how come staff at box stores know nothing baout their products?!?!?!

[Soundguy]

I knew i was pretty much a given that parts gus at parts stores didn't kow squat about the parts and machines. but was hoping that hardware stores and such might still have some people in their specific departments who knew a lil. got home from work last night around 9pm.. kitched faucet had developed a good leak. lowes is open to 10pm and 15m away. headed over there. there were 3 delata faucet rebuild packs. I had not disassembled mine yet in case no parts were available. store guy looked mor ethan lost. I've rebuilt most of the other faucets and shower valves in the house in the last 15 ys.. so had an idea of what the innards of a delta single handle was gonna look like.. but the guy at the store sure didn't. there were large packs witht he top cups, new ball valves and the orings plus springs.. and hten just the kit with e sprigs and oring seats. he had no clue what stem type i needed for a kitchen.. so i opted for the small pack with springs and seats as they would get the leak stopped for now. once I had it apart it was obvious i will need to swing back by lowes o nthe way home and get the rest of the kit as the top cup is worn .. lowes could have saved me a trip and 7$ by hireing people who actually know something.. or could at least peck at a computer and pretend to.

why no more skilled labor?

an untrainded person can't do my job? I knew more about the faucet innards that that poor schmuck did.... sad..... and i HATE plumbing..

 

[DFB]

Its a do-it yourself warehouse I think that implies that your know what your doing when you shop there :laughing:

Maybe you would have been better off going to Walmart

Obviously they get the quality of help they are willing to pay for

 

[Scooby074]

Bargain stores = Bargain staff.

 

[Soundguy]

Bargain stores = Bargain staff.

i don't consider lowes a bargain store.

If i was at dollar general.. i'd expect low cost service.

 

[Bird]

Just suppose you go to work at Lowe's tomorrow to replace that guy who knew nothing. How long do you think it would be before you knew all you needed to know about what is needed to repair every brand of faucet in the store; much less know what all the other products in the store are.

Of course I've encountered some people in the big box stores (and elsewhere) who didn't know nearly as much as I thought they should know. But more often, I'm surprised that they know more than I expected.

 

[Soundguy]

Its a do-it yourself warehouse I think that implies that your know what your doing when you shop there :laughing:

Maybe you would have been better off going to Walmart

Obviously they get the quality of help they are willing to pay for

it's a box store.. not a 'spray ityourself' pest control sales place.

these ar ethe same people that offer clinics on the weekends on how to build things. roofing.. lighting/electrical.. put in a playground. etc. same as home depot.

you'd THINK they might hire someone who knew what all the shiney parts on the wall were for?

I can sure tell you in my job.. if I didn't know what all the neat boxes with lights and slider and buttons did.. or where any of the cables went.. and just waited for other to know what to do with them. i'd be in a bread line!

 

[Bird]

I can sure tell you in my job.. if I didn't know what all the neat boxes with lights and slider and buttons did.. or where any of the cables went.. and just waited for other to know what to do with them. i'd be in a bread line!

And how long did it take you to learn all that, and at what salary, and how many different pieces/parts and brands are involved?

 

[Soundguy]

Just suppose you go to work at Lowe's tomorrow to replace that guy who knew nothing. How long do you think it would be before you knew all you needed to know about what is needed to repair every brand of faucet in the store; much less know what all the other products in the store are.

Of course I've encountered some people in the big box stores (and elsewhere) who didn't know nearly as much as I thought they should know. But more often, I'm surprised that they know more than I expected.

if I go to work somewhere.. I make it my job to know my area. at least my department.

I was surprised all right. the staff knew :ESS than i expected. It took 3 people to get me the 'plumbing guy as the first 3 i asked didn't know -anything- about plumbing. the plumbing specialist at least recognized teh word delta there were 2 possible master kits for my sink. and one basic kit. I knew the basic kit would fit. all delta of that style post 76 use the same type spring and cup rings. pre 76 ther eis a different spring / cup ring. in actuality. I see that all the 'soft' parts in either master kit would have worked. the difference was in the 'ball' and stem. I shoulda just bought both and then when i took it apart. and saw what fit, returned the other.

as far as every brand faucet in the store. they carry 3 and the kits for all 3 delta is the only one on the shelf that has more than 1 kit. heck.. for their showers.. there is only 1 cartridge even... .. i take that back. ther eis an early and a late cartridge.

if I worked there.. I'd know my job!

when i was in college.. I worked for a water meter company. we built everything from fire hydrants to large strainer assemblies.. industrial high flow with bpass meters, distribution assy for apartmets and neighborhoods and right on down to individual low service meters. we imported bronze and cast iron parts from south america, poly carbonate and graphite parts from USA and poly parts from usa. we assembled and tested everything on site at out plant. Jobs at that plan included warehouse, rcv and ship, repair and rework, stocking and maintenance, testing, R&D, production area top and bottom plate meters, fire hydrants, strainers, back flow, manual read, remote read, and computer encoded meters ) and office/sales staff.

By the time i graduated college.. I had worked in every department at one time or another except outside sales.I made it my job to know my job. I took pride in my work. it wqasn't a 9-5 puich the time card and go home drink a beaer and watch tv and know nothing about what I did....

too bad many americans don't care about their work. what's even worse is many apparently don't care that others don't care. as evidenced here...

 

[Soundguy]

And how long did it take you to learn all that, and at what salary, and how many different pieces/parts and brands are involved?

much of that equipment can be understood top to bottom by understanding signal flow. how many different parts and pieces. in-numerable. take a phone book... imagine that's a catalog. you can easilly fill 2 of them .. one for stage audio.. the 2nd for lighting.

how long depends on the person. I work with guys that still don't know what they are doing half the time.

salary? bottom of the level for that industry.....

 

[Soundguy]

i see where this thread is going.

there's apparently a whole lot of people out there with real low expectations and real low job qualification and work ethic.

bundle all that up.. and no wonder we import everything and the staus quoe is so low.

thread's been an eye opener.

people are very tolerant of substandard service.....