Why does it have to be this hard?

[doug3030]

I have a project to do and a deadline to meet. I only have whatever spare time I can find in the next week to do it. This was not due to bad planning, just bad luck and how life is sometimes.

Anyway I needed two sheets of 12mm structural plywood. So off I go to Bunnings, trailer in tow, and drive into the timber area. I get out of the car and look for the 12mm ply, None there! And of course not a Bunnings employee in sight.

I noticed that all the other customers were converging on me and I realized that it was a bad tactical error to have worn my maroon polo shirt today. They all thought I was the elusive staff member, as I hobbled along with my walking stick because my back is playing up.

I finally found a staff member, and on inquiring he replied "Hmmm - 12mm structural plywood? Trickyyyy"

"Have you got any?" I asked expectantly.

He responded: "I am pretty sure we do but I am going to have to say no."

Me: "what?"

He: "Well there will be a stack of them out the back but they will be out of reach on the top shelf and we don't have anyone to get them down."

Me: "well thank-you very much, open the boomgate will you mate, I will go elsewhere."


Next stop Mitre 10. Closed. Public holiday in Melbourne. Fair enough I guess.


So off down the road another 5 Km to Masters.

I have never been in the timber area at Masters before so I parked in the trailer park out the front and walked in to have a look before driving in. I inquired at the counter and was told that what I wanted was "in that aisle over there". Well they only have two aisles and it was actually in the other one, three metres from the ground and there was a pallet-load of timber sleepers in front of it.

So I go and get my car and trailer and park it close to where the plywood is, but just a bit out of the way so they they could move the sleepers if they needed to. Two staff came up to me immediately. One of them asked me: "Is that your ute mate?"

Me: "Yes, I am after..."

Him: "Well you will have to move it, nobody else will be able to get through if you leave it there."

Me: "Can you just give me a hand to get a couple of sheets of..."

Him: "Mate you will have to move your car."

Me: "ok, where can I put it?

Him: "there's a parking bay near the checkout"

So off I go and park in the bay. I wander back to where the plywood is and find Old Mate along the way. "That wasn't difficult was it?" he said sarcastically.

"Not at all," I replied, leaning on my walking stick, "but now someone has to get two sheets of 12mm structural plywood down to my trailer, and I can't do it."

Old Mate is now looking at the plywood, three metres up the rack, the pallet of sleepers in frontof it and the distance to my trailer. "Can you bring your trailer back here mate?" he asked hopefully.

Me: "*^&(%#*^!@*^%$#@)^&%"

Him: "Ok, ok I will get it. No need to be like that now, its not helping." Off he went and got his mate from earlier and I watched the pair of them break every OH&S rule as they got the plywood down and carried it past about a dozen sheet goods trolleys to my trailer.

Now, the plywood is 1200mm wide which is also exactly the internal dimension of the width of my trailer. I explained in detail to them that I wanted the ends of the ply sheets resting on both ends of the trailer, not down inside as this would damage the edges. I wasted my breath as they got there and dropped the front end inside the trailer and rested the back end only on the tailgate. I was going to send them back for another two sheets that were not damaged but I had had enough and wasted enough of my day trying to buy such a simple commodity, I just pulled them out and loaded it as I had requested as it is easier and safer to tie it down like that too. Two ratchet straps later the tie-down is complete and I approach the register to pay.

Lets just say without going into all the details that it took 20 minutes to take my payment and fail to issue me a receipt. After telling him several times that it would be ok not to get a receipt he finally gave up and opened the boom-gate and let me to home.

One final thing - Remember that Old Mate had insisted that I move my vehicle because I would be blocking off the cars that would be coming through? Well not a single car went through in all this time, and I doubt that my car will ever go through there again either.

Why do they have "customer service" printed on their shirts?

What a waste of valuable time that I was hoping to use on the project.

Cheers

Doug

[shedbound]

Master's are at least one step ahead of Bunnings, they had what you needed and you actually got to see a staff member or two.

[crowie]

Doug, Your good with words sir, may I suggest a note on each of Bunnings & Masters "Customer feedback" pages on there websites....Peter

[DavidG]

Went to bunnings yesterday to get some stuff. Wanted Hardiflex 1800 * 900. Asked the young guy if they had any. Yes . way up there.
Young guy went and got ladder, got me a sheet and carried it to my car and helped to load it. He then went and got the timber I needed and loaded it.
Thanks Bunnings. It was appreciated.

[Gabriel]

As crowie mentioned, if I needed a strongly worded letter you would be up there with people I'd ask to write it (the wife is no. 1, sorry) so an email to their customer service department, focusing on the oh&s issues as they seem to take notice of that stuff these days...
and possibly to bunnings about their lack of staff??

On the flips idea, I venture into bunnings car parks quite often, and I find it very VERY frustrating, the number of people using the timber section as their own personal car park....
Maybe that's for another thread though.
Good luck with your project Doug! !

[Chesand]

Some time ago, when my son was living in Brisbane he encountered a rude and unhelpful staff member at his local Bunnings. He spoke to the manager and then the state head office and said that he did not want the staff member sacked but suggested that he be put on floor sweeping duty for a month. Next time he was there, the said staff member was sweeping the floor.

[A Duke]

Hi,
He probably took it as a promotion as he did not have to put up with rude customers.

Regards

[rrich]

Master's are at least one step ahead of Bunnings, they had what you needed and you actually got to see a staff member or two.

O M G !

That bad?????

[shedbound]

O M G !

That bad?????

From my experience, Yes. Woeful. They see very little of my money, I still use my suppliers that I used when I was in the domestic construction game.

[Yanis]

Conversation between me an Bunning sales person.
Me: What is heat resistant
Her: Nothing
Me: OK I''ll take that damaged piece of fibreboard there marked at $10
Her: Oh, I can't sell you that
Me: Why not
Her: If it catches fire you will sue us
Me: (Lying) I'm not going to use it near anything hot.
Her: OK then. (Sells to me but reluctantly.)

I wanted it to go into a ceiling near a flue. I used fire proof paint on it as well. Only because I did not want it to discolour.

John

[rrich]

Home Depot or Big Orange Retail Giant or BORG.

The reason is not important. I went to buy two outdoor fixtures for the doors next to the patio. It went like this.

In the lighting display, there was a fixture that I wanted.

None of the fixtures were on the allocated shelf. But all is not lost, there were a few boxes of stock above in the shelves, about 6 M above. There are no BORG employees in their orange aprons near by.

All is not lost. There is a rolling stair near by. As I am rolling the stairs over to the area where the fixtures are located a BORG employee suddenly appears. "What are you doing", he demands. I explain my need for the outdoor fixtures. He explains that "Customers aren't allowed to use the stairs." "Well would you get the two boxes of the fixtures above?" He answers, "Not my department", as he takes the stairs with him.

(It gets better.)

I climb up the shelves that are spaced about a meter apart. I reach the second tier and grab one of the fixtures that I need. Now there is a problem. How do I get down with the fixture? About then there is a booming voice, "What are you doing?" It's a BORG manager and very upset that a customer is climbing on the shelves. But there is a solution and I say, "Here, catch." The manager is startled but catches and then catches the second box.

I climb down and the manager starts with "Why. . . ?" I explain that there are none on the shelf. Then the obvious, "Why didn't you use the rolling stairs?" And of course the inevitable answer, "Because one of your employees took them away from me."

I picked up the two fixtures and left with the manager standing there, mouth agape.

[Poppa]

Ain't it great? We have an account with the local Home Timber and Hardware. And they are usually pretty good. They stock Makita power tools, and usually have everything I need. I did once have a problem there with a bloke telling me that "nobody makes honing guides for plane or chisel blades anymore mate". They very nearly lost me after that unedifying discussion. Occasionally I have a need to go to Bunnings because the Home doesn't have what I need. The service is almost always appalling. I usually locate what I need and load it myself, because I can't be bothered asking for what passes for help....

[shedbound]

Ain't it great? We have an account with the local Home Timber and Hardware. And they are usually pretty good. They stock Makita power tools, and usually have everything I need. I did once have a problem there with a bloke telling me that "nobody makes honing guides for plane or chisel blades anymore mate". They very nearly lost me after that unedifying discussion. Occasionally I have a need to go to Bunnings because the Home doesn't have what I need. The service is almost always appalling. I usually locate what I need and load it myself, because I can't be bothered asking for what passes for help....

This is pretty much how I operate also... A lot of what I do requires special orders, Which is never any drama for a Home Hardware store they are more than happy to do it, If they are unsure of what I am talking about, they endevour to do some research. Very occasionally the younger green staff will try the "oh they don't make that anymore" thing.
Developing a working relationship with one of the trade reps is a major advantage. Provided you do enough business not to be wasting their time

[Bushmiller]

Bunnings stores clearly vary enormously. Toowoomba Bunnings is one of the best and one of the largest, I think.

At times I have had a problem locating a staff member for a section so I grab the first person I find and ask them if there is anybody for my section. They immediately get on the phone and the problem is resolved.

Regards
Paul