B&Q Staff A Bit Thick These Days?

[Keefy]

I used to be the "Expert Plumber" in a B&Q warehouse (don't laugh, had the badge and everything!!!) local to me which was great as I had a decent/negotiated regular wage and small, easy, quick jobs from customers every day on my way home from work which the company wouldn't have been happy about if they'd found out.

Anyway, I was led from the premises after decking a customer 3 or 4 months into the job which is another story but having recently started visiting B&Q with customers again after boycotting them I've noticed the staff are, to put it nicely, thick and clueless. I'd be here all day if I was to tell you all the situations I've found myself in with staff not having a clue how to use a tape measure etc. When I worked there you had to be a qualified/time served tradesman in whichever department you looked after; Qualified Plumber=PLUMBING DEPT Qualified Joiner=JOINERY DEPT Qualified Electrician=ELECTRICS DEPT Anyone off the street but been on a Dulux course=PAINT DEPT...

What's happened to the staff these days as they drive me up the wall because they don't seem to understand questions containing trade terminology like "Where can I find the bathroom extractor fans please?"

Answer: "Are you after a little plug in one or a tall one that moves sise to side?"

 

[Scott_D]

I work on the tills at B&Q many years ago.

 

[SimonG]

Spent a bit of time in Canada. Went to home depot, there version of bnq. Wanted two sheets of plasterboard. Needed them in half. Bloke comes back with hand saw. Had to show him how to cut plasterboard with a Stanley knife.

Find a lot of merchants the same.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Find these days it’s school leavers / part time collage workers there’s no go in some of them eg wanted some post mix so asks ( as online says there’s basically a pallet somewhere 300+ bags) and get a blank look then says no we can’t as we only stock up bulk items at night

 

[Aquarius]

I applied for a job when I was an apprentice, but was automated telephone interview, I didn’t get it. However I’ve not shopped at B&Q for ages, as my nearest one closed, and it’s a 15-20 minute drive cba with that.

TP manage our stores and they have some decent knowledgeable staff and a couple of others who are similar to what you describe. I was asked by the manager once, “what are you doing behind here(trade counter)?” My reply was “picking my own items, as your staff don’t know what or where it is”.😂

 

[Keefy]

Only recently opened an account with Cliftons after a friend recommended them, mentioned his name alongside the word 'discount' and they immediately became family.

 

[JCplumb]

I once had to go to BnPoo for a pair of fibre washers to fit on the end of a set of those horrible offset adapters that come with some Triron showers.
I asked a member of staff for a pair of 3/4 fibre washers, he told me he didn't know what they were so he paged the plumbing dept expert. Couple of minutes later he arrives and asks me what I need, I tell him a pair of 3/4 fibre washers but the opening in them needs to be big as it's for a shower connection. His reply was :
''There haven't been any imperial measurements used in plumbing since the 70s, I can show you some 22mm washers''
I wasn't in my work clothes so probably looked like a DIYer, I told him I'm a plumber and again asked for 3/4 fibre washers to fit a 3/4 BSP male union.
I kid you not, he actually walked backwards away from me for about 5 seconds then buggered off. Didn't say a word.

 

[Keefy]

@JCplumb During my short stay with Block and Quayle I had so many happy customers filling out forms praising my patience and helpfulness that the management accused me of getting friends and family to randomly fill them out. I kid you not.

Apparently the employee with the most thumbs up at the end of each month got something like a £50 bonus in their wages. All the while I was there 'Keefy on the Plumbing and Hardware Depts really helped me out today' type notes dominated that post box and I never got my bonus, it always went to whoever came second because apparently I was 'Obviously rigging it for my own benefit'... CNUTS!

 

[Aquarius]

His reply was :
''There haven't been any imperial measurements used in plumbing since the 70s, I can show you some 22mm washers''

Maybe it’s the same plumber who works for us, he phones me one day and asks for some 15mm fibre washers, my reply was “I haven’t got any, but you can have some 1/2” ones though”😄

 

[Ric2013]

[....] I never got my bonus, it always went to whoever came second because apparently I was 'Obviously rigging it for my own benefit'. CNUTS!

And you didn't raise a grievance through your trade union?

Yes, good old B and Q. The Colchester branch used to keep tap wrenches in its plumbing department (cause they're obviously for water taps?). No one bought them...

 

[Keefy]

I was with the JIB at the time (is that a kind of union, not even sure now?) but I didn't even think of challenging them further as it was water off a duck's back to me. Probably missed a trick there.

Not sure I understand the bit about tap wrenches...

 

[Ben-gee]

I’m guessing tap as in tap and die, for cutting threads?

 

[Ric2013]

I was with the JIB at the time (is that a kind of union, not even sure now?) but I didn't even think of challenging them further as it was water off a duck's back to me. Probably missed a trick there.

You probably did best to ignore it. First few months into a job and already raising a grievance relating to discrimination may not be the best way forward when you have very little job security anyway.

It's not actually a trade union (source: Electrical Contracting Industry (Hansard, 26 October 1999) - https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1999/oct/26/electrical-contracting-industry). That said, a look at its website suggests it may be able to help with this kind of thing as if it were a trade union, so it might have been an option.

I’m guessing tap as in tap and die, for cutting threads?

Correct!