Tales from the Woodcraft

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fritzmccorkle

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Nov 20, 2004
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245
Location
Noblesville, IN, USA.
True story....happened only yesterday. I'm checking out and see under the plexiglass at the register that they have a face shield on sale. being the good looking guy i am (ok...so it was true up to this point) i was interested. i told the lady checking me out (my favorite woodcraft employee by the way) that i'd like to look at those. she told me that that was last month's ad and yelled over to the other guys to ask if they were going to take those out. two guys come over....pull out the ad. i say to one of them "so i guess i'm not going to get it for 14.95?". now i'm a funny guy, but i didn't really see any humor here. he on the other hand had never heard anything so funny and was havnig trouble standing from laughing so hard. meanwhile the lady had gone and found them. i told her i didn't want one. now...is it just me??? i wasnt' real happy. i did buy the rest of my stuff. i shop there often and don't wanna be jerk, but i did feel kinda bent over.
 
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Ron Mc

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Feb 2, 2005
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Location
USA.
WoodCraft is the only store that I won't go in anymore. The help has no idea what they are doing and I quit honestly love asking them a question to see what they tell me. I heard they had renaissance wax on sale so I ran down there and asked one of the employees to show me where the ren wax was. We went to the right area and he looked around for it and then told me they were out. Of course. Then I proceeded to lift a can of the shelf and said,"I'll be darn here are about 9 large cans of it!". Typical day at woodcrafts.
 

ldimick

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Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
407
Location
Westminster, CA, USA.
I go there all of the time - to show them the latest CSUSA kit I have made. [:D] They all love the Emperor and they told me that they were considering stocking them. But they figured no one woulds pay the $$$ for the kits.

It is better than Rockler though.
 

Ron Mc

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Feb 2, 2005
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2,138
Location
USA.
Lynn,
Great thing about Rockler is I can browse and I never get bothered! Do people work there? By the way, I'm a Dad and I know everything![:D] I love your signature.
 

ldimick

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Dec 26, 2004
Messages
407
Location
Westminster, CA, USA.
Ron,

My first grandchild was born in September. My mother sent him that shirt. He wore it on Thanksgiving. My son, his father, was not overly amused. [}:)]
 

Gary Max

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Oct 30, 2004
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6,224
Location
Southern Kentucky
Fritz---we where just in that Woodcraft store a couple weeks ago------gee what happened to the place. Stock sitting everywhere---plies on the floor---the folks working there where lost. I have been wanting to buy a PM gouge with the metal handel. I found the gouge but not the handel--no one knew where they where---we waited for a half an hour on someone that was late for work. They said he could find one---heck he never showed up. By this time I was getting very unhappy so me and my money walked out the door.
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2005
Messages
1,343
Location
Orrum, NC
Strange, our WC employees very knowlegeable folks and go out of their way to be helpful. They know me by name and they let me ask questions or complain about prices [B)] I do understand they are a retail store and do not wholesale, but they do have some thing that would cost too much if I had to pay s/h. [:(!]
Aren't these store individually owned & operated? If this is the case the store will only be as good as the owner and manager makes it.
 

johnson

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Nov 6, 2005
Messages
104
Location
Minnesota, USA.
They seem to have gone downhill since they started franchising the stores out. Ours went from a good store to a warehouse for Dewalt to a manager from a restaurant to a lady manager who is also a woodworker. Time will tell if the owner will let her hire people that know something rather than the ones that come the cheapest. Every time I go in there, I end up "working" because I know more than some of the staff and I would rather bring someone into the woodworking fold than see them leave in frustration.
 
M

Mudder

Guest
As with any franchise, the service is only as good as the help. It is sad that you received poor service from one particular store but that is no reason to knock Woodcraft as a whole. I am lucky enough to live in a fairly small state and I have 3 woodcraft stores within an hours drive from me. One store stocks very little product and most stuff has to be ordered. He does have a huge shop that he rents out and runs a whole bunch of classes and seminars. Another is very clean bright and well stocked but the employees are mostly college students and know little about woodworking. The third one is the one I like the best and just happens to be the closest. The owner is a woodworker and is also the manager. His two grown sons are both very knowledgeable and work there full time. I have always received great service and advice so that is the store that I frequent. They may not have the prices that BB, POC, Woodturningz or some others have but I know that I can go there and get what I need and not have to wait. If I ever have a problem with an item I can bring it back on my next visit or for up to a year for that matter and it’s taken care of with no questions asked.
 

Mikey

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Nov 3, 2005
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1,293
Location
Cleveland, OH, USA.
I find that Woodcraft can have great service depending on the day you walk in the door. Some days I get great service where the guy will answer every stupid question I have. Then there are other days where I can't leave fast enough. Rockler has been impressing me lately with their service. I have neevr had a bad experience inside a Rockler, only those times when stuff was out of stock. (aside from their high lumber prices)

I would be sending WC corporate a letter right about now letting them know that you felt you were treated badly. I think they would rather make $2 less for an item than lose a customer.
 

Rifleman1776

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Dec 18, 2004
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7,330
Location
Mountain Home, Arkansas, USA.
I've pretty much given up expecting good service anywhere. Small 'Mom and Pop' owned stores might be the exception. But bigger businesses just don't care. What they care about is being able to hire someone for minimum wage then hope they quit before being eligible for unemployment compensation and medical benefit. Our local Home Depot is so bad an employee can be standing in an isle and not know what products he/she is surrounded with.
 

Tangboy5000

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Aug 11, 2005
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364
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
The WC here is like a boys club. All the guys are retired from their careers and now just hang out around the front of the store and BS while they drink their coffee. They know their stuff when you can pry them away from chatting. My biggest gripe is the 1 item in stock when they run a sale, so of course it's gone when you get there. Rockler is okay, but I think they lose more sales to harrassment than anything else. You can't go more than 2 minutes without someone asking you if you need help, and alot of times it will be the same guy over and over again. I've seen 5 different altercations in that store due to this "helpful" attitude.
 

alamocdc

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Apr 26, 2005
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7,970
Location
San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Charles, I've never seen that from the Rockler store there. They usually ask me when I first walk in and leave me alone unless I pull one of them aside. No experience w/WC in Cinti though. Ours here has at least three members of my woodworkers assoc on the payrole so they knowledgable enough.

Fritz, Wayne is right. The posted price should have been honored... legally, though it's too late to do anything about it now.
 

fritzmccorkle

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Nov 20, 2004
Messages
245
Location
Noblesville, IN, USA.
i'm not knocking woodcraft wayne. i'm just telling what happend this weekend. before my current job i worked next door to them. i was there every day. lets face it. they know me. in general i prefer rockler. i called both places and needed something rockler didn't have though. at least i got what i wanted. just wasn't happy with the other situation. we used to have a company store here, but it went out of business a good while back. this store is a franchise and has been here a couple of years.
 

Czarcastic

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Jun 22, 2005
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262
Location
Largo, Florida, USA.
Wow!
I'm really surprised by some of the comments about Woodcraft. I guess I'm just lucky to have a great one right near me. The people there are incredibly helpful, friendly, and knowledgable. I've gotten sale prices before - and after - the sales were in effect, and I can't think of any time I've had a bad experience there.

I know there are times when I can find the same item for less elsewhere, but I give them my business because they are always there with good advice and helpful knowledge when I need it.

They've even matched other stores' sale prices for me several times.

As mentioned, they are a franchise, so I'm sure a lot has to do with the individual owner and manager.

Has anyone who had a bad experience ever tried talking to the franchisee, rather than the manager? They are usually not the same person.
 

Fangar

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Apr 27, 2005
Messages
1,837
Location
Wilton, CA, USA.
My Local Woodcraft has some really nice and helpful employees. I really don't need help with tool or product applications, I just need them to help me find stuff int heir store. They are always helpful and leave me alone when I want it to be so.

Sorry to hear you had that experience. I am sure had you spoken up, they would have given it to you for the price. IF not, I would phone the owner / manager. Like Wayne said. If it is posted in the shop, they must honor it.

Fangar
 

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
I know the owner of my local franchised Woodcraft. He is great-his store sometimes leaves room for improvement.

The Woodcraft in Illinois (where I shopped BEFORE they built one in Milwaukee), has now become one of three owned by the franchisee in Madison, WI. All the knowledgeable people (old guys with wood working experience) have turned over. Current staff (when I stopped going in about a year ago) is useless.

Moral: They ARE mostly franchises and the guy with his money on the line is VERY interested in pleasing you. But, if he lives in Madison and he owns a store in Illinois, his level of involvement COULD be an issue. (Your mileage may vary!)
 

ldimick

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Dec 26, 2004
Messages
407
Location
Westminster, CA, USA.
My local Woodcraft has some good people and some less than good people. I have found that there are two common things that the employees have - a love of woodworking and a desire to get the employee discount on tools, supplies, etc.
 

pensbydesign

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Apr 12, 2005
Messages
842
Location
ware, ma, USA.
yesterday i was at my local woodcraft store, pick up a new face shield the sign on the shelf said it was on sale but at the register it was full price, they did sell it to me for the sale price with no problems.
 

Woodnknots

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Feb 5, 2005
Messages
839
Location
Carrollton, VA, USA.
When I bought my new lathe the other day, I talked to the Franchisee, and he gave me a discount on the lathe, and then on top of that, gave me 10% on EVERYTHING else I bought that day. They weren't having a sale, either. Most of the employees are very knowledgeable, and everyone there is friendly.
 

Rifleman1776

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Dec 18, 2004
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7,330
Location
Mountain Home, Arkansas, USA.
It costs a half a million dollars to start a Woodcraft franchise. On top of that is debt service, employees and a whole whoop of other overhead expenses. First year is probably a million dollar committment. With all that, I find it hard to understand why a store owner (franchisee) would allow less than qualified and friendly people to work in his store. It is a general rule of business that a please customer will relay his experience to about three people. But a displeased customer will spread that experience to twenty or thirty people. Nevertheless, we all experience bad service in many retail establishments. It's a strange world.
 

53Jim

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Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Messages
235
Location
Kaukauna, WI, USA.
I find the horror stories hard to believe, cuz my local WC has great employees who know what they're talking about, well except for one guy. The owner has even helped me with a few problems in the past. It's a nice feelong to hear your name called when you walk in the store, almost like I'm Norm and I'm walking into Cheers. Another thing I like is that I seem to have about 8 birthdays a year, which, so far, has saved me about $200.00

I usually buy my large tools from WC and some of the blanks, but I will buy my kits from BB from now on.
 

fritzmccorkle

Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2004
Messages
245
Location
Noblesville, IN, USA.
the people i've dealt with have all been very nice. i've met the franchise owner and he was a real nice guy also. but i couldn't get the sales price on the face shield. i asked. they laughed. oh well. i'm not trying to indicate they are incompetent either. sooner or later i'll need something that they have that rockler doesn't have and i'll need to go back. it was just a disapointing experience.
 

Thumbs

Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2005
Messages
872
Location
Muncy, PA, USA.
You guys complain......... There are 3 WC's in PA. None of them are less than 2hrs. from me! I don't suffer these problems! Most everything is mail order or internet for me. The only knowledgeable salesman that I know is Fritz! Boy, does he know how to sell stuff! [:0][}:)]

Well there is the "Grizzly" place, but that's it! ........
 

woodwish

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Joined
Jan 29, 2004
Messages
966
Location
Lynn Haven, Florida, USA.
Wow Bob, you have one within 2 hours! My closest is more like 4 hours each way so anything I get from them is also mail or 'net unless I am out-of-town for some reason. I have been in maybe 5 or 6 different ones in my travels and all have been as friendly and helpful as I could expect. Once I remember the young man that was helping me apologized for being a woodcarver and not a woodturner, and that the woodturning expert was off to lunch (this was in Mobile, AL). We started talking and I left with $300 worth of woodcarving stuff, I guess he was a pretty good salesman or I am a real sucker. Never sold any carvings but I do love making them. [:)]
 

GregD

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2005
Messages
474
Location
Marion, OHIO, USA.
My local WC is 50 miles away. Needless to say I don't get there very often anymore. I wait until I have a pretty good list of things I want then go. I thought about having it shipped but they want $8.95 for shipping now.
Otherwise the staff there is very knowledgable. They help as much as you allow them.
 

HuskyDriver

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Joined
Nov 16, 2005
Messages
37
Location
.
I have a WC in th the same town I live in. Several years ago it was a real bad place to shop. It seemed like you had to be part of some elete club to get any service. They seemed to give all of there atten. to a small group of people and if you didn't spend great sums of money there they didn't seem to want to give you the time of day. I got so frustrated I send a email to the corp. headquarters. I got a very nice reply and even a 10% discount coupon. I was so frustrated with the store I just thanked him for the discount but elected not to go back. Now, years later I chanced to go back and found all new employees who seem to know what there talking about and are very helpful. My only complaint is that the store dosn't seem to be stocked real well and its too close to home. I only have to go about 1 block out of my way to get there on my way home from work. Also its about a mile and a half from my house. To close to keep me from spending too much money there.


Greg
 
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