Hardware Stores
Bunnings Modbury Warehouse
It feels to me like I'm forever popping into here for some little thing or another - and I always find what I want! Prices are (as promised) low, but I reckon it's actually the huge choice available that keeps bringing me back. If I want a $12 fan I can buy one here, but can also buy a $100 fan. Same for gardening gloves, tools, lawnmowers, weed killer - all are things I've gone in for. They didn't have any heaters in October which was a bit disappointing, but then again no-one did.
Recently I took back an electric lawnmower that had died, it was their brand and they were very helpful with the return process, had to go through a couple of hoops as I didn't have the complete proof of purchase but they made it happen and so I bought another (more expensive) one there. That's the sort of thing that will bring me back again and again.
The Modbury store isn't huge but the customer service has been friendly and helpful when we could find someone - however there's not always enough people. Reliably good Bunnings prices mean it's a good place to pick up the basics, but if you are looking for something specific, half the time you'll need to try a bigger store or order it in.
Admittedly customer service is a fairly new concept for Bunnings. They've only been making the effort for a few years now, and prior to that it was standard practice for their staff to run and hide whenever they saw a customer. These days their staff do really make the effort to be helpful, but sometimes it's out of their hands.
A few days ago, at the Modbury branch, I wanted a bit of advice on plumbing but couldn't find an assistant in the plumbing area. Eventually found someone a few aisles away, who kindly switched her phone to the PA system and called for someone to help me. Went off to attend to someone else, but still no-one came to help ...read more