Everything changes
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=155215
Printed Date: 24 Aug 2025 at 5:35pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Everything changes
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Subject: Everything changes
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 8:05am
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I mentioned in another post that the old country store near us recently sold. The new owners pissed me off my first time in and now I have to boycott them for the rest of my life. The local Napa recently sold. A good friend and family owned it from day one. These were good parts people who gave good discounts to those who those who were loyal to them. Now it’s owned by a 20 maybe 30 something city kid. Same as the old country store all the old long time local help has quit. Now I have to buy everything from Oreilly’s. I will not support rude business owners. Local rumors say that business has dropped off at both places to the extent of nothing. Local bakery sold a year or so back. I was in the parking lot picking up a couple workers when the owner came out and asked why we never frequent his business? I told him there are 2 kinds of people here those that eat donuts and those that don’t. I told him those that do are at work by seven. He said that if he opened at seven he’d have to be at work by 5. I told him he’d have to be open way before 7 to catch the donut eaters. I told him to just one time go to the next town over and sit in the Daylight Donuts from 5 am to seven and see how much business they do. Not a chance |
Replies:
Posted By: JoeM(GA)
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 10:10am
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Thad, it's becoming that way at everything, I have a NAPA that I could walk to if the truck was broke, I needed a hose on my backhoe that blew replaced quick, so I went there. Scooter the snot-nosed parts boy proceeded to tell me why I don't want my hose with a swivel fitting on both ends, I asked him how many times he had replaces a 14' long hose alone, standing on the top step of a ladder with the hose whipping on every turn. He couldn't even understand what I was explaining to him. 6 miles to hydraulic shop, hose done in 10 minutes. I gave NAPA a filter number one time and the kid said we don't do special order refunds if you look it up, I explained I had been a parts man for almost 40 years and I'm quite capable of looking up the correct item. I just stopped doing business with our ACE hardware for their award winning people who can't seem to grasp the concept that if the part is 3" thick, that's why the bolt needs to be longer, enough for a washer and nut. They always seem insulted when they ask if they can help, and I say no you can't. Sad part is that if you try to explain something to them, or try to educate them, they argue, some of the best knowledge I gained was from my mechanics who would answer my questions about why, and older farmers who would explain, or even show things to me! I always tried to explain to my counter guys that it could take months to make a good customer, and one word to loose them. ------------- Allis Express North Georgia 41 WC,48 UC Cane,7-G's, Ford 345C TLB |
Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 10:52am
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Welcome to the wonderful wold of no customer service😾 it seemns that as places started requiring a college degree and computer literacy to work at a parts counter, the day of a parts person having any common sense has passed. I started getting pissed when the standard answer at the local Central Tractor store was “We can order it”. Previously almost anything in the catalog, was there on the shelf. I bagan to answer “I can order it myself” and “You can’t sell what you don’t have”. That business attitude put them out of business. ------------- If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere. Real pullers don't have speed limits. If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY |
Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 11:16am
| Thankfully I ant been braking things like the old days(but I think it's cause I don't do much) and I have not been to the "other parts houses",but the NAPA ant what it us to be. But so far the young one are trying an ant ticked me off yet. An with my "honest looks" they even took a switch back, use to be no electrical parts where returnable. |
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 11:48am
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Tworn't your looks, he just could not comprehend "No Electrical Parts Returned" ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: Dusty MI
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 12:33pm
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We have an Ace Hardware that is great to shop at, always helpful. I'm not an anti collage, but to me collage for after you know what you want to do for the rest of your life, and how to do it. I'll bet 75% of collage grads 30 years and older are not doing what they in collage. Dusty ------------- 917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express" |
Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 12:36pm
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Unfortunately things do change and usually not for the better. It's also why the brick and mortar stores are going down the tubes. I got so discouraged with the local parts places that if I can wait a few days I just order from Rock Auto. Daughter needed to have the catalytic replaced on her Toyota so I ordered it with the exhaust manifold gasket as the converter is built into the exhaust manifold and therefore need the gasket also. Got the part and the gasket was just laying in the box loose with the converter and the converter bouncing up and down on the gasket did a number on it. Contacted Rock Auto and asked if they could just send me a new gasket. They said no and said to return both. I said too much trouble and ordered a new and better gasket on my dime as I didn't like the quality of the included gasket. They said no problem and we will refund the cost of the gasket you ordered and they did. So long story short, this is why I usually order my parts from them IF I can wait for it to come. ------------- 1957 WD45 dad's first AC 1968 one-seventy 1956 F40 Ferguson |
Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 10:52pm
| Don't have that problem here YET, Napa is great, so is our local hardware store. Lot of the retired guys who work there were carpenters/plumbers/electricians. Great places to buy stuff, my 2 favorite local stores. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 8:07am
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I cannot get anything from the newbies at our parts supply shops, I do however still frequent them AFTER I look up what I need with a list of p/n's that these kids ask How I could understand those well enough to order them. Hateful little turds do not understand KNOWLEDGE comes with age and having done their job for over 20 years prior. Couple older guys still get what I ask for, willingly open the old books to find numbers that are still out there just superseded and hard to find on the computers. Local hydraulics shop builds what I request, they are also running on borrowed time as the work load gets heavier by the week, the help gets older and nobody wants to get as dirty anymore so few applicants to replace retirees. |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 9:01am
Yes to all, and especially what I highlighted in red. Couldn't agree more. Yet, when I state the same things, from day to day experience watching our company desperately try to staff for replacement of old guys, let alone growth, and failing at it....and say I don't understand how we will be able to supply all our own steel, make all of our own auto parts, all of our own textiles......I'm labeled as a lefty. I WANT our country to be doing those things. Getting there seems to be one hell of a battle, on the verge of downright unrealistic. Unemployment is already historically low, so where will the workers come from? Stop the cheese, yeah, I hear you.....Do you want the people that are still on the cheese to be your workers operating complex expensive equipment? Do you think they're capable or have the aptitude to learn??? And we currently make a fraction of what we consume......going to take years. And the worst part? Can we get done if Trump has 6 years left? What free cheese has he cut so far? Nobody but him will do it....and the next guy could undo it faster than Trump did it, if Trump does it. Going to be tough.
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DMiller wrote:Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 9:44am
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Well said Tbones ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 9:50am
| Thanks Chas. Sorry though, forgot I wasn't in the political section for a minute there! |
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 10:49am
Well I'm not going to beat you up for it.  ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 1:54pm
| Your right, that's why the military can't use the draft anymore. It that smarts and caring to operate the equipment the military uses now |
Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2018 at 5:46pm
That's why the woman had such a hard time in child labor.......as the baby came out, she (the baby) had both of her hands out.... ------------- "Allis-Express" 19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17 |
Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2018 at 9:19pm
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Small towns seem to be holding on to good customer service longer than the larger areas. The local farm equipment dealer (Kubota/NH) near the farm has a great parts department and the guys know what they have and if a part will work on another brand. As for a college degree, it doesn't include any common sense and doesn't make one smarter than a non college grad. A good tech school education or a tour in the military will better prepare most people for the real world. ------------- Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God. |
Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 03 Nov 2018 at 10:47pm
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The auto/truck parts place I usually is on their 3d brand in 15 years. Now Carquest and for lots of normal stuff they do a good job. But there are only two people still there from when they were a IH dealer and one of them, a classmate 2 years younger then me is retiring the end of the year. For most farm equipment parts, I need to drive 25 to 60 miles one way for parts, or order online. I admit there are a lot of airheads out there but there are a lot of sharp ones out there too, with such low unemployment, the better help is getting better, higher paying jobs and the less qualified get the jobs given up. I agree college isn't for everyone, but I do believe it is a good stepping stone to maturity, something many High School students haven't had for a long, long time. ------------- "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" Allis Express participant |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2018 at 2:47am
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Well,,I have told part of this story before bout the huge differences from the parts stores down on the caw'nor to the Autozons and the Oreillys of the world. For the last 50-60 years or so there was this Mom & Pop auto parts store that I can swear he could find you what you needed for anything from bicycles to tractors and everything in between,,, That man was amazing, he never thought to computerize as he had a lot of faith in his rows of books with all them dog eared pages,,!! I could maybe of bought some of my needed parts from Autozone or Oreillys but I would always go to him first,,,for ONE REASON. I KNEW the parts persons at AZ or OR would not even know what the bushings and brushes for an older starter or alternator overhaul were or how to order them,,,,they just want to sell you a new starter or anything else,,,,!!! I tried to give ole Ken all of my business,just to keep him in business,,cause I knew when he closed the doors,,that would be the end of rebuilding your own stuff and be forced to buy new,,,,, Well,,,the 81 year old gentleman finally threw in the towel last month and closed her up. He has 3 sons that, I guess they did not share his love for auto parts,,, Sign of the times, I guess,,,,,,
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Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2018 at 8:13pm
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Yes Joe, that old counter man was the BEST!! I remember going into a plumbing supply place,,,,,,,oh,,,,,,,40 years ago or more,,,,,,an the KID at the counter had the microfiche and couldn't find my part. It was the guts to a (forgot the brand name) water closet. Well, the kid poked around for a bit and said that they didn't have one. Well, just as he's telling me that, this old geezer is walking (shuffling) up to the parts counter and he asks, "What cha looking for?" An I tell him, "the guts to a 1910 ?? water closet. He says that he thinks there's a couple back there. So, off he goes........ After a bit, he comes back with the package and sure enough, it's EXACTLY the one I need. I asked if he wouldn't mind going back and getting me the other one too....so,,,,,,back he goes.. NOW, I'm a happy camper!! Well fast forward to about 1995,,,,,,,,, One of my co-workers says ,,,,well wait a minute, I gotta lay the foundation for this one,,,,,,,,,, I've always had a couple of sayings that I live by,,,,,,,,, one is "If I can't fix it, it ain't broke! And the second one is,,,,,,, If I don't have it, you don't need it. Well, back to my story,,,,,,,,so Frenchy says, "I bet you don't have one of these!!" I ask WHAT,,,,,,,,,,,, he says "a 1910 ?? Water closet guts. Well as we're going out for driver practice anyway, I tell the captain to have Frenchy (he was a newbie then) drive over by my house, I gotta get something. Imagine the surprise on his face when I come out to the Fire Engine and hand him the guts!!! HE's tole that story to a hunert people I bet!! Anyway,,,,,,microfiche or a computer,,,,,,,you CAN'T replace the human brain!! OR, an old pfart....  ------------- "Allis-Express" 19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17 |
Posted By: Les Royer
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2018 at 4:32am
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Try walking into an advance auto parts store with a Chicago
rawhide seal in your hand, and throw that onto the counter and say
"gimme one of those." What's that off of? A well drilling machine we can't get you one why not? The number is right there on the seal well if it's not on a ford, cheby, or a dodge, we can't look it up, sorry------------- I still gots my A/C but it's clear out in the barn now. |
Posted By: tadams(OH)
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2018 at 2:30pm
| Use to be Bearings Inc. you got to them with any bearing, race or seal and they would be able to match it now haven't heard of them in years and no one can match anything if they can't find it in the computer under the machine you have. |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2018 at 2:34pm
What I don't understand, is when they can look it up, know what it is, but aren't "able" to order it???? Sprayer pump belt is a finer ribbed multi V than an automotive serpentine. They said "that's an industrial style. It's here for like air compressors and stuff. We can't get those."  
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