We used to have a gal in her late 50s working the counter at a local Napa. it was always an interesting sight to see all the regular customers lined up behind her, and the new guys behind the counter twiddling their thumbs with nothing to do unless a new customer came in. That gal could find parts for anything no matter how odd, and if it wasn't available, she could find something to rig that would work. Sharp lady. Then Napa decided to close that branch. I sure miss her. She was about the only person in the area who had a clue on what it is to run a parts counter.
--------Robert Gary Hurst wrote: > i've been having a terrible time lately with customer service. we changed > our merchant bank recently and i've had nothing but trouble with them > since. spent another 2 hours on the phone with them today. nobody there > cares one bit. the employees are not only indifferent, but stupid, rude, > mendacious and incompetent. > > needless to say, i was in a pretty foul mood when the phone rang and it was > the ex-wife with some sort of car issue. she is at the mechanic with her 92 > 300E being told that her windshield wiper transmission is damaged and > extensive and expensive repairs are needed. i ask her what the symptoms are > and she tells me that the wiper blade smashed into the window pillar and > keeps repeating until it flies off. I think for a moment and say "look, > you're short anyway. just put a really short wiper blade on it and call it > fixed". > > this all seems conceptually beyond her, so i tell her to meet me at the > local autozone (where i've never been before) and we will just figure it out > there . we walk in and there is a young woman behind the counter (and let's > face that fact that a young woman behind the counter does not inspire > confidence at achieving any sort of solution at an autozone type of place). > being in a bad mood, i start by asking whether she knows anything about cars > at all or whether she is just there because they needed to hire a woman and > i ought to go elsewhere. she then calmly explained that she had some > minimal knowledge of automotive systems and i was welcome to present her > with my situation and see if she can be of any help. > > within 3 minutes, we were all outside with a dozen wiper blades looking for > hte perfect size and withing another 5 minutes we had our solution. she > snapped on the new blade and we were "fixed" for $11. i was very impressed, > so i asked her about the battery on my saturn as it sounds kinda funny now > when it cranks. 2 minutes later, she is out with the battery tester telling > me i have a dead cell. so i tell her to just give me whatever battery she > thinks will do the job, and she tells me that she should put it in for me > because i shouldn't be driving around with a battery that could fail me at > any moment. > > i try to explain how i can't have her put in a battery for me as i have a > street rep to preserve, but she says she does it all day long at it is > really no big deal. and this is where it gets really charming. she > pretends to be unable to break open the fastener holding down the battery > and asks if i might be so good as to help her get it done. now that is > downright brilliant! > > all my problems are fixed in a half hour for under 70 bucks. how different > this is from all my recent experiences with customer service? > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com