Shop Locally - What A Joke!!!

[garinda]

Originally Posted by walkinman221

I deal with whewells/toolbox on a daily basis and find they are always helpful and courteous,and will go out of their way to help you. Anyone can have an off day its just unlucky you seem to have gone in on the off day.

Same. Always had very good service.

Ususually only pence I'm spending, but they go out of their way to be helpful.

[TJH]

I think you have to give people a little more credit that just to presume that they will buy just because its cheap. If you read my first post i did state i wanted to purchase locally so that i could have the use of a real store for warranty issues etc. Although it is commendable for anyone to set up there own company, it does not mean that the local population owes you a living. I shop where the service is best. To presume that people don't care if these companies are tax dodgers or not is not correct 99% of time. Its a matter of perspective. I have been self employed for 19 years. My father 45 years within the lancashire area. I think it is important that local shops realise that no one owes tham a living nor loyalty. These things are built up over a number of years. The Toolbox is an example of me having a bad experience, nothing more. In some cases price does come before service, but this is not exclusive to the internet. A shop, a store front, a stall call it what you will, it does not make a company nor does it promise good service. Accrington lacks investment, its lack people with business know how running the place. It must be terrible to be a shop owner and see Tesco's move in. But thats progression. We all need to adapt. Both the vendor and buyer.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by TJH

I think you have to give people a little more credit that just to presume that they will buy just because its cheap. If you read my first post i did state i wanted to purchase locally so that i could have the use of a real store for warranty issues etc. Although it is commendable for anyone to set up there own company, it does not mean that the local population owes you a living. I shop where the service is best. To presume that people don't care if these companies are tax dodgers or not is not correct 99% of time. Its a matter of perspective. I have been self employed for 19 years. My father 45 years within the lancashire area. I think it is important that local shops realise that no one owes tham a living nor loyalty. These things are built up over a number of years. The Toolbox is an example of me having a bad experience, nothing more. In some cases price does come before service, but this is not exclusive to the internet. A shop, a store front, a stall call it what you will, it does not make a company nor does it promise good service. Accrington lacks investment, its lack people with business know how running the place. It must be terrible to be a shop owner and see Tesco's move in. But thats progression. We all need to adapt. Both the vendor and buyer.

I'm not presuming they will buy just because it's cheap, but for the majority of people in areas where unemployment is high and incomes are low it is probably the biggest factor. It does also depend on the product or service you are selling wether the customer really cares about service.
We makes mistakes in what we do, we apologise to the customer. we may not be the best at what we do or the cheapest but we do take great pride in that our customer service would be difficult to fault. We are also wise to the fact that we can be as nice as possible to some people but they are only using their enquiry to us as a bartering tool to drive down somebody else's price or increasingly buy off the internet.

We know that the local community doesn't owe us a living or any loyalty, but the flip side of that coin is that local comunity can't really complain there's no retailers left in town when they all go spending their money on the internet because they save a few pence. If customer service was the driving factor then the robot in a warehouse of an internet company would be dismantled and sold to the local scrap merchant, those robots don't do customer service

[wallop79]

I wouldn't have thought any shop in this day & age could afford to turn away custom, especially in Accrington which is predominantly £1 shops, charity shops & card shops this doesn't exactly entice custom into our wonderful town. I'm pretty sure if the owners found out heads would roll. Probably the employee was just wishing for 5pm so he could get home, changed, and out partying all night, so couldn't be bothered actually doing what he's paid to do HIS JOB.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by wallop79

I wouldn't have thought any shop in this day & age could afford to turn away custom, especially in Accrington which is predominantly £1 shops, charity shops & card shops this doesn't exactly entice custom into our wonderful town. I'm pretty sure if the owners found out heads would roll. Probably the employee was just wishing for 5pm so he could get home, changed, and out partying all night, so couldn't be bothered actually doing what he's paid to do HIS JOB.

I do think the person should have helped, in the vain hope of making money for his firm, especially if they were quiet, but there was no guarantee the insurers would have used this local firm, to replace the stolen goods.

Most insurers already have like for like deals with the larger chains of stores.

Most small retailers get umpteen types of this sort of request a month. People wanting written receicpts, or proof of replacement costs, for someone's insurance claim.

Ninety nine out of a hundred of these claims won't be spent with the firms that provide them.

Always used to make me laugh, when some spotty Yanky backpacker had their luggage lost on the way over to Britain, and inisisted they needed proof of replacement cost of their clothing, as all their shirts were hand made to measure of the very finest Egyptian cotton poplin.

If you can, always try and keep your original receipts.

Saves a whole load of hassle.

[garinda]

So in a way this thread is about expecting someone to do some work for us for nowt.

From lawyer, to plumber, there aren't many other professions where people will do this for you.

Rather than moan about those who won't, perhaps we should congratulate all those retailers who will try to help, and who'll get nothing back financially for their efforts.

[TJH]

Ignorance can cost a company money. Its a fact that insurance companies will directly supply replacement TV's or laptops etc. But they do not in 99% of cases supply replacement power tools and they will never supply replacement Stihl equipment. They send a cheque and then request evidence that the money has been spent on the needed items.

So rather than me asking a salesman to do something for nowt as you have stated, i was asking him to do his job. I also was in a position to purchase the tools on the spot as they are needed for this week. I think this is an example of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and that not all insurance claims are the same.

Stihl products can not be sent via courier, the customer must collect them from the dealer, so i can only purchase them from the few dealers located locally. IF the chap in the Toolbox had tried i would have handed over the money and purchased £2500 of equipment there and then, he had the items i needed. But it was just easier to say no, its not worth it. I presume this response was based on the same thinking that Garinda has used, which although applicable in some cases, it is in accurate for this example.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by TJH

Ignorance can cost a company money. Its a fact that insurance companies will directly supply replacement TV's or laptops etc. But they do not in 99% of cases supply replacement power tools and they will never supply replacement Stihl equipment. They send a cheque and then request evidence that the money has been spent on the needed items.

So rather than me asking a salesman to do something for nowt as you have stated, i was asking him to do his job. I also was in a position to purchase the tools on the spot as they are needed for this week. I think this is an example of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and that not all insurance claims are the same.

Stihl products can not be sent via courier, the customer must collect them from the dealer, so i can only purchase them from the few dealers located locally. IF the chap in the Toolbox had tried i would have handed over the money and purchased £2500 of equipment there and then, he had the items i needed. But it was just easier to say no, its not worth it. I presume this response was based on the same thinking that Garinda has used, which although applicable in some cases, it is in accurate for this example.

As I said, in the hope of making money for the firm he works for, he should have helped.

However, as you stated you were getting three different quotes, you did expect two firms to go out of their way, and do something for nowt.

How much work do you do for people, and get no pay for doing it?



As I say, firms have loads of similar requests, and most will be happy to help, even though the majority will not benefit financially.

This is nothing to do with shopping locally.

If you'd have kept your receipts for your tools you wouldn't have had half as much hassle now, and nothing to moan about.

As I said earlier, I've always found the people at the firm you mentioned very professional, and more than helpful.

Who knows, perhaps the guy you spoke to had spent all day, just prior to you going in, helping similar people, making insurance claims, for goods they had no proof of purchase for.

[Less]

I know of an Engineering retailer in Accrington, excellent service, always helpful, would bend over backwards to give customer satisfaction, quality tools of all descriptions.
I won't say where it is, obviously the thread starter doesn't know of them and they deserve better customers than him. Why should I help a moaner that couldn't be bothered to ask for the shop manager when the assistant was lax in his job?
I've always been treated well at the shop he is complaining about and had estimates/quotes without hassle or hesitation.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by TJH

Well, after the robbery i was advised to get quotes for anything that was stolen. 3 quotes for each item.

The internet is normally the cheapest place to shop, but i like having a proper local supplier who can deal with any warranty issues i might have. So i decided to get 1 internet quote for each item and them the other 2 quotes from local firms.

Screwfix were more than helpful, as would be expected from a large company. I then needed just one more tool shop to give quotes for £2500 of power tools stolen. So i decided to visit the Toolbox, just around the corner from Argos in Accrington. I went in, told the member of staff what had happened (he just managed to keep his eyes open) and then asked if he could quote for the replacement tools - this was his answer "No sorry, its a waste of my time".

Now, there was no one else in the shop, there was no else parked in there car park. It was 3pm friday so not exactly prime sales time.

So, for everyone who wants Accrington to be a nice and busy town, you have one problem, it seems some shop owners are making so much money that they don't need us, the customer.

I drove over to Nelson, where Able Tools are and got a quote for everything within 10 minutes.

Typical of what i think is wrong with Accrington.

I had exactly the same problem with a bed firm in accrington a couple of years ago, my other have saw the type of bed I was after in a store near where she lives, so knowing the firm had a branch in Accrington I rang up, spoke to this lad, again didn't really seem interested that I was trying to give him and unsolicited sale, he ifed and butted for ages about the problems with delivery, I'd asked if the delivery men could take the old bed out, not take it away, and put the new one in for me as I had serious health problems, anyway in the end I just got fed up and rang off. I told the other half about this, she is not a lady to be messed with, within 10 minutes the manager had arranged to ring me at 5 that night and within 5 minutes the bed and a delivery day had been arranged, don't think the young lad was very popular

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

There are more complaints about non-delivery from internet companies than there are complaints about local shops.
Your right, many of us can't compete with internet prices, thats because price comes before service to most people, again it's human conditioning, and they really don't care if it's being run by some tax dodger from his poky little shied in the garden. As long as it's cheap they will buy it.

I have bought something on the internet twice in the last fortnight Dave, a book and sports gear, the book had a 10 day delivery time on it I received it within 40 hours, the sports gear was ordered at 4pm on boxing day and I received the order by 11-30am on Wednesday, can't fault that

[garinda]

Originally Posted by TJH

I presume this response was based on the same thinking that Garinda has used, which although applicable in some cases, it is in accurate for this example.

Where's the evidence, that means you arrive at this conclusion?

I always went out of my way to help people.

I've also been in a similar situation to yourself, and found people who were more than willing to help me.

Perhaps people were falling over to help me, because I went to places with the right attitude, which meant all the people I asked were more than willing to assist me.

[TJH]

Why help a moaner? good point.

And as for proof of purchase, i have invoices for every item, but i was asked to get 3 quotes for replacement costs.

Its not a question of being a moaner or expecting something for nothing. I asked 2 of the national chains for quotes and then went down to the Toolbox for my third in the hope he would be cheaper and i could spend my money locally and get the service i need in case of warranty issues. Very simple.

Why should i help a moaner, i will use that as the most simple minded, selfish and pathetic quote of 2012. Although its only the 2/01/2012 i feel that quote most reflects Accrington. There was no shop manager present, why should i argue to spend money in the precious town of Accrington. Like you said, they don't need me and Less i don't need them, although i would expect that if you informed the manager you could have lost them £2500 of custom i would think they would say thank you, we couldn't be bothered anyway.

[TJH]

Oh thats a simple conclusion Garinda, the insurance company when asked, stated they would pay via cheque and then request evidence that the money had been spent on replacing the stolen items. So i was no wasting the precious time of the salesman.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by TJH

Why help a moaner? good point.

And as for proof of purchase, i have invoices for every item, but i was asked to get 3 quotes for replacement costs.

Its not a question of being a moaner or expecting something for nothing. I asked 2 of the national chains for quotes and then went down to the Toolbox for my third in the hope he would be cheaper and i could spend my money locally and get the service i need in case of warranty issues. Very simple.

Why should i help a moaner, i will use that as the most simple minded, selfish and pathetic quote of 2012. Although its only the 2/01/2012 i feel that quote most reflects Accrington. There was no shop manager present, why should i argue to spend money in the precious town of Accrington. Like you said, they don't need me and Less i don't need them, although i would expect that if you informed the manager you could have lost them £2500 of custom i would think they would say thank you, we couldn't be bothered anyway.

Well everyone else, who's been a customer in the store you mentioned, seems more than happy with the good level of customer service.

You're the only person moaning about them, after deciding to publicly give them as much bad publicity as you can.

The majority of people seem happy with this company, and will continue to go there.