I have a Screwfix and a Toolstation within 5 mins from my house but the attitude of the people working at each one differs so much. I go into Screwfix and everybody is happy, the same people have worked there for years and you get an efficient service. Toolstation you can tell everybody who works there does not want to work there. I went in today and was greeted by an irritated " what". Toolstations click and collect is a shambles, they can never find anything. I ordered some items online from Toolstation and went to collect them I was told they would be delivered tomorrow to the branch so I enquired if any of the items were in stock, one item was but I could not have it because mine were getting delivered tomorrow to branch and if I wanted it I'd have to buy it again? What a depressing place the York branch is ..even thought they are cheaper than Screwfix I'd rather go to Screwfix anyway.
Can be luck of the draw I suppose, but there does seem to be more staff per branch in Screwfix, so perhaps that helps keep the morale up. Tbh, I don’t really care too much, as long as I can get what I need
Not just me then. I avoid Toolstation unless absolutely unavoidable. Never seem to be in stock of half the products. Rarely get a text telling me stock is ready for collection. When I turn up I get told off for turning up without being told it’s ready. In the last couple of weeks I’ve twice ordered for collection to turn up and find they didn’t have the item they said they had. This week they surpassed themselves by sending me a completely empty box instead of 3 boxes of air nailer nails. It even said ‘weight 0.0kg’ on the outside. Phoned them as I needed them urgently. Was told to buy them again and send a picture of the empty box for a refund. Pointed out the absurdity of that as I could have just taken them out. Was told ‘those are the rules’. Sent them a picture. It got rejected as spam. Sent the info without the pictures. Also rejected as spam. Resorted to the contacts page of the website. Got a response. Was asked to send photos of empty box again. Sent photos. Was told ‘they’d look into it’. Told them it didn’t need looking into. I just wanted a refund. Got a refund. Staff in the stores are miserable, unhelpful and clearly don’t want to be there. Everything is too much effort. I go to screwfix pretty much every day. I get greeted by my name. The team are cheerful and helpful. Stock is nearly always there when I need it. Occasionally it needs to be sent in. It always arrives the next day. I get a text within seconds of ordering. It’s a pleasure to shop there. I probably spend in excess of £15k a year. I begrudge every penny I have to spend in toolstation.
Haha. Someone's got a sense of humour. Send us a picture of your empty box and we'll look into it....
The worst thing about Toolstation by FAR is the bloody website! What sort of insane idiot designs a page where EVERYTHING you touch while scrolling on a phone screen gets added to the basket?! And who on earth designed the search function? I put in "basin trap" earlier and got pages of wastes with no trap attached!
There seems to be a new person everyday I go into toolstation all glum looking with that " this is a ***** job" look. Go into Screwfix and get welcomed by my name and they nearly run to get your order so you are not stood about...very good service
I have both near me on same trading estate less than 5 mins from home. Top cash back with click and collect at TS helps as I get 3% on everything I buy, but normally only 2 staff members running the place. SF must have 5 members of staff at least working in store although same size. Don't get any trouble with either and both are friendly. TS is not so busy as SF it seems but that maybe just near me. I just want to get in and out so not much chit chat but all staff seem happy enough to me. Both stores will fetch items before i buy if needed without grumbling. Refunds not a problem either. My only grumble is parking with some stores
Agree, their website is really poor, even worse is the category filters are few and far between, so you got to search endlessly
I find that with toolstation in particular and to a lesser extent screwfix that if you can’t find it with their own search function nine times out of ten if you Google it then both come up with the correct item as suggested pages in the top line of your search results.
Perfect example of what I was saying earlier. Went to screwfix this morning. Three orders to pick up. Bright, friendly girl on the tills. Checks orders immediately. Colleague runs to get them and I’m waved off with a cheery smile and told to have a lovely day. Next stop toolstation. I need a particular self-leveller so no choice but to go there. Need 4 bags. Check stock while I’m sat in the car-park. 10 in stock. Walk in and there’s three customers waiting. Four members of staff standing in a huddle with a couple of mates all loudly discussing the bloke having the snip, hysterectomies, caesarians etc etc. Girl nearest till asks me what I want. I order. Only 2 actually in stock apparently. ‘Website must be wrong’. Pay for two. One gets plonked on the desk. The other goes into a wheeled trolley. I take one to the van. I assume that one of the other under-employed staff will push the wheeled trolley to the van. But no, when I go back in it’s still by the desk waiting for me to come and get it. Leave with the group still loudly discussing having kids.
Like some others i have a TS and SF near to me, TS is like poundland with bored staff drinking tea and hiding, SF is full of light and happiness, whilst waiting for an order one day the assistant struck up a conversation with me about pink floyd...i was impressed
Been using SF for 15 years + and never really had anything other than good service at any of the branches I frequent around the Glasgow area. I've used Toolstation a handful of times, usually just based on product availability, but have to say they have been fine. I probably favour SF just out of habit and general loyalty to a good company.
I use both but use Screwfix a lot more. I have found Toolstation has gone really down hill lately. I placed an order last week, and they gave me the entirely wrong order as they only asked for my surname. It was me that pointed out that maybe there was another person with the same surname that had ordered something. Also TS used to be cheaper for most things but now I find there isn't much difference. TS is also better for certain items as they will sell them individually rather than packs of 20 or so. I usually find the staff are OK in TS, but I get annoyed about the lack of staff, sometimes it appears only one person is working in the entire shop. Interestingly my local TS is next door to a Screwfix (not my local SF) but Screwfix is always busier. I have noticed my local SF seems to have a high turnover of staff lately though. To sum up, I like and us both but Screwfix just seems far more professional and I trust the quality of the none branded goods a lot more.
Tend to use SF more than TS but find the service at both to be very good. In fact the C&C at TS is exceptional, don't know how they do it so quick. This in Newport South Wales. Agree about the TS website.
If Google is your favourite search engine, you could use a query like this: "basin trap" site:toolstation.com Works similarly for all sites and search terms. HTH.
In my local branch there is a TS and SF next to each other. The Toolstation staff are usually much more relaxed and friendly than Screwfix, however the actual transaction experience in Screwfix is better. As others have said, the Toolstation app and website leave a lot to be desired, however the generally lower prices keep me coming back.
I had always assumed they were owned by the same parent company (as 9 times out of 10, wherever there's a screwfix, there's a toolstation within 100 feet). But yeah, totally agree with what you're saying. Only ever had a friendly efficient service from Screwfix staff, but every time I go into Toolstation I get looked at like I'm an inconvenience to their conversation! Always * poor service...