NAPA Strikes Out with Convenience Store Retailers

NAPA Auto Parts commercial mocks c-store workers.

A TV commercial for NAPA Auto Parts that was airing during the Major League Baseball playoffs last week has raised the ire of at least one convenience store employee.

The ad tells viewers about the quality of NAPA parts and the experience and professionalism of NAPA Auto Parts dealers – but makes the point at the expense of “convenience” store clerks.

We weren’t the only ones who wondered if the folks behind the NAPA ad have any idea how hard convenience store people work and how skilled they need to be to do their jobs.

One angry c-store executive sent this letter to NAPA:

“I just happened to catch your ad on today’s baseball game on TBS. As someone who has worked in the convenience store business for 22 years. I currently manage a group of stores with close to 100 hard working employees. I was highly insulted by your insinuation that people who work in convenience stores are not experienced or professional.

“I find it hard to believe that you would insult part of your customer base in such a manner. I hope in future ad campaigns that you do not portray large groups of hard working people in such a negative light.

“I will no longer shop at NAPA and I will encourage all the other experienced professionals that I work with to do the same. Many of my employees and their families work on their own vehicles and are your customers.”

It would be as if a convenience store ran a commercial saying that all construction workers are dumb or all restaurant workers are lazy. Not a very smart ad campaign, in our opinion. What do you think?

Comments

[emile scheuermann]

Working in a high volume customer satisfaction based business require skill and personality.Being a convenience store owner myself,I can assure you that the standards when hiring an employee are very high indeed.