Trouble Getting Clerk's Attention in Auto Parts Store

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I went to a local auto supply store to ask a question about a dashboard light that was on in my car. A friend suggested I take it to them and they could read the "code". When I entered, there was a customer ahead of me, so I waited until he had concluded his transaction. I figured I'd be next, but when he left, the clerk walked away from the register and disappeared behind some shelves. I waited about 30 seconds and he didn't re-appear, I called out for assistance - several times. He finally came back and I explained my issue. He asked a few questions, then said, "Sorry, I can't help you. Take it to a garage."

This is not the first time this has happened. I've had similar scenarios in sporting goods and hardware stores. It's like I become the invisible woman in these shops. Do you think my being a female biased the clerks in these male-orientated businesses?
 

I'm male and my experiences in auto parts stores have varied over the years. I have had great service, mediocre service, service similar to your experience, and much worse. It's not always the particular store, sometimes it is just the attitude of the individual you are dealing with or what else they are dealing with.

I get where you are going. At one time I made a lot of my own backpacking gear which meant I dealt with fabric shops, sewing shops, etc that are traditionally in the female domain. Occasionally I felt somewhat slighted because someone working there thought either I didn't belong and/or wouldn't know what I was talking about. I didn't let it bother me too much because sometimes I didn't and I knew it. LOL
 
Well De, Have you ever thought about it yourself? You have posted similar problems before.

Could be your outward appearance; Your attitude, stance, facial expression, tone of voice etc.

(Since you asked.)
 

A lot of people try to get auto repair advice from auto parts store clerks. But, they just sell parts, and are probably instructed to not give advice.

As always, there are exceptions. Autozone will allow customers to use their engine code scanner(OBDII) to get the engine code readouts; I did this just yesterday at Autozone.
 
I don't think gender makes much of a difference anymore.

I agree with tnthomas about people trying to get free advice.

The clerk could tie up an hour of his time trying to be a nice guy and not bring in a dime for his time.

Take the high road, go to a professional and pay for his/her services.
 
There is one family owned hardware store here that is definitely like that. I hate to say it, but it's run by a bunch of older guys. You could wander around in the store for hours and no one would help, or stand at the counter while they discuss sports or fishing and ignore you. I went back a couple of times, once with a hired male companion even (I'm kidding), just to make sure it wasn't my imagination. Never went back.

Also a family owned gun shop that was around before I moved to town (40 years ago) the same way.

I find younger clerks and clerks in national chain stores are more likely to treat you equally. Maybe those stores have a policy about things like that, or maybe I just remind them of their mother. Ha!
 
I laugh at things like that when it happens to me ! I can always jump on someone who ignores me with a snappy line
(while still being nice - even though it's hard ) The best one was when I was buying a Sawzall for my husband for Christmas.
I was looking at a few models when at least 3 older men came over , and started talking to me like I was a helpless female.
I can talk tools with the best of them and as soon as I started sharing my power tool knowledge ..... they kinda disappeared . LOL. I used to be so meek ,but now I'm just the opposite !
 
My dad once told me he couldn't get a clerk's attention in a store, so he started to leave. When the clerk saw him heading for the door, he came running over and asked my dad if he needed help. My dad said, "No, I just helped myself."
 
I have a hard time getting a waitress attention in a restaurant. My voice is just too low and it's awful if I have to holler.

But once I went into a restaurant and sat down. No one else was there. While I was sitting down a waitress was cleaning tables. I waited and tried to get her attention to no avail. So I got up and was walking out. She came over and asked me if she could help me.

I said. "Well not now, but you are sure doing a hell of a job for the customers that aren't here yet". Never went back.

Another time my son and I went into a restaurant and everyone around us was being served. So I got up and went to the bar and asked for the manager. When he came out I pointed to where my son was sitting. I said to him "Do you see that boy sitting there"? He said "Yes". I said "Good I thought we were invisible". They tried to explain that was not a designated table or something or an optional. I said "Tell me next time before I sit down".
 
Falcon said:
Well De, Have you ever thought about it yourself? You have posted similar problems before.

Could be your outward appearance; Your attitude, stance, facial expression, tone of voice etc.

(Since you asked.)
Click to expand...

Oh please Falcon. Don't blame the victim or in this case a paying customer. Boy where I worked a customer standing at the counter was a priority. Our boss.
'Let the guy on the phone wait." "Get the guy at the counter".
 
My eyesight isn't what it used to be. Anymore, when I am "blessed" with poor service I always ask the clerk's/waitress's name. I also make sure I know the name of those who give excellent service before leaving the store.

1.) Call the store. Ask for the manager. Without showing anger in your voice, simply tell him you were concerned for his business by the response of one of his employees. Inform him of the experience.

If the store manager gives you some satisfaction that the incident will be approached with the employee, you've done your duty. If you are brushed off by the manager... or cannot reach the manager...

2.) Review the store on Yelp, Google, and on the franchise website. In those reviews, tell exactly what transpired.

That's about the only recourse you have. A couple months ago, I had a less than acceptable experience at an auto dealer service department. I did not argue with the service advisor. Would have done no good to vent at a person who thought they were following policy. Immediately upon arriving home, I sent an e-mail to the dealership owner. I was polite in describing the issue. After describing the experience, explained that we had purchased three vehicles from his dealership and really were disappointed that, due to the experience, we would not return for the next. Within minutes of hitting "Send" on the e-mail I rec'd a response from the owner. He apologized and said he would be meeting with the Service Department Manager yet that afternoon about it. Early the next morning, rec'd an e-mail from the Service Manger. The entire amount billed against my card the day before was refunded and the offer of a repeat FREE visit was extended. They did their part so I did mine. I immediately posted positive reviews on Google and Yelp.

I spent over 2,000 nights in hotels over the last 14 years of my career. I'm a "Gold" level reviewer on Trip Advisor. EVERY time I had a good experience with a hotel or restaurant, I would post a positive review. You would be surprised of the nice responses rec'd. OTOH, for all except one time... that's another long story... I posted if there were negative issues. Probably did not post more than three or four negative reviews while posting probably close to 100 positive reviews.

Oh, it is NOT "you"!!! I don't care what gender, race, age, appearance, etc. EVERY customer deserves to be extended good service. The ONLY thing that should ever result in a customer receiving less than acceptable service would be that customer being belligerent or using foul language towards a store employee.
 
NancyNGA said:
There is one family owned hardware store here that is definitely like that. I hate to say it, but it's run by a bunch of older guys. You could wander around in the store for hours and no one would help, or stand at the counter while they discuss sports or fishing and ignore you. I went back a couple of times, once with a hired male companion even (I'm kidding), just to make sure it wasn't my imagination. Never went back.

Also a family owned gun shop that was around before I moved to town (40 years ago) the same way.

I find younger clerks and clerks in national chain stores are more likely to treat you equally. Maybe those stores have a policy about things like that, or maybe I just remind them of their mother. Ha!
Click to expand...

Yep, we had one of those here in Orlando year ago......it was definitely a "good old boy's club". I'm pretty sure that's the only place I've ever been referred to as "Little Lady", i.e., "Well, Little Lady, let's find you one of them thingamajigs." The only reason I used to shop there was that they understood what I wanted even when I didn't...
 
Camper6 said:
That is one heck of a good reason.
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Well, where else can you go and say, "you know that thing on the back of the toilet that goes like "this" (insert bent finger motion) but mine doesn't and there's this thing on the end that looks like this (point to end of thumb) but it came off and now the thing that looks like this (make up-and-down motions in the air) won't stay up and the black thing that looks like this (hold your hand in a fist) won't stay in the hole that looks like this (making an "o" shape with your thumb and index finger) and I need whatever it takes to fix it." In a big-box chain store, you'll inevitably get the teenager who's on his first day and he'll look at you with the deer-in-the-headlights stare and stammer that plumbing supplies are in aisle 12. In the neighborhood hardware store, you'll get the owner's 90-year-old uncle who'll say, "Well, now, Little Lady, you're gonna need a universal flumber-plop valve and a reticulated chain-driven plug housing and an excalibrate float gear and a....... (or, since he has no teeth and a thick Southern accent, you think that's what he says)" and it's exactly what you need.
 
In a store once on my lunch break. Approached by a customer who thought I was staff because I was wearing a tie.

"Where do I find one of these". A copper elbow. "Well I don't work here" "My husband is under the sink, If I don't get home soon I'm in trouble". "0K come with me". "Here's what you need". "Buy two because he will probably screw up again".
 
jujube said:
Well, where else can you go and say, "you know that thing on the back of the toilet that goes like "this" (insert bent finger motion) but mine doesn't and there's this thing on the end that looks like this (point to end of thumb) but it came off and now the thing that looks like this (make up-and-down motions in the air) won't stay up and the black thing that looks like this (hold your hand in a fist) won't stay in the hole that looks like this (making an "o" shape with your thumb and index finger) and I need whatever it takes to fix it." In a big-box chain store, you'll inevitably get the teenager who's on his first day and he'll look at you with the deer-in-the-headlights stare and stammer that plumbing supplies are in aisle 12. In the neighborhood hardware store, you'll get the owner's 90-year-old uncle who'll say, "Well, now, Little Lady, you're gonna need a universal flumber-plop valve and a reticulated chain-driven plug housing and an excalibrate float gear and a....... (or, since he has no teeth and a thick Southern accent, you think that's what he says)" and it's exactly what you need.
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That brings back memories... my parents had a neighborhood business that sold hardware and a few other things. I grew up in it and had to learn how all that stuff worked and how it went together to help many of the customers. You also had to know where everything was because it was hopeless for anyone to find where things were that wasn't an expert on that store; and locate items was probably the hardest part. Basically people entered the store and waited until a clerk was available to assist them (now there were a few regulars that knew their way around pretty well and could basically help themselves but they were the exception). They told them what they were looking for and/or what their problem was. Then you tried to fix 'em up... if it was above your knowledge you would have to call out another person working there that might know more about it or recommend some other business or professional that might could help 'em out. That was called service.
 
Camper6 said:
In a store once on my lunch break. Approached by a customer who thought I was staff because I was wearing a tie.

"Where do I find one of these". A copper elbow. "Well I don't work here" "My husband is under the sink, If I don't get home soon I'm in trouble". "0K come with me". "Here's what you need". "Buy two because he will probably screw up again".[/QUOTE]

Man, that hits home. When my late husband and I bought our first house up North in the early 1970's, we were babes in the woods when it came to home repair. The house cost $17,500 and that reflected the shape it was in.....basically good but needing a lot of TLC. Every Saturday for forever was dedicated to replacing something, unfortunately quite often what we had just replaced the Saturday before.....incorrectly. I was always the one dispatched to the hardware store to buy a bigger, longer, wider, narrower, smaller or different part to hand off to my husband who was on his back under the sink, on top of a ladder, holding something up until I got home with the replacement or explaining to our daughter why she couldn't flush the toilet just yet.

I was on first name basis with the guys at the hardware store. Quite often, my husband would have called while I was on my way and they'd be standing by the cash register holding whatever it was I needed. Luckily, it was an old-fashioned place and we had an "account" so sometimes they'd even be standing out on the sidewalk to hand the part to me through the car window. I long for those days of service.

And, yes, being old hardware guys, when I did actually use the correct name for things they'd smile condescendingly like I was a dog that had learned to bark to four or something, but I'll gladly endure condescension for good service.
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I just love this kind of dialogue. It's so close to home and enjoyment of the repartee between customers and suppliers.

Rather than the cold empty online purchases.
 

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