Gotta love Auto Zone

[min301]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

go to the dealer .... or naaapaaa

Dealer is far too expensive.

I'll stick with my Car Quest.
They have 7 stores, and a warehouse locally,
and they bend over backwards to make us happy.

I'm sold...

[BluLightning]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I'll go to AZ for oil, filters and light bulbs. Anything more complex then that, I go to Napa. Mine's got no windows, stools by the counter and books behind the counter. ;)

[cstmwgn]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I have been hesitant to jump in here but I just have to ask

Why is the re-manufactured rack and pinion from Napa worth 30% more than the rack and pinion from Autozone when they are both from the same re-manufacturer? Is it the fact that the Napa rack has a 1 year warranty and the Autozone has a lifetime warranty?

Why is a Timken bearing from Napa better than a Timken bearing from Autozone?

I just don't get it, where I live CarQuest and Napa are pretty pricey for the exact same brands as Autozone or Advanced.

Do you guys really rely on the advice of the counter guy to tell you what/how to fix your car?
Unfortunately, IMHO, those days are long gone. Now before you get your panties in a knot, I was a partsman for ~20 years (mostly motorcycles) back in the days of printed books, microfiches and cardex inventory systems so I have some understanding of the skill that is required to be a "competent" parts guy.

Perhaps I am stupid but the easy to change stuff (alternators, starters, powersteering stuff, brakes, ...) I tend to buy from Autozone for the lifetime warranty. But then I tend to keep my junk for extended periods of time.

[SSChevyManiac]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I got tired of reading all the badder asser replies by mid page 2 and wanted to post up my .02.  My two local NAPA's are awesome. However, with NAPA it seems that like afforementioned the quality comes from the blood and guts of the operation. Just like with AZ or AA the guys behind the counter make the store. Both have their corporate limitations but there is one NAPA guy here who is nuts. He is known to wear a clean white shirt every morning and by the afternoon its brown, the store sure isn't pretty either. But I'll be damned if I ever walk out of there without my parts or a specific time they WILL be there. The other store is less amazing but still great to deal with. Same good service, and usually if I need it they have it, granted I work on Chevys. I also deal with chain warehouse deals through a friends shop, AutopartsWarehouse, CarQuest etc. They all do good work too. Couple weeks back I decided it was finally time to rebuild my QuadraBog. Kit was out of stock but in in 2 days, just got it rebuilt today, man it feels like a new truck. With all of these guys any error, even if it was my fault, I was at least helped out.
EDIT: as for the dudes at my local AZ. My brother got lucky and blew the front feed line in his F150 in front of their store. Wheeled it in with no brakes and shut it off, guess who's phone rings even though the kid he was with is a mechanic by trade. The guys were cool enough to let us rummage through the back to find a long enough piece of straight stock tubing to bandage it well enough to get him home.

[min301]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

I have been hesitant to jump in here but I just have to ask

Why is the re-manufactured rack and pinion from Napa worth 30% more than the rack and pinion from Autozone when they are both from the same re-manufacturer? Is it the fact that the Napa rack has a 1 year warranty and the Autozone has a lifetime warranty?

Why is a Timken bearing from Napa better than a Timken bearing from Autozone?

I just don't get it, where I live CarQuest and Napa are pretty pricey for the exact same brands as Autozone or Advanced.

Do you guys really rely on the advice of the counter guy to tell you what/how to fix your car?
Unfortunately, IMHO, those days are long gone. Now before you get your panties in a knot, I was a partsman for ~20 years (mostly motorcycles) back in the days of printed books, microfiches and cardex inventory systems so I have some understanding of the skill that is required to be a "competent" parts guy.

Perhaps I am stupid but the easy to change stuff (alternators, starters, powersteering stuff, brakes, ...) I tend to buy from Autozone for the lifetime warranty. But then I tend to keep my junk for extended periods of time.

Let me tell ya....my Car Quest guy's are the best.
For one, I have a commercial link through my computer at work,
as such I look up alot of my own stuff, they'll just deliver.

But sometimes I get in a bind, need something but it's in say, Bay City.

They will send out a driver...and not charge me an arm and leg for
doing it.
Say I need a hardened bolt, they run to the fastener companies here.
They give me a break on prices alot, like say Brake Cleaner is $20 a
case if you buy 5 or more cases, they'll give me that price for 1 or 2.

I've been using them foe OEM stuff for 20+ years, and they've
always went above and beyond.

I've had NAPA accounts before, never even came close in
customer appreciation.
As far as a price discrepancy, I get the same prices as AZ
sells stuff for, much better service, and people that
in case I don't have the answer, find it for me.

That is something AZ, Advanced, Pep boys, etc... can't give me.

[cstmwgn]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Bill

Your experiences are different than mine - perhaps because you have an account and work in the business where as I am just a hobbyist.

When I needed Victor NitroSeal intake gaskets for my wagon, I had to order them from CarQuest and they CHARGED full retail for the gaskets ($55) AND added the UPS freight charges to have them shipped to their store. I do agree that the guys at my CarQuest are more knowledgeable than the "other guys" but most of the time I "think" I know what I need before I go to the parts store.

[min301]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

Your experiences are different than mine


Well...I've used commercial accounts with most all of them,
AZ included, and I'm not impressed.
I'm sorry for your local CQ, their missing the point.

The same guy owns all the local Car Quests here, and he is hard
on his people, he wants them to take care of his customers,
whatever that takes.

[DanStokes]

Re: Gotta love Auto Zone

YEAH!!!! Let me chime in here and say that I think this is the way our Forum ought to look. Here's two guys with different opinions based on personal experience. They have refrained from name calling and character attacks and simply agreed that they have had different experiences.

Let's all follow suit (can't we all just get along?)

Dan

Your experiences are different than mine


Well...I've used commercial accounts with most all of them,
AZ included, and I'm not impressed.
I'm sorry for your local CQ, their missing the point.

The same guy owns all the local Car Quests here, and he is hard
on his people, he wants them to take care of his customers,
whatever that takes.