How does NAPA rate nationwide?

Miss Scarlett · June 10, 2013, 06:17:38 PM

I am envious of the guys here who always find what they need at NAPA. I'm in a small town in TN and my NAPA store is useless, probably due to lazy employees. I recently walked in carrying one of my manifold to turbo pipes and all 3 counter guys were shaking their heads no before I ever got within 20 ft of the counter. One of them said "ain't got nuthin' like that 'round here, you'll have to find a big truck shop". I left and stopped at a local car shop about a mile from there and a young man there ordered the end flanges that I needed. These NAPA guys say they can't get Delo 100 or 40w Rotella. I bought it at O'Reillys.
I'm wondering how NAPA is in other places. It would be nice to know when travelling that most of them are good.

luvrbus · June 10, 2013, 06:33:41 PM

Just a difference in stores we have one here in small town in Az Steve can get anything for you I go in there he heads for books because he knows what I need won't be found on the NAPA computer lol he got me a piston ,liner and the rod bearing for 8v71 along with the gaskets over night

They can get Rotella 40w most NAPA's stock it but no Delo 100 I never understood that deal they stock the Delo 400- 15/40 but cannot order the Delo 40w even here

bansil · June 10, 2013, 06:34:48 PM

It has changed,25years ago NAPA was the go to place.
We have a napa in mnt city and my wife works at the largest in NC(boone) and that one is the cats meow,I have also taken apart engines,rearends etc just to show her what parts do what...she's pretty good,been in auto parts biz for 10+ years now.

If the employees don't give a crap/or don't know shiat....well they could burn a microwaved hamburger from..........

We have one in Elizebethton that is so screwed up I have had to argue and show part numbers.....just to get parts...plain and stupid,lazy ignorant idoits....their managment should be strung up....

Oh,thank you forthe "soap box"

Peace

Jnbroadbent · June 10, 2013, 06:43:40 PM

I'm pretty lucky, i've got a good friend who works at napa and is quite passionate. He will hold up a line 7+ ppl long for 20 mins so we could piece some brass fittings together to make solutions for problems.

luvrbus · June 10, 2013, 06:54:31 PM

The O'Rilleys here is a joke most that work there cannot spell stupid they are dumber than a box of sex stones

We have a CarQuest here that does a pretty good job on the heavy duty stuff also

Emcemv · June 10, 2013, 07:23:06 PM

Here in CT the Napa in my small town is great, they have 40w oil in stock and most maintenance items I've needed. Their always willing to look stuff up.

Bruce

Miss Scarlett · June 10, 2013, 07:34:42 PM

Sounds like it comes down to the people in each store as is the case with all customer service. I also have a local family owned parts store that is everything our NAPA isn't. They will spend as much time as necessary before saying that they can't find it or get it. I was hoping NAPA would be good for an on road source. Sounds like it depends on where you happen to be.

wg4t50 · June 11, 2013, 03:41:25 AM

Each store is seperate from all others, some great and some very poor.
But my big issue, my local NAPA is where I get great discount multiliers on every thing, when out and not near it, but find one, the priceing is way out of line as in full list price. My business has issues with such pricing, would like to see some sort of conectivity where I could receive the same pricing store to store.
We also purchase some oil and many filters from Advance, they are connected in Virginia, and my account shows up at each store, that works for me. Would be nice if the O'Reillys chain was also in our general area, but seem to be not well spreat here.
Cheers
Dave M

scanzel · June 11, 2013, 05:42:42 AM

If all the NAPA stores are supposed to be representing the company maybe a letter to coorporate is needed to make them aware of the situation. With all the competition out there today I know I would try to be the best.

Utahclaimjumper · June 11, 2013, 05:50:39 AM

Our local area has 5 NAPA stores,, all owned by the same guy,, and all 5 are the best.. One has an employee with 24 years service and is considered to be the "go to" guy in the area, the owner recently bought this employee a new LOADED CORVETT for his years of service..>>>Dan

belfert · June 11, 2013, 06:44:06 AM

My biggest problem with NAPA is most locations just don't stock hardly anything I need for my bus. I usually have to have stuff brought in from the warehouse, but they get multiple deliveries every day from the warehouse. There is a very large NAPA store not too far away that specializes in heavy truck parts and they do carry some stuff for my bus.

NAPA's prices tend to be high, but the AITA discount helps in some cases. On the road you're probably better off going to a heavy truck parts store or a Freightliner/Volvo/Peterbilt dealer if you can find one. NAPA would be by last choice on the road if there is another alternative.

Cary and Don · June 11, 2013, 07:04:51 AM

My favorite trip to the Napa store was for a water pump for our 72 Chevy pickup. Since I usually end up with the wrong part, I took the old on with me. The 20yr old behind the counter looked it up in his little book. Went to the back and returned with the pump. Plopped it down on the counter. I asked to see it. He glared and assured me it was the right one. I opened the box and said, "It doesn't look the same". He says, "It's the new replacement model". I took it out of the box and said, "Well then, why doesn't it have the same bolt pattern?"

Don and Cary

Oonrahnjay · June 11, 2013, 10:35:39 AM

Quote from: belfert on June 11, 2013, 06:44:06 AMMy biggest problem with NAPA is most locations just don't stock hardly anything I need for my bus.

I do a lot of work on my bus near Charlotte NC. The big NAPA on Wilkerson Blvd has the same problem but they have one advantage -- there is a guy on the counter who is unbelievably accurate. He's Hispanic and you have difficulty understanding what he says to you but if you can make any kind of reasonable attempt to describe the part or item you're looking for, he'll always quickly get it for you if they have it in stock or get the right one from the warehouse by the next morning. He's quick and he's right. Just go before 2:30, he works early shift.

There was a small branch NAPA up near Roselles Ferry Rd (near Brookshire, north of I-85). Worst service I've ever seen - if you're standing next to a shelf of 15W-40 Rotella and you ask for gallon, they couldn't find it. It closed about a year ago. Thank goodness.

BH NC USA

chessie4905 · June 11, 2013, 11:38:31 AM

I've dealt with a local NAPA for several years, with good service. Their sale flyers sometimes show heavy duty truck items, but they say that their warehouse doesn't carry the heavy duty line. I get that stuff from a different auto parts jobber, and a heavy duty truck parts location. My dealer allows me to look through their catalogs to find parts that they can't find. Seems that I regularly seem to come up with an obscure item to them that they didn't realize they carried. They have gotten used to me though.
Napa isn't the only auto parts store with the poster's issues. Since they don't pay much, turnover of help creates inexperience, cluelessness, lack of motivation, and proliferation of idiots.
What really drives me crazy is getting the new guy and having to deal with him. I feel like i'm the guinea pig to train him.
One thing I've noticed is that the newest guy always runs to answer the phone customers to avoid counter customers.
I usually say that I'll wait for so and so to wait on me or indicate I'll wait to talk to somebody I'm familiar with on the phone.

B_K · June 11, 2013, 03:18:03 PM

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
Our NAPA in Union City was AWESOME and the one here in Huntingdon tries to be.
They are getting better every time I ask for something off the wall to them! (maybe they have learned it's better to passify me than to have me pissed off)

Of course both of these stores are locally owned and the owners still work at each location almost daily and they have LOW turn over rates.
In all the years I dealt with Union City they only had 2 or 3 new guys I had to break in. (One kept a bottle of Jack under the counter for when I'd come walking in 15-20 mins to close with ANY part in my hand! In his own words "when you come driving in here this late in the day and have a part in hand I know I'm going to be here longer than happy hour lasts!")

Here in Huntingdon they've only had one new hire in the 3.5 yrs I've been dealing with them. And he's been there over a year now and turning out pretty well. He's not afraid to ask the older hand or the owner when he's having trouble finding what I need.

ALL in ALL I am very satisfied with NAPA service. And I have even called my home store and gotten part #'s and even had it billed to them and they bill me on my monthly bill before. (not often, but once when I was in Orlando and they wanted 3 times what I pay for filters at home for a fuel filter and I needed it ASAP as I'd gotten some bad fuel! and once or twice other than that)

BK