Knowledgeable Staff

[#1]

No, not Plusnet staff.

I popped into B&Q this afternoon to purchase a 2 port motorised valve for my central heating. Their site advised a quantity in stock.

Looking on the shelf there were a number of 3 port valves but no 2 port valves so I went looking for a staff member.

I found one in the next aisle and asked him about the valves to which he replied "Motorised valves?...we don't do them".

I said "yes you do" and asked about deliveries to which he replied "We usually quote 10 to 20 days for plumbing stuff".

He then walked off. I guess I should have spoken to a manager

I bought a valve from Tool Station on my way home.

[#2]

Easier sometimes to say no rather than yes.

Annoying though.  

[#3]

Some of these shop sites say they have it in stock but if you want it in your local shop you have to order it first.

[#4]

Maybe this company is like Plusnet in that their customer facing staff are a mixed bag when it comes to skills and helpfulness who are supported by a computer based Business System that is a shambles.

[#5]

Showing bias maybe but I have found the older the staff at B&Q which we all know the have, the more helpful they are. The rest always seem so busy needing nothing short of a rugby tackle in order to get them to help find something. As for asking for product information its the older ones every time.

[#6]

We had a B&Q in Preston, often there was one person on the till with long queue's forming, some customers just left goods and walked out, no shortage of staff filling the shelves or doing other things.

The place close a couple of years back, no surprise.

Next nearest store to us is not much better, they used to stock some well known brands of central heating pumps ie: Danfoss.

Much of the stuff they have now is not of very good quality.

[#7]

If I have the part number I tend to do a search online and get a like for like replacement. Makes fitting it very easy. If it is obsolete, the better websites will even come up with a compatable replacement. Yes, I might pay maybe a fiver more ( not always) for next day delivery but it saves going from pillar to post and driving the 12 miles (one way) into town.

Problem when I go to places, like B&Q, I probably know far more than the person helping out (40 yrs electrical/mechanical). But saying that, overhearing the conversation of some customers, the older workers also tend to have a wealth of knowledge under their cap. Maybe that's my next job...god forbid. I wouldn't expect any younger person with any appreciable knowledge to be just giving advice. They'd earn far more , certainly at least £20k plus, training and getting a heating engineer job.

[#8]

I noticed that Kingfisher's shares took a hit this morning, so as they own B&Q maybe the guy I spoke too had just received his redundancy notice.

[#9]

Not a stock market dabbler m'self, but they look fine to me. 

[#10]

I do tend to dabble but not in B&Q , they've been languishing for some time now. Seems people don't diy as much as they used to. They also own Screwfix, who do seem to do a ressonable job, with both pick up or buying online.