Seems to be a lot of Parts Counter bashing these days. Times have sure changed since I knew a lot of people- but only from the waist up! Anyway, I thought I'd share a few anecdotes:

1. Mechanic would come to the counter. "Hey, you gave me the wrong parts!" Me: "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You've got the wrong idea here! It's MY job to get you the parts. It's up to YOU to make 'em fit..."

2. Customer comes in. (I know him well and he knows me.) He says, "I need a belt." I say, "Well, it's kinda early, but I could use one too. There's a bar just down the street..."

3. Customer phones, asks if we have a part. I check and tell him, "I have it in my hand." He says, "Well hold on to it for me, will 'ya?" Me: "I'll have to put it down to eat..."

4. Wife comes in. "I need a belt for the combine." I could tell she wasn't too confident about answering specific questions, but I already knew what model they owned. "What side is it on?" She brightens. "The side next to the crib!"

5. Old Kenny the mechanic was pounding on the back counter for immediate service. Old Howard the salesman says, "Now Kenny, can't you see the boys are busy? You just lay down an' let yer pups suck. They'll get to you as soon as they can."

6. One customer had another guy buttonholed at the counter, ranting over some politics. Victim was a distant cousin, so couldn't get away, though he clearly had better things to do than stand around and listen to this guy go on and on. We had one of those (illegal) plastic milk crates we used to stand on, so I went and got it and brought it around the counter and put it down next to the 'orator'. That broke his stream and let the other guy get away.

7. Customer- great guy- always paid, eventually. One day he came in with his checkbook. "How much do I owe?" "Well, your current bill is ____." "That's not what I asked. How much do I owe right now? The horse is runnin'- we can only rider 'er 'til she stops!"

8. Customer wanted a ball bearing for something other than farm equipment. Okay, what size? Blank stare. "Well, we'll need to know at least the shaft size. Even if you just tie a string around the shaft, we can go from there." "Okay." Guy comes back a couple hours later. With a rubber band...

9. This one happened many times. Couple in, looking over the toys- mostly the bigger stuff, but having trouble deciding. "Need some help?" "Well, we're looking for something for our grandson." "You might wanna think about the smaller ones- they can get their hands around them easier and even take them in the car or to church." "We were thinking of something bigger..." "How old is he?" "Two" "Erm, it says right here on the box that this one is for ages 5 and older. Some of the small parts can come off..." "Oh, but he's real smart!"

10. Farmers would consult with their tax man and perhaps need to make some purchases before the end of the year- maybe a chainsaw or a pressure washer. One guy would always say, "It's my wife's Christmas present!" One year we asked him what he was gonna get her for Christmas that year. "Got her a coat this year." (His timing was perfect) "Says DeKalb on it!"

I sometimes wonder why I'm not in the parts business anymore...