visit to new woodcraft store in Houston

[LCHIEN]

I went to the new Woodcraft store in South Houston (Beltway 8 and W. Airport Boulevard) yesterday during lunch. They opened very recently and had a grand opening last weekend which I did not make.
It was lunchtime Tuesday there were two sales guys and I was the only customer in the store, one came later.
It quite roomy and well stocked. Somehow, though, I did not quite like their attitude.
They: Hi can we help you
me: just looking around, do you have a sales flyer or anything like that?
they: No, the Grand Opening sale was last weekend.
me: well, I couldn't make it, do you have anything still on sale?
they: everything's for sale.
Me: for sale and on sale are not the same thing.
they: (Stoney silence)
me: if nothing is on sale why is there still a sign with 6-ft lettering saying grand opening sale out front?
they: (Stoney silence)
me: I would make it here sooner, but this store is only 1/2 mile closer to my house than the other store (at Highway 290 and Hollister)(I live ~23 miles from either of these stores - in Houston traffic on a weekend, that's 45 minutes to an hour each way)
they: (Stoney silence - I would think they would ask me where I live)
from the website I knew a couple of DC fittings were on sale... not marked on the merchandise but it did ring up at the sales price.
unfortunately I got a call from someone who needed a ride to the emergency room and had to leave before I was really done.
i paid for a couple of items from the sales associate at the counter, evidently an older woodworker who did not wear hearing protection when he was young (let that be a lesson), he was very hard of hearing.
overall impression: well stocked but no bargains (indicated), not particularly sympathetic and especially not aware of the power of sale prices. I don't think I'll be going there often.

[Uncle Cracker]

Although WC stores are franchise locations, if you get that kind of impression and treatment, you can call the Customer Service number at the headquarters (1-800-225-1153) and you will get someone who cares. I have seen firsthand how it works. I called with a problem when I got the runaround from the local franchise and, within one hour, the owner of the local store was calling me and working out the problem to my satisfaction.

[LCHIEN]

didn't really have a problem per se, it was just their attitude I didn't like.
it sort of told me that my concerns were not their concerns.
they would gladly sell me anything they had at the prices marked. making it more convenient or more attractive price-wise was not in the plan.
I guess for that I have the internet.

[final_t]

I went to the new Woodcraft store in South Houston (Beltway 8 and W. Airport Boulevard) yesterday during lunch. They very recently and had a grand opening last weekend which I did not make.
It was lunchtime Tuesday and I was the only customer in the store, one came later.

Wait, what, so the South Houston TX and the Hillard OH stores are now sharing the same space & time? Or they shuttle the same employees back and forth? If that is so, ask for Pat, she is the only one that seems to care.

[Uncle Cracker]

If it were my company, I'd sure want to know.

[mac_daddy]

Plus, Nahm cancelled the visit to the grand opening. I would've gone just to get a pic and shake hands with Mr. New Yankee. Woulda been wicked.

[ironhat]

It's an hour's drive to the closest Woodcraft and I save my wish list and make a trip to them and HF (next door) and Bass Pro (up the hill) all in one day. They so frequently are out of stock of what I want that it's not a useful trip to the store. I save for the other two and shop Woodcraft or Rockler, etc, online. YMMV, of course.

[LCHIEN]

If it were my company, I'd sure want to know.

if it were my company I'd google "Woodcraft store" every once in a while and see what people write on forums like this one.

If I had a service company I'd call my 1-800 number anonymously with a real problem and try dealing with the people or worse with the press 1 for english, etc menus.

[Uncle Cracker]

If I had a service company I'd call my 1-800 number anonymously with a real problem and try dealing with the people or worse with the press 1 for english, etc menus.

The first 3 years of LOML's career with a certain unnamed rodent-worshiping theme park, her job was as a "secret shopper". The good part is that, as both a vegetarian and a tea-totaler, she had to take me along to partake of all the bars and fancy restaurants in the place. Tough duty, but the rodent was at that time very serious about providing top-notch goods and services. Not so any more...

[Pappy]

The owner of the stores in San Antonio and Austin also owns either the Dallas or Houston stores. Mike is very concerned with his employees and the way they treat customers.

[Ed62]

Nothing will keep me out of a store more than a bad attitude from the sales staff. I doubt I'd go there again either.

Ed

[final_t]

Loring:
Re-reading the start of this thread got me to wondering, and made me think that maybe my own experiences has colored how I interpreted yours.
Are you more upset that the clerk wouldn't give you some of the same deals that were being offered a few days before, or that he was just not talking to you and giving the silent treatment?

[LCHIEN]

I went on a spur of the moment decision. When I got home later, I found the flyer for Jan27-Feb27 with a bunch of sales items.
When I was at the store, I looked for and did not see the sales flyer. When I asked about it they said they didn't have any. Virtually every store I seem to go to has their current flyers out, except this one.
So I asked what sales deals they had.. specifically I asked if anything was on sale since I had missed the grand opening sale. Either he was being fresh or didn't want to tell me, his reply was (verbatim) "Everything is FOR sale". In either case I find that uncooperative. I gave him an opportunity to correct that when I said, "FOR sale is not the same as ON sale", but he chose not to reply - again I have to assume - either he didn't know what was for sale (inexcusable) or was being fresh (inexcusable) or for some reason didn't want to tell me (again, inexcusbale), or maybe in restrospect he was really hard of hearing. But there were two sales guys so neither of them took the opportunity presented.
There were no SALE signs anywhere, and items I knew were sale items on the web were not marked (although they did ring up at the sale price) as being on sale.
As you said, it would have been nice had they even offered me the Grand opening sales prices because I had missed them (and because the G.O. sale sign was still up out front). I would think that would have been a good customer relations deal. Certainly if they could afford to sell an item for $X on Sunday they would still be willing to do so on Tuesday to make an impression on a new customer. But I feel like I got way less than even that.

Maybe the bargain shopping guy is not the customer they are targeting or maybe they just don't care. I don't know. I just feel turned off.

[final_t]

I'd have to agree, he came across like a smartass. The store here has a specific spot where they put all the on-sale stuff with big signs, plus they have a spot where they put the clearance stuff.

I will say that the clerk's behavior is not exactly limited to Woodcraft: Lowes, HD, Sam's club, etc, are all lousy. Any more, if I don't have a list and know exactly what I want - on sale or not - I usually don't bother making the trip. For me, it's only like about 10-15 miles, but it's the hassle factor.

The only possible good that will come out of whatever resession is coming down the pike is that surly employees like this and the other yahoos at the grocery stores will get replaced really fast with people who need the job and are willing to work it.

[Uncle Cracker]

The only possible good that will come out of whatever resession is coming down the pike is that surly employees like this and the other yahoos at the grocery stores will get replaced really fast with people who need the job and are willing to work it.

Sometimes it seems just the opposite... As soon as you find someone competent, they are replaced by someone useless. One of the old "Laws of Man" says that no matter what the job, there is somebody, somewhere, who can't do it, and that given enough time, that very person will end up with that job...