Autobarn

[mad082]

also while on the topic of experience and knowledge, the sales people have to start somewhere. the businesses simply can't only employ experienced people. if they did, then in 20 or 30 yeas time there would be no-one around to work in the shops as anyone with expeience would be retiring and since no young people have been given the opportunity to get experience, the number of available people would decrease.

but i have the same complaints about this forum as a lot of people do about autobarn stores. you post up a question and you used to get plenty of good answers. now you get a few good answers and plenty of stupid answers where people are just regurgitating incorrect information without knowing what they are actually talking about. this then makes the new people think that this incorrect information is actually correct so then they keep passing on this information.

[FTO]

Good point, but where does the learning stop and the 'expert advice' tag start.

I got desperate the other Saturday and sent someone up to Autobarn Logan to grab a set of drive belts for a '95 R33 with all the right model/engine details, not exactly rocket science..they got 3 out of 3 wrong! Grabbed the old belts and went back myself right on closing time..they had all 3 correct belts in stock. Ok, my bad, wasted time and effort, but these 'experts' are also selling parts, oils and accessories to uninformed customers that are not only causing inconvenience, but also damage and costing money. Time management started listening to customer feedback and had a re-think.

Edited February 21, 2010 by FTO

[mad082]

i think you will find that 90% of people working in retail these days (in all areas of retail) are only doing it as a job and have no idea about what they are selling. my mother went to bcf with her boyfriend's son to get fishing line. asked what size they should get, they didn't have a clue. so she rang me and i explained it to her and she was able to buy what they needed.

[jase-r34]

Fishing line and performance car parts are worlds apart.... I think that if someone is employed by lets say autobarn.....have no experience with what they are talking about....they should get trained PROPERLY and put on a trial. If they aren't capable of learning the products they are selling then why should they keep their job? If i was crap at my job i wouldnt have it anymore.....

[PM-R33]

Good point, but where does the learning stop and the 'expert advice' tag start.

I got desperate the other Saturday and sent someone up to Autobarn Logan to grab a set of drive belts for a '95 R33 with all the right model/engine details, not exactly rocket science..they got 3 out of 3 wrong! Grabbed the old belts and went back myself right on closing time..they had all 3 correct belts in stock. Ok, my bad, wasted time and effort, but these 'experts' are also selling parts, oils and accessories to uninformed customers that are not only causing inconvenience, but also damage and costing money. Time management started listening to customer feedback and had a re-think.

Since i worked at Autobarn i can comment on this. Autobarn deals mainly with Gates and Dayco belts and they hardly list any imports in their catalogues (had enough drama getting the right part numbers for my belts when i did them). So if they had no listing for the car it would have been quite difficult for them even if they got told all the vehicle details. Then when you went in and brought in the belts, it was obviously easy for them to get the belts.

[mad082]

Fishing line and performance car parts are worlds apart.... I think that if someone is employed by lets say autobarn.....have no experience with what they are talking about....they should get trained PROPERLY and put on a trial. If they aren't capable of learning the products they are selling then why should they keep their job? If i was crap at my job i wouldnt have it anymore.....

not really. the principle is the same. and besides, if they don't know anything about fishing line, how will they know about the tents they sell, the gps systems, safety equipment, etc. there are some big ticket items there, and some which could end in serious injury if the person was sold the wrong thing (such as gas bottle fittings, etc).

my point throughout this thread has been that in every industry, and in a large portion of businesses out there you will get useless people.

and if you really feel so strongly about the poor service you are getting, speak to the manager or owner about it and don't just have a sulk on an internet forum about it. but if you do go and speak to the manager or owner, give them feedback rather than going in there and abusing them. don't go in there all angry because that won't get you anywhere (having worked in retail for 10 years now, if someone comes in and abuses me i do just enough to shut them up and nothing more, but if they are calm and polite i will be more helpful and do more to make the customer happy. in some instances i have simply refused to deal with the customer while they are being abusive). also try to refrain from saying things like "someone on the internet said it was the wrong part" and other things like that as not all information on the internet is correct and i have had some repsected members of this forum tell me information that was totally incorrect.

[jase-r34]

I tried that MANY times ^^^^ It didn't help me though. So now i just shop elsewhere

[kails]

I was one of the front counter chicks/sales at Autobarn in Gympie and the team there had quite a substantial knowledge of products and parts. We had certain sections in which people specialised in but we also had to know the basics of the whole shop. I could quite easily be down in spare parts and serve people with most things and also sell aftermarket products. Like PM-R33 said alot of import parts aren't listed in alot of the products that Autobarn dealt with so it was always a run around trying to source parts and then half the time you could find them cheaper on the net so there is a bit of a loss there.

It doesn't help that if you don't know what you're selling you shouldn't be working there so it's a bit of fault on the manager/owner side of things as for them to employ people who really have no idea. It isn't fair to the public who rely on them to sell them the right product. I found the Autobarn where I worked was always up to date on our parts and products. I guess its not always a case of wanting to get the most out of your business making sure you have people who know what they are selling as opposed to just employing people so you have staff to serve.

my two cents anyways.

Edited February 25, 2010 by kails

[mad082]

you not working at autobarn anymore? i haven't been in much lately, but heading there after work today

[kails]

you not working at autobarn anymore? i haven't been in much lately, but heading there after work today

Nope, finished up on christmas eve. Moved to the sunny coast so trying to see if i can get on at the Kawana Autobarn.

[queensalnd]

Next he'll ask if da turbo squeels like a cop!!!

that's gold lol

[stump_69]

HKS_25T thanks for the comment, im at Port mac autobarn

by the sounds of things heaps of other shops do alot of guessing if they dont know what there looking for..

the programs and catalougues now are fairly up to date on imports now which is helpful aswell

but all the autobarns are seperatly owned, some owners dont know anything on cars hence why they dont bother hiring people who do know there stuff,

then other owners who do know a thing or two try to hire people they have built cars, helps to give advice

just depends on shop and the people, to be honest theres just to many retards out there nowdays

always check the cars out the front, imports are good signs

[boiracer]

last time i bought Motul Turbolight from the Caboolture store (which they no longer stock) the guy behind the counter asked what sort of motor bike i had...and then looked confused when i told him it was for a car...lol