I attended a seminar where the speaker asked if we'd had a difficult customer that day. Every hand shot up. Then he asked how many of us had been difficult. The result laid the path for the rest of the day. Hands went up but more slowly and with furtive glances.

The point? Parts guys are ********. The customers who approach them are ******** too, except that parts guys are expected to be professional ********. I like to think that I'm a professional *******. I've been able to help thousands of customers over the years and yes, I called the cops on a guy. He was deranged, probably wacked out on something (yes, I'll serve you if you're drunk or high but this was waaaay different) or just plain wacked out.

Anyway, the vast majority of concerns on hdforums seems to be your bike and the **** that attaches to it. Parts. This is where my inner ******* gets to run around. Forgive me while he plays, I'll get him to sit down in a minute.

Get a catalog. The part number is in it. Actually, there are thousands of part numbers in it. In fact, considering that I have every parts catalog back to 1993, there are 10's of thousands of part numbers. That's just accessories. What about the stock parts? Collision repairs bring in hundreds of different painted parts from different vendors and under different lead times. Why take it out on your parts guy because YOU wrecked your bike in May and your tourpak won't be painted until July? We don't weild any power. We order parts. Suck it up Cupcake. Take it out on a bottle of JD like the rest of us.

Discounts. Nothing pisses a parts guy off more than spending time with a needy ***** who can't be bothered to flip catalog pages by himself who then asks for a discount.

We aren't elitists. Heh, all things considered, some of you really do have to deal with kids who have no idea what a condensor is because of the rise and fall of seasonality at your dealership. Winters suck. We aren't elitists, we're just looking to be met half-way for an intelligent conversation. It's your bike for the love of God. If you come to us and ask us if an FLSTF is a Fatboy do you really want our respect? It's an honest question and yes, that's our job and that's what we're there for but on what grounds do you want to meet us?

Not to discredit parts guys everywhere but I can assure you that the vast majority of counters being covered by seasonal help are being paid minimum wage. Would you memorize an 800 page catalog for $7/hr? Listen to the old ****s talk about modifications? Remember gaskets for a cam change?

I hate to be the kid who says the emperor has no clothes but... WAKE THE **** UP! SHOVELHEADS AND EVOS ARE GONE! Nothing fits anything anymore and I'm sick of being blamed for it.

Have a nice night.

-Art

 

I just want to know what is the left side of my bike? I mean if I'm facing forward and so is the bike?

 

Same could be said for the parts counter for any buisness. People come in every day with no model number or correct discription for the part they want. Your just supposed to know.

What makes parts guys into ********, is answering the same freakin question every day.

Yes I need your damn model number to know what you have, to find the part you need.

 

Well ya your the parts guy with all the parts numbers lol. I feel for you guys

 

Is the FLSTF Fatboy CARBED or FUEL INJECTED SIR? Never had any problems with you guys, you always do the BEST YOU CAN the way i see it!!!

 

Whoa, whoa, whoa! I own a few bikes and I work on my own bikes and I KNOW what I want and I know what I DON’T want. I have had both the seasoned counter person and the obvious new guy tell me that I HAD to buy something else other than what I originally came in for. I ordered and bought a new drive pulley and was TOLD that I HAD to buy a new drive belt too. (Wrong) I asked for just the timing cover BACKING PLATE and was TOLD that I HAD to buy the chromed cover too! (Wrong) I ordered a Tachometer for a 2007 XL1200L Low and I was TOLD that I couldn’t mount the Tachometer to that model bike. (Wrong) I ordered a late model drive pulley for a European model Fuel injected Sportster and I was TOLD that it would not work on my older pre-rubber mounted USA Sportster. (Wrong) I understand that people make mistakes but c’mon man. Over and over again, it’s the same thing. Hey, if I was someone who didn’t know any better or I needed some advice, those guys would have taken me to the cleaners every time! Because of things like this you can see why so many threads that talk about crappy dealers and how to avoid them and who to avoid.
I have seen it the other way too though. The counter guy asks the customer what year or what model he or she owns and I hear them say: I don’t know? Or they say: It’s a Harley. How do you NOT know what year of bike you bought or what model it is? The counter guy can’t read minds. He didn’t sell you the bike either. I even heard this once, the customer says: My bike has a little black thing on the side and I want to put a chrome thing on it instead. ??? It turned out that he had a black Choke **** and he wanted a chrome choke ****, but how would anyone know that. If it is the counter guy’s job to UPSELL, UPSELL, UPSELL, all the time, then I can start to understand some of this crap, but I can also see why some people are put off by the counter guys too! Hopefully a common middle ground can be found for the benefit of both sides.

 

I dunno, I believe that if you are an *******, then you are an *******, plain and simple.
I have a parts guy at the local dealership that is a resource of walking knowledge, ask him a question, you get a straight answer. The moco today does not want to tell you that this part will interchange on this model and this one, why you might ask, because they think that by letting us think (inside the box) that this item I want only fits my bike (a good parts guy knows better) and that the shock off of a v-rod will not fit a dyna, well it will and it does, now weather or not it is the correct load rating of not is a differnt story. Any dealership that has one of these great parts guys, they know it, and if they have a parts guy that is an *******, they know that too, which one do you think sells more parts?

 

Never had a problem with the part's guys, its the chick that's there who doesn't know anything that I have issues with. I go to a parts counter to get advice on... parts. Don't hire the boss' daughter just to be a pretty, tit covered chick who sits there to only say, "Hang on and let me get someone". Nevermind that someone, you dear parts guy, is busier than a tick on a dawg's *** and see's me for the uneducated idiot I am. Why am I uneducated? Well I'm not a parts guy now am I?

I noticed the parts catalogs too.. they're behind your counter, not on it

 

I was a parts guy once,and yes there will always be those looking that DO NOT HAVE A CLUE!!! and turn into morons when you can't understand them.Most people are very good.Then there are the days that a parts person should stay home.Bottom line is we are Humans! and can have a bad day once in a while.

 

i have never hada problem with my parts guy, i walk in i tell him the part number of what i need and how many, he tells me they have to order it in i pay for it and tell him to call me when they are in. thats when i deal with the dealer
usualy i deal with J&P so its even simpler i punch the part number into my laptop hit submit and wait a week or so and they arrive