the fact that i know many mechanics
Which means absolutely sweet #### all.
You realise you just insulted a hefty portion of this forums members yeah?
Just because you know a mechanic or 2 who may or may not be dumb, doesnt mean everyone in the industry is and we all only got into it because its 'easy'. I know several people who got high enough UAI's at school to be Dr's if they wanted but they became mechanics because thats what they wanted to do. Id hardly call the automotive industry easy anyway. Sure its not the hardest, but not easy either.
I agree with the OP that Repco are friggin hopeless though, and thats mainly because most of the staff have no interest in cars/automotive industry hence there knowledge is 0. I will defend them in one aspect and say that their new computer catalogue is one of the worst designed pieces of software ever created, and it makes finding a part number hard for even someone who knows exactly what they are looking for! And also working in spare parts myself, I will defend how frustrating it is when you get a customer who isnt patient enough to answer the questions asked (for example, customer walks in, ask for a oil filter for a 5.7L holden V8, then when asked for yr model etc etc gets the shits and just says 'it doesnt matter they are all the same!'. To the person looking it up on a parts catalogue, if they dont know off tops of their head, you cant just type in 'holden 5.7L V8' and it gives you the part number. We HAVE to enter a yr model, varient, etc etc, so its best we just get the correct details off you to start with and then there are no dramas when you turn around after you get the oil filter and say 'oh yeah I also need a heater hose and a exhaust manifold gasket etc etc)
What do you do for a living out of curiousity Steev888?