Why Festool failed at Rockler

[size=14pt]Outside Denmark's first Rockler Store.

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Untidy Shop said:
[size=14pt]Outside Denmark's first Rockler Store.

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Those Danes!  There is NO way I would leave a leather couch outside!
 
[/quote]There will be more since the Paint division is specializing in the 'Scott Burt's of the world with a focus on sanders and abrasives and extractors... [wink] [wink] [wink][/quote]

Hopefully there aren't too many "me's" in the world ( [scared]), but there are a lot of professional painters in every major market who use Festool. Even before Festool formally engaged the paint industry a few years ago, painters were using Festool, and now many more are because of more convenient availability. It is good business for paint dealers to make it available to their customers who are users, and to expose it to those who aren't yet.

In the paint world, it is definitely all about the sanders, abrasives and extractors. Daily.
 
Alex said:
RLJ-Atl, one little place in Europe is hardly "the norm". Denmark has 5,6 million inhabitants, not even 1% of Europe.

"The norm" here is that mothers are too concerned to leave their babies alone like that.

That begs the usual questions of why only Denmark, and whether "too concerned" is learned and from where.
Having a place where it is the norm to line up the stroller in a parking zone says a lot of the country.
 
Lets move this away from how and what people do in various countries.

Seth
 
SRSemenza said:
Lets move this away from how and what people do in various countries.

Seth

Seriously. Enough about dogs and Euro parenting.

Let's talk about Brice.
 
jobsworth said:
Brice,

Yes and no or rather it depends. Most of the places like Rockler when they see someone lurking around a area they will at least ask if they can help you (me). They didn't.

Now other places I go to that are more for contractors I walk in look around and usually know what I want and if I need help Ill find someone. But that place is more like a warehouse with ply, timber hardware tools etc not a retail store.

But in the scenario I was describing its different then say the Woodcraft I go to. If they see me lurking around say the festool area, one will wander over and ask if I have any questions or if they can help. They know me by name.

I look at it as they want to make a sale.

I actually prefer to be left alone while I shop.  I may be designing something in my head after seeing what's on the shelf and multiple interruptions make that difficult.

If I need someone I will ask for help.

Honestly, I think it is counter productive to go to a retail store to buy something and then just stand there.

I never dreamed that people go to a store that carries what they want but they don't buy unless a retail person asks them if they want buy something.

Rocklers aren't that big. You go look at the stuff you want and bring it to the cash register or tell them you need help.

Much better than some big box stores where you sometimes have to tell the same guy you don't want help 4 or 5 times or you can't find anyone when you do need help.

 
After all this, I still don't know the answer to why Festool failed at Rockler.

It's too bad that minimum wage clerks are not privy to management level talks with major chain suppliers.

It's also too bad that the one guy with a wad of cash and a dog got tired of waiting and walked out of the store.  If only Rockler had waited on him hand and foot, if only the manager had not denigrated the gentle beast by his side, if only...  He sounded like he was going to drop enough cash to make Festool reconsider their fateful decision. 

Oh well, I hope I get past the disappointment of not knowing the reason I can't finger the green stuff at Rockler before I order it online...
 
This thread digressed (not necessarily a bad thing).  It's a simple answer, Festool failed at Rockler because a few items were "accidentally" sold at a discount which violated the North America fixed pricing agreement.
 
Agreement?
Neither the stores nor the customers seem to be willing to agree.
 
I may be wrong , yes it's true that does happens sometimes.

Festool makes the stores pay to train their employees. So if that is the case perhaps some of the franchise owners chose not to pay for their employees training which could account for the lack of knowledge about the tool line and their benefits.

Now the woodcraft near me has a nice stock of festools. The owner knows quite a bit about the tools. I had conversations with a employee about why I like the tool line and Allen would show up regularly and demonstrate the tools.
I did see that employees photo ( can't remember where)  about taking a end user class in LV.
So perhaps he went on his own or the owner paid. But I do bounce between woodcraft and Austins when buying festools because I do like both of those stores customer service.
 
I'm going to jump in late here and say "know your product, understand your cost".

The values in this tend to be subjective and often distorted by opinion.  Decisions are often made based on very little fact.
 
Kev said:
I'm going to jump in late here and say "know your product, understand your cost".

The values in this tend to be subjective and often distorted by opinion.  Decisions are often made based on very little fact.

human nature bruss.
 
Kev said:
I'm going to jump in late here and say "know your product, understand your cost".

The values in this tend to be subjective and often distorted by opinion.  Decisions are often made based on very little fact.
[sad]a
But but Kev, I thought you loved me [sad]
 
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