The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Wed Aug 05, 2009 9:08 pm**

not sure if this is the right area to post but you will love this one.
Do a lot of work for local authority, they have a yearly event in town leicestershire by the sea which the county council run due to local cut backs the council could not afford the sand pits 3 mtr x 2mtr 2 of from them as they charged Â£4500 for the two days. So being public minded and not wanting to miss out on free advertising stepped in and sponsored the event fitter to build 2 sand pits same spec out of shuttering with the labour Â£150. spoke to our local kxxxxxxe about sand they agreed then with a week to go informed me head office will not donate the sand, but i could buy it for Â£140 + vat per tonne. Went on the net found a quarry cardigan sand and stone who priced play pit sand @ Â£8.00 per tonne inc vat drove down today in the 7.5 tonner picked up 4 tonne with a discount of Â£3.60 for paying cash came too the grand total of
1 7.5 tonner 2 staff,diesel and sand Â£210
compared too 4 tonnes @ Â£140 = Â£560 + vat
i think iam in the wrong game

Posted: **Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:36 pm**

BMs are greedy bar stewards shocka!

While everyone's entitled to make a profit, it's always seemed to me that I'm happier taking a product, adding value and service, and then selling it on at a profit. Far too many BMs offer a pretty poor service, add almost no value and then whack on a totally unjustified profit. These bean-counter driven organisations are the biggest leeches in the modern construction industry, and I include bankers in that assessment.

How often have we heard "we don't stock that" or "there's no demand" or "could you not use such-and-such instead"? What happened to merchants that rang around and found what you wanted at a sensible price, and then got it delivered to site on the right day?

My main BM was like that, until he sold out to one of the nationals whereupon prices went up overnight by 30% while service went down by three times that factor, as affable, knowledgeable, local staff were supplanted by bean-counters from head office and the helpful yard staff were compelled to put more effort into ensuring no-one took an extra 25kg bag of sand and filling-in meaningless forms and stock sheets, rather than in trying to assist the customers. I moved my custom elsewhere, but then, 12 months later, the second-choice BM succumbed to the lure of a big wedge waved under his nose by another corporate outfit, and he went the same way.

There are good BMs out there, and some of them are part of a larger chain, but they are becoming increasingly rare, and that's a worrying trend.

Posted: **Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:13 pm**

when i served my time, the local bm were blacks and sons, nothing was to much trouble and we only placed small orders for chain/padlocks etc, just small stuff then keyline bought it.

now everything is a hassle for them, if it is`nt part off there national agreement your not getting it here. personally i always use the local hardware shop whose attitude is, don't fit bring it back and we`ll get the right part. ???

The Brew Cabin

Play pit sand - Sand