Do-it-yourself centre staff proud of product range and service standards

Press, 9 October 1987, Page 19

Do-it-yourself centre staff proud of product range and service standards

Hands up all, of you with a pile of things you’ve been promising to repair since last summer. And what about the barbecue you thought it would be nice to have this summer, or the new wallpaper in the lounge? Fear not, help is at hand. Smiths Do It Yourself Centre pride themselves on having the answer to all these jobs, little and not so little. The D.I.Y. Centre, covering the entire ground floor in Colombo Street, from Dundas Street to Moorhouse Avenue, has literally thousands and thousands of

items. They range from obscure little pieces to fix taps to everything you need to build a new room. And the trained staff are only too happy to advise. Many are qualified tradesmen and they pride’ themselves on their customer service. But that does not mean they’ll make the budding home handyperson feel like a moron from outer space who doesn’t speak the language. Quite the contrary. Smiths has a reputation for customer relations second to none, and this means their staff are adept at tracking down "thingammies” and

“whatsits.” Staff have grown used to cutting wood to the specifications of a customer standing there with outstretched arms saying “about this long,” and doubtless they will again. Actually they do feel more comfortable if you have the measurements, and if you haven’t got a tape measure, they’ll sell you one of those too. However, Smiths D.I.Y. Centre isn’t the preserve only of the home handyperson and many, many tradesmen shop there because of the competitive prices and excellent service. The new drive-in, from

Dundas Street to Moorhouse Avenue has made it much easier for everyone to load up with what they need in the car, trailer, truck or van. They pride themselves on being a truly one-stop shop with everything from the tools and materials for the job, advice and instructional videos, and can even recommend tradesmen to do the bits you don’t want to or aren’t allowed to by law, such as wiring and plumbing. And the friendly staff will give you a hand to load up larger items, or arrange delivery if it’s a bit much for the Mini to cope with.