Maybe i should have known better - Rant

Why is customer service so damn hard these days? or should i have known better?

This is a bit of a rant about Sydney Tools and what seems to be a total lack of real customer service.

As part of building some new work benches i've decided to build some basic draws out of some spare 1/2" ply and use my nice new Kreg system to put them together (with some glue). Actually bought the mini jig to use with 3/4" (19mm) screws that were becoming available...

Now here's the "i should have known better" .... I was surfing the Sydney Tools website and they showed them orderable with no special conditions etc so i popped into one of the local branches just in case they had them on the shelf.. ooops definately should have known better, wasted trip so thought ok i'll order them for pickup and they will transfer them to the local store.
Now it took a few days for the local store to ring and leave a message that they had no stock and that they would need to order and they might need to get a min order so could have a delay.... mmm not a drama been in retail understand this.

Order initially placed on the 30th July and paid for..

Three and half weeks go by with no info, no updates and no change to order status so i ring the local branch and had what seemed like a great conversation and found out that all Sydney Tools do is order them from Carbatec when they need to... they checked and found Carbatec had three in stock and they would ensure that stock arrived last week.

Well last week has been and gone and no idea if i'm getting my order so went on line and started an online chat to ask that a manager call me, this was at 10am this morning and nothing.

Carbatec is as of this afternoon now showing no stock available as i was just going to order direct from them.

love them or hate them but Amazon/Ebay/Dell/Mouser and some other big guys have shown what constant order updates look like and very very few Aust sellers seem to have learnt the lesson.

Rant off.....

I know it's $39 and i should not have cheap skated the freight but seriously if your going to offer in store pickup especially in these times then some game lifting seems to be in order.

Worst store In the industry, woeful in every regard.

My local Sydney tools has friendly, helpful staff... but the good stops there. I ordered several bits and bobs through them when I started butchering wood, and almost always had to chase. A couple of times the item had arrived and was sitting on a shelf somewhere - no contact with me until I went in and asked.
I've switched to the Sandgate branch of Total Tools who've been stellar in every respect. Always happy to order things in for me, always call promptly (and to let me know if there's going to be a delay). And because they know what I do and what I like, every now and then I get a 'psst, come and look at what we've got lurking here on this dark shelf for little or no money').
And they'll take returns for whatever reason, whereas ST won't.

Mouser!

Where have you been all my life!

I've been looking for a 10v 680uf cap for weeks. Finally found and order some a few weeks ago of AliExpress (2 vendors only!) coming on the slowest boat they own! Lost hope....

Checked Mouser, they have everything! 229 varieties! What a dream!


Thank you Ranty Aussiephil :)


edit - oh, by Zeus' Beard - every single one of them has a comprehensive datasheet! No way!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by woodPixel

Mouser!

Where have you been all my life!

I've been looking for a 10v 680uf cap for weeks. Finally found and order some a few weeks ago of AliExpress (2 vendors only!) coming on the slowest boat they own! Lost hope....

Checked Mouser, they have everything! 229 varieties! What a dream!


Thank you Ranty Aussiephil :)


edit - oh, by Zeus' Beard - every single one of them has a comprehensive datasheet! No way!

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I may even have a few 680uf lying around, I’ll look up the stock db soon and let you know and you can drop round and pick one up if I have some.

for any electronics Mouser is just awesome, oh and they even retain all data including datasheets on discontinued items :)

edit do you need axial or radial and is there a size constraint

Found some suitable 1000uF 10V units - PM sent

Sigh - it seems that either managers have no idea how to make phone calls or chat staff have no idea how to pass on a request to call.

Strange though that it's not quite 48hrs later and i get a call from the local branch that my order has arrived.

What's suspicious with this timeline?
Monday AM
Check stock with Carbatec - tick in stock
Have web chat with Sydney tools ask for (demand) a phone call, mention order number for reference
6hrs later go to complete order with Carbatec - now no stock mmm am i really that unlucky
No phone.

Tuesday
Crickets

Wednesday AM
Phone call from branch saying order arrived
Still no manager call.

Happy to buy in store from the shelf but never again will i order via the website.