We have had good experiences with "Hardly's".  Most recent ...we were kept waiting quite some time due to being short-staffed. When we were eventually served, with apologies, we were given free delivery and a discount on our purchase as a thank you for our patience.

Sorry your day went so badly DandS, but they arent all the same.

I decided to buy my daughter-in-law a new TV as a surpise present today.

I checked whether stock was available via the internet at a Big% store. When I got to the store I asked about the TV I wanted to buy and the answer was "I dunno".

I told the guy that I had looked on the web and it listed stock was available. He looked up the TV I was after on the computer and then said he does not have a listing on the one I was after, and again I got another "I dunno". I couldnt be bothered hassling about it any further and left the store.

Then I decided to drive to a H*****  N***** store. I waited for just over half an hour for the saleman, while he made & received a number of phone calls.

Then to cap it off he then served two other people who came in after me.

That was enough for me, when I left the store I made my feelings known to the guy at the door and that too was met with little interest.

I have often seen or heard Mr H****y on tv or radio expressing his views about how difficult it is  to compete with internet shopping these days.

With the ZERO service I got from the store I well understand why people are deserting stores. Maybe he should visit his franchises and see what lousy service is being offered.

I spent over two hours traveling and waiting and still did not get to buy my daughter-in-law a new TV. and its two hours of my life I will never get back.

Just a rant.

''kogan'' save time and money,               Then send an Email, to management of both those stores telling them you TRIED but they did not want your business ???

DandS wrote:

---

I decided to buy my daughter-in-law a new TV as a surpise present today.

I checked whether stock was available via the internet at a Big% store. When I got to the store I asked about the TV I wanted to buy and the answer was "I dunno".

I told the guy that I had looked on the web and it listed stock was available. He looked up the TV I was after on the computer and then said he does not have a listing on the one I was after, and again I got another "I dunno". I couldnt be bothered hassling about it any further and left the store.

Then I decided to drive to a H*****  N***** store. I waited for just over half an hour for the saleman, while he made & received a number of phone calls.

Then to cap it off he then served two other people who came in after me.

That was enough for me, when I left the store I made my feelings known to the guy at the door and that too was met with little interest.

I have often seen or heard Mr H****y on tv or radio expressing his views about how difficult it is  to compete with internet shopping these days.

With the ZERO service I got from the store I well understand why people are deserting stores. Maybe he should visit his franchises and see what lousy service is being offered.

I spent over two hours traveling and waiting and still did not get to buy my daughter-in-law a new TV. and its two hours of my life I will never get back.

Just a rant.

 

I knew that I had seen something about profits being down at Hardly Normal here it is

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/profit-down-20-at-harvey-norman-20121107-28xmm.html

---

Worked in a shop today that employes 30 people but unfortunately the owner cant pay his bills so stock is very low. I wonder how many will be working there next year?

Personally picked up empty packets of stolen good worth over $100. 00 and that's just today and two other staff member chased a man who ran out of the store without paying. ( he escaped )

Told a man today a light globe he wanted to buy so he could use the bed side light he bought online does not exist in Australia. Hey told a man last week the cooker he purchased online for his boat was far away from meeting Australian Standards and we did not want to help him gas it up and that he shouldn't anyway. Told a man just two weeks ago a replacement parts for his new mixer tap he purchased online for his new bathroom do not exist in Australia.

I wonder if its the same for my other 29 work mates?

I did all this with 38 years of experience and for $17.00 an hour.

I got a couple of angry looks for customers today, was one of them you? I got a hand shake from a man who need help too. I worked late for no pay because it was needed and was home to my kids almost an hour late.

90 % of what we sell is already from China, no one wants to pay .50 cents more for Australian made do they? Heck you can save even more buying online.

So you had a bad day? I didn't, thats because i did the best i could do and be as forgiving as i can.  

DandS wrote:

---

I decided to buy my daughter-in-law a new TV as a surpise present today.

I checked whether stock was available via the internet at a Big% store. When I got to the store I asked about the TV I wanted to buy and the answer was "I dunno".

I told the guy that I had looked on the web and it listed stock was available. He looked up the TV I was after on the computer and then said he does not have a listing on the one I was after, and again I got another "I dunno". I couldnt be bothered hassling about it any further and left the store.

Then I decided to drive to a H*****  N***** store. I waited for just over half an hour for the saleman, while he made & received a number of phone calls.

Then to cap it off he then served two other people who came in after me.

That was enough for me, when I left the store I made my feelings known to the guy at the door and that too was met with little interest.

I have often seen or heard Mr H****y on tv or radio expressing his views about how difficult it is  to compete with internet shopping these days.

With the ZERO service I got from the store I well understand why people are deserting stores. Maybe he should visit his franchises and see what lousy service is being offered.

I spent over two hours traveling and waiting and still did not get to buy my daughter-in-law a new TV. and its two hours of my life I will never get back.

Just a rant.

---

 I empathise with you Dand, retail service is pretty darned ordinary in Aust, sales people have little product knowledge and to a large degree simply don't care.

Online is the way I prefer everytime, do your research, select your product, find a reliable supplier, place an order and within a few days it's delivered to your door, easy.

I worked for Hardly Normal for a few years about 20 years ago. In those days the individual departments were franchises, ie: Small Electrical, Furniture, White Goods etc. I wonder if that's still the case?

I met Gerry Harvey a number of times during my time at HN and he was very down to earth and still getting around in an old rough looking Merc which surprised me. He was a thoroughly pleasant chap that would, I'm sure, be very interested in your comments about bad service at one of his stores.

The problem, of course, is how to get in touch with him.

Cheers.

Jon

Hylda&Jon; quote: I worked for Hardly Normal for a few years about 20 years ago. In those days the individual departments were franchises, ie: Small Electrical, Furniture, White Goods etc. I wonder if that's still the case?

The store I was at, all the depts are franchised.

Clare46: quote: As with all service industries a lot also depends on the attitude of the customer.

Sure some customers attitude stinks. However, I was totally ignored, maybe I should have kicked up a storm, had plenty of "attitude" and then maybe I could have left the store with a TV and then the salesman could have a whinge about my attitude. If a business cant be bothered with customers, the business will fold.

Update:  My daughter-in-law has two kids (and separated from one of our sons) Rents an old house where there is no TV antenna and she had no TV. I spoke to the landlord and he said it was ok to put up an antenna. I didnt want my daughter-in-law to know about me purchasing a TV and antenna. We are trying to help her out and get her and the kids settled, we were meant to be on the road about a month back, we are hoping to start heading north next week.( fingers crossed)

Anyhow, today was a better day for me. Drove to a Bing Lee store. Walked in, was greeted by a salesman, who introduced himself. 

I asked if he had stock of a particular HD TV I was after. I was in the store for less than 10 minutes, and left with the TV. THATS SERVICE !!!!!!

Next was a stop at the daughter-in-laws place. Fitted & wired up the antenna, programmed the TV, locked up and left. 

At this stage she has no idea of what I have done. I wish I could be there to see the look on her face and especially my grand kids when they get home this afternoon

Left a big coloured sign across the front of the Tele, all it said was "ENJOY".

I also sent a complaint to H N about my experience yesterday, if their head office is anything like the store I visited yesterday then I doubt that I will get a reply .

Daryl

As with all service industries a lot also depends on the attitude of the customer.

Sorry to hear you had such a rotten experience. If H....N... Kipparing Qld. sells it that is where we go..every time now. great service, friendly knowledgable staff,and in our eyes are that good at their jobs they all deserve recognition and a payriseor at least a christmas bonus. 

Dunno how the "attitude of the customer" comes into it, but the retail industry would not exist without customers. These days there are very few sales people, predominantly they are only shop assistants. If they were sales people they would view every customer that walked throught the door as a potential sale. Sometimes you even get the impression that you should feel privelleged that they could even be bothered to speak to you. A salesperson also knows the product they are trying to convince you to buy, and if they don't they will find the one that does know that particular product. The shop assistants of today just couldn't be bothered with all that.

My old man sold everything incuding: pianos, white goods , lawn mowers, carpet, insurance, entertainment equipment, caravans, cars, boats, farm chemicals, and he'd always make a point of knowing all the details, specifications, benifits etc of anything he sold.

Hmmm... that reminds me, he also sold my old toys and childhood "treasures" at a garage sale while I was away when i first joined the RAAF.

Shopping on line doesn't always mean cheap Chinese goods, and the advantage of shopping on line is its easier to do some research.

For example if I find a product online I'm interested in, I open another tab in my browser, cut and paste the brand and model number followed by "review".

I buy a lot of Australian made/assembled goods on line from small businesses, more than what I could or would buy locally.

You can't tell me some of products sold at the big named hardware stores etc aren't cheaply made imports.

Not that I have a problem with Chinese made goods, in fact I have nothing but praise, as I have lawnmowers and water pumps that are a damn site more reliable and easier to maintain than the big well known brands with a 100 years experience etc, which is a surprise as the Chinese stuff is a heck of a lot cheaper, and most of the time are copies of the big brands.

Unfortunately we have a lot of poor customer service in our area, from big and small businesses.Why would I stand around for an hour trying to get someones attention, or have to wait 6 weeks to 2 years (and still waiting) for the local store to get in what I want or need.When I can go online and in most cases have what I want delivered to my door the next day, even find those parts that the local bloke says can't be bought (but I can sell you a whole new system), on Ebay.

But its buyer beware, that new $99 no name computer on Ebay, wells it a gamble, but then I also get great service from Ebay stores who want to avoid any negative feed back affecting their ratings.

-- Edited by Oxley on Monday 12th of November 2012 06:47:17 AM

part quote: I also sent a complaint to H N about my experience yesterday, if their head office is anything like the store I visited yesterday then I doubt that I will get a reply .

Daryl

I also had a bad experience at HN about 3 years ago, would never buy from them again, however I do go in their store to check out an item I have been looking at online.

I also wrote to HN head office at that time, I'm still waiting for a reply, so Daryl do not hold your breath.

Good Guys is the way to go from now on for me.

_wombat_ wrote:

---

part quote: I also sent a complaint to H N about my experience yesterday, if their head office is anything like the store I visited yesterday then I doubt that I will get a reply .

Daryl

I also had a bad experience at HN about 3 years ago, would never buy from them again, however I do go in their store to check out an item I have been looking at online.

I also wrote to HN head office at that time, I'm still waiting for a reply, so Daryl do not hold your breath.

---

 Have to agree with you there Mr Wombat!!!!!!!!!

I got an email from H N saying that the manager will be in contact with me within 24 hours. (yer, sure they will)

24 hours has well & truely past, and NOTHING. Its quite clear that their management also dont give a stuff.

Just typical of some stores, no wonder people are deserting them. I will never put a foot inside that store again. 

Yep now I have attitude.

Long live the stores like "Goodguys" & "Bing Lee".

Regards

Daryl

Oxley wrote:

---

You can't tell me some of products sold at the big named hardware stores etc aren't cheaply made imports.

---

 Like Bunnings nuts and bolts. I reckon they are made from recycled chewing gum that is removed from under school desks and painted silver.

Have to agree with you Bob (03 troopy), those Zenith brand screws in the blister packs are rubbish. The heads burr over with the slightest bit of tension when tightening or undoing them.

When I owned a boat I bought my nuts, bolts, etc from Specialised Wholesale in Lambton (Newcastle suburb). That way I knew I was getting proper 316 grade stainless. They also stock 304 grade if you don't need the higher grade. They also sell broken quantities, No need to buy them by the hundred.

Speaking of rubbish, so's my standard of typing and proof reading, hence the edit

jimricho wrote:

---

Have to agree with you Bob (03 troopy), those Zenith brand screws in the blister packs are rubbish. The heads burr over with the slightest bit of tension when tightening or undoing them.

When I owned a boat I bought my nuts, bolts, etc from Specialised Wholesale in Lambton (Newcastle suburb). That way I knew I was getting proper 316 grade stainless. They also stock 304 grade if you don't need the higher grade. They also sell broken quantities, No need to buy them by the hundred.

Speaking of rubbish, so's my standard of typing and proof reading, hence the edit

-- Edited by jimricho on Thursday 15th of November 2012 06:56:49 AM

---

 Yes, I buy stuff from them too Jim, also Glade at Tomago (a bit closer to me) are good... there prices are a bit funny though... How much for that lot mate? ummm about $5.00 should cover it.. LOL The actual would have been closer to $10.00 to $12.00