John Deere Dealer... Bit of humour

[treeman4646]

My John Deere dealer has two parts guys, one older and very experienced and occasionally a new "young lad"....
Once every blue moon when I go to the dealer for some special part, I say to the young lad "I need a bilateral frikadoo (or whatever) for my 450 loader".
The kid says is it a B, a C, a D or an E?
I say" No, it's a 450".
The kid says "I know, but is it a B, a C, a D or an E?"
I say" No, it's a 450"
The kid says "I KNOW! But is it a B, a C, a D or an E?"
In the mean time the older guy is listening to all this (he already knows me) and is starting to giggle his head off...
He explains to the kid that it's just a straight 450....

Sometimes when go in even for something else and I see a new kid, I ask about something for a 450 just to get the reaction, teach the kid something and lighten up the day for the older guy....

[Willyr]

Tell the kid you need a piston return spring for giggles. After all, you need something to pull the piston back after the crank pushes it out..........

[gsont]

excuse me,but not everyone knows everything. I was born in 1949 so I'm not a rookie. I remember I didn't appericate the old guys making fun of me. If you are having fun with someone, you better be smiling' Otherwise I believe that you reap what you sow, so when the young guy doesn't treat you with the respect you think you deserve, ask youself if you treated him with the repect you expect

[Willyr]

Could be worse. I worked parts counter one time and a local garage called for a radiator for a Chevy Corvair. I left them on hold.

[shinnery]

Maybe they really wanted a thermostat for a Corvair, they had two of them.
Bryce

[cowboy4996]

I appreciate your comments gsont. I agree, respect is a 2 way road.
I've been a JD ag parts guy for 18 years...before that AGCO and automotive. I always try to be open to a little joking around. I also pride myself on being professional and taking care of our customers. Customers expect me to be expert on everything from the old A's and B's right up to the current production series machines. Add in the fact that Deere has started using the same model #'s again on different machines..ie 7700 could be a combine or a tractor. So...a little horseplay is fine...but when I ask a customer a question, it may sound a little silly, but I'm not just wanting to hear my voice...I'm trying to get the customer the correct part the first time. Since we rarely work with construction equipment here, and I'm not very familiar with it. I probably would have asked the same question as the young parts guy.
I appreciate this forum...Lavoy has helped me a lot over the years.
Thanks for letting me share my side of things.

[Lavoy]

Local dealer near me had an "old" guy, knew all the part numbers by heart, etc, etc. Of course, it if wasn't in his head, or the first search on the computer, it obviously did not exist. Then when he walked away, I would give the part number to the younger parts guy, and a few days later my part would show up. One of the main problems I have encountered over the years with the "old" parts guy is the rut they are stuck in, and most of the time, a complete lack of willingness to even think of getting out of that rut to try and satisfy a customer.
Now on the parts guy side, a little story. Years ago, I worked at a larger auto parts chain in the upper midwest. A customer walked up to the parts counter one day and asked one of the guys for a set of brake pads. When the parts guy asked for what make and model car, the guy remarked, "Doesn't matter, they are all the same." To whit the parts guy reached over and grabbed a set of brake pads that were still sitting on the counter and we had not put away yet. He handed them to the customer and said here you go. Customer asks, "Well how do you know they fit my car, you never looked it up." Parts guy responded, "You said it didn't matter, so here you go." Funny thing, all of a sudden, the customer knew make, model, and year.
I try to see both sides of it, considering I have been on both sides of the counter for over 20 years now. But when I am on the customer side of the counter, I always remember something a mechanic said to me when I was younger about a customer that had made his life hell for no reason other than to be a jerk. The old mechanic looked at me and said, "He doesn't know it, but he bought me a steak supper." The moral of the story, never piss off the parts guy or the mechanic!
Lavoy

[oldtanker]

Being mechanically inclined and spending just a few years in the Army (74-96) put me in contact with many parts people through the years. I've delt with real pros and some clowns. One of the worst was a JD guy. At the time he was my age (about 20-21 at the time). My dad took a part off a JD baler (24T) and sent my mom and sis in to get the part with the old one in hand. I was home on leave and helping dad with the hay. Mom and sis come home empty handed and told a story of a rude parts guy who not only ignored them but made fun of the in front of other customers. Claiming that the part had "never came off nuthing JD made". I told dad I'd run back in and get his part. I waited till that guy was free, laid the part on the counter, told him it was for a JD 24T and presto he comes up with the part. Didn't work out well for him.....I was young.....a little hot headed.....bet he never treated another customer like he did my mom or sister. That was back in the day when you didn't call the cops.

One of the best parts people I had dealings with was a middle aged woman at an IH dealer. Not only did she know her parts but she remembered who you were and what you had! Darn shame that Titan bought that dealer out.

Rick