Would it not be a good idea for them to do with their website what Argos do and allow the checking of items in stock per trade counters local to you to save a wasted journey ..Will it ever happen ?
Stuart
- posted
17 years ago
Screwfix's Trade Counters.
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- posted
17 years ago
The message from Stuart contains these words:
Have you asked them?
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- posted
17 years ago
Why not phone the trade counter concerned - they always seem very helpful.
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- posted
17 years ago
Dunno. The integration of their TCs with their direct mail operation is sadly un-joined-up. Likewise their trade accounts: unlike at B&Q where you just produce your trade card and they swipe it and you sign for it like any other plastic (but without the PIN bollox), at SFX if you have an a/c the counter staff have to fill in a piece of paper (inevitably in pencil since they've got tons of those lying around) and you have to show some other ID to corroborate.
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- posted
17 years ago
The main problem I see is that although they are a 'Trade Counter' they are open to the general public, thank goodness. But this means that every clueless twonk is coming in, taking stuff back and generally creating a scene exactly like that at the B&Q returns desk (200 yds away actually in Nottingham) where the individual shopped a month or so ago before screwfix and its attractive pricing was available. Net result is you avoid screwfix like the plague in all those everso useful 'out of hours' times. That has to be a match between quality, service and price. I just hope that they don't go down the road of adding the sort of products that end up coming back. Building materials are difficult to argue about but fancy light fittings etc these are the things that take up alot of staff time at a trade centre and will end up compromising the service.
-- Mike W
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- posted
17 years ago
Can't see 'phone numbers listed for any of them .
Stuart
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- posted
17 years ago
My local Screwfix trade counter had a dire stock system, it is updated once per day during the week and not at all at the weekend, so stuff that is showing as in stock on Sunday might have been sold out on Friday. This was a few months ago, don't know if it has changed. Of course, you have to pay before the stuff is picked, so any out of stock items then had to be refunded.
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- posted
17 years ago
Don't they check their stock first? (as per Argos)
Geo
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17 years ago
It's better when they pick the right item (as confirmed at the payment counter from the paper and pencil code you supply). Today a hinge (big black thing that would go on a wooden shed door - and just one) was brought to the collection counter instead of a gutter part! Naturally I didn't bother holding my hand out to receive it! The other day I bought a bag of guttering parts for the start of my project and a single gutter clip was included (instead of a bag of 10) for over a fiver. Cue a wait with a cup of their free hot chemicals (chocolate) in hand while they sorted it. So don't blame us DIYers - we're not all clueless! B&Q is sometimes my only option but it's SO expensive. But I rate them better than Halfrauds (for different stuff).
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- posted
17 years ago
The problem I find is that they person on the till can't even check stock, and has to process your whole list and then "go to the next screen" and then they tell you what is not in stock.
At busy times I've even had them take my payment for all items on my list, and then the guy at the pick up desk does a refund on items not in stock.
But my worst experience was with some idiot electrician from a local site who came in for some wall anchors, but did not know what he wanted, and the guy on the till could not tell him what they had nor even what an anchor was. Instead of sending him to the corner with a catalogue, they both went through the whole bloody section holding up the whole queue for ages. What made us all laugh was that the idiot guy asked if he could pop into the warehouse to search for the things 'on the shelves'. Jesus, the warehouse is massive what a dope!
But on the whole, my local T/C has had most is not all of my order in stock when I have visited
dg
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- posted
17 years ago
No absolutely, and the regulars on here seem incredibly clued up and put me to shame. But you got to agree, when it comes to being clueless, DIY is a good place to find some pearling examples!!
-- Mike W
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- posted
17 years ago
So best bet is to have the catalogue numbers written down with quantities at least .
That sounds an awful system . As I suggested earlier the Argos system would be much better .You enter the catalogue number in the wee machine in store or on their website at home and it tells you immediately whats in stock and what isn't .
Stuart .
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- posted
17 years ago
If the computer stock system is updated once per day (in the evening in this case), if an item sells out at 9am then it is still listed as in stock until the next update.
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- posted
17 years ago
Although when I have gone to my local counter the clueless twonk time wasters have been trade not d-i-y, 'why won't you give me a cash refund on this battered drill I bought a month ago and don't have a receipt for and oh yeah it did come in a case but that's in my other van'
Andy