Irritating Experience At Auto Zone

[HyundaiGuy]

Hi All,

Last week I went to Auto Zone to purchase 4 quarts of PU for my wife's Accent. I take the oil to the dealer, they supply the filter, labor, and dispose of the old oil for a very reasonable price.

I get the oil and I am standing at the register. Here is he exchange that goes down with the lady working there:

Clerk: Sir, do you NEED anything. (Attitude right off.)
Me: Yes, to check out.

She looks at the PU and points to a display of some type of "eco friendly" oil they have next to the register- 5 quarts of oil, a drain pan and shop towels, I believe for $16.99.

Clerk: We have that- its a better deal.
Me: No, thank you. This is what I want.

The clerk then shakes her head like I am some type of moron that just doesn't understand.

Clerk: Your total is $32.00. Thats awfully expensive for just oil. I can change it to our special- it isn't too late.
Me: No, I'm fine.

I pay and leave.

I still don't know what to think. She did irritate me a bit though.

 

[rat]

Many times when the parts stores have specials like that, the employees get a spiff on each one they sell, and try extra hard to push those items. I remember my favorite one back in the day was when Autolite platinum spark plugs came out. I got .50 cents for every one I sold, so everybody that came in needing plugs got "upsold".

 

[Johnny]

Maybe they get some kind of kick back for pushing the specials.

You made the right decision.

 

[gathermewool]

Oil is oil to some people. Paying more for oil might seem like paying that much more for two of the same darned thing. More than likely trying to explain anything would fall on deaf ears; it seems like what you did was best.

FWIW, maybe she's got a bet going or gets some kind of incentive to push the special. She might not be doing as well as the not-jerky people working there...

 

[d00df00d]

You were obviously dealing with someone who:

1. Knows nothing about sales. You're supposed to facilitate the customer's desires, not try to talk the customer out of them.

2. Isn't going to be keeping her job very long. Whether it's kickbacks from the product she was pushing, or just her own personal demons at that moment, she's not exactly going to climb the corporate ladder by sharing her negative feelings with you.

 

[ChrisD46]

I would have stated to the sales clerk : " It's a known fact that your eco - friendly oil contains wax and is attributed to engine sludge build up ... That's why I came back in for PU " .

 

[HyundaiGuy]

I don't know why it irritated me so much- my job is far more irritating, and I deal with that just fine.

I think it was because it all started out like I was a bother- there were a lot of people at the parts counter. but none at the registers. Maybe she saw my lowly $32 sale as nothing compared to what she might have sold the people at the parts counter.

She was bad enough that I may try Pep Boys- I hear they have PU too.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: HyundaiGuy
I don't know why it irritated me so much- my job is far more irritating, and I deal with that just fine.

I think it was because it all started out like I was a bother- there were a lot of people at the parts counter. but none at the registers. Maybe she saw my lowly $32 sale as nothing compared to what she might have sold the people at the parts counter.



I suspect it was because you were disrespected - a complete stranger (a clerk, no less) automatically assumed you didn't have the intelligence to manage your own afairs.

 

[ChuckBerry]

Customer service is, in the United States, generally a very unpleasant experience.

 

[FowVay]

My local AutoZone has a moron working there also. I have stood in the store and listened to him direct every single oil customer to buy 10W-40. He would constantly tell them that their XW-30 or XW-20 oil that they had in their basket was going to burn their engines up. I questioned him about his work experience and education level one time and he admits to never working as a mechanic or holding any post-high school education in engineering or tribology (he'd never heard that word before).

It got on my nerves so badly that I ended up writing to corporate Autozone to let them know that their employee was giving poor advice and possibly risking the warranty on their customers vehicles by recommending the wrong viscosity fluids.

They wrote back and assured me that something would be said but to this day the guy is still spewing his advice. I don't go there much since I have a Advance and O'Reilly all on the same corner.

 

[eljefino]

Worse at Radio Shack and Sears Appliance/TVs.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Worse at Radio Shack and Sears Appliance/TVs.


Sears guys get bigger commissions on certain brands. How do I know this? I used to work there.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I would have left the oil on the counter and bought it somewhere else.

 

[mcrn]

Hyundaiguy which autozone? Conway road? Im in Olrando too and have not been able to find PU at any atuozone or WM near me.

 

[FL_Rob]

It's mostly a power trip thing with them at my store,as well.What ever happened to,"How can I help you?" and "will that be all?" which in itself is a redundant question since you're already at the register with your merchandise,but I suppose it's a standard closing.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
I would have left the oil on the counter and bought it somewhere else.


Totally agree but before I would have done that, when she said that I should take her better deal, I would have asked her for her form of payment. Then after she responded I would have commented that if she has all the answers, than she can pay for it too. Then I would have left the oil on the counter and went to Wally World to buy it cheaper.

 

[Spazdog]

I haven't seen a legitimate "SPIF" since Western Auto went the way of the Dodo bird around here.

I could make a nice little chunk of change upselling tires. Parts SPIFs never really added up to much.

at Hi/Lo, we could get merchandise for upselling. I got a Splitfire watch (broke in less than one week), genuine faux leather Quaker State jacket (like wearing a green and white plastic lawn and leaf bag. It did not breathe), a groovy black satin "Members Only" style Castrol Syntec jacket (with giant epulets)....

Not all of it was junk. I also got a set of US made Blackhawk swivel spark plug sockets (5/8 and 13/16)(before they were Taiwan-tools)

We would also have product representatives come by to give us selling points on their merchandise, buy us lunch, and let us try their products for free. I don't think I bought wiper-blades or spark-plugs for years but always had a fresh set of Triple-Edges or Splitfires or similar in my car. If I liked the product, I would sell it. If I didn't, it would sit on the shelf and collect dust.

 

[beanoil]

You didn't "Get into the Zone" before you entered the store. If you had, her behavior would have appeared normal, you would have been consumed by her mind power, and simply taken the special.
"Customer Service" is the latest in a long string of degraded properties in today's society.

 

[HyundaiGuy]

Originally Posted By: mcrn
Hyundaiguy which autozone? Conway road? Im in Olrando too and have not been able to find PU at any atuozone or WM near me.


How did you figure that out?? Really..that's kinda creepy.

Yep, it's the AZ on Conway Road, between Gatlin and Curry Ford Road. They have PU, but only in 5W30 and 10W30.

 

[kkreit01]

Yeah -- I think that's a bad enough experience to go to Wal-Mart to pay $25 for 5 qt jug! I can guarantee they will not ask you questions, not provide suggestions.