I ordered two items online for in store pickup at this Advance Auto Parts location because nearby stores did not have them in stock. This required a longer drive specifically to this store. Upon arrival, an employee assisted me and was courteous, communicative, and transparent about being new to the job. He was able to locate only one of the two items and sought help from another employee, Craig Ross.
Craig indicated he would assist after finishing with another customer. When he eventually came over, he stated that the store did not have the item and only carried a larger size, then returned to his computer without offering any further explanation or next steps. At that point, both the assisting employee and I were left unclear on how to proceed. There was no information provided about restocking, checking nearby store inventory, issuing a rain check, or processing a refund.
When we continued waiting for clarification, Craig’s demeanor changed noticeably. He raised his voice and asked, “what?” I calmly asked what the next steps would be. He responded again in an elevated tone, “we don’t have it, what do you want us to do?” While confused and upset, I remained polite and began to ask about possible solutions such as checking other store locations or expected restock timing. Before I could finish, he interrupted and stated that other customers had also come in for the same item and it was not in stock, indicating this is a recurring issue that has not been corrected on the website. He added that the item had been discontinued, which would have been useful context if communicated earlier.
I then explained that this situation was an inconvenience given the distance I traveled and that the item had already been paid for. He interrupted again, speaking over me and raising his voice further, stating that it was not his problem and there was nothing he could do. He also made a comment about not “just giving” me the larger size product and laughed, despite the fact that I hadn’t even requested that.
At that point, I asked the assisting employee who the store manager was because I was seeking proper and professional assistance to resolve the situation. To my surprise, I was informed that Craig Ross is the manager. Given the interaction I just had, I asked the new employee to cancel my order.
This experience reflects poorly on both customer service and basic order fulfillment practices. Inventory accuracy for online pickup appears unreliable, and the response from store management was unprofessional and dismissive. I would avoid this location all together.