poohbear 1,360 Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Just been in B&Q in Sutton in Ashfield for twenty rolls of wallpaper.£140 worth.To be greeted at the checkout by four machines rattling out instructions, and one poor old bloke rushing backwards and forwards telling people how to use them. I had to scan each individual roll and remove from the trolley...instead of saying to a checkout operator..."There's 20 love"...and having her work it out on the till...job done. Then the damn machine refused to accept the £20 notes I fed it. So the old guy says it must be faulty and I would have to scan everything on another machine.... My response...I told the old guy he could keep his wallpaper.I told him I wasn't having a go at him...but he could tell the management to stuff their robots up their A*** I for one will be using Homebase in future. I'm damned if I'm going to encourage the big boys to treat me like a number in their greedy attempts to save money on staff....B&Q can get stuffed. Personal service in this country is going from bad to worse. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Lots of supermarkets and home improvement stores over here have them. IMHO they are a royal PITA! Almost always I have something that won't scan, or alcohol, which has to be authorised - and the "attendant" is typically engaged in some deep conversation about American Idol with her mate to be bothered paying attention to her job! I rarely use cash in them because 90% of the time it will reject one of my bills! I hate them - they are a waste of time and space - and if the store is busy, require more staff to keep them running than a regular checkout line - and in Home Depot they are just a joke! Give me a good old checkout line anytime! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I think the problem there was that the old boy didn't know how to use them either. I have to say that they are a godsend, how many times have you nipped into B&Q for just a packet of Rawlbolts or a paintbrush and found a qeue of people at the tills with enough stuff to build a house. The first time I used them I was attempting to purchase a load of special offer stressed timber, the machines were being temperamental, but the attendant girl was really efficient and kicked them into life, never had a problem since. The people seem to be a bit more customer friendly down here, on the other hand, be friendly yourself with the staff and they remember you, I can go into any of the main stores in Braintree and we all end up in hysterics while the miseries look on in disbelief, is that just a small town attitude? it probably is. As for your obvious Tesco alcohol purchase problem, just tip the attendant off before hand, they'll be there straight away, a little joke and a friendly chat won't go amiss either, they are human beings you know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted October 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I think the problem there was that the old boy didn't know how to use them either. I have to say that they are a godsend, how many times have you nipped into B&Q for just a packet of Rawlbolts or a paintbrush and found a qeue of people at the tills with enough stuff to build a house. This wasn't the case...there were no regular checkout staff...just take it or leave it Metal Mickey...sod 'em I'll leave it.Even without the problems, I object to the attitude that the customer doesn't need personal contact. "Do you have this in blue?...Oh sorry I'm talking to a bloody machine".Why do these outfits impose things the way THEY want them...not US...when I have a problem with my PC etc. I don't want to talk to some idiot in New Delhi on 20 quid a week. Bit by bit they are imposing their money making rackets on us...and most put up with it....Not me...ever. The staff in Wickes Sutton in Ashfield are magic...never known better or more helpful...Wickes Arnold in Nottingham different again...Brains and attitude like 12 year old schoolkids. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Well at least you have a choice, we have B&Q and thats it for about 20 miles, if anything, the staff could choose to be a pain because their stores have no rivals, but they are'nt, but maybe it's because they all personally know many of the people that go in there. The more I read on here of aspects of life in Nottingham generally, the more I'm pleased to have left and settled in a small East Anglian town, yes, it has it's faults, we have our local b#st#rds, everywhere has, but people seem to care more for each other, but then it's reciprocal. I've just come back from town to find a BT van across my drive, maybe you would have had a go at him, I didn't, I smiled and he moved it, maybe you would have grumpily gone in the house and ignored him, I didn't, I had a friendly chat and told him if it made his job any easier I wasn't going out again and he could put his van back across the drive. I've met him before, if I have a phone problem I know he'll help me out straight away, as he has done in the past. Yes Delhi phone centres are a pain in the arse, but the person on the other end isn't likely to be an idiot, they usually have a degree, it's not their fault that our robbing b#st#rd multinationals employ them as a cheap solution, have a friendly chat with these people and it makes a hell of a difference. OK some of them are difficult to understand arrogant gits, but can you imagine the insults that they get from people trying to call from over here, I've done it myself out of sheer frustration. I have a lot of sympathy for them, it's the system thats crap, not the poor sods being manipulated at the other end. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 There is a chain of McDonalds in Nebraska where, if you go to the drive-through, the person who takes your order is actually in India! AND that person is working several drive-throughs at the same time! The real problem is not that they are cheaper, or better - they are just willing to work - something that seems to have got lost on the present crop of American youth! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Now that has made me laugh out loud Eric!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Serves you right for even thinking of going to MacDonalds Limey. It made me laugh out loud anall though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Serves you right for even thinking of going to MacDonalds Limey. And that made me laugh out loud too! (They do have good coffee though!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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