HAFCO Dandenong

[Flowboy]

Try Bunnings Preston at 8AM on the weekend. I've actually been in an aisle obviously looking for something while two employees openly and loudly discussed how hopeless management was. This has happened twice now!! And people wonder why I'd rather pay more and enjoy the experience of buying.

Rob

[Buzzer]

I too have had slack service from H &F Brisbane, so walked out, bought zero.

Then went to Gary Pye on Gold Coast and spent $3200 on some great Jet gear.

Cheers

[RufflyRustic]

Hafco in Brisbane.

First time I went, I browsed around for about 20 minutes, yep, by myself. Nope, didn't buy a thing. No assistants anywhere in sight.

Second time I went, I decided to have a bit of fun socking it to them.

" I would like this part please. Did you know that last time I came here you (as in your staff) completely ignored me? Oh, what's that piece of dust extractor pipe going for on the marked down table? It's just over a metre, that would be perfect! Oh gee whiz, that's great! - and you'll let me have the two hose clamps for free as well - Thank you very much. I'll look forward to being served again next time, bye!"

cheers
Wendy

[Wizened of Oz]

I little word in defence of Hafco Brisbane. I've been in a few times to their former store and the new store, just for a few bits of metalworking gear. I've been treated well and my questions answered.
But we do live in an age of miracles. There are a number of other stores which I've entered and immediately become invisible.

[dazzler]

The sad thing is that none of these business' seem to have a system.

Poor management is too blame sadly

cheers


dazzler

[Bodgy]

Spot on Dazzler, but how hard is it?

Answer: Not very.

It all starts at the top. These HAFCO guys probably just get a wage, so couldn't give a stuff if they sell anything. Secondly, the senior management must be incompetent or lazy (or both) not to know how their staff are behaving.

It's ironic, that if this business ever goes down the tubes - entirely thru their own incompetence and/or laziness, we'll all bemoan the death of a woodworking icon. Been around 100 years etc.

According to the preceding posts, they have not only lost a number of on-going customers (that we know of, probably hundreds more), but also by my reckoning over $20K plus probably over $150K from the ones we don't know about.

Thats enough margin to employ a keen customer service rep, charged with ensuring the subject of these posts stops.

Not so difficult, is it Messrs fat, lazy and complacent Hare/Forbes?

What do they say, 1st generation makes it, 2nd consolidates and 3rd blows it. Look at Packer and Murdoch, 3rd generation in action.

[Chesand]

There are two basic rules for retailing
1 Any business is only as good as its management/manager.
2. When customers stop coming through the door, the owner does not have
a business, and the employees do not have a job.
It is really that simple

[Exador]

Spot on Dazzler, but how hard is it?

Answer: Not very.

It all starts at the top. These HAFCO guys probably just get a wage, so couldn't give a stuff if they sell anything. Secondly, the senior management must be incompetent or lazy (or both) not to know how their staff are behaving.

Well, they have no excuse now, I sent them a link to the thread and told them what was being discussed. I do hope they can lift their game, Carbatec and Gregory's are much further away and Gary Pye may as well be in another state as far as my having the time to get there is concerned.

[sea dragon]

Guys(in the gender neutral sense), we have had two elements to this thread, a boquet and a brickbat.
I hope the thread is read by reps of both stores, to praise the Vietnamese staff member and to see if the H & F staff can follow the exortation of the Duke of Edinborough from a few years ago, namely "extractum digitas" (no translation required). Will we see their reaction? I hope so.
One friend is still so peeved by the lack of attention he had from Carbotech Brisbane, he is still telling all and sundry, four years later. They had not even responded to his email of complaint. On his reckoning, he has cost them in excess of $200,000 in lost sales.
This has also inspired me to attempt to find a purported real letter banning people from a US store...the husband succeeded in getting up their nose with some delightful antics that might be practiced against BAD stores and their staff. I will post it as a joke, "Store- nil; Husband-won", hopefully it will amuse and be emulated.

[Exador]

Hi all,
As I said earlier, I contacted Hafco to let them know of the issues and to their credit, received a very prompt response from their Sales Manager, Matt Hare. he has consented, so I have reproduced the email here, minus his contact details, but he has told me that if anyone wants to contact him, I am welcome to pass those details on. I can confirm that a rocket has been launched into the Brisbane store at least, if the attentive staff there this afternoon are any guide. Well done Hafco.

This is Matt's email:
"Craig

Thank you for taking the time to email in regards to the thread from the wood working forums.

Several of the other members have also anonymously alerted us of this thread & about their disappointment in the service standards by our stores, we appreciate this information as negative feed back often passes quickly but sometimes does not make it to us so we take it very seriously as we have built our business on offering great service.

All of our branch managers have been made aware of the forum correspondence & as I type this email we are taking steps to ensure this becomes a thing of the past & we hope that you would be happy to visit our store again."

[Wood Butcher]

Blackwoods in Canberra were famous for that sort of service or lack of.
Cheers
Barry

Blackwoods in Brisbane are notorious for it.

[Iain]

My primary concern was if I made enough noise I would probably gain someones attention, however, if I have a problem with a product, what level of after sales service can I expect.
The lack of service, including the less hirstute character who actually stared at me while placing paper in a drawer within a metre of me, has me doubting any level of after sales service.
Hafco are free to PM me if they have any concerns.
At the moment I am in the market for a tube bending machine, although HAFCO are closest to me, they are certainly not (now) on the top of my list.

[dazzler]

Well done HAFCO

[Bodgy]

All credit to Craig for responding, lets hope he can 'maintain the rage' with his counter hoppers.

[Groggy]

I'm glad to see HAFCO respond for a few reasons. First it shows they will do something to improve. Second, it demonstrates the "power" this forum can have (which should be used very carefully), and third, WW businesses are good for "us", if they go away we are stuck with the Green Borg and I think that may push me over to being a metalworker.

Thanks for responding HAFCO, good luck.