Do you folks have this same problem? Or is it just me? The parts store doesn’t have the part at the store, say they will order it for you from their warehouse or whatever, and will phone you when it arrives. But they never phone. This is a pretty frequent problem for me. Usually I wait for a week, then when I phone them for the status, they’ll say “It came in. Nobody ever phoned you? Sorry, we sent it back”.
Sounds like you need to phone earlier. Most folks now order from their web site, no phone calls involved.
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I’d be shocked if they DID call you! 
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Maybe I’m asking for too much … lol …
Do they tell you when to expect delivery at the store? If so, call near the end of the day of expected delivery. Otherwise give them a day or two and then call and continue calling at least every other day.
Can’t say it happened to me but I usually don’t order from th3 local store. At Napa sometimes they order from the warehouse and it is in the next day, or I’ll drive the ten miles to pick it up if I want it right away. Now I did order small engine parts once instead of from the manufacturer because it was listed as in stock. When the computer said it was being ordered from the manufacturer, I cancelled the order and placed it with the manufacturer. They complained that the item had just come in. I said I wouldn’t have ordered it from them if they listed the item as out of stock. Don’t lie to me. No point bringing a third party into it. If they’ve got it fine, if not I’ll go elsewhere where they have it. Can’t hardly remember the last time I bought car parts though locally. I like to use rock so I can pick the brand unless I’m in a big hurry.
When they give me a definite day & time, I usually just stop by the store that evening, rather than phone. That works for the most part, it is usually there; but seldom find a message on my answering machine telling me part arrived. There must be something about the phoning-the-part-is-in process that the staff doesn’t want to do for some reason.
I, too, would be shocked if they got around to it. They’re dealing with customers in person and on the phone, call backs are not even on their priority list, especially since the guy who took your order isn’t the one who saw the part when it arrived. This is a bit like our earlier poster who was frustrated by the lack of courtesy of NYC drivers - assume they won’t call and you won’t be disappointed.
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The customers that didn’t pick up their parts by the end of the day must have bought them elsewhere.
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I go to a place called Harrand automotive here in Traverse City, MI. Their availability is always better than the Autozones and all others. Both of the staff are knowledgeable so there’s very few mistakes. If they have to order, they tell me when it comes in and I pick it up. They call if needed. They’ve even dropped parts at my place on their way home before. Wished everyone had this kind of treatment.
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Do you give them a cell phone #? They always send me text.
He uses Jim Rockford’s answering machine.
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Life as it goes. Dr will call you before 1 about a procedure that we need to schedule. No call, did not want to do it anyway. Customer no service!
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I do not know if you just shop at the wrong parts stores, but I cannot say, I’ve experienced it…
I like my local Advance, Auto-Zone, and O’Reillys parts stores, but they seem to always have new folk working there, like it’s a two-week entry job… However, my local Napa, there are two about the same distance away (7 and 9-miles) both seem to keep their employees and if I have to order parts, I go to Napa and they have always called when the part came in; and I remember they ever calling once when the part did not come in as expected…
Now, as many of you know, my wife still has her original '85 Corolla and when the brakes needed replacing the first time, I went with NAPA’s Best Lifetime Guaranteed brake shoes. They honored that warranty about three times, but then, about 2005, they said this was the last time…
They first tried to get out of it by saying that warranty is not transferrable and only valid for the origami purchaser, I showed them the original car invoice, and that we bought the car new…
Then, they claimed that the warranty was the manufacturer’s warranty and since the manufacture was now out of business, it was now worthless. So I showed them the warranty was on their receipt, not on the box or some paper or card insert…
So, they ran out of excuses and they honored it again in 2015, and I will put their feet to the fire when the brakes need replacing again…
I wonder if they will now say, the “NAPA Ultra Premium™ Limited Lifetime Warranty” is not longer valid due to this clause added to their "new " warranty…
"The Warranty DOES NOT cover:
- Any losses due to misuse, accident, abuse, neglect, wear, or improper application"
I guess, we’ll see…
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I particularly like that the warranty only is good for the origami purchaser. I guess these parts stores are facing the Etsy competition head-on.
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No phone calls from the auto parts store is primarily the result of two things, in order of importance:
1- People don’t call anymore, especially people under 40. The phone is considered both an annoyance and an intrusion.
2- Most people order on the internet and those orders automatically notify you when the goods are ready for pickup.
I would add that most of the auto stores I visit are always hopping with lots of people inside asking many complex questions, clerks running around trying to find parts that are “in inventory”, and phones ringing with people calling for parts that they often have no intention of purchasing as they are price shopping all the local auto stores. It’s not surprising that call-backs are low priority.
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Auto parts stores are now venturing into new areas, apparently.
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I cannot understand a business decision where an expected consumable item has lifetime replacement guarantee. Warranted against defects etc yes but these will wear down under normal use. Unless they charge 5x the price, how could they ever expect to make any money if a customer gets a new pair every time they reach end of life?
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Most people don’t keep their cars as long a we do… So you need brakes at 50K (4 years) and you buy lifetime pads. They might last another 40K (3 years) which is one year after most folks would have sold the car. That’s what they are counting on to make a profit, not folks who keep their cars 10, 20 or 30 years!
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My favorite is when they ask your name for the “warranty”. Sometimes, it’s really ridiculous stuff like consumable items. My name is Cash, Johnny Cash. One guy actually started entering that until the other guy nudged him. He’s paying cash, he doesn’t want to be in our database…
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