How Was Your Zaino Experience?

[gto78]

Honestly---funny word sometimes heh?

LOL, I have never heard a single complaint about this guy. Like David B. he is one of the true gentlemen in the industry and I flat out don't believe you. These type of people have a passion for detailing and people. I've been in the detailing business for 19 years and I have never heard a bad word about Sal Zaino until you. We all know that many people sip on the Zaino haterade but don't besmurge good people who have furthered the detailing industry. Zaino hate usually has very little to do with product quality or the Zaino organization. To suggest first the product was bad, then the service center didn't reply to your many email complaints, you left multiple unreturned phone messages, and then also the owner was a bad guy and mean to you is just NOT believable. While your at it you might want to blame him for running over your neighbors dog. I've been ordering from them for around 5 years and I have emailed Sal and Zaino service a few times and they always replied the next day. My only complaint about Zaino is that I've never recieved a discount, lol. So no they aren't perfect but the Zaino organization is a class act.

you dont believe me? your calling me a liar? that's nice, but I'm telling you my HONEST TO GOD experience, not everyone is going to have their as$ kissed by this guy like everyone else on this thread has described. I'm telling you he was definitely rude, and before that I was telling everyone what an awesome product they have, I was telling people who win car shows over the last 30 years that this is better than what they use, And now after dealing with him I don't bother advertising for him anymore, since customer service is part of the product. So does this mean that everyone who has a bad experience is now a liar? Are you not allowed to have a differing opinion or bad experience? Look at the thread title, it says "how was your zaino experience"- well that was mine take it or leave it, but don't call me a liar about it.

 

[stilez]

you dont believe me? your calling me a liar? that's nice, but I'm telling you my HONEST TO GOD experience, not everyone is going to have their as$ kissed by this guy like everyone else on this thread has described. I'm telling you he was definitely rude, and before that I was telling everyone what an awesome product they have, I was telling people who win car shows over the last 30 years that this is better than what they use, And now after dealing with him I don't bother advertising for him anymore, since customer service is part of the product. So does this mean that everyone who has a bad experience is now a liar? Are you not allowed to have a differing opinion or bad experience? Look at the thread title, it says "how was your zaino experience"- well that was mine take it or leave it, but don't call me a liar about it.

I'm not trying to defend him at all, just throwing this out there...



It might just be the NY/NJ mentality. I noticed a big general personality difference around here to where so drastic that "polite" in NY/NJ is considered rude in the other parts of the US.



Furthermore though, if you were unhappy with the products than I wouldn't use em either. Got any left you wanna get rid of ?

 

[stevet]

I have never used Zaino but I have had a bad experience with it. That problem is Zaino fanatics jumping all over people who say something negative about Zaino.





gto78,



You committed the ultimate blasphemy to a Zaino worshipper, you dissed Lord Sal.

 

[Bill D]

. I called several times, left messages that were unreturned, sent emails that didn't get answered, and finally got sal zaino on the phone. He was rude, and a smart$s over the phone telling me how I'm just like everyone else who doesn't know the proper way to squeeze droplets out of the little .25oz bottle.

Hmmm..if that's indeed what occurred, sorry, that is rather rude no matter where you're from and I'm from NJ

 

[imported_memnuts]

I have never used Zaino but I have had a bad experience with it. That problem is Zaino fanatics jumping all over people who say something negative about Zaino.





gto78,



You committed the ultimate blasphemy to a Zaino worshipper, you dissed Lord Sal.

Since you have never dealt with Sal or Zaino.....



I think most people here, I know I would, respond with amazement if similiar comments were stated about PakShak, DavidB and DavidO, Patrick, MikeP, Leo, Chris @ eShine, Ian , AutoGeek, CMA, Mike @Einszett,etc, etc.



Not stating at all that GTO did not have this problem but that his experience is not the norm.



I do not think this type of defense or differing experiences is only from users of Zaino.:nixweiss

 

[ERASE]

I got a pile of Zaino products from Christmas (z5, z2-pro, zfx, z10, etc etc etc...). I still have yet to use them....perhaps because I haven't got any AIO and I must admit I am a little paranoid about using the Dawn wash.



I trust Sal and his chemistry- it seems so unusual that a single guy could have so many great products so from a Chemist standpoint....either he really knows what is going on or is advised by someone who really knows what is going on.



From what I read it would seem the durability is nearly unmatched (Correct me if I'm wrong).



Why haven't I used them yet??? Because I really want to do it right the first time. I had tremendous success with the PC and Menzerna ip and fp + souveran on a black e420....and that was without AIO and the first time!



I'm a transplanted New Yorker (Manhattan) who now lives in Boston (Beacon Hill Back Bay).



I would say for NJ/NY Sal is pretty much a regular guy. Nowhere more than in NYC does time = $$$.



NYC and NJ is all about time = $$$ and I could understand why ANY reasonable person

-who talks with people over and over again on the phone -about the same questions and answers and objections

-....might get a little short with his comments.



If I had a bad day....might my answers be a little shorter...Sure. How about if the same guy called over and over again with basically the same questions???



Or ugh compared my products to some real crap out there...with doubt still in his mind.



Efficiency can be taken for rudeness. If Sal calls you a " idiot" or some other slur...I would say that was outright rude...but if Sal says "Shut up and listen...let me speak....I know more about car detailing than you do"....well that's not rude ...it's likely the truth and he is just trying to save a little of your time and his time by clearing up any confusion about detailing and preventing unneeded discussion and confusion.



His goal is to get you to buy the product- and to make sure you use it properly, say thanks and hang up. Some peoples expectations may be different, but in the end....aren't we just trying to buy a product- learn to use it and get good results?



From what people said about Sal on Autopia I was expecting a different attitude as well- but as soon as I knew I was talking to someone from Jersey- I adjusted and learned. I would rather have a shiny car by someone who was short on the phone with me than pay money for garbage that someone sold to me with a smile.







I think it is fair to say that NY and NJ people on the whole are less polite than their southern or Midwest counterparts. That lack of politeness comes from the equation time = money. Which is why NY is the money capital of the world. People have very little time for pleasant small talk....particularly if it slows down the job process....or if you will only have a single interaction with that person in your life. How about if Sal had 50 phone calls he wanted to reply to in that day and he only got through 30.....and he only has 2 hours left to complete them???? Why are Sal's products so good???/ Probably because he gets through 50 calls a day instead of 30. IMHO FWIW. No disrespect to anyone- just my thoughts of why things happen so fast in markets in NYC.





So looking at the tedium of speaking on the phone about a single product line all day..... would any of you be willing to do it?????





I doubt it.



But Sal OBVIOUSLY LIKES HIS CUSTOMERS- even if he may sound "short" on the phone. He likes interacting with his customers and he does try to gleen info from them about the other products they use and like. He talks to his customers in a sort of research fashion....to gather info to perhaps use in his products...or application methods....etc.



He, like all of us, is in the quest for the perfect shine. The Ultimate "Gleam Gleam".



If Sal really didn't like speaking to us...he would make a far more elaborate website with more detailed info so he would only have to write it once instead of speak it 700,000 times.



But Sal likely goes through conversations hoping to meet experienced detailers over the phone...to figure out what they like...so he can improve on his products.



From what I gather over Autopia...there seems to be a consensus that Zaino gives high reflectivity, some wet look, but not total depth.



Sal told me his goal was to make the car look like new freshly painted paint....not detailed paint.



So who knows...maybe Sal will come out with "Zaino Depth" just to shut everyone else up...and then tell us...why would we want that when we are after the look of a new car- not a "Special effects" car.



I don't know what I like yet as I haven't ' tried or seen a Zainoed car in person.



I will say I am amazed at how good Souveran looked on Black. I will say it is a "Special effects" wax that makes cars look like they just walked out of a Car Ad on TV.



If Zaino makes my car look like the day it was born...I'd be blown away by that too.



as for not giving away some free ZFX. In NYC if you give stuff away for free....it has no value, people don't respect you, and you'd go broke. Besides a lot of people who get stuff for free in NYC try to resell it. New Yorkers in general IMHO are opposed to giving things away. They are inherently distrustful because they have been burned themselves so many times or seen others been burned.

New Yorkers hate to think they are being scammed.



It's a funny thing. When I go to visit NYC my whole mindset and attitude flips back to when I lived there. And when I return to Boston- I switch back. It works better than way.

 

[Ed Hartman]

Not matter how hard you try in any business, you will never please all the people all the time

 

[Bill D]

I think that viewpoint is a little too stereotypical but I have to agree it is true for some individuals in the NY Tri State area.



Some individuals don't even look at you let alone engage in small talk but I still found them to be in the overwhelming minority.

 

[stevet]

Since you have never dealt with Sal or Zaino.....

No not yet. I plan to though. What does that have to do with my post? Do I have to try Zaino before I Comment on Zaino users who jump all over people for saying negative things about Zaino or Sal.

 

[ERASE]

Sal's very NY/NJ , if you are the kind of person that hates New Yorkers- well, you aren't giving Sal a fair chance right off the bat.



Once I switched into New York Mode over the phone (something I really only consciously do once I cross into Manhattan) I understood him and respected him instead of feeling offput by him.





I haven't tried the Zaino stuff yet... and I can't say I really know Sal well from a single 10 minute conversation. But he obviously makes a product that people trust and respect and some of that trust and respect should be given to Sal as a benefit of the doubt before you get to know him over the phone.



If you want super polite nice guys...try talking to Meguair's- these guys bend over backwards to get you to like them and their products- send you free samples- tutor you over the phone- and address any doubts you have. Take care of issues immediately, no questions asked.

They have a staff dedicated to it.



Sal's a bit of a gruff dictator- but an effective one.



I happen to like both camps. May the best shine win.

 

[RedondoV6]

No not yet. I plan to though. What does that have to do with my post? Do I have to try Zaino before I Comment on Zaino users who jump all over people for saying negative things about Zaino or Sal.

Since when do users of ANY product not have a right to challenge, question or express their opinion of a product? Zaino users included!



You see "Zaino fanatics jumping all over people who say something negative about Zaino", I see people responding in disbelief because THEIR experience of the Zaino product and of Sal's customer service is TOTALLY different to that expressed by gto78.



For the record, Sal has responded to every email I have ever sent him, often on the same day. I have spoken to him personally numerous times and he has always been polite and to the point (he is not a man who loves to hear the sound of his own voice). On the one occasion, I did have a problem with a product, he advised me how to avoid the problem in the future and sent me a free replacement, no questions asked, no shipping charge.



If you had used Zaino, or even just talked to Sal you might understand better why people jump to defend or express their satisfaction with Zaino products and the man.



My 2 cents....

 

[imported_memnuts]

No not yet. I plan to though. What does that have to do with my post? Do I have to try Zaino before I Comment on Zaino users who jump all over people for saying negative things about Zaino or Sal.

Just the value of second-hand info and a generalization based on a skewed view of the true environment.:wavey

 

[stevet]

Since when do users of ANY product not have a right to challenge, question or express their opinion of a product? Zaino users included!

Every product has it's supporters that will defend it when something negative is said about it. Zaino users take it to another level though. There are more than a few people who refuse to even try Zaino because they have been turned off by the behaviour of some of these Zaino users.



Take a look at this thread. A person posts his negative experience with Sal and basicaly gets called a lier by Burlyq. Then a bunch of posts making excuses for Sal because of where he is from. It's Zaino supporters like Burlyq that the term Zaino Zealot was created for.

 

[imported_memnuts]

Every product has it's supporters that will defend it when something negative is said about it. Zaino users take it to another level though. There are more than a few people who refuse to even try Zaino because they have been turned off by the behaviour of some of these Zaino users.



Take a look at this thread. A person posts his negative experience with Sal and basicaly gets called a lier by Burlyq. Then a bunch of posts making excuses for Sal because of where he is from. It's Zaino supporters like Burlyq that the term Zaino Zealot was created for.

Sometime we must ignore over-the-top responds like the one you are referring to. Excluding that peculiar response most have stated that they were sorry that gto had a bad experience but also stated their good experiences.



I see nothing zealot about these posts. :nixweiss

 

[stevet]

Sometime we must ignore over-the-top responds like the one you are referring to. Excluding that peculiar response most have stated that they were sorry that gto had a bad experience but also stated their good experiences.



I see nothing zealot about these posts. :nixweiss

Yes, you are correct most of the posts in the thread have been non zealot except for the one I mentioned. There have been many threads where this was not the case. You have been around long enough to know what I am talking about.

 

[imported_memnuts]

Yes, you are correct most of the posts in the thread have been non zealot except for the one I mentioned. There have been many threads where this was not the case. You have been around long enough to know what I am talking about.

Definitely Steve and I understand your irritation. It bothers me also as a Zaino user.

 

[JustinR32]

gto78,



You committed the ultimate blasphemy to a Zaino worshipper, you dissed Lord Sal.

Yeah, that's what I think, too. That other guy has no reason to call you a liar. IMO, that's a personal attack.





Tom

 

[dbruene]

Back to the question. Zaino Z2 + Zfx user, and of course the Z7 wash. My vehicle is white, so you guessed it, I am very happy with Zaino.

A little bit skewing off-topic/question. Still have quite a bit of Z2 left and so I don't know when I will jump to Z2Pro since I use only so little for maintenance. Very tempted to try other products now as Pakshak is supplying Klasse, PB, and other fine products locally (just found out a few days ago when I browsed through his web). Many buy from Ranney not only because of his products but probably more of his "beyond and over" superb services, and that's truly "aloha." Zaino was kinda the "hype" when I first started into detailing in 2002. Emailed Zaino asking for mail order instructions and got a friendly reply from Sal with contact info of his Honolulu distributor. Everything is working so far and so I am a happy customer. Sorry to hear about the less-than-positive experiences others have encountered, but then given the right techniques, I am sure other products will give great results too. BTW, IMO, Zaino isn't as bad as others may have described. Once you took the time to clean up your paint and prep the surface good, doing Zaino is actually quite easy. Most products would work better if the surface is prepped anyway, right?

 

[gto78]

as for the posts regarding me not understanding sal because of the supposed NY mentality, that is definitely not the case. I grew up in NY, my whole family is from NY, and people who talk with an attitude has no effect on me at all. It was the way he talked "down" to me like a bad child who was annoying him. There is a distinct difference, someone talking gruffly vs. someone making an insulting statement directed at you.



Doesn't matter anymore, I found plenty of other products that make me happy, and on other threads on this forum I will make comments about em, but God forbid I make a negative statement about zaino in the mean time. Next time someone starts a "...zaino experience..." thread they have to tell everyone that only positive experiences are allowed or else the forum will black ball you.

 

[imported_Burlyq]

Yeah, that's what I think, too. That other guy has no reason to call you a liar. IMO, that's a personal attack.

Attacking a classy vendor was the only attack here, I just called him on it. He made 4 negative statements. Had it been one maybe he would be more believeable. Remember he said product was bad, no answers to emails, left multiple unreturned phone messages, and the president of the co was rude.



So he's trying to sell this to you:

1- ZFX was empty after one use.

2- The people at Zaino don't return emails.

3- They don't ever answer the phone after many calls, so then I leave a message and get no return calls.

4- The first person I talked to after trying over and over happened to be the president of the company and he was rude to me.:sosad





What if it was someone making these statements about Autopiacarcare, Autogeek, or other vendors we all like and use regularly. None of you would believe him, but heh it's Zaino hate so it must be true. If a lawyer was cross examing someone who made these statements, it would be one of those moments when the whole courtroom is laughing, even the guys family members. I believe some people have negative experiences with every product out there, but when someone tries to sell you a truckload of garbage tell to them to take it to the dump cause you aint buying today.