# Autozone frustrations...



## Xxwhiteneonxx (Oct 12, 2016)

So This year im doing an autozone by me.. Let me tell you, autozone is a very cheap company and they wanted per call. Well i agreed to that figuring they will call.. Still havnt called its been off an on snowing the past 2 days. Probably got 3" and now its freezing rain and still no call.. wtf?

Their Lot is now hardpacked and these idiots are going to expect me to perform miracles or dump a boatload of salt to get them out of the mess they're in all because they're cheap *****s and wont do things the correct way.. After this year im for sure dropping them.

By the way i do not have a contract, i just have to give 30 days notice when im dropping them..


----------



## allagashpm (Sep 29, 2012)

Why do you have to give 30 days notice if you don't give a contract? I'd drop it now before you get a 12 inch storm. 
Learn from it, and someone else will be right behind you to take it.


----------



## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

allagashpm said:


> Why do you have to give 30 days notice if you don't give a contract? I'd drop it now before you get a 12 inch storm.
> Learn from it, and someone else will be right behind you to take it.


X2 no contract means you don't have to anything including giving notice. And also means they don't have to call you for snow service, they can call someone else cheaper than you if they want. And if you don't have a contract that indemnifies you against liability such as 3rd party slip and fall, not guaranteed to be bare pavement, not responsible for damaged surfaces, etc. I would run away. You have no obligation to them, and you are opening yourself up to a lawsuit. Not to mention they are not compelled to actually pay you for service, they can just say I don't know who that guy was, he just showed up and plowed. We thought it was out of the kindness of his heart and then he sent us a bill for a service we did not approve.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

As a suggestion from someone who does not do plow professionally but has to deal with similar issues in consulting...

Since you don't have a contract for the season, you should have them sign a different one each time they call you, as they are essentially a flag down. Leave the amount blank, to be written in by you and initialed by them when you get there and see how crappy the lot is, and decide how many hours it is going to take. Make sure the contract indemnifies you and shoot some pictures both when you start and when you finish.

You are not that far from where I am. I was out plowing at the airport and the stuff on the ground is no fun.


----------



## Xxwhiteneonxx (Oct 12, 2016)

allagashpm said:


> Why do you have to give 30 days notice if you don't give a contract? I'd drop it now before you get a 12 inch storm.
> Learn from it, and someone else will be right behind you to take it.


Good question. . That's just what the Form says.


----------



## Xxwhiteneonxx (Oct 12, 2016)

ktfbgb said:


> X2 no contract means you don't have to anything including giving notice. And also means they don't have to call you for snow service, they can call someone else cheaper than you if they want. And if you don't have a contract that indemnifies you against liability such as 3rd party slip and fall, not guaranteed to be bare pavement, not responsible for damaged surfaces, etc. I would run away. You have no obligation to them, and you are opening yourself up to a lawsuit. Not to mention they are not compelled to actually pay you for service, they can just say I don't know who that guy was, he just showed up and plowed. We thought it was out of the kindness of his heart and then he sent us a bill for a service we did not approve.


That's something I'm afraid of is being held liable because these idiots are cheap. I'm going to have a talk with the store manager and see what he has to say


----------



## Xxwhiteneonxx (Oct 12, 2016)

Aerospace Eng said:


> As a suggestion from someone who does not do plow professionally but has to deal with similar issues in consulting...
> 
> Since you don't have a contract for the season, you should have them sign a different one each time they call you, as they are essentially a flag down. Leave the amount blank, to be written in by you and initialed by them when you get there and see how crappy the lot is, and decide how many hours it is going to take. Make sure the contract indemnifies you and shoot some pictures both when you start and when you finish.
> 
> You are not that far from where I am. I was out plowing at the airport and the stuff on the ground is no fun.


I live in chippewa by the way. Nice to see somebody local!

I'm going to shoot some pictures before and after which probably isn't going to look like I did much considering its all hardpacked and since it's freezing rain now it's going to get even worse by morning.. 
I know for sure they have me and another company on call. But they obviously havnt called them either because I pay attention and that lot hasn't been touched at all.


----------



## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

So if they call and it will take you 5 hours to scrape it to where you feel comfortable with your liability due to the hard pac then tell them it will cost 5x your hourly rate. If they don't like it, then drive away. You don't have a contract and so don't have liability until you drop your plow.

You can always mention that it would be cheaper if they had you plow at a trigger due to the hard pack.


----------



## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

Xxwhiteneonxx said:


> Good question. . That's just what the Form says.


What form? You said no contract.


----------



## Xxwhiteneonxx (Oct 12, 2016)

Aerospace Eng said:


> As a suggestion from someone who does not do plow professionally but has to deal with similar issues in consulting...
> 
> Since you don't have a contract for the season, you should have them sign a different one each time they call you, as they are essentially a flag down. Leave the amount blank, to be written in by you and initialed by them when you get there and see how crappy the lot is, and decide how many hours it is going to take. Make sure the contract indemnifies you and shoot some pictures both when you start and when you finish.
> 
> You are not that far from where I am. I was out plowing at the airport and the stuff on the ground is no fun.


I live in chippewa by the way. Nice to see somebody local!

I'm going to shoot some pictures before and after which probably isn't going to look like I did much considering its all hardpacked and since it's freezing rain now it's going to get even worse by morning.. 
I know for sure they have me and another company on call. But they obviously havnt called them either because I pay attention and that lot hasn't been touched at all.


Aerospace Eng said:


> So if they call and it will take you 5 hours to scrape it to where you feel comfortable with your liability due to the hard pac then tell them it will cost 5x your hourly rate. If they don't like it, then drive away. You don't have a contract and so don't have liability until you drop your plow.
> 
> You can always mention that it would be cheaper if they had you plow at a trigger due to the hard pack.


I'm going to mention this to them and see what they have to say. There already not paying that much for me to plow and salt their lot. It's not worth it at this point if this is how they're going to treat storms.


----------



## Xxwhiteneonxx (Oct 12, 2016)

ktfbgb said:


> What form? You said no contract.


They basically gave me a paper that I put my contact info on. I signed nothing.

They also had me fill out a w9. That's all though


----------



## ktfbgb (Jan 31, 2016)

Ok. I would drop them. Not worth the hassle or liability. You not going to be able to time your route with these jokers.


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

On call? Are you sure it's Autozone or some :terribletowel:manager snow wizard. Obviously somebody is uneducated on moving snow. Tell them your leaving or you need a reasonable trigger and your not spreading 3 times the salt then the lot would normally need. Drop them they will get some :terribletowel:to plow them out. This type of aggravation you do not need. Technically they are not on your route. Cold calls - flag downs pay the premium.

I don't get involved if the Manager wants to call the shots. It's not worth the effort because it never works out. Don't get all flipped out dump them or work it out to your terms. You will feel much better.


----------



## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

two words... walk away


----------



## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

They probably have three other guys info to. Nothing in writing, you don't have to give them anything.


----------



## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Philbilly2 said:


> two words... Run FAST


Lot of fixing going on here today


----------



## Mark Witcher (Feb 21, 2004)

I have been doing a local Autozone for 2 years now. They wont do contracts, its a corporate policy I believe from what the managers tell me. I think you just have a really stupid manager at that store. I plow this one at any snow accumilation.They pay cash after each plowing. I do the landscape services also, same policy. No contract and cash same day.


----------



## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

So if you don't have a contract, who holds liability on a slip and fall?


----------



## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Mark Witcher said:


> I have been doing a local Autozone for 2 years now. They wont do contracts, its a corporate policy I believe from what the managers tell me. I think you just have a really stupid manager at that store. I plow this one at any snow accumilation.They pay cash after each plowing. I do the landscape services also, same policy. No contract and cash same day.


Cash! Them are my kind of jobs, LOL


----------



## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

That must be just your area or that Manager. Around here there are 3 or 4 AutoZone's and they always get plowed and salted like any other lot. I'd steer clear of anything that puts any average joe shmo in charge of when we plow, that's just asking for trouble. Maybe go in and ask whats going on and explain how plowing/salting works, most of the general public have no clue how it works. Maybe a little education might go a long way.


----------



## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Philbilly2 said:


> two words... walk away


Actually, that's 4 words.


----------



## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Got Jokes again oomkes?


----------



## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

Philbilly2 said:


> Got Jokes again oomkes?


More like people skills.


----------

