This is my story:
I am refitting my bathroom and needed a flexi pipe to connect the cistern to the mains water. I knew exactly what I wanted and thought, rather naively, that the guys at my local Plumbcenter would be able to help. I walked into the Plympton branch, and as I was the only customer, smiled at both the men behind the counter. One of the men looked at me and looked down, and the other just scowled. I nearly turned around and walked out, but as I needed the pipe, I decided to carry on regardless. I explained what I wanted and the scowling guy said he didn't know what I was talking about and passed me over to the other charmless man. I explained again that what I needed was a flexipipe of 500mm with two female 15mm ends. The charmless man then looked in his tiny drawer and told me that he didn't have what I wanted. At no point did either man try to provide me with a solution, I was just told to get a plumber to do the job. (I found exactly what I wanted on Ebay 10 minutes after leaving the pit of misery they call a trade counter).
I found the atmosphere positively hostile, and couldn't have been made less welcome if I'd walked in wearing a t-shirt saying, 'Hug me, I've got Ebola Virus'.
I don't know who is responsible for training their staff, but whoever it is really ought to be in a different job. I would hate to think it was because I'm a woman, because usually men are very accommodating and helpful if they know I need assistance with something. I use builders merchants and DIY stores all the time and have renovated my whole house and I have never experienced such shoddy and unfriendly treatment.
I will never use Plumbcenter again and will tell anyone who will listen to avoidthe Plympton branch like the plague, unless they are particularly masochistic and have a burning desire to have their day ruined by a couple of gormless cocktards. read more
