I rate this 2 stars because I can at least get the proper quality parts for my vehicles and for a decent price when the staff is willing to do their job.
I will try to keep this as brief as possible.
Avoid the Manager Chad at this place at all costs. Bald guy, real sarcastic and not willing to help much unless he has to.
One problem I've had in the past. I work for Partsfleet who hauls parts for the local hub stores in Beaver and Butler Counties. We are entitled to a 20% discount, and this Chad fellow refuses to honor it. He claims we have an account, but it requires frequent spending to allot a discount. No other Advance store does this. It's a straight 20% on every purchase except for fluids. And I only ever ask for it if the item is 20 dollars or more. I even went as far as to get the Manager of the Hub Store in Aliquippa on the phone to tell him the exact process on how to do it. They did it that one time and have refused to do so ever since.
There are a number of minor issues I've had but they are all the same in nature as what I am going to share next.
Just this morning at about 7:45 AM on a Saturday. I walk in. There was another Employee walking in who was a real bright ray of sunshine...but if I had to work with this guy I'd be pretty miserable too. While I was in there another Employee arrived who I think was a Driver for them. The guy that entered with me proceeded to lean against the Counter at the cash register as I walked up to Chad and told him I needed wipers, a bulb, and a check engine test done to my car. He asks what kind of car and I say it. He says 'Bulbs are there, wipers are there' and rattles off a bunch of numbers I thought were the sizes of the wipers, not part numbers. I take the ones I found up to the counter. They were the wrong ones, he said. I pointed to the numbers to which he picks them up and points to a part number and makes me look like a moron in the middle of the store. After I go back over he shoots off a part number for the bulb and I said I can't remember that many numbers and he just sighs and walks over and grabs the bulb.
I am fine with getting parts myself, but don't act like your time is too valuable to help a customer when your entire job is to help a customer. For being a Manager this was a terrible example to lead by.
I make the purchase. The computer wouldn't print a receipt. To his credit I think this was a system malfunction and not Chad's fault, but he still just stood there while I waited without saying he was giving up on getting one. You ALWAYS get a receipt. He didn't ask if I was cool without it, he just assumed as much.
So I start to leave with my merchandise and then they hand me this really old diagnostics computer and I said 'I gotta do this myself? I have no idea how to operate this or where to plug it in. I was told 'Plug it in where it fits, turn it on, and hit enter a bunch of times.'
I had to get out of there before I started screaming or strangling somebody...So I figured I'd try my luck.
I looked at the headlight and realized it was a process that I was going to need some tools for, so I figured I'd wait on that. I start to address the wipers only to find the clips aren't the same and the wipers themselves have no indentation for the slider to fit in and clip on. They weren't the right clips even if they were the right size so I moved on to the computer. I look under my dash, and granted this isn't their fault but I couldn't find a plug under there anywhere. Any plugs I did find were way too small for that stone age looking machine. I found out it wasn't even the right computer to test it or the right plug when I went to Autozone.
So I just threw everything back in the bag and went back in. I looked to chad and set everything on the counter and said it was all wrong and wanted a refund. I had to repeat refund sternly and repeatedly until he went with it and he immediately goes 'I can't return anything without a receipt.' I almost lost my mind right there and almost started yelling, but I kept my cool so that I wouldn't be the bad guy in this.
After he ignored me for a solid 2 minutes, walked away for 5 and came back asking me if I really wanted a refund, he took a few more minutes to waste my time while he pretended to be doing what I asked him to do (it took forever) and he finally issued a refund.
I went out to the car and called Autozone who was happy to have me and didn't point me to an aisle so I would go away or give me excuses like 'I can't go outside when there's only 1 employee in the store' when there are 2 other employees standing around DOING NOTHING. The guy that walked in with me stood at the register leaning on the counter just talking to them the whole time. read more
