Dumbing down of Buunnings

[Clinton1]

I don't have a problem with Bunnings.
1. you get what you pay for... and people expect the lowest price. Therefor Bunnings is 'forced' by their customers to employ people at the lowest pay rate... which is paid to those with the least skills.

2. There is a skills shortage in Aus at the moment, so I don't expect to find a large amount of skilled staff at a discount tool and hardware store.

3. Everyone treats a job as a stepping stone to somewhere else.... so you train staff and they treat it as a resume filler and move on.

Working at bunnings is convenient for some skilled employees that could get a higher paying job elsewhere, and when I find these people I'm happy.
However I think the 'price culture' of Bunnings customers and the present National skills shortage means you'll be pushing a barrow uphill if you expect Bunnings to be able to employ a large amount of skilled and knowledgable staff.

My grandfather worked in the hardware section of a country town's only large store for 22 years. He knew everything about his products and knew everyone and their business (trade wise). He offered great service, and it was a point of pride to him and his employers.
The business went bankrupt and the new owners replaced all the floor staff with casual, unskilled staff.... and were able to drop prices and get lots of customers.

Its just life, and its like that because the majority of customers prefer it that way. We all love paying the lowest price, right?

[Wild Dingo]

Thanks for the imput... great stuff

See I know there are some great people working at Bunnings... heck one of my daughters worked at the Morley store untill she went off on maternity leave... and she gets a call at least once a month to see if she wants to come back loved working there but shes one of those rare people that HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING so she would learn and check her learning... loved the customer interaction as well... truth to tell she has never had a job that she enjoyed so much

But... that was over a year ago and she is a rarity in my experience and not just cause shes my daughter shes just one of those strange creatures that enjoys learning and giving 100% to what she does

I went into the Austalind Mitre 10 yesty for an experience... hadnt been in one since we left Carnarvon which when old man Cahill owned it {may still do I guess been some years since I was there} was the best hardware store in the state... anyway aside from the major shyte everywhere factor {they were changing the store around} the staff seemed to actually KNOW what I was talking about were happy and customer focused not snot nosed just outta nappies babes... Im thinking since thats about my choice around here that I may get to be a more frequent customer and wear the extra $ that I will pay... and I can bare fighting through the barbies I need anothery!! like tools a bloke can never have enough barbies

Interesting that the same thing is happening in Canada eh? I guess its the same with Home Depot in the states to... wonder if the same thing is happening in pommy lamd?
Cheers

[Dean]

When I'm bored, I go to Bunnies and sit in the tool section and provide advice to customers myself... At least they get the right tool advice then...

No, just kidding, I don't do that.

I had to intervene once though when a Bunnies "tool expert" was advising a newbie DIYer to buy a brad nailer to build his fence When the "expert" walked away I quickly grabbed the customer (who had the bradder in his hand now) and quickly informed him of the "experts" shoddy advice. He walked away with a Coil nailer instead and was very thankful for "proper" advice

[dazzler]

Its worth remembering how they got so big........remember when each new store opened...free ice creams, drinks when it was hot, fair dinkum experts in each section ready to help with correct advice and helpful as.

All the checkouts staffed, walk in, get the best advice, great price and friendly service in a neat and tidy and professional warehouse.

Why wouldnt we shop there

Once all the opposition was destroyed and the monopoly was in place, out go the experts and in come Cletus and Brandeeeeeeen and all thier offspring.

Dont forget the full history kids

cheers

[Dean]

Its worth remembering how they got so big........remember when each new store opened...free ice creams, drinks when it was hot, fair dinkum experts in each section ready to help with correct advice and helpful as.

Hmm I don't ever recall that happeneing when my local bunnies first opened.
Was dodgy right from the start, plus they stole the little guys (competitors) signage across the road Pretty dirty tactics.

[bsrlee]

Old, old story - treat your staff like Sierra.Hotel.1.Tango. and they will treat your customers the same way.

[Lignum]

Do you expect Woolworths staff to be able to tell you how to prepare a banquet.
Why would Bunnies staff know anything about what they sell?
They are a tool supermarket.

Tuggeranong Bunnies actually have some good staff and some dummies.

Spot on David

Im so sick of all the Bunnings bashings. All you wingers should cast your minds back to the pre Bunnies local hardware and remember how small and limited they were (even the so called bigger stores)

If you go to your local Bunnies a few times a month you should know where everything is just like a supermarket. And they would carry 95% of anything you need.

If your thick as a brick and you need advice from a pimply kid well thats bad luck. My local (Mentone) is spot on with nice staff and always helpfull. Life without Bunnings would be a real pain in the a$$.

I love `em

[Buzzer]

The same thing appears to be happening at a large outlet in USA, Home Depot I think.
So is this the new way of doing business?
I hope not.
There still are quite alot of the old fashioned hardware stores in the rural areas that still give good service. But I think they are finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat. They tell me it is the increasing cost of keeping stock on the shelves.

[Cabbie]

Anytime I go to a car parts or hardware store I always just search for the things myself as noone has any idea. My missus always complains that we should ask someone and I just tell her I would if they knew anything which they don't. It's pretty pathetic if you ask me but you get that. I always manage to get the things I need/want by searching for them myself.

[Carry Pine]

We are getting a Bunnings in about 12 months time. I don't have a problem with them. They seem to have an incredible range of fittings etc - perhaps not all the big names in tools.
You will get staff everywhere who don't know their tools etc but the other day I bought a tool from an ex tradie who took 15 minutes to put it through the till...and still didn't get it right.

And what ever happened to all those zillions of Forum members who purchased the GMC thicknesser for $200? Are they landfill yet? Or still buzzing?

Carry Pine (happy browser at any hardware store)

[Master Splinter]

I'll take the cheap(ish*) prices, and the wide range of stock, thanks.

The floor staff are just there to keep shrinkage down and to keep the shelves stocked, and that's all I've ever expected of them.

In the ten years that there has been a Bunnies near me, I think the only question I have ever asked was "Where are the toilets?"

They can do their newbie customer education by continuing their "Build your own pergola" workshops or whatever, so that they can drum up more sales to aspiring backyard renovators.

My concern is that they will drift into offering more and more faux hardware (umpteen different types of solar powered lights, a BBQ for every season, peltier based 12 volt fridges and junk like that, that I don't want to see in a hardware store) as it has higher margins.

If they ever set up an aisle devoted to Feng Shui cr*p, I'm through with them, though!


*I've never found them that cheap on real trade stuff - well, not as cheap as I can get it by going into a trade store wearing a fluro vest and work boots and sounding like I know what I'm after. Gets a trade price every time.

[workgoose]

As Lignum said, if you have to ask questions off a kid at Bunnings you shouldn't be there. There is plenty of advice and opinions available on this forum and elsewhere on the net, this is where I usually look, there - even I don't know everything... On the other hand, these stores are good for supplying us a with huge array of stuff, some good and some not so good, but usually at a pretty competitive price. Without them we would all be paying a lot more for our woodworking and other hobby supplies. If anything out of the ordinary is required, there's always the net, mail-order houses, Mitre10, specialist tool retailers etc etc. I think it is called progress, we just gotta live with Bunnings, Woolworths, McDonalds and all the other stores pretending to give good service, and pick up on their good points. end of rant. cheers Peter

[Barry_White]

I have spoken about Bunnings before and the store we have has a large percentage of young people that don't know any thing but are very polite and do try to be helpful.

Also in the Tamworth Bunnings they have a group of older staff that used to work for the original store that BBC and then Bunnings bought out several years ago who started when they were boys and girls who know the hardware/tool business back the front so when I can't find something I will go and seek one of them out.

The only problem is a lot of them are not much younger than me so as they get older the are going to retire but hopefully will pass their knowledge on to the younger ones but as some one said most of the younger are resume building and wont stay long enough to be of any use.

They at least have one of these older people in each section at least sometime during the day.

The advantage we have in Tamworth is we have an independent builders hardware store that was started by the other half of the original store and they keep Bunnings pretty honest and they carry just as big a range and are usually up to 10% cheaper than Bunnings and have all the builders in the town buying from them. The builders will not buy from Bunnings

[Brown Dog]

Hi WD

All off what you have said is contradictory to Bunnings employment criteria in my experience …Like you I one applied for a job At my local bunnings, about a year after it opened. The selection process that I went through was to say the least, grueling.

Step 1. After filling in my one sheet application (I attached resume and references)…letting them know I would like to work in the tool section but was willing to take a position anywhere. I received a phone call from the store HR telling me my application was suitable and they would like me to go to the next step.

Step 2. The next step was to ring a number I was given for head office HR for a phone interview….two weeks later after calling that number and getting a busy tone at least 10 times a day sometimes hitting redial for an hour straight, I finally got through…..only to be told that applications for that store had closed…After politely telling them I that I had been on the ????ing phone for two weeks trying to get through. They kindly agreed to pass me on to the next step…


Step 3. This step involved a fun afternoon in a group interview. Which started of by a group of HR people (there were 3 of em) explaining to us how great bunnings was to work for blah..blah ..blah…and how customer service orientated they are blah blah ( I had to bit my tongue a bit there) blah…Then we played some games designed to test our customer service skills.


Game 1. in a group we were given a product from the store and in turn we had to try and sell it. I got the distinct impression I was the only one in my group that new what the product was. I thought I was doing so well .


Game 2. Individually we were given a photo of customer in some section of the store, and were asked to say how we would approach this customer with out saying……wait for it…….”can I help you”. The photo I got was of a guy holding a full sheet of ply standing at the cut centre. I said something about mentioning to him about the smaller sizes of ply the store carries (demonstrating product knowledge thought I). Then I mentioned if he still wanted to cut the sheet I would cut it for him if I was one of the qualified staff (demonstration knowledge of OH&S..Im nailing this thought I) all with out mentioning “can I help you ?”

3 HR dudes explain that if succesfull you will go onto step 4

interview over

3 days later...letter explaining that I was unsuccesfull at this time....bugger

so from all of this I can only conclude that through this exhaustive process only the best of the best become staff at Bunnings.



cheers
BD

[soundman]

RANT WARNING RANT WARNING

Dont give me that "you want it cheap, so don't winge about the service" rubbish.


Companies like this are the ones who intentionaly set out to sell on price alone and to grind all competition out of their local market by pure mass and bruit force. They are the ones that intentionaly set out to sell vast quantities cheap rubbish at full retail margin (and then some) till moderate quality good value product is forced to be cheapened or to leave the market.

They are the ones who make the rules, they are the ones who set the terms, they are the ones who think srvice is "verbaly acknoledging any customer that comes within 3 metres"

we are forced to buy there because all reasonable competition has been removed.
I've been watchin my local area, I have seen the hardware & paint departments in the local chain stores shrink steadily.
I have seen the only local hardware store convert its operation to a builders yard and concentrate on timber and builders hardware.

In my view bunnings management practises are lazy and dumb, I have seen things in and arround bunnings that would not be tolerated in any of the major grocery chains ( who are just as profit oriented and work on closer margins) (ther are no perishables in bunnings ).

If I had the misfortune of having worked in bunnings I most certainly wouldn't put it in my resumae..... Id say I was in prison or pakistan on jehad or something in preference.

Everytime I go into bunnings I am disapointed but I have no alternative if I want to get the job done. If there is an alternative I try it before darkening their door.

Is it worth complaining...... no
Is this making it better..... no

but dont ever tell me its my fault because I wanted it cheaper.

rant clear.


cheers