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View Full Version : More Brain Gas, Borg Related



Tyler Howell
08-07-2004, 8:22 AM
Was just thinking (yah! I know that's dangerous):o Lots of complaints about the BORG lately.
There ain't nothing like the good old fashion lumber yard or the corner hardware store where they at least know your face. :cool:

Where you can sort through the piles for the stock you want.
Harry or Joe the yardman will point you to some select stuff he's been saving for friends.
They have the actual parts for your 100 year old plumbing.
You don't have to beat that part to fit your project.
The plywood and 2X aren't pre warped.
They know what your talking about and can interpret home owner confusion.
They'll help you get loaded and tied down.
No I didn't finish that case of Chivas like I threatened. :eek: I've been there!
The Borg is there because we asked for them. Nothing that happens here in the Creek (IMHO) is going to make them change or go away.
Some days and most projects I have to have the best price, or quick access to a lot of items.
My message is don't let the corner hardware store and local lumber yards disappear. We can support them guys and give them our love. They give it back with interest. $$$$$ Talks.;)

Waymon Campbell
08-07-2004, 8:31 AM
Well said Tyler...

The way we can keep the borgs from taking over is to give our business to the local "mom and pop" stores when we can.

Jason Roehl
08-07-2004, 7:05 PM
I envy you guys who have good mom-n-pop operations in your area. We have a few around, but they're not very good. They do have a loyal following, but their stock and selection are poor, their prices are outrageous, and their customer service, albeit a bit more knowledgeable, isn't a whole lot better than the local borgs. Not to mention, our local hardware stores are politically connected in a way I don't approve--not in terms of party affiliation, but in terms of permit issuances (have to spend $$ in certain stores to get your occupancy...). That, and the former owner of one is still running around "consulting" with people, advising them to use exterior oil-based paint--a nightmare for us painters who know better.

Sorry, my little rant....:D

Tim Morton
08-07-2004, 8:57 PM
Hers my "borg" rant for the day....I went down to the local lumber yard looking for about 20 sheets of drywall for my basement. 4x8 1/2" sheets were 10.50 and I know that the Borg carries them for about $6 last I checked. So I got in my car and made the 20 mile drive to save $80 bucks. But I get down there and they have no 1/2 left and the 5/8" were $9.10 a sheet...still cheaper than the local store but I did not want to carry 20 sheets of 5/8's by my self..so I went to the lumber guy at the borg and asked if they had stock of 1/2"..Nope and he sat there talking to a buddy while I struggled with the 6 sheets of 5/8's I needed for the walls I did today. Out to the truck i went.. .struggling again with the sheets while employees walked past my car and offered NO help.....THATS THE LAST BORG PURCHASE FOR ME...THE REST OF MY BASEMENT WILL GET DONE WITH LOCAL LUMBER. :mad:

John Miliunas
08-07-2004, 10:02 PM
Well, if it makes you guys feel any "better", I'm kinda' hosed from BOTH ends! There's a place nearby, which has some lumber, a few tools, drywall, paint and misc. hardware stuff of that nature. The people are nice enough and "try" to be helpful, but more often than not, I walk out of there empty-handed! :( Yeah, good place to open a lumber yard! That's what they call themselves, but selection is poor, prices extremely high and electrical or plumbing good are almost non-existent! I feel the pain Jason refers to. :(

Our HD has a pretty good selection of construction wood, lots of tools, hardware and they have a LOT of electrical and plumbing stuff. BUT, like Tim and some of the others have said, the staff is little more than "clerks" and I have yet to have *anyone* there give me a hand loading my truck! :mad: And, after reading all the "gloats" about Bessey's or other closeouts at their local HD, I've pretty much given up trying to find that stuff at the one nearest us!

So, in the end, my locals are pretty useless AND expensive. The HD is far away, cheaper and does have better selection, though their customer service leaves much to be desired. We do, however, have a Menard's a bit closer than HD and the selection is pretty good, decent prices and much better customer service, though the quality of some of their products may be borderline or below. One of these days, I'll find a decent place. Until then, it's still pretty much, "flip a coin"... :cool:

Jason Roehl
08-08-2004, 8:34 AM
Oh, yeah, about the truck-loading thing...I've got a story there. Unless I absolutely need the help, I don't want it. I want to know my load is safe and secure (at least to my standards). I once bought 30 bundles of architectural shingles (83 lbs each) from Menard's and got help loading. I was figuring it would speed things up greatly. They sent two young "gentlemen" out with the shingles to help me load up. No problem, thinks I, I'll just let them hand them to me while I arrange them in the truck. First off, I had to tell them to actually hand them to me, not just set them on the tailgate where I would have to pick them back up. Then, I don't think they realized I was even there with all the whining they did (I didn't say anything). I'm 6'0", and at the time was about 145 lbs. I EASILY kept up with the two of them handing bundles up to me, and me setting them in the front of the bed (fullsize truck, 8' bed). At one point, one of them knocked three bundles on the pallet over onto his ankle (more whining, more delay, he walked away just fine later).

I have gotten a few strange looks from the clerks when I'm wheeling out 3/4" plywood and said I didn't need help loading, but, I want to load the plywood, not fight some pimply lackey to get the wood in the truck. When I do need the help, I ask the cashier, I don't wait for them to try to figure it out--that's just the way it works around here, so I'm not going to fight the system; it doesn't take any major effort from me to ask.

Tom Mullane
08-08-2004, 8:42 AM
I am lucking in one aspect that I have a small locally run lumbermill in the area... nicely run and friendly...
You get to go out to the yard and pick the hardwood you need and they will custom mill it for a nominal price... of course I am limited to local hardwoods mostly (oak, walnut, cherry and pine) however they do also carry brazilian cherry and teak.. which they mill for custom flooring... so I can usually find some really nice stock on that occassionally..
But for tools, etal, I am stuck with the yellow or blue BORGS... of the two the blue BORG is better here.. they seem to have actually hired knowledgeable people who want to help.. and most of them are old enough to respect a work ethic...
I believe a lot has to do with the manager of the store.. and it seems the manager of our blue borg is a nice guy and it shows in the way his employees treat people... I bet it also shows in his sales compared to the yellow borg... LOL... been to that store 3 times and that was 3 times too many..

Jim Becker
08-08-2004, 9:04 AM
For me, the tradeoff is sometimes "time". I have an excellent local full-service lumber yard and their prices really aren't out of line. In fact, they are sometimes competitive with the 'borg. The problem is...their hours. Since they are geared more towards the professionals in the area, they are not open later than 5pm and only have weekend hours on Saturday morning. Same with the local electrical and plumbing suppliers.

So the 'borg are a necessary evil in many respects as their schedule mirrors my schedule for projects, particularly when "something is missing" and one needs to run out and get it to complete the job "now". But they do #$%^ me off sometimes, especially since they have been moving more and more towards only carrying things that sell in large quanities which sometimes limits choices. That kind of thing delays jobs since I have to order in from someplace out of the area if I really want something specific that is no longer stocked.

"My 'borg" (about 7 of them...) also don't stock some things I wish they did, like 1/2" MDF in 4'x8' sheets; they only have those 2'x4' panels which is fine most of the time, but not always. Oh well, like someone already pointed out, "we" all asked for the low prices in a sense (as a society) so we now have to live with the net effect...

Chris Padilla
08-09-2004, 11:38 AM
I have two HDs...one is 1.5 miles away...the other is 1.4. I'm told the reason they are so close is they didn't want to give the space to Lowe's. My closest Lowes is 20 or so miles away...never been there. One HD is TONS better than the other one for stock, help, # of chashiers, and good help. It is all in the management...ALL OF IT! Frankly I'm amazed how quickly I get checked out there. The bad HD is a tad closer and faster to drive to and it is bigger and easier with loading up many sheet goods but I'm finding myself heading to the other one more and more lately.

My local hardware store chain (Orchards Supply & Hardware for you Cali folks) is located 0.25 miles away...I often walk there and they are more expensive but often have more supplies of more fittings for plumbing and other misc. items. They help is tons better and the check-out is good and they are closer. You don't buy wood/ply/sheetrock from OSH but I get just about everything else from them.

Jim hit the nail on the head with store hours: the good plumbing and electrical and irrigation and lumber warehouses are typically not open on the weekends when us Weekend Warriors need them to be. Of my 3 favorite lumber stores, only 1 is open for LIMITED hours on Saturday morning. The other 2 are M-F, closed at 5 pm.

I've often wondered why they don't change their weekend to Sunday/Monday and have normal office hours Tuesday thorugh Saturday. I wonder if it would make a difference to their bottom line? I sure would visit them more and spend more I can guarantee that! :)

James Carmichael
08-12-2004, 9:48 AM
Yup, I miss the Mom & Pop HW stores, too. I used to patronize them at every opportunity, it was very nice to walk into a store, hold up a bolt, screw, or whatever that I needed, and have someone lead me straight to it. But the two that were near me are sadly gone. :( , although one closed because the owner retired and now spends his days fishing on Lake Benbrook :p