Thread: Bessey Clamps at the blue shed

Originally Posted by Pac man

Heads up - In case you need 600 or 1000mm clamps it maybe worthwhile for November taking your car batec catalogue to the blue shed - it's price match time

Oh yeah, Carbatec's sale is on! Time to hit Masters. Grow my clamps by 2 per year. Bessey and Titebond - all Masters is good for.

Originally Posted by I_wanna_Shed

Bessey and Titebond - all Masters is good for.

I must admit that I would have to agree with this.

Almost every time I go to Masters, I come out disappointed.

Originally Posted by cava

I must admit that I would have to agree with this.

Almost every time I go to Masters, I come out disappointed.

Should the stores be named Amateurs?

Even though I am not overly impressed with Masters, I still managed to get a Bessey KBody today.

Originally Posted by Pac man

Heads up - In case you need 600 or 1000mm clamps it maybe worthwhile for November taking your car batec catalogue to the blue shed - it's price match time

Whilst I am just as keen as the next guy to save a buck in my opinion the price match policy is dangerous for the customer. In this case Carbatec have gone out on a limb and discounted these clamps to temp you to make a purchase. Masters can be super lazy and not do anything - no sales, no temptation for customers and no discounts. On the rare occasion that they are challenged I am sure they are happy to discount a further 10% - after all it would have cost them much more to actually advertise or market any sale to try and get you in the door in the first place.

Carbatec must be wondering why they bother reducing their prices, having a sale and trying to get customers in the door if they are just being undercut by the competition who are obtaining their sales without any expense. In the end Carbatec stop discounting, the green and blue shed don't discount as they don't need to.

Perhaps a simplistic way of looking at it and I understand that the like of Carbatec are often less convenient than the big sheds but its something to consider.

Stinkalot has a good point, plus Carbatec offer free post for purchases > $200

4 clamps would get you that.

Credit to both Timbecon and Carbatec for the work they have done to improve their customer service. IMO

Growing bigger does have its downsides re customer service. I recently made an order to Carbatec, over the Internet, on a Sunday night as I often have.
Later that night I remembered I needed something extra so I rang up first thing Monday, at their scheduled opening time and asked if I could add to my order, as I have in the past. I was told "sorry , we can't do that, the order has been printed". I said that they had done this before and was told " we can't do that anymore since we've got bigger. You'll have to place another order". I asked whether it could be then included with my previous order so I only paid the one freight but was told no, it would be a new order with new freight costs. Hmm $12 item, $18 freight - nuh

In my experience in every large outfit like that there's one guy/gal working in the store who will not want to
try and go 'nuh!'
And there is one go-to guy/gal who will say "not a problem, of course we can do that with a bright smile
that you can hear over the telephone even".

f.w.i.w.

I've added to my order with other companies both here (Hare and Forbes) and OS (Lee Valley) and it has not been a problem. Comes down to attitude not systems.