hardlines Digest Fri, 01 Aug 1997 00:03:59 -0500 V01 #27566 Today's topics: 'Freight / Shorts - Thanks' 'Bin Lables' 'Intro + Invitation to NHS Booth 10659' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 09:57:33 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Freight / Shorts - Thanks Hi: First of all, thanks for all the suggestions about employees wearing shorts. Second, has anybody been able to figure out their weekly TruServ Freight bill??? Is there a simple math formula for calculating this?? Last, has anybody notice a lot of this comment recently coming from the staff: "Do Not Bad Mouth TruServe " Why this "Gag" order?? Oh well, Have fun Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 12:46:46 -0400 From: "Mary A. Albee" Subject: Bin Lables We recently purchased an IST. For the last 5 years we've been printing our own Bin Labels with My Label Maker. It has a barcode function. I haven't been able to design a bin label that the IST will read. Labels using Code 128 *will* scan at POS, however. Has anybody tried using My Label Maker to design bin labels for the IST? Thanks for any help. McConnells True Value Naples Florida nfn00161@naples.net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 11:19:04 -0700 From: "Robert Larson" Subject: Intro + Invitation to NHS Booth 10659 I have been mostly lurking on this list since March or so, and thought I would finally introduce myself and my company. First, I should say that I enjoy reading the posts on this list as it reminds me of some happy days when I grew up in, and then ran a small family hardware store here in San Francisco. In fact (as many on this list seem to be) I am not the first generation of my family in the hardware business. One great- grandfather started a hardware store in Napa, California. Both grandfathers ran hardware stores, both parents worked in and owned hardware stores - my children work in my business which makes them the fifth generation in the business. Now I import and distribute to hardware stores (and other retailers) a complete line of hand woodworking tools. These are the tools that used to be in EVERY hardware store, and now are the niche of some stores. If you would like them to be a niche in your store - please do inquire! Address and such can be found below. This is an active plug and should be taken seriously. I also want to invite anyone attending the National Hardware Show in Chicago next week to visit our booth in the South building - booth number 10659. We will have a number of our products on display, the sales manager from the largest German chisel manufacturer in attendance, and you can meet myself and my VP of sales (yes, family). Finally, we will have internet service in the booth for the duration of the show and can be reached by email using NHS97@rlarson.com. Please use it as it will make me feel better for the price McCormick Place charges for it (you think food is expensive . . .) If you need to receive email, feel free to have it sent to that address with "Attention: Your Name" as the subject field. If you want to pickup your email in the booth that might be possible as well (if you know your pop3 server information). Hope to hear from those going to Chicago and those not going. I also look forward to reading more posts on what the retailer is facing in the way of challenges (San Francisco weather never made shorts an employment issue ). Robert =================================================================================== Robert Larson http://www.rlarson.com Robert Larson Company, Inc. 15 Dorman Avenue San Francisco CA 94124 USA Phone: 1.415.821.1021 or 1.800.356.2195 Fax: 1.415.821.3786 ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27566 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sat, 02 Aug 1997 00:00:14 -0500 V01 #27567 Today's topics: 'CIS --Update (GetCode)' 'unsolicited phone call' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 17:40:23 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: CIS --Update (GetCode) Hi: Just had the fun of updating the CIS program. If you have not, do so ---> they have made some improvements. Follow the GETCODE instructions and then the README file instructions (or call the Advice line) Have fun Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Aug 1997 04:40:44 -0500 From: Chuck Hank Subject: unsolicited phone call Tony stated: >make an unsolicited phone call and i put you on my vendor blacklist. >send me make an unsolicited phone call and i put you on my vendor >blacklist. >send me unsolicited merchandise and you'll get it back on the next >truck. and you'll get it back on the next >truck. Tony I probably get close to the same number of calls as other members and have a very high aggravation level concerning these issues, but as I thought of ways of stopping them I thought about writing my congressman and asking that laws be passed against being contacted unless it was previously solicited, and then I began to think about our direct mail pieces and wondered how many people this may offend because they have to take their time to remove the advertising from their newspaper or mailbox or whatever it maybe, then they have to throw it in the trash which fills up their trash can, then they have to dump the trash more often, and buy more trash bags, and I figured there were probably some people that this touches a nerve with, so I guess I really don't know where to draw the line, except the phone calls that come just as you sit down to dinner, I think we should be able to press a button on the phone and send a 220v shock back to the caller. See what I mean that is one of my nerves. Take care, Chuck Hank ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27567 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 03 Aug 1997 00:01:33 -0500 V01 #27568 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27567 ..unsolicited phone calls' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 02 Aug 1997 19:55:56 +0000 From: BERNARD RIELLEY Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27567 ..unsolicited phone calls Dear readers, I do not mind the hardware vendors calling. Its the long distance phone companies, and the NY or FL based stock brokers that get under my skin. If I get a call from a broker, or a long distance phone company, my immediate commet is that I only deal with my customers, so give me a mastercard number and expiration date so I can send him $200 of steer manure, freight collect. He then becomes a customer, and then I can talk to him. They hang up immediately, and I have never received a follow up call. Bernie Rielley Oakbrook True Value Tacoma, WA ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27568 ********************************** hardlines Digest Tue, 05 Aug 1997 00:04:10 -0500 V01 #27569 Today's topics: 'RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27567 ..unsolicited phone calls' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27567' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 4 Aug 1997 07:36:40 -0500 From: John Van Hengel Subject: RE: hardlines Digest - V01 #27567 ..unsolicited phone calls My Grandfather taught me the easy way. I interrupt the pitch with "Thank you, I'm not interested" you may optionally at "at this time." I give them 3-5 seconds to say "ok" or "Goodbye" If they keep talking I just hang up. 80% say a surprised "Thank you" and hang up. 10% just hang up. 10% I hang up. I resist the urge on the last 10% percent of asking "What part of NO did you not understand?" When I am in a mischievous mode and the long distance companies call I say "Sorry we don't have a phone" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 4 Aug 1997 16:04:29 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27567 In a message dated 97-08-04 13:21:49 EDT, you write: << people that this touches a nerve with, so I guess I really don't know where to draw the line, except the phone calls that come just as you sit down to dinner, I think we should be able to press a button on the phone and send a 220v shock back to the caller. See what I mean that is one of my nerves. >> Easy solution --> If one is talking about aggravations calls at home --> use either or both Caller Id Box and an answering machine. I use an answering machine at home --> very effective on the nerves. At work, I insist on knowing who is calling first -->if the callers name sounds phoney, leave that caller on hold for 30 seconds --> they would have hanged up. Have fun Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27569 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 07 Aug 1997 00:03:05 -0500 V01 #27570 Today's topics: 'Shorts' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 14:21:14 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Shorts Hi: Well, Schwartz True Value Hardware employees can now wear shorts. At the monthly meeting, all but 2 voted Yea. They also stimulated no short shorts, no spandex, and no raggy shorts. Thanks for all your inputs. Have fun, Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27570 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 08 Aug 1997 00:04:27 -0500 V01 #27571 Today's topics: 'Key Blanks' 'BOM Mania' 'Bargain of the Month Mania' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27570' 'Re: Key Blanks' 'Re: Key Blanks' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 07 Aug 97 09:03:06 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Key Blanks Dear Folks, I just got off the phone with my Brother. He has been selling keys on a sku for the last few months. We've been doing it for years. 10 key blanks account for 90 percent of the business. The rest of the blanks are window dressing. The customer perceives the value for a key-- any key-- is 99 cents. We charge $129 for a single-cut key, $1.99 for a double, and $2.49 for a "foreign car." I want to hold the line on the "A" movers while jacking up the pricing on the rest. Case in point is the BEST series of blanks. They are a pain, and there are several of them. I want to get a return on the investment. I need to be compensated for the extra effort to get them, inventory them, deal with the "do not duplicate or be destroyed" legend stamped on them, etc. I also want to make the slower moving items pull their weight. Here are some of the issues with expected customer comments. 1. Q. "This key is the same same as the rest. Why will it cost me 2.99? " A. "This is not one of our best sellers. It costs more money to handle the slow sellers. I either charge more or discontinue the key. I'm still lower than the locksmiths.." 2. Too much confusion with multiple key prices; better to charge the same for all. 3. Go mark up something else with fewer headaches. Regards, Bill Round ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 12:59:33 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: BOM Mania Hi: Can anybody explain the logic for the BOM's for December. I thought November was mind boggling, but now this? Thanks Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Aug 1997 13:16:43 -0400 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Bargain of the Month Mania At 12:59 PM 8/7/97 -0400, Rick Schwartz wrote: > >Can anybody explain the logic for the BOM's for December. I thought November >was mind boggling, but now this? > First, for those not getting True Value promo mailings, there is an auto-ship of four bicycles to all members. One bicycle is free, and supposed to be used as a giveaway item for a coloring contest. At the Spring market, the "free" bike was mentioned, but there was no mention of having to take three other bikes in order to get the "free" bike. It really is more like "Buy 4 Get 1 Free". I wonder if the guaranteed sale program works with this merchandise (i.e. give away the free bike, and return the other three in January). I don't think the bikes will be a problem in our store... we have a big housewares department, and a large seasonal decorations department. I'm sure we can sell all the bikes, and we might even get orders for other bikes if customers see the promoted cycles. However, if we don't sell all three, I wonder if we can return any of them? Frankly, if the contest is promoted well, having to buy a bike in order to give it away is not a big hardship. Perhaps you just want to order one bike for the giveaway, and cancel the other three. $50 for a Christmas giveaway isn't too bad, and it's a lot cheaper than sitting on $150 worth of unsold bikes. John ************************************************************************* John Fix 3rd http://www.cornells.com/john.htm John3@cornells.com (914) 961-2400 Cornell's True Value Hardware Manager/Cashier/Webmaster ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Aug 1997 17:32:11 -0400 From: Bob Boyden Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27570 hardlines-request@cornells.com wrote: > > hardlines Digest Thu, 07 Aug 1997 00:03:05 -0500 V01 #27570 > > Today's topics: > 'Shorts' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 14:21:14 -0400 (EDT) > From: RICKSS1@aol.com > Subject: Shorts > > Hi: > > Well, Schwartz True Value Hardware employees can now wear shorts. At the > monthly meeting, all but 2 voted Yea. They also stimulated no short shorts, > no spandex, and no raggy shorts. > > Thanks for all your inputs. > > Have fun, > > Rick Schwartz > Rick: I'm counting on the fact that you must have meant STIPULATED. Bob > ********************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Aug 1997 18:51:39 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Key Blanks remember that the cost of the key is negligible (14 cents!) - it's the labor that you're marking up. only one of my 'labor' is slow moving .. so your GMROI is ok if you can factor the labor value out of the retail (kit?) price.. that allows you to keep $5 of slow moving blanks for a year or so. but on the issue of the 'additional special services' you provide... why not charge for 'imprinting' -- that way you can get your dollar for another 10 seconds labor and the amortization of the die... although you could just dump the keys that don't sell -- wall mart doesn't carry them, you shouldn't have to either. oops -- we're a hardware store, we get traffic by handling the stuff that wall mart doesn't. and we sell the hugely profitable plastic key tops and key rings and chains which people see while they're waiting for the key to be done. i like option 3 best !!! At 09:03 AM EST 8/7/97 EDT, Bill Round wrote: >10 key blanks account for 90 percent of the business. The rest of the blanks >are window dressing. > >The customer perceives the value for a key-- any key-- is 99 cents. We charge >$129 for a single-cut key, $1.99 for a double, and $2.49 for a "foreign car." > >I want to hold the line on the "A" movers while jacking up the pricing on the >rest. Case in point is the BEST series of blanks. They are a pain, and there >are several of them. I want to get a return on the investment. I need to be >compensated for the extra effort to get them, inventory them, deal with the "do >not duplicate or be destroyed" legend stamped on them, etc. I also want to make >the slower moving items pull their weight. > >Here are some of the issues with expected customer comments. > >1. Q. "This key is the same same as the rest. Why will it cost me 2.99? " > A. "This is not one of our best sellers. It costs more money to handle >the slow sellers. I either charge more or discontinue the key. I'm still lower >than the locksmiths.." > >2. Too much confusion with multiple key prices; better to charge the same for >all. > >3. Go mark up something else with fewer headaches. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 Aug 1997 20:17:09 -0400 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Re: Key Blanks At 09:03 AM 8/7/97 EDT, Bill Round wrote: > >The customer perceives the value for a key-- any key-- is 99 cents. We charge >$129 for a single-cut key, $1.99 for a double, and $2.49 for a "foreign car." > >I want to hold the line on the "A" movers while jacking up the pricing on the >rest. Case in point is the BEST series of blanks. They are a pain, and there >are several of them. I want to get a return on the investment. I need to be >compensated for the extra effort to get them, inventory them, deal with the "do >not duplicate or be destroyed" legend stamped on them, etc. I also want to make >the slower moving items pull their weight. > > Bill, First, I need to raise my pricing for double-sided. If you can get $1.99, then I can too (we're currently at $1.69 for double and foreign). Second, we've been charging more for "special" blanks for a few years now. We actually have two spinner racks, one a modified version of the basic Ilco assortment, and the other holds everything that doesn't fit (i.e. the Best keys, variations of Corbin, etc.). Everything on the second "special" rack is $1.69, and we just tell the customer that they are unusual key blanks. They almost never question the pricing, as often they've been to other shops that didn't have the key. John ************************************************************************* John Fix 3rd http://www.cornells.com/john.htm John3@cornells.com (914) 961-2400 Cornell's True Value Hardware Manager/Cashier/Webmaster ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27571 ********************************** hardlines Digest Mon, 11 Aug 1997 00:01:37 -0500 V01 #27572 Today's topics: 'Key Blanks' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 10 Aug 1997 10:50:10 -0500 From: Chuck Hank Subject: Key Blanks Well I thought I would through my 14 cents in about the key blanks for the survey people. We charge 1.00 plus tax for regular keys including the color heads which we feel is a draw. We charge 2.00 plus tax for double cut keys including foreign keys. We charge 2.50 plus tax for the black plastic head keys. If a customer states that we should not be charging tax for labor we state that the tax is only figured on the cost of the key and the labor is tax free as required by state law. We discovered from a state audit that it is a lot simpler to charge the tax then to try to separate it. We run coupons quite often of "buy on key get one free". If I ever get our web page finished I will probably put something to the effect of "print out this page and bring it into the store and buy one key and get one free with this page coupon" If you want to check out the working version of the page go to http://members.aol.com/chank1/page1.html Take care, Chuck Hank ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27572 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 14 Aug 1997 00:03:17 -0500 V01 #27573 Today's topics: 'Key Blanks' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 09:05:41 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Key Blanks Hi: It always amuses me over the price of Key Blanks. 1. The most profitable item in the store 2. The most mysterious "black magic" to the customer 3. One of the most dangerous tools used in a hardware store (we have had 2 people slice their fingers!!! and metal splinters) After calling our "friendly" competitors ee HD, WallMart, and other Hardware stores -- our prices are : Regular Keys .99 With Black head 1.19 Double Keys 1.49 With Black Head 1.69 My father just went to a locksmith to get a Nissan Blank and was charged 2.20 !! Price Image On another note, I was traveling this weekend and visited a couple of TV stores. If anyone is ever in Ogdensburg NY --> you got to see Hacketts True Value. The place was large, very clean, and well merchandise. They have a 10,000 sq ft receiving area that is also extremely clean and everything in its proper place. The other store looked like a standard TV store --> no comments. Have fun Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27573 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 15 Aug 1997 00:04:35 -0500 V01 #27574 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 14:42:49 -0400 (EDT) From: DURFEES@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573 We just raised or prices on rergular keys from $1.00 to 1.20. No complaints at all. What a surprise! Last year we raised single sided car keys to $1.50 double sided to $2.00. No problems. Paul Durfee ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27574 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sat, 16 Aug 1997 00:00:27 -0500 V01 #27575 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27574' 'Store meetings' 'Pastel/White' 'Re: Store meetings' 'Re: IST usage' 'RE: IST units' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 23:10:24 -0700 From: RALPH WITKIN Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27574 hardlines-request@cornells.com wrote: > > hardlines Digest Fri, 15 Aug 1997 00:04:35 -0500 V01 #27574 > > Today's topics: > 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 14:42:49 -0400 (EDT) > From: DURFEES@aol.com > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573 > > We just raised or prices on rergular keys from $1.00 to 1.20. No complaints > at all. > What a surprise! Last year we raised single sided car keys to $1.50 double > sided > to $2.00. No problems. > Paul Durfee > > ------------------------------ > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27574 > ********************************** I have dedicated a lifetime to mastering the fine art of "variable" retail pricing, and have created 'projects' out of price lists and often would need to remind myself that there is a ratio of time spent to value received which I should be aware of and act accordingly. I've always considered "keys" to be a 'Service Item' that is just a part of being a REAL Hardware Store. Sometimes the key machine seems to be an diversion of manpower and an interuption of actual selling, not a "profit center". Yet, we/you never want to look bad in the customer's eyes and have a shoe repair shop or newstand, etc. underpricing you. Several years ago I priced keys at 99c, $1.29 (dbl cut) & $1.49 (foreign car). We would even stock o.e.m. blanks on Schlage, Kwikset & Master and sell them at the same 99c (only used those for extra keys WITH a lock sale, otherwise we'd cut the True Value blanks) just to give us a little better image AS a Hardware store. RALPH M. WITKIN 310/712-2623 Ralkin@worldnet.att.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 08:37:50 -0400 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Store meetings We haven't been holding store meetings, but I'd like to start. Any suggestions as to how to get started, when to hold them, and who to require in attendance (all employees, full timers only, etc.)? Thanks! John ************************************************************************* John Fix 3rd http://www.cornells.com/john.htm John3@cornells.com (914) 961-2400 Cornell's True Value Hardware Manager/Cashier/Webmaster ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 08:58:52 -0400 (EDT) From: CASHMAN364@aol.com Subject: Pastel/White Folks.........First, I appreciate the forum. Thanks. Does anyone find it offensive that for years we have been stocking "White" across the spectrum (EZ, EZF, EZS......etc.), along with Pastel, only to learn that all the while the pastel was a truer white? Does the average store owner have that much excess cash around that we need a redundant product labeled White, when we should have been receiving the pastel base as white, and used it as a tint base? I wouldn't be surprised to see the paint factory break off as the Member Insurance did. They certainly are in it for themselves, not any greater Members kinda thing. Comments? Steve Cashman / Cashman's T.V. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 15:44:30 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Store meetings when we were all working the same shift, we had a weekly meeting before the store opened and encouraged VOLUNTARY attendance by offering breakfast. now that we're on split shifts, about the only way we can get together is at a dinner on the weekend. the biggest problem is to schedule them to avoid a big-time morale problem! even if they are paid and required, you still have to consider the 'real lives' of the employees. At 08:37 AM EST 8/15/97 -0400, you wrote: >We haven't been holding store meetings, but I'd like to start. Any >suggestions as to how to get started, when to hold them, and who to require >in attendance (all employees, full timers only, etc.)? > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 20:53:32 -0400 From: "LUKE HOWE" Subject: Re: IST usage AT THE FALL MARKET I AM THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING AN IST UNIT FROM TRIAD. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK FROM IST USERS. HOW ARE YOU USING IST? FOR WHAT FUNCTIONS? HOW ABOUT DURABILITY? IS IT WOTH THE COST? ANY INPUT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANKS LUKE HOWE ---------- > From: hardlines-request@cornells.com > To: Hardlines > Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27574 > Date: Friday, August 15, 1997 1:04 AM > > hardlines Digest Fri, 15 Aug 1997 00:04:35 -0500 V01 #27574 > > Today's topics: > 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 14:42:49 -0400 (EDT) > From: DURFEES@aol.com > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573 > > > We just raised or prices on rergular keys from $1.00 to 1.20. No complaints > at all. > What a surprise! Last year we raised single sided car keys to $1.50 double > sided > to $2.00. No problems. > Paul Durfee > > ------------------------------ > > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27574 > ********************************** ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 1997 22:10:40 EDT From: Kez@gcnet.net Subject: RE: IST units Hey, save your money and don't purchase an IST. At least not if you want to use it to receive merchandise. It has terrible upload/download times and has a very limited memory. You'd be better of looking at the RF (Radio Frequency) units. I don't know how well they work, but they're bound to be better than the IST. Jay Kestner Naylor's True Value ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27575 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 17 Aug 1997 00:01:43 -0500 V01 #27576 Today's topics: 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27575' 'Store Meetings' 'Re: IST usage' 'Re: Store Meetings' 'Re: Store Meetings' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27575' 'more key stuff ' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 09:22:19 -0400 (EDT) From: DURFEES@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27575 Is anyone as tired as I am of the discriptions for paint removers?? There are at least ten discriptions of Strypeeze, Zip Strip and the like that read gal paint stripper, gal Paint Remover, Qt. Varnish Remover. Looks like heck on the LDT labels and makes it difficult for employees to stock the right item in the right place at the right price. I've called Tru-Serv and they have a problem using the product name in the discription. Can anyone one out there see the logic in that????? I can't Paul Durfee ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 10:42:14 -0500 From: mike jones Subject: Store Meetings John, We hold regular monthly meetings which quite often should be at least every two weeks because invariably something comes up just after the store meeting that will impact us before the next store meeting. 1. I believe every full-time employee should attend. Part-timers quite often are not available, which is part of the reason they are part-timers. 2. Each meeting should have an agenda and a "moderator" - someone who is responsible for moving the meeting along. Some people love to hear themselves talk and talk and talk. There are also some topics that people love to talk about without coming to any conclusions. 3. Someone should be responsible for taking notes, producing minutes, and keeping track of them. That's easy to say but, in our store, if I don't do it, no one else wants the task. 4. Start on time and end on time. Make each employee responsible for being there on time, just like work (cause it is work!) Everybody is busy and could be doing other things, so tardiness or absences should not be tolerated. 5. Be consistent concerning the day of the week and the month. It's easier for everyone to plan and attend (sort of like church! If it's Sunday, I gotta go to church.) 6. Use it as a tool for communication from management to employees and from employees to management. Let everyone have their say, but refuse to get into personal squabbles. Keep it civil and orderly. That's all I can think of for now. Our store meetings are vital to the smooth operation of our store (such as it is......it could be a lot worse ;-) ) Mike Jones Arcola True Value mjones@ccipost.net ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 11:26:11 -0500 From: "Dana Whitton" Subject: Re: IST usage We purchased the LDT from Tru-Trac and had it programmed for Triad at a savings of around $500-$700. The unit is wonderful for inventory and receiving. There are some big problems with upload time. the unit has to be reset several times when uploading a large file such as the Tru-Serv order and this can be very frustating. Triad claims they are working on this problem. We still have seen a major time savings and much better accuracy since we started using the unit for receiving. I would NEVER consider going back to the old way of checking in merchandise. If you would like more specific info feel free to e-mail me direct. Dana Whitton Gulf Breeze True Value Pensacola, FL myxtsea@gulf.net ---------- > From: LUKE HOWE > To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines > Subject: Re: IST usage > Date: Friday, August 15, 1997 7:53 PM > > > AT THE FALL MARKET I AM THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING AN IST UNIT > FROM TRIAD. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK FROM IST USERS. > HOW ARE YOU USING IST? FOR WHAT FUNCTIONS? HOW ABOUT DURABILITY? IS IT WOTH > THE COST? ANY INPUT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. > > THANKS > LUKE > HOWE > ---------- > > From: hardlines-request@cornells.com > > To: Hardlines > > Subject: hardlines Digest - V01 #27574 > > Date: Friday, August 15, 1997 1:04 AM > > > > hardlines Digest Fri, 15 Aug 1997 00:04:35 -0500 V01 #27574 > > > > Today's topics: > > 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573' > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 14:42:49 -0400 (EDT) > > From: DURFEES@aol.com > > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27573 > > > > > > We just raised or prices on rergular keys from $1.00 to 1.20. No > complaints > > at all. > > What a surprise! Last year we raised single sided car keys to $1.50 > double > > sided > > to $2.00. No problems. > > Paul Durfee > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27574 > > ********************************** > *************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com > *************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 11:35:41 -0500 From: "Dana Whitton" Subject: Re: Store Meetings John, We have a regular monthly meeting also, it is always on the last Thursday of the month and held 1 hour before opening. We open at 8 AM so the meeting starts promptly at 7. I always supply doughnuts or many times employees have volunteered to bring in homebaked goodies. There is always a basic agenda but I make sure there is time to let everyone speak. Some months we do not get through and others we have time left over so I always have a training video on hand. (product knowledge or sales or something) We ask ALL employees to attend and to encourage hourly employees we pay time and 1/2 for the meeting hour. Salaried employees are usually given comp time for the hour sometime during the same week. We seldom have all employees in attendance but many do show up even if they are not scheduled to work that day. I have found this to be very good for morale and have gotten some very good ideas from employees. I highly recomend a monthly meeting. Dana Whitton Gulf Breeze True Value Pensacola, FL ---------- > From: mike jones > To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines > Subject: Store Meetings > Date: Saturday, August 16, 1997 10:42 AM > > John, > We hold regular monthly meetings which quite often should be at > least every two weeks because invariably something comes up just after > the store meeting that will impact us before the next store meeting. > 1. I believe every full-time employee should attend. Part-timers > quite often are not available, which is part of the reason they are > part-timers. > 2. Each meeting should have an agenda and a "moderator" - someone > who is responsible for moving the meeting along. Some people love to > hear themselves talk and talk and talk. There are also some topics that > people love to talk about without coming to any conclusions. > 3. Someone should be responsible for taking notes, producing > minutes, and keeping track of them. That's easy to say but, in our > store, if I don't do it, no one else wants the task. > 4. Start on time and end on time. Make each employee responsible > for being there on time, just like work (cause it is work!) Everybody > is busy and could be doing other things, so tardiness or absences should > not be tolerated. > 5. Be consistent concerning the day of the week and the month. > It's easier for everyone to plan and attend (sort of like church! If > it's Sunday, I gotta go to church.) > 6. Use it as a tool for communication from management to employees > and from employees to management. Let everyone have their say, but > refuse to get into personal squabbles. Keep it civil and orderly. > > That's all I can think of for now. Our store meetings are vital to > the smooth operation of our store (such as it is......it could be a lot > worse ;-) ) > > Mike Jones > Arcola True Value > mjones@ccipost.net > *************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com > *************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 12:55:49 -0400 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Re: Store Meetings At 11:35 AM 8/16/97 -0500, Dana Whitton wrote: >We have a regular monthly meeting also, it is always on the last Thursday >of the month and held 1 hour before opening. We open at 8 AM so the >meeting starts promptly at 7. We open at 8 am with a partial crew, with most full timers coming in at 9 am. The trick in our situation would be getting the full timers in at 7 for a one hour meeting, and then having them hang around until 9. Or, take a long look at our scheduling, and possibly shift more full timers to 8-5 shifts, with the part-timers closing out the last hour of the day. Scheduling meetings at night sounds interesting (I think it was Rick Schwartz who holds them in the evening), especially if you provide a meal (no filet mignon). You're taking them away from "home time" or "family time", but if it's just once a month then that probably is OK. John ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 20:38:18 -0500 From: "Cyndi Martini" Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27575 > > Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 08:37:50 -0400 > From: John Fix 3rd > Subject: Store meetings > > > We haven't been holding store meetings, but I'd like to start. Any > suggestions as to how to get started, when to hold them, and who to require > in attendance (all employees, full timers only, etc.)? > > Thanks! > > John > > We hold employee meetings the first Saturday of each month. These are mandatory meetings with all employees on the clock and normally last about 30 minutes. Other meetings are held as needed with the personnel that the subject pertains to in attendance. I'm not sure when other stores close on Saturday but we are closed by 5:30pm and the meetings are held at that time. It is a generally a "round" table discussion with topics decided on the prior week by the managers and assistants. Training classes are usually held in this manner also when needed. Cyndi Martini Martini Hardware Houston, TX 77023 > > ************************************************************************* > John Fix 3rd http://www.cornells.com/john.htm > John3@cornells.com (914) 961-2400 > Cornell's True Value Hardware Manager/Cashier/Webmaster > ************************************************************************* > > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 20:53:32 -0400 > From: "LUKE HOWE" > Subject: Re: IST usage > > > > AT THE FALL MARKET I AM THINKING ABOUT PURCHASING AN IST UNIT > FROM TRIAD. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY FEEDBACK FROM IST USERS. > HOW ARE YOU USING IST? FOR WHAT FUNCTIONS? HOW ABOUT DURABILITY? IS IT WOTH > THE COST? ANY INPUT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. > > THANKS > LUKE > HOWE > ---------- > > ------------------------------ Luke, a very good person to contact on IST guns in Virgil Cox of Cox Hardware and Lumber in Houston, TX. He is one of the original Triad owners in Texas and is VERY experienced with most Triad products. His email is virgilc@acehardware.com. Yes, I know he isn't a TruServe member but alliances with the "enemy" can be very profitable and he has been nothing but supportive and accessible to me in all my Triad purchases as well as in other areas of my store when I call for advice, assistance, etc. You may wish to contact Triad as well for others who are using the IST to get more reference as to problems/solutions incurred by the use of these guns. I must tell you on a personal basis we have decided not to purchase one at this time since we were mainly interested in an item that would speed up receiving. Hope this helps out. Cyndi Martini Martini Hardware Houston, TX 77023 > > Date: 15 Aug 1997 22:10:40 EDT > From: Kez@gcnet.net > Subject: RE: IST units > > > Hey, save your money and don't purchase an IST. At least > not if you > want to use it to receive merchandise. It has terrible upload/download > times and > has a very limited memory. You'd be better of looking at the RF (Radio > Frequency) > units. I don't know how well they work, but they're bound to be better > than the IST. > > Jay Kestner > > Naylor's True Value > > > ------------------------------ > > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27575 > ********************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 22:26:38 -0400 (EDT) From: AlannnnT@aol.com Subject: more key stuff Don't sell yourselves short by pricing keys too low. We get $1.25 reg, $2.50 import car double, $1.50 Ford, Chrysler and GM double. Big bow GM, car club, Titan, Baldwin and others 2.00 or more. True story; A surly customer grumbled that the new Home Depot was getting 49 cents for keys, how could we charge $1.25? We replied that they were offering a grand opening special price that was below what we could offer. We suggested he buy them at Home Depot while the special was going on. He replied "I had them cut there first, but they didn't work!" That was four years ago. We still make sure our keys work the first time, [about 98.5 percent success first try] We still charge $1.25. We still cut the same number of keys as four years ago [12,000 per year]. And that surly customer is still the only one who has ever complained. Alan Talman ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27576 ********************************** hardlines Digest Mon, 18 Aug 1997 00:02:56 -0500 V01 #27577 Today's topics: 'Store Meetings' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 22:49:22 -0700 From: RALPH WITKIN Subject: Store Meetings Mr. Jones, your Store Meeting input was Excellent! We would have ours once a month on a Saturday morning at 7 am (store opens at 8), and that way most "part timers" would be able to attend - Dept heads were required to attend. Donuts and coffee were provided, and everyone was "on the clock". We would always discuss advertising comming up and sometimes arrange to have vendor's reps do a Product Knowledge presentation. RALPH M. WITKIN Ralkin@worldnet.att.net 310/712-2623 ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27577 ********************************** hardlines Digest Tue, 19 Aug 1997 00:04:07 -0500 V01 #27578 Today's topics: 'Store Meetings' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27577' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 13:59:21 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Store Meetings Hi: This discussion about store meeting is GREAT. I run a store meeting First Monday of Every Month (storm exceptions) after store hours 6:00 to 7:00 (we have very little traffic after 5:30) Topics are What's happening with TruServe What's comming events / holidays or other important dates Education Video (if available) or discussions on product information ex: Last meeting had a discussions on Material Handling Safety (Film) and Fire Safety (an employee) in the Store food: Popcorn, chips and soda Employees: All are requested (75% usually show up) Paid for the Hour. Have fun Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 21:27:15 -0400 From: Tony Brinkmann Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27577 hardlines-request@cornells.com wrote: > > hardlines Digest Mon, 18 Aug 1997 00:02:56 -0500 V01 #27577 > > Today's topics: > 'Store Meetings' > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 22:49:22 -0700 > From: RALPH WITKIN > Subject: Store Meetings > > Mr. Jones, your Store Meeting input was Excellent! We would have ours > once a month on a Saturday morning at 7 am (store opens at 8), and that > way most "part timers" would be able to attend - Dept heads were > required to attend. Donuts and coffee were provided, and everyone was > "on the clock". We would always discuss advertising comming up and > sometimes arrange to have vendor's reps do a Product Knowledge > presentation. > RALPH M. WITKIN > Ralkin@worldnet.att.net 310/712-2623 > > ------------------------------ > > End of hardlines Digest V01 #27577 > ********************************** About keys and store meetings. Our keys have been priced as follows for over five years: single cuts are $1.39, doubles are $1.99 and foreign $2.79 with discounts for quantity. We don't stock colored or black key blanks. We cut 30-50 keys per day and yes we get occasional complaints. My philosophy on price complaints is that if you aren't getting any complaints you're too low and are losing money. Now for meetings. We've been holding meetings for about 10 years at our store which has about 15 full and part time employees. Originally we tried holding them at a regular, set time. It didn't work. What evolved was impromptu meetings. That is we would meet whenever our list of items to discuss was large enough and important enough so that at the first opportunity we would get together. Opportunities would be whenever the store activities would present us unexpectantly with a lull - a delayed truck, fierce wet storm or other unexpected break in store traffic. Sometimes we meet with only 3 people, sometimes with eight. Sometimes we'd meet for 10 minutes and sometimes for an hour. Often we'd have two or three meetings to get everyone covered. And often it would spread over a week or more to get everyone in. I call most of the meetings and do most of the talking because it's mostly about getting the procedures and policies I want followed being re-affirmed. But everyone gets a chance and good talks often evolve. We also discuss hardware news and local events that impact our store. As a growing business we are always expanding and trying new ventures and so there's always much to go over. Although we have meetings that involve everyone in the store - I meet mostly with the two store managers. Again the meeting can be a quick short talk in the office or it could be a 2 hour lunch at a local eatery. Try it! Long live TruServ! Tony Brinkmann Brinkmann True Value Sayville, LI, New York ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27578 ********************************** hardlines Digest Wed, 20 Aug 1997 00:00:25 -0500 V01 #27579 Today's topics: 'Store Meetings' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:59:30 -0400 From: "Wade Doss" Subject: Store Meetings Store meetings: We have tried a number of ways to communicate to employees, anything from meetings to newsletters to memos of which we have now returned to meetings. We had switch to newsletters due to employees complaining about having to come in for meetings yet they would not read the newletters or failed to comprehend the topics in the newsletters. We are now back to a meeting everyother week on Monday mornings at 6:30am, that last 1 hour thus getting us some time to get ready to open at 8am. We have a set agenda with time limits for each topic. Each employee is given a copy of the agenda and knows that these are the topics for this meeting. We do have 10 minutes at the end of each meeting for open discussion. Also if an employee wishes to have a topic included then they can asked that it be added to the agenda the week before the meeting. We may use the meeting time for employee training topics, videos, dept managers presenting new products to the rest of the employees and problem trouble shooting. We also video tape these meetings so that new employees can watch these as part of their training program. Wade batesace@acehardware.com ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27579 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 21 Aug 1997 00:00:19 -0400 V01 #27580 Today's topics: 'Cash Receipt' 'Re: Cash Receipt' 'User goup/business meeting @ TruServ market' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 10:49:32 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Cash Receipt Hi: How does one handle a customer who wants an invoice copy versus the small register receipt? At present, we print out the Invoice copy and just give the back pages--???? why not all the pages (including the top page) is the debate. Or, give out the Top Page and throw out the rest. Thanks Rick Schwartz Schwartz True Value ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 19:10:52 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Cash Receipt we only keep the bottom (which is kept as fuel in case of unexpected fire like all the other paper records ). the customer gets the top 'several' copies to do with as they please - and they get the small receipt also. if they turn them all in for petty cash, that's their problem - they all have the same receipt number... At 10:49 AM EST 8/20/97 -0400, you wrote: >Hi: > >How does one handle a customer who wants an invoice copy versus the small >register receipt? At present, we print out the Invoice copy and just give >the back pages--???? why not all the pages (including the top page) is the >debate. Or, give out the Top Page and throw out the rest. > >Thanks > >Rick Schwartz >Schwartz True Value >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 18:25:13 -0500 From: "David Casaletto" Subject: User goup/business meeting @ TruServ market Hi group! You True Value/Triad members may remember I started a minor uprising at the last market during the Triad "Business" meeting when I said that I wanted to "learn", not just listen (etc, etc). Well Triad (Mr. John Bovitz) has called me along with other dealers to help plan the next Triad user group and business meetings this fall. Your True Value market schedule shows two levels of meetings: a basic on Saturday and advanced on Sunday. It does not show the business meeting that will be held on Sunday evening at 4:30 p.m. This meeting will feature about 1/2 hour of business type stuff and then we will again split into two groups for Q&A stuff. John is going to have some topics for the meetings and one of the topics for the advanced group is "What reports do you run and how do you use them to help your business?" He would like everyone to bring examples of your reports to the meetings to be shared with everyone. Also, if any advanced users have the time, he would like to have some at the basic group meeting on Saturday to help answer questions. If anyone has any suggestions for John, let me know and I'll forward them on to him (I'm not sure if he monitors this form). I give Triad a big plus for listening and responding to us! See you at the market! David Casaletto True Value Home Center Pittsbrug, KS ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27580 ********************************** hardlines Digest Tue, 26 Aug 1997 00:01:55 -0400 V01 #27581 Today's topics: 'Staff meetings' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27575' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 00:21:49 -0700 From: "Jay, Will and Linda Farr" Subject: Staff meetings We too have had a time with how to hold staff meetings. Since I attended a "how every business must have a safety committee and they must meet" OSHA meeting a couple of years ago, this is how we've dealt with crew meetings. 1. We designated our entire crew as the safety committee for our business. 2. Because we always have at least 2 people off on any day of the week, and other concerns about having to pay overtime for meetings, etc. etc. We hold 2 safety committee meetings each week. 3. Since I chair the meetings, we hold them on two mornings that it is usually convenient for me to be there. 4. They run for approximately the first 1/2 hour of the day. This is usually our slowest time of the day. 5. Crew members who can make either meeting, trade off to see that the floor and check stand are covered. 6. Agenda items are suggested by any and all employees. I've attempted to have department managers do some product knowledge sessions and when it's happened, they have been great, but this hasn't worked as well as I'd like... I guess I need to be a bit more dictatorial in assigning the next "volunteer". 7. I try to keep quiet. This doesn't work too well either ... I'm a frustrated teacher type I guess. 8. I'd love to hear what others do and how well it works. We've been doing this for over a year now, and although it isn't perfect, it is better than anything we've done on an ongoing basis. Jay Farr Farr's True Value ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 20:00:39 -0400 (EDT) From: Hdwmgr@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27575 Hi everyone. I tend to agree with Ralph. I also feel that cutting keys is an added service for our customers. I also have shopped around and found that keys in our area sell from .69 for single and .89 for double side. In keeping with that we sell our single side keys for .79 and our double side keys .89. black head keys are .10 extra for all. This is my first experience with the hardlines news and am looking forward to mail in the future. We are in the process of building a new 14,000 sq. ft. store. Our present store is only 5000 sq.ft., so its going to be a big adjustment for us all. If any of you have any suggestions to help make this transition easier it would be greatly appreciated. For example do you need a department manager for each department when the store is that big, or can the right people run several departments? What would you consider a good salary for the store manager and with a sales commision or not? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all Happy Selling Sheri ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27581 ********************************** hardlines Digest Wed, 27 Aug 1997 00:02:58 -0400 V01 #27582 Today's topics: 'Just say Hi to you all and...' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27571' '' 'RRP and price changes' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 21:46:45 PDT From: "Nycl Company" Subject: Just say Hi to you all and... We are new to this list. It is good to hear from you all. We just want say hi... Located in Austin area, Texas, we are factory direct wholesale services for drill bits made in China. Our associated factories have been making those drill bits for U.S. major leading hardware manufacturers. Those drill bits then are repackaged by those US manufacturers for much higher prices. We know we sound selling here, but it is obvious that we can pass on real big savings to you if you retailers directly buy drill bits from us. If you are interested in our drill bits, please feel free to email or call us at 512-252-7109 (fax: 512- 252-2863). Thank you all. Joe NYCL Company ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 10:25:48 -0400 (EDT) From: GEM404@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27571 KEY SALES: Hey we take a little time making the keys and the customer shops & BUYS other items. Also while we are making the key and the customer wants to stand there we suggest items that are displayed around the key machine for this purpose. WORKS. I would rather spend the time selling than explaning why the price on a key. Glenn Miller ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 14:45:00 -0500 From: John Van Hengel Subject: Hi all, Still looking for used Triad POS Terminals. Can use at least 2 VDT with cash drawer and dust or pack board. That is the most important item but the following add-ons would be nice. Scanner NCR receipt printer. Call 913-236-5858 Strasser Hardware Kansas City, KS John A. Van Hengel & Cyndi (spouse), Alex (Dog), Molly (Cat), Gertie (Cat) javh@worldnet.att.net Olathe, Kansas ------------------------------ Date: From: tomhanson@POBoxes.com (Tom Hanson) Subject: RRP and price changes Has anyone else noticed items being added to a price change file when an order is finalized by RRP? I have only noticed items being added with changes in replacement cost. I cannot predict which items will be added; the process appears random. Today I found six such changes as I worked in ICP. With the market a month away, now may be the time to start planning a "Hardlines" gathering some evening. Anyone with inside knowledge of New Orleans? ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27582 ********************************** hardlines Digest Thu, 28 Aug 1997 00:00:30 -0400 V01 #27583 Today's topics: 'PowerRama New Store' 'Receiving' 'Re: Receiving' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 09:36:39 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: PowerRama New Store Hi: Just came back from the PowerRama -->very good buying opportunities for those who do power equipment. The savings on the freight offsets the 2 days of fun in the rain (actually 1 day of rain the second threaten). WARNING: COLEMAN PRODUCTS ARE OUT!! BIG TROUBLE regarding the powerwasher -->may be bankrupting them. Generac will be replacing the generators (again) and the powerwashers. Generac claims the electric is only good for 10 Hours of usage!!!!! Campbell Hausfeld is back in with stronger priceing on compressors -- maybe we can sell compressors again. On another note: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We are in the process of building a new 14,000 sq. ft. store. Our present store is only 5000 sq.ft., so its going to be a big adjustment for us all. If any of you have any suggestions to help make this transition easier it would be greatly appreciated. For example do you need a department manager for each d Thanks to all Happy Selling Sheri >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sheri: Good luck -- you are starting a NEW business and must be looked at as a NEW business. The old stock should be reviewed and a decision should be made if it is worth the expense of transporting the merchandise to the new store or liquidate the stuff. The transportation will damage some of the stuff and a major shortage may occur (expect it!). Also, expect a cash flow problem within 9 months after moving unless you get help --> hopefully from TruServe Personal or a "good" consultant. Management --> that I will let others debate. Do not get "Top Heavy" -- All Chiefs and no Indians hurt! I am jealous over the move!! Have fun Rick Schwartz ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 14:44:26 -0500 From: mike jones Subject: Receiving Greetings: When we receive our goods from TruServ, we scan each representative bar code to make sure it's in the system, check the quantity against the green and white shipping list and then send it to the floor. It takes my guy 8 hrs to do $2500 - $3000 of merchandise. Is this the best way to do our receiving? Is there a faster, more efficient way? National Hardware is suggesting, for their shipment, just receiving the packing list as they send it and put the merchandise on the shelf. There is no way we could do this with the TruServ shipment: last week we were short almost $1300 of merchandise that the green and white said was shipped!!! What are some of the rest of you doing that's better than our way? Thanks for your input. Mike Jones Arcola True Value mjones@ccipost.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 17:30:43 -0500 From: "Dana Whitton" Subject: Re: Receiving Mike, Sounds like you don't have an IST/LDT unit yet. If time is a concern as it was for us I recommend looking into it at the market. It now takes us under 5 hours to check in and receive our TruServ order which averages 300-400 lines We use the LDT for 90% of our receiving and have been amazed at the time savings and the accuracy. The big draw back is the upload download time as Triad still has not corrected the problem which causes us to have to reboot the PC and LDT several times before getting a successful transmission. Triad is supposedly working on this. As for Tom's suggestion of a "Hardlines" gathering in N.O.L.A, I could suggest many places depending on the atmosphere we want. New Orleans has Many Many fine resturaunts as well as many hidden pubs.Some of my favorites are Arnaud's, Copeland's in the Garden District (a short trolley ride from Canal St) Or for a more relaxed truly Cajun experience my suggestion would be Mulate's which is only a block or two from the convention center. In case ya'll didn't know New Orleans has there own web site, it's very informative so check out... http://www.nawlins.com Sea ya'll there Dana Whitton Gulf Breeze True Value, Inc Pensacola, FL ---------- > From: mike jones > To: Multiple recipients of list hardlines > Subject: Receiving > Date: Wednesday, August 27, 1997 2:44 PM > > Greetings: > When we receive our goods from TruServ, we scan each > representative bar code to make sure it's in the system, check the > quantity against the green and white shipping list and then send it to > the floor. It takes my guy 8 hrs to do $2500 - $3000 of merchandise. > Is this the best way to do our receiving? Is there a faster, > more efficient way? National Hardware is suggesting, for their > shipment, just receiving the packing list as they send it and put the > merchandise on the shelf. There is no way we could do this with the > TruServ shipment: last week we were short almost $1300 of merchandise > that the green and white said was shipped!!! > What are some of the rest of you doing that's better than our > way? > Thanks for your input. > > Mike Jones > Arcola True Value > mjones@ccipost.net > *************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com > *************************************************************** ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27583 ********************************** hardlines Digest Fri, 29 Aug 1997 00:02:44 -0400 V01 #27584 Today's topics: 'Re: Receiving' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27583' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 07:36:17 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Receiving we check in all freight by applying the price tickets. that's one of the advantages of being in an 'item pricing' state. since the tickets match the invoice (or po for a ds), if (in truserv's case WHEN!) there are tickets left over, there's merchandise missing. even national goofs once in a while. we get the truserv invoice (and tickets) in pick sequence and separate the shipment and tickets into warehouse sections so we have 26 'mini invoices' to allow multiple people to check it in without causing total confusion. At 02:44 PM EST 8/27/97 -0500, you wrote: >Greetings: > When we receive our goods from TruServ, we scan each >representative bar code to make sure it's in the system, check the >quantity against the green and white shipping list and then send it to >the floor. It takes my guy 8 hrs to do $2500 - $3000 of merchandise. > Is this the best way to do our receiving? Is there a faster, >more efficient way? National Hardware is suggesting, for their >shipment, just receiving the packing list as they send it and put the >merchandise on the shelf. There is no way we could do this with the >TruServ shipment: last week we were short almost $1300 of merchandise >that the green and white said was shipped!!! > What are some of the rest of you doing that's better than our >way? > Thanks for your input. > > Mike Jones > Arcola True Value > mjones@ccipost.net >*************************************************************** > Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list > for hardware and building materials industry members. Back > issues are available at > > http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ > > To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to > listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: > > unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname > > For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com >*************************************************************** > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 22:23:34 -0400 (EDT) From: ROTENRAND@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27583 Mike, What warehouse are you being shipped from? The figures you quoted were a 30% error factor . This had to be a freak order or we are all in trouble. I am shipped from Allentowne and my orders are about the same size as yours. Our error factor is less than 2% on an average. I do all the ordering and am there when the merchandise comes in, we do not price any merchandise nor do we check in anything under $50 Our order this week was 287 lines. It arrived a 3:00 pm three employees and myself worked the order and the floor. By 6:00 pm the order was on the floor. Yes there are shorts sometimes but we usually catch them. If you figure your man hours it's the most cost eficient way to go. Plus the lost sales while the merchandise is in the back room. If your errors are above 5% I'd be screaming. I have talked to people who have LTD's and they love them. But I am waiting for the radio freak version. Keep selling, Randy Whetstone Nelsons True Value ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27584 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sat, 30 Aug 1997 00:01:57 -0400 V01 #27585 Today's topics: 'Re: Receiving and Parts Central' 'Re: Receiving and Parts Central' 'Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27583' 'Receivning' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 12:48:48 -0500 From: mike jones Subject: Re: Receiving and Parts Central hardlines-request@cornells.com wrote: > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 22:23:34 -0400 (EDT) > From: ROTENRAND@aol.com > Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27583 > > Mike, > > What warehouse are you being shipped from? The figures you quoted were a 30% > error factor . This had to be a freak order or we are all in trouble. I am > shipped from Allentowne and my orders are about the same size as yours. Our > error factor is less than 2% on an average. I do all the ordering and am > there when the merchandise comes in, we do not price any merchandise nor do > we check in anything under $50 > Our order this week was 287 lines. It arrived a 3:00 pm three employees and > myself worked the order and the floor. By 6:00 pm the order was on the > floor. Yes there are shorts sometimes but we usually catch them. If you > figure your man hours it's the most cost eficient way to go. Plus the lost > sales while the merchandise is in the back room. If your errors are above 5% > I'd be screaming. I have talked to people who have LTD's and they love > them. But I am waiting for the radio freak version. > > Keep selling, > Randy Whetstone > Nelsons True Value > > ------------------------------ > Randy, et al: We are being shipped out of Indy. I think the order was 250 to 300 sku's, but I'd have to check. Most of the "lost" items came in this week, but that just causes extra headaches for our receiving clerk - now he has to go back to last week's order. Thanks for your input. I think we'll be looking very closely at our procedures. Item 2: We also were at Powerama last weekend and feel we need to get into power equipment in a bigger way. But is anyone else on Parts Central and when are they going to get a system that we can access without spending an arm and a leg? I didn't mean to be rude to the PC guy , but we've been talking to them for over two years, bought a computer, got PC software and we still have to call them on the phone to get a part instead of looking up and ordering by computer. We just have no good way of dealing with our customers re: parts when the IH-Case dealer just down the street is eating our lunch on parts and service for Cub Cadets. Thanks, again for your input. Mike Jones Arcola True Value mjones@ccipost.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 16:33:04 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Receiving and Parts Central At 12:48 PM EST 8/29/97 -0500, you wrote: >Randy, et al: > We are being shipped out of Indy. I think the order was 250 to >300 sku's, but I'd have to check. Most of the "lost" items came in this >week, but that just causes extra headaches for our receiving clerk - now >he has to go back to last week's order. > WHOA!!! if we get something we didn't order THIS WEEK it goes back as 'overage'. we've already put it on the claim for last week that has been mailed. after a few weeks they begin to figure things out. there was a 'rule' a couple of years ago that the weren't going to ship orders over several months (i.e. the free astray crap was cancelled!). don't forget, if you're watching your inventory levels, then something that is missing from the shipment had better get ordered the next week and then if you accept the late ship you'll end up with double what you ordered. actually jo larson at mankato is really good about keeping this sort of thing in line. she usually figures out what's going to upset the members and fixes it before we even guess it could happen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 22:32:50 -0400 (EDT) From: Hdwmgr@aol.com Subject: Re: hardlines Digest - V01 #27583 Rick Schwartz. Thank you for your input on the new store. We are very excited about the addition. At this time we are being very open minded, asking alot of questions and listening to those of you with more experience than us. We are actually planning on keeping the staff to a minimun, but we don't want to go in blind folded either. Right now we are looking at having the store manager and hopefully a couple good supervisors to take charge when the manager is off. We really didn't want to load up on help at the top so to speak. Thanks for your response. sheri ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 97 23:54:42 EDT From: "WILLIAM H. ROUND" <102753.622@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Receivning To: Mr. Mike Jones, fellow group members, corporate monitors, lurkers, tinkers, taylors, soldiers, spies, etc., Despite the occassionally uneven TruServ picking accuracy, the occasional National error and the like, I would lean towards establishing a receipt by sample system instead of checking everything in. With a larger store.... and Rich Schwartz is right, it is a brand new business... you have the opportunity is to establish a new culture. That culture should be pass the merchandise through the back room after making sure the right number of boxes were delivered. Put the effort on the sales floor and in the housekeeping. The salesfloor is where the customers is; housekeeping will make you money. My receiving room is a sump into which I pore $$$ with little return. They cause more mistakes than they correct. We find the troubles on the salesfloor, anyway. What is the difference? So far as the "sample system" is concerned, the idea is to pass all the stuff through the back room, but look at selected items to see if there are problems. It might be a bit like pulling a cash drawer occassionally to get the cashiers used to random drawer checks. Just like the optimum security arrangement on the sales floor is to have roving staff members who keep the thieves off balance as they never know if a clerk is cruising around the corner or not. Receivers are like cashiers; underpaid, underappreciated, perceived to be low-level employees, faced with constant temptaton and opportunity to act on it, the ones who can do more to affect system data and profits and losses than anyone else in the store. Receivers need to be routinely checked, and I have had some in the past who's paper work was always right... but they were still stuffing merchandise in the trash! I wonder if it would be worthwhile having the Triad ReQuest Geek or one of the independant guys of similar skill devise an RQ receiving report which would run once a day and select interesting things for a MANAGER to check to verify that merchandise is flowing properly through the receiving door. High value, high theft, high shrink, and certain target items could be sampled randomly with a daily sku count limit, with sample selection variables linked to day of the month, letters in description field, usercodes, dates, etc. It could be elaborate or simple, with the work distributed to key people in the store. Even TruServ has traditionally put high value items at the front of the A-copies so they would be accounted for more easily. Also, recent improvements in the Triad IST may make this device a useful tool in the receiving room. I used it last night for the first time. I didn't bother with it initially when I read that the download time "for the average PO file was three hours." My download took 10 minutes and made the receipt posting of a new line of goods quite easy. I thought a 2nd gun would be very handy if I were to make a serious effort, but it is... another user! Buy the software again! Gosh, No wonder Walmart has thousands of these guns... they are the only ones who can afford them. Any thoughts from the gallery? Regards, Bill Round Round's True Value Hdwe. 290 Main Street Stoneham, MA. ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27585 ********************************** hardlines Digest Sun, 31 Aug 1997 00:04:05 -0400 V01 #27586 Today's topics: 'Re: Receivning' 'Receiving' 'Receiving' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 08:23:15 -0500 From: jack swift Subject: Re: Receivning i gotta disagree..... even using a 99% accuracy rate, you'll have out-of stocks faster than you'd ever believe! the sticking point in this mess is the computer at POS which feeds the inventory control system. if you do away with the computer and manage your inventory by watching the shelf stock level, you can get away with 'stocking whatever they shipped' and 'ordering whatever you SEE you're out of'. but when you try to maximize turns by running with low minimums and rely on the computer's inventory count to reorder 'just in time' you've got to keep the count accurate. before the computer, we had each 'department manager' spend 8 hours a week on inventory and ordering. if i went back to that, it'd have the effect of adding one full-time person to the staff. back in the 'past', bob johnson commented that since cash and inventory were our largest assets it was illogical to have the least-trained (paid, motivated, etc) people 'in charge' of them by being receivers and cashiers. statistically, receipt by sample would only establish that there are errors -- we know that already and since the merchandise isn't homogeneous, you can't draw any other usable conclusions. you'd be better off just unloading the truck onto the salesfloor (convert the freight area into more sales space) and paying the invoice - don't even count boxes (ask the driver, he's got 2 differing counts already ). if you don't have to item price (sorry, bill, but i've got to do it also), all you have to worry about is one of the 'odd' items not having it's UPC in the POS machine but you can just let the customer set the price on those few. BUT, if you do have to item price then it's easier to put the stickers on the merchandise in a receiving area than to do it on the sales floor. At 11:54 PM EST 8/29/97 EDT, Bill Round wrote: >Despite the occassionally uneven TruServ picking accuracy, the occasional >National error and the like, I would lean towards establishing a receipt by >sample system instead of checking everything in. That culture should be >pass the merchandise >through the back room after making sure the right number of boxes were >delivered. Put the effort on the sales floor and in the housekeeping. The >salesfloor is where the customers is; housekeeping will make you money. My >receiving room is a sump into which I pore $$$ with little return. They cause >more mistakes than they correct. We find the troubles on the salesfloor, >anyway. What is the difference? > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Swift jswift@up.net N8WAV@W8YY.#UPMI.MI.USA.NA 47.119N 88.572W Swift True Value Hardware 402 Shelden Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 906-482-0530, 0531, 7766 Alpha Phi Omega Epsilon Lambda Chapter Advisor Houghton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service Dereliction IS! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 08:40:48 -0400 From: John Fix 3rd Subject: Receiving My two cents... We must item price in our county, so we have little choice in the matter. With 1000 line orders, it takes about 1-1/2 days to price the weekly warehouse shipment (two clerks in receiving). Our adjustments are always 1-1/2 pages, and usually two or more. I think I'd be out of business if I just put the stuff on the sales floor. When running close to the belt on stock levels, the missing one or two items from a shipment means zero on hand to sell to the customer. This week, we got 20 lb propane tanks instead of 5 gallon pails of roof cement. I only stock two or three pails of roof cement at a time. Customer looks, finds no roof cement. Doesn't ask anyone (customers don't always ask for help). Several weeks go by where we have no roof cement. Multiply that by ten or twenty items each week, and I think you can easily justify the cost of pricing in a dedicated receiving area. I consider it my first line of defense against my suppliers. John ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 09:14:54 -0400 (EDT) From: RICKSS1@aol.com Subject: Receiving In a message dated 97-08-30 02:25:13 EDT, you write: << At 12:48 PM EST 8/29/97 -0500, you wrote: >Randy, et al: > We are being shipped out of Indy. I think the order was 250 to >300 sku's, but I'd have to check. Most of the "lost" items came in this >week, but that just causes extra headaches for our receiving clerk - now >he has to go back to last week's order. > >> My first rule of thumb -->No FreeAstray's --(except relay due to cost factors or an item that would end up on S/L!! -->Granted this takes brain work from the receiver to decide, but that's their job). We found that our stock levels were being corrupted by Freeastrays. An example of this -- the computer showed only 1 Dirt Devil -- we had 2!!!! --> the other was a FreeAstray (what happen to that paperwork!!!). Another thing that bothers me on FreeAstrays is that the distribution center is supposed to call before shipping --- ???????. The checking in of merchandise has saved us $$ between 1% to 20% of our weekly orders. I am not saying Manchester are "bad" pickers, but.......... In July, I was averaging 5 lines of overages/shortages, in August 3 lines of overage/shortages --> that can add up to a major shortage. Part of this can be the FreeAstray problem, but........... Oh well, we do need a "faster" checkin process and ticketing (MA State tells us 100% ticketing) --> gotta look at that fancy new tool at the market. Have fun Rick ------------------------------ End of hardlines Digest V01 #27586 ********************************** Let me introduce myself. I am Stephen Cornell and I own Brownies Hardware. The store is in the middle of San Francisco, a real urban enviorment. We deal with apartment dwellers and their managers, along with a lot of small business owners, all within walking distance. The store is 90 years old and I have owned it since 1974. We have been associated with Ace since 1966 and have had a Triad since 1982. The store has 1500 sq ft of selling, and a equal amount of basement storage. 15 people work here. I have enjoyed reading all the the different subjects on this fourm, and would like to particapate a little. I am interested in peoples thoughts about sending out invoices with statements. We send about 500 statements each month. Many of my cutomers demand a signed invoice. The proceedure is my wife, at home, hires a few high school girls and they spend a long time matching invoices (about 5) with statements, then they are stuffed and sealed. My wife hates it and the HS girls are very unreliable, so I am looking for a better way. I have thought about getting Triad to scan, so so we can have a signature in the system, like they do at Sears or Kikos using a signing pad. This way they can be reproduced and faxed out through the system. Any other ideas or thoughts? Stephen 415 673-8900 phone 415 753-2669 fax *************************************************************** Hardlines Mailing List is an unmoderated Internet mailing list for hardware and building materials industry members. Back issues are available at http://www.cornells.com/hardlines/ To remove your name from the mailing list, send email to listserv@cornells.com with the following line in your message: unsubscribe hardlines firstname lastname For any other questions, send email to postmaster@cornells.com ***************************************************************