Today, July 6th 2008, my daughter visited your store # 1156 at 6198k Little River Turnpike. Alexandria, VA 22312. Her transaction number is XXXXXX and receipt number XXXXXX.
Her problem was simply a battery problem and she requested that the store first perform a test because it is not holding the charge. The store clerk (Fabio) told her to drive around for about a half hour to charge the old battery so he could get a reading, to which my daughter explained that she had it jump-started last night to get home and the drive was well over half an hour and it was dead when she tried it this morning having to jump start again.
Mr Fabio was as rude and useless as could ever be. He sells her a battery that is considerably smaller than the required battery for that vehicle. He would not even attempt to help her with the removal of the old one - his comment was something along the lines of…”I ain’t working too hard today so I can’t help you, besides I don’t want to get anything on my clothing, you will have to do it yourself”.
According to my daughter, he appeared to lack knowledge of which was the right battery spec for that car, but being inexperienced my daughter decided to try out the battery with the intention to seek help elsewhere.
Frustrated, my daughter figured out how to connect her new battery she just bought (but not happy with the selection provided by Fabio) and promptly went to ADVANCE AUTO who helped her immediately and installed her second new battery – this time with the right specification.
The clerk at Advance Auto even told her that he was just leaving for his break, but would stop to help her first. They could not have been more helpful.
THAT, MR. AUTO ZONE, is what service is all about. Needless to say that my daughter, along with her friends and co-workers to who she socializes with, myself included and anyone I can tell this to, will never, ever enter the portals of your store or any AutoZone store as a result of this one incompetent associate.
My daughter does not want any form of coupon, freebie or compensation from your organization. What is required here is an apology and the assurance that Mr. Fabio be reprimanded for his insolence and lack of work ethic and that you will consider placing someone else who wants to work in that position.
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I have noticed recently that Auto Zone’s cs has gone down the tubes. I have exclusively used Auto Zone in the past but have found that like you that Advance Auto is much better at having the parts I need and their salespeople are very helpful.
Poor management or? I don’t have any affiliation with any auto parts stores/suppliers, just an everyday ordinary customer.
lolita on July 10th, 2008 at 10:23 am | Link
Just a note for the sake of fairness - I generally will only go to Autozone for my parts, even though an Advance Auto is just across the street from the Autozone that is nearest to me.
I’ve had great experiences with Autozone for the most part. They recently did not have the brakes I needed in stock, so I went to Advance. They also didn’t have them but were able to hold them at another (relatively close) store. I’ve had bad experiences at Advance more often than Autozone - they just happened to pull through that time for me. I think it’s more of a localized issue. You find a local store whose employees care, and you stick with it.
Sub1ime14 on July 21st, 2008 at 10:58 am | Link
I too have both an Advance and an Autozone across from each other. I hate going to Advance. The employees there are rude and can’t speak English. One thing I hate about both places are the whiney customers. I always seem to get stuck waiting behind some idiot who doesn’t know the year or engine size of his car. Worse are the morons who demand that store employees make other (paying) customers wait while they perform “Free” services for them. I don’t mind it it’s some old lady who needs her wiper blades put on for her but not if it’s some able bodied guy. Here’s a hint: if you don’t know how to put the parts on your car you have no business buying them!! At least Autozone and Advance offer the free services. When was the last time someone at NAPA or Carquest came out and tested your “Check Engine” light for you?
Denise on July 30th, 2008 at 7:33 pm | Link
My husband and I regularly work on our own vehicles. We build and rebuild them as needed. As far as the car parts stores are concerned, I doubt it really matters which one you go to. They both suck. Autozone/Advanced I think have an unwritten policy that they are required to be within 1/4 mile of each other. This makes it easy for someone who is currently dissatisfied with only store to run across the street and pick up their parts from the competitors. We constantly are confronted with stopping in to pick up something that has to be installed in pairs, but the store only has one in stock. They can order it for you, but that will take time. The clerks typically know little about the parts and we are constantly arguing about the part. Heck you can even bring the old (OEM) part in and they still can’t match it right.
With the way they mutilate even finding the right part, I would never want them actually working on my truck. I would be scared they would wire the battery up wrong and have it explode.
Kimmie on November 3rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm | Link
look man…i work for autozone i see all this crap everyday. my manager hires people that seem cool to him. he told me once that he needed to hire a girl and i picked the most capable one in our applications and she turned out to be the most laziest pretty girl in the world.
me…lol…..well heres to autozone from an awesome employee… SCREW AUTOZONE!!!!
I always help my clients but then again i have been a car enthusiast. as for the asshole employee Fabio…well that guy should have been fired or at least gotten a write up. i totally understand that most autozone employees are jerks and they are super lazy but just remeber that theres always that one guy who is currently suspended from work because he helped a customer with her alternator on his lunch hour in a parking lot across the street..
Fabian on November 7th, 2008 at 11:31 am | Link
This is the deal well I work for autozone I’m a As. Manager I know how it must be frustrating to have dealt with this individual but you have to understand not all the autozones are going to be that way If any of my employees ever did that their hours and job pretty much you could say fire that is not acceptable I bet you step foot in my store down in Florida and that would not happen but you go down to Advance and or even the other autozone i dont work at and the people their pretty much suck but that all falls down under management not doing their jobs right bottom line is it does not matter where you go but compare brakes in autozone and advance and you will see the difference and autozone has better and more durable parts than advance does but please dont go in with any issues … leave problems at home
Jorge on December 8th, 2008 at 10:14 pm | Link
You could always ask to see the ASE Certified Auto Zoner, it’s just me but when you where a dumbass kid, did you know everything there is to know about a subject?
Consider cars for a moment there are over a hundred manufactures and they make vastly different cars. There are only 3 battery manufactures in the united states. Z Net provides them with the information needed to suggest to the customer what they should buy. A lot of people see the price of the actual recommended battery and spaz out.
Dante Apollyon on January 4th, 2009 at 9:25 pm | Link
Ever heard of an optima dry cell?
They tend to be smaller in size but the possess the correct voltage and cold cranking amps.
A plus is that they don’t spew battery acid all over the engine bay when you get in a front end collision. That right there can easily save you over a grand in possible damages because that stuff will annihilate the wiring harness.
Cars aren’t cheap chink toys from china, the size and shape of the battery don’t matter, its the cold cranking amps and voltage that are important.
Andrew Medina on February 23rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm | Link
I am an AutoZone employee myself and I’m sorry your daughter had a bad experience at a store, but not all AZ stores are like that. The same thing could happen at Wal-Mart, the Pharmacy or anywhere else you go.
This type of customer service is unheard of at the store I work at. He would have been fired at this store if that’s how the situation went down.
And about the free battery swap service, at my store if we’re really busy you may have to wait until we can get to the job. Some people are in too big of a hurry though and dont’ want to wait for the “FREE” service. Also, there are some batteries we are not supposed to change - like the ones that are mounted under the rear seat or in the fender well. We will change those sometimes though if we aren’t busy.
If he looked the battery up on the computer then she should have gotten the right battery. When you say he sold her a smaller battery, did she tell him the correct information on the Automobile? Yes it does make a difference. If she did then she should have gotten the right size battery. The only difference other than that is the brand you buy, i.e. (Valucraft (cheap), Duralast (better) and the Duralast Gold - which is the best we carry).
A lot of people that buy batteries always wants the cheapest battery… And end up getting a smaller one than the vehicle calls for. Then they want to complain a few months later because of battery trouble.
Why didn’t she ask to speak with a manager? There is always a manager on duty. The manager should have taken care of the situation.
John
John on March 9th, 2009 at 12:34 am | Link
no beef with autozone, I do have a beef
with pep boys or any auto store that sells radios and speakers
where the staff has rap music blaring while im trying
to shop
and the employees get bent when the customer shuts off or lowers
the volume
asm on April 6th, 2009 at 12:09 am | Link
General comments: May 2, 2009
1 - The company calls what we wear a “dress code”, but it is and can be legally defended as a “uniform”. Calling it a “dress code” means they don’t have to pay for it. Black shoes, black socks, black pants (Dickey’s, not jeans). black belt, red or gray shirt (of a specific style), in addition to some ancillary and optional items like sweaters and caps, plus how we must wear the useless pins they give us as motivation for our service (instead of cash).
We deal with battery acid, grease and oil almost every day. The shirts get stained and after a while can not be washed clean enough to remove the stains, besides the holes that are created by getting caught on something or by battery acid (which despite best efforts will spill at times. Yes, i know they require us to wear goggles, aprons and gloves when dealing with batteries, but the reality is no one has time for such precautions during a work day. It is unrealistic to assume an employee will put on and remove these extra items before connecting a battery for charging, or removing a battery for testing after it has been charged. The process of putting on goggles, aprons, and gloves itself would take longer in time than the job one is about to do, not to mention more customers walking in, phone ringing, etc etc).
Now back to the “dress code” - The shirts alone may last about 2 months. We are paid low wages, barely enough to live on, and they expect us to continue to purchase and pay for these clothing items to maintain the neatness and newness of their “dress code”. 6 billion plus in gross revenue, about 9-10% in net after tax revenue and they won’t even provide shirts for us, but expect us to “look our best” at all times.
(You can also wear an Autozone labeled custom shirt that must be ordered. To this end they recently posted a most laughable concept - “Now it costs less than ever to look your best”. They cut the price of shipping an Autozone labeled shirt by as much as 50%. So we still have to pay for the shirt and the shipping, but our “shipping costs” have been reduced. How generous of them!!
I will be blogging further on many aspects of this company and their policies which will show the absolute abuse and disrespect they condone when it comes to their employees. Basically, we are “human capital” and as “capital” they expect a return on it without any regard to our well being while covering it all up under their umbrella of corporate propaganda (which I will discuss in a further blog). This company is not alone in its policies, but it is a primary reason why unions came into being. The “dress code” policy is a mere tip of the iceberg.
AZ on May 2nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm | Link
I too work for autozone as a parts sales manager. Here is my question to those of you who are complaining about service, perhaps the guy behind the counter is new and its his first day. I don’t think that as consumers we give employees a really fair shot I am guilty of this too, I hate spending more time than I have to at a store, only to leave unhappy. At the store were I work we have a really great team of people and we also are on first name basis with our local competitors. If we don’t have the part right there we will call around for you and try to find what you need. Don’t look at autozone as a whole because of some bad employee. We do not even question about installing batteries, headlights, wiper blades, ect, but yes there are those costumers out there that seam to think everything is about them who tie our time up a little more than they should. So Please I know it should not have to be done, but if there is a bad employee talk to a manager about it, if nothing is still done talk to the store manager and so on, Autozone is a really great company, but we can only do so much to help.
Tim on July 18th, 2009 at 9:52 am | Link
I also work for autozone and there are always things the company as a whole can do to increase customer service however there are so many aspects involved in running an autozone that its sometimes impossible to meet each and every need. We go above and beyond our job description (at the store i work at) and do whatever is in out power at the time to do. It takes two to say no….if you have an employee who says off the bat..no we dont have that, or i cant find it…have him ask another employee. Preferably a grey shirt. We have new employees who dont know how to find the part or the correct name for it in the computer. If all fails, look for management or even ask for the corporate number if it really comes down to a serious issue. We are required to give you that number and you can address the problem there. Unless the store manager is just a plain buffoon, trust me, the employee will hear about it after you leave. We do our best and are paid the least of ANY parts chain. Autozone spent alot of time and effort to get the customer what he or she needs, dont hate autozone as a whole, maybe you just got a crappy new employee. Ask another and sorry for your problems
jnf on July 27th, 2009 at 7:26 am | Link
Let me start by saying that my parents own 2 (starving) retail shops and NO ONE has EVER been hurt in them. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if they were, we would be the FIRST people at the Hospital to see what we could do to HELP! We see some parents not pay attention to their children AT ALL in our stores. But we ARE NOT those parents! Plus, we know that children come into our stores on a daily basis. Therefore, our stores are “childproofed” as is our home. Dustin is the youngest of 3 children and NOTHING has EVER happened to ANY of them until now! So, it’s safe to say that we are GOOD PARENTS! I am now making this information PUBLIC in hopes that it will HELP another child/adult. I am going to write to every newspaper, radio station & tv station that I can! AutoZone asked us to keep quiet right after it happened & said they would take care of it! THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING!!!! So, hear is the story …
Around 5:30pm on Friday, January 18, 2008, Dustin & his dad went into AutoZone to buy a part for our car. We were AutoZone Rewards Customers because of how often we were at AutoZone. We own old cars that my husband is constantly having to work on. Randy was discussing a part with one of the employees. Dustin was right beside him. After the discussion, Randy turned to Dustin and asked him if he was ready to go, Dustin took off down one of the aisles & Randy took off after him. In a matter of seconds, Randy heard a blood curdling scream from Dustin & when he rounded the next aisle (just a couple feet away) he saw Dustin laying on his back on the floor with a 200lb ENGINE HOIST (cherry picker) on top of him. He freaked out because it looked like it had gone all the way through him. Randy somehow picked the HOIST up off of him with one hand. He then picked up Dustin and laid him on the counter to lift his shirt and see how bad it was. Thank GOD that it did not go through him. An AutoZone employee called 911 & the ambulance arrived. When they got into the ambulance the paramedics were checking him out and found that his diaper was full of a whitish kind of poop (BILE) . Obviously the weight & force of the HOIST falling on him had pushed it out. He was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center where they immediately did a cat scan to check for internal injuries. When he got out of the cat scan the Dr. told us that he was bleeding internally and that a LIFE FLIGHT helicopter was on it’s was to get him & take him to Scottish Rite Childrens Hospital in Atlanta. We freaked out!!!! Within minutes the helicopter arrived & took Dustin & Randy to Scottish Rite. My mother drove me there because I was to distraught to drive !! When they got to Scottish Rite the Dr. did more tests and determined that his small intestines had been severed in two & another part had been crushed & that all that Bile had leaked into his body. They did emergency surgery & removed about 12 inches of his small intestines. He was in the Hospital for about a week. We have NO INSURANCE & the medical bills are OUTRAGEOUS !! We later hired an attorney & after some investigating, we learned that this HOIST was EXTREMELY unstable & should have NEVER been on display in the store WITHOUT the stabilizing legs in place. After purchasing one of them and putting it together, we found that you can not even move this HOIST a foot (WITHOUT the stabalizing legs in place) without it falling over. Roughly, a month after the accident our attorney went into another AutoZone (in a different STATE) only to find that they still had this DANGEROUS HOIST on display. Only they had car jacks sitting on the base of it, in hopes to help stabilize it. Again, NO stabilizing legs on it!!! Their corporate office is in Memphis & they act as if it was our fault that one of their employees placed this DANGEROUS HOIST on display WITHOUT its stabalizing legs & have done NOTHING to help us with his medical bills or ANYTHING! I have a pic of the Hoist that fell on him (except the stabalizing legs are on it in the pic). The Hoist sat only on the small rectangle with 4 wheels in the back! The stabalizing legs were standing UPRIGHT in the storage position. Which means it should have been in a closet somewhere, NOT on their MAIN floor! He was 2yrs old at the time of the accident. I tried to make a long story, short .
Januari Linzy on August 26th, 2009 at 8:53 pm | Link
Here’s the thing about your complaint. I am a current employee of autozone and I understand your frustration, but like the guy at mcdonalds you give a hard time to put yourself in his or her shoes for a minute before you try to pass judgement on his or her actions. Autozone as a company only cares about PROFIT atleast in my district its that way. We as managers have to cater to every cry baby that walks thru the door, or we could lose our job becuase of your complaint no matter how small. It doesn’t matter if we have been loyal, or made the company xxx amount of profit, or been a model employee. Why is everypone so damn mean anymore when they walk in the store? I didn’t break your vehicle you did or the manufacturer made a sorry product, don’t talk to me like some punk or act like I’m taking too much of your time to get the details about your car like engine size god forbid I ask that. It used to be in this great nation we live in that you didn’t jeopardize another man or womans livelihood that they support there family with. But now its the burger king generation “my way right away” bullcrap take a moment and realize what your doing to someone confront the guy or gal right then about there behavior but think first please. Autozone puts pressure on us to sell you all the extras or ELSE!! Our job may look easy but you do not understand the demands that are placed on our shoulders every day by the company. We are like bastard children who rarely get praise but are expected to be obedient and loyal with no expectations of a return gesture of I care from the company. I could go on and on maybe I will later- shawn
shawn hunter on August 29th, 2009 at 11:19 am | Link
“But now its the burger king generation “my way right away” bullcrap take a moment and realize what your doing to someone confront the guy or gal right then about there behavior but think first please.”
Oh I LOVE these people!
Q: “Why’s it so expensive?”
A: Remember when you were giving the service writer rowdy lip yesterday? Yep that cost you an extra $10 PER hour. Yes, we’re allowed to do this, no, there is no owner you can talk to about this, YOU WERE MOUTHING OFF TO HIM. Fine, don’t pay, we’ll just throw a price on it and leave it out front.
The joys of small business. Never disrespect the people who you ask to fix things. We don’t get even, we get pricey.
Hell I even have a friend that has a metal sign that states: “Shop rate $120 an hour.” on his entrance. People give him crap, he points to the sign.
Andrew Medina on August 29th, 2009 at 12:24 pm | Link
Ok here’s some more about AutoZone those of you out there who hate us AutoZoners… NEWSFLASH!! we don’t like you either. I know its cruel to say but its true. For all the owners of clunkers get rid of them already with your duct tape and chicken wire holding your ****ty clunker together and you want us to pull a miracle out of our butt to fix it. Get real, if I had a nickle for every time a customer wanted me to go fix there car for them I would own the company already. We are not a garage and the more we do to your car the more we starve the garage owner down the street, the little guy trying to feed his family. The company insists we perform small maint. like batteries or headlights or air filters. But if I break your vehicle in the process watch out lawsuit and possibly my job even though I was trying to help you. If I refuse complaint and then fired. I myself have the knowledge to fix your car but I don’t get paid mechanic wages and you the customer want everything for free. So think about this before you skip the garage down the road get to know him and maybe your car will be fixed for a change. -Shawn
shawn hunter on August 30th, 2009 at 7:25 am | Link
Shawn….. I love you…..
Andrew Medina on August 30th, 2009 at 7:46 am | Link
Ok I have read the varying forums on different car clubs and truck clubs, may you find this comment I am about to write informative …….
As an autozOne employee I guarantee you that number one you don’t have the balls to come into my store and say the nutless rants you post on your car club forum job be damned I would escort you out on your butt dragging you back to your P.O.S car unconcious.. Number two Who cares what car or truck you drive if your vehicle is your identity then your lacking substance. Number three remember you are being helped by a human being fully capable of making a freakin mistake or are you all perfect?? Never made a mistake then your name must be jesus and unless your mexican that’s impossible, by the way is where most of our parts come from and China, and taiwan, and every where else. I the employee cannot choose the quality of the parts I sell, I am always honest with my customers about past return rate and reliability. Classifying everyone who works for autozOne as stupid or incapable is like me saying everyone who forgets to change there air filter is a moron, its not a fair statement. Go wherever you want for your parts, its a free country. I just want a paycheck and try to make it thru the day without some moron trying to make me regret clocking in that day. I want to help you the customer but damn your egos and personal insecurities. By the way GUYS don’t give me an attitude becuase you sent or bring with you, your wife or gf and she’s dressed slutty and I happen to notice or take a 2nd glance. Don’t puff up and try to make me sound dumb about a mechanical subject to make you feel secure and like your the man. I could pop your ego in front of your lady one dayand make you look like the dumbass . You know who you are think before you speak…
shawn hunter on August 30th, 2009 at 9:27 pm | Link
DOSENT THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOW THAT AUTO ZONE IS AN AUTO PARTS AND SUPPLIES HOUSE NOT A SERVICE GARAGE LIKE SEARS , FIRESTONE OR GOODYEAR. SO WHY DO THEY EXPECT PARTS INSTALLESD/ ISN’T THE CONCEPT OF “DO IT YOURSELF” UNDERSTOOD?? IF YOU SHOP AT HOME DEPOT OR LOWES, YOU BUY THE SUPPLIES YOU NEED AND GET ADVICE ON HOW TO HANDLE OR INSTALL THE ITEMS, OR……YOU CONTRACT THEM TO INSTALL THE WINDOWS OR WOOD FLOORING, CARPETING OR TILE BY A PROFESSIONAL AND PAY FOR THEIR SERVICE SEPARATELY! THE OPTION IS YOURS. WHY THEN IS AUTOZONE EXPECTED TO DIAGNOIS CAR PROBLEMS AND INSTALL BATTERIES? THEY ARE NOT A REGISTERED REPAIR FACILITY. I OWN AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND USE MY LOCAL AUTOZONE FOR PARTS, AND THEY IN RETURN REFER CUSTOMERS WHO BUY PARTS FROM THEM TO ME FOR PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION IF THE CUSTOMER IS NOT SURE THEY CAN DO THE JOB CORRECTLY OR HAVE THE PROPER TOOLS TO DO THE JOB. I DO NOT SELL PARTS AND THEY DON’T SELL SERVICE! ONCE THIS IS UNDERSTOOD BY THE PUBLIC, THEY WILL HAVE LESS COMLAINTS. YOU CANNOT GO TO ANY INDEPENDANT PARTS HOUSE AND ASK THEM FOR INSTALLATION! LEAVE AUTOZONE ALONE AND LET THEM PROVIDE THE PARTS AND LEAVE THE SERVICE TO THE INDEPENDANT GARAGES
BIG BOB I on October 3rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm | Link
AutoZone service! First off AutoZone is a parts store not a service center! Customers day after day come in and always ask what is the cheapest what ever. Never thinking that it may mean the wrong part! Yes the clerk should get her the the right battery, but I wish people would understand first the install is free and is not preformed by someone who is ASA certified. That said service is to sell the right parts not the install.
Jim Mangum on December 1st, 2009 at 9:20 pm | Link
I think that if AutoZone is going to advertise the fact that its employees will install batteries, then said employees should be trained on how to install batteries. I have been to two Auto Zones in the last three days, and in both cases, the employee had no idea how to install a battery. The first guy installed the battery so badly that the connections came loose by the time I got home. The second guy dropped about a dozen sockets from a socket wrench set into my engine when he opened the tool box in the air over the engine! then he had to fish them out for a half hour. Obviously he had never opened that box before, and thus it is probable he had never installed a battery before.
I will never go to Auto Zone for any reason ever again.
shannonstoney on December 13th, 2009 at 6:16 pm | Link
Why do people think ASE certs are so great? It means you paid to take a test and happened to pass.There is no schooling involved.Also most company’s pay more for the cert as motivation Autoxone does not.It makes them look good and nothing else.I have worked for Autozone for 3 years and make less than $11 dollars an hour.Now you want me to do all this free stuff and blame me when something goes wrong.Umm… do you know how much a mechanic makes? A hell of a lot more than me. But you don’t want to pay for the service to be done by a professional.You want it done cheap and fast.Hello!!! You get what you freakin pay for!!!!!!Know what really gets me? You people who have Lexus,Mercedes,Hummers ect. but bitch about the price of parts!!!!Hello what were you thinking when you bought the damn thing?By the way if you come in and want parts don’t say “I don’t know it’s the blue one out there” I am not a physic know at least the year make and model.By the way a “thank you” is all we really want. If you approach the people behind the counter in a couteous fashion believe me they will do what it takes to get the job done.Treat us the way you would want to be treated.And don;t bitch to us about prices! We don’t make them bitch to some one that gets paid to do something about it!! I am helpless to change the price on oil,batteries ect….I will get you the right product and help with info but don;t yell at me about prices.Do you really think it will make a differance bitching at me? Call corperate.
Shelly on December 18th, 2009 at 12:35 pm | Link
shannonstoney:
AutoZone does pay for ASE testing, if you think it is so easy, take it and pass it. AutoZone is also going to pay for me to recertify my mastertech.
………………………………………………………………….
I am a burned out tech turned PSM at AutoZone. One thing I will say is most AutoZone employees will do nothing extra unless it means extra money in there pocket at the same time.
I have only been with the zone about 18 months, I have come in on days off to do plan-o-grams (for no pay), I always show up when called to my store or other stores as a loaner zoner if someone didn’t show, I always clock in 10-15 minutes early, I alway do what I can to help a customer. When a customer only knows there car is blue I go out to the car. Most customers don’t mind waiting aslong as they get the same service as the one I am currently helping.
I have had 3-4 people call corp to complement my service and never had one call in to complain.
I learn all I can and take all the test and certifications I can, sometimes even training on my days off (For no pay).
When my DM calls me to handle a problem or give me a task, the only words out of my mouth are “It will be handled” and he knows he can count on that.
I never say “Thats not my problem” All problems in the store are my problems.
One time as a loaner zoner I caught a red shirt taking home good battery cores and got my shrink buster award.
You are all thinking at this point, WHY?
Like I said I have been there 18 months, I am making $2.40 more an hour then I started at and about to get my own store.
AZ does notice people that : “GO THE EXTRA MILE”
extramilersG on December 25th, 2009 at 8:47 pm | Link
All I can say is that your judging all Autozone stores by one employee? I honestly believe Autozone is the best parts store out there the ones in our area are superb so to judge all by one employees actions is pretty juvenile.
D. Weaver on January 12th, 2010 at 9:24 am | Link
i work for an auto zone store in IL. i caught a shoplifter in our store as he was exiting, 3 months later i’m being told that i will receive nothing for being a “Shrinkbuster” and doing my job, not even the pin. i have been told that not all incidents get rewarded. this is not what i was told when hired nor did i or any of my fellow workers find anywhere this to be true. i WAS under the belief ( along with co-workers) that if you were doing your job and “shrinkbuster” came into play you were rewarded. please clarify this for me.
thank you
terry on January 13th, 2010 at 3:12 pm | Link
DIY = DO IT YOURSELF! Mechanic on duty= mechanic on duty, ase certified in a parts store means “Parts Certified” not “Mechanic certified” and it would be nice to have the right info to look up the right price,how is a parts person supposed to know every engine of every car of every year and whether it is a four wheel or two wheel drive , we do not know because we do not own your vehicle. your grocer does not ask u what u like to eat because it does not matter to what they sell it just goes in the oven or microwave there is a big difference. We install the best we can and we do not get anything but satisfaction out of it! we cannot give you the right parts unless u give the right information remember WE DO NOT DRIVE OR OWN YOUR VEHICLE
puff on January 15th, 2010 at 9:20 pm | Link
see i love all these people complaining how horrible AZ employees are. However, you think im a bad Employee, Then you must be a bad CUSTOMER.
Everyday we have dozens upon dozen or warrenty swaps for brake pads. Its my job to make sure that the pads you are returning Are Valucrap, Duralast, Duralst Gold and Duralast Gold Cmax Ceramics.
Its really not hard to tell. And everyday i have customers who return their brake pads that say NISSAN, or FORD or HONDA on them. I will not give you your money back. Simple as that. Stop trying to screw over us, we are not stupid.
There have been multiple times where i have been threatened, tools thrown at me, and 1 time someone pulled a gun on me to show that i am Clearly wrong about a newly warrentied item. I DONT CARE!!!! you are not getting your money back, and i WILL NOT SWAP PARTS WHEN THEY ARE CLEARLY WRONG. So shove it.
Awesome Zoner on January 31st, 2010 at 7:22 pm | Link
Send her to store 1456 in Pas tx she will be very taken care of brother
Javier on February 8th, 2010 at 9:11 am | Link
Quit your whining!!!!!! We sell parts. Garages install parts. The wrong information will get you the wrong part every time. We have to know alot of stuff and none of us know it all. Everyone wants something for nothing. You get what you pay for….free service. We don’t make much and don’t get anything extra, maybe $3 per person to throw ourselves a Christmas party. Our customers are not happy when they walk in the door because their car is broke, how much abuse can we take? I will get you the right parts. I will be very polite with you. I will do your warranty and ring you up properly. I will not install your car parts! When you buy toilet paper does the store clerk wipe your butt for you?
azgirl on February 18th, 2010 at 6:10 pm | Link
I have worked for Autozone for just over a year. In that years time, I witnessed my store manager being assaulted by a customer, a female PSM was grabbed on the rear by a customer, and everyone in my store has at least once been cussed out by a customer. What did the store manager do that was so bad that he deserved to be assaulted? He refused to return a grease-covered and damaged part that was not returned in a box. It wasn’t a warranty return, which we are (generally) obliged to exchange or refund. The guy just wanted his money beack, probably because he found the same part at Advance or O’Reilly’s for two dollars less. I was cussed out because a customer asked me for BRAKE SHOES for his Chevy truck, and I sold him brake shoes for said truck. However, it turns out that his specific model was sold with optional rear disc brakes, and he in fact needed BRAKE PADS instead of BRAKE SHOES. Somehow, that was my fault. In another instance, an elderly gentleman approached me at the register and asked how much his part would cost. I scanned it and gave him the price. “Well, how much will it cost me?” he asked. “What do you mean, sir?” I asked. He replies, “I get it cheaper, don’t I? I’m a mechanic. Don’t I get a discount?” I explain to him that if he had a commercial account that he would indeed receive a discount, however, my autozone doesn’t have a commercial department, so I couldn’t do anything without a manager’s approval. So he replies with, “Well then, F$%^ this part, and F$%^ you!” and he stormed out. Unfortunately, such occurances are pretty common. We take alot of abuse at our stores from disgruntled, unhappy, insane, and/or unreasonable human beings. However, I am still relatively pleased with my job. I am happy to be working in a down economy where the national jobless rate is near 12%. I agree with alot of the other comments about our pay being to low, things I have read about the dress code vs. uniform debate, and I personally find it abhorrent that Autozone stores don’t keep pens and pencils in abundant supply. I usually wind up buying them for my store so that we’ll all have them, and I make red shirt money (which is considerably worse that the lousy money PSM’s make.) Despite these things and the insanity from inside (DM’s. RM’s, the occassional nightmare PSM or store manager) or the pre-described insanity from customers, I find a measure of enjoyment in my work. I have done factory, forklift, warehouse, retail, etc., and this is the least physical job I’ve ever done, and at least it is in a relatively clean and somewhat air-conditioned building. I am working my way up to PSM and will hopefully be there by the end of the year. I try very hard to give my customers good service, and have even salvaged relationships with customers that my store manager ruined by being a know-it-all jerk. I will apologize for things I didn’t do wrong and for transactions I din’t perform because: (1) It’s good customer service, and more importantly, (2) I’d like to have a job tomorrow. Some people don’t want to make the sacrifices to give that kind of service, which I truly do understand. If that isn’t your cup of tea, become a trash collector or refinish furniture - you don’t belong in customer service. Simple as that.
WONDER BREAD on April 22nd, 2010 at 11:42 am | Link
Wonder Bread, I totally agree with you! I love my job. I have been cussed out more times than I can count. I do try to see the customers point of view and be compassionate to them. If any zoner at any store upsets my customer then I apologize. No skin off my back. If someone is ashamed to call themself a “servant” then they shouldn’t work in customer “service”. Have a great day!
p.s. I buy the pens, paper clips, hand soap, tissues, etc for my store because I guess the zone can’t afford it.
azgirl on April 23rd, 2010 at 6:18 pm | Link
Ok first off i want to say i am an autozone employee. (I have an associates of applied science in business) i only have this job to pay for my rent while in college. i have been working for autozone for a few months and i want to say the reason some employees are idiots is… we are over worked (at least in my store… NO 10 min BREAKS) We are understaffed, and under compensated. Note i am in one of the busiest stores in oregon. well u know what i will just get to the point corporate autozone doesnt care about their employees so we dont care about you.
AN AUTOZONER on April 25th, 2010 at 11:59 pm | Link
i work at autozone as well as a few other coments i have read. i see all these things daily. i recently transfered to an autozone store closer to my house, and the atmosphere is 100% better. customer satisfaction is achieved quicker and more efficiently. alot of the problem with terrible service at autozone is the idea of too many chiefs and not enough indians, meaning everybody expects new or lower ranked zoners to do the job for them. i personally prefer to do what needs to be done when the situation rises. i have seen managers do nothing all day , no phone answering , to customer satisfaction, nothing. but i have also seen mangers be right beside you on the counter taking care of the customer. thats what we at autozone are hired to do and to do your job efficiently you must be kind, curtious, and helpful. i appologize to everyone for terrible service they have recieved at autozone , but trust me its not that way at all locations. alot of stores have excellent zoners and managers willing to go the extra mile and “live the pledge” thank you
jason on May 7th, 2010 at 10:03 pm | Link
Regarding the complaints against autozone:
Although there is no excuse for being rude, the employees at Autozone are extremely underpaid and more importantly, over stressed by a managerial style comparable to the old Soviet Union (NOT A JOKE).
This is unfortubately the god-honest truth known to me first-hand.
If you don’t like your employer, you eventually leave…so why do people continue to feed this monster of a company.
When you have a change, search online for “Autozone lawsuits” and “autozone Joaquin Robles san diego.
And if you really want to know after that then contact the attorney for Mr. Robles (you will see his name)
A very sad state of affairs at ALL autozones…and one last thing, the upper management will scour the web for sites like this and provide very positive “experiences” as “customers” of autozone.
So, so sad
Redmond Staley on May 13th, 2010 at 11:00 am | Link
I ENJOY GOING TO AUTOZONE LOCATED AT WOODALE ILLINOIS, WHY? Everytime I call in the morning around 8:15am a young lady with a very different name and nice accent named, LAIZ O. answer my call and help me. She is one of the most knowledgeable employee in that store besides her store manager. Besides that she carry herself as a manager very well and pride working for.Autozone. She always gives me the right parts, best service and everything that I might need to make my job easier. She is always fast and she makes sure that free services are done after taking care of the customers that are waiting to get their parts or to be checkout. That stores get very busy at times. BUT I wish the service at the evenning would b the same. At couple ocasions I have went to Autozone at evenings…I either find no one at the counter…after I shout so they notice that Im waiting..someone walks out of the back..or sometimes this tall guy with glasses light skin..sells me the wrong parts. He talks like he knows everything. Besides that he complains a lot. Very lazy. SO I try shop for my parts at that location before 5pm. When I can have the best service and leave with the right parts.
Customer from autozone at woodale illinois- on June 4th, 2010 at 8:28 am | Link
AZ does not care about it’s store employees, that is true. Even though there is a ton of pressure coming down from upper management, what makes the store good are the people who work in the building! We have to take care of each other and our customers. If there is harmony and respect within our staff, then good customer service will follow. Often there is at least one person who either hates their job or hates a co-worker and it must be dealt with swiftly. As far as finding the best employee to help you, you will have a better choice during the day. Store managers work the day shift and they want the best people with them so they can get extra work done, or so they can screw aroung. Also, giving zoners bad shifts is often a form of punishment (evenings, weekends, holidays, etc.).
azgirl on June 7th, 2010 at 12:27 pm | Link
I know this response is way to late to be beneficial to you, but it may help others. If your only problem is that the battery is bad, or “not holding a charge” then it should be at, near, or above 12.6 volts. If the battery voltage was so low that it could not be tested then a bad battery was likely not the problem. If the alternator is working then a “bad” battery will still have the proper 12.5 volts or above to be tested. If the battery wasn’t fully charged you need to find out why. Common reasons for this could be that the car has been sitting for several days, there is a parasitic drain, the alternator isn’t charging properly, the fusible link is blown, there are bad connections, etc… An alternator is meant to maintain a charge, not charge a dead battery. Never drive a car around to try and charge a battery because this can lead to alternator failure and/or leave you stranded.
Autozone Employee on June 7th, 2010 at 11:41 pm | Link
I work as a red shirt. Have been there for almost a yr. Day after day i see our store manager bust her ass off, pleasing customers and management with no recognition. We all try our best. All this time the RM, which is at our store every monday, has said like 4 words to me in that time. Is it that he’s soooo good and above me that heaven forbid he talk to a red shirt???
I know ppl who started as a gray shirt and they make the same amount of money as me. Does this persuade me become a gray shirt?? The only time the RM ever did anything for the store as far as helping customers was when the big whigs came around and they were watching.
Yet i’m suppose to respect someone like that as my leader? I’ve never been late or called in sick. Never stolen anything. Always go the extra mile to help the customer. Not in behalf of Autozone but for my own satisfaction. It’s called Humanity. Screw Autozone and all of Upper Management cuz all they give a **** about is the bottom line.
Jesse on June 16th, 2010 at 9:35 pm | Link
And Scott, if u still monitor these sites feel free to contact me to discuss some of these issues which r quite a few.
Jesse on June 16th, 2010 at 9:40 pm | Link
Jesse, Most DMs and RMs don’t give a crap about the peeons, don’t take it personally. It’s not their job to know you. Be glad you’re not getting b*tched out by them. Take pride in your work and work as a team within your store, that’s where it’s at.
azgirl on June 18th, 2010 at 5:59 pm | Link
I have worked for AZ for more than 4 years.I have worked with several store managers and DM’s in my district.Some I liked and some I didn’t.However I always work to my best ability and am always on time and behave in a professional manner.Know what? Have never had a problem with any of them.Those that want to point fingers at the “higher”ups should go look in the mirror.They don’t just come in,look at you,and say I am going to make that person miserable.I am a PSM who was slated to become a store manager.I am currently on leave for an injury.I called my HR person and my RM when it happened and both assured my position and a store will be there when I get back.I get regular calls from my store manager,DM,HRM,and RM to check on my progress.And no it is not a workman’s comp claim so they are not just trying to keep me happy.In life everything you get out of it is what you put into it.If you are that unhappy it will show in your job performance so do everyone a favor.STOP whining and find something that will make you happy!!As for customers well we are human and do make mistakes and you get treated the way you treat people.Be an ass and nobody is going to go out of the way to help you.Think about that next time you get pissy with someone who works in customer service.Cause if it wasn’t for them you would have to change your own damn battery when it is 115 out.Catch more flys with honey than vinegar!!
happyazgirl on June 18th, 2010 at 6:37 pm | Link
everything depends on management/individual. some managers dont give a ****, some actually care. its all about customer service. i have been in retail/automotive for 10 years, its been my first job ever and i enjoy it. i meet lots of great people (customers), just today a gentleman was speaking to me about a great new museum that i had to visit, we werent that busy so he kept on going about the new museum, i didnt mind at all and im going to visit that museum. anyhow, customer service is customer service, the job is to keep the customer happy and faithful, and the truth is, customers come in or call for “joe,” thats where their fidelity is, not the company, but “joe,” the guy or gal that takes great care of them every time they come in. i could leave to a competitor and take all my customers with me if i wanted to, but i wont do that. many of the comments here are true, and i completely agree with many people, unhappy customers, disgruntled former-current employees. not everything is perfect, and of course once a company goes public, the company has more people to keep happy. buy stock in the company-and youll make some extra money. yes its true, there is a lot of bull **** that we have to deal with, as employees and the customer is not aware of it, but like i tell every interviewee, this job isnt for everyone. and its very difficult to find good people. at 8 dollars an hour, what kind of individuals are you going to find. my advice is for everyone to go to college. but then again i know many people that have a masters degree and make less than 60k a year. thats horrible!
jason storm on June 19th, 2010 at 8:35 pm | Link
I’m an Autozone an employee and you have to realize that you can’t blame autozone for that one employee. Just like there are crappy workers at your job there are crappy workers at ours. Alot of it also just has to deal with the managers. My store’s manager is one of the best I’ve ever seen he cares about his customers more than anything else and all the other employees such as me do the same. We go out of our way to make a customer happy. Even when today a customer asked me to just find him a spark plug that would fit his tractor or whatever without tellin me anythin’ about it. I had to show him almost half of the plugs we carry that are designed for them and then he justs says to forget about it. He even gave me a smart attitude about it he was like go find me a spark plug for my tractor and i asked him what type and he was just like just stop being lazy and go back there and get me one and all this other crap that i just dont feel like explaining cause no one should waste their time reading this and even after all his rude manners i apoligized for not being able to find him the part in a timely manner and sold him his other items. I’m sorry that your daughter was treated that way but if you went to the store where we work at that would never have happened i have alot more to say but all the autozone employees that left comments close to mine covered em
crusnik017 on July 10th, 2010 at 8:57 pm | Link
The biggest problem employees at AutoZone face is that upper management just doesn’t care. Getting the stock price to go higher is all they care about now. As a former employee I can say that we weren’t paid a reasonable amount for what is expected, and yes, eventually it wears on us. I was a fully dedicated employee with ASE certification. I treated every customer as though they were the only one I had. I sweated, and bled, and was injured on numerous occasions all in the interest of the company that I thought had my back. I was wrong, and instead, we just got more demands and threats.
It’s sad that it took so long for me to realize that Autozone is a terrible company to work for. I was a long time, loyal employee who was beaten up and robbed in a store, left bleeding on the floor, sent to the hospital. I had problems coping, I was afraid to work, didn’t want to be in a store. They offered nothing except over the phone “cover their ass” therapy from their insurance company…thanks! Less than four months later I was fired for poor job performance despite getting an excellent review a few months earlier, where I received, shall we say, the usual modest raise. Then I was getting harassed by the hospital I was sent to… I guess they didn’t want to pay the bill. I was fired by the human resources adviser, who you would think would be interested in providing the best human resources for the company… but you would be wrong. Yes, I made mistakes, I admitted that, I attempted to cooperate fully and hoped that I would be offered some real help… but I was wrong. They will fire people because they can, not because they should. There’s always some kid without a clue who’ll work for minimum wage. Booted after eighteen years of my life wasted. That’s what AutoZone employees have to look forward to.
Potential employees… work for someone else. Trust me on this.
Thomas Hammac on July 10th, 2010 at 10:12 pm | Link
Well, for the lady who started the thread the guy should have at tried harder, you could have looked online too and called the company to complain if it was a that big of a deal. I work at an Autozone and my town has three, my District Manager works at the one I work at, so he makes sure that all the customers at all stores get the attention they deserve, but it’s not our fault if you gave us the wrong info.
Its your car, know what you drive. If you need help knowing exactly what engine you have, it’s the 7th letter or a number on your VIN. Just count to 7 and thats it.
&idk how it went from screw the employee to a cherry picker falling on a baby but youre an idiot if you let your children run around in the store, you don’t deserve anyones sympathy. Were not babysitters and there is poison everywhere, from the cleaners to the paint, everything is harmful if swallowed. Youre responsible for your children, regardless if you were in Autozone, Wal-Mart or a toy store.
&Amen Shawn!! It’s really senseless how people bring in their cars when it breaks down in the parking lot and say, fix this. Were not mechanics, and even if we were, thats not what were getting paid to do.
Brittany on August 17th, 2010 at 1:32 pm | Link
But, I make some good money where I live, enough to support myself and more so I think everyone here should get a raise asap!
Brittany on August 17th, 2010 at 1:36 pm | Link
I have worked for Autozone for over 2 years now, I am a red shirt, I am working my way through college. I recently turned down a parts sales manager position I have little desire for climbing the ranks. My love of cars drew me to employment at Autozone. I hate to hear of the poor service some people are receiving. I am not Ase certified, I don’t want to be, being ASE certified offers no added benefits for me. I would say I’m very knowledgeable about cars I have built a couple engines and done plenty of normal service to my families personal vehicles.
Customers if you want better service then better prepare yourself and by that I mean a couple of things. First, know what your driving, sounds simple enough but most people make no attempt to even find out what year make model and engine their cars are. The year can be found on a sticker usually inside where your door closes, the make and model should be plastered all over the sides and the motor can usually be found out easily by opening the hood, seriously you own the car you should know this. Second, READ, the internet is a wealth of information modern vehicles share very common components and symptoms are typical depending on the ailment. If you need further advice come to the store, usually there should be at least one person that has some knowledge and can offer advice. Z-Net and Autozone.com has repair and troubleshooting guides that are very helpful. Keep in mind we are not mechanics or technicians we sell parts that is my title Sales, now any advice I can give is a bonus and that is what separates a great store from the rest.
Now time for me to complain about you bad customers!
1. Do Not cut line to ask me where something is when I’m helping a customer, I will tell you I’m with a customer and to wait your turn.
2. If you cuss me I will tell you to not talk to me that way and if you continue I will walk away and find a manger to tell you to leave.
3. I may be a “young punk” but I’m a very intelligent “young punk” i’m almost finished with my engineering degree and it takes more than “You don’t know what your talking about!” to disprove me.
4. Do not expect me to find your warrantied part from 5 phone numbers past I do not have time for that and no I cannot delete your warranty file because I don’t like you.
5. Do not argue with me about the form(cash, merchandise card, or direct redeposit) you are getting your return back in. First any other part store wouldn’t allow you to return the parts without atleast some form of restock fee and second I can’t change to another form of return.
azJerry on August 21st, 2010 at 10:53 pm | Link
nice jerry
zero on August 22nd, 2010 at 11:08 pm | Link