Buying stuff

[noelm]

Recently I needed a couple of fuel filters for the boat, my local guy had one, (he normally has a few) so I got it off him ($29) drive to the cheap auto parts shop (not mentioning names) no, they don’t keep them, damn, no worries, maybe the big blue fishing store will have them, searched high and low, couldn’t find them, finally Ferreted out a person and he showed me where they should be, none on the shelf, he has a look at the computer and it tells him there “should” be two, look again, nah……so I asked him if he was going to order some, confronted with a blank stare! I just left it at that and proceeded to the other branch close by, wandered around looking for the filters and located them, they had lots of the one I wanted, grabbed one and proceeded to the checkout $5 dearer than my local boat shop, that actually  served me, knows my name and handed it to me, without wandering aimlessly around. I couldn’t help but think how we have gone backwards when the big multinationals squeezed out all the small parts/hardware/chip shops/butchers/corner stores…..grumpy old man rant over!

[BaitDropper]

Not a grumpy old man's rant at all....  I now go on line to check stock at the stores I want to buy from, once I see they have stock, I get in the car, 2 of Nowra's big fella's, have yet to have what there on line pages say they have in stock, it's always, " Oh, well, we have it in stock somewhere else, it will cost you some extra freight, other wise you have to wait till it comes into our store with all the stock, " when will that be " I ask, " Oh, I'm not sure, you'll just have to keep an eye out yourself...

Seriously !!   It's a Palava,,  kids on the counter, companies draining down the stock levels to keep costs under control, which I do understand this in our current economic climate. But like you just found out, it really does seem like it's getting out of control and worse.

I always liked shopping in person, touching things, looking at things and in all honesty, shops benefited, because when I did this, I always bought other products while I looked. So there missing out big time. I now, buy more on line, pay a little bit more for freight, only from known stores that sell the quality stuff, they all have an online presence, but I'll always prefer to do it in person, but the shops now, don't seem to be stocking the places to the levels they used too, or are just completely missing the point..

Probably just another Grumpy old man rant 😁, guess there's now two of us..

[Blackfish]

Not a Grumpy Old Man Rant @noelm but it’s the way of the world now training us to accept stuff like that.

Up here I try to support a smaller hardware store when I can as they are more personalised. The other day I went into the smaller store to get a couple of bags of potting mix. I carried one out to the car as it was parked out on the street, then turned around to walk back into and get the other one but the fellow behind the counter was just about to my car with the other one. 
Old school stuff.

[noelm]

Yeah, I know it’s just how things are, but, I just sometimes get a tad peeved at our modern society and how we have “progressed” I was in Bunnings on Sunday to buy a tap adapter fitting (there is specialist Plumbing supply place almost next door, but not open Sunday) I was wandering around, looking in boxes for the fitting, I found a worker, who checked their tablet device and after several attempts, located my part in a certain aisle in a specific spot. We made our way there and sure enough, there was a space where the fitting should be, but the box was empty, he said there should be 15 of them,  because that’s what their stock count says, I kind of suggested it was obviously wrong and asked when they will be in, he carried on about computer controlled stock levels and he didn’t have the authority to over ride that, so, I just left and bought my fitting this morning from Reece Plumbing, handed to me by a young guy who knew what I wanted, where is was and even offered advice on a better solution. 

[xerotao]

Me thinks the stock level showing on the database is correct for most of these stores. But it does not account for theft before a stocktake

[Fab1]

It’s all a ploy to get you in the store in regards to saying they have stock  when you check online and then go in to find thin air on the shelf.

  99% of the time they know you’ll wonder around and spend money on 💩 you don’t need.

Hopefully you gave them an earful the bloody idiots like I do and walk out.

it’s only going to get worse.

[noelm]

1 hour ago, xerotao said:

Me thinks the stock level showing on the database is correct for most of these stores. But it does not account for theft before a stocktake

Yep, the computer can only record what was entered, and what was sold, anything taken by crooks (or legitimate mistakes) just leave the shelf bare, until someone in authority discovers it. Why these places don’t have a senior person checking stuff when a customer (like me) points it out, is beyond me, they will be out of those fittings until stocktake next June/July probably!

[Pickles]

Got to agree with you Noel. The other thing that can be annoying is a (often disinterested) school kid (totally support kids having a job - think it should be part of our school curricula) who doesn’t know the product line to give advice, or worse doesn’t / won’t go looking to help.

what a joy it is when the reverse happens.

[zmk1962]

Customer service has definitely dropped.... I've noticed it a lot especially since COVID ... seems a lot of service staff consider we should be grateful they are there at all vs an opportunity to do business !  Not everyone, but just in general. 

During the recent renos I went to Sydney Tools to pick up a trim puller as I had a fair bit of skirting to remove. Online showed they had low stock. Turned up at store, asked at counter, first guy had no idea what it was, I showed him their website picture,  chap next to him pipes up and says yup know what they are comes with me to the wood working tools aisle as that's where they should be, nothing there, we look around in the area - he goes back to desk - comes back says there should be 6 - we look around again - nope nothing to be found. Walks away scratching his head - its unusual to have 6 missing - hard for all 6 to be stolen - so to help me out he starts calling other stores. In the mean time I take a walk around the shop browsing for 💩 as @Fab1 say, go upstairs walk past the "gardening" section - bugger me - there they are hanging next to rakes, shovels and hoes!!!  Seems a disinterested someone at Sydney Tools thought they were mini hoes !!!!! 

Sometimes it pays to look around the store in strange places.

Cheers Z

[noelm]

Love that when you find items in completely unrelated locations……

[big Neil]

Defo NOT a rant Noel. Service has become a rarity in many towns and locations. Classic examples being some of the big-name stores. Not only are they expecting us to know where everything is, but they want us to serve ourselves so they can save a few wage packets. Great for their bottom line and their shareholders but to hell with customer service. Fortunately, the local independent supermarket has had the same staff for donkeys' years. They know all the customers by name and are only too willing to help. Sure, they are a bit dearer but at least you get treated as if you matter (and indeed you do).

I may have become a critic of some places that offer no service or useless staff, so much so that I often resort to sarcastic comments. On the other hand, I am quick to acknowledge good service and often nip back to where it is provided with a piece of my pottery and a thank you card.

The world is rapidly changing and some of the changes are at the expense of appreciating the value of customer needs.

I'll classify this as an informed response...definitely NOT a rant. Don't get me going with one of those LOL.

bn

[noelm]

I guess self serve checkouts at Coles, Woolworths and Bunnings is evidence of less and less “service” based business. It’s kind of funny, but I have a very good mate that owned a very specialised business and it has been in the family for a couple of generations, he recently wanted to retire so after much family soul searching and discussions with his kids (that all have great jobs) he decided to sell. It was sold to a big business operating a few similar branches all over Sydney, they immediately changed the entire concept of how the shop operated, the stock it kept and dropped dozens of smaller lines because they were not worth the effort, now, that’s their business what they do, but……those small bits and pieces are what got people through the door when they found out they couldn’t buy them at the big multi nationals, and once discovered, most visited the shop regularly because the staff knew exactly what was needed, and had it in stock, and were the right price. So, just like the family hardware stores and the like, my guess is it will just slowly fizzle out, I really hope not, because to me, it represents the concept of “mum and dad” owned small business.

[PaddyT]

Problem in Australia is a lack of decent competition laws- ACCC is a toothless tiger-so we have ended up with 2 supermarkets, 4 banks, 1 tollway owner-weak protections for consumers and small biz-big guys come in and cut the market until the little guy dies. Not even Walmart in the USA has the market power that Woolies and Coles has, and its to the detriment of the hapless consumer.

[Fab1]

8 hours ago, PaddyT said:

Problem in Australia is a lack of decent competition laws- ACCC is a toothless tiger-so we have ended up with 2 supermarkets, 4 banks, 1 tollway owner-weak protections for consumers and small biz-big guys come in and cut the market until the little guy dies. Not even Walmart in the USA has the market power that Woolies and Coles has, and its to the detriment of the hapless consumer.

If we all didn’t support the mega malls when they opened up shop back in the day where the Coles and woolies are usually housed we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in today.

Remember back in the day doing the rounds to the local butcher,bakery,green grocer,deli,barber, etc? As you know now it’s all under one roof for lazy people (us) to go in and pay whatever it is they charge for all of it.

 We have a local shopping centre here where I live with a few shops and Woolies.A business was stupid enough to put up a greengrocer opposite Woolies about 20 meters from the front entrance.I reckon the green grocer lasted 2 months if that as Woolies wiped him out by dropping its prices and once he closed guess what happened to the prices? straight back up past what they were originally to make up for their troubles.

 We are all screwed in this country and god help anyone’s children/ grandchildren.

[noelm]

Big shopping malls are certainly the “in thing” not a huge fan myself, but it’s just life now. I find it amusing how we have to drive around for ages looking for a parking spot closer to the door, yet walk for miles inside the centre, going from shop to shop, it seems to be a “lady thing” wandering aimlessly around for hours looking at “stuff”. I am on a mission when I go to a shop, buy what I need and shove off, where my wife will start at point A, go to point B, via C&D then backtrack to check out some shoes, then off to buy the grandkids stuff they don’t need, then look for some lunch before doing a flyby some other shop for some “must have” item, with me in tow, whinging like a 5 year old, pushing a trolly with wheels that have a mind of their own, zig zagging around other shoppers all in a trance looking at their phones! Then spend 10 minutes trying to remember where we parked the car…..aahh, life!

[mrsswordfisherman]

12 hours ago, noelm said:

Big shopping malls are certainly the “in thing” not a huge fan myself, but it’s just life now. I find it amusing how we have to drive around for ages looking for a parking spot closer to the door, yet walk for miles inside the centre, going from shop to shop, it seems to be a “lady thing” wandering aimlessly around for hours looking at “stuff”. I am on a mission when I go to a shop, buy what I need and shove off, where my wife will start at point A, go to point B, via C&D then backtrack to check out some shoes, then off to buy the grandkids stuff they don’t need, then look for some lunch before doing a flyby some other shop for some “must have” item, with me in tow, whinging like a 5 year old, pushing a trolly with wheels that have a mind of their own, zig zagging around other shoppers all in a trance looking at their phones! Then spend 10 minutes trying to remember where we parked the car…..aahh, life!

Why do you go with her? Sounds like she doesn't need you really  especially if you whinge like a 5 year old. 

I used to do that many moons ago too. I would always look at several shops then come back to the first one I looked at! I would always buy an item if it was "the last one left" until I discovered that it was an advertising ploy. 

I hardly ever go to a shopping mall now unless I need to. I am almost fully digital. I buy everything online and have it delivered. Love the way you can research products before you buy them. Shoes, I need to go to the shop to try them on. 

Buying furniture and big items you need to team up and go looking around. Swordie loves price matching and saves us 100's of dollars. He learned that from the big fishing shops. 

Malls have changed. The one close to us was closed for several years. It was bought and new owners have made it come back to life. If you look at the store directory it is a different mix of 60 shops - 19 eat and drink shops, 11 fashion and accessories, 7 fresh food and 35 services. The malls these days have lots of services that will bring you to the mall. Tech shops, vodaphone, telstra, radiology, pathology, dental centres, GP's, gyms, barbers and hairdressers, Australia Post, beauty, nails and massage. 

Malls in the future will be there but re-purposed and that is already happening. For example the newsagent will go as print media is almost gone now. People no longer send Christmas cards or birthday cards. I have a very small list of folks that I send a physical card to. 

On another note I have noticed that rebranding is a new thing. I see so many real estate agents changing names. 

Such is life ......

 

[noelm]

I think you might be right with the “changing face” of shopping centres, but, some just continue growing, while others just wind down to be “service centres” kind of, Doctors and the like take over along with other service types, but places like (say) Shellharbour Square (or whatever it’s called this week) continue to expand! There’s more shoe shops and clothing stores than you can possibly visit in a single day out…..add to that a big food area, complete with the big names plus dozens of small operators, all paying outrageous rent. Then KMart, Target, Best and Less, Coles, Myer, and the list goes on of big names. But Warrawong, that used to be “the”  centre, is slowly dying, the bigger names have gone or going, and Doctors and so on are moving in. Who knows how it will all end?

[Fab1]

I made an enquire into a piece of lawn machinery I’m after on Tuesday last week after ringing several stores.The only guy with stock tells me that he has one in stock and it costs $1180.Ok no worries thanks I’ll get back to you in a few days.I ring the same bloke this morning and he says yeah I have one last one in stock and it’s going to cost $1240 but for you I’ll do $1200.
 

  I think you just change the prices to whatever you want dependant on the day and take $40 off to make the customer think they got a better deal when the unit retails for $1100 everywhere else I checked( 7 other stores with no stock).

 Let’s just say my cars still parked in driveway.

[dunc333]

the world is weird my truck broke down last week it was the abs pump and module all in one . so mechanic goes to find one big truck place wants $1690 for a 2nd hand one .and another place wants $1969 for brand new genuine one .so of course we bought the new one .and for the other place i will never shop there and never recommened to anyone as well just true rippoff merchants  some companys dont know buisness 101 customers dont suffer fools lightly cheers dunc333

[noelm]

I get what you’re saying, but, that’s for a one off specialised item, for everyday odds and ends, we are happy to go to a faceless store and stand in line to be “served” (actually pay) or sit in our car and talk to a post to order fast food, it’s just how we have been brainwashed to accept that kind of thing. Even worse (in my opinion) is having to find your product, self serve pay for it, and, buy a bag to put it in! Supermarkets have gone to “environmentally friendly” paper bags (that you have to buy) yet your bread and milk is wrapped in plastic! My daughter only shops by “click and collect” which in a way (once again, in my opinion) is reducing the big supermarkets need to keep stocked shelves of quality produce, in time, click and collect will be robot selected from an unmanned (personed?) warehouse, selecting rubbish fresh goods?

[mrsswordfisherman]

We can't fight it really. The lockdown and restrictions on all society forced business and for that matter healthcare to embrace digitisation. 

I can only speak for healthcare and it has seriously revolutionised care delivery. We use telehealth often where it is appropriate. Use of paper scripts is almost gone. Love the easy way you can check on pathology, imaging - xrays, scans etc. Get a My Health Record app on your phone its the govt one. Apps, apps and more apps. I pretty much run fishraider/deckee on my mobile from wherever I am. Service NSW is invaluable if you have to show licences and regos and other things. 

I help/teach as many people as I can on the use of technology and how to use their mobile phones. I have setup people with facebook accounts, instagram and whatever their needs are on their devices. These people are seniors pretty much because the digital natives just know how to navigate it all naturally. Learning from another older person they will have a go.  

I think those of us that are using digital apps should bring others along with us. You have all used a really big app called Fishraider and now Deckee. If you can use this you are well on the way to other app use. 

I agree some things are totally ridiculous and will send in a feedback or complaint. Some work very well in your favour. We saw a movie in Gold Class the other day and I complained about seating. They instantly moved us and after viewing they refunded the cost of tickets, cost of food and gave us 2 free gold class tickets to be used within next 2 years!! By the way the movie was Killers of the Flower Moon. It was 3 hr 30 min running time, veryyyyyyy long and drawn out. Di Caprio and Robert De Niro saved the day with brilliant performances. 

 

[noelm]

Technology doesn’t “scare” me in any way, having worked in IT for so long, these days it just pees me off (kind of like a Plumber having a leaking tap) maybe it’s even a dose of old age? But to me, somethings just need to be done in person, with a real person! A classic example of how technology can go wrong, and then save the day…….(it’s a bit long) last March we took my 16 year old grandson on a cruise, mandatory boarding requirements were passport, personal photo ID and a double vaccination verification. Now we all had the requirements, my grandson got a new phone two days before leaving, he moved all the “stuff” from the old phone, but missed his vax “green tick”. We get to checkin, show all documents (I take no chances and have both electronic details, in my wife’s phone, plus a paper copy) my grandson couldn’t show his certification, because it was in his old phone!! Now, we had to contact “service NSW” or whatever it is these days, and as identification they text a code to his listed phone…..his old phone, at home! Now we had to somehow, over the phone convince the person that he was who he said he was! With suitable ID of my wife, they agreed to text the code to her, so, after downloading the app, then entering the code on his new phone, they sent the verification through, now that was a long drawn out story, but, so was our boarding day! I just don’t know where all this will end, recent stories about vacuum cleaners with cameras, detection/location via your phone, face recognition cameras everywhere, TVs that “listen”. I know if you’ve got nothing to hide, who cares, but, personal data is collected on you everyday, everywhere.

Edited October 22, 2023 by noelm

[mrsswordfisherman]

41 minutes ago, noelm said:

Technology doesn’t “scare” me in any way, having worked in IT for so long, these days it just pees me off (kind of like a Plumber having a leaking tap) maybe it’s even a dose of old age? But to me, somethings just need to be done in person, with a real person! A classic example of how technology can go wrong, and then save the day…….(it’s a bit long) last March we took my 16 year old grandson on a cruise, mandatory boarding requirements were passport, personal photo ID and a double vaccination verification. Now we all had the requirements, my grandson got a new phone two days before leaving, he moved all the “stuff” from the old phone, but missed his vax “green tick”. We get to checkin, show all documents (I take no chances and have both electronic details, in my wife’s phone, plus a paper copy) my grandson couldn’t show his certification, because it was in his old phone!! Now, we had to contact “service NSW” or whatever it is these days, and as identification they text a code to his listed phone…..his old phone, at home! Now we had to somehow, over the phone convince the person that he was who he said he was! With suitable ID of my wife, they agreed to text the code to her, so, after downloading the app, then entering the code on his new phone, they sent the verification through, now that was a long drawn out story, but, so was our boarding day! I just don’t know where all this will end, recent stories about vacuum cleaners with cameras, detection/location via your phone, face recognition cameras everywhere, TVs that “listen”. I know if you’ve got nothing to hide, who cares, but, personal data is collected on you everyday, everywhere.

A familiar story that could have been sorted quickly. Service NSW and DigitalID are a must on any device. MyGov and MyGovID are also a must. 

I could tell you a story about a physical visit to a bank that I have been using since I was in my teens. An actual nightmare because I physically presented myself to the bank after many, many years and a bank that I use digitally almost every day. No wonder the branches are closing. They are a totally useless service now. 

 Now I will go and complete the washing on my machine that has a computer in it . Can't get away from it  

[noelm]

Haha, yep, I know the feeling, you feel like you need identification if you pay cash or go to a Government office.

[BaitDropper]

My big beef with all this computer stuff, is the fact your pushed towards online applications.

Only a few days back, when our CFU, fantastic blokes, did a refresher course, on sight in our road,,, We have one of the only trailer set ups at the end of our road, which was hard fought for at the time, even the CFU trainers were well impressed.

So, fast forward, got an email, directing me to do a police check online, having not 6 months back, done both  Voluntary and paid, working with children cards.

So, the NSW Police application form, on line, doesn't accept my previous address in Victoria, where I lived for over 15 years !!!  Grrrrr

The annoying part, is there's actually no one to call, to help you with an on line issue in there online application, SO, my membership has been put on non active, stopping me from participating in some planned exercises coming up, with no actual resolution as to why the application online was rejected.. Can't do it at out local Plod shop, can only be done on line.

They actually verify your identity as your doing it, with the main 2 forms of identification, so it was looking really good through that part of the proceedings.

Being, a complete Neanderthal with anything computers, I took myself down to the '' Head street Honcho '' of the neighborhood CFU, who is a Wiz on all things TEC.......

Same result, so these dam glitches in the " online automated systems "  Do exist, but basically without a path to resolving them.

I'm sure there is a way to get around the issue, but the point being, Actual help when trouble like this rears it's head, is pretty non existent.. very frustrating.

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by BaitDropper