Mole Valley Farmers

[Lazy Sod]

I think what is needed is the equivalent of Screwfix

The trouble with the Screwfix business model (and Argos) is that you have to know exactly what you want. Look it up online or search their catalogue and take the item number to the counter.

I want to wander round the shelves and see what they've got and look at all the possibilities.

 

[Sid]

South Molton local to us. Great store rarely doesn’t have what I need. Couple of blokes in the shop need avoiding but that’s the same everywhere. Lads in the yard very good. The young ones are keen and the older ones have the knowledge. Rarely go anywhere else.

What do you buy posh wellies shooting accessories and a fridge freezer?

Examples of items not avaliable
Teat dips
Circulation cleaner
Rat bait
Paper towel
Certain sizes and types of wellies.

As for the lads out in the yard. Customers are a burden to break up their cosy indoor chats!

 

[Paddington]

With Screwfix stuff I generally wait until I need enough to cover the delivery charge, but needed some door hinges the other week so decided to collect them from the warehouse. Normally I'm told I can collect the items in ten minutes which as it takes an hour's drive is neither here nor there. I meant to order them the night before but forget, so ordered them in the morning, only to find they were on next day delivery so would have to come back the next day. Over a dozen hinges were shown to be in stock on the screen, but this refers to the warehouse. This warehouse is not where you are stood at the counter, but another completely different warehouse somewhere else. After a two hour wasted drive I ordered the parts online and were delivered within two days, only the weather has been too cold to take the outside doors off, so the hinges are still sat on the bench.

 

[gone up the hill]

does the guarantee on those stakes get passed on to the take over company...or isnt there one...

Mole valley have just changed their stake suppliers apparently.

They will still have the guarantee thou 15 years is no where near long enough when it comes to stakes imo.

I have been told the stakes will only be sold in mm lengths from now on and not per ft.

MVF staff are being sent on retraining courses to sell the new stakes as well.

 

[ollie989898]

Can someone explain 61 M Gross Profit 2.3 M Net Profit

Easy.

Best of luck to the man who has to stand up at the MVF AGM and explain to his shareholders he has made 20 or 30 million quid out of them!!

 

[gone up the hill]

Easy.

Best of luck to the man who has to stand up at the MVF AGM and explain to his shareholders he has made 20 or 30 million quid out of them!!

The person who has to do that doesn't buy his own farming inputs ( runs a very large dairy herd ) from MVF as they are too expensive, he instead buys them from a buying group that his wife helps run!

 

[ollie989898]

The person who has to do that doesn't buy his own farming inputs ( runs a very large dairy herd ) from MVF as they are too expensive, he instead buys them from a buying group that his wife helps run!

Makes no odds, the company cannot be seen to make huge profits from farmers. The shareholders would go ape.

 

[gone up the hill]

Makes no odds, the company cannot be seen to make huge profits from farmers. The shareholders would go ape.

The farmers are the shareholders in the main!

 

[ollie989898]

The farmers are the shareholders in the main!

Of course!

 

[SilliamWhale]

The trouble with the Screwfix business model (and Argos) is that you have to know exactly what you want. Look it up online or search their catalogue and take the item number to the counter.

I want to wander round the shelves and see what they've got and look at all the possibilities.

Thats the strength of them too though. Though Toolstation is cheaper than Screwfix but generally I think Screwfix has better quality

 

[honeyend]

The trouble with the Screwfix business model (and Argos) is that you have to know exactly what you want. Look it up online or search their catalogue and take the item number to the counter.

I want to wander round the shelves and see what they've got and look at all the possibilities.

I am a impulse buyer, I can go in to a shop to spend a fiver and come out having spent £50.

You go in to MV and there are shelves of dog and cat food that you can buy any where, not even good bulk deals but basic animal husbandry equipment is not available.
I know why they do it, because there is more profit on nic-naks, the posh wellies, jackets and the like, about 50%, and you have to sell an awful lot of feed to make that sort of profit. The bean counters think if they sell more of them that they will make up for the low profit margins on other things, forgetting that the basic things are what make you shop there in the first place. You end up buying stuff on line, it gets delivered in two days, and you have not the hassle of going into a store and being spoken to by someone who doesn't look even pleased to see you, even though they haven't got a queue five deep.
If it was more like Aldi, sold basics cheaply , watched the weather so they were planning not reacting, they have all these contacts but there is very little up to date infro displayed and then actually had staff that were well trained and interested in selling, and perhaps dare I say it, some where to have a drink and a sit down, the trip would be more worth while.
I just get frustrated with the lack of professionalism, top down, if they worked for Tesco they would be sacked, not allowed to let it go bust/merged yet again.

 

[AJR75]

No issues here personally with the Bridgwater store. Don’t buy that much there but always do have what I need. Generally staff are helpful. But if it’s something specific then I tend to try and ask the right person if that makes sense.

 

[ollie989898]

If they are still making big money, who are we to complain, they must be doing something right? I suspect a lot of it is now online sales.

 

[JP1]

Today they excelled themselves

Had some appointments in Sussex today and then on to a funeral, so I knew I'd be late home. Driving through Billingshurst, I spot a Mole store and swing by to get some cattle finisher nuts and some coarse mix bags for the two cows I'm preparing to show.

Feed is out the back so you have to book out at a till at the shop. But the system won't recognise my account. Call my local store (only just allowed a direct phone number). Answerphone. Ring back, speak with a lady who gives me a full account number. Still no good in Sussex. Hand my mobile to lady to talk to Bury. Still no joy.

Lady goes out back. Some time later says there's still nothing she can do. Different systems Sussex reports to South Molton, BSE to Stamford.

JP calls South Molton (he's now walking the store, counting staff - 11 I think). First lady is from credit control HQ and it transpires she had spoken with Sussex lady. Ask for call to be escalated, wait, told Mr Staines will be who I will be put through to. Another lady then picks up as a Team Leader. Still computer says no. "Can you not just let me ring BSE and you book on their system". No. Mr Staines on the other line - "I'll hold. Thank you"

In the end get to supremo who still says he can't help (they didn't even have any coarse mix - not even horse alternative it transpires). I try to point out that they've spent a fortune on acquisitions, stores and branding.

Eventually I was told I'd either be paying cash at Sussex OR THE HQ WOULD GET BURY TO DELIVER TO MY PLACE FOR WHEN I GOT HOME ?

3 bags feed. From a feed based heritage company?

You couldn't make it up (I didn't)

 

[S J H]

They invoiced me for some concrete that I had a year ago. I'm sure I've paid for it, but need to check. I wouldn't trust them enough to pay for it anyway.

 

[JP1]

They invoiced me for some concrete that I had a year ago. I'm sure I've paid for it, but need to check. I wouldn't trust them enough to pay for it anyway.

I just don't get it

 

[Andyfeed]

That’s our local store it is a complete shambles at the best of times it used to be the best around here when there was others.
Our independent store is only 8 miles up the road and we pick up all the disgruntaled mole customers.

 

[S J H]

I just don't get it

I'm bad at invoicing but I'd expect a firm like that to be better, god knows who actually owns the concrete if I haven't paid for it.

I stopped dealing with the local branch that was taken over by mole because of the errors on the invoices.

 

[JP1]

That’s our local store it is a complete shambles at the best of times it used to be the best around here when there was others.
Our independent store is only 8 miles up the road and we pick up all the disgruntaled mole customers.

You could have told me !!

 

[JP1]

I'm bad at invoicing but I'd expect a firm like that to be better, god knows who actually owns the concrete if I haven't paid for it.

I stopped dealing with the local branch that was taken over by mole because of the errors on the invoices.

Thing is, I do get that what I was asking was unusual and even accept they've different back offices to merge and it all takes time. But there were 11 (yes 11) staff in there and surely a bit of common sense and human intervention would be all it took. My account is always settled by return by BACS on receipt of monthly invoice. I'm hardly going to make them rich but I'm not a dodgy horse account. I personally asked for and waited to speak with the Manageress. All very pleasant people but everyone completely hide bound with rules.

I figured my time was probably worth more than all that waiting but it became a point of principle. I'd grabbed my business card holder that has my fuel card and a £20 for the funeral collection. I'd left my main wallet on the kitchen table with my debit card etc otherwise I'd have just paid up