× Auto Repair Pros Member Benefits TechHelp Knowledge Base Forums Resources My iATN Marketplace Chat Pricing About Us Join Industry Sponsors Video Members Only Repair Shops Auto Pro Careers Auto Pro Reviews
Join Now
International Automotive Technicians Network
Re: FREE DIAGNOSIS AT AT AUTOZONE
Posted to Emissions Forum on 6/8/2012

Yeah, one of my run-ins with a 'certified parts professional' happened several years back, but I can still remember most of the details.

I diagnosed a MIL/smog failure on an old carbureted GM product and arrived at the conclusion that the TPS was bad using a scanner and scope to retrieve the DTC and perform a voltage sweep test on the sensor. Customer declined the repair, paid for the diagnosis and left.

He then returned about a half hour later, yelling and causing a scene because we are ripping him off, "selling him s**t he don't need". My service writer was able to calm him down enough to determine that the Autozone a few doors down was the source of his anger.

I called the store and identified myself, asking what had happened. The guy on the line immediately laid into me, telling me essentially the same thing as the customer. I started getting angry as well, but was able to determine that he had punched in the vehicle application and part description, come up with no part number, and concluded that I had bulls**ted my way through the diagnosis in an attempt to sell the customer a part that didn't even exist on that vehicle!

I asked him if he'd like for me to come over there on my break and have a little pow-wow over the subject, but in the end, nothing useful came of it, and he was gone within a few months, probably to another Autozone.

Michael Barry
Technician
Quick Stop Smog & More
Sacramento, California, USA