I went to a chain parts store here in town today for a carb gasket and a set of header gaskets. They had re-arranged their store since the last time I was there, and the header gaskets was nowhere to be found. One of the guys that works there asked me if I needed help, so I told him I needed a set of standard small block chevy header gaskets. He asks what vehicle and year...I explained that it doesn't matter. He insisted on the engine/vehicle model and year, so I told him it was a '77 station wagon engine going into a '86 3/4 ton truck...with '95-'96 vortec truck heads on it. I almost fell over laughing from the look on the guys face when I told him that...his face went completely blank and I swear little wisps of smoke started coming out of his ears :D He punches some numbers into the computer, then runs off to the back of the store, and returns with a set of head gaskets. I told him no, I need HEADER gaskets, and he said "yeah, thats what these are". So I gave a brief explaination of the difference between HEADS and HEADERS, and he says "oh, you mean exhaust manifold gaskets?" I finally got him to let me go into the back and pick a set out. Some of the older guys there was getting a good laugh at this poor guys expense, and of course I had to tease him about it too. Don't they teach these people ANYTHING when they go to work for a place like this?

yea travis they teach them the new found words of the 21st century ;) remember they werent around when you were lol but even I would know that header gaskets are exhaust manifold gaskets DOh! , but I on the other hand could have taken you for a ride if i was in that guys shoes hehe but you probably made him quit his job lol and btw he made that face because their computers are designed to look up completely stock vehicles, if i ever got the chance to put my 424 into my christine (which I wont ever if you look at my other post on this forum) and i went into advanced auto parts and told them i had a 86 iroc z camaro with a 424 in it they wouldnt be able to locate any parts just because they cant tell their computer that its a 424 and not a stock 305 so the parts would differ lol and if you tell them something would work they are trained to argue with you because they sapposeably know more than you just because your sappose to be the stupid customer, i had a 10 minute arguement in that place about my washer pump, i just needed the solenoid and the girl refused to agree and told me i needed the whole thing

Travis you may know this already but there is a big difference in a chain store and a speed shop. The chain store may have a few performance parts but that is not their bread and butter, their employees are geared for stock parts... If you give the rookie an example of a cars make and model that existed that headers may have been a common upgrade on (even though it's not your pieced together beast), say 1969 Camaro with a 350 and 4 speed or a 1967 Chevelle with a 327 automatic you might have gotten your parts and been on your way without inflicting all that stress into someone elses life. You know what stress is is like, don't you? You may enjoyed doing that but put yourself into the rookies shoes, he did as he was taught. His boss doesn't want him to hand over parts without confirming it's correct in the computer. That keeps the customer from coming back later mad saying it's the wrong part...

I don't think it stressed him out too much...he laughed when I showed him what I needed. If anything, he learned something. I mean come on...headers are the most basic of hop up parts. We don't have a speed shop in the town I live in, and didn't feel like driving 25 miles for something I could get right here in town. This place actually sells a lot of ricer stuff...neon junk, stickers :rolleyes: , shift knobs, big exhaust tips, etc. Any other time in the past I've never had a problem getting parts like aftermarket carb parts (that they do carry) or other misc pieces for non stock applications, so header gaskets shouldn't have been that big of a deal. If it was a big deal, then I think one of the other 4 guys (manager included) standing around could have helped out.
Stress? Whats that? ;)

Look in the Jegs cataloge and pull the Felpro gasket number you need and feed it to these guys,,, they now of nothing until you give them a manufacture number,, Then maybe they can change it over.

if you tell them something would work they are trained to argue with you because they sapposeably know more than you just because your sappose to be the stupid customer, i had a 10 minute arguement in that place about my washer pump, i just needed the solenoid and the girl refused to agree and told me i needed the whole thing [/QB]I have worked at AZ for two years as a PSM, and I can assure you that we are not (and neither are store employees at ANY of the other chains) trained to argue with customers about what will and will not fit THEIR cars.

We do like to double check with the customer to make sure they are getting what they want. You would simply be amazed at how many times a customer comes in and doesn't even know how many cylinders his engine has. (happens EVERYDAY)

I do enjoy it when a customer that is very knowledgeable about cars comes into the store and understands that he likely knows a lot more than me, but doesn't let that influence the way he asks for parts, or treats people.

Originally posted by zdld17:
Look in the Jegs cataloge and pull the Felpro gasket number you need and feed it to these guys,,, they now of nothing until you give them a manufacture number,, Then maybe they can change it over. :rolleyes:

I work in a customer service environment and I treat people exactly how I expect to be treated. I wasn't harrassing the guy...honest! If they would have just left the gaskets out on the floor I wouldn't have even had to go thru that. Instead, they needed room for more neon gizmo's, lighted valvestem caps, etc.
BTW, they only carry mr. gasket header gaskets ;)

You're right guys,

Parts store employees are trained to go down the year/make/model/engine size path. And specialty/high performance parts tend to throw them off. Therefore, when it comes to common stuff like gaskets & thermostats,etc. I usually go to AZ. But when I need something performance oriented, I'll try O'Reilly first.

Here in the south Okla. City area, I have found that O' Reilly auto parts stores are more performance parts oriented than Autozone. It seems to me that the O'Reilly counter help people are more knowledegable of American performance parts than the AZ guys. Maybe it's because the O'Reilly chain is a major sponsor of the local 1/4 mile dragstrip in the area (Thunder Valley)and lots of the parts guys also race there.

Brackneyc, I agree with you. I was in the parts store the other day and a young lady came in and asked for "a belt for a 2000 Toyota Corolla" The guy hehind the counter asks "with A/C or without" The girl stands there stunned and says "I don't know". Of course he can't sell her a belt unless he knows if the car has A/C. Thank goodness for cell phones. She calls her dad and you could hear from her responses that he was letting her have it. Yes, she did have A/C, and she knew it had air conditioning but, wasn't sure about A/C.

Travis,
I know the feeling. I have learned to do just what Dennis suggested. I go in and make up any car I know will have the part I want. When possible I take a part number with me. These "professionals" are not paid all that well. You tend to get what you pay for, most are youngs guys/girls trying to get by. I'm sure you can probably do a much better job than they do but, are you willing to work for what they get paid? I have to agree anybody working in a parts stores MUST know the difference between a header and a head. I'm sure you were just giving the kid a bad time and there's nothing wrong with that. How many of us have been told or asked someone to go pick up a "muffler bearing"? That's part of growing up in the car world, you probably did the kid more good than harm (IMO).

Every parts store around here- big chain or local mom and pop- has that HUGE rack of actual catalogs on the service desk. they have EVERY aftermarket parts manufacturer represented there- but if they don't know how to use a catalog or which one to look in for certain parts, then they will stab away at the computer. so they don't NEED to go thru the computer- it's just that the kids that they hire for $5.50 an hour don't know anything about the parts they are selling, and don't CARE to know about them. they are just working for weekend party money.
i have been kicking around the idea of getting a weekend job at one of these places to supplement my income and maybe get some discounts on parts, but i can't find a store that is staffed by kids i could get along with.

I can absolutely relate...The Napa around the corner (owner drives a 67 RS) can find / look up, or just plain know ANY part I may need...but they close at 5, 1 on Sunday, and don't always have everything.

When I put the Dart heads on, It went right over my head that they'd need peanut plugs... 3 o'clock on sunday afternoon, and my plugs won't fit, had to go to auto-zone... Got a blank stare from 4 guys when I told them I needed a set of 3/4" reach, tapered seat peanut plugs that were the same heat range as an AC 44...4 of them said they simply couldn't help me if I couldn't give them a model make and year... So I thinks about it for a while, then I says "gimme a set of plugs for a 79 corvette! Those they had...