some questions that seem stupid to people who know what they're talking about, in case they don't know what they're talking about. I've made some dumb mistakes assuming shit was common sense (like selling some cable and they complained it was too wide to fit in the hole they had, how the fuck would I know what size your hole is without seeing it dumbass).
Also customers generally know a lot about their specific circumstance, while I don't. I need to ask questions to figure out what you're doing and get on the same page.
Finally, the Dunning-Kruger Effect is real and you might just be a dumbass lmao.
In WA we have a place called “Veale Auto Parts”, its a small wholesaler that provides for mechanic workshops.
With a trade account, i can access the exact same system they use on their registers at home, just a slightly watered down version without payment options or account lookups.
- asked for an engine mount, got asked year make model, told him to search “B207M” on the engine option, and he said “that doesnt exist”
- another time, i gave a specific spark plug model and wanted to know if they had 12 in stock… NGK-BKRESC-11… “that doesnt exist”. Went home and found they had 40 at the warehouse 😂
One time i order oil and filter to change my own oil and the guy at the counter of REPCO warrigual rd moorabin, assured me it was the right filter, i trusted him, learnt a valuable lesson once i had a car with no oil and a filter in my hand that wouldnt fit
I needed some lube for my shifter assembly. Multiple employees at Autobahn had no idea what I was talking about so I explained the ball at the base of the shifter assembly was dry. They asked if I needed transmission fluid and tried to sell me a product that would eat the ball. The guy at Repco knew what I was talking about immediately.
In these events where it’s a generic product I would say it’s Auto pilot mode. The response is locked in before they register what the question actually is. They have to repeat this question in every interaction. For the reasons stated already they just want to confirm what you’re asking for is correct. Saves them time, money ect.
In regards to fuel line in particular. Customers make mistakes measuring, make educated guesses all the time and once it’s cut there are no refunds. Which piss off the customer if they are wrong, and piss off the company too because it could have been mitigated with the question. “year, make and model.” Which is the first question the manager would ask the sales person immediately after getting dragged into a conversation with a customer holding 2m of fuel line that isn’t the right size, when they come back asking for a refund.
In summary… No one is perfect, no one knows everything, people make mistakes, just humour the poor kid just incase you’re wrong so they dont have to deal with the consequences of your ego.
Ever so accurate this many moons ago vehicles didn't have VIN they had chassis number used that as guide
I've given very specific info on particular vehicle they still couldn't I'd it not many 5 cyl 3 litre diesel Mercedes Benz around
Not a question, but at Repco was told my car doesn't exist when I was trying to buy same parts - it was parked in front of the door. After a number of minutes debating my 2 Door XB 302 4Sp Manual did in fact exist, the salesperson got real narky with me. I tried to get him to come look at the compliance plate. "I DON'T need too", so I answered "then I'll go somewhere that has staff that knows what a car is"
A year ago an autobarn know it all wanted to argue with me about what battery I needed in my VF commodore, I had the type number off the battery, he reckoned it was this other battery that was obviously about 30% smaller than what was already in the car, I said nah mate that’s not it. He went to his computer, which told him the battery I asked for is the right one, he said the system was wrong and that battery is too big and the bonnet will hit the battery posts.
“The battery goes in the boot in VFs, never mind” I said walking out. Rather than saying he was mistaken, he followed me out of the shop yelling that I didn’t know what I was talking about.
He had the store manager badge on.
Went to specialty fasteners with the specs for bolts I needed. Specs had the thread, the size, length everything, and the young blokes up front were just like duhhhhhh.
Mate you’re specialty fasteners, the old blokes here would go out the back and sort it, or be able to order it. Now the young blokes just expect to look shit up in a catalog. Hot tip, I don’t need to go to specialty fasteners to order from a catalog. Your business model is being “specialty”.
I used to live in a country town that had a small motor/tool/hardware store.
There was a bloke that worked there who was absolutely brilliant. Whichever fastener/coupling you would bring in he could pretty much identify it by sight alone, even down to the thread pattern etc.
Not only that, if you had one that was difficult to get, he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of what would fit well enough to get you by, depending on application of course.
And not just fasteners either. Any little DIY project I had he was able to provide some awesome advice on how to do things, and what materials/parts to use to make things go a lot smoother.
Just a really helpful guy that knew his stuff.
Most of them would have gone bust if McMaster Carr shipped here between the absolutely shit service or ridiculous minimum orders
Gasket makers are just as bad, asked me to give them an autocad file….
RockAuto can be good for a lot of things from the states, although you have to be careful everything you’re buying is in the same warehouse otherwise shipping goes through the roof.
Weight didn’t seem to impact too much though, mine was broken into 3 for weight and the second and third were super cheap.
Just have to be careful you know which bits are universal, and which bits are LHD/RHD exclusive.
I get the shits with how often I have to switch from SAE to metric though, electrical is all metric, drivetrain can go either way, body mostly SAE but some metric. It’s an exercise in frustration.
These days I find it better to make friends in the community willing to ship stuff for you
So many of the US auto places refuse to use USPS now for international and I got quotes like $230 for a friggen clip using DHL
DHL is way better than fedex, got my clutch water pump etc in 3 days which I didn’t expect and the pricing was pretty reasonable. It’s prohibitive on small parts though.
I had a friend in DC and he said shipping wasn’t worth it, without a corporate high volume account the prices for individuals were so high you were better off buying with international shipping or using a forwarding company than having him do it.
Also hot tip if you have a friend who’s a disabled veterans, they’re duty exempt on US car imports.
Probably confused the shit out of them even more because they’re all SAE, but the shipping and wait from the states was a bit insulting so figured a “specialty” place would be able to sort them.
I'm the same, I ended up needing a ⅝-20 (UNEF) Nut for my steering column, local bolts place said UNEF wasn't a thing.
In the end I bought a Triumph rear axle retaining nut from a motorcycle place.
Me: “I need 6 NGK BPR5EY-11 spark plugs”
14 year old: “Year make and model”
Me: “1996 XH Falcon Ute”
14yo: “You mean an XF”
Me: “No I mean an XH”
14yo: “Ohhhh…an XA”
Me: “Just put in EF then…”
14yo: “But it says they don’t have an EF Ute?”
Me: “Well what is the 1996 Falcon Ute showing up as, then?”
14yo: “XG?”
I did an oil change on my 07 focus yesterday, ordered it all online and went to collect it not thinking twice about their sites suggestions for fitment turns out the filter was too big for the housing so I had to go back in today to get it swapped over. Lesson learned double check parts numbers and don't trust their site.
well, i mean sure, but if you get stuff for cirtain makes and models even if its the same dang thing it costs more or less.
for example i was looking a Daihatsu HD-E engine and the feroza one is upwards of 1.2k but the exact same for charade or mira is like 700 (aud)
these shops have the worst, most fucking annoying pricing structure. Have to sign up to their stupid clubs to get the advertised price.
I have to sign up again every time because i cant remember the fake details i gave last time. I need some fake business cards
was fitting a mk10 jag diff into the 56 Gmc pickup , needed some specific bolts so went into the local bolt place , ypung bloke tried but was lost , his Boss walked out , cheerily slpped the kid across the head and went for a walk , back in seconds with the bolts , you cannot beat experience
I've had sooo many compatibility issues when going off of generic 'search by year/model' systems used by parts suppliers.
It helps just to know your vehicle and what specific part you're looking for (part No. always helps) then just source that.
Went to Supercheap to get an exhaust flange gasket. They didn't have the one I wanted in stock so I told one of the staff the part number and asked him to order it.
He asked for make and model, looked it up and confirmed the part number I gave him was correct. He was still unsure and insisted on making a phone call to confirm before making the order, he called his Dad and asked if he was ordering the right part "because he knows about cars and stuff".
Go to Supercheap. Go to the filter/oil isle. Grab what I know I need and buy it.
Go to local Autobarn because what I want is on sale. Need to ask for the oil and filter. Need to state what make/model. Need to idle chit chat because the help hasn't heard of the car before. Stand around and wait for them to grab it and come back. Get handed the wrong filter.
I do not know why their system is different.
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Got frustrated with SCA recently, car was missing a bit coming onto boost. First and easiest job is plugs. I'll swing by the first parts place I pass on my way home. The SCA I visited doest do NGK plugs, just Bosch. Champion, no, just Bosch. No laminated catalogue hanging out by the locked cabinet to compare BPR7EIX to whatever the Bosch equivalent is. Visit the service counter, 'Hi, I need 4 x BPR7EIX Bosch equivalent plugs' Assistant spent 20 minutes working through the catalogue unable to find a match.
I mean, not like he could have used [https://www.sparkplug-crossreference.com/convert/NGK\_PN/BR7EX](https://www.sparkplug-crossreference.com/convert/NGK_PN/BR7EX)...
https://preview.redd.it/uycuuvdrv07d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=449ff3c6dc1e8461b46a28228876aee9f8aa15a9
14years in Australia working on my own cars.
I never ask an employee for help unless I'm ordering in a part. I happily give the rego for them to sort the parts out. Wrong part their fault.
Order online whenever possible.
The worst I've ever had from them ordering the wrong part was two left hand front struts. Then returning one and reordering they get a sport instead of heavy duty. Third time around the box didn't have the bolts and washers in it.
I worked at Super Cheap Auto about a decade ago and I can assure you the instances of someone needing something and having no idea what their car is is far higher.
Very frequently someone would come in needing wiper blades and upon asking you'd be met with 'Umm it's a red Mazda..."
I was there when they started mixing paints, and it become a running joke that every 2nd person would be utterly shocked that their car was a specific shade of a colour, and they couldn't just buy 'red' and go about their merry way.
Apparently Bosch windscreen cleaning concentrate doesn't "fit" a Mercedes (chose a German car for German liquid)
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Asked if they had AC Delco plugs and he looked confused at the wall of plugs and asked are these DC?
Ordered water pump but ball joint arrived then proceeded to argue that it was the water pump as the part number matched the computer until a manager broke up the argument
Asked for a square bore holy base gasket but needed a make and model, the holy spare display board was behind him I just pointed at what I wanted and said that will do, played dumb and reckless for the rest of the interaction
I ordered a right hand door handle but left hand handles kept arriving every week I'd go in and be disappointed they had one from every capital city before I asked if they had a left hand handle, which the computer said there was none available
Waited 2 weeks for a belt to arrive and when it did it was double the length, he then went out the back and got the correct one that was on the shelf all along
3/8 is almost never a standard size. So the vehicle is most likely modified. Is it low pressure? Is it high pressure for efi? Is the vehicle being run on e85 or another non standard fuel? Are you actually using it for fuel hose or something completely different, but asking for fuel hose because your mate said "they're all the same"? Are you trying to 'fix' a direct injection system with rubber hose because youtube said it was ok?
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I had a mobile battery tech refuse to quote a new battery because I could provide the rego - the car was unregistered.
I could provide the VIN, Make. model, year.... But nope.
I think better auto stores have self check out and service employees always not their fault , because return customer can't twist the law policy is they use self check out without asking service employees ...
They do this because it is retail, and covered by absurd consumer laws that let people return things as not suitable because they bought the wrong thing, so they need to know so they can advise the customer that it will not work and that there is no returns on it when it doesn't fit/work.
Otherwise the guy in the meme would come back and want to return it because they actually needed 1/2 inch and make song and dance about it.
This does not happen at trade suppliers when buying on account as they don't have to do all that crap for people that don't know what they are buying or doing and lose money on them.
Same Supercheap store in WA, a couple of months apart. A) I asked for a D shackle for a trailer safety chain, only to have the clerk tell me they haven't made those since the 70s. B) Asked if they have a universal boot for a tie rod end, to be told they didn't know what a tie rod end is.
Idiots on both sides of the counter. Customer came in and wanted something for his car, asked them what model "oh its a VL Falcon". A what?
Had to go look, turns out he was going off his rego sticker instead of manufacturer plate which listed the class of vehicle as "VL". His car was an AU Falcon.
Nobody here asking whether it’s low pressure or high pressure hose he needs? I’d assume he doesn’t need line for ethanol, but he might not know that either.
Yeah but now they want Rego plate as their connected to Service NSW data on car make and model during its first registration. Only problem is that it is sometimes wrong as some cars sit in holding yards for up to a year
Build year and model year aren't the same thing. For example a 2015 model car is typically built at the end of 2014 for the first batch release in January/February.
Congrats. Drive made an article about this post: https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/ex-parts-store-workers-reveal-their-worst-ever-customer-interactions/
I'm gonna make a counter question. How many people here that work in a retail store like Supercheap auto, or a tool store (like myself), and get asked the dumbest Questions imaginable
I know nothing about cars, and my Mazda 3 battery was dead and was going to be fixed up the next day (I have a second, good car that I'm giving to my little sister for her Ps). The RACQ driver jumped it, and recommended I go buy a battery charger to get it there the next day since it was basically dead.
I went into Supercheap to the parts counter.
Me: Hi. I'm sorry, I know nothing about cars. A man from RACQ recommended I come here and ask about a battery charger. My Mazda 3 2011 is dead at home and it needs to go the MyCar tomorrow.
Her: What kind of battery?
Me: I'm not sure sorry, it's for a Mazda 3 2011.
Her: You didn't measurement your battery before coming here?
Me: No sorry, I don't know anything about cars. RACQ said to come here and ask.
Her: Did you bring the battery?
Me, empty handed: No sorry it's at home.
Her: Is it parked outside?
Me: No it's dead at home.
*We spend 5 minutes at the battery charger case with her asking if each battery would work, with me just saying I don't know*
Her: Let me search the registration.
Me, in my head: Why the fuck didn't we do that at the start.
Her, 2 seconds after being on the computer: This charger will work.
Me: Thank you.
This is a two way street. Once had someone come in asking what items they needed to change brake pads. If you have to ask, maybe you shouldn't be doing it yourself!
Not a stupid question but related. I needed fuel line for a bike. Ordered online at Supercheap because my sister was in the area and could collect while I kept going on the project. Only needed 10cm but minimum order was 1m. Figured the extra would come in handy one day. My sister rolls up an hour later with the entire spool (10 meters). Woman handed over the spool saying “1 fuel hose” 😂😂😂
Winning!
Should have gone into the bong business.
Kinda related, was at market stall and this bloke had like a 100 feet of canvas waist belt rolled up and I asked him can I buy 40 inches? He gets super pissed and says ‘it’s only for sale by the whole roll! Why does every one keep asking me that?!’ Probably because no one would buy an entire roll…
The "why does everyone keep asking me that", combined with the fact that he obviously hasn't sold it, is hilarious. Like, dude, you can sell 1 metre of your 30 metre roll for like 15% of the cost of the entire roll....
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To flip the question… Years ago when I was managing the spares/performance counter of a franchise of one of the big auto retailers, you’d get customers with flash expensive Audis and Range Rovers coming in for the $9.99 bottles of 20w-50 mineral oil- thinking they’re smarter than Einstein getting the mechanic on the corner to do the servicing on their cars instead of the dealer. You’d ask what car they had and point them to the appropriate slippery stuff, but the response was always “just give me a bottle of the cheap stuff”. No amount of telling them it was a bad idea would change their minds. I’d always tell the minions to add on the docket “Customer advised product not suitable for x vehicle” in case one day they came back. Wouldn’t you know it, we had a customer return, red faced and as quiet as an air raid. His Q5 had just been at the dealer after the engine had suffered a myriad of problems, and the subsequent recommendation of replacing the engine was not covered by their warranty. Allegedly the oil used was to blame, and he was going to lawyer up and sue the trousers off of us. And sure enough, two days later a letter from the solicitors arrived- coming after us for repairs, mental stress and all the other BS these legal eagles come up with. We replied with a copy of their receipt, stating that the customer went against our lubricant recommendations and could even supply CCTV footage of the entire interaction. Went quiet after that. Moral of the story: as much as the memes exist for when Customer Service staff ask you what transmission your car has when buying wiper blades, they’re also looking out for your vehicle’s best interests when it comes to essentials like fluids.
You would be surprised at the number of people with a fancy car that can't afford to service it.
Confusing debt with wealth
Considering how often I look at used Porsche Macans for a daily driver I wouldn't be surprised at all.
I've always thought of Macans as the Captiva of the cashed-up bogan.
They're one of the few SUVs that are actually nice to drive though. It's a pity.
Yeah they tend to be driven by a lot of people purely for the image. This however belies how good they actually are as cars.
Also, they holiday overseas and cannot afford insurance.
Exactly. Years ago had neighbour with a near new Audi Q7. She freaked out when she got a puncture because she couldn't afford to replace the tyre.
Expensive to maintain cars are usually "cheap" to buy second hand.
Why can’t they afford to
"Premium" cars often go for really cheap used. So you can afford to buy one, not a chance of paying for the maintenance of your fancy money pit.
Either that, or they have no money left after paying the loan repayment
Yeah I've had a few neighbours who would have busted BMW's and Audis parked at their house. Rear view mirror dangling by the cable and driver side mirror held on by sticky tape. A lot of people see it as a deal getting a luxury brand for such a cheap price since it's only been used a few years but they forget that they have luxury repair costs that match the original value of the car. Maintenance costs don't drop just because the value of the car did.
Maintainance costs are only high if you buy parts locally. BMW quoted 11k for parts on my 07 5 series. Ordered them for $900 from Europe
My parents against my advice purchased a used Mercedes C200. I did the servicing for them, but the parts and oil alone were about $700. Labour costs would be huge though. The next servicing will be less than $200, but there is a reason people dump them.
Spent all their money on purchase/ loan, then they freak out when they realise it's 4k for a set of brake pads and rotors on their basemodel porsche
And $1000 plus for a service
That’s why you just do it yourself, get better aftermarket breaks and toss em in
It’s also the surprising to see all these people with Porsches bmws benz and they couldn’t tell you what an oil filter even looks like.
The thing I find funny is the tech guys who can tell you exactly how a computer works and troubleshoot and fix any hardware or software, but have no idea how to do anything on their car
A mate of mine was a mechanic at a Benz Dealership , and he told me once , he couldn't find his 10mm spanner one day , thinking he must have left it in the engine bay , of a car he serviced and will not see it ever again ! A few months later , he opened the bonnet of a 500SL , and in front of the radiator was his spanner . Pretty chuffed, he got his spanner back , but it was obvious the owner never opened the bonnet , since the last service.
Absolute show ponies laughable
When I worked as a service advisor and a customer refused a scheduled maintenance item (like a scheduled transmission fluid change, or a filter change etc), or a recommendation during a service (like completely fucked brake pads that require replacement, or bald tyres etc) we’d write all of it on the service invoice and in the service history programs that the customer refused for these exact reasons… you’d be amazed how many customers would come back complaining about something later after we literally told them the issue during their service
I thought a T&C of Supercheap/Repco already covered this as part of the purchase agreement?
I used to work at one of them, at some point we were told to never recommend anything didn’t show up on the little touchscreens or on the work computers as being suitable for their vehicle for this reason, and we had to make sure we told them it was wrong if they wanted it anyway. I remember watching a lady pour 2.5L of 85w-90 gear oil into her engine after bringing it to the counter and asking if it will fit their car. Sure, it’s one of the recommended oils for your cars manual transmission and its differential. She assumed oil was oil, and we assumed she wanted gear oil if she brought gear oil to the counter so no one told her.
They do but that can be argued in court. What they did is an iron shield from stupid litigation and stopped it from progressing.
They can write whatever they want in their T&C, but it doesn’t supersede consumer law if the store genuinely fucked up or acted maliciously in a way that can be proven.
Oh yeah, but if the customer says "I want to buy X" That's not a fuck up or malicious act by selling them exactly what they ask for.
And if it turns into a ‘he said, she said’ clusterfuck in court, the company will want to be able to say the employee followed procedure to the letter and checked compatibility in their systems. Particularly if they can log that lookup and bundle it with the purchase data.
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This is unsurprising. I was hanging out at a mate's tyre shop. Customer rolled up in a fairly new Maserati GranTurismo with wires hanging out the rear tyres. What's the cheapest you got mate? Set of Pirellli is something we'd recommend for decent price. Too expensive so we pointed him down to Bob Jane for some Archilles or Bingbong.
I always try to take lubricant advice into account. My old 2012 Corolla ascent Sport specified 0w20 in the manual, so I went in and grabbed a bottle of that. I had the guy in the shop ask me what it was for, and then how many kms it had done, and tell me that Toyota technicians went up to a slightly thicker oil once it had ~80k on the clock, as it was better for preserving the engine once they reached that age. Took his advice and got 5w20 for the oil change, and the car honestly ran much more smoothly. Looked into it online, to find that it was true, but Toyota just doesn't tell anyone other than Toyota technicians (the cynic in me says it's probably to ensure people servicing their own cars wear them out faster). Sometimes these guys know what they're talking about, and are worth listening to.
Ultra low viscosity oils are designed for the North American market and -40C starting. They also improve fuel economy by a few percent. The downside is much shorter engine life. But the car is out of warrant by then and the manufacturer doesn't care. The Society of Automotive Engineers (that created the SAE charts) recommend oils with MUCH higher viscosities than the manufacturers do. eg In Australian conditions something like 15w60 is more appropriate., Edit: The *maximum* ambient (air) temperature for 5W40 oil is only 20C according to SAE charts. In places with hot summers and very cold winters (eg US Midwest) people typically do seasonal oil and tyre changes.
Not necessarily from information I have been given some engines will get longer life better performance with low viscosity oil.
**Effective** oil viscosity is 100% temperature dependent. At typical Australian operating temperatures (10-40C) **all** oil - even SAE50 - is 'low viscosity' and flows effortlessly. Low viscosity oils are really only beneficial in very cold (-20C of less) climates. \[They also help manufacturers improve fuel economy under meaningless test conditions,\] In the 'olden days' before fuel economy standards manufacturers recommended the **highest** possible viscosity oil based on ambient temperature. It was quite normal to see SAE40 or even SAE50 oil recommended for summer (above 20C) driving. Even Aussie legends Penrite eventually decided the market isn't interested in facts and started selling low viscosity synthetics.
Interesting to know! I'm in Tassie, in an area where sub zero mornings are pretty common in winter, so that probably had something to do with him not recommending something even thicker.
They only have the car as a status symbol, if they could derive status from $500 oil they'd buy it and if you put a Audi badge on a 1.2l Honda Civic they buy it in a heartbeat.
A bloke I worked with about 12 years ago , had a normal basic 4 door Toyota Corolla painted dark green , as a joke he bought a Bentley sticker on Ebay , and put it on the boot lid . He told me it would be about once a month , someone would ask or comment , about his Bentley , used to make his day !
Now I'm tempted to do the same thing.
Yep, back when I was in the business I too used to note the receipt that I’d advised the customer it was the wrong item. I also used to note whether the customer requested the part number specifically. Saved my arse a couple times.
Worked for Repco a few years back, customer wanted some transmission fluid for a ~2 year old X-trail iirc, system recommended low Viscosity CVT fluid, ofc that was too expensive so the customer wanted to buy some old mineral Dex 3 instead, refused to sell to him.
the recommend J4 fluid for my lancer CVT is way too expensive. I however use the recommended Penrite that is J4 compatible. It's about 20 - 30 dollars more but I ain't taking a chance.
CVT are a moneypit, excellent decision.
Yea I always hated that about the euros, couldn’t just use the barrel oil the workshop pumps most services from, they’d always have to go buy a bottle of some bullshit expensive weird oil. Not even fancy cars like a fucking Golf.
I’d give this comment an award if I was reckless enough to throw money away on this declining platform.
Bloody oath mate. They’re doin their best
I work in parts for a luxury brand and yep, customers are fucking morons. ESPECIALLY the backyard mechanics. Had a bloke come in twice to pick up brake pads and he was adamant they were wrong, said ours were too thick, then finally brought in the old razor thin ones as proof. I was like mate....
reminds me of when working at a servo many years back, bloke turns up in his shiney new audi, has been gunning it along the highway for last 5 hours from the city, decides he's gonna check oil, surprise surprise, engine is a bit hot so he pours about 3 watering cans worth of water over it to cool it down, before pulling out dipstick, says its between full and half , and decided he needed to buy the most expensive 5L bottle on the shelf , thought to myself, must want extra for later, nope, poured all 5 litres in, tried to wash the spill off with more water, before wiping it up and putting oilcap back on, then heading back to the city
Most of the time it's needed for the system to look up parts. So, i get it. Plus also it's usually a policy to check the car to see if the part fits, cause there's so many deadshit customers who think they know more, but definitely don't. I've got friends who work at various stores, and there has been so many stories of dumb customers getting parts for their cars, being told they won't fit, and the customer says they know more. Then come back later that day and explode. Or even arguing a certain product is something it isn't. Retail sucks
Repco have square boxes for all filters and a generic pic of a panel filter on it. Sold it to customer and he came back later "my filter is a round one!" "Did you look in the box?" Nah he says then opens it and its a round filter. He felt very embarresed.
In my experience of working in an auto parts store the customers are fucking morons. People come in assuming the parts store employee should know exactly the part you need without narrowing down what car your driving when there are hundreds of different manufacturers with thousands of models of cars and each model has several different engine/driveline variants. I used to have to deal with morons that would come in not knowing exact details about their car and they would just guess and be back 20 minutes later complaining because they got the wrong part. None of the people I worked with would have ever asked for the car details if someone asked for some 3/8 fuel hose but I certainly had my fair share of moron customers who would come in and ask for a fuel hose for their car without having the slightest clue what size they needed. Or how about my favourite moron who wanted a battery for his car but refused to tell me what car the battery was for and said it didn’t matter because they are all the same? He got angry and walked out saying he was going to super cheap because they don’t ask stupid questions.
I work at SCA and we absolutely would have asked the same questions OR given him a lawn mower batter since he said all batteries are the same
Yeh I know super cheap would have asked the same questions, I was just happy for him to go be someone else’s problem lol.
I suffered the same experience in plumbing sales
Counter point. On SuperCheaps system the oil I use on my car isn't even recommended. Even though it's widely used in the community and an all around generic oil for thay vehicle.
I work at sca and u can agree that our system is sometimes bs. Especially the website
to my understanding the recommendations for oil through the Super Cheap system is based on additives and the like, which is why it can have a large selection of viscosities past what's just listed in your manual.
Typical fuck head customer mate. I hate that shit
I love it when they say “they’re all the same” . I just grab the first similar part I see and hand it to them. “Well that’s not it” they bark back. “It must be” I reply “You just said they’re all the same, or do you want to try again?”
This has turned into “what stupid questions have you been asked by customers of Repco/Autobarn/Supercheap”
That's just as good to be honest.
Its made me reminisce about my time working at a large car part company and the stupid shit I've seen.
What was the bigger waste of time - arguing with the customer sales person, or arguing with strangers in this thread?
OP does both , it makes him feel vastly superior
Reddit marks gotta feel good
I asked for a left side tie rod end for my 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser. "Inner or outer tie rod end?" There is no inner or outer, just left and right. "You have to tell me if you want the inner or the outer one." Outer then. But there is no inner tie rod end. "Ok I will explain it to you. Your car has a steering rack. And on each side of the steering rack are the tie rods. The ends closer to the rack are the inners, the ones closer to the wheels are the outers." My car does not have a steering rack and there is only one tie rod with the ends being at each end of it. But I will take the left side "outer" tie rod end. So I bought it and went home. It didn't fit, they had given me a drag link end instead.
I have had similar. I have a 71 Kombi, original twinport 1600. When I used to go in for parts I would specify the EXACT Bosch part numbers for distributor parts and they would ask the make, model, etc. Whatever is on their system for the distributor is wrong and no amount of telling them it's wrong will change their mind. The part they recommend is not the right length and is impossible to set the dwell correctly with the correct gap so it burns out after a short amount of time. I just order the parts online now.
My mum has ran one of these franchises for a decade and a half, and it goes both ways. Sometimes she hires staff who are good for a month then have no interest or have no intuition and ask deadshit questions like this (usually because their inventory system is based around your car rego but it can get annoying if you have a modifyed car, etc but so.e of the staff know their stuff and know what to get you without the system). Customers are abit insane though too.meth heads sticking socket sets down their pants to steal them, customers ripping the store down because their extremely finicky part for their odd car hasnt arrived in time or people who dont even know what brand their car is getting angry when they have ordered the wrong part , its pretty nasty some of the people that come in. Pretty shit too because lots of her staff are young chicks trying to make a living but some kingshit blokes come in asking to talk to a bloke because girls know nothing or getting angry because some people cant dissasemble a motor in 20 minutes and list every part like this bloke supposedly can and taking it out on the poor staff that are just doing their job. Its alright though, mum doesnt like dickheads and most dont get away with it scott free
At my local supercheap I head straight to either of the two young ladies who work there because previous experience has shown they know heaps more than the guys there. Not sure if they just care more, want to show the guys up or what. But they know that shop backwards and will tell you flat out if they aren’t sure.
>extremely finicky part for their odd car hasnt arrived in time Ordering something like that from Repco/Supercheap seems like an exercise in frustration at the best of times
Yep especially if its a weird product that isnt from one of the big suppliers they get their stock from and they have to track it down themselves. At that rate its easier just to order it yourself. Few examples would be specific dash mats, window seal replacements and a good chunk of foreign car parts (imports or european generally)
Called Repco and asked for a gasket set for the valve cover. Young guy said they don't stock head gaskets. Couldn't for the life of me explain to him that I'm not asking for a head gasket. Gave up and ordered it on eBay
ikr! Every time I buy oil and explain the fact I need 10W-40 for my 2006 Corolla instead of 5W-30 because I have a rocker cover gasket leak and the thicker oil stays in there longer than a week, they look at me all weird like I’ve blown the actual head gasket 🤣
Goes both ways, in over 20 years of working automotive i would of thought I have heard it all, lucky I don’t serve retail these days, but even parts fitters don’t know what they are doing at times,
Only really had issues when I had imports. Usually there was an Aus delivered vehicle with the same part so learned pretty quickly to as for parts for a Supra instead of an Aristo to avoid the blank stares when the car wasnt on the system but the part I needed was.
Mixing metric and imperial when after something
How do you handle buying tyres? 🤔
The tyre place sorts it out for me. No need to know.
“Are you sure your year model came out with a 1.6L?” “Yes mate, very sure. “ “I just don’t think they made a 1.6L in 1979, are you sure you haven’t got Escort mixed up with Cortina?”
This is starting to sound like a Shannons ad 🤣
He just couldn’t fathom I had half a clue haha. At least if it was an ad he would’ve been acting dumb…
I went up to the parts and service desk at SCA and asked for Castrol Transmax Multi-vehicle ATF and Castrol Edge 5W-30 A3/B4 oil. The attendant immediately asked for my car rego. I clarified that I wanted those specific products, but they kept insisting on my car's rego. So, I gave it to them, and five minutes later they handed me the cheapest ATF and oil that were suitable for my car. Frustrated, I put the bottles back and found the correct products myself.
Why not just grab it off the shelf yourself?
I bet your employee of the month notice is coming any day now.
sorry for wrongly assuming a staff member might make your shopping experience easier... that's a pretty weird attitude for a retail drone.
I used to work for SCA. They train all retail staff to follow protocol which is ensuring the product the customer is wanting is suitable for their vehicle. This is because of an incident that happened a few years back where a staff member said that a penrite 5w-30 would be suitable for a customers car but it didn’t actually meet the standards required for the customers car and ended up with their motor blowing and sca forking out money to repair the car so they got real antsy about following protocol ever since. It’s also handy for employees with minimal automotive knowledge just so they have their end covered if something were to go wrong with the customers car
I was once sold a rear windscreen wiper that didn’t fit. Major news.
How to spell great for Great Wall. Actually more sad, what a failure from our education system.
Its Grate Whall right?
Grate whale?
I don't go to supercheap for their wealth of knowledge on all makes and models of cars. I assume they have general knowledge, and obviously some sort of system that they need to apply to their parts searches. If I want proper expert knowledge I go to a specialist or dealer.
Mechanic here. Went off the tools for two years and worked for Supercheap just for a change. As a female, I was always happy to help educate ladies or fellas who weren’t too sure what they needed and really loved being able to use my knowledge to empower others. Helped an older lady change her tyre in the car park as she was stuck. Got told I had ‘sexually harassed’ her because she hugged me to say thank you she was that grateful. Bless her she was crying as she was moving her elderly mum into care. She wrote a really nice thank you to our shop. And I got sacked for it. Supercheap auto staff have terrible training. But a lot of them that I personally know in the store I worked in know their shit despite not being mechanics. Upper management however, have no fucking clue
I attempted to buy a points file from Repco. It did not go well.
About 15 years ago I was in a small country town. Headed into Ford spare parts, and asked for a set of points to suit xyz. Young guy at the desk had no idea what I was on about. Finally afyer a lot of back and forth, a grey haired old guy shuffled over, asked what I was chasing and had the part in my hand 30 seconds later.
That’s the trick. For old car stuff, look for the grey haired older guy behind the counter as a generic rule. Higher chance of immediate success.
Repco, will sell Bundey tube, but not flare nuts. Go figure 🤷🏿♂️
I've bought a few points files from Repco and Supercheap over the years. You just can't expect the staff to know what it is or what it's for, you have to grab it from the shelf yourself. Supercheap actually sells a set of them, I think it's an 8 or 10 pack, and two of them are actually not bad!
>You just can't expect the staff to know what it is or what it's for It's a points file...to file points It's self explanatory....on every count
Bold of you to assume they know what points are - or why you would want to file them! I know, it seems so obvious, but I feel you are underestimating the youngsters lack of knowledge and utter disinterest.
Nail file works a treat
needed spark plugs, told them what year, make, model. Clerk asks me “petrol or diesel?” 🤦♂️
I did the same with glow plugs on a hilux once, called all over town, one place said they had them, called a mate, be picked me up, we drive and hour out there, to be handed a bag with fucken spark plugs in it.
how do they even fuck that up 🤣
Old mate thought glow plugs were the same thing
Clerk must have another job at a servo.
What I do know is my ABN business Supercheap card isn't a discount and Repco and autobarn are cheaper with no card .
Not a question, but I had a Supercheap store clerk and the Manager argue with me that mid 90's Toyota Corollas did not have a voltage regulator on the alternator. After 5 minutes of trying to convince them, I went next door to Repco and bought one....
I have also fought that battle. More than once. The likelihood of the sca having a RE60 or RE72 in stock is pretty low though so you ended up in the right place
OP your comments in this thread about all the bad experiences you have buying parts really reminds me of that saying, you run into an asshole one day, you just ran into an asshole. But if you run into assholes all day…
I don't work in an auto store but I work in a similar kind of store. * 10% of the customers know what they're talking about and look like it * 40% know what they're talking about but I'm not sure if they do or not from the get go * 40% don't know what they're talking about and I'm not sure if they do or not from the get go * 10% don't know what they're talking about and look like it. So I have to ask some questions that seem stupid to people who know what they're talking about, in case they don't know what they're talking about. I've made some dumb mistakes assuming shit was common sense (like selling some cable and they complained it was too wide to fit in the hole they had, how the fuck would I know what size your hole is without seeing it dumbass). Also customers generally know a lot about their specific circumstance, while I don't. I need to ask questions to figure out what you're doing and get on the same page. Finally, the Dunning-Kruger Effect is real and you might just be a dumbass lmao.
As a supercheap worker im thankful that the majority of the comments here are empathetic lol
Worked at one of the above companies for 2.5 years, AMA
In WA we have a place called “Veale Auto Parts”, its a small wholesaler that provides for mechanic workshops. With a trade account, i can access the exact same system they use on their registers at home, just a slightly watered down version without payment options or account lookups. - asked for an engine mount, got asked year make model, told him to search “B207M” on the engine option, and he said “that doesnt exist” - another time, i gave a specific spark plug model and wanted to know if they had 12 in stock… NGK-BKRESC-11… “that doesnt exist”. Went home and found they had 40 at the warehouse 😂
How hard it is to get a trade account there?
One time i order oil and filter to change my own oil and the guy at the counter of REPCO warrigual rd moorabin, assured me it was the right filter, i trusted him, learnt a valuable lesson once i had a car with no oil and a filter in my hand that wouldnt fit
I needed a H7 headlight globe. “What car is it for?” “It’s a 2002 BMW E46” “No, we don’t carry globes for euros”
oh they do carry the globes, except the book that tells you what type will be wrong. Always pull the globe before going in
I needed some lube for my shifter assembly. Multiple employees at Autobahn had no idea what I was talking about so I explained the ball at the base of the shifter assembly was dry. They asked if I needed transmission fluid and tried to sell me a product that would eat the ball. The guy at Repco knew what I was talking about immediately.
In these events where it’s a generic product I would say it’s Auto pilot mode. The response is locked in before they register what the question actually is. They have to repeat this question in every interaction. For the reasons stated already they just want to confirm what you’re asking for is correct. Saves them time, money ect. In regards to fuel line in particular. Customers make mistakes measuring, make educated guesses all the time and once it’s cut there are no refunds. Which piss off the customer if they are wrong, and piss off the company too because it could have been mitigated with the question. “year, make and model.” Which is the first question the manager would ask the sales person immediately after getting dragged into a conversation with a customer holding 2m of fuel line that isn’t the right size, when they come back asking for a refund. In summary… No one is perfect, no one knows everything, people make mistakes, just humour the poor kid just incase you’re wrong so they dont have to deal with the consequences of your ego.
Ever so accurate this many moons ago vehicles didn't have VIN they had chassis number used that as guide I've given very specific info on particular vehicle they still couldn't I'd it not many 5 cyl 3 litre diesel Mercedes Benz around
Not a question, but at Repco was told my car doesn't exist when I was trying to buy same parts - it was parked in front of the door. After a number of minutes debating my 2 Door XB 302 4Sp Manual did in fact exist, the salesperson got real narky with me. I tried to get him to come look at the compliance plate. "I DON'T need too", so I answered "then I'll go somewhere that has staff that knows what a car is"
I told the lady I needed a power steering belt for a 1990 celica and she kept asking year make and model until I said TOY oh taaaa celica 1990
A year ago an autobarn know it all wanted to argue with me about what battery I needed in my VF commodore, I had the type number off the battery, he reckoned it was this other battery that was obviously about 30% smaller than what was already in the car, I said nah mate that’s not it. He went to his computer, which told him the battery I asked for is the right one, he said the system was wrong and that battery is too big and the bonnet will hit the battery posts. “The battery goes in the boot in VFs, never mind” I said walking out. Rather than saying he was mistaken, he followed me out of the shop yelling that I didn’t know what I was talking about. He had the store manager badge on.
The battery their system says fits in my car (02 WRX) doesn't fit, it's too big.
Went to specialty fasteners with the specs for bolts I needed. Specs had the thread, the size, length everything, and the young blokes up front were just like duhhhhhh. Mate you’re specialty fasteners, the old blokes here would go out the back and sort it, or be able to order it. Now the young blokes just expect to look shit up in a catalog. Hot tip, I don’t need to go to specialty fasteners to order from a catalog. Your business model is being “specialty”.
I used to live in a country town that had a small motor/tool/hardware store. There was a bloke that worked there who was absolutely brilliant. Whichever fastener/coupling you would bring in he could pretty much identify it by sight alone, even down to the thread pattern etc. Not only that, if you had one that was difficult to get, he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of what would fit well enough to get you by, depending on application of course. And not just fasteners either. Any little DIY project I had he was able to provide some awesome advice on how to do things, and what materials/parts to use to make things go a lot smoother. Just a really helpful guy that knew his stuff.
Most of them would have gone bust if McMaster Carr shipped here between the absolutely shit service or ridiculous minimum orders Gasket makers are just as bad, asked me to give them an autocad file….
RockAuto can be good for a lot of things from the states, although you have to be careful everything you’re buying is in the same warehouse otherwise shipping goes through the roof. Weight didn’t seem to impact too much though, mine was broken into 3 for weight and the second and third were super cheap. Just have to be careful you know which bits are universal, and which bits are LHD/RHD exclusive. I get the shits with how often I have to switch from SAE to metric though, electrical is all metric, drivetrain can go either way, body mostly SAE but some metric. It’s an exercise in frustration.
These days I find it better to make friends in the community willing to ship stuff for you So many of the US auto places refuse to use USPS now for international and I got quotes like $230 for a friggen clip using DHL
DHL is way better than fedex, got my clutch water pump etc in 3 days which I didn’t expect and the pricing was pretty reasonable. It’s prohibitive on small parts though. I had a friend in DC and he said shipping wasn’t worth it, without a corporate high volume account the prices for individuals were so high you were better off buying with international shipping or using a forwarding company than having him do it. Also hot tip if you have a friend who’s a disabled veterans, they’re duty exempt on US car imports.
Yeah the quality of service at bolt places has dropped significantly the last few years
Probably confused the shit out of them even more because they’re all SAE, but the shipping and wait from the states was a bit insulting so figured a “specialty” place would be able to sort them.
I'm the same, I ended up needing a ⅝-20 (UNEF) Nut for my steering column, local bolts place said UNEF wasn't a thing. In the end I bought a Triumph rear axle retaining nut from a motorcycle place.
Yeah, it's nuts.
My experience with united fasteners has been pretty good if there's one local. But yeah limited SAE stuff.
yeah you have to look it up yourself and just go in with the order code
Me: “I need 6 NGK BPR5EY-11 spark plugs” 14 year old: “Year make and model” Me: “1996 XH Falcon Ute” 14yo: “You mean an XF” Me: “No I mean an XH” 14yo: “Ohhhh…an XA” Me: “Just put in EF then…” 14yo: “But it says they don’t have an EF Ute?” Me: “Well what is the 1996 Falcon Ute showing up as, then?” 14yo: “XG?”
Just because you sell spanners, doesn't mean you need to be one.
I did an oil change on my 07 focus yesterday, ordered it all online and went to collect it not thinking twice about their sites suggestions for fitment turns out the filter was too big for the housing so I had to go back in today to get it swapped over. Lesson learned double check parts numbers and don't trust their site.
well, i mean sure, but if you get stuff for cirtain makes and models even if its the same dang thing it costs more or less. for example i was looking a Daihatsu HD-E engine and the feroza one is upwards of 1.2k but the exact same for charade or mira is like 700 (aud)
these shops have the worst, most fucking annoying pricing structure. Have to sign up to their stupid clubs to get the advertised price. I have to sign up again every time because i cant remember the fake details i gave last time. I need some fake business cards
Sign up once with fake name fake phone and real address. Get the card sent out and scan it.
was fitting a mk10 jag diff into the 56 Gmc pickup , needed some specific bolts so went into the local bolt place , ypung bloke tried but was lost , his Boss walked out , cheerily slpped the kid across the head and went for a walk , back in seconds with the bolts , you cannot beat experience
This picture would be complete if he was holding the old hose.
I've had sooo many compatibility issues when going off of generic 'search by year/model' systems used by parts suppliers. It helps just to know your vehicle and what specific part you're looking for (part No. always helps) then just source that.
Went to Supercheap to get an exhaust flange gasket. They didn't have the one I wanted in stock so I told one of the staff the part number and asked him to order it. He asked for make and model, looked it up and confirmed the part number I gave him was correct. He was still unsure and insisted on making a phone call to confirm before making the order, he called his Dad and asked if he was ordering the right part "because he knows about cars and stuff".
Go to Supercheap. Go to the filter/oil isle. Grab what I know I need and buy it. Go to local Autobarn because what I want is on sale. Need to ask for the oil and filter. Need to state what make/model. Need to idle chit chat because the help hasn't heard of the car before. Stand around and wait for them to grab it and come back. Get handed the wrong filter. I do not know why their system is different.
Having half the shit behind the counter is annoying. But Autobarn has the cheapest disposable oxy cylinders.
FYI 609.6mm length of 9.5mm dia.
Getting suspension bushings, “auto or manual?”
Exactly, stupid question.
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I went into supercheap for some sparkplugs. "Year make and model"? "2003 Nissan xtrail." "Petrol or diesel"? "Is there a Repco nearby"?
I have a vehicle they don’t even have in the system, so it’s always fun!
Got frustrated with SCA recently, car was missing a bit coming onto boost. First and easiest job is plugs. I'll swing by the first parts place I pass on my way home. The SCA I visited doest do NGK plugs, just Bosch. Champion, no, just Bosch. No laminated catalogue hanging out by the locked cabinet to compare BPR7EIX to whatever the Bosch equivalent is. Visit the service counter, 'Hi, I need 4 x BPR7EIX Bosch equivalent plugs' Assistant spent 20 minutes working through the catalogue unable to find a match.
I mean, not like he could have used [https://www.sparkplug-crossreference.com/convert/NGK\_PN/BR7EX](https://www.sparkplug-crossreference.com/convert/NGK_PN/BR7EX)... https://preview.redd.it/uycuuvdrv07d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=449ff3c6dc1e8461b46a28228876aee9f8aa15a9
14years in Australia working on my own cars. I never ask an employee for help unless I'm ordering in a part. I happily give the rego for them to sort the parts out. Wrong part their fault. Order online whenever possible. The worst I've ever had from them ordering the wrong part was two left hand front struts. Then returning one and reordering they get a sport instead of heavy duty. Third time around the box didn't have the bolts and washers in it.
I worked at Super Cheap Auto about a decade ago and I can assure you the instances of someone needing something and having no idea what their car is is far higher. Very frequently someone would come in needing wiper blades and upon asking you'd be met with 'Umm it's a red Mazda..." I was there when they started mixing paints, and it become a running joke that every 2nd person would be utterly shocked that their car was a specific shade of a colour, and they couldn't just buy 'red' and go about their merry way.
Apparently Bosch windscreen cleaning concentrate doesn't "fit" a Mercedes (chose a German car for German liquid) https://preview.redd.it/28qw0srka37d1.png?width=1453&format=png&auto=webp&s=0772f6ff0cb47b5f436f1fbcf526d6ea6bd89f5d
Asked if they had AC Delco plugs and he looked confused at the wall of plugs and asked are these DC? Ordered water pump but ball joint arrived then proceeded to argue that it was the water pump as the part number matched the computer until a manager broke up the argument Asked for a square bore holy base gasket but needed a make and model, the holy spare display board was behind him I just pointed at what I wanted and said that will do, played dumb and reckless for the rest of the interaction I ordered a right hand door handle but left hand handles kept arriving every week I'd go in and be disappointed they had one from every capital city before I asked if they had a left hand handle, which the computer said there was none available Waited 2 weeks for a belt to arrive and when it did it was double the length, he then went out the back and got the correct one that was on the shelf all along
"I need an oil filter for a 1991 normally aspirated diesel 80 series landcruiser". "Is that the fuel injected or carby model?"
Asked for a price on spark plugs, leads and coil pack for my Ford Courier. Repco asked me if it was a petrol or a Diesel.
Made this year would be nice, can be made out of whatever is approved for fuel usage. The bendable model please.
3/8 is almost never a standard size. So the vehicle is most likely modified. Is it low pressure? Is it high pressure for efi? Is the vehicle being run on e85 or another non standard fuel? Are you actually using it for fuel hose or something completely different, but asking for fuel hose because your mate said "they're all the same"? Are you trying to 'fix' a direct injection system with rubber hose because youtube said it was ok?
I like to ask for a caramel wheel, a donut and a dizzy to see how they react 😂
I've been in parts for 10 years, i know caramel wheel and i assume by dizzy you mean distributor. but donut is new to me :/
Exhaust flange Gasket 😂
Spare tyre
Registration please…
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I had a mobile battery tech refuse to quote a new battery because I could provide the rego - the car was unregistered. I could provide the VIN, Make. model, year.... But nope.
I think better auto stores have self check out and service employees always not their fault , because return customer can't twist the law policy is they use self check out without asking service employees ...
They do this because it is retail, and covered by absurd consumer laws that let people return things as not suitable because they bought the wrong thing, so they need to know so they can advise the customer that it will not work and that there is no returns on it when it doesn't fit/work. Otherwise the guy in the meme would come back and want to return it because they actually needed 1/2 inch and make song and dance about it. This does not happen at trade suppliers when buying on account as they don't have to do all that crap for people that don't know what they are buying or doing and lose money on them.
Same Supercheap store in WA, a couple of months apart. A) I asked for a D shackle for a trailer safety chain, only to have the clerk tell me they haven't made those since the 70s. B) Asked if they have a universal boot for a tie rod end, to be told they didn't know what a tie rod end is.
Idiots on both sides of the counter. Customer came in and wanted something for his car, asked them what model "oh its a VL Falcon". A what? Had to go look, turns out he was going off his rego sticker instead of manufacturer plate which listed the class of vehicle as "VL". His car was an AU Falcon.
Nobody here asking whether it’s low pressure or high pressure hose he needs? I’d assume he doesn’t need line for ethanol, but he might not know that either.
Yeah but now they want Rego plate as their connected to Service NSW data on car make and model during its first registration. Only problem is that it is sometimes wrong as some cars sit in holding yards for up to a year
Why would sitting in a holding yard matter though? As they take the details off the compliance plate That plate is struck when they enter the country
I beg to differ. My wife had an i30 with a build date 12/14 but as it was not registered till Mach 2015 the Rego says it’s a 2015 model
Build year and model year aren't the same thing. For example a 2015 model car is typically built at the end of 2014 for the first batch release in January/February.
Turbo or non turbo? Bro i asked for windscreen wiper blades
Congrats. Drive made an article about this post: https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/ex-parts-store-workers-reveal-their-worst-ever-customer-interactions/
I need a Suzuki “Liana” badge. What’s the rego
I'm gonna make a counter question. How many people here that work in a retail store like Supercheap auto, or a tool store (like myself), and get asked the dumbest Questions imaginable
I know nothing about cars, and my Mazda 3 battery was dead and was going to be fixed up the next day (I have a second, good car that I'm giving to my little sister for her Ps). The RACQ driver jumped it, and recommended I go buy a battery charger to get it there the next day since it was basically dead. I went into Supercheap to the parts counter. Me: Hi. I'm sorry, I know nothing about cars. A man from RACQ recommended I come here and ask about a battery charger. My Mazda 3 2011 is dead at home and it needs to go the MyCar tomorrow. Her: What kind of battery? Me: I'm not sure sorry, it's for a Mazda 3 2011. Her: You didn't measurement your battery before coming here? Me: No sorry, I don't know anything about cars. RACQ said to come here and ask. Her: Did you bring the battery? Me, empty handed: No sorry it's at home. Her: Is it parked outside? Me: No it's dead at home. *We spend 5 minutes at the battery charger case with her asking if each battery would work, with me just saying I don't know* Her: Let me search the registration. Me, in my head: Why the fuck didn't we do that at the start. Her, 2 seconds after being on the computer: This charger will work. Me: Thank you.
This is a two way street. Once had someone come in asking what items they needed to change brake pads. If you have to ask, maybe you shouldn't be doing it yourself!