Subjecting myself to a parts man's all time low point...

[unstable bob gable]

I started out selling auto parts in 1987, working for a now defuct speed shop chain called Performance Centers of America. I had a good run doing parts gigs as a P/T job until May of this year, when I last offically worked for Hapi Auto Parts in Hillsboro. I was never offically fired or quit, I just got "laid off" due to business being slow. I've called the owner a few times in the past month, and I basically got blown off with "I'll talk to the manager, and I'll call ya back." Yeah right...
Well, I hit the pavement at some other stores, and basically got smoke blown up my azz, just like at Hapi. Technically I don't need the part time job, but I do enjoy the biz, and hey, who doesn't like making an extra $ and getting a discount on parts? So, it has all come down to this: I am looking at an application for Auto Zone in front of me. Yep, "Da Zone." Or as I call 'em "Auto Bone." "Gettin' the bone, from Auto Bone!" Welp, I can expect to be underpaid, have to conform to dumb standards like no earrings and covered up tats, and just gen'l corporate BS. Do I really wanna do this? Ha, with my luck they will prolly blow smoke up my azz and not hire me anyway...

[Ian]

Auto zone in hillsborough?

there are wose things than auto zone. Does the name "pep boys" ring a bell

Did you try PDQ in manville? my dad knows everyone there and they are all very nice people. just a thought.

[foff667]

I didnt think they gave out apps to anyone not still in HS??? did you go back to finally finish that GED Bob?

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by Ian

Auto zone in hillsborough?

there are wose things than auto zone. Does the name "pep boys" ring a bell

Did you try PDQ in manville? my dad knows everyone there and they are all very nice people. just a thought.

Dude,
I had a few "informal" chats with the guys at the Bone in Hillsboro, but I'd prolly be looking to work @ the one in Raritan. One of the guys I used to work with at Kar Parts is a manager there, and if any thing he would prolly be my best shot at getting in. Plus I enjoyed working with him @ Kar Parts.

Funny thing about Poop Boys...I worked at the one in Piscataway when it was brand new, and I really enjoyed it. I got to guru a bunch of the younger guys, the pay wasn't too bad, and I was actually able to order some decent stuff. But that job went all to hell after a while, and when I got fed up with them treating me {and everyone else} like stock boys, I said "F-U".

PDQ is one of the 'lil stores that just seems to have the same people there forever. And to be honest I'd like to stay away from the wholesale biz. I tend to not mix well w/ arrogant shop apes who call up and act like they own your soul, and that you should be able to break the sound barrier getting them their parts. I had a couple run ins w/ some shop guys when I worked at Hapi, and it was fun when I was able to deliver their parts in person and have a 'lil face to face chat...

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by foff667

I didnt think they gave out apps to anyone not still in HS??? did you go back to finally finish that GED Bob?

Chit, I graduated with honors in 1983. And 3 months later I was fixing equipment for Uncle Sammy...

[BigAls87Z28]

Advanced Auto/PDQ is a great bunch of people, and sometimes you get lucky and find a girlfriend there.... 8)
Advanced is on my top 3 places to get parts for work.
Why not work at Sears Auto as a service writer?

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Advanced Auto/PDQ is a great bunch of people, and sometimes you get lucky and find a girlfriend there.... 8)
Advanced is on my top 3 places to get parts for work.
Why not work at Sears Auto as a service writer?

I haven't noticed any Advanced Autos around my area...

I worked as a service writer for Penske, and it was a pretty cool job. But most of the time jobs like that are full time gigs, and I'm just looking for something p/t. I love my f/t gig w/ NJ Transit, so I ain't looking to give that up for any other f/t work.

[BigAls87Z28]

Eh, right now my store is looking for anyone that wants to work. We are down to ONE full time Writer, which is me, and the other 2 are part time.
We NEED people that want to work, and have some sort of background would be great. Dunno if you would drive all the way out to Monmouth county, but if you wanted to, the job is yours.

[Koll]

I miss PCoA. There used to be one in eatontown, which is now the "Adult Empornium". They had some good ****.

[Koll]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Eh, right now my store is looking for anyone that wants to work. We are down to ONE full time Writer, which is me, and the other 2 are part time.
We NEED people that want to work, and have some sort of background would be great. Dunno if you would drive all the way out to Monmouth county, but if you wanted to, the job is yours.

Tell them I was 15/hr and ill work.

[trashman01]

advance auto is retard auto

[JPiZZiJP]

Bob,

After meeting you, and seeing this post's title and the text that follows, I was quite shocked. You should be proud of what you do, no matter what or how "low" you think it might be. I'll give you a great example...

My father is a retired soldier... 18 years in the service. Airborne Ranger, Special Forces, RECONDO, Purple Heart, Combat Stripes, the works... you name it, he's got it... he did some serious **** in Vietnam. He wasn't drafted either... he was one of those crazy sons of bitches that volunteered... for MORE than 3 TOURS. If any of you have read up on RECONDO soldiers, they are crazy sadistic sick sons of bitches, and I can't imagine how my father used to be what books depict him as.

After his service in the Army, he became a police officer, and then a Corrections Officer at a county jail. A few years ago, he was forced into retirement (which is a whole other story... but let's just leave it at that).

He then got a job at Wal-Mart as a sales supervisor. When I found out about this, I was devastated... the first time in my life, I wasn't proud of my father... it was cool to tell people "oh my dad's a cop, and a retired soldier", but then when he started working for Wal-Mart, I shifted away from my pride in him.

When my parents seperated, he moved to Maryland and worked for a different Wal-Mart... he then quit to start working as a cashier at a gas station. He did it because he enjoys dealing with people. He lives in a small town in Maryland, where the same people come into the store everyday, where he can chit chat with the same people everyday. Everyone in town knows him, and he loves it. He loved what he did as a soldier, he loved what he did as a police officer, and he loved being a gas station attendant as well. For that, I'm proud of my father. He's had a long and respectable carreer that MANY (I guarantee) would not have voluntarily chosen.

You love dealing with cars (or at least, I hope/think you do? lol). There is/should be no shame in working for AutoZone, or Pep Boys, or any other commercialized shop out there. I tell you what, your store would probably get business for NJFBOA'er's all over the state. I'd go to your Pep Boys or Auto Zone knowing you worked there. Why? Because I know you'd treat me right as a customer and not some jerk-off that knows nothing about cars. You've got this mutual "do unto others" respect for people that I recognized when we first met.

So, after pouring a bit of my heart out, I hope it's uplifted your spirits a bit. You might think this is low, but I think things will work out for you. If not, I will definitely suggest to everyone on the boards that you be our token parts guy :P

Cheers!

[j0n]

hey bob...check out the napa in piscataway/south plainfield...the majority of the people that work there usually have half a clue and i believe they're hiring...if not, why not try california speed and sport in new brunswick? thats 100% performance parts there

[camaro2you]

Originally Posted by 88ta5spd

advance auto is retard auto

I agree with that.

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by JPiZZiJP

Bob,

After meeting you, and seeing this post's title and the text that follows, I was quite shocked. You should be proud of what you do, no matter what or how "low" you think it might be. I'll give you a great example...

My father is a retired soldier... 18 years in the service. Airborne Ranger, Special Forces, RECONDO, Purple Heart, Combat Stripes, the works... you name it, he's got it... he did some serious **** in Vietnam. He wasn't drafted either... he was one of those crazy sons of bitches that volunteered... for MORE than 3 TOURS. If any of you have read up on RECONDO soldiers, they are crazy sadistic sick sons of bitches, and I can't imagine how my father used to be what books depict him as.

After his service in the Army, he became a police officer, and then a Corrections Officer at a county jail. A few years ago, he was forced into retirement (which is a whole other story... but let's just leave it at that).

He then got a job at Wal-Mart as a sales supervisor. When I found out about this, I was devastated... the first time in my life, I wasn't proud of my father... it was cool to tell people "oh my dad's a cop, and a retired soldier", but then when he started working for Wal-Mart, I shifted away from my pride in him.

When my parents seperated, he moved to Maryland and worked for a different Wal-Mart... he then quit to start working as a cashier at a gas station. He did it because he enjoys dealing with people. He lives in a small town in Maryland, where the same people come into the store everyday, where he can chit chat with the same people everyday. Everyone in town knows him, and he loves it. He loved what he did as a soldier, he loved what he did as a police officer, and he loved being a gas station attendant as well. For that, I'm proud of my father. He's had a long and respectable carreer that MANY (I guarantee) would not have voluntarily chosen.

You love dealing with cars (or at least, I hope/think you do? lol). There is/should be no shame in working for AutoZone, or Pep Boys, or any other commercialized shop out there. I tell you what, your store would probably get business for NJFBOA'er's all over the state. I'd go to your Pep Boys or Auto Zone knowing you worked there. Why? Because I know you'd treat me right as a customer and not some jerk-off that knows nothing about cars. You've got this mutual "do unto others" respect for people that I recognized when we first met.

So, after pouring a bit of my heart out, I hope it's uplifted your spirits a bit. You might think this is low, but I think things will work out for you. If not, I will definitely suggest to everyone on the boards that you be our token parts guy :P

Cheers!

Hey, Burn Out King

Thanx for the post and for being concerned about my well being. But basically the point I was trying to convey is I feel I am too good a parts guy to be subjected to stocking shelves for a few cents above min. wage for a chain store like Da Bone. Places like that gen'l have a high turnover rate, and they don't want to pay what a knowledgeable guy is worth. If I found a place that was willing to pay me a decent buck and let me man the counter I'd grab it in a heartbeat, and it wouldn't matter if it was a chain store or independent. And yer dayum straight I'd treat ya right. One of the things that is really f'd right now is there is a guy dealing with my old store who is restoring a 1970 AMX, and instead of me being there to take care of him, I'm getting calls from my friends who work there, to give them info so they can take care of him.

And on another note, next time you talk to yer Pop tell 'em a former USAF guy {me} thanks him for the duty he did for our country. And ya should always be proud of yer Pop, no matter if he is a ditch digger or President of the USA. My old man worked as a grunt unloading trucks at the last place he worked, and worked his way up to a supervisior position. He retired with a nice pension, and now he burns up the golf course a few times a week. He is gonna be 70 in a few weeks, and he can still kick my azz!

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by j0n

hey bob...check out the napa in piscataway/south plainfield...the majority of the people that work there usually have half a clue and i believe they're hiring...if not, why not try california speed and sport in new brunswick? thats 100% performance parts there

Dude,
I worked for NAPA, too. Left a bad taste in my mouth. But thanks for the heads up.
Geez, is Calli Speed N Sport still in biz? I used to deal with them 20 years ago! 8)

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by Koll

I miss PCoA. There used to be one in eatontown, which is now the "Adult Empornium". They had some good ****.

Yeah, I loved working for PCoA. They used to pay me to go work at Englishtown during the swap meets and big race events. Pfft, I woulda did it for free, or paid them! At one event I got to meet Don "The Snake" Prudomme up in the tower, and got hugs and kisses from "The Bud Girls." Got to drink some free Bud, too!
Ahhh, those were da daze!

[unstable bob gable]

Originally Posted by BigAls87Z28

Eh, right now my store is looking for anyone that wants to work. Â*We are down to ONE full time Writer, which is me, and the other 2 are part time. Â*
We NEED people that want to work, and have some sort of background would be great. Â*Dunno if you would drive all the way out to Monmouth county, but if you wanted to, the job is yours.

Well, Al, it would ALMOST be worth the ride just to work with you...
BUT with gas being 800 bux a gal, I'm gonna look a 'lil closer to home first. But thanx for the offer!