Has NAPA gone to the dark side?

MOAK

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I called Napa up this morning to find out if they were able to order a set of shocks for me- after giving them the brand name and series along with part numbers, the guys asks what vehicle, year, model, driveline engine- etc etc. then after a few minutes gets back to me and says, I think we can get them. “ you think you can get them?” “ it’ll take 5 days to get them” What part number comes up for you? He rattles off stock replacement parts from Monroe or Gabriel or Napa, god knows. I said, that’s not a Bilstein #. Don’t any of these places work with part #s any more? Jeeze it’s frustrating, So, I looked on Amazon. 2 day delivery. What is so difficult about looking up a part # for a customer?
 
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yeah, been seeing that for years...
I've used NAPA for the last 40 yrs and especially would go to them for the more important items since auto zone seemed to hire clueless employees and crappy aftermarket parts. little off topic maybe, but a few years ago I went to auto zone to get an alternator for a Chevy pick up and bought one of their aftermarket brands. went home and installed it and it didn't work. took it back to AutoZone and the guy who sold it to me said that he wasn't surprised it didn't work because the last few they sold were all returned. maybe tell me that before selling it to me...

guess it also depends on the store. we have a NAPA real close to the John Deere plant in town and they sell a lot of stuff to John Deere and the employees there are very knowledgeable and really know their stuff. I specifically go to that store if I'm in a bind and need help. another NAPA store in the area does a lot of sales with the sugar cane farmers and THAT store has older knowledgeable employees that really know parts. I find that other NAPA stores that are "just there" for regular folk, seem to have the more clueless and uninterested employees just like auto zone, etc.

sometimes I am surprised and get a knowledgeable employee...even the local home depot has the one guy in plumbing that really knows his stuff and is probably a retired plumber. ask a question to anyone else in an orange smock and they stand and look at you crazy until you walk away.

but yeah, some NAPAs are still good. the one that works with the cane farmers is the one I went to to find filters for my Komatsu excavator and the lady working there immediately cross referenced the part and even had what I needed in stock. NAPA even had grease zerks for my excavator...which is extremely hard to find since they are 8.5mm. I've never seen a grease zerks in a fraction mm size before. maybe the NAPA stores that have a lot of industrial sales will have better employees...

I also think NAPA quality is trending downward like everything else...pretty sure they are getting parts from China like everyone else and sticking them in NAPA boxes just like MOPAR takes Fleetguard filters, marks the price up 100% and sticks in it one of their boxes. more money for companies and less quality for consumers...
 
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grubworm said:
yeah, been seeing that for years...
I've used NAPA for the last 40 yrs and especially would go to them for the more important items since auto zone seemed to hire clueless employees and crappy aftermarket parts. little off topic maybe, but a few years ago I went to auto zone to get an alternator for a Chevy pick up and bought one of their aftermarket brands. went home and installed it and it didn't work. took it back to AutoZone and the guy who sold it to me said that he wasn't surprised it didn't work because the last few they sold were all returned. maybe tell me that before selling it to me...

guess it also depends on the store. we have a NAPA real close to the John Deere plant in town and they sell a lot of stuff to John Deere and the employees there are very knowledgeable and really know their stuff. I specifically go to that store if I'm in a bind and need help. another NAPA store in the area does a lot of sales with the sugar cane farmers and THAT store has older knowledgeable employees that really know parts. I find that other NAPA stores that are "just there" for regular folk, seem to have the more clueless and uninterested employees just like auto zone, etc.

sometimes I am surprised and get a knowledgeable employee...even the local home depot has the one guy in plumbing that really knows his stuff and is probably a retired plumber. ask a question to anyone else in an orange smock and they stand and look at you crazy until you walk away.

but yeah, some NAPAs are still good. the one that works with the cane farmers is the one I went to to find filters for my Komatsu excavator and the lady working there immediately cross referenced the part and even had what I needed in stock. NAPA even had grease zerks for my excavator...which is extremely hard to find since they are 8.5mm. I've never seen a grease zerks in a fraction mm size before. maybe the NAPA stores that have a lot of industrial sales will have better employees...

I also think NAPA quality is trending downward like everything else...pretty sure they are getting parts from China like everyone else and sticking them in NAPA boxes just like MOPAR takes Fleetguard filters, marks the price up 100% and sticks in it one of their boxes. more money for companies and less quality for consumers...
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Ya, I think you’re right- the Napa I called was up in Franklinton La, as my brother in law has a small shop there and we’ll be going through there next month or so. And I’ll talk him into helping me with the install. My NAPA in Pennsylvania was a good one with guys that understood old school modifications and Landcruiser stuff.
 
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My favorite is when the autozone guy asks me the TRIM level of my truck after Ive told him 2014 GMC 5.3 liter 4x4. Doesnt matter if it's an SLT pr and SLE at that point. MIGHT only matter of it's not a Danali, but they dont know tgat
 
ThundahBeagle said:
My favorite is when the autozone guy asks me the TRIM level of my truck after Ive told him 2014 GMC 5.3 liter 4x4. Doesnt matter if it's an SLT pr and SLE at that point. MIGHT only matter of it's not a Danali, but they dont know tgat
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I feel your pain. I have a 1987 Mitsubishi Montero, and one day an O'Reilly's employee asked me if mine was a standard or Sport. Not thinking things through, I said it didn't matter - "pick one" (Unlike later models, the "Sport" model in those years consisted of a clock, fancy wheels, and contrasting rocker panels.) He tried to argue with me that they were completely different, despite clearly knowing nothing about the vehicle, and I just said "fine, it's a standard." He then refused to sell me parts, because he decided that I didn't know which vehicle I had!

I ended up having a chat with his manager, who didn't really know any more about this vehicle than his clueless employee, but was able to recognize when his customer did.
 
I think the parts lookup is as much the software as it is lack of knowledge. In my experience Napa gets better the more rural or Ag the area is. But even there the knowledge base has decreased.
 
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Brian Forrester said:
I think the parts lookup is as much the software as it is lack of knowledge. In my experience Napa gets better the more rural or Ag the area is. But even there the knowledge base has decreased.
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The software being so they can idiot proof the job and grab any jamoke off the street. Which itself is getting harder and harder. Honestly, these days, I try to "work with" whoever is at the counter because at least THAT person is working
 
Brian Forrester said:
I think the parts lookup is as much the software as it is lack of knowledge. In my experience Napa gets better the more rural or Ag the area is. But even there the knowledge base has decreased.
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This is true, the Napa in the suburbs east of where I used to live basically sucked. The Napa in the farmlands where I used to live were on the spot.
 
I work for an independent family owned parts store with only 1 location. Quality control on incoming rotating electrical is terrible. We test them before they even go on our shelf. One of the bigger parts suppliers First Brands is in bankruptcy. They own a lot of major brands. The last 6 stock orders we put into Phillips lighting have been 3% fill rate. We pay more than any other store in town for counter help and it is still hard to get good folks. I have 3 guys with over 27 years experience and unfortunately the other 6 are under 5 years. We sell more than the 5 Green stores in town combined. Napa is about the only one we consider competition in the Commercial side. We do about 85% of our business with shops and require knowledge of what your selling. Don't get me started on the guys that come in looking for parts for their 18 "Denali" or brakes for their 20 "duramax". Just had a guy yesterday with the duramax. Asked if it was 3/4 or 1 ton? He got pissed and asked " do you even know what your f***ing doing just tell me how much the brakes are." Didn't even look it up just told him $800 no returns. He yells at me some more... Ah just another fun filled Monday. Personally anymore I just ask for the license plate number and look up the vehicle that way.
 
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You guys should try to get a common alternator for a 1960 Land Rover! Actually the NAPA near me is good, The guys behind the parts counter are good and been there a looooooong time. It's online that sux, autozone, o reillys, ....make choice is Range Rover or Discovery I just stop at that point, a number search doesn't do anything.
 
grubworm said:
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This was me earlier this week. I handed the guy a primer bulb from a snowblower, said "I need 2' vacuum tubing to fit this." Of course I got "year make model". When I finally hit thru & said "let me in the back to your rolls of tubing". I got what I needed. He rings me up. "That'll be $48" I questioned, he points at the price on the spool...$2/ft. I say "that's 2 dollars per foot, I have 2 feet". He says "no, we sell it by the inch". At this point I just walked out
 
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NAPA guy: (holding part with p/n clearly stamped on it) "Year, make, and model..."

Alien: *sighs in resignation*

1769879261700.png
 
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