Re: [Amc-list] NAPAONLINE

["Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A: I have been trying to find someone in the ecommerce dept like I did when 
I worked at Schuck's (CSK.com) as I helped them improve the site 
considerably from a layman's perspective. The stores were unable to check 
the website (at least I can do that with NAPA) but I could access the other 
company's websites (WTF?) I took my WebTV with me to work so I could search 
the CSK site and others for the correct part numbers (that's how I pull down 
a 90% correct parts the first time with NAPA's picture system)
   Our Regional managers are so techno-scared by the IT boogeymen that they 
won't even switch us to a newer credit card system that's integrated to the 
invoicing, so even if we have 20 customers in front of us, we have to first 
look up and pick the parts, then run an invoice and take that invoice to the 
credit card machine (hopefully the other 2 front counter employees aren't 
already backed up on it because it takes @1-3 minutes for each transaction 
and heaven help us if a fax comes in or goes out during that time!) Those 20 
customers require 1 hour of time JUST to run the credit cards (impact 
printer that is copyrighted to just after the last lunar landing is used for 
2 copies at once, manually typed in, leaving a LOT of room for errors, and 
when any "modern" printer would spit out at least 4 copies in the same 
period of time)
   I pull down @50% of the sales monthly (sometimes more than commercial) 
and I'm getting tired of the manually typing in of part numbers (and having 
to memorize so many parts that DON'T have a number and sometimes not even a 
bar code!) There is FAR too much room for error (even our recently added 
scanner has been minimal help since there is only 1 in the store)
   The people are good to work for, but C'MON! It's 2007, not 1987 fer 
crying out loud! That said, there is "supposed" to be an update coming 
(today we were supposed to lose the blue screens and run just the silver 
ones. I would've put in my notice. Glen, the 80 YO guy who worked there 
since WWII decided now was the time to retire because of it!)
   While I'm griping, I don't hate my job. I enjoy working with people and 
finding that part when no-one else can do it just makes it all the sweeter! 
(the rare crank is annoying, but I get over it. I don't hide in the back 
room when some customers come in, unlike other employees. I'm the one who 
gets to deal with "Chester the molester" who is a wee too hypochondriac 
about his Dodge van breaking down, when it hasn't since I pointed out the 
cause of it's running issues as a bad battery clamp. His plate number is on 
the wall at all schools to watch out for along with a picture of him and his 
van)
   Dang it! I didn't mean to be this long winded or spill so much, but 
them's the beans!


From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Amc-list] NAPAONLINE
To: "AMC/Rambler owners, drivers and fans."
<amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0705010935280.5443@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

On Tue, 1 May 2007, Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM wrote:

>Ahh... so it's not just the site, but how the on-line part of
the
>business is run! That clarifies things a lot! Mark Price has
done a lot
>of business with Rock Auto, and I've done some... never any
problems
>there, but they appear to have set themselves up with Internet
business
>a primary concern. I'm not even sure they have any
storefronts... maybe
>one or two at the warehouses like J.C. Whitney. But Rock Auto
isn't
>JCW!! They don't carry a lot of the cheap accessory items,
they are just
>like a normal parts store, only on-line.

It does seem to be true, rockauto is online-only and NAPA is
obviously brick and mortar.

But it is absolutely true that good software costs less than
bad software in the long run, and often the short term too. And
in this case, good software would make NAPA a FORTUNE -- first
gain back the $$$ they're LOSING with their LOSER ecommerce and
at least try to approach what rockauto does in ease of access.

If I could make up orders that I could send to my local store
for fullfillment -- IT WOULD KICK BUTT. AutoZone does this.

NAPA's in-house network can tell me "in stock" vs. "we have one
of those in the Downey store" 5 miles away vs. "that's a special
non-refundable order item from Chicago 5 days delivery". Why
isn't that online?

I imagine -- I do not know -- that NAPA HQ is run by good solid
car parts business people but wouldn't know good software if
they're kids handed it to them. They probably see it as new
fangled hippy sh*t the dork kids in the backroom want. Wake up
guys! Those dorks will sell your parts for you!

They need a ghost of auto-parts future to take them on a tour of
what will happen if they don't get their act together. AutoZone
parts suck, but they are solid on getting their crap to you,
and with pretty much unknowledgable help (shudder).


(I will say this much good about AutoZone: they do carry parts
for our old cars; they really do cater to the home-car-nut.)

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