Why do people do this ?

Why to people come into a store and say something along the lines of " I need a lawn mower belt" and then look at you like you have three heads when you ask for the make and model. Like eveyone of these people have a $800+ smart phone with very nice cameras and it never seems to cross their mind to take a picture of the old belt or the machine or what ever.

That's when you point to the shelf and say which one.

It's no different than walking into a parts store and asking for a part. You even give them the part number and the first thing they ask is "what's it for?". Shouldn't really matter what it goes on if I give you the correct part number shouldn't it?

People have probably tried to keep it a secret from you but a lot of folks just aren't all that smart

X2

If they ask for a belt ask them if they want a belt up side the head.

Lol, sounds about right, duh

Just grab a belt off the rack and say here this one fits my mower and see what they say!

It is the only time which it would be acceptable for a counter person to actually say, "We don't carry belts for your mower."
Then they will be forced to say, "But you don't know what kind of mower I have."
Then you can just look him in the eye and smile.
He'll likely wake up and get a good laugh out of it.

Look around the next time you're in Walmart look around at the smart people and the dumb people. Now try to pick out the guy who's right in the middle of the group - with the average IQ of everyone in the store. Then consider that half the people there are stupider than he is.

i suppose it would be rude to say, "Well my lawn mower prefers suspenders, I could call and ask him where he gets them, if you'd like?"

Just sell them the first one you can pick up.

Then when they come back and say it does not fit maybe they will have more info

There was a guy years ago that got filthy rich in the long distance phone business. He had a list of companies, I don't care, whatever, It doesn't matter etc. When people would make a long distance call they were asked which company they would like and he pretty much had any answer covered and his companies charged way more than any of the traditional ones.

People probably do this because it hasn’t occurred to them that there are hundreds of different sizes of belts. Unless this is your first week working at the lawn mower store maybe it is time you changed your job. It sounds like your patience to serve your customers has run out.

Saw chains are even more fun.
At least they are printed on the bar.
MTD is too cheap to print a belt sticker.

LOL
Charity Boco, charity

Probably never broke a mower belt before. Which means it's probably their first mower. Or the first time they've not taken it to a shop to get fixed

Auto industry is no better you could almost tell the kind of car some people had by the questions they asked. Had a guy that wanted a diaphragm that was “under his hood” when I asked what one he got upset like I should know the exact on he needed with that info.

None mechanical people are clueless no different then if I’d I tried to fix a computer by myself I’d be lost then.

Nailed it!

Tell them,,"We have several to choose from,,what one would you like"

Good one put thr burden on them to select the right belt and they will probably get some info PDQ

It goes both ways...it fries me when you go to the parts store with the year, make, model, etc (all the details they should need) and the person behind the counter pulls and gives you the wrong part

For decades I have drove right past the big box auto parts store for that exact reason on my way to a mom and pop place. If I do have to hit a chain store I stick to Napa with good luck.

Wolfie- don't take no crap off these guys- at least half of them are in the none too smart category I mentioned LOL

LOL, the 50% rule....

Applied for my TWIC Monday and I'm applying for my barge job as soon as i get it in the mail btw never said I don't help , usually just trying into 30min of convincing them to call somone to see if they can walk out side and read the model number off the side of the mower which is really all I need.

I need a new mower blade
Ok what mower do you have ma'am?
It's a riding mower
Ok, but what is the model ? Do you happen to have a picture of it ? Could you possibly call somk e to go out and read off the make and model?
O I don't know, why would I need a picture?
Well if you had a picture I could probably see the make and model number on it, did you buy it here ?
Yes last year
Ok sweet what color is it ?
Red and black
Ok so it's probably a Craftsman
Zero turn or just a regular looking one ?
O it's just the regular kind
Ok * looks though the book and sees there's still about four different mower it could be based off of that"
Ma'am could you call some to walk out and read off the model number real quick for me ? I've narrowed it down to 4 mowers but they almost all have different belts.
Well it's hot and my son probably won't want to go out side to check you know can't you just give me one ? Shouldn't you know ?
*5min worth of explanation*
Well I still think you should know it's your job after all, I drove all the way from the next town over and I don't wanna have to do it again
*Finally calls her son*
It's a Craftsman T100
Ok thank you * flips though the little book finds the belt code ,get one off the self and hands it to her*
*Proceeds to complain about the belt costing $30 instead of $15*

And that was a pretty condensed version. Idk I think I have a pretty good bit of patience

Then there's the other side ...

It's a 2019 Binford 6100!

You could have asked him if its a Hoyt-Clagwell tractor, not to be confused with Inferior tractors (they come with the 3 point hitch).
Y'all need to Google Green Acres to truly appreciate the context.

My favorite reply to that was always "Well, I bought it here, don't you even know what size belts the mowers you sell use?"

Really? It sounds as if you have obviously never worked in retail. It doesn't matter how much he wants to help them, or how much he enjoys helping them, or if he jumps out of bed each morning thrilled by the prospect of being able to help customers find belts for their mowers. If they DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF MOWER THEY OWN.... he can't help them. And many of them, once they realize they do not have all the info they need, immediately try to turn it into the salesperson's fault! If my husband sends me into a part store to get a part for a truck, and when they ask me questions I realize I don't know all the needed info, I simply tell them I don't know...and then either go call my husband, or come back later. I DON'T tell them that they're incompetent morons because they can't magically know what part I need, when I myself don't know. But yet that's exactly what about 50% of customers do in this situation. Telling wolfdog he needs a different job because he's venting on the internet about the complete and utter stupidity of much of the general public makes me wonder if you're one of those types of people he's complaining about.

BINGO right there.
I felt the same sentiment as you, but could not conjure up an acceptable response like yours without half of my words being curse words.