SA
Saul Amezquita
Sep 22, 2025
My wife and I and our two children drove all the way from NC to vacation in CO. Our radiator went out somewhere on Grand Mesa. We pretty much coasted all the way down the Mesa into Delta and turned into the nearest auto parts store we saw - fortunately it was Auto Zone. This wasn't the vacation we signed up for, but there we were, leaking radiator fluid and enthusiasm all over your parking lot.
We went into the store and explained what was going on and the friendly associates came right out and diagnosed the problem right away: cracked radiator. It was late in the afternoon and I wasn't even sure I could change out the radiator - I'm pretty handy but I'm not a mechanic. We briefly deliberated whether we would try to find a mechanic or risk doing it ourselves. Jake offered me the business card of a mechanic that he uses if we decided not to try it ourselves.
In the end, I decided to give it a shot. It was getting late anyway and we really wanted to get back on the road. Waiting another 24 hours or more for a mechanic wasn't too appealing. Besides, the employees' contagious optimism really encouraged me that I could do this and I felt like I probably could. And, providentially, these guys actually had a radiator for a 01 chevy in stock - what were the odds of that? Jake gave us the manager's discount on the radiator - "it's bad enough to have to change out a radiator on vacation - let's make it less painful."
As the shadows lengthened and the sun began to set, Ashley helped us push the offending truck into a parking space. She brought out the box containing the huge radiator, and cheerfully announced that she would be back out to check on us soon.
Ashley returned as promised, not once or twice, but many times to check on us, point out an error, and make sure I was doing it correctly. "You're doing great! Oops don't forget that clip right there! Awesome! You've got this!"
She brought out 5 gallon buckets from the store to catch radiator fluid. Jake brought us tools to use. As night fell (we were so grateful that a store stayed open until 10pm!!), they brought us out flashlights. We couldn't have done it without Jake and Ashley. In between helping other customers, Ashley would run out and make sure everything was going well, and cheer us on. This was repeated over and over all evening until we finally finished around 9pm. Jake and Ashley cheered with us when the truck started right up.
As we worked by flashlight that night in the parking lot, I kept looking around us and seeing all the other vehicles wheezing in, looking for a part or just a diagnoses. Jake or Ashley were right there, helping all the other customers, greeting many of them by name. I began to realize that the service we were experiencing was just an ordinary night here. At one point, as another truck glided to a familiar-looking stop in front of the store, Jake called out "hey! it's radiator night! Let's change out some radiators, guys!" He joked and laughed with customers. It was like we had joined a local mechanic club where everyone worked on vehicles and had a great time doing it. Everyone loved Jake and Ashley, and it was easy to see why: they made a discouraging job fun.
They say people don't remember what you did, but how they made you feel. Jake and Ashley did a lot for us that night. But perhaps best of all, they made us feel empowered to do something we'd never done before. And when we finally replaced the radiator, they made us feel like heroes. But the real heroes of the day were two AutoZone employees. They could have just sold us a radiator, but they went many, many extra miles. If anyone deserves the Extra Miler award, it would be Jake and Ashley.
To Jake and Ashley and Delta CO AutoZone, thank you for a fantastic experience and a wonderful vacation. We'll see you next year. It will prob be the transmission next. I hope you guys sell it to us.