They Opted For Cheap

I met an old timer at Sears the other day. But, that's getting ahead of my story. I'm going to be involved in a special project this week, and the engineer coming out to assist me asked me to have certain tools on hand. One of them, a deburring tool.
Now, don't feel bad if you don't know what that is. I spoke to a number of people who sell tools for a living and they didn't know what one was either.
I started my trek thinking I'd just pick one up at the local Orchard Supply Hardware on my way back from the post office. I scoured the tool walls two or three times before I asked someone where the deburring tools might be. The first one I asked was a clerk who said she didn't work the tool department all that much, but she'd get someone who did.
Player number two didn't quite know what I wanted either. I knew that when he got on the radio and asked if they had any "deburrowing" tools. He got hold of someone, player #3, who was at least clear on the concept, but the only deburring tool he had was one used for plastic pipe. Not quite what I had in mind. When I asked where I might find one, they suggested that since Sears had a larger tool department, I might try there.
Sears.
Back around the corner from...the post office!

Now just let me say that I don't shop Sears much anymore. OSH got bought out by Sears and carries Craftsman and Kenmore and such. And while Sears has more tools, OSH has more stuff! (I get a lot of stuff from OSH!)

So, I trekked on back to Sears and began the process again: Scour the shelves, ask for assistance. Player number four wasn't exactly sure what I wanted, but was doubtful that he had it.
"Joe would know", he said. And sure enough, in a couple of minutes, along came Joe.

Joe was a little on the wizened side. He looked like he could be in his eighties (sorry, Joe!) but when I told him what I wanted, he knew exactly what it was and where it was and took me straight to it.

I told him he was probably the only one in the store who even knew what a deburring tool was. He agreed with me. I told him I needed some cutting oil and he quick snatched a bottle off the shelf. In just a few minutes, I had all I needed, shook his hand and thanked him for his expertise.

I got to thinking about the experience and decided that there were at least a couple ways the retailers could have gone. One, was old school. Hire a bunch of "Joes" who know tools and know what they're talking about and compensate them fairly enough so they'll hang around. Two, was 21st century. Hire the young kids who can't tell a ball peen from a framing hammer, but give them access to the store's data base, either through the cash register or a separate terminal, where they could "Google", if you will, things like "deburring" tools if somebody asked for one, and if there's any in inventory, what shelf you could find it on. Or, you could go cheap. Hire a bunch of young and/or inexperienced clerks with the expectation that the majority of your business will be more common items that they will stumble across if the customer doesn't.

They opted for cheap. And that's really too bad! I felt a kinship with Joe, and if I knew Joe was going to be there every time I needed something, I'd go there first. Maybe I will, just on the outside chance that I'll have a real professional help me out if I need it. It was a real pleasure dealing with Joe. He made me forget about all the frustration I'd had up to meeting him.

There was a web survey on my receipt. I gave Joe very high marks. I just hope that someone's paying attention.