It's right out front if you...

I hear this quite a bit at work. The phrase causes my blood pressure to rise a little, I can’t lie.  The sheer selfishness of people never ceases to get me going. Of course, I realize that not everyone who says that to a parts counter guy is selfish, but then they are likely very lazy and/or think they are owed something from life. No matter the mindset, the phrase itself is what bothers me, not the fact that a customer wants me to go out front and look at their car.

“It’s out front...” they say, finger toward the parking lot, leading expression on their face. I just have to wonder what gives people the impression that a parts counter guy has any business out in the parking lot looking at some issue their car is having. Now, testing batteries and alternators, which we offer as a free service, is one thing, but how do I change my headlight? Truly, learn to use your computer’s search engine. That’s just pure laziness.

Here’s a typical conversation:

Customer: What headlights do I need for a [insert car here].

Me: Is yours an EX or an LX, sir?

Customer: It’s out front if you wanna check.

This phrase inevitably pops up when I have a ten-person line in front of me, and never when we are slow. No, sir, I really don’t want to go out to your Japanese car and figure out what you drive for you. I can understand not knowing a lot about cars, and that isn’t the issue. But not knowing what you drive? That is just amazing to me. And then not knowing what you drive and expecting a parts guy to hone in on the correct item for you.

Thrilling.

All day long, folks get the years wrong, the engines wrong, the drive train wrong, the model wrong, etcetera. I don’t expect everyone to be a car guru, but I also don’t expect so many people to simply know nothing about their cars other than they go and stop. A few, yes, but not the massive amount that seem to wander into the store with dazed looks on their faces.

Stay tuned for: Folks who drive luxury cars and get pissed about prices.