I wasn't "One of the boys"

[peter_sm]

I have painted our old 50's weatherboard house. The old 3" downpipes were pretty rough looking, and painted the old colour, so I went to get new ones.

I know the eaves are 450mm, and the vertical distance from the gutter to the stormwater inlet is 2800mm.

I go to the local plumbing supplies, and explain exactly what I require, and the measurements I took for the eaves, and the drop.

I asked for gal downpipe, and get told with a rolled eye look.
"You mean zinc"
"Ummm yeah, that's the one" I reply
"Does it all come as one piece?" I then ask
"It's an offset you want isn't it?" He asks back sharply
"What's an offset?"
"Well if you have eaves you have to go back towards the house, or do you want it to go straight down to the ground?" He asks me with a bit of tone.

This is where I was getting a bit annoyed, and ready to head off to Bunnies. I explained again what the house was, and added that it is just like 95% of all the old 50's weatherboard houses in this area, the length of the drop, and just to supply me with two sets of what I need to replace what was there, along with a couple of brackets for each one.

He turns without saying anything, gets the bits, dumps the appropriate items on the counter, gives me an invoice, and I pay and leave.

I honestly wonder what I did wrong, or is it that I am just not "one of the boys"

[Honorary Bloke]

I
I honestly wonder what I did wrong, or is it that I am just not "one of the boys"

Got it in one. Happens all the time. When going to places that deal mostly with tradies, you will often get frozen out if you can't speak the lingo. DAMHIKT. Three choices, really:

Avoid going there
Learn the lingo
Put up with it

[JMB]

Being a female woodworker I am sometimes treated in a similar manner to how you were treated when I go into hardware stores or timber yards. I always try to know the name of what I am after and find taking a deep breath before I go in to the store helps! If the people are a bit rude or unpleasant I usually dont bother going back unless I have no choice.

[Pheonix]

Go buy a handyman book so you can familiarise yourself with all these terms,there are plenty around.

[Ian Wells]

I'm 6'2', very blokey and wear the right coloured overalls and still I get the sniffy response from 9 out of10 timber/hardware/plumbing/electrical supply store employees.
In my mind they are just "shop assistants" until they decide to mature, learn to do their job properly and loose the attitude. Those that do get my business, those that don't, will continue to get their time wasted by me as I ask them endless and pointless bloody questions out of malicious spite.
I'm a bad man... \

[underfoot]

you need to understand

that in doing their job ,

selling you timber, tools,and hardware, etc

as they watch you load all the goodies into your car

and enthusiastically drive off to your next project,

they are constantly reminded

that they are selling,

and not making

[corbs]

I think it is more an attitude change over the years. It used to be that as a customer I have the money and I was doing them a favour by purchasing their product. Now it seems to be they think they are doing me the favour by having the product that I want. I will support businesses which support their product and provide assistance when required.

Corbs

[Chesand]

What they do not realise that if customers do not come in, the business fails, they have no job. Retailing is that simple.

[munruben]

I certainly wouldn't be going back to that supplier again, there is no need for that kind of an attitude and if you can't handle customers in a polite and respectful way, then maybe a guy like that should not be in a job where he has to deal with the public. There are lots of suppliers out there who do show appreciation for your custom and make you feel welcome. I know it must be frustrating sometimes for these guys when someone like myself goes into their store and don't know the correct terminology to use but most salespeople I have come across, tolerate this from their customers and help and advise to the best of their ability. It should not be necessary to buy a book and learn the jargon or technical terms of every little item you may need to purchase. You may never need to use those same items again. The salesperson is suppose to be there to help you and in all fairness, I must say, that most of them do just that.
If suppliers have no tolerance toward the general public then they should restrict sales to trade only.

[Ian Wells]

you need to understand

that in doing their job ,

selling you timber, tools,and hardware, etc

as they watch you load all the goodies into your car

and enthusiastically drive off to your next project,

they are constantly reminded

that they are selling,

and not making

You hit that nail squarely on the head

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Three choices, really:

Avoid going there
Learn the lingo
Put up with it

There's a fourth choice: go in with a sidekick (in full work clobber - you need to look the part) and invent your own lingo. Have a quiet mutter & snigger with your sidekick when the bloke at the desk looks baffled. They'll generally fall over 'emselves to work out what the hell you're on about.

My ex-boss (who was a Tradie BTW) used to do this all the time just to wind up the "desk jockeys."

[Cliff Rogers]

....My ex-boss (who was a Tradie BTW) used to do this all the time just to wind up the "desk jockeys."

Good one.

[Eastie]

Did you go to the Reece trade desk .....

[big_gumbo]

I'm a qualified tradie and i got treated badly with one of the guys from bunnings. I still shop there, but what i do now is, 2 items in pocket, 1 item on the counter (2 for me, 1 for them). Walk out the door - "thanks for the freebies Bunnings!"

[Wood Borer]

The clowns behind the counter are morons and the ones who employ them are bigger morons. Most of their tradie mates are also moronic.

Be very glad that you are not part of their very sus tight little circle.