The Good Ole Days

[thetragichippy]

When I was young the almost weekly visit to Hi/Lo Auto parts with my Dad was always fun. My Dad would bring in a part, and the sales clerk would almost guess what it came off of. I remember bringing in bolts, belts and hoses and the clerk would walk in the back and try and match parts. As I look back, it was simply excellent customer service. The other benefit of going as a kid was to check out the Hot Rods that most of he employees drove to work or possibly worked on during their breaks,,,,,lol

Now, The reason for my post. I have an old homemade boat trailer with older style leaf springs. Where they mount to the trailer requires a rubber bushing. It's a very simple bushing....All three auto parts stores had no clue what is was when I put it on the counter.  Once I explained it was off a homemade trailer and what is was, one clerk looked me dead in the eyes and asked me for the model and year of my trailer....... 

So I guess I'm old enough to remember when people that worked in auto parts stores actually knew auto parts.  

If you are wondering why brick and mortar is a dying sales model, I found everything I needed online with free shipping, I just didn't want to wait the 2 days.......

[baddog]

2 hours ago, thetragichippy said:

When I was young the almost weekly visit to Hi/Lo Auto parts with my Dad was always fun. My Dad would bring in a part, and the sales clerk would almost guess what it came off of. I remember bringing in bolts, belts and hoses and the clerk would walk in the back and try and match parts. As I look back, it was simply excellent customer service. The other benefit of going as a kid was to check out the Hot Rods that most of he employees drove to work or possibly worked on during their breaks,,,,,lol

Now, The reason for my post. I have an old homemade boat trailer with older style leaf springs. Where they mount to the trailer requires a rubber bushing. It's a very simple bushing....All three auto parts stores had no clue what is was when I put it on the counter.  Once I explained it was off a homemade trailer and what is was, one clerk looked me dead in the eyes and asked me for the model and year of my trailer....... 

So I guess I'm old enough to remember when people that worked in auto parts stores actually knew auto parts.  

If you are wondering why brick and mortar is a dying sales model, I found everything I needed online with free shipping, I just didn't want to wait the 2 days.......

Don’t know how old you are, but I can remember not being able to buy Toyota parts @ Hi-Lo.  You’re right, most people could throw a part on the counter and any employee could almost tell you what aisle it was on in the back. 

[tvc184]

Go to a firearms counter at a big box sporting goods store and listen. 🤣

I have heard things that are completely wrong. I am not talking like an opinion like brand A is better than B. I am talking about wrong.

 Even a young person at a specialty counter was expected to have some basic knowledge of the product. Not so much any more.

I think I have told this story before, but a few years ago I was at Subway sandwich with my partner at work. He ordered a 6 inch sandwich and I ordered a 12 inch sandwich. The conversation went like this:   
I would like a 12 inch on white bread.

We don’t have that.

OK give me a 12 inch wheat.

We don’t have that.

OK, what do you have?

We have white, wheat, jalapeño cheese…

OK, give me the 12 inch white.

We don’t have that. Sir, all we have is 6 inch and foot long sandwiches. We don’t have 12 inch bread.

My mistake, give me the foot-long white.

 

 

 

[LumRaiderFan]

Remember those giant parts catalogs those guys would flip through?

Some would go right to the page needed.

[WOSdrummer99]

32 minutes ago, LumRaiderFan said:

Remember those giant parts catalogs those guys would flip through?

Some would go right to the page needed.

My dad had a auto parts store in Groves in the 80s. He was one those guys that could tell you a part # without looking it up. It always amazed me. Even if he did have to look it up, he knew exactly the book and page. When he shut it down and went to another store, they used computers. He was still faster on the catalog then the guys entering in numbers for year, make, model, engine, trans, a/c, doors. Lol. What do doors matter to the guy standing there needing an alternator??? 

He still had some catalogs til Harvey flooded everything. Like he was saving them for Y2K 😂 

Thanks bringing this up. I needed that today.

[olddadt49]

Recently my 16 year old grandson and I took the master cylinder off of his 62 F100 into a major parts store. The counter guy asked "what is that thing?"

I didn't even answer. We just went farther down the road to a local store.  The counter guy asked me "Boy, I haven't seen one of those in quite a while.  How early in the 60s is it?" Makes a lot of difference to me.

[WOSdrummer99]

49 minutes ago, olddadt49 said:

Recently my 16 year old grandson and I took the master cylinder off of his 62 F100 into a major parts store. The counter guy asked "what is that thing?"

I didn't even answer. We just went farther down the road to a local store.  The counter guy asked me "Boy, I haven't seen one of those in quite a while.  How early in the 60s is it?" Makes a lot of difference to me.

He's a lucky kid

[olddadt49]

Made the deal himself and works on it when he can

[LumRaiderFan]

46 minutes ago, olddadt49 said:

Made the deal himself and works on it when he can

He’ll definitely have something to be proud of when he finishes that project.