So a customer calls me on the phone....
I once worked (about 7 1/2 years) for a big BIG parts store in town. We sold a full line of auto parts, popular heavy truck parts, black pipe fittings, made hydraulic hoses, turned drums and rotors, changed axle bearings and riveted heavy truck shoes and jammer / winch drum bands. Separate store sold and repaired Miller welders, separate store sold fasteners And for good measure, we sold heavy industrial janitorial goods. One time we were out of a set of heavy tire chains, the books back then had the measurements and replacement parts for tire chain sets. So we MADE a set for the customer. And we sold wire rope. I HATED cutting 3/4" heavy lube wire.
They had been in business since I think 31, and "Old Nick" had been with them since 32. he knew everything, and could **** parts that we didnt' have. We had a young arrogant parts guy. One day I'm on the phone and Arrogance was standing there swinging the door between the two counters screwin off. Nick had retired, and came in with a friend. Nick threw a Ford compression nut up on the bench similar to this. They were used on Ford vacuum advance tubes
"Give me one of these will ya?"
Arrogance is swinging the door, and shaking his head
Nick says "Whazza matter, ya out?"
Arrogance says, "We don't have those, I don't think we've EVER had those, and I'm sure we never WILL have those."
It just so happened the BIG brass cabinet was nearly directly behind Arrogance.
Nick, who by this time is about 70-something, steps through the door past Arrogance swinging it, GRABS Arrogance BY THE EAR and drags him over to the brass cabinet.
It took Nick about .09638 seconds to find the right drawer and yank out one of those fittings
He shook it right in front of Arrogance's nose. "THERE!!! DON'T EVER TELL A CUSTOMER YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING UNLESS YOU LOOK, AND DON'T EVER TELL A CUSTOMER YOU CAN'T GET ONE!!!"
So Nick paid and left, and Arrogance is standing there. I get off the phone. "Who was that old bastard, he used to work here or somethun?"
I told him "That old bastard knew, forgot, and relearned more about auto parts than you will EVER know."
I once worked (about 7 1/2 years) for a big BIG parts store in town. We sold a full line of auto parts, popular heavy truck parts, black pipe fittings, made hydraulic hoses, turned drums and rotors, changed axle bearings and riveted heavy truck shoes and jammer / winch drum bands. Separate store sold and repaired Miller welders, separate store sold fasteners And for good measure, we sold heavy industrial janitorial goods. One time we were out of a set of heavy tire chains, the books back then had the measurements and replacement parts for tire chain sets. So we MADE a set for the customer. And we sold wire rope. I HATED cutting 3/4" heavy lube wire.
They had been in business since I think 31, and "Old Nick" had been with them since 32. he knew everything, and could **** parts that we didnt' have. We had a young arrogant parts guy. One day I'm on the phone and Arrogance was standing there swinging the door between the two counters screwin off. Nick had retired, and came in with a friend. Nick threw a Ford compression nut up on the bench similar to this. They were used on Ford vacuum advance tubes
"Give me one of these will ya?"
Arrogance is swinging the door, and shaking his head
Nick says "Whazza matter, ya out?"
Arrogance says, "We don't have those, I don't think we've EVER had those, and I'm sure we never WILL have those."
It just so happened the BIG brass cabinet was nearly directly behind Arrogance.
Nick, who by this time is about 70-something, steps through the door past Arrogance swinging it, GRABS Arrogance BY THE EAR and drags him over to the brass cabinet.
It took Nick about .09638 seconds to find the right drawer and yank out one of those fittings
He shook it right in front of Arrogance's nose. "THERE!!! DON'T EVER TELL A CUSTOMER YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING UNLESS YOU LOOK, AND DON'T EVER TELL A CUSTOMER YOU CAN'T GET ONE!!!"
So Nick paid and left, and Arrogance is standing there. I get off the phone. "Who was that old bastard, he used to work here or somethun?"
I told him "That old bastard knew, forgot, and relearned more about auto parts than you will EVER know."
