you dont like their policies or how they operate.. then go pay full price for brand new dealership parts.

i work with LKQ, and other junkyards on a daily basis. I wont say their not customer oriented but priority #1 is keeping their yards safe from thieves.

Same as my ^ post. If you want the customer service go to a dealer or store.. but theres a reason they dont let you run rampant through their yards looking for whatver you need. It comes with the territory.

Look at it this way,

Its your company -

Dealers/ Shops account for 90% of your business and 0% of your theft.
Customers account for MAYBE 10% of your businees but 100% of your theft/incidents.

Which way would you be leaning?

 

You got it all wrong.

In this country, good service equates repeat business. Bad service equates no business.
If I go start a business and I run it like "my or the highway", treat my customers like shit, treat my business partners and colleagues like shit, my business is not going to go anywhere. Anyone with any business sense will tell you successful business are based off rapport, and treating people right. I rub your back you rub mine. No one is going to continue to work with/buy from you no matter how cheap your prices are if you don't treat them right.

Now if you say they are great to work with on the dealer end of things, that's just peachy, but no one here is talking about that.


Now on the other hand you mention how they have their "policy's". They have to check your toolbag to weed out thieves, so what. People really don't mind, but there is a right and wrong way of doing things. Treat a good potential customer like they are a "thief" and you can bet a few others will hear about it (like we did). I'm surprised Big Chris didn't mention the word "lawsuit" in his posts, which goes hand in hand with these types of scenarios.

 

But thats where youre mistaken. LKQ employees dont treat EVERYONE like that. Its just the people at their counters & at their yards. I buy close to 20k in parts from LKQ in parts every month, i get great service & great pricing from them and honestly, i check them before i call anyone else. And sure you can take that route but everybody is a "good potential customer" till they steal/thrash some shit. If every one that 'hears' about this like 'yall did' then that will be perfect for them. They save themselves the trouble and potential hazards of customers, and cut back on having employess while mainting the before mentioned 90% of business.

 

if it doesnt matter then theres no need for you to mention the value in the first place.

EDIT: and im not defending anyone. In my line of work customer satisfaction is absolutely and undoubtedly above everything else. But in the junkyard industry 'walk ins' are more of a hassle than a monetary gain, which is why they assume youre a thief, and do little more than the minimum to help you out. Again, if you want great customer service go to a dealer and pay 300 times more for the same part.

 

If business to business sales are really as significant as you say they are, why are they serving the general public? The main motive of any sound for profit business is to make money. There must be a significant enough profit to be made for LKQ to sell to the general public. If not, they would be strictly B2B. If LKQ chooses to sell parts to the general public, they should provide good customer service. Just because it is a junk yard doesn't mean they have to be rude. You may be the exception to the rule, but most people dont like handing over their hard earned dollars to a rude sales person.

 

Jamrex... There is no reason to disrespect ANY customer. Period.

 

LKQ is a national company. With hundreds of thousands of daily transactions, those counter employees have a thousand other responisbilities other than to serve walk in customers. They have the people in place so why not have it open to the public? It doesnt cost them any extra. My point was that people are implying that every company should be at the mercy of their customers. WRONG. And actually its the main reason why this country is in the shithole.

Agreed. You could also say that there is never a time to disrespect some one offering you a service. I.e. discounted parts.. and that still happens. Im not making excuses for these people. Im just saying to come on message board complaining about 'customer service' at a junkyard seems foolish. Its like saying a masseuse is really touchy-feely.

 

Man o Man......

I don't care if you are the overpaid trash truck driver or behind the counter at a ferrari dealership, Respect is expected.
If I get all grouchy and condescending at LKQ, what will happen to me? I will be denied service and asked to leave. So why should I go there an get treated like a broke immigrant when I go there and ask basic fundamental questions like a PRICE?
I'm so sick and tired of the fat buzz haircut mofo at CLW LKQ that talks to people in such a condescending provoking way. Or the moron at the LKQ behind Dixie Hollins that has the stupid big holes in his ears and always have a stupid remark to say about what you are buying.

Bottom line, I EXPECT to be treated with courtesy no matter where I go since I'm expected to be a civilized paying customer. The fact that there are so many ignorant idiot customers trying to get over on the sales individual has NO bearing on how I'm supposed to be treated.

Having a bad day? we all have them. Always bitchy and negative, time for a new job.

 

Too much to read.


1. Jamrex what you posted is ridiculously stupid. Customer Service should be your #1 priority. Regardless if you are a walk in client or a business that you sell to. That customer that walks through the door could be one of those business men checking out the quality and the quantity of the parts they need. That customer could also be a high end person in the city who could make you or break you. You disrespect 1 person and that will be a domino effect. If you get good deals and respect from them then more power to you, but majority rules here and a lot of us have had bad experience with them. Regardless if you are on private property or not they are not the police and have no right to violate your rights. They cannot strip search me or make me empty out my pockets or force me to hand them my wallet. They better have security or a LEO there present for that. Big Chris had every right to say what he did about his tool box. That employee had no right to open his property without the consent of Big Chris. Big Chris was not being detained and no LEO or security officer was present. LKQ is in the business of making money and the last thing they want is to have people not showing up anymore. They want repeat customers. They want to make money and profit. The last thing the LKQ share holders want to hear is " losing money". They will start to ask questions and when they find out the answer I the people who work at LKQ Tampa or any other location will be the ones held responsible. Not the customer.


You said you spend thousands of dollars there a month at LKQ. If they started treating you wrong and being disrespectful and you left they would lose that money they gain from you and if they did that to several other high rollers heads would roll.

 

Of course they would. But they dont. And that was my whole point, when you are in a business like theirs where the minority of your business brings the majority if not all of your problems you take the necesary steps to make that transaction as easily as possibly. 'Every counter guy' at 'every LKQ yard' is a dick? Weird....

Im not saying, its the correct way to handle business, im saying its how they operate and its stupid to bitch about it.