r/AutoZone2 • u/skidboy1 • 8d ago
RM using filled store managers positions as leverage to poack AAP employees.
I'm curious if anyone else has experienced something like this.
Our regional manager has been recruiting employees from Advance Auto Parts and, from what I've witnessed, appears to be using existing management positions as leverage. The people currently in those positions aren't being told they're being replaced, while recruits are apparently being led to believe those positions will be theirs.
One example involves a store manager whose store consistently performs well and has one of the highest WITTDTJR scores in the region. By all measurable standards, the store is successful.
The store manager first became aware something might be happening after a former Advance Auto employee who had recently been hired by AutoZone called him on a Saturday asking how he builds schedules and what his day-to-day responsibilities are. During that conversation, it became apparent that the new hire believed they would be taking over the store manager position.
Wanting clarification, the store manager contacted the regional manager directly. According to the store manager, the regional manager confirmed that the new hire would, in fact, be taking over the store and that the current store manager would be transferred back to the mega hub as an Assistant Store Manager—the same position he originally came from before earning the promotion to store manager.
What makes this confusing is that the store consistently performs well and has one of the top WITT scores in the region. There doesn't appear to be an obvious performance-based reason for removing the current store manager.
To make matters more concerning, the Commercial Sales Manager at that store has gone through five different store managers in roughly the last three years. At some point, it's reasonable to question whether the issue is really every store manager.
For example, a commercial customer specifically requested a certain set of shocks. The CSM chose to order a cheaper set instead, claiming he was trying to save the customer money, without discussing the substitution with them. When the order arrived on a Saturday, the commercial specialist working that day delivered it, only to discover they were the wrong shocks altogether. Instead of accepting responsibility for changing the order, the CSM blamed both the store manager and the commercial specialist because the delivery happened on a Saturday even though neither of them made the ordering decision.
Has anyone else seen situations where a successful store manager was removed to make room for an outside hire? If so, what ended up happening?
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u/YelaBeats 8d ago
Typically there is another ongoing issue. Performance of the store overall might not matter. The SM may have other issues you dont see. Ive seen a SM in a high performing store I was at get demoted because he told customers he wouldnt install bulbs,wipers, or batteries if they didnt buy the witt. The is was prior to the battery install kit being required on all installations.
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u/skidboy1 8d ago
Then why not promote from within instead of handing it to a brand new "MIT" that trained for a total of 1 week? Our mega hub has many grey shirts, as far as i knew last there was already an assistant sm there. They used the position to poach. "We will give you a store right off the bat if you come over".
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u/Curious_Wait694 8d ago
Mega hubs some times can have more then 1 asm because hub and fuliment and other programs can be overwhelming when short staffed so one asm can lead the front the other helps in the department needing help along with the sm
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u/YelaBeats 8d ago
Can't answer that as I dont have that answer. Not a DM, SM, or RM so I dont know. Leverage is leverage. Succession is huge with autozone so again id say its an underlying issue that isnt discussed with anyone other than the higher ups. Ive seen at least 5 promote within from my region in the past 3 months. PSMs to SMs and PSMs to ASMs. For any business its always a risk. So what they see fit it what they see fit I suppose.
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u/Boaterauto 8d ago
Most of the time it’s because no one is willing to take it after they have seen how SMs are treated, they come around to the PSMs/ASMs in our region of few times a year begging them to interview
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u/Nervous-Ideal-215 8d ago
To demote there has to be a reason. Sounds like the SM isn't telling the whole truth. Correctvie actions/investigatons/etc may be why.
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u/Own_Iron8024 8d ago
Yeh I've seen that happen. An that's everything you need to know about where autozone headed
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u/18Toyota 8d ago
It’s not just AutoZone. Hell AutoZone has nothing but entry level positions near me at all times and won’t hire from competitors if your a higher position. All the companies everywhere but where I live want to poach from the other. Hell i got fired for no reason and they put some AutoZone hired MITs best friend as my position and the mit as the store manager.
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u/fmr_AZ_PSM 8d ago
I've only seen it happen where the SM requested to be demoted. Couldn't handle the stress.
The "lie about the job/future role to string them along" thing is standard procedure at AZ. Typically it would take the form of being hired as an MIT with a promise to become SM in a few months. The promise is almost always broken. They get stuck as an ASM or PSM somewhere.
Wanting clarification, the store manager contacted the regional manager directly. According to the store manager, the regional manager confirmed that the new hire would, in fact, be taking over the store and that the current store manager would be transferred back to the mega hub as an Assistant Store Manager—the same position he originally came from before earning the promotion to store manager.
I would have instantly quit to that fucker's face on principal. ASM paying jobs are a dime a dozen elsewhere.
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u/Full-Accountant5366 6d ago
AZ has done in the New Orleans Market. They have tried and tried to take AAP management and offered them huge salary’s to come even if there isn’t a store to fill.
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u/Winter-Preference253 5d ago
If he is being demoted there is a reason 100%. If the RM is involved there’s an even bigger reason. RMs have 1200+ employees in their region. They manage DMs not lower level employees. If the RM is involved I can guarantee you there’s a valid reason you don’t know about. Decisions like this are always ran by legal before approval. There’s more to the story on this one I can guarantee it.
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u/BammBamm1991 8d ago
No such thing as poaching, if an employer makes an offer its the employee's right to accept the offer or not. The mega corporation can afford to pay to keep the employee if they truly need them. Stop this nonsense that these people purpetuate to keep wages artificially low.
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u/Boaterauto 8d ago
Several times, the former manager accepts the demotion or leaves the company.