Originally Posted By: paulo57509
It works the other way around too.
Years ago I went to Tuban Ford to get a clutch fork
PIVOT for a '62 Comet. These stamped steel things would always crack/break where it was bent 90-degrees.
They didn't have it in stock but the counter guy gave me the part number.
I drive down the road to Sunnyvale Lincoln-Mercury. Same thing. Not in stock.
I drive down to San Jose. The guy goes in the back, comes back out and hands me a clutch
FORK.
True, that would bother me too, but that would be an unlikely mistake these days.
With walk ins, I generally always show them the diagram, and have them confirm that the part I am looking at is the same one they need. Modern diagrams for most brands (at least the ones I deal with) are pretty good and show a lot.
Basically, I try to help as long as it is not a blatant waste of my time. The GMT800 tailgate handle clip customers, GMT360 shift cable customers, and various coolant elbow/fitting customers do not bother me, but the people who are in over their head before they walk in the door kind of do.
One guy came in the other day who appeared to be homeless. And smelled like it. It was so bad the guy over at the shop counter could smell him. He wanted a door panel for an '05 Cobalt coupe, but of course did not have a VIN, interior color code or anything. I told him I would need to know exactly which color the interior was to order the right door panel, which bothered him, because apparently I was supposed to know the interior color of this Cobalt with no VIN, no RPO code for the interior, and only a vauge, incoherent description of what I was looking for to start with. He says "well just give me a price." I pulled up one of the part numbers, and it was something like $225. "TWO TWENTY FIE FOR A PIECE'A CARDBOARD??!?!?" I just said "yes, two twenty five." He stormed out. Fine with me. Cobalts are pretty simple cars, but I would like to see a piece of cardboard that could replicate the door panel. That would be something.