Masters

[Master Splinter]

The thing I think that Bunnings could pick up from Masters is those "Customer Assistance" buzzers located on the areas where you need "a team member to help you" (ie the cut to length stuff). Press the buzzer at Masters and you get someone along quickly, while in some isles of Bunnies you've got a higher chance of a zombie outbreak occurring than a staff member appearing to facilitate your purchase.

And when Masters prompts me for my postcode, I just stab in random numbers as I have no idea what my postcode is - I've never sent myself a letter, and I don't have either a letterbox or even a post office box for mail, so it's not something I'm going to find out.

[Evanism]

.And when Masters prompts me for my postcode, I just stab in random numbers as I have no idea what my postcode is - I've never sent myself a letter, and I don't have either a letterbox or even a post office box for mail, so it's not something I'm going to find out.

MS, Perhaps you'll find it on your next gas or electricity bill ... Or your TAX!!!

I'd be saddened if Masters shut down. Despite everything I like it. Just ordered three 3.8L bottles of Titebond 2 and three of TB3... Not sure where I'm going to get more at a reasonable price after this. I used to order it from Amazon! Masters charge only $33 for a bottle of TB3... Others don't... Create a stash!

[Master Splinter]

MS, Perhaps you'll find it on your next gas or electricity bill ... Or your TAX!!!

Those have been done by email/online for years so any consistency of mail address with my actual residential location is not my worry. Their database can parse it, or not. Just the other week I overcame the hurdle of getting a new bank card by getting it sent to the local office of my bank instead of my non-existent postal address. I explained to the bank that I saw no reason why I should pay $115 for a year's worth of a post office box lease (there are no shorter options) to cater for an event that happens around once every five years.

I found that utility companies (when they continually receive mail returned as as 'undeliverable') will eventually get the message that yes, I really only do things online.

Parcels either get delivered to my door, or via Aus Post's MyParcels service.

My next challenge is getting companies to believe that my mobile phone number is not my 'best' or even 'preferred' contact number... they don't seem to understand that a mobile phone is for my convenience only, and that I can happily go for six months or more without turning it on, and that I'm just as likely to get a new SIM card/phone number as I am to recharge my existing number - I provide landline numbers for a reason!

[fenderbelly]

I know a young guy who works in masters and he tells me masters only beat Bunnings on customer service.

I was recently in a Bunnings store and I needed help to get a ladder down off a rack.
I walked to the end of the aisle and saw two service guys having a chat.
I walked up to them and said I need a bit of a hand in aisle seven.
the older guy replied " good luck with that ". I said to the young guy what about you. he said go to the trade counter and ask.
I went to the trade counter and there is an elderly lady serving. when she finished I told her what had gone on and she said i'll get you someone.
a young guy came a couple of minutes later, he answered my question and got the ladder down and put it on the trolley.
I went to the checkout and there was the same two guys standing in the same place but now chatting to a young female service person.
me thinks Bunnies are going to the dogs.

[SawDustSniffer]

Bunnings is way better than Masters in darwin , they exist , no Masters in Darwin or Alice

[johnc]

Bunning's is making money Master's is bleeding cash, I prefer Masters when it comes to quality but the way things are going for Master's something has to change.

[rwbuild]

My crystal ball tells me that Masters will be sold to another outfit and dont be surprised if they aren't converted to a supermaket come discount store type operation

[Evanism]

I'd think Harvey Norman might be sweating on this one.

It's as RWbuild says. Imagine the hardware quality of masters, mashed with a white good electrical retailer (which masters is, but could push harder) plus adding in big box bulk items like Costco... Things that go with what they sell... Toilet paper, washing powder, cleaning supplies, in BULK then this would draw Mrs in for part of the weekly/fortnightly shop.

Masters needs to study Office Works' delivery model and just DO IT. I can order a box of paper from OW and it's delivered the same day or the next... Sometimes its a kid in his car, or the local on-call courier dude (who seems to cover 16 different companies!) but it's fast, furious and free.

If Masters did this, then it's game on..... But they have a lot to learn....I ordered 6 bottles of Titebond 2+3 on Friday for click-and-collect.....STILL not ready. Three days to get a grunt to pick them off the shelf and put them behind the counter.....THERE'S their problem!!!!!

Interestingly I've had a LOT of discussions about Google Autonomous vehicles with Certain People recently and I suggested using them for point to point courier and hardware delivery. To say their eyes lit up would be an understatement. I suggested a "secure ute" which would be loaded with supplies by the shop and sent to a builder on site.... No more getting Junior Apprentice to flog off for 3 hours to get some more bags of cement....

Autonomous Vehicles are going to change everything.

[Glenn.Visca]

Autonomous cement truck !

[snowyskiesau]

Apparently the Woolies deal with Lowes (US) has expired in that Lowes can pull the plug and demand their money back - $800 million.
http://www.news.com.au/finance/busin...-1227578892276

[rwbuild]

If you go into any decent sized Harvey Norman store they now have manchester, soft and hard floor coverings, window furnishings, white goods, bathroom fittings and fitments, furniture, digital and entertainment, garden care products, alfresco appliances and furnishings, wouldn't be hard to join the dots would it.

[Evanism]

Autonomous cement truck !

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-1...d-mine/6863814

[Master Splinter]

My prediction is that when one of Australia's big road freight companies starts refreshing its fleet with autonomous semi-trailers, you'll see a mad scramble by all the other companies to do the same, and the entire industry will flip from driven to driverless trucks almost overnight. But I think there will be a period of them all eyeing each other nervously wondering who will move first before that.

Freight costs to the small end user (us), will of course stay the same.

[MAPLEMAN]

Have always found the Masters staff helpful and friendly
Likewise with Bunnings...no problem
As for the inference put forward by a member that a 'different' type of person (customer)shops at Masters than at Bunnings is absolute crap...MM

[BobL]

Autonomous Vehicles are going to change everything..

The problem with autonomous delivery vehicles is coping with the last part of a delivery, eg my 2kg monthly couriered coffee bean order.
Roads are one thing but then it has to be able to open a gate, go up some stairs, under a veranda and open a wooden box to deposit order.

Some sort of standardised, easily accessible, secure, largish parcel box?
Imagine the space requirement even for a block of say 24 flats?

Autonomous drones are being proposed/used? - probably still some way off beating the $4 coffee delivery charge, or carrying even one bag of cement.