I'm sick of spare parts game.

[TheAussieStig30]

As I get ready for another week of it, I'll share some frustrations of the last week and make you feel better in your job.

Guy rings up for a starter motor in a Honda CR-V. What year is it? I dunno - laughs. Ok, I can't start without a year. 1976 - laughs. Ok. What year is it, really. I dunno, it's not mine. Ok. Call me back when you have all the info for the car mate, I can't even start. Wait wait, it says on the rego papers (it's always good when rego papers are referred to, they have bugger all info on them) 2006. Ok, is it a X or Y model (forget the options now). I dunno. Ok, let's try this way. Is it 2L or 2.4? Dunno, how do I tell? Is it FWD or AWD? FWD. Ok, well it's a 2L then. No, wait, it has CV's on the rear. Well it's AWD then, it can be 2L or 2.4L. No, it's FWD 2.4L. No mate, they haven't made a FWD in 06 with 2.4L and you have CV's in the rear, so it's AWD. Oh ok, well, go with that.

After all that, there is 3 starters listed. No way to tell without physically having the starter in front of me and measuring and counting. I tell the guy on the phone all of this and he says well which one is it? I repeat, pull the starter out, I'll count the teeth, look at pictures and identify it. Yeah but how much is it. Oh great, my suppliers don't have any of them in the country. It might be a 3 day thing or it might take them 6 weeks to get it. I told him I can't price it until I identify it. He says (competition) only want $100 for a new one. I told him to buy it. He asks if I'll better it, or match it. FFS. I tell him there's none in the country and I couldn't even sell a new solenoid for the model that HAS a solenoid for $100 so just go and buy it. He says he wants to buy it from us. (Yeah, because no one quoted him $100 in the first place, or they did to call his bluff and see if he'd hand the money over or go and waste other peoples time)

So, anyway, I say I'm sorry I can't help you on this item, I'll see you later. Can I talk to the boss? You are. No, the guy who owns the place. He's not here, I'm sorry, he only works sat sun. Oh, can I talk to the little red haired fellow? He's left, I'm sorry, I have to go, I have customers and I need to use this line. (30mins on now) oh, so when can you have the starter? Mate, I can't get it, I have to go. Click.

Rings back 10 minutes later and speaks to someone else and asks the same thing. They ask me about it and I show them the 3 pages of scribble I had written with suppliers, part nos, stock, etc, and he says the customer has found one for $100 and wants us to match it. I told the guy just to hang up, it's not worth wasting another 30 mins dicking around.

That's one story, 1 hour of one day last week.