My Sears rant

[green.bubbly]

Yesterday in the tools forum, I asked for suggestions for a wrench to fit a certain problem I was working on. Several members offered great suggestions. Crowsfoot wrench or a spanner wrench and a open end ignition wrench.

So after work today, I drive across town to the local Sears. 5:00 traffic to get to the mall where Sears is located. The only time I ever go to Sears is for tools and that is not often. But generally, if I need something other than a cheap set of sockets, I head to Sears. Home of the fine line of Craftsman tools. Sears, the store known for its tools.

I walk in and head straight o the tools section where I was promptly greeted by a young female clerk. Asked if I needed some help, I ask where the crows foot wrenches are. Blank stare in return. How about open end ignition wrench I ask? Blank stare. I even go as far as showing her an open end wrench and explain the difference f the ignition wrench. No luck.

Then I try asking where the spanner wrenches are. I could almost see the tears in her eyes. I tell her not to worry about it and I would just look around. So I come across some nice stubby short open end wrenches which might serve my purpose. Every size except the 15/16 I needed. She joins me again and I ask her if they have this wrench in 15/16.

A few moments later, she excitedly handed me a wrench and said here ya go. Only problem, it was a 5/16.


I then asked if there was a computer where we could go the the Sears website. She led me to one were I did a search for spanner wrenches and found several. I select the first one and asked if they stock it. She pulls out a piece of paper, writes down the item number and disappears for about five minutes. When she returned, she told me that they do not stock that item. I of course abandoned any attempts of having her check other item numbers.



So what is the reason for this rant? It shows just what is wrong with some American companies. Sears is known for its tools. They should have a knowledgeable person working in tools. They should have a quick way of seeing if an online catalog item is actually available in the store. But this answers why Sears will soon be history.


Now to top it all off, when I get home, I decide to go to www.searsfeedback.com and let them now why I will never step foot in their stores again. At the end of the survey/feedback there was in big letters, a statement stating that when I click submit, there would be no notification of the submission.

But as soon as I hit submit, guess what? A nice pop up window thanking me for my submission.

 

[Steves32]

When I was building my garage- I need a 1 5/16" deep well socket for the strong wall bolts. If anyone would have it, it would be Sears.
Think again. Nothing over 1".
Pathetic.
I had to borrow one from a buddy who works on HD machinery. I hate borrowing!

 

[BillK]

I just want to add my take on this.

Why did you go to Sears instead of flagging down the Snap On truck and getting the tools you needed from him ? I bet the answer is "because Snap On is too expensive" Well personally I think you get what you pay for and 99% of the American public is not willing to pay the price to get good customer service. Would you be willing to pay 20 or 30 percent more for the Craftsman tools if that is what it took to get a knowledgable salesperson in the store ? Maybe, just maybe a few of us here on this forum would, but sadly the rest of the people would not. They just want price, price, price.

This seems to be happening everywhere, not just Sears. Try to find an auto parts store counterman that really knows something about auto parts Go to Home Depot and see if you can find someone that knows as much as you do about lumber And it goes on and on. The problem is it is nobody's fault but our own.

Just my opinion,

 

[PassnThru]

I've seen good - I've seen bad. It's really hit or miss. I'm not sure how that's different at any other store in any other department. Unless you're willing to pay a premium at a specialty store dedicated solely to a specific range of items.
Who knows - maybe the normal tool department guy was sick and she was filling in? Maybe he worked as a mechanic and is part time there just for the discount and something to do with his time after he retired?
Then again - maybe they don't care. Hard to tell from one experience.

 

[green.bubbly]

So I walked out of Sears with a fine piece of forged in America steel. Which I then hack at with a grinder to hopefully get it to do the job I need it to do.

 

[Joe B.]

From what I understand, Sears has commissioned sales people and cashiers as separate positions. It sounds like you talked with a cashier. BillK makes a good point. Everyone has to compete with Walmart these days.

 

[green.bubbly]

I just want to add my take on this.

Why did you go to Sears instead of flagging down the Snap On truck and getting the tools you needed from him ? I bet the answer is "because Snap On is too expensive" Well personally I think you get what you pay for and 99% of the American public is not willing to pay the price to get good customer service. Would you be willing to pay 20 or 30 percent more for the Craftsman tools if that is what it took to get a knowledgable salesperson in the store ? Maybe, just maybe a few of us here on this forum would, but sadly the rest of the people would not. They just want price, price, price.

This seems to be happening everywhere, not just Sears. Try to find an auto parts store counterman that really knows something about auto parts Go to Home Depot and see if you can find someone that knows as much as you do about lumber And it goes on and on. The problem is it is nobody's fault but our own.

Just my opinion,

To answer your first question, I went to Sears because generally, I find that Sears has a great selection of quality tools. Now,. I am not a mechanic by trade so my tool collection is not top of the line. Why did I not flag down a SO truck. I needed the wrench today(which is why I drove across town in rush hour traffic to get to Sears) and honestly, the chance of me seeing a SO truck to flag it down is pretty slim.

Now with that said, I just paid $13.99 for a single 15/15 open end wrench. In my book, that is a lot of money for a wrench. No clue what SO would costs but I am pretty sure I could have found one a lot cheaper.

I have no problem paying a premium for a good quality tool if it is something I will use regularly. I have a decent Craftsman socket set. I have a damn good hammer. Now my metal nibblers came for Harbor Freight because I used it once and will probably never use it again.


I would be willing to pay 15% more to have a knowledgeable staff help me in some cases. Like when I need help. I guess my opinion of Sears was that they stood for tools and they were a tool man's store. I expect lousy service from HD or Lowes but I always pegged Sears as the place I go when I need a quality special tool. I was just disappointed to see what i experienced today.

I guess it would be the same as stopping a SO truck to find some still wet behind the ears rep that had no clue what a crowsfoot wrench was. Perhaps I expected too much out of Sears.

 

[Vettman]

I feel your pain! I too remember when Sears hired salesmen that had knowledge of the items they were selling. You needed house paint? You could usually shop with confidence that the salesperson would steer you in the right direction. Tools, sporting goods, major appliances, yard maintenance, clothing, all these people had experience and could offer sound advice. Somewhere in the 70's or 80's they began hiring anyone willing to take your money and show up for work at probably min. wage and with little or no benefits. Everything went downhill from then on.

 

[Trucky]

I actively seek out the older personnel, they seem to know what's what. The younger guys know a bit too, but not as much in my experience. I don't even bother with the new folk.

But as long as they're nice and respectful, I really don't care how much they know. I know where mostly all of the tools are, and while they should know something about them as well, I don't find it too detrimental.

The guys that are usually around the lawn mowers and paint know the most out of all of them, at least at the local store.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Now with that said, I just paid $13.99 for a single 15/15 open end wrench. In my book, that is a lot of money for a wrench. No clue what SO would costs but I am pretty sure I could have found one a lot cheaper. .

I think you may be the only person who has ever said this about SO...the words "cheaper"and Snap On are RARLEY used together!
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=hand&item_ID=4448&group_ID=517&store=&dir=catalog

I personally find almost all salespersons pretty much useless wherever I go. I actually try to avoid them when shopping and rely on myself to find/figure out what I need.

Though I do admit when you need them to find something or look something up, it's hard to find a good one!

 

[BillK]

Now with that said, I just paid $13.99 for a single 15/15 open end wrench. In my book, that is a lot of money for a wrench.

Dont take this the wrong way as I absolutely do not mean the following in a personal manner.

Your comment above reinforces what I said about price. The equivelent Snap On wrench is probably in the $45 range, maybe more ? Being in business myself, I cannot for the heck of me figure out how someone can manufacture that wrench, then sell it to Sears, and then have Sears sell it for $14 I would be totally amazed if Sears makes any more than $1 on it, if that.

 

[ket-tek]

My local sears tool section downstairs looks worse every year. But the appliance section upstairs continually gets remodeled every few years, it's kept up nicely, and is well lit and fully staffed.

Downstairs the shelves are unorganized, and the tool selection continually seems to shrink, the lighting is dim with bad bulbs/ballasts that never get replaced, and it's just overall like they stopped trying. The inside of my 15yr old Sears at the local mall looks about like the decrepit 40yr old kmart across town that nobody goes to anymore. And the crafstman tool display in the kmart is not even worth mentioning..

It's unfortunate, my dad always had craftsman tools, and usually went straight to sears to find what he needed. I try to give them chances, but they are never stocked up and commonly give some hassle about replacing tools or try to give a lower model non-equivalent tool in trade.


Sad to see, but with every chain store now offering 'lifetime warranties' on their house brand tools craftsman doesn't stand out as much to the average consumer these days.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Just be glad you didn't ask her for a gland wrench or she might have slapped your face.

 

[PeteW]

I don't disagree that the store employees should be more knowledgeable than the majority are, but Sears does have a website that lets you easily check the local stores' stock level.

The website even lets you pay for the part online and then pick it up from the willcall counter by the warehouse.

They do have to compete with HF, Wallmart, HD, etc, so they have to cut costs somewhere and highly trained sales staff are expensive. I think the website and willcall features pretty much make up for that.

 

[ChrisF250]

Its not just Sears which is the bad part, I was in Home Depot the other day and a man was trying to explain that he needed nails to hang plywood, though he did not know the special type of nail. The clerk and the customer were clearly not understanding each other as he was trying to sell the man a brad nailer. After more awkward conversation, I mentioned that he was just looking for a coil of ring shanks. Now the part that kills me is I applied for a job at home depot to supplement my income while I was away at college. I filled out a resume, as I have experience in the field, and the only job I was offered was over night stocking. These companies hire purely based on standardized questions which equate to absolutely ZERO knowledge of the field which they are applying, as you must have noticed today. In my opinion good employees are just not matching up with the correct jobs which is a Human Resources problem. The other day I go into a LOCAL hardware store ask the clerk what I'm looking for and am escorted right to the product.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You guys have to remember that Sears is not Sears any more. They were bought out by Kmart several years ago.

Some Wall Street types are predicting the company will declare bankruptcy within a few years.

BTW, over the years I have gotten many things from Sears, including my wife. I was working my way through college, she was full time. Later she worked in Hardware. This lady knows tools !

 

[May Pop]

This is also YOUR fault. Nobody wants to pay much for what your buying. So the stores are not paying for the highest quality workers. GET OVER IT WHINERS. If you go to the store and dont even know what you want then the you deserve to get an idiot sales person. Take responseablity for what you are doing. Dont blame it on a kid whose is being paid to run a cash register.

 

[green.bubbly]

I think you may be the only person who has ever said this about SO...the words "cheaper"and Snap On are RARLEY used together!
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=hand&item_ID=4448&group_ID=517&store=&dir=catalog

I personally find almost all salespersons pretty much useless wherever I go. I actually try to avoid them when shopping and rely on myself to find/figure out what I need.

Though I do admit when you need them to find something or look something up, it's hard to find a good one!

Guess I could have worded that better. I meant that I could have found a cheaper wrench at some other store such as HF or Lowes.

 

[wolflrv]

I agree Sears and most other big box stores mostly **** anymore for service or knowledgeable staff. Luckily I live in a small town and deal often with the local Sear Aux store and also the Lowes and Ace Hardware here. I pretty much know where everything is in all 3 stores..sometimes better than some of the employees and I also know who actually has answers when I have questions.

What I find hilarious is going to the Harbor Freight store which is about an hour away from me and trying to hunt down anything or get any help at all. I have found one older black guy that works there though that is at least interested in what the tool is and what it's used for. If he's working when I go, he helps me find the stuff and I try and help educate him on it's uses.

I guess I just don't expect service anymore...even though I worked in service industries most of my career before the jobs got outsourced to foreign countries. If I do find knowledgeable and helpful folks..you can damn sure bet that's where I shop and I always try and let management know who those employees are too! And I'll also drive right past the "cheap" store, just to get that service and gladly pay more for it!!

 

[ludakris04]

I just want to add my take on this.

Why did you go to Sears instead of flagging down the Snap On truck and getting the tools you needed from him ? I bet the answer is "because Snap On is too expensive" Well personally I think you get what you pay for and 99% of the American public is not willing to pay the price to get good customer service. Would you be willing to pay 20 or 30 percent more for the Craftsman tools if that is what it took to get a knowledgable salesperson in the store ? Maybe, just maybe a few of us here on this forum would, but sadly the rest of the people would not. They just want price, price, price.

This seems to be happening everywhere, not just Sears. Try to find an auto parts store counterman that really knows something about auto parts Go to Home Depot and see if you can find someone that knows as much as you do about lumber And it goes on and on. The problem is it is nobody's fault but our own.

Just my opinion,

I agree with you 100% but it doesnt always come down to price but company attitude. I worked for years in the auto biz, mostly as a parts counterman but had a mechanical background. I always considered myself one of the better around and it led me to a desk job doing the same type of work. Only then it was to make Service Writers jobs easier. The problem we were seeing was that dealerships where hiring less experienced writers and they needed to be walked through everything. We had to dumb down the information. Anyways, I always missed the dealership. I liked being around cars and helping out car people. The problem was that you were always despensible in that world. 401k? Paid Training? Vacation? Raises? Accurate Commission? I never felt that I was treated as a valued employee let alone an educated or talented one. As cars and tools become more complex there needs to be a big change in the company climate of the automotive industry as well as the tools and services that support it. With out it, its just going to get worse. $.02

 

[ludakris04]

Its not just Sears which is the bad part, I was in Home Depot the other day and a man was trying to explain that he needed nails to hang plywood, though he did not know the special type of nail. The clerk and the customer were clearly not understanding each other as he was trying to sell the man a brad nailer. After more awkward conversation, I mentioned that he was just looking for a coil of ring shanks. Now the part that kills me is I applied for a job at home depot to supplement my income while I was away at college. I filled out a resume, as I have experience in the field, and the only job I was offered was over night stocking. These companies hire purely based on standardized questions which equate to absolutely ZERO knowledge of the field which they are applying, as you must have noticed today. In my opinion good employees are just not matching up with the correct jobs which is a Human Resources problem. The other day I go into a LOCAL hardware store ask the clerk what I'm looking for and am escorted right to the product.

A friend of mine who is a licensed electrician tried to get a job at Lowe's after he was laid off. They told him he was over qualified and they didnt have anything for him.

 

[DodgeZ]

I just want to add my take on this.

Why did you go to Sears instead of flagging down the Snap On truck and getting the tools you needed from him ? I bet the answer is "because Snap On is too expensive" Well personally I think you get what you pay for and 99% of the American public is not willing to pay the price to get good customer service. Would you be willing to pay 20 or 30 percent more for the Craftsman tools if that is what it took to get a knowledgable salesperson in the store ? Maybe, just maybe a few of us here on this forum would, but sadly the rest of the people would not. They just want price, price, price.

This seems to be happening everywhere, not just Sears. Try to find an auto parts store counterman that really knows something about auto parts Go to Home Depot and see if you can find someone that knows as much as you do about lumber And it goes on and on. The problem is it is nobody's fault but our own.

Just my opinion,

This is correct. Americans won't pay Americans to work. This is why HF has taken off.

 

[darkk]

I always bought SK brand tools when I was working. I didn't like Snap On for two reasons. First they are priced out of the ballpark, two they are too narrow and hurt my fingers with any real pressure on their wrenches. Granted Snap On is a quality tool, but so are SK. I still have most of my original SK brand tools that I bought back in the early 60's. Over the last 50 years I have probably purchased in excess of $45,000 in SK brand tools. Snap On would have probably cost me nearer to $ $90,000. I now buy Sears tools when necessary because they have the same style/feel as the SK brand. For medium duty and home use, in my book you can't beat Sears tools....

 

[VWandDodge]

From what I understand, Sears has commissioned sales people and cashiers as separate positions. It sounds like you talked with a cashier. BillK makes a good point. Everyone has to compete with Walmart these days.

No they don't because even Wal Mart is becoming a victim of being low scale and cheap that it's trying to improve it's image and bring more quality goods to the market.

As others have stated, Sears hasn't been known for tools (quality or otherwise) since the mid-1980s. There are too many people stuck with the mindset that "dad always bought from Sears/grampa always bought from Sears, so that's why I go there".

The Big Box stores are a problem. Earlier someone mentioned finding a knowledgeable person at Home Depot regarding lumber. Here's a thought -- why don't you people actually crack open the Yellow Pages and search out stores that specialize in a particular product (ie tools, lumber, plumbing) rather than trying to find everything all in one location and expecting quality? I searched high and low for some lumber for a project at Lowes and was disgusted at the quality and options. Rather than settling for ****, I headed to a local lumber store where I found more options, great quality, and the prices were more than reasonable.

 

[Wildstar]

I want to know who lives anywhere near a place that you can "Flag down an SO Truck." I drive through a part of town that has auto repair places by the **** load, and see a tool truck of any brand maybe once a month. How the hell am I going to flag down a truck on a particular day when I need a particular tool? Notgonnahappen.

 

[DodgeZ]

I want to know who lives anywhere near a place that you can "Flag down an SO Truck." I drive through a part of town that has auto repair places by the **** load, and see a tool truck of any brand maybe once a month. How the hell am I going to flag down a truck on a particular day when I need a particular tool? Notgonnahappen.

I think that was the point he was making.....

 

[cashishift]

All the smart tool guys left because of the pressure to get the stupid Sears cards, I'm sure this is no different than any other store that pushes them.

 

[SuperSocket]

I just want to add my take on this.

Why did you go to Sears instead of flagging down the Snap On truck and getting the tools you needed from him ? I bet the answer is "because Snap On is too expensive" Well personally I think you get what you pay for and 99% of the American public is not willing to pay the price to get good customer service. Would you be willing to pay 20 or 30 percent more for the Craftsman tools if that is what it took to get a knowledgable salesperson in the store ? Maybe, just maybe a few of us here on this forum would, but sadly the rest of the people would not. They just want price, price, price.

This seems to be happening everywhere, not just Sears. Try to find an auto parts store counterman that really knows something about auto parts Go to Home Depot and see if you can find someone that knows as much as you do about lumber And it goes on and on. The problem is it is nobody's fault but our own.

Just my opinion,

I do not buy snap-on as I would craftsman... it has nothing to do with the price but has everything to do with the availability. No snap-on truck is going to be around when I need it... much less be interested when I need a single tool.

I read everyday about some shop that was snubbed by the snap-on truck because they do not make enough purchases or for whatever reason... what makes you think a driver will come out for me?


In your argument you argue price related to customer service.... yes.. but lets compare it to cars:

Maybach and Rolls Royce will have superior service and knowledge with their cars... but so should Cadillac and BMW. I should not have to buy a Rolls Royce to get a salesman that would know the product.


The fact of the matter is that even small shops should know their products...but lets make no mistake... Sears isn't exactly a small outfit. I would expect "I don't know service from Harbor Freight", but the fact of the matter is that I have found HF staff to be more knowledgeable than Sears staff.



There are plenty of car and tool nuts out there who can work a register and are willing to take minimum wage jobs or even entry level jobs... so Sears does not really have an excuse for this.


Now it may be entirely possible that the Sears cashier was from a different department filling in... but then who is supposed to be selling their tools... and who is working the other department?

 

[SuperSocket]

This is correct. Americans won't pay Americans to work. This is why HF has taken off.

So no Americans work at HF stores, logistics, head quarters, or anything like this?


What has killed the industry is not Americans doing the work... it's the fat cats at the top doing the coin counting.

 

[Mad40er]

I want to know who lives anywhere near a place that you can "Flag down an SO Truck." I drive through a part of town that has auto repair places by the **** load, and see a tool truck of any brand maybe once a month. How the hell am I going to flag down a truck on a particular day when I need a particular tool? Notgonnahappen.

^this

 

[Boiler]

We'll only pay minimum wage earners to sell retail. Our harbor freight is full of early 20's late teens girls. Our sears is full of similarly aged guys. None of them know much, but the guys like to think they do. I'd rather have someone clueless than annoying...

They are all competing with Walmart (and harbor freight). As is Snap On. Maybe not directly, but at some point they all get considered together. If Stanley tools were free at walmart, there would be a lot of people that would go grab 10 sets of everything and just let em break / replace with set #2.

I like going to my old local hardware store (just not for tools). Everyone that works there is old as dirt, knows what you're talking about, and knows where it is (or where I can get one somewhere else). And when you buy bolts there, they cost about 4x what they cost at McMaster Carr, and about 10x more than the **** at Lowes. But I'm not going to blow an hour driving to Lowes and wandering around to save $3-4 on a handful of bolts.

 

[ChrisF250]

\
The Big Box stores are a problem. Earlier someone mentioned finding a knowledgeable person at Home Depot regarding lumber. Here's a thought -- why don't you people actually crack open the Yellow Pages and search out stores that specialize in a particular product (ie tools, lumber, plumbing) rather than trying to find everything all in one location and expecting quality?

Every "specialized" tool store around here has pretty much gone under since the addition of a home depot about 10 years ago. Theres a couple but were talking over an hour a way which is an absurd distance to travel if your looking for something like ring shanks like I mentioned. Lumber is a joke at the big box stores their tolerances are awful and can result in borderline dangerous building practices that can be seen by some local contractors. I understand that people should know what they are looking for but to have the lack of experience and knowledge as demonstrated by some sales people reflects very poorly on the company. Also Ive been in a privately owned Sears store that I had never been to. I had to ask them for something I couldn't find and with no hesitation they knew what I was talking about. Which brings us back to that corporate owned stores have poor hiring and placement practices which result in diminished employee knowledge which results in customer experiences such as the OP's

 

[skiingman]

Your comment above reinforces what I said about price. The equivelent Snap On wrench is probably in the $45 range, maybe more ? Being in business myself, I cannot for the heck of me figure out how someone can manufacture that wrench, then sell it to Sears, and then have Sears sell it for $14 I would be totally amazed if Sears makes any more than $1 on it, if that.

No successful retailer is going to devote floor space to slow moving space consuming product like individual wrenches unless the margins are extremely good, like better than keystone good. Forging wrenches isn't exactly expensive. The raw material is about a dollar a pound and the tooling defines simple. I'd be "amazed" if Sears' cost on that wrench is more than three Washingtons...and that is including transit and the manufacturer's margin.

Snap On's cost will be very similar. What you are missing is that price has NOTHING to do with cost, and EVERYTHING to do with what people are willing to pay. Snap On buyers are willing to pay much more for a variety of things that add up to superior customer service.

In your business you'll do well to remember that: find the services people are willing to pay the biggest premium for and focus on them.

 

[rburke65]

I was in a local hardware store and asked if they carried 1/4' plate glass....for a table top replacement that I had broke. The kid says he carries single and double strength! I asked again about the thickness and he just sort of looked at me like I was speaking Russian or something....nevermind!

 

[Ford12508]

I work in a local hardware store, not a lowes or anything. It seems people are just always in a bad mood with me except for a few good souls. As soon as someone walks in the door and gets a few steps inside, I ask if they need help and I get these answers like "Im doing something over your head kid" or "You won't know what it is I need even if I describe it". Well half the time the idiots grab something completely wrong. Someone today needed 6-32 1" machine screws and said "I don't need your help," with some attitude for no reason. He came up to the register and put down some 6x 1" wood screws. I told him that its not what he was looking for, he says something along the lines of "I have a little more knowledge than some kid with a summer job about this stuff." He was back an hour later with a fan that now was not attaching to the mounting bracket on the wall.

 

[stan.riner]

What you are missing is that price has NOTHING to do with cost, and EVERYTHING to do with what people are willing to pay.

I'm glad you pointed this out. This concept of economics is often forgotten.

What I don't get about Snap on is this:
I can't fathom that they couldn't sell well more than twice the amount of product at half the prices. I've got one Snap On tool in my box and I would certainly like to have more if it weren't for cost and availability issues. I don't get the seemingly intentional limiting of their product. Why not make a deal with a bigger retailer for distribution?

Also, the other day a tool I got from HF was being the junk that it is. I told my wife that if I every try to go there again, to hit me in the face!

 

[ludakris04]

I work in a local hardware store, not a lowes or anything. It seems people are just always in a bad mood with me except for a few good souls. As soon as someone walks in the door and gets a few steps inside, I ask if they need help and I get these answers like "Im doing something over your head kid" or "You won't know what it is I need even if I describe it". Well half the time the idiots grab something completely wrong. Someone today needed 6-32 1" machine screws and said "I don't need your help," with some attitude for no reason. He came up to the register and put down some 6x 1" wood screws. I told him that its not what he was looking for, he says something along the lines of "I have a little more knowledge than some kid with a summer job about this stuff." He was back an hour later with a fan that now was not attaching to the mounting bracket on the wall.

I used to deal with this when I was a 20 something working the parts counter in the dealership. The outside shops dealt with me on the phone everyday, but once in a while would walk in the door. They couldnt believe this "young punk" behind the counter could take care of what they needed. Old timers with new cars were the most sceptical.
Now when I go to these stores I usually have my first question ready to go, if they cant answer that one I move on...

 

[SuperSocket]

I'm glad you pointed this out. This concept of economics is often forgotten.

What I don't get about Snap on is this:
I can't fathom that they couldn't sell well more than twice the amount of product at half the prices. I've got one Snap On tool in my box and I would certainly like to have more if it weren't for cost and availability issues. I don't get the seemingly intentional limiting of their product. Why not make a deal with a bigger retailer for distribution?

Also, the other day a tool I got from HF was being the junk that it is. I told my wife that if I every try to go there again, to hit me in the face!

As a business you would never want to do that.

If you can produce 10 parts and make 10 per part, it's better than producing 20 parts and making 5 per part. 20 parts is twice the liability, twice the logistics, warranty, production, tax, staff, etc. Selling at 10 per part allows for good overhead expenses and additional support and quality control.

Don't get me wrong, but I would love to see them produce at half the price myself... but no business will do that when they are in such a lucrative corner.

 

[stan.riner]

As a business you would never want to do that.

If you can produce 10 parts and make 10 per part, it's better than producing 20 parts and making 5 per part. 20 parts is twice the liability, twice the logistics, warranty, production, tax, staff, etc. Selling at 10 per part allows for good overhead expenses and additional support and quality control.

Don't get me wrong, but I would love to see them produce at half the price myself... but no business will do that when they are in such a lucrative corner.

That's why I said "more than". I'm thinking 20 parts and say you make 7 per part. You just increased your profit 40%.

I'm sure they've had some smart people study it and they're maximizing profits but it's just hard to believe that those price are at the profit-maximizing points.