You know you're on a hiding to nothing when.....

[Ian Smith]

(And this the God-honest truth - may I be struck by lightning if I am telling prokies) you walk into one of those big harware stores with their balls on sticks out the front and you ask a neanderthal in a red T-shirt on the tools counter if they still have any of those GMC thicknessers in stock, and it goes like this:
me - "I was wondering if you had any of those GMC thicknessers left in stock?"
Grugg - " A wot?"
me - "Thickneser"
Grugg - "Wot's a ficknesser?"
me - "One uv them fings yer use ter maker yer wood finner"
Grugg - "Nah, mate don't sell 'em"
me - "Oh but, my good man, you most definitlely do. See here, on this Ryobi box , T-H-I-C-K-N-E-S-S-E-R and, bless me, there it is again, on that Ozito box."
Grugg - "mmmmm..... nah mate, musta sold 'em all"

[Cliff Rogers]

Arhhh he would have been the Friday Grugg, you need to get the Monday Grugg.

[Paul H]

I wanted to spend some money on a router. Asked if the Triton was on display somewhere so I could look at it, also the GMC in the humongus catalogue I just got. He showed me the box. But I want to look at it. There it is. No, look, feel, touch without cardboard!

Um, Ah, Um

I used to work for a WA based "family" run hardware chain and we were all well trained on customer service and product knowledge. Since the family sold out and the chain has grown, most (not all) of the knowledge has gone and we are left with youngsters who have a DKDC attitude.

It bugs me.

Cheers
Paul H

[Bleedin Thumb]

Remember the days when you would go into the hardware store and ask the bloke on the front counter if they had a lefthand thingymajig he would say no but I'll have some more in on Thursday and you'd leave.
Now you go in it takes half an hour to find the right section and realise they dont have it then another half hour if you stupid enough to go and try to get someone to help you.
Going to the hardware shop was what blokes did for retail therapy it made us feel good - now it just stuffs up your morning.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I've got to admit I've found a petty revenge for Friday Gruggs at our local Bunnies.

For some strange reason, they store the larger "non-display" items on the top shelf. As though if they left 'em at a more sensible floor level someone'd try ducking through the frontdoors with a thicknesser or drill-press under their jumper.

Anyways, once a Friday Grugg gets the ol' blood pressure up enough, I'll wander thru the power-tool section looking for any heavy gear that's sold out except for an item or two on the top shelf... then wander back into the Grugg's area with a perplexed look. I'm sure you can work out the rest. If he's really got my goat and fortune is on my side, there'll be several different items... "Nah mate, don't like the doover in this one. Here, put it back... and could I have a look at...?"

Petty, I know, but I also know I'm not the only one. When I was "looking" at SCMS's there was another bloke there who had a humongous grin on his face while he waited for the Grugg to finish serving me and, well, I think he wanted to look at a thicknesser...

[Paul H]

Remember the days when

I used have some boxes of "stuff" under the counters. When someone asked for something that may have been from left field, there was a good chance I would have something like it at least in amongst the "stuff".

Now it's hard enough to get what they stock! never mind a solution to a problem.

Cheers
Paul H

[benchdog]

once a Friday Grugg gets the ol' blood pressure up enough, I'll wander thru the power-tool section looking for any heavy gear that's sold out except for an item or two on the top shelf... then wander back into the Grugg's area with a perplexed look. I'm sure you can work out the rest.

I guess i must be just lucky. the staff in the toolshop at my local bunnies are quite knowedgeable. They look after me very well and i wouldnt dream on sending any of them on a fool's errand. mind you, almost every time i go there they pick my brains about something other customers have asked. its probably because they ask questions that they have become knowledgeable in the first place.

in any case dont blame the grugs. blame bunnies. they only pay these poor misfits about $13 an hour. this surely impacts on the class of applicants they attract. like they say, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. if they paid a higher wage they could command a better class of employee who could actually be expected to provide a decent standard of service.

benchdog

[IanW]

Hmmm this has taken a philosophical air already - or is it the good red and muscat I just had with dinner?

My grudge is with the pubescent youths, who, when asked if they stock (X), wander over to the general area where you've just spent 20 minutes fruitlessly searching for the item, then gaze vacuously at the display, and announce 'No, I can't see anything like that - what does it look like again?' :mad:

I agree with benchdog - the problem is with the general trivialisation of everything that this cutthroat modern world has brought. But we contribute to it, by constantly seeking the lowest price for everything without thinking about the consequences.

Another Muscat called for...........

Avagoodnite

[thatirwinfella]

I've been served by the odd helpful sort, usually a former tradesman.

With the gruggs, they're only doing what they're trained to do. If it's anything like my retail experience [3 years emptying boxes at a big store that starts in k and ends in mart.... 10 points for guessing] than the weekend end staff have nothing to do with ordering. Most of the ordering is automatic, and you never know what is coming until it gets there.

The weekend gruggs also probably have no idea who works in the store during the week, and wouldn't have any idea about the daily running of the business. They receive no briefing at the start of the shift [ie, we have these, we don't have these but we can offer these] and they're also expected to know everything about everything to help people who know nothing about anything.

Off course, they should know about what they're selling, but they're kids.. how many among them would have painted a house, built a shed or tiled a bathroom? It's the big green box's fault for not training them properly.


okay, i'll stop the rant...just my two cents

[Bleedin Thumb]

My grudge is with the pubescent youths, who, when asked if they stock (X), wander over to the general area where you've just spent 20 minutes fruitlessly searching for the item, then gaze vacuously at the display, and announce 'No, I can't see anything like that - what does it look like again?' :mad:

Mate you have nailed it... Please Please Please can I be served by someone that hasn't gained their knowledge of hardware from watching every episode of Bob The Builder

[thatirwinfella]

how are they to know anything when the store won't train them and most schools are reducing the amount of woodwork and metalwork lessons [particularly reducing the time it is compulsary for] in place of subjects such as electronics and graphics [like we don't have enough graphic designers already, c'mon]

[Barrie Restall]

One time in Bunnings I asked a redshirt if they had any table clips."What are they" he asked. After I described them and said what they were for he said (and I do not lie)

"I've been in hardware 30 years and I've never seen or heard of them".

More like one year in hardware 30 times.

I was tempted to take the Timbecon catalogue in and show him a picture.

There are a couple of older red shirts in the local Bunnings that know their stuff, but they are thinning out. I guess the old guys who knew what everything was and where it was and what it did and how to use it as well as a few tricky tips to make it go better, have all dropped off the perch. RIP.

Barrie

[benchdog]

One time in Bunnings I asked a redshirt if they had any table clips."What are they" he asked. After I described them and said what they were for he said (and I do not lie)

"I've been in hardware 30 years and I've never seen or heard of them".

what an idiot! everyone knows about table clips. if they didnt their picnic tablecloth would blow right off the table in a strong wind.

[JaD]

everything that this cutthroat modern world has brought. But we contribute to it, by constantly seeking the lowest price for everything without thinking about the consequences.

Precise point Ian ...WE all contribute because we think we are getting a "better" price, but we get much slacker service and 'most times' IMHO, a slacker product......CAUSE IT"S CHEAP..:mad: everythings cheap, and thats why the wages are cheap and thats why the service is cheap ....and you all go there to get a cheap price .....
How many posts are ther in this forum about S*#T service from people in a big green box ????? But members still brag about how they haggled a great price out of the Bunnies....just remember..they still made a profit on that sale......:mad:

My BIG question would be When all the local hardware stores are gone, what are we going to be able to do then????
Personally, I only go there as a last resort, but I've found I have to consider it more and more because my local sells such little amounts these days, his shelves are empty and what is he to do????Restock and not sell??? Or lose customers because he hasn't got stock???????

Yes thanks luv....another Tooheys OLD I'm just gettin warmed up!!!

Vote 1: BOYCOTT BUNNIES......unless they are in lingerie with a little white tail

[Wild Dingo]

aaahhh so youve met the gruggs at the local bunnies then? great mob of dipsticks... ooh some few know their stuff but next to none of the just outta nappys brigade :mad: Now I will admit one of my daughters works there or did till she went off on maternity leave... but shes a pretty cool dude of a kid and learns real quick loves tools and shed stuff and is one of those kids that if she doesnt know she will friggin find out one way or the other! Shes rung me to ask about things customers ask for "Oy dad whats a ....?" No worries

Locally Ive been in there on a saturday and without a word of a lie Ive asked for a cold chisel and got a blank stare then the penny drops the nappy wearer races around and comes back holding up... a set of wood chisels!! yeah thats it Im gonna belt the crap outta some steel with a wood chisel Mind you Ive been served by an older bloke who had even less of a clue than the nappy brigade!! pretty good in the garden section so I hear but the hardware tool section? a total friggin moron! :mad:

Now on another tack... I applied for a job there once... yep once... they wanted someone in the tools section Tiff daughter at the other bunnies gave me the tip... so off I go find some noddy with an application form... mmm the girl on the greet stand smilin and such as you go in the door... so I ask to see the manager or somesuch nob... one comes down and we have a little chat this blokes probably as old as my oldest daughter mind... I told him of my daughter workin in another store and that this store needed someone for the tools section so I told him what was in my shed... a look of utter panic came over his face!! HE had no friggin idea what I was talking about!... so I told him Id been muckin with tools since I was a little fella and wouldnt mind a job sellin the things since I probably know more than most of the young applicants... he walked over to the smilie girl picked up an application form and said "fill this in and we will get back to you" mmmm "Mate? do you want someone that knows what theyre talking about what the customer wants and is truely fanbloodytastic with customers or not?" "well everyone has to apply the same way sir" "yeah I get that but lets go for a walk and I will let you know how much I know about what you sell" No thats not necessary just fill that in and bring it back have a nice day"... so I did... and a year later Im still waiting to hear back from the stupid moron... ooh and theres now several young pimple faced nappie wearers grugging around in that section... F... Bunnys! Id a been bloody brilliant in there!!