Advance Auto Parts

Springtime means: flowers, warmer temps, the end of DST (yay), St. Patty’s day.
It also means that it’s time to start mowing grass, and time to tune-​up the old John Deere riding mower.
I changed the oil into a circular plastic catch basin that I probably bought from Advance Auto… many moons ago. At long last it needed to be emptied.
As an ecologically responsible person I recycle everything that I possibly can, so I took my old oil to my (newish) nearby Advance Auto for recycling.
There were three employees there: (a) the «old guy» who basically stays seated, and who knows where every part is physically located in the entire store… probably because he stocked it himself, (b) the «young guy» who greeted everyone and asked customers who entered if he could help them, and © the «bald guy.» The middle aged bald guy.
Yeah, FML, the middle aged bald guy with a bad attitude and zero customer service skills. The middle aged bald guy that they need to keep locked up in the back of the store. The middle aged bald guy who probably got canned from his last three jobs. The middle aged bald guy whose wife probably left him, and whose dog probably growls at him when he passes.
The middle aged bald guy who gives every other bald guy a bad name.
Guess who I unfortunately drew to basically take my oil container to the back of the store for the simple task of emptying it.
A simple job, right? A no brainer. A chimp could do it.
Imagine a pissed off state trooper with an attitude, who only wants to make your life as miserable as possible, and you’ll get the idea of this jerk’s demeanor.
First he asked me if my oil container was «portable.» This struck me as a very stupid question. I drove the container to his store, so… yeah, it’s portable. He said that people had been known to bring large stationary catch tanks for recycling. Oh, really? How often has that happened? Once?
Secondly, he asked of the container was over five gallons in capacity. «We can’t recycle oil if the container is over five gallons!!!» Oy vey! What do you think that I rolled up in, an oil truck? A semi? I’m driving a 60 mpg Prius for God’s sake.
It was very clear from the get go that he didn’t want to help me and that he couldn’t be bothered. Advance Auto is known, famous actually, for going out of their way to install batteries in the parking lot, to install wipers, recycle oil, etc. which translates to basic customer service for repeat business, and this guy gave me attitude. A lot of BAD attitude. FML
What he should of done was kept his $%@# mouth shut and performed his job in a professional helpful manner. But nooooooo. (10:1 says that he’s probably the store manager.)
He finally got the oil container out of my car after donning a pair of plastic gloves with a dismissive sniff and scowl. I opened the front door for him and off he went.
(Come to think of it, he didn’t thank me for opening the door for him. «Ah, the gentleman in question has no social skills Sam, what were you thinking!»)
When he came back ten minutes later he had the temerity to ask, «do you want your oil container back?» Duh. I guess that they don’t hire employees at Advance Auto based on their customer service skills or their IQ. What a stupid effing question, stupid question #3 if we’re keeping count.
I took my container and thanked him, to which he did not reply «you’re welcome.» This is a big faux pas in the South and a sign of a bad upbringing. Or maybe it could signify that the bald guy was just a rude, stupid, uncouth jerk. The dude’s attitude left me fuming for the entire evening. (That guy needs a beating worse than Jared Fogel.)
At any rate, I accomplished the task of getting my oil recycled. I also got my mower running like a Swiss watch. I mowed my yard while my tiny tot next door neighbor showed off that she could do cart wheels. LOL
One thing is for sure: My wallet and I are never going to set foot back inside this particular Advance Auto store.
If you don’t want my business, I surely can oblige.
«You’re welcome!» surly, middle aged, bad attitude, bald guy.