- Report: #73394
Complaint Review: Auto Zone
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| Auto Zone 746 N. Country Club Dr., Mesa, AZ
Mesa, Connecticut U.S.A. |
|
Auto Zone Auto Zone worst customer service experience of my lifetime Mesa Arizona
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Get a pen, and wait on the customer
*Consumer Comment: Auto parts and the decline of the west.
*Consumer Comment: AutoZone
*UPDATE Employee: Customers are not always the problem
*UPDATE Employee: Customers are not always the problem
*UPDATE Employee: Customers are not always the problem
*Consumer Comment: Customer is not always right.
*Consumer Comment: The customer is ALWAYS RIGHT
*Consumer Comment: customer is NOT always right
*Consumer Suggestion: auto zone response
*Consumer Comment: what happened to just plain customer service?
*Consumer Comment: clerk wasn't in the mood to kiss his butt
*Consumer Suggestion: The way you deal with stores, you're not going to get much service.
*UPDATE Employee: something you need to understand
Does your business have a bad reputation?
Fix it the right way.
Corporate Advocacy Program™
On 11/24/03 I visited Auto Zone's store at 746 N. Country Club Dr. in Mesa. There was just one guy ahead of me and he talked about 5 minutes with the Auto Zone employee Jose in spanish about a Slick 50/ oil package for $ 12 in spanish.
When it was my turn I asked Jose how much they would take for a radiator for a '93 Ford Aeorostar with a 3.0 l engine. Jose started to punch in something into his computer then disappeared without saying a word, talked to another associate.
When he returned and asked me for the third time to repeat what I was looking for I asked him if he was listening at all to me, not being able to memorize 3 things. Instead of apologizing, Jose told me that now I would have to wait until he would be done with all the other customers in the store and walked away. When I asked him for his manager he told me "I am the manager" (what was not true, as I found out later) When I asked him for the name of the regional manager, he just ignored my question. I called the regional office (after getting the information from Auto Zone's website) left a message for Bryan Goddard (623) 936-5691, he never returned my phone call. An email to Auto-Zone, asking if that is waht they understand under "excellent customer service" was never returned.
If you plan to shop at Auto-zone be prepared to repeat yourself at least 10 times, don't critizise their employees, even if you are under the impression to be dealing with idiots and don't expect any response from their management if you are not happy with their customer service !
Steven
Apache Junction, Arizona
U.S.A.
When it was my turn I asked Jose how much they would take for a radiator for a '93 Ford Aeorostar with a 3.0 l engine. Jose started to punch in something into his computer then disappeared without saying a word, talked to another associate.
When he returned and asked me for the third time to repeat what I was looking for I asked him if he was listening at all to me, not being able to memorize 3 things. Instead of apologizing, Jose told me that now I would have to wait until he would be done with all the other customers in the store and walked away. When I asked him for his manager he told me "I am the manager" (what was not true, as I found out later) When I asked him for the name of the regional manager, he just ignored my question. I called the regional office (after getting the information from Auto Zone's website) left a message for Bryan Goddard (623) 936-5691, he never returned my phone call. An email to Auto-Zone, asking if that is waht they understand under "excellent customer service" was never returned.
If you plan to shop at Auto-zone be prepared to repeat yourself at least 10 times, don't critizise their employees, even if you are under the impression to be dealing with idiots and don't expect any response from their management if you are not happy with their customer service !
Steven
Apache Junction, Arizona
U.S.A.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 11/29/2003 03:26 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Auto-Zone/Mesa-Connecticut/Auto-Zone-Auto-Zone-worst-customer-service-experience-of-my-lifetime-Mesa-Arizona-73394. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Search Tips#1 UPDATE EX-employee responds
Get a pen, and wait on the customer
AUTHOR: Claude - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Friday, March 02, 2007
POSTED: Friday, March 02, 2007
Yeah, all it took was a pen! I worked at Autozone, starting as a red shirt and moving up to an assistant manager. Many times I went to the local bail bonds joint or other merchant willing to give free pens (for advertisement) because most of my fellow employees didn't have enought sense to bring a writing instrument to work. I, too, have had to deal with irate/rude/impatient customers....however, this generally didn't include stopping to chit-chat with my fellow employees. And of course, cheap butt Autozone doesn't pay employees enough for them to have to provide their own work items. You'd think they would provide a pen/pencil for their workstations!
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What's this? #2 Consumer Comment
Auto parts and the decline of the west.
AUTHOR: Mark (FlyingScooter) - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
POSTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
Yeah, that's bad customer service alright.
Considering the USA is pretty much service sector oriented, we'd better give great service all the time.
I talk on the phone all day long and am always apologizing for something. (It doesn't matter if it's our error or not, tell them you are sorry and that you'll do what you can for them. These people that complain are our bread and butter.
I look at it like this: You can call me an idiot, an a-hole, or whatever else you like, I'm getting paid to listen and respond. We cannot hang up on people eventhough we'd like to, we'd get canned for it. if their weren't complainers, i might be out of a job. :)
If you want to get even with AutoZone, just don't shop there.
I won't ever go back to a place that treats me poorly one time. No second chances on that one because we have more options to choose from.
I don't mean to sound nasty, but because the employees might not be well paid or benefited is NOT my fault or my responsibility. Through work and luck I'm making what I make today. Part of that work was getting an education. If I'm to feel sympathy for a worker in this world, then it will be for some exploited 9 yr old in China making 30 pair of nikes to earn 25 cents a day and not with some schmuck who can't understand a simple question and then blows the customer off by saying get back in line and ask again later...
In Ohio, that radiator on a 93 ford aerostar: (4wd 168.00 or 2wd (it didn't give info on this). It wouldn't let me search for Arizona, sorry.
Considering the USA is pretty much service sector oriented, we'd better give great service all the time.
I talk on the phone all day long and am always apologizing for something. (It doesn't matter if it's our error or not, tell them you are sorry and that you'll do what you can for them. These people that complain are our bread and butter.
I look at it like this: You can call me an idiot, an a-hole, or whatever else you like, I'm getting paid to listen and respond. We cannot hang up on people eventhough we'd like to, we'd get canned for it. if their weren't complainers, i might be out of a job. :)
If you want to get even with AutoZone, just don't shop there.
I won't ever go back to a place that treats me poorly one time. No second chances on that one because we have more options to choose from.
I don't mean to sound nasty, but because the employees might not be well paid or benefited is NOT my fault or my responsibility. Through work and luck I'm making what I make today. Part of that work was getting an education. If I'm to feel sympathy for a worker in this world, then it will be for some exploited 9 yr old in China making 30 pair of nikes to earn 25 cents a day and not with some schmuck who can't understand a simple question and then blows the customer off by saying get back in line and ask again later...
In Ohio, that radiator on a 93 ford aerostar: (4wd 168.00 or 2wd (it didn't give info on this). It wouldn't let me search for Arizona, sorry.
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What's this? #3 Consumer Comment
AutoZone
AUTHOR: Otis A - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
POSTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
I am in North Carolina and have done business with these people for years and have never had a bad experience with them. Not ONCE. and they still have the best guarantees in the business as far as I know and their prices are very competetive and usually less than anyone elses.
These people have bad days just like you and I, so stop and re-think the situation and re-asses all factors there can be a bad apple in any barrell.
These people have bad days just like you and I, so stop and re-think the situation and re-asses all factors there can be a bad apple in any barrell.
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What's this? #4 UPDATE Employee
Customers are not always the problem
AUTHOR: Jennifer - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
POSTED: Friday, January 05, 2007
If you go into any store there is going to be someone that may not be in the right mood when you first approach them. But if you feed into that, you deserve what you have coming to you. I have been working for AZ for 7 years, and let me tell you that I deal with morons all day and half of them can't speak spanish. If I ask someone to repeat themselves just once...they get an attitude with me. And like the comment above from AZ also, being a woman in a man's job is hard and we also don't get paid all too well there. BUt we have the right to work anywhere a man can and I guess take the crap that comes along with it. When you walk into a company just keep in mind you can determine the customer service you get. And the truth is...the customer is not always right!!!
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What's this? #5 UPDATE Employee
Customers are not always the problem
AUTHOR: Jennifer - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
POSTED: Friday, January 05, 2007
If you go into any store there is going to be someone that may not be in the right mood when you first approach them. But if you feed into that, you deserve what you have coming to you. I have been working for AZ for 7 years, and let me tell you that I deal with morons all day and half of them can't speak spanish. If I ask someone to repeat themselves just once...they get an attitude with me. And like the comment above from AZ also, being a woman in a man's job is hard and we also don't get paid all too well there. BUt we have the right to work anywhere a man can and I guess take the crap that comes along with it. When you walk into a company just keep in mind you can determine the customer service you get. And the truth is...the customer is not always right!!!
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What's this? #6 UPDATE Employee
Customers are not always the problem
AUTHOR: Jennifer - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 06, 2007
POSTED: Friday, January 05, 2007
If you go into any store there is going to be someone that may not be in the right mood when you first approach them. But if you feed into that, you deserve what you have coming to you. I have been working for AZ for 7 years, and let me tell you that I deal with morons all day and half of them can't speak spanish. If I ask someone to repeat themselves just once...they get an attitude with me. And like the comment above from AZ also, being a woman in a man's job is hard and we also don't get paid all too well there. BUt we have the right to work anywhere a man can and I guess take the crap that comes along with it. When you walk into a company just keep in mind you can determine the customer service you get. And the truth is...the customer is not always right!!!
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What's this? #7 Consumer Comment
Customer is not always right.
AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, December 24, 2006
POSTED: Sunday, December 24, 2006
It is not right to trerat someone behind the counter any way you feel like. They are also consumers when on the other side of the counter and may indeed treat you the same way when they enter your place of business. What then? Is he now an a** if he took your abuse but then gave it back to you?
Perhaps the employee had something more important on their mind that prevented him from remembering whatever. He asked for the info again-just f'ing give it to him. It's not that big a deal. If you didn't like that, you COULD have gone elsewhere instead of making a hissy fit scene.
Perhaps the employee had something more important on their mind that prevented him from remembering whatever. He asked for the info again-just f'ing give it to him. It's not that big a deal. If you didn't like that, you COULD have gone elsewhere instead of making a hissy fit scene.
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What's this? #8 Consumer Comment
The customer is ALWAYS RIGHT
AUTHOR: Dee - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Sunday, December 24, 2006
POSTED: Sunday, December 24, 2006
The customer is always right. In this competitive world, the consumer's needs must be met, or else there are other places a customer could take his/her business to.
The "they are not being paid well" excuse is total nonsense. If you have a problem with pay, make your self better, then quit and find something else. A shoe repair man can never be paid as well as an attorney or a doctor, so they should not use pay as a reason to give bad service.
Be nice and courteous to customers, even if they are rude and impatient, speak the lingua franca (main language of the country you are in, and know a lot about the product(s) that you or your company is selling. That is what you are paid to do. You never know if the person you are being rude to is a shareholder in your company and will get you FIRED! OR your company would lose a major contract, causing it to fold up, simply because you could not do your job and practice good service.
Nothing in this world is at eye level, you do not know anything about the customer; the customer spending money at your store is where your check comes from, so either you respect the customer, or leave that line of work entirely.
Bottom line is there are very few monopolies, and if you cannot appreciate a customer, they will take their business else where, and you (bad employee) will lose your job. Quite frankly, if I were the manager, I would discipline or fire any employee who is rude to a customer for ANY reason. If a matter is too big, call a manager who should be more equiped to handle the situation.
The "they are not being paid well" excuse is total nonsense. If you have a problem with pay, make your self better, then quit and find something else. A shoe repair man can never be paid as well as an attorney or a doctor, so they should not use pay as a reason to give bad service.
Be nice and courteous to customers, even if they are rude and impatient, speak the lingua franca (main language of the country you are in, and know a lot about the product(s) that you or your company is selling. That is what you are paid to do. You never know if the person you are being rude to is a shareholder in your company and will get you FIRED! OR your company would lose a major contract, causing it to fold up, simply because you could not do your job and practice good service.
Nothing in this world is at eye level, you do not know anything about the customer; the customer spending money at your store is where your check comes from, so either you respect the customer, or leave that line of work entirely.
Bottom line is there are very few monopolies, and if you cannot appreciate a customer, they will take their business else where, and you (bad employee) will lose your job. Quite frankly, if I were the manager, I would discipline or fire any employee who is rude to a customer for ANY reason. If a matter is too big, call a manager who should be more equiped to handle the situation.
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What's this? #9 Consumer Comment
customer is NOT always right
AUTHOR: Anon - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, July 17, 2006
POSTED: Monday, July 17, 2006
Very true it is their job to provide customer service, but the common saying applies to all situations: TREAT PEOPLE THEY WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED!!! No one wants to be treated any kind of way. To the person who says "you should never be rude to a customer even if they are being rude to you" just because you are a customer does not mean you can talk to an employee any kind of way. People have a right to stand up for themselves and if a customer comes in a store cursing, calling names, throwing money at people, making rude comments, the person behind the counter can very nicely say once, "I understand you are having a bad day, but please don't bring your attitude in here/curse at me/ throw your money at me"
If the customer continues to act beligerent then in my opinion, the cashier can act accordingly because the customer has already been warned. Nobody has to take that. The cashier at Auto Zone did the right thing by walking off instead of engaging in an argument with that angry customer. You walk into a store with an attitude at an employee about something totally unrelated to them you are bound to get an attitude back it's life. Nobody has to kiss your ass or give up their moral values because you are a customer and having a bad day. From my experience in customer service, when a customer files a complaint on a company, they never really tell the whole truth anyway. they never tell what they did wrong that may have caused the conflict but instead tell what the employee did wrong. Again, TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED!!! Just because you are a customer does not mean you can talk to people any kind of way!!!
If the customer continues to act beligerent then in my opinion, the cashier can act accordingly because the customer has already been warned. Nobody has to take that. The cashier at Auto Zone did the right thing by walking off instead of engaging in an argument with that angry customer. You walk into a store with an attitude at an employee about something totally unrelated to them you are bound to get an attitude back it's life. Nobody has to kiss your ass or give up their moral values because you are a customer and having a bad day. From my experience in customer service, when a customer files a complaint on a company, they never really tell the whole truth anyway. they never tell what they did wrong that may have caused the conflict but instead tell what the employee did wrong. Again, TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED!!! Just because you are a customer does not mean you can talk to people any kind of way!!!
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What's this? #10 Consumer Suggestion
auto zone response
AUTHOR: Don - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, April 24, 2006
POSTED: Monday, April 24, 2006
I'm lost; the first post said they had to tell the auto zone person 3 times the make and year of the vehicle. That is ridiculous. Get a pen and paper if you can't remember. That is horrible service to even have to ask twice.
As for the other writer, the one crying about auto zone doesn't pay blah blah blah, who cares, its your job, do it. Don't ask the customer 3 times for the make and year of the car, and then again, oh what part did you want again. Get real
As for the other writer, the one crying about auto zone doesn't pay blah blah blah, who cares, its your job, do it. Don't ask the customer 3 times for the make and year of the car, and then again, oh what part did you want again. Get real
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What's this? #11 Consumer Comment
what happened to just plain customer service?
AUTHOR: Jennifer - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
POSTED: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
I have to say that lately these types of incidents are happening all too often, no matter where you go; McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Auto Zone, etc. What happened to just plain customer service?
To those employees who are trying to defend the reasons behind the "not so great customer service" Shame On You!!!
No matter where you work, if you deal with customers, then you owe it to the customer's to provide the best customer service!! If a customer is nasty, you need to ask them to hold on and get someone else to handle it!! You should never be rude to a customer, EVEN if they are being rude to you!!
It is not right for anyone to be rude, but when you are getting paid to be nice, and to help customers THAT is your job!! If you can't do it, you need to be in another line of business!
I have worked in customer service for 15 years, and I'll tell you there have been a million and one times that I wished I could deck the person across from me, or felt like screaming my head off! But that would be lowering myself to their level, I always get another person to take over the problem, if I feel that I cannot handle it!
Maybe if everyone would leave there personal lives at home and do their job for a change, they wouldn't be stuck in the "lowly, red shirt, $8 an hour position!"
To those employees who are trying to defend the reasons behind the "not so great customer service" Shame On You!!!
No matter where you work, if you deal with customers, then you owe it to the customer's to provide the best customer service!! If a customer is nasty, you need to ask them to hold on and get someone else to handle it!! You should never be rude to a customer, EVEN if they are being rude to you!!
It is not right for anyone to be rude, but when you are getting paid to be nice, and to help customers THAT is your job!! If you can't do it, you need to be in another line of business!
I have worked in customer service for 15 years, and I'll tell you there have been a million and one times that I wished I could deck the person across from me, or felt like screaming my head off! But that would be lowering myself to their level, I always get another person to take over the problem, if I feel that I cannot handle it!
Maybe if everyone would leave there personal lives at home and do their job for a change, they wouldn't be stuck in the "lowly, red shirt, $8 an hour position!"
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What's this? #12 Consumer Comment
clerk wasn't in the mood to kiss his butt
AUTHOR: Vincent - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, December 03, 2003
POSTED: Wednesday, December 03, 2003
Being in the retail industry is often full of isolated instances where provider and customer clash. It is to the credit of both that most of the time people recognize that the source of aggrivation is usually something totally unrelated and external. Bad weather, unruly children, pesky car troubles, etc...
I can't remember a time I went to an auto parts store and there wasn't a frenzy for attention form the few clerks available. Not to mention the endless phone calls from people just like me trying to price check some obscure part that the dealer is asking 300% more than it's really worth.
The guy that started this thread was obviously very impatient and the clerk wasn't in the mood to kiss his butt. That's my take, but I wasn't there.
I was; however, stuck in the middle of the desert 25 miles from anything in New Mexico when two guys with red shirts from Auto-Zone pulled up with my new radiator for my Ford pick-up that currently provided minimal shade for my family. I shouldn't say mine, though, because I had yet to pay for it. That came after they helped me install it and fill it with the coolant that I had neglected to ask for in the first place.
I'm not going to say that this is a standard or even the norm, but my overall ecxperience with Autozone has always been excellent. I'm sure allot of that has to do with the fact that I understand that they are way under-manned and I should just smile and be patient.
I can't remember a time I went to an auto parts store and there wasn't a frenzy for attention form the few clerks available. Not to mention the endless phone calls from people just like me trying to price check some obscure part that the dealer is asking 300% more than it's really worth.
The guy that started this thread was obviously very impatient and the clerk wasn't in the mood to kiss his butt. That's my take, but I wasn't there.
I was; however, stuck in the middle of the desert 25 miles from anything in New Mexico when two guys with red shirts from Auto-Zone pulled up with my new radiator for my Ford pick-up that currently provided minimal shade for my family. I shouldn't say mine, though, because I had yet to pay for it. That came after they helped me install it and fill it with the coolant that I had neglected to ask for in the first place.
I'm not going to say that this is a standard or even the norm, but my overall ecxperience with Autozone has always been excellent. I'm sure allot of that has to do with the fact that I understand that they are way under-manned and I should just smile and be patient.
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What's this? #13 Consumer Suggestion
The way you deal with stores, you're not going to get much service.
AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, December 01, 2003
POSTED: Monday, December 01, 2003
No one should have to endure being insulted by a customer. You lost your patience and got what you deserved.
You can compare prices from home without exposing the hapless employees to your hot-headedness. Autozone and most of the other national chains of discount parts stores have websites where you can check if they carry the part you need and how much it will cost. In your case, its a part #433901 and it costs $169.99, no core value. Also when shopping it doesn't hurt to call the dealer too, once in a while their price is competetive, and the part may be of better quality.
Many readers of this site would also agree it's a good idea not to go into Mesa for any reason.
You can compare prices from home without exposing the hapless employees to your hot-headedness. Autozone and most of the other national chains of discount parts stores have websites where you can check if they carry the part you need and how much it will cost. In your case, its a part #433901 and it costs $169.99, no core value. Also when shopping it doesn't hurt to call the dealer too, once in a while their price is competetive, and the part may be of better quality.
Many readers of this site would also agree it's a good idea not to go into Mesa for any reason.
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What's this? #14 UPDATE Employee
something you need to understand
AUTHOR: Kim - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, December 01, 2003
POSTED: Sunday, November 30, 2003
Steve let me explain something to you I have been working for auto zone for the last 3 years, it is no the best paying job in the world but for now it pays my bills, there are a few things you need to understand when going into an autozone First of all the people in the red shirts are the lowest of the chain they do not get payed very well and are offten treated badly by the people who wear the grey shirts, yes they are there to help but you also need to realize that they to are people and if you insult them in anyway of course they are going to be defensive, you maybe think that working for auto zone is an easy job well im here to tell you that it is not, we deal with all sorts of people everyday and not all of them are very nice to us, i have had customers that have been so mean that they have made me cry, and yet i still have the same job i have worked at 7 different stores in las vegas and they are all the same, now try being a girl working in an auto parts store when a man comes in and wont talk to you juts because you are a female, im proud to say that i do take my job seriously and plan to move up in the company now maybe the next time you go to an autozone you will think about what i have had to say and treat them they way you would want to be treated no one likes to be yelled at or made to feel as if they are incompetent.
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