Advance Auto

I never came here with quite enough frequency before to feel the need to review it, but almost the entire past week was spent trying to help my friend get his car in shape to pass inspection (it did, yay). As such, the frequent visits in succession has made it easier to pinpoint its highs and lows.
First, Advance has been my choice for auto parts for a good while now, due chiefly to their generally lower prices on parts, if I can’t wait for it to ship from the always lower priced
. Advance has a better selection for general automotive products (stuff not specific to a car model) than Auto Zone and much lower prices on everything compared to Pep Boys. Sometimes Auto Zone has some cheaper parts, but the difference is usually small.
Customer assistance also usually shines. Where at Autozone, when you ask where something is, they will tell you. At Advance, they will SHOW you. At Auto Zone, I always have gotten the vibe that they just want to get a part in my hand and move on. Often at Advance Auto, they know about what they’re selling and will suggest how to solve the problem.
The big thing that really blemishes Advance and keeps them from getting 4 stars, made truly noticeable from my more recent visits, is how many people they have at registers. It’s not uncommon that I have to wait a long time for people getting a bunch of parts from the one person on the register when I simply came in to grab an air filter and want to go, or I need to get home to finish working on the car before sundown. I’ve waited as long as about 25 minutes once. In many instances, when there’s the one person on the register, 1 – 4 other employees are fiddling around in the back with things that aren’t immediately assisting a customer. UNPACK YOUR FRIGGING DELIVERY LATER. PEOPLE ARE WAITING. Seriously, why even build the store with 4 register counters if you only ever use 2 at most?
P. S. Don’t buy Fram oil filters. They suck hard.