If he said PU is not good, then tell him to get rid of it with 90% off the list price and you're willing to help him clear their stock of the not so good oil.
Advance Auto rep told me Ultra is not a good oil.
- Thread starter Hethaerto
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those guys at advance really know all about oil, WOW
so are you going to listen to them?
I think ultra is a great product but the price is too high and i cant seem to find any ultra that is not at least a year old..
so are you going to listen to them?
I think ultra is a great product but the price is too high and i cant seem to find any ultra that is not at least a year old..
Originally Posted By: gogozy
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Oh gosh.....my co-worker was trying to get some GC for his VW and they only had 3 quarts. So they told him to buy those 3 quarts and mix it with 0w40 M1.
Needless to say just like anywhere else the employee may not know what they are talking about.
interesting how he was told to mix with 0w40 instead M1 0w30,
Interesting indeed, who would've thought that M1 0w-30 didn't meet VW spec while GC in the same viscosity did, so it would be ok to mix it with M1 0w-40,
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Oh gosh.....my co-worker was trying to get some GC for his VW and they only had 3 quarts. So they told him to buy those 3 quarts and mix it with 0w40 M1.
Needless to say just like anywhere else the employee may not know what they are talking about.
interesting how he was told to mix with 0w40 instead M1 0w30,
Interesting indeed, who would've thought that M1 0w-30 didn't meet VW spec while GC in the same viscosity did, so it would be ok to mix it with M1 0w-40,
Most people don't know a thing about oil. The truth there isn't much to know about oil. Almost all are perfectly fine.This guy sounds like anyone else who says "well I heard", but try to pass it off as fact.
Originally Posted By: Astro14
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
Nope, I didn't believe her. I told her it was an exceptional oil, and people have no idea what they're talking about. She said customers have told her it was not good oil.
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
Nope, I didn't believe her. I told her it was an exceptional oil, and people have no idea what they're talking about. She said customers have told her it was not good oil.
Originally Posted By: Astro14
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
That's not what an "average" denotes. But it's an ironic mistake to make.
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
That's not what an "average" denotes. But it's an ironic mistake to make.
Originally Posted By: glum
Originally Posted By: Astro14
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
That's not what an "average" denotes. But it's an ironic mistake to make.
HAHAH! it's funny because it's true. Although in this context the correction was perhaps unwarranted.
Originally Posted By: Astro14
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
That's not what an "average" denotes. But it's an ironic mistake to make.
HAHAH! it's funny because it's true. Although in this context the correction was perhaps unwarranted.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: gogozy
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Oh gosh.....my co-worker was trying to get some GC for his VW and they only had 3 quarts. So they told him to buy those 3 quarts and mix it with 0w40 M1.
Needless to say just like anywhere else the employee may not know what they are talking about.
interesting how he was told to mix with 0w40 instead M1 0w30,
Interesting indeed, who would've thought that M1 0w-30 didn't meet VW spec while GC in the same viscosity did, so it would be ok to mix it with M1 0w-40,
They didn't have any M1 0w30 either. He just used what we stocked at work, Synpower 5w40.
Originally Posted By: gogozy
Originally Posted By: beast3300
Oh gosh.....my co-worker was trying to get some GC for his VW and they only had 3 quarts. So they told him to buy those 3 quarts and mix it with 0w40 M1.
Needless to say just like anywhere else the employee may not know what they are talking about.
interesting how he was told to mix with 0w40 instead M1 0w30,
Interesting indeed, who would've thought that M1 0w-30 didn't meet VW spec while GC in the same viscosity did, so it would be ok to mix it with M1 0w-40,
They didn't have any M1 0w30 either. He just used what we stocked at work, Synpower 5w40.
Originally Posted By: Hethaerto
She said customers have told her it was not good oil.
So the AAP counter-person, a supposedly trained "professional", is giving out advice based on what she heard from random customers? Oh my......
She said customers have told her it was not good oil.
So the AAP counter-person, a supposedly trained "professional", is giving out advice based on what she heard from random customers? Oh my......
Originally Posted By: brentalan
Everyone has different opinions. AAP employees are just like the rest of us. Some people are informed, others uninformed, some are just opinionated.......
That about covers it. If you're a member or reader here, you should be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. On this one you say 'really thanks for the tip', or nothing at all. In one ear, out the other.
Everyone has different opinions. AAP employees are just like the rest of us. Some people are informed, others uninformed, some are just opinionated.......
That about covers it. If you're a member or reader here, you should be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. On this one you say 'really thanks for the tip', or nothing at all. In one ear, out the other.
Originally Posted By: glum
Originally Posted By: Astro14
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
That's not what an "average" denotes. But it's an ironic mistake to make.
Oh spare me the Stats 101 definition of the median, this was not a mathematical discussion but a comment on society
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Average, according to Webster's, is 1. a single value (as in the mean, median or mode) that summarizes or represents the general significance of an unequal set of values. 2. a: an estimation of an arithmetic mean. b: a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group, class or series....
In this context, the word "average" was correctly used and deliberately chosen over the more obscure, but mathematically precise terms. I was using plain English to make the point...
Originally Posted By: Astro14
And you believed him?
If a 100 IQ is average...then, by definition, half of the people you meet will have an IQ below that number....
That's not what an "average" denotes. But it's an ironic mistake to make.
Oh spare me the Stats 101 definition of the median, this was not a mathematical discussion but a comment on society
Average, according to Webster's, is 1. a single value (as in the mean, median or mode) that summarizes or represents the general significance of an unequal set of values. 2. a: an estimation of an arithmetic mean. b: a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group, class or series....
In this context, the word "average" was correctly used and deliberately chosen over the more obscure, but mathematically precise terms. I was using plain English to make the point...
Well, no, there's no way to interpret the term "average" so that half of the series (necessarily) falls below the figure. But your original point was taken.
As far as the AAP rep, I might have asked how PU manages to meet all those specs if it's so awful?
As far as the AAP rep, I might have asked how PU manages to meet all those specs if it's so awful?
Yeah - there are a lot of ways to query the AAP rep to point out the fallacy in his logic...
Unfortunately, it takes intelligence to know that you're not intelligent...so any line of reasoning/questioning would likely be unsuccessful in educating this person.
I should have just said "a lot of people you meet are morons" - it would have been more to the point...but I had this "Lake Wobegon" thread in my mind as I was typing...and clearly, unlike the children of the fictional town, not all the folks working at AAP "are above average"....
Unfortunately, it takes intelligence to know that you're not intelligent...so any line of reasoning/questioning would likely be unsuccessful in educating this person.
I should have just said "a lot of people you meet are morons" - it would have been more to the point...but I had this "Lake Wobegon" thread in my mind as I was typing...and clearly, unlike the children of the fictional town, not all the folks working at AAP "are above average"....
IMO... standards at the parts houses have gone to the wayside. I know here where I live the Oreilly's has currently employed one ex convict and two counterboys that don't know the difference between bearing straps and muffler grease. Across the street, at the Autozone, it's pretty much the same story. It's pretty obvious that an automotive background is not a prerequisite to getting hired. My advice, look for opinions here at BITOG and then let the guys at the store just operate the bar code scanner.
Yeah - I agree...I will solicit their advice on some things, like, "Hey, have you tried this brand of wax?" or the like, but in general, I already know what I want when I go in to a parts store...and I find I have to take everything with a grain of salt. BITOG has been a great resource.
That said, the local AAP here has some really good people working at it. I mean, genuinely nice folks who are courteous and helpful. For that reason, I generally shop there for car stuff. With the number of cars I own, I am there frequently enough that they recognnize me...
That said, the local AAP here has some really good people working at it. I mean, genuinely nice folks who are courteous and helpful. For that reason, I generally shop there for car stuff. With the number of cars I own, I am there frequently enough that they recognnize me...
Sadly, AAP staff members are not trained oil experts. So asking many of them would be a waste of time. Now there are some, like myself, and take pride in what we do and learn more about our craft. All in all, it's still retail people. Folks are hired in AAP just like they are in a Walmart.
-Current AAP Employee.
-Current AAP Employee.
One thing I like to ask reps at parts stores is "Of these two items, which one gets returned more often?"
This usually gets me some useful information.
This usually gets me some useful information.
I was a manager at a big name auto parts chain. I'm not lying when I say we hired the bottom of the barrel. People with absolutely no experience, let alone parts experience. They don't receive any training either...its all left to the computer now. Mind you, these people were payed minimum wage, so experience wasn't expected. The managers have usually worked on a car at some point, but are still limited in their knowledge.
Absolutely no one I have ever encountered while working for a big parts chain knew a [censored] thing about motor oil, aside from the ignorant drivel you'll typically hear from shadetree mechanics (pennzoil causes sludge, 0w-30 runs like water, etc).
But what's more important is that most people don't care. We typically sold whatever oil was on sale, and nothing else. The only exceptions were the house brand oils which sold steadily all the time because they were the cheapest. The only brand that seemed to garner any sort of loyalty was Castrol GTX, typically in the heavier weights (20w-50 and 10w-40). I'd imagine it was for older german cars.
Its been years since I worked the parts counter, but when I was doing it 10w-30 was still the most common oil purchased and stocked...at least at my store (in an area with lots of older cars and DIY types). We did sell 5w-20 for newer cars, along with 5w-30 for various GM's. But the heavier weights sold like hot cakes. I always cringed when I saw people walking out of the store with straight 50w. I remember one guy staring at the oil shelf for at least 10 minutes...when I finally got clear of customers I went over and asked him if he needed help. He was holding two quarts of oil, one 50w, and one 20w-50. He was trying to determine if the 20w-50 would be too thin for his truck...he had been using 50w before. I asked him what type of truck it was, he said a chevy 350, with 305k miles. I asked if that was all with the 50w, and he said yes...so I told him to keep using what works lol. Wasn't going to try and explain something that might turn this guys world upside down, not when his current choices seem to be working well.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Moral of the story...don't ask parts counter guys for oil advice, because only about .01% of them will have any sort of knowledge.
Absolutely no one I have ever encountered while working for a big parts chain knew a [censored] thing about motor oil, aside from the ignorant drivel you'll typically hear from shadetree mechanics (pennzoil causes sludge, 0w-30 runs like water, etc).
But what's more important is that most people don't care. We typically sold whatever oil was on sale, and nothing else. The only exceptions were the house brand oils which sold steadily all the time because they were the cheapest. The only brand that seemed to garner any sort of loyalty was Castrol GTX, typically in the heavier weights (20w-50 and 10w-40). I'd imagine it was for older german cars.
Its been years since I worked the parts counter, but when I was doing it 10w-30 was still the most common oil purchased and stocked...at least at my store (in an area with lots of older cars and DIY types). We did sell 5w-20 for newer cars, along with 5w-30 for various GM's. But the heavier weights sold like hot cakes. I always cringed when I saw people walking out of the store with straight 50w. I remember one guy staring at the oil shelf for at least 10 minutes...when I finally got clear of customers I went over and asked him if he needed help. He was holding two quarts of oil, one 50w, and one 20w-50. He was trying to determine if the 20w-50 would be too thin for his truck...he had been using 50w before. I asked him what type of truck it was, he said a chevy 350, with 305k miles. I asked if that was all with the 50w, and he said yes...so I told him to keep using what works lol. Wasn't going to try and explain something that might turn this guys world upside down, not when his current choices seem to be working well.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Moral of the story...don't ask parts counter guys for oil advice, because only about .01% of them will have any sort of knowledge.
Originally Posted By: pzev
I was a manager at a big name auto parts chain. I'm not lying when I say we hired the bottom of the barrel. People with absolutely no experience, let alone parts experience. They don't receive any training either...its all left to the computer now. Mind you, these people were payed minimum wage, so experience wasn't expected. The managers have usually worked on a car at some point, but are still limited in their knowledge.
Absolutely no one I have ever encountered while working for a big parts chain knew a [censored] thing about motor oil, aside from the ignorant drivel you'll typically hear from shadetree mechanics (pennzoil causes sludge, 0w-30 runs like water, etc).
But what's more important is that most people don't care. We typically sold whatever oil was on sale, and nothing else. The only exceptions were the house brand oils which sold steadily all the time because they were the cheapest. The only brand that seemed to garner any sort of loyalty was Castrol GTX, typically in the heavier weights (20w-50 and 10w-40). I'd imagine it was for older german cars.
Its been years since I worked the parts counter, but when I was doing it 10w-30 was still the most common oil purchased and stocked...at least at my store (in an area with lots of older cars and DIY types). We did sell 5w-20 for newer cars, along with 5w-30 for various GM's. But the heavier weights sold like hot cakes. I always cringed when I saw people walking out of the store with straight 50w. I remember one guy staring at the oil shelf for at least 10 minutes...when I finally got clear of customers I went over and asked him if he needed help. He was holding two quarts of oil, one 50w, and one 20w-50. He was trying to determine if the 20w-50 would be too thin for his truck...he had been using 50w before. I asked him what type of truck it was, he said a chevy 350, with 305k miles. I asked if that was all with the 50w, and he said yes...so I told him to keep using what works lol. Wasn't going to try and explain something that might turn this guys world upside down, not when his current choices seem to be working well.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Moral of the story...don't ask parts counter guys for oil advice, because only about .01% of them will have any sort of knowledge.
I didn't ask her for any advice, she figured I didn't know anything about cars. I guess I look stupid?
I don't know how many times I've had my head in the engine bay looking around and some redneck walks up and starts lecturing me on how to take care of my engine, just assuming I have no idea about anything in this world. And they always say the exact same thing about synthetic oil, word for word, as if they'd memorized a passage from the redneck bible: "Once you switch to syn-thay-tic, you cain't never go back".
Then I always refute that with "Well, how come you can buy blends?"
Their eyes roll back in their heads, they start shaking, then they explode leaving blood and guts all over me and my previously immaculate engine.
I was a manager at a big name auto parts chain. I'm not lying when I say we hired the bottom of the barrel. People with absolutely no experience, let alone parts experience. They don't receive any training either...its all left to the computer now. Mind you, these people were payed minimum wage, so experience wasn't expected. The managers have usually worked on a car at some point, but are still limited in their knowledge.
Absolutely no one I have ever encountered while working for a big parts chain knew a [censored] thing about motor oil, aside from the ignorant drivel you'll typically hear from shadetree mechanics (pennzoil causes sludge, 0w-30 runs like water, etc).
But what's more important is that most people don't care. We typically sold whatever oil was on sale, and nothing else. The only exceptions were the house brand oils which sold steadily all the time because they were the cheapest. The only brand that seemed to garner any sort of loyalty was Castrol GTX, typically in the heavier weights (20w-50 and 10w-40). I'd imagine it was for older german cars.
Its been years since I worked the parts counter, but when I was doing it 10w-30 was still the most common oil purchased and stocked...at least at my store (in an area with lots of older cars and DIY types). We did sell 5w-20 for newer cars, along with 5w-30 for various GM's. But the heavier weights sold like hot cakes. I always cringed when I saw people walking out of the store with straight 50w. I remember one guy staring at the oil shelf for at least 10 minutes...when I finally got clear of customers I went over and asked him if he needed help. He was holding two quarts of oil, one 50w, and one 20w-50. He was trying to determine if the 20w-50 would be too thin for his truck...he had been using 50w before. I asked him what type of truck it was, he said a chevy 350, with 305k miles. I asked if that was all with the 50w, and he said yes...so I told him to keep using what works lol. Wasn't going to try and explain something that might turn this guys world upside down, not when his current choices seem to be working well.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Moral of the story...don't ask parts counter guys for oil advice, because only about .01% of them will have any sort of knowledge.
I didn't ask her for any advice, she figured I didn't know anything about cars. I guess I look stupid?
I don't know how many times I've had my head in the engine bay looking around and some redneck walks up and starts lecturing me on how to take care of my engine, just assuming I have no idea about anything in this world. And they always say the exact same thing about synthetic oil, word for word, as if they'd memorized a passage from the redneck bible: "Once you switch to syn-thay-tic, you cain't never go back".
Then I always refute that with "Well, how come you can buy blends?"
Their eyes roll back in their heads, they start shaking, then they explode leaving blood and guts all over me and my previously immaculate engine.
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