Pep Boys, DON'T order 6 GALLONS 5W-30 $7, rant about phone policy

[newbury]

I don't buy from Pep Boys often because it's a drive.

BUT last night they listed an ecobox of oil for $6.99, thread here.

I was pretty sure it was a mistake but there were some reports of it being honored. So I tried.

I received "order ready for pickup" notice.

This a.m. I called first because I didn't want to waste an hours drive.

So the first guy to answer the phone blurts out "do you mind holding" and puts me on hold before I can say anything.

5 minutes later he answers and tells me I need to talk to the service department because they are the ones that use the Ecobox, so I get passed over there, another 10 rings, phone pick up, "do you mind holding" and I'm put on hold before I can say anything. Then I find out "they can't view my order, reorder it".

So I reorder it. Get the "order ready for pickup" notice. Call again, same routine but this time when the guy gets out the "you" in "do you mind holding" I shout NO. He stops, sounded flustered, I asked what are my options, he tells me "uh well, I guess you have to hold", I tell him next time don't pick up the da$% phone and hangup.

Now I've been in the stores many times when I've witnessed them pick up the phone, do the "do you mind holding" and go back to chatting with a customer or amongst themselves. If they can't talk on the phone WHY do they answer it?

Then concerning the oil - after another call back when I had time to waste, I finally get through to a "manager" - I get the line of BS that they don't stock it in the store, it's only for commercial accounts, yada yada yada. Bottomline - if you order something online and get an "order ready for pickup" notice don't expect it to be in the store. No apologies, it's just the way they do business.

They should end their phone calls with "Pep Boy's Manny, Moe & Jack, over and off "

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I'm the other way. What burns me is when I'm at the counter. When the phone rings the clerk picks up and proceeds to have a 10 minute conversation with the person on the other end. Hello? I'm the customer standing here with money in my hand. Put them on hold or call them back. I have walked out on sales because of it.

 

[ultrarunner]

I got nowhere... they told me the same that it was only for commercial accounts and I said I will come back with a resale number from the auto dealer... then they said they still could not give it to me...

Total waste of time as I had given my credit card number and had confirmation... even drove into town with my old pickup because I did not want 24 gallons inside my car.

My recent experiences with service and parts is why I will keep doing my own work and prefer not to buy local...

 

[rtimgray]

I can give my view of the portion regarding answering the phone and saying "Can you please hold" or some, possibly ruder, variation thereof.

When I go to Autozone, which is my preferred local auto parts store, I see this happen when the counter person is dealing with an in-store customer (like me). They simply answer the phone, say "Autozone - can you please hold" and place the phone back on the cradle. No, they don't wait for a response. Why? I believe it is because it would be rude to the person that is in store for them to have a conversation when I was there first.

Now, you may ask, if that is the case, why answer at all? How distracting/difficult is it for you and the clerk to have a conversation while a phone continues to ring 2 feet away? I find it very annoying, and I think others do as well. It's not the callers fault, and the clerk should say "please", but I absolutely feel the call should be placed on hold while the "in-person" customers are dealt with.

My wife works in a small insurance office, and this is the manner in which their boss has told them to deal with customers. If there is someone in the office while they are dealing with a customer face-to-face and the phone rings, she will tell the in-person customer "Please pardon me a moment" then answers the phone "Blank Insurance, can you please hold?" and puts the call on hold. Otherwise, the phone will continue to ring incessantly.

That's my view of the phone situation. If they are indeed just talking among themselves, then I agree I would be aggravated. I have not seen that at my local Autozone (don't have a PepBoys nearby).

As far as the other gripe, I understand it completely.

Good luck and take care.

 

[Ford850]

If these places had the right phone system, they could let calls go to a hold queue automatically after 'x' rings. Then they can grab calls from the queue when they have time. That queue can have messages about their hours, services they offer, or specials of the week. That's how a real business does it.

 

[kc5dlo]

Many years ago, I was a customer at Pep Boys waiting to buy a clutch for my truck. There 6 to 8 of us in line with one person at the parts counter. Several times the phone would ring and the guy behind the counter would stop what he was doing to see what spark plug fit some guys car then go back and see if they had it in stock. This kinda thing happened a few times and finally one of the people in line rather loudly suggested he take the phone off the hook and help the people that were in person ready to spend money. Pretty much everyone in line chimed in agreeing. He stopped answering the phone long enough for me to get what I needed.

The next time I see that situation unfolding, I will try to react a little differently. I will simply pull out my cell phone, call the store, and when I ask him to check the stock, tell him to just place it on the counter since I am standing in line.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've said NO... my cell battery is dieing and I can't hold... this can cause a moment of confusion on the other end and it was true.

 

[newbury]

If these places had the right phone system, they could let calls go to a hold queue automatically after 'x' rings. Then they can grab calls from the queue when they have time. That queue can have messages about their hours, services they offer, or specials of the week. That's how a real business does it.

That's how it should be done, with a mention of either what expected wait time is or you are X in line.

I can give my view of the portion regarding answering the phone and saying "Can you please hold" or some, possibly ruder, variation thereof.

When I go to Autozone, which is my preferred local auto parts store, I see this happen when the counter person is dealing with an in-store customer (like me). They simply answer the phone, say "Autozone - can you please hold" and place the phone back on the cradle. No, they don't wait for a response. Why? I believe it is because it would be rude to the person that is in store for them to have a conversation when I was there first.

Now, you may ask, if that is the case, why answer at all? How distracting/difficult is it for you and the clerk to have a conversation while a phone continues to ring 2 feet away? I find it very annoying, and I think others do as well. It's not the callers fault, and the clerk should say "please", but I absolutely feel the call should be placed on hold while the "in-person" customers are dealt with.

<snip>

Then DON'T PICK UP THE PHONE. Turn down the ringer volume. Lowes customer service doesn't answer the phone. I call up to confirm an item, the operator puts me through to customer service, phone rings 60 times (I got bored, watched TV and counted, usually I hang up after 10 rings) - no answer. So I called the 800 number. I was in line at the same customer service yesterday to pick up fertilizer. Three employees dealing with customers picking stuff up, phone ringing constantly - no answering until they finally did not have customers standing in line.
I find it far LESS annoying to hang up after 10 rings than to be asked if I could hold and being put on hold for 5 minutes or more.

Many years ago, I was a customer at Pep Boys waiting to buy a clutch for my truck. There 6 to 8 of us in line with one person at the parts counter. Several times the phone would ring and the guy behind the counter would stop what he was doing to see what spark plug fit some guys car then go back and see if they had it in stock. This kinda thing happened a few times and finally one of the people in line rather loudly suggested he take the phone off the hook and help the people that were in person ready to spend money. Pretty much everyone in line chimed in agreeing. He stopped answering the phone long enough for me to get what I needed.

The next time I see that situation unfolding, I will try to react a little differently. I will simply pull out my cell phone, call the store, and when I ask him to check the stock, tell him to just place it on the counter since I am standing in line.

I agree, customers in line deserve attention. If they don't have a decent phone answering system DON'T answer it.

 

[rtimgray]

Anything that the counterperson has to do to deal with a phone call is going to divert their attention from the customer at the counter, whether it is to turn the ringer off or ask the caller to hold. The time that it takes to do either one is probably about the same. I agree that an automated system is the solution, but neither of the locations that I cited have that. At least when the person asks you to hold, you know that someone is in the office.

Again, from my perspective, I would rather the counterperson pardon themselves briefly to place a call on hold then resume their time with me.

Good luck and take care.