Unfortunately most of us know the frustration in missing a ride or even a race because the part you ordered never arrived or was the wrong one. Pissed off and wanting to Mike Tyson the fool behind the counter, we again order the part and trust they get it right the second time...
Against better judgment we've all had faith in the dude on the phone or the guy behind the counter, and in the end we've gotten burned like the morning after devouring a jar of jalapeo dip.
While we're not saying all parts guys are wack, we've decided to arm you against the ones that are. This way you'll have the ammo to make good decisions when stepping up to the counter.
Like my behind-the-scenes mission last month as a salesman for a day, this month I got behind the counter and into the parts department at Mach 1 Motorsports to ask questions, get some pointers, and learn the basics that all parts department employees should know.
Parts Counter 101 started by rolling into "work" an hour before the doors opened with only the other early bird parts guys. The parts department was laden with boxes that required quick and orderly attention to get checked and stacked in the inventory. When the "fun" finally stopped I was sweating like Rosie O'Donnell at a vegetarian buffet and realized it was game time--the store was set to open in ten minutes and the phone was already hollering.
When the sign was finally lit, there was a constant trickle of customers with questions that ranged from proper gear fitment to tire upgrades and everything in between. They say dumb questions don't exist, but after this day I'd beg to differ. My "entry level" responsibilities entailed answering the phone, helping customers locate particular items in the catalogs, retrieving orders and restocking shelves all with a damn smile on my face--suffice it to say I would have rather put my bare ass on a cactus after a day like that (that's two butt jokes so far, dude--Ed.).
I helped sell oil, coolant, fork oil, batteries, sprockets, gloves, helmets, jackets, grips, plastics, sliders and well...you get the point. I answered questions about which pipe would give people the best "wheelie power," and tried to find plugs, rotors and a windscreen for "my yellow 600."