It is too bad there is only a couple of places to buy building material in Kenora. My last episode at Kenora Home Hardware was poor at best. Most encounters with staff at HH have been OK but an episode in the yard has put me "off" Home Hardware. Rude, angry, belligerent staff is NOT customer service.........Don't be bullied by the yard staff.
I recently purchased 30 sheets of T&G fir plywood at $39.95 each plus taxes. I went the yard to load and was directed and assisted by a young man. The pile was poorly covered and after we removed a few damaged sheets on top it was obvious that the rest were soaked with water. I asked about opening a new bundle and the fellow told me they would be wet as well. He and I loaded 21 sheets on my trailer and then had to open a new bundle, I needed 9 more. The new bundle was dry and obviously much better condition. There was no comparison in quality between the 2 bundles. I asked if we could see if the tongues and groves would line up and then found the first sheets were so swollen that it was impossible to get the tongue into the groves side. The new bundle was also from a different manufacturer. I told the young fellow that I did not want the first sheets and that I wanted the dry ones. He said he would have to ask someone and went away. He returned with another fellow who was very angry and rude. He asked me why I waited until they were loaded before I decided I did not want them. He said I should have said something earlier. I told him I had no idea that there were better sheets and on seeing the dry ones, I recognized that they were better, also from a different manufacturer. He was still insistent that someone would have to unload them. I offered to help unloading them and also suggested that I could go back inside and get a refund and buy my material somewhere else. He told me to drive my trailer to the end of the row. The other guy told me he was going to take the originals off with a fork lift. I drove down to the end of the row. The rude fellow returned with a forklift and took the wet sheets off my trailer and after afew minutes returned with the new, dry sheets and put them on the trailer and left without looking at me or saying a word. I covered and secured the load, NO assistance offered by the yard staff, and began to leave. As I passed the office, the 2 guys were standing there with another fellow. I slowed down and the rude guy, with his back to me partially turns and asked if I wanted a flag. I said do you think I need one and he just motioned me away by waving his hand at the gate. Rude, disrespectful, far from good customer service.
