Who else has had bad luck with Kragens? (this is a rant)

GaryMB

New member
Warning: the following paragraph consists of me ranting on and on

I've always had trouble with the service at the local Kragens Auto Parts in Redwood City, CA. I understand that not everyone who gets a job at an auto parts store neccesarily knows alot about automotive things and probably are just in search of a job, but it has just gotten ridiculous here lately. Some of the employees don't even know what a timing chain is, much less how to look one up on the store's computer. Customer service is terrible--I don't ever bother calling them to see if they have something in stock, because I will be placed on hold until I hang up or someone picks up the phone to make a call and realizes I'm still there and puts me on hold again. Before I go any further I would like to say that I don't have anything against the latino community, but...people who work in retail really should know how to speak english well enough to communicate clearly in english. I have often found myself trying to describe a part with hand motions and pointing to pictures. I had been putting up with Kragens as best I could for a while, mostly for convenience, but today when I went to pick up the crankshaft kit for my L6 stroker, I ended up picking up the remanufactured crankshaft off of the bare ground in absolutely no packaging with the bearings scattered near by, out of their crushed boxes. The bearings are full of scratches and gouges and are in no where near good enough condition to put in an engine. In fact, I have a friend who tried to work there once but quit after two weeks because the store was so disfunctional and run so poorly. Sooooo, I have about $400 in unopened Kragens items that I will be returning tomorrow and don't ever plan to buy anything from them again. Does anybody know the number for the Kragens headquarters? The manager at this store is no help, so I'm looking for a higher level to complain to.
 

RE: Lift kit? which brand to go with?

Advance auto parts is the same way. That was my first semi-real job. What could be better than helping guys get their projects running right? r i g h t .....


I grew to hate the customers to some extent. Smartasses would come in all aggravated and ask questions like "DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ACCELERATOR PUMP IS!!".....sure do, that's that pedal in the floorboard that you press to go faster, right? Or "I NEED A WOODRUFF KEY"......sorry man, Woodruff would kick my tail if I gave you his keys. The whole job was installing batteries and winshield wipers on womens cars. I'd make backhanded comments the whole time if a man asked for installation. I had a black guy in a CJ7 pull up one day. Two 15" subs in the back and fresh window tinting, but he wanted me to lay on the ground and change his oil out in the parking lot. Dang fools. My coworkers weren't any better. If a woman answers the phone, just hang up and call back until she gets aggravated and lets the manager answer. Then ask him for the part.
 
Man, that's sad. Actually, between Pep Boys, O'Reilly, Auto Zone, and Advance Auto Parts in Wichita, I much prefer Advance. At least they have always had everything in stock that I've gone looking for, and the guys that work there are really pretty sharp when it comes to pretty much any model of vehicle. As for the other three.....I don't even bother anymore. Why wouldn't you stock an oil filter for a 97 Camry?!? One of the top 3 selling vehicles in America!! "Sorry, we don't carry that. You'll have to go to the dealer." Yeah, right.....even WalMart has half a million of them on the shelf.
 
RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Goin

must be your store. i went to a schucks there in Yreka CA. there staff was nothing but saturday racers and wheelers.. there is even a 4by club there that calls themselfs the Lava Crawlers. (Mt Shasta being 20 miles away and all). anyway i never had a problem with them or the local NAPA. all good people. but you know you spend way too much time in there when you walk in the door and thay say "what did you break this time Terry." checker schucks and kregen are all owned by the same company, CSK auto. its all the same store. cripes when i applyed at the schucks there i had to take a test to see if i knew anything about automobiles. i must have got the highest score thay ever seen couse i didn't get the job. you know, thay didn't want me making the other employees looking dumb now lol. (yea thats it.)
 
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