Dumbing down of Buunnings

[Wild Dingo]

Im not intending a slanging match at Bunnings here and decided this needed its own thread rather than continuing it in the Carbatec thread... but seems to me that they are "dumbing down" their staff particularily in the trades tools and hardware sections.

By that I mean the staff in those sections in particular dont have a flamin clue.

Now I can only go by the four stores Ive actually dealt with but will exclude their Morley store since its over a year since I graced their doors... so the three Bunbury, Mandurah and Rockingham... have what I would call "slight interest" in customer service and product knowledge

Now to quantify such negativity with some positive they are friendly they have a huge range and the store is massive and fairly well laid out.

Now back to my findings... Recently {with the last week} I have had the opportunity to attend each of these three stores

First Rockingham
While all the positives held true the fact that firstly the girl on the till in the tools section did not know what a hand held grinder was but that the "senior" member of staff she called over to assist also did not know... now the interesting thing was that while waiting for this member of staff I had found them and was standing in front of them when he arrived {the checkout girl was aged in her mid 30s while the one she called was a bloke in his late 40s early 50s} when he arrived I asked if these where "the only ones they had" his response was that they did not stck hand held grinders... he was serious.

follow on in the timber section when looking for their "tassie oak" was directed and assisted to the... jarrah section! when told I wanted tassie oak this staff member quite seriously satated that it was indeed tassie oak and that was all they had.. walking away as he said it... I found the TS in the next isle over when taking it to the counter same staff member asked "oh I see you settled on Jarrah sir"

Dumb number 1 and 2

Mandurah
Now I dont actually mind the Mandurah store some nice people work there and as a company when I was president of the local little athletics Bunnings was the only store to offer us a time and slot at the front door to fund raise... so as I say a good store but that was over 4 years ago... fast forward to last weeks visit
I went straight to the tools section as one does as Im still undecided about a trimmer router Im thinking of buying... so in I go past the 18ish girl on the tools section checkout and wander around like the proverbial lost sheep looking for them along comes a 50is bloke "yes sir can I help you?" "year mate Im looking for your trimmer routers" he scratched his head hummed and hawed then started wandering away from the section with the tools out past the young girl "follow me sir" so I cought up with him "mate? a router is a power tool" "no sir I believe you will find them in electrical" so we made our way to electrical this joker asks the joker there who comes from behind the counter and says "no Im sorry sir we dont carry that line" "mate as I told your mate here a router is a poweer tool not electrical conduit" "well sir then it would be in the tools section if we carry it" and he goes back to whatever amounted to "work" and the other bloke had disappeared

I then decided buggar it I would just get some 5/8 screws and a couple of drill bits... no one had a clue what 5/8 was! get their tape show them find the corresponding metric and go searching... were in the right lane I have my hand reaching out the bloke is searching down the other end having passed me "sorry sir we dont have that size perhaps you can go home and get one so we can compare?"

dumb 3 and 4

Finally Bunbury
Again great store big airy aqnd open reasonably friendly staff... into tools past the 30ish woman on the till friendly smiles... 40s bloke comes up "yes sir can I help you?" "yeah mate Im looking for trimmer routers" "oh the only routers we have are these ones haha and I dont see how you can trim anything with them theyre so large" ahem... "no mate smaller ones" mmmm he starts wandering around the shop I stand there and look upward to the boxes up top of the racking... 4 different kinds of trimmer routers up there I look back down as the bloke comes back "mm no sir we dont appear to have any trimmer routers the only ones we have are these sir" polite but dumb... I look up "what are they?" "oh your right sir please wait and I will get someone to get one down for you" and away he went

he didnt come back and nor did the "someone" I asked the girl "oh he went to lunch sir can I help you?" but she couldnt leave her station on the till so I then had to wait for another 40sh bloke to turn up had to explain what I wanted through the we dont stock that item thing showed him their location and again told that he would get someone... someone finally arrived but then had to go get a forklift machine from another section and "wouldnt one of the others be as good as they are larger sir" no and dont bother thank you

The second woman staff member I spoke with in garden machinery section honestly didnt know a hoe from a hose... but at least she knew what a line trimmer was which the first one I spoke to had no idea!...

dumb 5 6 7 and 8

seems to me that there is a definant dumbing down of staff at least in these stores.

Now to try to even this a tad I decided to put my hand up for a job there... So having just created something of a catalogue of works and creations and an up to date resume to hand I waltzed in and I asked who I give my resume to and was handed a single sheet "application form" with the following "please fill this form in and return it" no worries so having a pen in hand resume beside me I started filling it in there and then "maybe you should take it home sir and bring it back tomorrow?" "why its pretty much done already" says I as I sign it and hand it back along with a copy of my resume "oh no need for a resume sir we will contact you if your successful" "do you mind calling yur HR person please?" "Why sir this is how we take applications" "Please could you ask them to come down?"

Dumb number 9

So finally a bloke wanders over all official "Yes sir is there a problem?" "no problem mate I just wanted to ask you a few questions thats all" a glance at the girl "Yes?" "First I understand this is your standard application form?" "thats correct sir" "and I also understand you dont accept resumes with these applications" another glance "thats correct sir as you would be aware we have hundreds of applications for positions every day..." "well lets be honest here you probably average 3 or 4 a day unless your running an advert right?" "We average a lot of applications for positions vacant sir" "okay are you advertising right now?" "eerr umm I will give your application to our HR section sir" "no Id like to do that myself if you dont mind" "well she is very busy sir" "have you asked her?" "uumm asked her what sir?" "If shes too busy to give someone all of 3 minutes of her time... have you?" "well no sir I havent" "then how do you know she wont see me?" "well she is busy sir" "okay can you tell me why you dont accept resumes?" well they are irrelevent sir" "excuse me?" "they are unnecessary at this stage sir" "I see so you Bunnings bases if they will offer a position in the company based not on a persons resume a document that outlines a persons work history interests and skills but on this single sheet that tells the company absolutely nothingabout the person applying?" "sir the application form is the first step if your successful you will be called in for an interview at which time you can bring your resume"

And that as they say is that

Dumb number 10

Is it of any wonder that the crop of staff that serve their customers in specific sections are appearing dumber? Not once was I asked about knowledge experience or anything else the sheet pretty much simply asks for your past three positions... which Id say in 99.9% of applications would have nothing to do with any product they sell... so how does it work? and better yet how cann we the customers expect at least a basic rudimentary product knowledge from their staff?

Note... again this is not meant as an open opportunity to have a go at Bunnings or their staff... as I myself on occasions have had to do I ask you to please remember the rules of posting in any response to this thread.. rather I am wondering through some few examples given here {ooh there are more many many more I could relate but due to certain constraints I in thread posts length I wont} at the seeming determined effrt by Management and HR at Bunnings to dumb down their floor and section staff

As was said earlier their are positives within Bunnings... a ying and yang trade off perhaps? great selection of products across the nany ranges they have available the light airy building wide aisles for dumb staff.. and yes that is a generalization for without doubt there would be some pretty clued up people working within the company... I just havent met them yet?

Anyway your veiws?
Cheers

[snowyskiesau]

It used to be that you could ask where a particular class of item was and get some indication as to which aisle to search. Now you're lucky to be able to even find anyone to ask.
This is my experience at the Ashfield (Sydney) store anyway.

I wonder if senior Bunnings management know this is the case? Perhaps we should complain to them instead of to each other.

[rupertbri]

i Have Found The Same Here In Canada Most Builders Yards/hardware Stores Have Sales Staff That Do Not Know Their Ass From A Hole In The Ground.

[Honorary Bloke]

Don't be shy Rupert, tell us how you really feel! :rolleyes: :oo:

[MurrayD99]

i Have Found The Same Here In Canada .......


Errr.... not sure the guys are really into subtlety. Did you want to elaborate?:U

[echnidna]

Yer not qualified ter work at bunnies WD.
Yer know what tools actually are
yet its obvious that a complete lack of knowledge is a key selection criteria.

[johnc]

I don't think it is exclusive to Bunnings either, the days when you found the odd semi retired or "past it" tradie on the aisles seem to be long gone. You have to wonder if these stores give any product training at all, or just train staff to give any old answer and then get out of the road quick to give another valuable two seconds to the next tosser who comes along.
I much prefer pay a bit more and actually go to a store that knows what they are on about, but then you don't get the range I guess pretty much screwed either way.

John.

[Ian Smith]

I have said as much in other posts on this subject (do a search on "Grugg"). The reality of Bunnings is that the only thing going for them is price. You have to know all about what you want before you step through their door because the chance of knowing any more on the way out is practically zero.
On the other side of the ledger I have had good experiences with the local (and small) Tru Value store in the Hyperdome complex. The staff there are helpful and seem to know their stuff, and their prices aren't all that bad.

So it comes down to what you want, and if price is your primary focus then you can kiss good-bye to just about everything else.
The likes of Bunnings really put the squeeze on the small operators and they have all but vanished, so we are victms of our own making.

Ian

[dazzler]

Hi

Yes they are and IMO that would make logical sense from a business viewpoint.

Lower your staff overheads and lift the bottom line and they are all about profit. Dont let the BBQ support for local clubs make us all warm and fuzzy.

Its a bit like the outlaw biker xmas toy runs....."look at the nice bikies dear, giving toys to the poor children" while distributing heroin to all teh others ...but I digress.

We go to that type of store cause we are tight ar##es and we fell for the ëxperts in every dept" garbage. Bill the local hardware tool guy that was always helpful is forced out of business so now all we have are these people.

My exp at the port macquarie store;

Drive into the timber area where there are three isles that will take two vehicles side by side and walking areas up each with yellow pedestrian safety lines. Very good OH&S. Sadly the place was so full of crap on the ground there was only one lane.

Anyways I spy my treated pine sleepers in the far isle and try to drive there but alas the way was blocked by crap and a forklift having a sleep. Spy M1 and say, mate I need to get to that lane so I can get 12 sleepers. You cant says M1 its blocked. Yes says I, by a forklift, if you move it then I can. M1 cant drive forklift and doesnt know where M2 is.

M1 says just park there and i will pass them through to you. So M1 lifts sleepers and slides them across the others, over the fibre cement sheets and they crash onto the bags of crap on my side. All the while M1 is bending his back at all sorts of funny angles to achieve it. Poor OH&S.

Drive around to the star pickets, select the ones I want and ask M3 and M4 who were chatting next to the pickets for the brackets to attach the sleepers to the pickets. Blank stares all round -- never heard of them. M1, M3 and M4 are joined by M5 who discuss brackets but sadly the store has never stocked them.

"What about in the hardware section, could they be there amongst the BRACKETS" asks I.

Dunno says M5.

Off I goes and finds them in the brackets section of Hardware.

Next I need a 5mm hex driver to drive the hex screws into the sleepers. Go to tool section. Now once upon a time going to the tool section for me was a similar exp to walking through the cross.......oh the temptation. But now it is with dread.

M6 or even M7 were nowhere to be found, the spot where said driver and his buddies would live had vacant spots, crap on the floor and no 5mm hex drives.

Stood waiting for M6 for 17 min timed on my watch and gave up and went to the Help counter. M6 is on a break. "What at 4.30 in the afternoon" but apparently he was. "M7 to the tool section" "M7 to the tool section".

After another 11 min M7 turns up and decides to help another couple who walked into tools at the same time he did. Serves these people the husband of which wanted to get into woodworking and was looking at the Triton section:2tsup:.

Wander over for a listen and M7 tells him he has no idea about triton but that some people like it. Anyways M7 sells him a maxi sliding extension table, a router top and some superjaws. Tellls him to put back the multi stands and get these cheaper ones (the ones in the green and white pack :rolleyes: for like $1.99)

So fella walks out with his new triton gear but I have no idea how it was going together as he didnt own any other triton gear :2tsup:.

Finally serves me and looks at the rack and decides they dont sell them. I says ÿou must sell them because you sell the hex screws."He suggested using an allen key and to pre drill with a "drill bit' .

M7's brain then clunks, I heard it, and he suggested the trade counter might have it. Down we go, past M1 thru M5, to the trade section where Miss M9 says she has no idea.. I points to the cabinet with lots of hex drivers and suggest that they may be there. Öh they are too"

Hands me the driver and says "Wow its almost knockoff time, cant wait, hee hee

Sadly they really dont care that you or I are not happy. We will generally end up finding our way about and get what we need so in effect we are doing the job that they would have originally paid some other expert to do.

We only have our selves to blame.

My 2c, and I am now putting it into practice, is boycott the place, pay a little more at the local guy if he still exists, but be happy that we will all live just a little longer without the stress of these smiling dopes.

:D

cheers

dazzler

[SPIRIT]

would you like some cheese with that wine :C
ok here is my 2c from the inside
bunnings are all about makeing money bottom line dead right .But to do so they realy do try to make everybody happy when they shop there the trouble comes when that bottom line creeps up into the red so what is the easyest way to save money CUT people on the floor .If you shop in the winter and at night you will get 16 something old kid to help you they are cheaper say 11$ hr as a ex tradie at 20$hr so do the maths .
saying that there is still a lot of good workers in the store that know there stuff like any hardware store you build up your regulars that know your shifts and that when they come in

[echnidna]

I give bunnies preference over the local hw store.

The retired principals of that store designed a ubute door making machine that could make doors in about a minute each.

They intended to send the machine to China to make their doors.
Now the labor cost advantage per door is obviously miniscule.

They could have made doors locally and provided local employment and in doing so supported the local community who has supported them for many years.

But if they won't support their locals, this local won't support them.

So bunnies here I come when I want hardware.

[DavidG]

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 :2tsup: actually have some good staff and some dummies.

[Bleedin Thumb]

If I can't find it myself at Bunnies, I usually just walk out and keep driving to another hardware shop - its quicker than dealing with the staff.

Like you say Daz, it used to be an enjoyable pasttime wandering around the Hardware Shop, now its get in , get out, with the least amount of pain possible.

[SPIRIT]

thats not the store thats changed bleedin its you everything is rush rush rush :D

[JackoH]

[quote=Bleedin Thumb;478863]If I can't find it myself at Bunnies, I usually just walk out and keep driving to another hardware shop -


What other Hardware shop?:no:

[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 :2tsup:

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 :2tsup:

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 :doh: 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 :rolleyes:

[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.:2tsup:

Why wouldnt we shop there:2tsup:

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 :wink: :((

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 :2tsup: actually have some good staff and some dummies.


Spot on David :2tsup:

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:2tsup:

[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 :U …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.
:ranton:
<o>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.

<o>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:whistling2:, 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:ranting2: phone for two weeks trying to get through. They kindly agreed to pass me on to the next step…


<o>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.

<o>
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 :roll: .


<o>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 ?”:Irule:

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

interview over

3 days later...letter explaining that I was unsuccesfull at this time....bugger :whatonearth: :sad3:

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

:rantoff:

cheers
BD:2tsup: </o></o></o></o></o>

[soundman]

:o :o :o RANT WARNING:o :o :o RANT WARNING:o :o :o

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:no:
Is this making it better..... no:no:

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

rant clear.
:D :D :D

cheers

[BobL]

I've given up believing that Bunnings always have the lowest prices. A few weeks ago I bought a 2 m length of 25 mm SHS steel at Bunnings for $30 and was bemoaning the price with the lads at work and one of them told me about a medium size local hardware (500m down the road from the same Bunnings) where they had the same piece of steel for $17. In fact all their steel prices and nuts and bolts were similarly relatively priced. The crap tools are about the same price but just about everything else seems cheaper. And the sales people in the store seem to know something about what they're selling.

[Lignum]

A few weeks ago I bought a 2 m length of 25 mm SHS steel at Bunnings for $30 and was bemoaning the price with the lads at work and one of them told me about a medium size local hardware (500m down the road from the same Bunnings) where they had the same piece of steel for $17. .

If your not a tradie with an account, let Bunnies know and you will get it 10% less the $17. Your mistake was not knowing the price to start with and you ripped your self off. Dont blame them

[BobL]

If your not a tradie with an account, let Bunnies know and you will get it 10&#37; less the $17. Your mistake was not knowing the price to start with and you ripped your self off. Dont blame them

Err . . mistake . . . implies I did something wrong. No one has done anything wrong here, Bunnings are trying to make a quid and I'm trying to save money. If you read my post again you will see I have not blamed Bunnings for anything. All I said is they simply don't have the lowest up front prices. As for the 10% cheaper drivel, I'm not into driving around wasting petrol and time to save $1.70 on a piece of steel.

[Lignum]

All I said is they simply don't have the lowest up front prices. As for the 10% cheaper drivel, I'm not into driving around wasting petrol and time to save $1.70 on a piece of steel.

But you found out the mob down the road have it for $17 and you paid $30. If you pointed that out bunnies, they would have rang and checked and woulld have sold it to you for $17 minus 10% = $15.30. You would have saved $14.70. Its not drivel, customers just dont realise how they can save by comparing prices. But it dosnt apply to trade prices.

Good example is Bunnies Moorabbin sells full extention runners for $30 a pair, walk out the door turn right and walk into Nikpol and get the same for $6.50 a pair:~ But Nikpol is trade (open to all public) so bunnies wont match.

[BobL]

But you found out the mob down the road have it for $17 and you paid $30. If you pointed that out bunnies, they would have rang and checked and woulld have sold it to you for $17 minus 10% = $15.30. You would have saved $14.70. Its not drivel, customers just dont realise how they can save by comparing prices. But it dosnt apply to trade prices.

Sure, but that is all after the event. When I first bought the steel I did shop around. I rang 3 places, the cheapest I found was $13/m but you had to buy 6.5 m, and the other two were $15/m, so I though I might as well get it from Bunnings because I was going over there anyway.

Now I know I can get it from the mob down the road for $8.50/m I will go straight there. I won't be going to Bunnings and doing a 10% less because if I do that it will eventually do the little guy out of business and then I'll be back to $15/m.

[boban]

Bunnings dont match trade prices. I have an account with Bunnings and buy none of the builders hardware from them. They are a convenience store that I can shop at after hours.

Prime example. Ramset 60mm metal anchors. Bunnings $90 (I get a whopping 5&#37; off). Coventry Fasteners $30 ($44 non trade). Identical product, huge difference.

You can always buy better as a tradesperson elsewhere, but you will not find it all at the one spot. On some items they compete extremely well. Its called loss leading. Get them in on the common stuff and sell the high margin items at the same time. Virtually all businesses run this way.

I have a large Mitre10 a few hundred metres from Bunnings and as far as my experience with them is concerned, they are no different.

Im glad Bunnings is around and I have found most of their staff to be polite sales assistants. That's all I ever expect.

As an aside, why would a tradesman, who could earn $300 -$400 a day on wages want to work at Bunnings for $800 a week?

Further, what do you really think of those successful tradies who have managed to make it through the HR crap and work for Bunnies? Better to use google I think.

[Harry72]

Try living in a small town we only got Thriftylink and Homeharware and 1 semi independent(the best shop)... I've checked the prices of there shops elsewhere's theres some competion and all the real products that we need are cheaper by far. I can understand a few extra cents per bolt for transport but 2~3 times the price NOT!

Thats if they have it, I needed some M8/30mm hex bolts the otherday you think I could find any... but we got 3 car supermarkets 3 supposed harware shops and 2 metal work shops... not 1 lousy M8 30mm! Now try get some wood... city folk dont realise how easy they got it in this situation.

All my woodwork gear now is ordered on the net, because here I pay 2~3 times the price for a inferior product, thank god for Elraco's online shop!
One thing I must add most of the employees here are not blow thru's, most do have a good general knowledge purely based on experience.

[echnidna]

I gotta agree with Harry.
All you whingers have access to a local bunnies so you can deal there or not.
We only just got bunnies so we didn't have that choice.
Now we do. And its my first port of call if I want something.

Anyone who seeks techno advice is a twit, you need to ask a tradesman not a counter jockey. The same applies to anyone who totally believes advertising blurb, you gotta shop around.

[dazzler]

I gotta agree with Harry.
All you whingers have access to a local bunnies so you can deal there or not.
We only just got bunnies so we didn't have that choice.
Now we do. And its my first port of call if I want something.

Anyone who seeks techno advice is a twit, you need to ask a tradesman not a counter jockey. The same applies to anyone who totally believes advertising blurb, you gotta shop around.

Hi Bob

How long has yours been there. If less than a year or so do a little experiment and watch to see if there are any changes.

Interested to see:? if things drop off.

cheers

[Honorary Bloke]

Well of course we have our own crosses to bear, called Home Depot and Lowes. But there was never any question of them dumbing down, because they were never up. :rolleyes:

But, like some have said, if you have to ask them for advice you are in trouble already. And that's the rub. I don't expect them to help me and I am seldom disappointed. But the weekender who really needs the information since he's a complete noob, I feel sorry for him. They both advertise that their staff are knowledgeable so "You can do it, we can help." But they often can't help or worse, give incorrect information.

Anyway it's true that we Forumites shouldn't whinge about them, because we ought to know better. But their ads over here are terribly misleading. And no, I wouldn't expect Woolworth's to tell me how to fix a banquet, but I might if their advertising said "Come in and we'll show you how to fix a banquet."

My 2 bob worth :D :C

[baxter]

At least at Bunnings you get a good day as you enter and there are sales people who give you a smile.

I find the worst store to [try to] shop at is the larger of the local branch of the national chain that advertises "We Sell Tools Not Toys".

They have order takers not sales people.

Experience #1. I stood in an aisle with my hand on a power tool - which was chained down so that I could not lift it off the shelf to get any feel for the balance etc. An order taker comes down the aisle towards me. I catch his eye. I must want to ask a question about a product. He turns abruptly and walks the other way. I walked out of the store and waved to him as I left.

Experience #2. Wanted to buy a Vernier Caliper. Walked around the shelves until I found them in a locked display counter with the price tags turned down. Stood at the counter and had order takers walked past me to serve "tradies" in overalls and with a written order form in their hand. I walked down to the service area. Finally noticed, because there were no tradies at the counter, and said that I would like to look at the Vernier Calipers that are down there in a display case. Order taker asks which one I want. I respond I am not sure, I would like to look at them and see how much they were. Huff and puff. Which one do you want. I don't know. Well that meant he had to open the case. Finally I got to see what they had. Peed off by then, so left without buying.

Experience #3. Wanted some advise about a product. Stood at sales counter. Tradies were served as they came I was ignored. I nearly got served by one order taker, but the phone rang as he got to me. He hurried off, other order takers walked past and ignored me. Finally one came to help me, by then I was turning to leave.

Experience #4. Looking to buy a lathe. Asked order taker, whom I had trapped in that area, whether the ones on display were the only ones they had. He said yes. I pointed out that the display item I was interested in had rust on it and asked again whether, if I purchased, that would be the one I received. He said yes, they would not get a new one in for me. Brought elsewhere.

I know, I am a glutton for punishment. But most of these instances have been shopping expeditions for product and price comparisions so that I could buy elsewhere. But the order takers were not to know that I did not have a pocket full of money and was hot the trot to buy.

The same business has a large stall at the Sydney Wood Show. There you can't walk past without being hassled by their order takers. Gives me great pleasure to ignore them as I walk past to deal with people who really care.

Give me Bunnings "good morning", "how are you today", "can I help you", "are you being served". The other crowd might stock "Tools Not Toys", but they certainly make no effort to sell them to the general public.

P.S. There is a much smaller branch of the "Tools not Toys" store in the local area. They don't stock the same range of products as big brother, but the staff at that store are polite and helpful, just don't have much to sell.

[masoth]

Understanding the disappointment that raised the "bad" comments regarding (mainly) Bunning's we should all realize that the staff come, mostly, from our local community.
I deal with Bunnies and, if needs be, will ALWAYS approach day staff who I know have been employed there for years - if I visit after normal 'day' hours it's for stuff I KNOW ABOUT.
In a community of 22000 the selection procedure is not likely to identify a physically wrecked/retired tradesman for each section of sales. My local Bunning's is staffed by very cheerful, and helpfull persons who recognize me when I visit - they don't know everything, but go out of thier way to understand my, sometimes, rambling description of what I want.

soth:;

[Black Ned]

Hi Girls,

If you guys win any of the Gift Vouchers and feel strongly that you should boycott Bunnies, please send then to me.

[Barry_White]

P.S. There is a much smaller branch of the "Tools not Toys" store in the local area. They don't stock the same range of products as big brother, but the staff at that store are polite and helpful, just don't have much to sell.

Baxter

We must have it pretty good in Tamworth. We have one of those "Tools Not Toys" branches which has been going as long as the original one and has as the manager who was in the store when it started and runs a very tight ship and has everything they have in the main store and has staff that are very knowledgeable.

In fact in Tamworth we have a Blackwoods, Bunnings, Bearfast & Bearquip, Mitre 10, thrifty Link, Supercheap Autos, several Electrical Wholesalers, several Plumbers Suppliers, in fact we must just about have one of everything at least.

[HappyHammer]

Drive into the timber area where there are three isles that will take two vehicles side by side and walking areas up each with yellow pedestrian safety lines. Very good OH&S. Sadly the place was so full of crap on the ground there was only one lane.
I can back that up always stuff in the aisles so you have to reach over and risk broken toes by sliding timber off of racks...

Next I need a 5mm hex driver to drive the hex screws into the sleepers. Go to tool section. Now once upon a time going to the tool section for me was a similar exp to walking through the cross.......oh the temptation. But now it is with dread.


I found some there recently in the tools section with all the drill bits, you'd think he would know if I do....

HH.

[dazzler]

Well how quick things change,

Just drove past our store and they have grasped onto Lignums view and have repainted the whole front;

It now says;


"If you dont know where to find it you are too stupid to shop here - get lost"


At least they listen to sense
:rolleyes:
:p
:wink:

[HappyHammer]

Dazzler,

Just in case there's any confusion by "he" I meant the bunnies guy...:U

HH.

[dazzler]

Dazzler,

Just in case there's any confusion by "he" I meant the bunnies guy...:U

HH.

Unfortunately, seeing as I have hit 40, have over 1300 posts I am now, by law, expected to find hidden nasty meanings in everything written.

So expect to be reported to the moderator, I will post a "I am leaving because of horrible people like HH", and I am going to send a nasty PM as well.:((

So who served you, was it cletus, brandeeeen, or Lignum testing you....:p

[ss_11000]

do you know what the best bit of advice i got from a bunnings employee was? : "dont but this, go on the internet and look up timbecon or carbatec"...that was before i found this forum.

cheers

[Zed]

im just posting here to make Grunt notice ive posted.

you've all said it already.

I personally dont have much of problems with bunnies, it is after all a supermarket...

HOWEVER sometimes I wear a red tshirt (I have a number of them - I like bright colours...) and go in there and sit myself down on a box to sort screws or think thru my project needs etc.... about 50% of the time customers come up to me and ask me a question like "where can I" or "what can I blah blah.. etc..." I help them then I say "I dont work at Bunnies, maybe you should check with a staff member". generally they thank me and or laugh - a couple of them (Usually older ladies) come back for seconds... (Smile)

I also dont have an issue with correcting a staff member (ALA Deans comment above..) if they are just selling $hit or conning some person I'll tell that person "Not to" or "to" something. I once stopped some imbicle trying to sell a little old lady a reciprocating saw who just wanted to saw thru some old fence posts - I went and got one of the chinga made $15 jack saws in the special bins and told her this is what she needed not a $500 makita recpiro..... she thanked me and gave the bloke a dirty look. I got a dirty look from the bloke meself.. stuff him!:(( If I ever get pulled up by bunnines management about cutting the staffs grass I'll quite happily have a stand up argument nice and loud in front of all the other customers about why they are wrong... (I help little od ladies across the street too..)

Sometimes they even give unsafe advice like "u dont need earmuffs if u are only drilling one hole." Morons...

A semi/skilled bloke/ette (Ie most of u - you know or seem to know what you are talking about) should adopt the "stop the moron teaching an ignoramus how to remove thier own fingers" philosphy like I do - you'll feel better knowing that you've helped 2 people; 1, the moron and 2, the ignoramus... I certainly do.

Having said the above - there are some real nice and knowledgable people in my local bunnies (I go to 3 of 'em nearby and they all have good staff).....

cheers.

[Cliff Rogers]

Bunnies, love 'em of hate 'em. :cool:

Dislikes.http://www.ubeaut.biz/thumbdown.gif Since they opened in Cairns, 4 other hardware stores closed.
(2 of them were BBC stores that were bought out by them)

Dislikes.http://www.ubeaut.biz/thumbdown.gif They pay their staff peanuts so you can't expect much help. (see note further on)

Likes.http://www.ubeaut.biz/approval.gif The fact that they have prices on their stuff. The remaining competition within a 3 km radius of them don't & when you ask the price they look you up & down before they look in the secret book under the counter. :rolleyes:

Likes.http://www.ubeaut.biz/approval.gif they do have a large range to choose from.

Dislikes.http://www.ubeaut.biz/thumbdown.gif Most of it is crap.

Likes.http://www.ubeaut.biz/approval.gif There are a few older blokes who work there for something to do in semi-retirement (or enforced to cut back because of health reasons) who do know what they are on about & are as helpful as the can be.

[Pulse]

Bazza and Baxter, I've shopped at both branches of "tools not toys"... the tamworth one price matched a makita sander when I asked and over christmas set up a dumpy level in the shop and showed me exactly how to use it... 20 minute tutorial... Fantastic service.

The Newcastle one is a different beast all together...

Cheers
Pulse

[Just George]

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)





My GMC thicknesser is going just fine, I know not to over work it and how not to over work it.

[Just George]

Spot on David :2tsup:

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:2tsup:


This is decent advice. I love all my local Bunnings stores. I have my weekly pilgrimage there.

I do know that if I'm after something I don't ask silly questions, I do my research first.

I don't ask for something like "trimmer routers" like ol' matey who started this thread as it obviously confused the staff at Bunnings. If you knew what you were looking for in the first place - why did you "test" them? By saying "trimmer router" you are saying almost a dozen different products in two words which could be taken many ways depending on what department you were currently standing in. If you know what you are looking for, don't bother the staff and "test" them but go and dream or drool and purchase or leave.

In case anyone thinks I work for Bunnings as I've defended them - I don't. I just don't see the point in bagging someone in this way as has been done here.

There was mention of a kid with pimples not knowing everything about everything, ie not being knowledgeable about everything, how knowledgeable were you ast the same age?

[DavidG]

how knowledgeable were you ast the same age?
I knew everything about everything but when I grew up I know nothing about nothing.
Growing up is a process of forgetting. I think. Now what was I saying. :;

[dazzler]

This is decent advice. I love all my local Bunnings stores. I have my weekly pilgrimage there.

I do know that if I'm after something I don't ask silly questions, I do my research first.

I don't ask for something like "trimmer routers" like ol' matey who started this thread as it obviously confused the staff at Bunnings. If you knew what you were looking for in the first place - why did you "test" them? By saying "trimmer router" you are saying almost a dozen different products in two words which could be taken many ways depending on what department you were currently standing in. If you know what you are looking for, don't bother the staff and "test" them but go and dream or drool and purchase or leave.

In case anyone thinks I work for Bunnings as I've defended them - I don't. I just don't see the point in bagging someone in this way as has been done here.

There was mention of a kid with pimples not knowing everything about everything, ie not being knowledgeable about everything, how knowledgeable were you ast the same age?

Okay George,

Pls name the dozen products that fit that description that would have confused the mentally challenged TOOLS :rolleyes: team member.

If you can i will pull my head in.

Oh and pls tell me where my first post was unreasonable so I can pull that head as well :wink:

cheers

dazzler

[DavidG]

:spyme: :cheers2:

[dazzler]

:spyme: :cheers2:

You should be watching for hail too :D

[Just George]

Okay George,

Pls name the dozen products that fit that description that would have confused the mentally challenged TOOLS :rolleyes: team member.

If you can i will pull my head in.

Oh and pls tell me where my first post was unreasonable so I can pull that head as well :wink:

cheers

dazzler


Off the top of my head I can't name any other than the example we have here.

Router Trimmer
If in a computer store (which I know at Bunnings we aren't) a router is a type of modem as well as a woodworking tool.
In the gardening section, a trimmer could be a line trimmer and either powered by battery, petrol or electricity.
In the tool shop, a trimmer could be for cutting tin or other things or as we all know it as being a small router.

I've got a number of those plastic boxes from K-mart, my wife calls them crate boxes - it's like calling your Holden/Ford/Toyota or what ever you have a car automobile. A trimmer is either a trimmer or a 1/4" router.

I've found if you call something by another name other than what is on the package at Bunnings AND other stores whether it is correct or not, they sometimes have No idea what you're on about.

That's no excuse for anyone to go and criticize them though, because without Bunnings there wouldn't be the sponsorship that they give to whatever sporting team they sponsor. There'd be no BBQ'd sausages on a Saturday, no DIY demos, no kids playground for you to leave occupy your kids while you shop/drool.

[dazzler]

:buttkick:


:D

[Wild Dingo]

George
Im keeping it cool calm and collected here because as I stated earlier I dont want this thread to denigrate Bunnings as a whole become a slanging match or a shyte fight... customer criticism is a good thing for a company to see that is how I started it and it seems Im not alone in my experience

HOWEVER

I would think that if one is standing in the TOOLS section talking to a STAFF MEMBER in that section about a product in that section then it behoves the company to MAKE SURE that staff member KNEW the tools in that section... simple really

But based on your comments... if I had have asked for a claw hammer should the staff member know what and where that claw hammer was and the differnence between it and a peen hammer a sledge manner or a blasted tack hammer? by your comments no they sshould not... that that staff member would know the difference between a palm sander and a belt sander? a phillips head screw driver and a flat head screw driver? a circular saw and a band saw? in your view the staff member should NOT know what goods are within their section... so why exactly should they have a job? clearly there is no need for them in which case Bunnings and supermarkets like them should simply have the checkout staff because with no product or goods sold knowledge they all other staff members are... redundant

George... May I suggest that a trimmer router IN THE TOOL SECTION can only refer to one thing... a trimmer bloody router! also known as a laminate router... however the important word in the TOOL SECTION was ROUTER... BUT none the less the thing is we were in the TOOL section not the gardening section not the computer shop not the electrical section... THE TOOL SECTION... did he look? nope did he care to look nope did he even bother to GLANCE upward to the stock above the show stock? nope... simply put he didnt have a friggin clue what a router was in THE TOOLS SECTION WHERE HE WORKED

That to me is unacceptable staff training at the least complete customer contempt at the worst

IF you had read my initial post {edited by me} you would have seen that my initial intent was not to "test" them but to find the sodding things! :~ which were not on the shelf with the other power tools but up the top of the shelving... mind you they were interestingly enough not in the electrical section either surprise surprise... after that and since then yes I admit it I TEST THEM ecery chance I get... do I know where they are? sometimes yes sometimes no BUT dipstick its NOT MY JOB to know ITS THEIRS! If they dont know then their training is uptashyte and without people commenting about such things here AND in the store it will never change

Will posting such as this here make any difference to how Bunnings trains their staff? Do any senior middle management or team leaders hell even floor staff at Bunnings read these boards? TOO BLOODY RIGHT THEY DO... There are several participating members of Bunnings who post to this board and others I know personnaly who read them

Do you think such companies as Carbetc Timbercon Harre and Forbes PTMS among others DONT read these boards? NEWS FLASH!!! They do!!... do they read theses sorts of threads? YES why? because if they are smart they can use them to guage a section of their customer base customer satisfaction can read and get an average veiw of what a cross section of their cusomer base think of them as a company their staff their product and yes the training they give their staff... some do just that others choose to ignore it but without it no one sees the depth of discontent or better yet the content that their customers gain or recieve from their shooping at their store

HOWEVER

It is not just in the tool section its across the board in this company... YES I have already stated that there are some great people that work there no matter which store.. as with all things and work places there are good excellent and poor staff "the human factor"... so its across the store and not just one isolated store therefore the company SHOULD look at a) their HR section b) Their selection process c) their training programs d) ongoing monitoring of staff at shorter than what appears to be present periods

What I am asking is "is Bunnings dumbing down their staff?" Thats the question being asked... Im not asking a hard question Im not asking for abuse contempt or derogitory comments about the company or staff members in particualr or specifics nor fellow forumites... nor did I expect any... a simple question that you either agree with and choose to give examples of or not... or you dont agree with and give examples of or not :2tsup: easy not difficult and offers up a range of opinion and experiences that others may or may not agree with :doh:

{again edited by me} :doh:

[Sturdee]

What I am asking is "is Bunnings dumbing down their staff?" Thats the question being asked... Im not asking a hard question Im not asking for abuse contempt or derogitory comments about the company or staff members in particualr or specifics nor fellow forumites... nor did I expect any... a simple question that you either agree with and choose to give examples of or not... or you dont agree with and give examples of or not :2tsup: easy not difficult and offers up a range of opinion and experiences that others may or may not agree with :doh:

But then sometimes some people just choose to be dipsticks :doh:

I wasn't going to get involved in this debate as it has been done many times and my view is known, but calling people dipsticks for disagreeing made me change my mind.

So did all those who are unhappy with Bunnings ever let their opinions known to their management.

Did you ever fill in one of their cards at the exit to let them know you were unsatisfied.

If not, why not?

Maybe it is because it is easier to come here and vent your spleen than complain direct face to face to the company.


Peter

(who is heartily sick and tired of the forever whinging)

[dazzler]

I wasn't going to get involved in this debate as it has been done many times and my view is known, but calling people dipsticks for disagreeing made me change my mind.

So did all those who are unhappy with Bunnings ever let their opinions known to their management.

Did you ever fill in one of their cards at the exit to let them know you were unsatisfied.

If not, why not?

Maybe it is because it is easier to come here and vent your spleen than complain direct face to face to the company.


Peter

(who is heartily sick and tired of the forever whinging)

Hi sturdee

Maybe you missed the context of the dipstick bit. WD was responding to being called 'old matey' which is fair enough :p.

But you are right that we should use the complaints process more if we don't already. I know I dont but tend just to walk away with the *&*^& and whinge later.

But then again, isnt that a managers job to manage the place correctly. Blind freddie Manager could tell that at least ours needs to be cleaned up so that Mr Dazzler can at least get his ute into the place to load stuff up.:-

When I was running teams I can tell you I didn't need a suggestion box to run them efficiently:wink:

My biggest whinge is just how fantastic they were when they first started and how they have slowly evolved downwards. The ones in canberra were great, great knowledgable staff, clean, tidy and safe, good value etc etc. The Hobart store was great. The Port Macquarie was but isnt now.

Sadly that wonderful experience, and full support, is no longer found for many of us :no:.

I have decided to write to them today about my whinge. Will see how it goes.

cheers

dazzler

[Sturdee]

I have decided to write to them today about my whinge. Will see how it goes.

cheers

dazzler

Great. I'm all for telling a company's senior management of the shortcomings of the staff in one of their stores.

Normally head office staff don't get to hear about any problems, the very people that report to them, the store managers, are often at fault for not picking up about these things in the first place and even if they did they wouldn't tell about their inefficiencies.

Peter.

[Wild Dingo]

Peter
I took the "old matey" comment as an insult a facetious and condescending manner of treating someone you see as or having done something beneath you... so given that my returning the "compliment" with the word "dipstick" I felt was fair enough... I find being called "old matey" in the context used as insulting demeaning and so responded in kind... {I have since deleted the references}

Needless to say...


Did you ever fill in one of their cards at the exit to let them know you were unsatisfied.

If not, why not?

Maybe it is because it is easier to come here and vent your spleen than complain direct face to face to the company.


Peter

(who is heartily sick and tired of the forever whinging)

IF you and some others would just bother to friggin read you would have read


If they dont know then their training is uptashyte and without people commenting about such things here AND in the store it will never change

Peter I have had stand up arguments with some "team leaders" and what passes for "managers" at these stores but that was beside the point and not the intent of the thread and as such thought such better left out and so left them out

But Peter tell me this... Why is it "whinging" when someone asks a question regarding a company based on their experience if that question and experience is negative toward the company in question?... yet its ohh so bloody wonderful and totally acceptable to give high praise for good customer service? bloody hypercritical if you ask me

Yours and dipsticks comments were what I was trying to avoid because of their inflammatory content which have the potential for more such comments and then the whole thread gets shafted.

If your... "heartily sick and tired of the forever whinging"?... dont read and stop commenting on the threads you consider whingin threads then :doh: ... theres enough other threads that you and anyone else who is of the same mindset dont have to say a word and then by not seeing reading or participating you wont be heartily sick of anything :2tsup:

Cheers
Shane

[john paine]

It seems everyone thinks the same about Bunnies.
Why don't you go to a real hardware store?????

[Wild Dingo]

It seems everyone thinks the same about Bunnies.
Why don't you go to a real hardware store?????

I think thats a part of the whole point John... in a lot of places there is no "real hardware store" anymore Bunnings has done a very effective job of negating any competition wherever they set up shop... while initially everyone has the viiew that "Wow Bunnings is coming to town? great! some competition is great" then the same real hardware store finds itself unable to compete unable to survive against such a huge store and closes its doors and suddenly there is no competition its either Bunnings, nothing or a bloody long expensive road trip to the nearest local "real hardware store"

How does one find a "real hardware store" after Bunnings have become established and the small "real hardware store" has shut their doors?
It is only after this happens that the locals realize just how dumb the store staff are how much crap Bunnings stock and how much better the small "real hardware store" actually was... but its too late by then isnt it? no oe is going to set up a "real hardware store" with their main competitor being Bunnings quite simply they could not compete in a competative market place against a giant business like Bunnings... believe me I considered it in Mandurah do the research do the sums and thats it its over before you start... you cannot compete and remain viable against a company like Bunnings

Bunnings like Woolworths Kmart and the other big stores are slowly but surely seeing the demise of the small "real store" the local deli the local hardware the local small business catering to a neighborhood is slowly being smothered and shut out by these companies... same for the small timber mills and yards as Colli, Bunnings etc get larger so the smaller mill yards are declining simply because they cant compete against them

Its becoming endemic in this county as in the States and Canada... and part of that is what were seeing in the decline in staff training and knowledge... they dont care or cater to those with knowledge or experience... they target and aim at the less knowledgeable, the new comer and those who just want it now... so they dumb down their staff so that such people who know what they want dont bother them just grab what they want pay and leave... and with Bunnnings present tv advertising campaign its not hard to see who theyre targeting

Yes I agree we could just not go there
Yes I agree we could just go somewhere else {if there is somewhere else}
Yes I agree there are some great knowledgeable people working there
Yes I agree they have a massive range of product
Yes I agree Bunnings is a business and must look to their bottom line
Yes I agree Many staff treat working at Bunnings as a resume filler

What I dont agree with is that their staff dont need product knowledge... or that we as customers should not say something at the time or wherever else the company may have a presence.

Its far to easy to say nothing... hell its easier than being called a whinger for daring to ask a question... its easier to say nothing than to post a thread questioning the companies methods.. its easier to question the motives of the questioner and respondents than to question a company in an open forum... its also easier to say nothing... which Id suggest that most would do just shake their heads and walk away is far easier than standing up and saying something... in the store or anywhere else... but by doing so you contribute to the problem... by saying nothing or as John has said just go to the local hardware {if there is one} you condone the companies apparent dumbing down of their staff.. and yes by that action subtly condone the accidents that will happen when people accept the advice given by their staff that has been shown in some of the posts to be faulty and dangerous because the staff member had buggar all product knowledge!

See by saying your view you give your opinion good or bad... this then can help!! others here may take note and start to make sure they know what theyre after before they go there but at the same time be aware to check the info the staff give them, the company may take notice and quietly impliment change, and the staff that read it may well think "shyte is that right?" and begin to make sure to pick up their game and encourage others they work with to do the same... but its easier to do and say nothing isnt it :roll:

[Sturdee]

Shane,


So you felt insulted, don't think that was intended by the poster concerned, but you decided to insult some back.

Great Idea, not.

I may consider myself similarly insulted by your comment "friggin read" so I should insult you back. I think not for we should all be above personalities and name calling and deal with the issues concerned.

I haven't debated the relative merits of the complaints of which some seem to be well founded except to ask if management knows about them.

My question was and is :"So did all those who are unhappy with Bunnings ever let their opinions known to their management. If not, why not? " and I don't consider stand up arguments with team leaders to be management.

So unless you can post that you have contacted Bunnings about your complaint and their reply I consider your posts to be whinging.


Peter.

[Daddles]

How about the lot of you just discuss the points made or not made in the posts, and growl about any perceived personal comments to your dog rather than including them in your posts. No-one likes having a post moderated, we don't like having to do it, and there's enough to bicker about in this argument without getting personal. Hmmmm?

Richard

[Wild Dingo]

Relax Richard its okay mate :2tsup:

So far the thread has been as it should be... until George made what appeared to me an insult to which I responded in kind and which on reflection I will edit my response and remove the insult I initially posted in reply

Up to that point I see no problems on this thread... have some patience before weilding your big pink emu feather and you will see it should all work itself out without anyone feeling your feather on their noggins okay :;

Sturdee and I are simply having a disagreement with that

I have responded at length to John regarding his comments

A point I would like to make is that I didnt disagree with George responding... other than the percieved insult... it was just such responses I was hoping for as with all the other responses

Now to address Sturdees latest post if I may?

Peter
The human factor kicked in and I reacted at what I percieved as an insult... however with the benefit of doubt I see its possible that an insult was not intended and will edit my posts to reflect that

As to the matter of you choosing to see this as whingin or not... sometimes mate regardless of what one may say in their defense or within a post sometimes people miss some of what is said


Peter I have had stand up arguments with some "team leaders" and what passes for "managers" at these stores but that was beside the point and not the intent of the thread and as such thought such better left out and so left them out

I saw no need to address the matter of weather or not one has discussed their issues with management of Bunnings or not initially with this thread quite simply it was not the point nor of relevence to the question I was asking in my view... but to try to clarify although I certainly see no reason for me to have to clarify or prove anything to you or anyone else for that matter... as I have previously stated Ive also had "discussions" with management as well... not all were heated not all were arguments the implication {apparently lost} was that Ive gone through the ropes with them in store to the point of having stand up arguments with them... this method as we are all aware is not a good method but none the less it can and does get to the point where it does happen... not as often as a quiet talk not as often perhaps as someone writing their complaint on a scrap of paper that may or may not be read by those who should read them

Quite simply for this thread I saw no need for such to be included

And further more as a final note
1)
My question was and is :"So did all those who are unhappy with Bunnings ever let their opinions known to their management. If not, why not? " and I don't consider stand up arguments with team leaders to be management.

Id kindly suggest that you create your own thread and ask this question there for until you can answer the question asked at the begining of this thread... that is... "do you consider Bunnings are dumbing down their staff?" I will have no choice but to consider your posts argumentative trollings for you neither direct yourself to the question initially asked a question that others have no difficulty addressing from either perspective by the way... but pose your own questions and do not address the initial question asked.. ergo trolling

2)
So unless you can post that you have contacted Bunnings about your complaint and their reply I consider your posts to be whinging.

Fair enough see 1) above

See Richard easy :2tsup: :U

[Groggy]

Before anyone takes any of this personally, it is aimed at no individual in this thread.

Bunnies are dumbing down, no question. I think they are not alone, and are following a general trend of meeting the minimum requirement to keep costs down.

If people want good advice and quality tools then go elsewhere and expect to pay for it. I frequent a woodworking store and two specialist tool stores. I do not kid myself that getting advice at the specialist store, and a price, then going to the big green store for a pricematch is a smart thing in the long term - that is WHY these stores disappear. The dumbing down occurs AFTER the competition is gone but customers are too stupid and greedy to realise it. Unfortunately, those that do are not enough to keep the good stores going.

I get a little peeved that some people go to these stores expecting a good level of service then use all sorts of tactics to reduce the price. Frankly, a lot of the customers I have seen disgust me:

they steal,
they open packages and leave them on the shelves,
they let their kids mix up the nuts, bolts screws etc, :((
They change their mind about items and just dump them wherever they change their mind,
they use tools then bring them back, saying they don't work, when they clearly have finished making their deck and now want their money back,
tradesmen use cheapo tools and continually return them for warranty (when the company specifically excludes trade use from the warranty) pushing costs up,
they damage stock while looking at it.On the other hand the stores allow this behaviour and the government is happy for insurance to pick up the tab for the damage or loss. This goes onto the price tag and all the customers pay for it.

Back on track, if your store is dumbing down it is most likely because their competition is gone and they are going for some profit. Service is something you get in a competitive environment.

Ah, that feels better, rant over. :U

[Sturdee]

Id kindly suggest that you create your own thread and ask this question there for until you can answer the question asked at the begining of this thread... that is... "do you consider Bunnings are dumbing down their staff?" I will have no choice but to consider your posts argumentative trollings for you neither direct yourself to the question initially asked a question that others have no difficulty addressing from either perspective by the way... but pose your own questions and do not address the initial question asked.. ergo trolling



Shane,

If my posts appears to be trolling, then I apologize to you. It wasn't intended to but mainly to ascertain to what extend people have gone to when they are displeased with any store, Bunnings or otherwise.

For the record my nearest Bunnings store is Nunawading with both Vermont and BoxHill being close as well. During all the years that Nunawading has been here (2nd oldest in Vic) I have found the staff to be helpfull and pleasant to deal with, they always have a smile and know where things are (or get someone else to help me who does know).

Admittedly I generally don't need help, but the times that I did they saved me heaps of money by advising the items I was looking at weren't suitable or needed.

One was an old retired plumber who was the only one who told me that my existing gaspipes would need replacing for a new instantaneous HWS and the other time an electrician who told me that a named and expensive bell transformer wouldn't be up to the task and suggested I get a cheap garden light transformer instead, one which I already had. In both cases they talked themselves out of a sale to my benefit.


So to answer your question, no I don't think they are dumbing down their staff at my local store. Maybe they have a better management team in place, hence my question.


Peter.

[ozwinner]

Frankly, a lot of the customers I have seen disgust me:
they steal,
they open packages and leave them on the shelves,
they let their kids mix up the nuts, bolts screws etc, :((
They change their mind about items and just dump them wherever they change their mind,
they use tools then bring them back, saying they don't work, when they clearly have finished making their deck and now want their money back,
tradesmen use cheapo tools and continually return them for warranty (when the company specifically excludes trade use from the warranty) pushing costs up,
they damage stock while looking at it.

I didnt see you in the Craporium?

Unfortunately this is the way the big retailers have programmed their buyers to behave, open, touch, feel, whinge, bring back.

Years ago, you only bought what you felt comfortable with, in price and quality, now you buy, whinge, take back.

The big retailers have made a rod for their own back.

Al :?

[BobL]

[I]


I do not kid myself that getting advice at the specialist store, and a price, then going to the big green store for a pricematch is a smart thing in the long term - that is WHY these stores disappear. The dumbing down occurs AFTER the competition is gone but customers are too stupid and greedy to realise it. Unfortunately, those that do are not enough to keep the good stores going.



:clap3::clap2::clap::clap3::clap2::clap::clap3:

[Groggy]

Years ago, you only bought what you felt comfortable with, in price and quality, now you buy, whinge, take back.

The big retailers have made a rod for their own back.Things have changed. I can't help but think that lawyers have had too much to do with it though, and reason has gone through the window. It IS fair to return a broken item if it was in that condition when purchased or in fair use. That simple rule of fairness is terribly abused though.

Retailers I think are scared to say no to customers for a number of reasons. Everyone is so concerned about their "so called" rights nowadays when what they should be concerned about first is their reponsibilities. We should not have one without the other.

[soundman]

Back to the original question..... are "bunnings dumbing down"..... I would say it appears so.
Are many other specialty stores doing likewise...... most certainly.

Why is this so.
Good question.

With some it is management being recruted from non related industries or large conglomerates buying business they know nothing about, there for their management dont usderstand the business they are manageing.

Is it comming back to bite them... hell yeh.... but..... some of them don't know they have been bit.

The management system will be telling them there is an excess of mass recently accumulated in the nether regions, but because of their lack of knowledge they havn't figred out that they have a large dog attached to their ass.

cheers

[SPIRIT]

l work in a tool shop its funny realy some of you are just like the custmers that yell and sream that they never going shop here again see them again in a few days time:oo: if you dont like shopping there dont come in:2tsup:

[Daddles]

A question for every one of you.

Bunning's current advertising campaign depicts staff as ... well ... not the brightest of creatures. I guess some advertising guru thought this was cute or something.

Ask yourselves, how has this campaign affected your mental image of the shop. As someone who hasn't been in Bunnies for yonks (and who avoids it because I always spend money I don't really have free), it has made it easy to accept Ding's assertion that Bunnies are dumbing down ... yet I can't honestly say I have any evidence to support it.

Valid thought?
Should I have another cup of tea?

Richard

[Shedhand]

Bunnings is owned by Wesfarmers. Say no more.

I used to work in a timber and hardware store in rthe early 80's. It was a family owned company and the old guys in the family used to come in and chew the fat with the staff wander around checking that all was well. You'd often hear regular customers call "G'day Jack" or "how are you today Charles" the two elder Directors of the company. They'd wander into the lunch room talk WITH the staff not at them. Listen to our comments and generally wander off with a nod of approval. The company spared no expense making sure their staff were well trained in any new tool that came on the market and that we all knew everything about tasmanian timber necessary to service the core clients, builders, hundreds of the buggers. And we got paid to do the training too and they put on a meal after work. The company existed as timber merchants, harvesters, millers and later hardware retailers for over 130 years. I loved the place and old Jack who was a foundation member of the Hoo Hoo Club (timber industry people who did things quietly for charity).
One day Charles died then Old Jack, real gentlemen both. Old Jack was also a real knockabout bloke and what he didn't know about timber you could write on your small fingernail in large print.
Then the whizz kid idiot sons took over. Decided it was time to enter the DIY market which as most will remember really took off in the mid 80's. Bought in a slick marketing guru from Sydney (never been south of Melbourne before) who convinced the board to realign the corporate strategy, move away from the building trade get in to DIY and go 8AM to 8PM 7 days in a new whizz bang warehouse type configuration. One of the idiot sons announced to all staff without any consultation that henceforth the company was selling its state of the art sawmill, building an enormous DIY Centre and we'd be open 7days a week and we'd be "expected to volunteer to work saturdays and sundays week about. I stood up and quit on the spot. As did about 7 others. The timber workers union back then was gutless so the others were too shlt scared to say boo.
The next day the idiot son called me up to his office and offered me 2600 extra a year to stay. $50 a week. Told him no and left the following week.
A couple years later the big DIY Centre closed down and became the new ultra modern sales and service centre for a Toyota dealership. So thanks to the idiot sons (one of whom is now dead - at a young age sadly) this company, a scion of the Tasmanian Timber Industry for over a century just fell off the map. I still see some of my former workmates working in other non-DIY timber/hardware stores though one of my former bosses now manages a Bunnings store near where I live. And I have to say, his staff are very well versed in the stock they carry. One guy is an Oz born of Asian heritage with red, green and purple striped hair and if you ask him for a flingle tatcher with a dorfner on the left strewfiz he can take you straight to it. When I walk in the door theres always a couple of staff standing there and they ask what do you need today sir (or mate if you're a regular like me). On the other hand, the staff at the hugely impersonal Bunnings Warehouse across the river are 7 shades worse than hopeless. The only thing they do well is sausage sizzles. The last time I went there all the Triton equipment was up the back of the tool section with the leather aprons and water pressure cleaners. Last year when I wanted same spare parts for my triton WC2000 one guy ther bent over backwards trying to get the parts. They eventually arrived thanks to our man in Japan. When I asked to see the manager so I could put a good word in for the young bloke who tried so hard (without success) to get my parts, the guy I spoke to just wasn't interested. As I was walking down the stairs from his office the young passed me going up. He was summonsed (i found out later when I asked him) and given a warning for wasting so much time on a customer who only wanted 25 bucks worth.

No, Bunnings hasn't been dumbed down. The industry has been that way for about 20 years and only wants ignorant DIYers as customers.
My 2 cents worth and I empathise with you totally Ding..
Rant off.
CHeers

[Clinton1]

Bunnings owned by Westfarmers?
In that case I'm glad that Bunnings are doing what they are doing as I part own Westfarmers (shareholder) and fully expect them to make the best commercial decisions for my financial benefit.

The days of people choosing to pay higher prices for purchases, to support businesses that provide a high level of service and staff knoweldge, are long gone. People are not willing to pay for that service.

Bunnings' business model is a response to the commercial/economic reality, i.e. a business follows a particular path in order to maximise corporate/shareholder profit.... which is an obligation that the Board of Directors has to the company owners. The company owners will sack them if they don't do this.

If the customer base that Bunnings service changes, I expect that Bunnings will change, in a timely fashion, to ensure that they keep maximising profits.

So, for me the question isn't "Is Bunnings dumbing down?", but rather "Has Bunnings the best business model for the current market environment?"
As Bunnings are the most successful business in their particular market, the answer would have to be a resounding "Yes".

So while I'm happy with Bunnings, I still go to the smaller, individually/family owned, stores.... as they best suit my my needs, and I'm happy to pay the higher cost and never ask for a Bunnings price match.

So, Bunnings offer the service that the majority of their market wants.... and I'm free to go elsewhere.

[dazzler]

l work in a tool shop its funny realy some of you are just like the custmers that yell and sream that they never going shop here again see them again in a few days time:oo: if you dont like shopping there dont come in:2tsup:

Hi Spirit,

Is it the tools section within said retail chain or another :?

cheers

[Sir Stinkalot]

Bunning's current advertising campaign depicts staff as ... well ... not the brightest of creatures. I guess some advertising guru thought this was cute or something.
Richard

I have it from a good source that the staff are asked to do the adds unpaid on their days off :oo: . It is all scripted so perhaps they aren't as daft as they appear. The one that I love is the girl at the register who is often surprised by what Bunnies sell. The only way she knows what the store sells is what she puts through the register. Perhaps a better spin would have been that she knows what they stock as part of her extensive training.


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.

Do Woolworths advertise that they employ ex-chefs to main the isles to assist staff?

[Toolin Around]

As an aside, why would a tradesman, who could earn $300 -$400 a day on wages want to work at Bunnings for $800 a week?

Further, what do you really think of those successful tradies who have managed to make it through the HR crap and work for Bunnies? Better to use google I think.

Has more to do with tradies that have reached the end of the road (physically). There a lot of them out there in the late forties and on that just don't have it in them to beat themselves up everyday like the twenty somethings do. That's one thing I've noticed since I moved here. Construction is much harder on the body here than in Canada.

[SPIRIT]

Hi Spirit,

Is it the tools section within said retail chain or another :?

cheersyes we are in red:Uand as this comming to end from somebody who knows the facts yes they ar hiring more young people on the floor but the kids that get a job on the floor are bright one and it dosn't take long to pick things up .in the store l work at over 75&#37; know their stuff maybe they don't know as much as you guys but then who does .You can't be a "expert"in everthing, if a l get a question l cant answer most of the time there is somebody in the store that can ,,,cut backs hit us all even more if you work there .as a ex tradie its fun and enjoyable to work there most of the time .one thing they do better than anybody else they don't hire people that are going to be a pain in the ars to work with .so there

[dazzler]

Thanks spirit

Just so I have this right and don't go off half cocked or whinge about things I dont understand, can you shed light on the following.

If I am in the tool section, is it correct to expect that the member in the tool section may not have knowledge of the products within the tool section.
Why would that be?

Is there a regime in place for trainees to learn the ropes?

A buddy system perhaps while they learn the ropes?

If there is a buddy system where is the buddy? Nearby, contactable by phone/radio or similar?

You mention cutbacks. Have they cut back numbers or quality/training of staff?

If you join the store are you attached to one section or many?

Do ex tradie plumbers work in the electrical section for example?

Have the amount of ex-tradies, who the company used to put forward as experts there to help you, slowly been eroded so they are in the minority?
In your section what is the ratio of ex-tradies to non ex-tradies.

Sorry to go on but seeing as you are in the box seat so to speak we could all learn something from you.

kind regards

the non whinging, ready to learn Dazzler

[Wild Dingo]

In line with my new self proclaimed status of "the great grouchinator" I say the following to one an all so listen up yer bunch of yobbos! :~

First
Thanks to all for contributing... some great posts :2tsup:

Second
Im appreciative of the positive posts some have made about Bunnings and their staff :2tsup:

Thats enough of the namby pamby nice shyte :B

Third
Im a bit flamin fed up with the mob that take the view that any thread that has an even minor negative slant is in their view done by a whinger or someone with a chip on their shoulder this is pure crap :~

If someone posts good reviews of a company or product its "you bloody beauty" but the same cant be said when its of a negative experience of a company or product its "Im sick of all this whinging" :roll: quite simply the bloody minded hypocracy of that is so much horse manure... If you have a poor experience of a company or their staff that caters in any way to wood working then its not bloody whinging to stand up and say something! Id personally rather people come out and say so an so are a bunch of flamin total idiots cause they did this to me am I the only one?" than say nothing!

Theres getting to be what seems to be a cadre of people here who for some reason think only positive things should be said about a company or a product on this site... which is crap

IF some company be it flamin Bunnings Carbetec Woodpeckers or hell even god bless his wee bearded head Neils Ubeaut products then by god you should be able to post a thread about it without getting called a bloody whinger for doing so!

This thread started with a simple question based solely on my recent experiences at a particular company and its staff... I questioned if it was just here in the three stores I refer to in the initial post or was the problem endemic in their stores around Aussie... and yet by doing so Im called a whinger? Dazzlers called a whinger? every other poster who has responded with their own personal negative experiences is a whinger? get a bloody grip!

Maybe no one should say nothing thats not totally happy happy perfect about wvery company eh? dont say a bloody thing that may say "hey this friggin sux!" just stick your bloody head in the sand and shut up thats the one right...

If I could lock the damned thread I would... :~ buggar it I wonder if I can bloody delete the bloody thing?

[Shedhand]

Nah, leave it Ding. Free speech is a wonderful thing. Even under a benevolent dictator... :D

[silentC]

I wouldn't say they are dumbing down in particular (that's such an American term, Dingo, you should be ashamed of yourself for using it). I was a customer of Bunnings off and on in various Sydney stores over a period of about 13 or 14 years and I found it was always very difficult to find anyone who actually knew anything. They always had checkout chicks who knew nothing about what they sold. They always had invisible 'experts' in every section who were never around when I went there. Not that you would rely on the advice they gave you anyway, even if you could find them. All I wanted to know was where they kept the thingamajigs I was looking for. Finding someone who knew a thingamajig from his backside was always the hard part.

No, they're not "dumbing down", they've always been that way as long as I can remember. You go there for the prices (and the range, if it's not out of stock), nothing more.

Wish we had one down here. I saved thousands buying stuff for the house from the Bunnies at Batemans Bay up the coast rather than the local Mitre 10. Best part was I didn't have to go there. I just rang and asked for Jodie in the building section - three days later my stuff would turn up on a truck. She was one of the rare ones who knew what was what. Every Bunnies has one, you just have to find them. And when you do, don't let them go.

[SPIRIT]

Thanks spirit

Just so I have this right and don't go off half cocked or whinge about things I dont understand, can you shed light on the following.

If I am in the tool section, is it correct to expect that the member in the tool section may not have knowledge of the products within the tool section.
Why would that be?

Is there a regime in place for trainees to learn the ropes?

A buddy system perhaps while they learn the ropes?

If there is a buddy system where is the buddy? Nearby, contactable by phone/radio or similar?

You mention cutbacks. Have they cut back numbers or quality/training of staff?

If you join the store are you attached to one section or many?

Do ex tradie plumbers work in the electrical section for example?

Have the amount of ex-tradies, who the company used to put forward as experts there to help you, slowly been eroded so they are in the minority?
In your section what is the ratio of ex-tradies to non ex-tradies.

Sorry to go on but seeing as you are in the box seat so to speak we could all learn something from you.

kind regards

the non whinging, ready to learn Dazzlertry to answer your questions as best l can like l do at work .
q1. l remembered when l first started there so so many tools comming from a motor mechanic back ground there was many things to learn about even now im no "expert"on everthing we sell ,some of the time the customer know a lot more than me if this is so l listen to them so this may seem like dumbing down .we are a team not all full forwards

q2. simply no deep end stuff swim or sink

q3. sould be l have just started with 16yo kid, good kid talks realy well ,as a team it worked, looked at the roster and see he is on a shift by himself sometime because he is cheaper ,not his fault if he dosn,t know everything

q4. how long is the rope ???a few mounths few days a year ??l was always on the phone when l was looking after him

q5. numbers it is always numbers and it pisses us off more than you we have work harder put up with custmers "l have been waiting blar blar"getting stopped 10 times on your your way to the boger :C

q6. you are in 1 department eg tools/elec but mostly in the 1 spot but if you are on your way somewhere and get stopped you are expected to be a expert

q7. when you go though the interviews the department will pick the one that suit so yes most of the time pumbers will be working in the pumbing section

q8. this a harder one to answer in my section l think im the only extradie but we have 2 guys that ran thier oun hardware shop l bloke that has been working with tool and like to talk about tools 2 that have picked it up from working there and a few kids :rolleyes:


sorry to anyone if l implied by my comments that any body is a whinger .

a winger is somebody that strings together a group of whinges
not somebody that has a whing:U

all the abave is by view on the subject so far and to answer dazzlers questions

go tigers

[Daddles]

This thread's run its course. All three sides have had their say - yah, nay and from the inside.

Richard