"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , MBQ
writes
.
On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 22:47:42 GMT, "Andy Kelly"
wrote:

Their website has a notice saying that they can't take orders at the
moment
and the contact centre isn't taking calls.

From the Telegraph:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet
demand for products sold on its screwfix
.com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

It is too much to expect journalists to get basic facts correct?

how do they expect people to believe what they write when they come out
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

In message , Bob Mannix
writes

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , MBQ
writes
.
On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 22:47:42 GMT, "Andy Kelly"
wrote:

Their website has a notice saying that they can't take orders at the
moment
and the contact centre isn't taking calls.

From the Telegraph:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet
demand for products sold on its screwfix
.com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

It is too much to expect journalists to get basic facts correct?

how do they expect people to believe what they write when they come out
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new
warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they
are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

--
Chris French, Leeds

"chris French" wrote in message
...
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new
warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they
are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

I believe Screwfix operates as a subsiduary of B&Q.

see:

http://www.theretailbulletin.com/ind...t=news&id=4837

for example. A warehouse is not (in general) a retail store. Hence it is a
warehouse (and mail order ditribution centre) owned by a subsiduary of B&Q.
A little journalistic licence, but hardly crap.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 14:47:17 +0100, chris French
wrote:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet
demand for products sold on its screwfix
.com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

It is too much to expect journalists to get basic facts correct?

how do they expect people to believe what they write when they come out
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new
warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they
are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of
B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

cheers,
Pete.

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 15:38:01 +0100, "Bob Mannix"
wrote:


"chris French" wrote in message
...
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new
warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they
are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

I believe Screwfix operates as a subsiduary of B&Q.

see:

http://www.theretailbulletin.com/ind...t=news&id=4837

for example. A warehouse is not (in general) a retail store. Hence it is a
warehouse (and mail order ditribution centre) owned by a subsiduary of B&Q.
A little journalistic licence, but hardly crap.

I checked into this some while ago when the discussion about Bargain
Bob's was going on and in fact there is a fairly complex structure of
holding companies in the Kingfisher group.

I am pretty certain the Screwfix is not a direct or indirect
subsidiary of B&Q, but I can check if it really matters.






..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 14:47:17 +0100, chris French
wrote:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet
demand for products sold on its screwfix
.com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

It is too much to expect journalists to get basic facts correct?

how do they expect people to believe what they write when they come
out
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new
warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they
are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of
B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

Screwfix is aimed at the trade, although they welcome DIYers. B&Q is aimed
at DIY, except that the newish B&Q Warehouses are aimed at the trade and
welcome DIYers. One B&Q Warehouse employee said their direct competitor is
Wickes and they aim to be always £1 cheaper. Can't say I've noticed them
undercutting Wickes. And every Wickes place I see has builders vans outside
which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

In message , Pete C
writes
On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 14:47:17 +0100, chris French
wrote:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet
demand for products sold on its screwfix
.com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

It is too much to expect journalists to get basic facts correct?

how do they expect people to believe what they write when they come out
with crap like the above.


Which bit is crap exactly?


It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new
warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they
are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of
B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

I doubt it, I think it was just sloppy journalism.

ISTM that the mailorder side of B&Q and Screwfix are targeting different
market segments (though there is of course a crossover of customers who
use both) - B&Q/diy.com the 'cosumer' end of the market, Screwfix the
trade and more serious DIYer.

I guess that there is probably some joint buying maybe, if the
operations are combined enough.


--
Chris French, Leeds

In article ,
Pete C wrote:
Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of
B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

Screwfix have a vastly bigger range than B&Q - of the things they sell, as
it were. And I'd guess people would get stroppy if the B&Q website showed
things in stock the shops didn't have.

--
*Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Pete C wrote:
Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of
B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

Screwfix have a vastly bigger range than B&Q - of the things they sell, as
it were. And I'd guess people would get stroppy if the B&Q website showed
things in stock the shops didn't have.

There are quite a few things on the B&Q site either not stocked in shops
at all, or only in the larger stores.

--
Chris French, Leeds

"IMM" wrote in message
...


Screwfix is aimed at the trade, although they welcome DIYers. B&Q is
aimed
at DIY, except that the newish B&Q Warehouses are aimed at the trade and
welcome DIYers. One B&Q Warehouse employee said their direct competitor
is
Wickes and they aim to be always £1 cheaper. Can't say I've noticed them
undercutting Wickes. And every Wickes place I see has builders vans
outside
which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

They've succeeded here in Stockport. Wickes is nearly empty most of the
time and the B&Q trade desk and dedicated entrance/exit is opening for
longer hours.

"G&M" wrote in message
...

"IMM" wrote in message
...


Screwfix is aimed at the trade, although they welcome DIYers. B&Q is
aimed
at DIY, except that the newish B&Q Warehouses are aimed at the trade and
welcome DIYers. One B&Q Warehouse employee said their direct competitor
is
Wickes and they aim to be always £1 cheaper. Can't say I've noticed
them
undercutting Wickes. And every Wickes place I see has builders vans
outside
which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

They've succeeded here in Stockport. Wickes is nearly empty most of the
time and the B&Q trade desk and dedicated entrance/exit is opening for
longer hours.

I believe B&Q Warehouse do trade accounts. I don't know if they give extra
discounts.

And every Wickes place I see has builders vans outside
which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

The Reading one always has loads of vans parked outside. My experience has
been that they are cheaper than the local BMs for almost everything, even
with a 20% discount. However, the BMs are more convenient for loading up.
You just drive around the shop, park next to the concrete blocks and load
up! With B&Q you have to use a trolley.

Christian.

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
t...
And every Wickes place I see has builders vans outside
which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

The Reading one always has loads of vans parked outside. My experience has
been that they are cheaper than the local BMs for almost everything, even
with a 20% discount. However, the BMs are more convenient for loading up.
You just drive around the shop, park next to the concrete blocks and load
up! With B&Q you have to use a trolley.

The Crickwood B&Q W is near a Wickes and the Wickes always has more builders
vans outside.

In article , chris French
writes
In message , Rick Hughes
writes
They have moved to a new larger premise .... and tried to hack their system
to cope, but gave up and have taken syatem off-line and stopped orders to
month end to give them time to get it sorted.

Except they are taking orders again, but limiting them so as not to
overload the system.

It seems that they haven't yet got enough staff at their new warehouse.

Then Screwfux should have kept their old warehouse (or "fulfilment
centre", though they don't care to say whose "fulfilment" is involved)
going until they had completed the transition.

Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?

--
Paul

In article , Owain
writes
[1] Mystical chew bar wand. Seven flavours but no-one knows which flavour
they will get until they start to chew. The flavours are Blueberry, cherry,
rhubarb and custard, grapefruit, chocolate, apple, and chilli.

I'd no idea that Screwfux also ran a sweet shop... o-)

--
Paul

In article , MBQ
writes
From the Telegraph:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet
demand for products sold on its screwfix
.com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

Even were that accurate, one must wonder what sort of moron would close
down the old site -- which was fully staffed and which worked -- in
favour of a new site which was not fully staffed and which patently does
*not* work even approximately.

"Recruitment has been harder than we thought and we have had to
recruit more people than we expected," said a spokesman for B&Q parent
Kingfisher. "But as the new staff join and are trained up we intend to
restore the full service to our customers."

That is, if there *are* any customers by then.

The web site has grown rapidly since launched several years ago and
last year processed about £70m of orders."

The way those idiots are going, they'd be lucky to get £70 of orders
next year.

--
Paul

In article , chris French
writes
Indeed, it's a bit of major cock up. There was a claim on the
UK_Selfbuild list that they are only paying the minimum wage for
warehouse staff, maybe they need to offer more?

Perhaps that's the going rate for "short staff"? o-)

--
Paul

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:

In article , chris French
writes
In message , Rick Hughes
writes
They have moved to a new larger premise .... and tried to hack their system
to cope, but gave up and have taken syatem off-line and stopped orders to
month end to give them time to get it sorted.

Except they are taking orders again, but limiting them so as not to
overload the system.

It seems that they haven't yet got enough staff at their new warehouse.

Then Screwfux should have kept their old warehouse (or "fulfilment
centre", though they don't care to say whose "fulfilment" is involved)
going until they had completed the transition.

Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?

You're making a big assumption that customers won't return

When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:

In article , chris French
writes
In message , Rick Hughes
writes
They have moved to a new larger premise .... and tried to hack their system
to cope, but gave up and have taken syatem off-line and stopped orders to
month end to give them time to get it sorted.

Except they are taking orders again, but limiting them so as not to
overload the system.

It seems that they haven't yet got enough staff at their new warehouse.

Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?

You're making a big assumption that customers won't return

When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.

Indeed.

Things do seem to be improving. While you may find at the moment that if
you try too order at certain times the site is closed (it still has the
warning on the home page), it's comes back up again later. More
importantly, if you place an order, at least you are likely to get it. I
ordered yesterday at about 9.45, received the order (as I would normally
expect) this am.

Best try to avoid trying to order at 3 in the afternoon though I guess.

Sure they have made a major cock up here, but I think they have dealt
with it in a reasonable way (not perfect, I take on boards points about
leaving site up , just not taking orders). Better that then continuing
to take orders when the system/staffing just weren't up to dealing with
them.

It did spur me to try Toolstation last week though, all went smoothly,
but less product range than SF (though of course they have some thing SF
don't) Website doesn't seem to work quite so well either.
--
Chris French, Leeds

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:

In article , chris French
writes
In message , Rick Hughes
writes
They have moved to a new larger premise .... and tried to hack their
system
to cope, but gave up and have taken syatem off-line and stopped orders
to
month end to give them time to get it sorted.

Except they are taking orders again, but limiting them so as not to
overload the system.

It seems that they haven't yet got enough staff at their new warehouse.

Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?

You're making a big assumption that customers won't return

When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.

Indeed.

Things do seem to be improving. While you may find at the moment that if
you try too order at certain times the site is closed (it still has the
warning on the home page), it's comes back up again later. More
importantly, if you place an order, at least you are likely to get it. I
ordered yesterday at about 9.45, received the order (as I would normally
expect) this am.

Best try to avoid trying to order at 3 in the afternoon though I guess.

Sure they have made a major cock up here, but I think they have dealt
with it in a reasonable way (not perfect, I take on boards points about
leaving site up , just not taking orders). Better that then continuing
to take orders when the system/staffing just weren't up to dealing with
them.

It did spur me to try Toolstation last week though, all went smoothly,
but less product range than SF (though of course they have some thing SF
don't) Website doesn't seem to work quite so well either.

There is also UNIFIX direct too http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/ . UNifix are
v good for fixings and they stock much the same range as S'fix. Their
catalogue is similar in size and feel to Sfix. Why all this obsession with
one mail order company. Many companies do much the same thing.

On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 22:56:01 +0100, "IMM" wrote:




There is also UNIFIX direct too http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/ . UNifix are
v good for fixings and they stock much the same range as S'fix. Their
catalogue is similar in size and feel to Sfix. Why all this obsession with
one mail order company. Many companies do much the same thing.


It's called effective marketing.

..


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In article , G&M
writes
"IMM" wrote in message
...
snip
One B&Q Warehouse employee said their direct competitor is Wickes
and they aim to be always £1 cheaper. Can't say I've noticed them
undercutting Wickes. And every Wickes place I see has builders vans
outside which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

They've succeeded here in Stockport. Wickes is nearly empty most of
the time and the B&Q trade desk and dedicated entrance/exit is
opening for longer hours.

I'd venture to suggest that's mainly because of where Wickes is situated
-- at the top of Lancashire Hill, further from the motorway than B&Q and
with less easy access to the car park.

--
Paul

In article , IMM
writes
"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:
Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?
You're making a big assumption that customers won't return
When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.
Indeed.

Mr Glib-Simplistic seems to have overlooked the perfectly obvious point
that, once customers have found alternative suppliers -- some of which
may be only a short drive away and may have a friendly face rather than
a disembodied voice on the end of a 'phone line -- they may not perceive
any desire to return to a company that seems unable even to give a ****
for their business. But that's Andy Hall, isn't it? He even likes the
way that Dyson suction cleaners are overpriced...

Things do seem to be improving. While you may find at the moment that if
you try too order at certain times the site is closed (it still has the
warning on the home page), it's comes back up again later.

What a wonderful game -- to try to guess the day and time that Screwfux
have deigned to let folk *order* once more! There are those, whoever,
who actually *have* a life...

There is also UNIFIX direct too http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/ . UNifix are
v good for fixings and they stock much the same range as S'fix. Their
catalogue is similar in size and feel to Sfix. Why all this obsession with
one mail order company. Many companies do much the same thing.

And some charge the same -- or less -- for the same items. For example,
the 6mm long twist drills from Tilgear are the same price as those from
Screwfux and they don't charge any extra for P&P. Nor, IIRC, do they
have a minimum order charge.

--
Paul

"Paul C. Dickie" wrote in message
...
In article , IMM
writes
"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:
Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?
You're making a big assumption that customers won't return
When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.
Indeed.

Mr Glib-Simplistic seems to have overlooked the perfectly obvious point
that, once customers have found alternative suppliers -- some of which
may be only a short drive away and may have a friendly face rather than
a disembodied voice on the end of a 'phone line -- they may not perceive
any desire to return to a company that seems unable even to give a ****
for their business. But that's Andy Hall, isn't it? He even likes the
way that Dyson suction cleaners are overpriced...

.....and Makitas too. Appalling......

Things do seem to be improving. While you may find at the moment that
if
you try too order at certain times the site is closed (it still has the
warning on the home page), it's comes back up again later.

What a wonderful game -- to try to guess the day and time that Screwfux
have deigned to let folk *order* once more! There are those, whoever,
who actually *have* a life...

There is also UNIFIX direct too http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/ . UNifix
are
v good for fixings and they stock much the same range as S'fix. Their
catalogue is similar in size and feel to Sfix. Why all this obsession
with
one mail order company. Many companies do much the same thing.

And some charge the same -- or less -- for the same items. For example,
the 6mm long twist drills from Tilgear are the same price as those from
Screwfux and they don't charge any extra for P&P. Nor, IIRC, do they
have a minimum order charge.

"Paul C. Dickie" wrote in message
...
In article , IMM
writes
"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:
Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?
You're making a big assumption that customers won't return
When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.
Indeed.

Mr Glib-Simplistic seems to have overlooked the perfectly obvious point
that, once customers have found alternative suppliers -- some of which
may be only a short drive away and may have a friendly face rather than
a disembodied voice on the end of a 'phone line -- they may not perceive
any desire to return to a company that seems unable even to give a ****
for their business. But that's Andy Hall, isn't it? He even likes the
way that Dyson suction cleaners are overpriced...

The trouble is you are confusing perfectly obvious to you to perfectly
obvious to everyone. Mr Glib-Simplistic wasn't saying returning customers
were right to return, just that they probably would. When they do,
sheep-like to the fold, you will be in the unenviable position of admitting
Mr G-S was right!


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

(MBQ) wrote [quoting some local rag]
"The web site has grown rapidly since launched several years ago and
last year processed about £70m of orders."

which doesn;t stp them stuffing up every order I've ever placed with
them. The latest is missing 3 tile saw rods and instead I've got a
cheap and nasty spirit level that no-one in thier right mind would
want.

In article , Paul C. Dickie
writes
In article , IMM
writes
There is also UNIFIX direct too http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/ . UNifix are
v good for fixings and they stock much the same range as S'fix. Their
catalogue is similar in size and feel to Sfix. Why all this obsession with
one mail order company. Many companies do much the same thing.

And some charge the same -- or less -- for the same items. For example,
the 6mm long twist drills from Tilgear are the same price as those from
Screwfux and they don't charge any extra for P&P. Nor, IIRC, do they
have a minimum order charge.

I obviously did *not* remember correctly; not only was the £1.29 price
for a 6mm long series twist drill shared by Screwfux and *Axminster*,
but also Tilgear (who charge £1.50 for that same item) charge £3.95 P&P
on orders under £50. That said, they're appreciably less expensive than
Axminster for some items, such as the Vertex ER25 collet chuck set.

--
Paul

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
writes
In article ,
Pete C wrote:
Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of
B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

Screwfix have a vastly bigger range than B&Q - of the things they sell, as
it were. And I'd guess people would get stroppy if the B&Q website showed
things in stock the shops didn't have.

It does.

What's more, if one telephones the local branch of B&Q to ask if they
have a given item in stock and one is told that item is there in
plentiful supplies, there is no guarantee that it *will* be available
when one has sped down a quarter-hour later. Should one bother to ask
why one had been misinformed, they'll either deny all knowledge of the
query or else claim that one had asked about something else...

--
Paul

On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 08:35:51 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:

In article , IMM
writes
"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:
Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?
You're making a big assumption that customers won't return
When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.
Indeed.

Mr Glib-Simplistic seems to have overlooked the perfectly obvious point
that, once customers have found alternative suppliers -- some of which
may be only a short drive away and may have a friendly face rather than
a disembodied voice on the end of a 'phone line -- they may not perceive
any desire to return to a company that seems unable even to give a ****
for their business. But that's Andy Hall, isn't it? He even likes the
way that Dyson suction cleaners are overpriced...


It seems as though the reality is that you tried to order some stuff
for a job and were thwarted in doing so.

Why did you try to do so in the first place? Simple. it was
because you didn't want to spend the time looking for other suppliers
on the net or in bricks and mortar places locally.

In due course you will probably go back to net suppliers simply
because it saves time as do most people who use net suppliers.

Why do people go to B&Q warehouses? Again simple. You are more
likely to find more of the things you want there than in smaller DIY
sheds and on average probably cheaper.

I am sure that most people view Screwfix in the same way - a
convenient one stop shop with reasonable prices on most things and in
general giving good delivery.

Nobody is denying that their move has been a shambles.

Does it mean that it will affect there market position in three months
time?

Very doubtful.


..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"IMM" wrote in message
...

"G&M" wrote in message
...

"IMM" wrote in message
...


Screwfix is aimed at the trade, although they welcome DIYers. B&Q is
aimed
at DIY, except that the newish B&Q Warehouses are aimed at the trade
and
welcome DIYers. One B&Q Warehouse employee said their direct
competitor
is
Wickes and they aim to be always £1 cheaper. Can't say I've noticed
them
undercutting Wickes. And every Wickes place I see has builders vans
outside
which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

They've succeeded here in Stockport. Wickes is nearly empty most of the
time and the B&Q trade desk and dedicated entrance/exit is opening for
longer hours.

I believe B&Q Warehouse do trade accounts. I don't know if they give
extra
discounts.

Nope. Just standard "pay next month" terms. And delivery is still
extortionate.

In article , Bob Mannix
writes
"Paul C. Dickie" wrote in message
...
In message , Andy Hall
writes
On Thu, 7 Oct 2004 21:10:44 +0100, "Paul C. Dickie"
wrote:
Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?
You're making a big assumption that customers won't return
When it's easy to order and shipments work, most people have pretty
short memories.
Mr Glib-Simplistic seems to have overlooked the perfectly obvious point
that, once customers have found alternative suppliers -- some of which
may be only a short drive away and may have a friendly face rather than
a disembodied voice on the end of a 'phone line -- they may not perceive
any desire to return to a company that seems unable even to give a ****
for their business.
The trouble is you are confusing perfectly obvious to you to perfectly
obvious to everyone. Mr Glib-Simplistic wasn't saying returning customers
were right to return, just that they probably would.

Some will, but others won't. Those customers who have taken the trouble
to seek out new suppliers will probably have found that other companies
offer goods that are better made, cost less money or are better made
*and* cost less money. They'll almost certainly have found that other
companies do not share the ethos now apparently adopted by Screwfux that
customers are there for the amusement of their remaining staff.

Unless they are masochists, why the hell should they return to a company
that seems to have decided it could do without their business? Unless
they are sadists, why the hell should they recommend Screwfux to anyone
at all?

It's not unlike the way that the rotten Ruthenian, "Robert Maxwell",
treated his customers when he was running Maxwell, Sprenger & Co. -- he
put all his efforts into finding new customers rather than satisfying
the needs of his *existing* customers. As a result, not a few of those
(existing) customers took their trade elsewhere and they didn't come
back.

--
Paul

IMM wrote or quoted:
"Andy Kelly" wrote in message

Their website has a notice saying that they can't take orders at the
moment and the contact centre isn't taking calls.

Either they are re-grouping and trying to sort out their delivery problems
(which I've never had a problem with) or are just about to go belly up.

I reckon the latter.

They have just moved home, and installed a new computer system, so I
believe.

A different message today:

``Screwfix.com is temporarily unavailable.

Due to our website unavailability over the last few days, we are
experiencing very high traffic levels at Screwfix.com. In order to
maintain a high level of service we are managing the number of users
able to access the website at any one time. Please try again later.''

Trying again later produces the same message.

It sounds like their new computer system is having teething problems.
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.

IMM wrote or quoted:

There is also UNIFIX direct too http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/ . UNifix are
v good for fixings and they stock much the same range as S'fix. Their
catalogue is similar in size and feel to Sfix. Why all this obsession with
one mail order company. Many companies do much the same thing.

Their web site boasts:

``OVER 5 DECADES OF EXPERIENCE SERVING _ONLY_ THE TRADE''

- http://www.unifixdirect.co.uk/Shopping/why2.htm

A bit of a turn-off for the home DIY enthusiast.
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.