OT: Do you really expect quality service from the Borg?

[ATP]

that must've been a bloody mess......

[Dave Balderstone]

Nope. I haven't watched much TV for the last 3 or 4 years.

djb

[Dave Balderstone]

So you held them to their public commitment via their advertising, and when they didn't meet it you took your business elsewhere.

Exactly right.

djb

[Stephen M]

True, but I would not ask a cashier, I would ask a stock clerck. Same for the Borg.

My point is that I expect any retailer to know his/her product line (what they have and where to find it)..... even at a specialty store. I think mega-store staff deserve a little slack (be it grocery or borg) as they can't possibly be expected to know a whole store's product line really well. It's just a matter of scale. I find that most clecks know their department pretty well.

Yup, it's called market evolution. The internet is a factor too, alomost forcing the nitche provider online to expand its base.

[Renata]

The thing is, if you want something a little bit (just a tad) beyond the ho-hum everyday stuff, the selection is either not very good or non-existant. Home Depot AND chain grocery stores.

e.g. Those ethinic grocery items you mention - much better to go to a little mom-and-pop grocer, probably being run by folks from that very country; not only are the prices cheaper on a lot of items, but the selection of that specific cuisine's ingredients is much more complete.

Heck, it's getting to the point that the grocers carry only run of the mill items. Article I read just the other day said shelf space is sold and if you don't want to play the game, your product gets the heave-ho.

Renata

[Stephen M]

Perhaps the problem is the term "expert". Compared to the average consumer, would venture to say that most of the folks here could be considered "experts" in most things DIY.

If you do woodworking, odds are, you would not hire someone to replace a faucet.

Is it possible that the definition of a plumbing expert in this context is someone who has actually replaced a toilet with their very own hands? I would guess that the Plumbing stock clerck at my local Lowes qualifies.

If you take the Borg marketing to say that our staff may have actually done plumbing (wiring etc...) before, it's not such a stretch.

[Mark]

Chain grocery stores.

When Wife and I first moved to this Stump Town Ohio there was an old Giant Eagle in a building from the late 50s or early 60s. This Big Bird was privately owned. First time we went there Wife and I wandered each isle , twice. It was food heaven, the selection was phenomenal.

Then Corporate must have bought the owner out, Corporate built a new Corporate store behind the Old Giant Eagle and tore the old one down.

Most if not all people miss the old store. There is no longer a community feel. There is no longer a real selection of food or brands, unless your looking for wine in a beer drinking town.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I think the Borgs do the same thing. An acquaintance of mine works for PaveLoc. He goes into BORGs and merchandises, labels, stocks, etc... all of their products. Kind of like the bread and soda folks in the grocery stores.

He doesn't negotiate shelf space, that's at a higher level, but it is negotiated, and maybe paid for.

Barry

[Brian Elfert]

I worked at CompUSA years ago. They carried like 5,000 items.

People used to get upset all the time that we didn't know the exact technical specs and how every item in the store worked. I'm not sure how anyone thought we could possibly know everything about 5,000 highly technical items.

I'm sure these same people didn't walk into Wal-Mart or Target and expect the clerk on the floor to know all the details on all 100,000 items the store might carry. (Of course, good luck finding a clerk at Wal-Mart or Target.)

Brian Elfert

[David Hall]

Yeah, but I can actually complete my weeks grocery shopping at the grocery behemoth - that would include the chinese, mexican, italian stuff as well as cereal, eggs, meat, milk, pop, snacks, etc. etc. How many of those ethnic stores or mom & pops would it take to accomplish this? Sure the big guys standardize stuff while the little guys niche market stuff. I might stop at the Italian specialty store to get the fixings for a special dinner now and then, just like I stop at Woodcraft to drool over big tools and buy some shellac flakes, but I still go to the Borg for day-to-day around the house crap needs because I can almost always find what I need there.

Dave Hall

[Renata]

Yes, of course. But if you're planning an ethinic or special dinner, they're great. I seem to do one of these kind of dinners more often than not since when I bother to cook, I'm usually taking the trouble to plan something differentl Otherwise, whatever'll microwave or be quick works. Don't have to worry about feeding kids yet, so I'm not fussy about everyday meals - unless it's something planned.

Wallworld is going to be the answer to rushed Americans everywhere. You're going to be able to do ALL your shopping, food, clothing, other sundry items, all in one beheamoth location. Course, the variety and whatnot are not gonna be what individual stores woulda provided. But, we may be coming full circle - way back when, particularly when the butcher, baker, etc. were individual locations, I'd guess the variety of stuff each carried was more limited than some of the grocers that came about in the past 10 years or so. Now we're consolidating in a sense and throwing everything together in one giant location.

Do you have Wegman's near you? Now there's a grocery store - giant AND a lot of variety.

Renata

[Dennis Vogel]

Also non-union if anyone cares.

Dennis Vogel

[David Hall]

Damn, now I wish one was in the area, it would get my business.

Dave Hall

[Dave Balderstone]

With an very good employee share plan. Do you need to be union if you can be an owner?

I have a good friend in Rochester NY that worked for Wegmans for many years. Nothing but good things said about the company.

djb

[George]

Union is the best of both worlds. Your wage has nothing to do with your effort, and you get to blame management for everything.

[dave]

That's where I first saw them too. GREAT subs. We've got one comingto Chantilly and another in Fairfax. This will blow out Harris Teeter and Subway. Can't wait for them to open. I've been union and non-union. The only times being union was necessary was when I couldn't talk honestly with mgmt. I prefer to do my own talking, when it isn't allowed or listened to says a lot about the company.

Dave in Fairfax

[Dave Balderstone]

LOL!

I know a couple of people exactly like that.

djb