Walking into part store just for oil filter.

I’m absolutely giddy that AZ has the self checkout. Why wait in line behind someone getting parts for a rebuild when I can walk in and grab what i need, scan it, tap my card, choose email receipt and get on with my day
It's not that I'm against self checkout. But if I'm in front of a counterman and instead of ringing me up, he/she points me to self checkout, I'm leaving. It's poor customer service. I'f there are several people in line , and he/she suggests the self checkout, no problem.
 
1.) never seen a self check out anywhere in socal at AZ.
2.) they are one shady company. In my area they used to have a significant discount for oil/filter combos, still more expensive than Walmart. Around 35-40 for oil/filter. They scratched off the oil+filter part and put up a piece of paper next it saying "PRICE OF OIL AND FILTER IS SEPARATE." If you go online and do in store pickup, the price is same for both items, so in store they're charging you another 12-15 bucks.
3.) AZ only good for dropping off used oil/filters and bogo chevron techron concentrate.
 
In name only. IIRC, the most of the remaining Pepboys stores got bought up by Autozone, along with the rights to retain the Pepboys name on the stores. I think a few Pepboys are still owned by the same company. Not many though.....
As far as Pepboys goes, 'in my observation' the final death knell for the chain was sounded when it was purchased by Carl Icahn. If there is a real life Gordon Gekko, then 'imo' he would be it. Once his private equity group got a hold of PB, it was just a matter of time before it shrunk to almost nothing or completely disappeared.
 
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When I was in undergrad I worked at AAP, it was a pretty easy job and I enjoyed working on my own car so I figured working at a parts store would be enjoyable.

I remember at every employee review my manager going over my “Dollars Per Transaction Average” aka DPT. They wanted every “parts professional” to have an DPT average of $40. So we would do computer based trainings on what would be a good tack on for specific purchases. Such as, a customer comes in for brake pads, you should ask them if they want the brake lubricants, brake cleaner, shop towels and ‘of course they should replace the rotor as well’. My DPT was never the $40 average they wanted because I wasn’t pushy about the tack ons and people typically wanted to buy the fewest thing possible and then over the course of the repair come back to the store 3 more times to get the supplies to finish the job.

But it taught me a valuable lesson about how businesses function, and understand that businesses have to make money but also you don’t have to be a slime ball and take advantage of people. If it works out and you recommend a complimenting product for a better/easier install, that’s a job well done and the customer appreciates it. But the reverse is also true, and you might get the $40 today, but you won’t get it again tomorrow.
 
They would’ve hated me at my former employer. I used to order cases of filters but we had our own bulk oil. I probably could’ve gotten the whole store written up
 
I always buy oil filters by themselves.

The reason being is Walmart doesn't have Premium Guard oil filters and the price for oil at the auto parts store is insane.
That’s why I’m thankful my Walmart is less than a mile from both Oreillys and AutoZone in my town.
 
My local Auto Zone has a self checkout . I don't use it . I've purchased one filter and even one quart of oil before with no issues .No job would be worth that kind of abuse . Maybe that's why they always have signs in the window saying that they are hiring ....
 
I bought a jug of Valvoline Restore and Protect and a Microgard Select filter for $42 including tax last night at O’Reilly, the pre-tax price was actually $4 more on the oil and $2 on the filter compared to Walmart. I’ll only buy an oil change combo at the parts store. Else, I’ll go to Walmart and pair it with a filter on hand.
 
Used to work at one of the big parts stores in college. Corporate automatically tracked each employee's "upsells," e.g. brakleen with brake pads, via the POS that we had to sign in with personal credentials. Always struck me as a bit creepy?

Store management was supposed to get on our case if our numbers were down, mine were undoubtedly terrible - I'm not a salesman, I wasn't being paid enough to upsell. But since I was one of three people in that place that knew a lick about cars, they didn't give me much heat for it.

My most egregious experience was at AutoZone when buying a set brake pads. Counter guy, without saying a word, sets a can of brakleen and two grease packets on the counter then goes to scan it. It doesn't bother me at all when they ask, but I lost my cool there.
 
My most egregious experience was at AutoZone when buying a set brake pads. Counter guy, without saying a word, sets a can of brakleen and two grease packets on the counter then goes to scan it. It doesn't bother me at all when they ask, but I lost my cool there.
Then corporate wonders why they are losing market share to online sales because the customer does not have to deal with that dynamic and weirdness that situation puts out there.
 
As far as Pepboys goes, 'in my observation' the final death knell for the chain was sounded when it was purchased by Carl Icahn. If there is a real life Gordon Gekko, then 'imo' he would be it. Once his private equity group got a hold of PB, it was just a matter of time before it shrunk to almost nothing or completely disappeared.
Actually, Oliver Stone the director of that movie, Wall Street, admitted in an interview he modeled Gordon Gecko off Carl Icahn! That guy has been destroying stuff since the 80s. Oliver Stone's dad worked on Wall Street and Stone saw all those types of guys when he was growing up.
 
Actually, Oliver Stone the director of that movie, Wall Street, admitted in an interview he modeled Gordon Gecko off Carl Icahn! That guy has been destroying stuff since the 80s. Oliver Stone's dad worked on Wall Street and Stone saw all those types of guys when he was growing up.
Honestly, I did not know that, but as a stated, if one guy fits the bill for GG, 'imo' it's Icahn. I may have had vague inkling about it though, because it does make sense. Thanks for the info.
 
I like to support the local auto stores, but it's difficult to justify a double-digit percentage increase on the cost of an item. Have multiple cars in the family, plus motorcycles and a boat, so diy maintenance is a necessity to manage costs, and I also get satisfaction for learning and doing the job right. Have supported the local retailers, and for the few employees that have a length of service I have developed a friendship and appreciate their knowledge.

Have noticed a trend when buying online for a specific brand, when I go to pick it up (to save on shipping) they have substituted for a "similar" item at the same price, in which case I decline. Have been advised it is "a perfectly acceptable substitute" even though it is NOT. Exposes the lack of knowledge of the sales assistant.

Whenever I buy just an engine oil filter, I expect an upsell on the oil. If not a bundled deal it is rarely competitive. Sadly, at Autozone the Mobil 1 ESP 5 quart 0W30 plus STP Long Life filter has fallen by the wayside, my go to, so it's back to Walmart. Just replaced my H8 (49) AGM battery purchased from Walmart after shopping hard everywhere.

So upshot of all this is: local parts stores are my first port of call. I don't want them to vanish. For instance, they carry additives to help my boat get through winter storage. They provide one off parts and oddities, the correct specific Euro coolants, etc., will resurface my rotors, and provide a venue for brief social interactions with both other shoppers and staff, usually a positive experience not found at the big box stores.
Your story reminds me of a bygone time.

The last time I went into my AutoZone and bought anything there was an elderly lady in line about three people ahead of me. She had to have been in her 70s. She had a late model grand marquis in the parking lot and was asking if she could use synthetic oil. The clerk behind the counter told her she could, but once she did, she could not go back to conventional. The lady asked him why not and he replied by saying that’s just how it is with synthetic oil.
 
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