Tandy Employee Policy..

[treyman]

They should have mandatory training but then again they don't give the stores Internet access either only access to company network. 

[NVLeatherWorx]

The days of having a staff that is truly knowledgeable in the products, and this applies to any retail environment, are gone.  Although we always hear about how dedicated a company is to their customers and what they are doing to bring an even higher level of customer service and satisfaction, the reality is that they aren't doing a damn thing at all.  Today is all about pure profit and used car sales tactics in every sales environment; knowledge and experience in an actual trade/product is frowned upon and goes against the very grain of selling as much as you can through the art of selling the bull.  After all, the majority of their customer base is that newbie who has no clue what they are in need of or how to go about it so it is easy to get some sales from them as they don't know any better.

This conversation has been had many times before about the lack of experience with the Tandy staff yet there have been some who have defended them to no end.  I have posted it several times about how their classes are taught by a member of the staff who has no real experience with the product or the trade but they can follow the company provided curriculum and teach these newbies how to get by.  I have also had several people say that it was not true and that their classes are always taught by someone who knows leather work.  Guess what, about a month ago I stopped by the store in my area and watched one of the classes in session.  It was taught by the store manager and he was reading from the book, step by step, to a class full of newbies.  I know that he has no experience in the craft as we have had several conversations on that matter; he is also the one who first told me that Tandy intentionally hires people who don't know anything about the craft or the materials aside from they are taught during their training (which is also drawn from a corporate manual that is geared towards what they want you to say, not what you should say).  Now we have even more information that has been gathered by first hand experience and it tells us that even though there have been some personnel changes at the top the base model is to continue the feeding the line of garbage that comes from the sales program and just make money.  

There is not a single product category/item that can be obtained from Tandy that can't be obtained from a wide range of sources and, more often than not, at a lower cost for a better quality product.  Tandy is NOT the ultimate source for products and supplies and they are definitely not the all knowing source for knowledge, wisdom, and experience; we, the long-time craftsmen of this trade, are the one's who should be providing this guidance to the newcomers and this forum is a prime example of how true that really is.

To all of you "newbies" out there who are just jumping in here, use these forums as your starting point and take serious note of the recommendations or guidance provided by those who provide their knowledge and experience for all to use. And above all, save yourself the trouble of ending up with the wrong materials and/or supplies by following the vast amount of recommendations for alternate sources to supply yourself.  We could just as easily keep everything secret and hold out on you but that would not continue to foster the experiences gained and enjoyment of learning how to work with leather and become a creative monster like so many of us have.

Rant closed.

[eglideride]

Rant enjoyed!

[Boriqua]

I think having "an artist in residence" would be a great selling tool. I can see wanting to be sure that the more mundane chores of a retail position are taken care of but then that is just a proper management task and goes along with controlling the myriad of other distractions that may impact an employee.

If I walk into a tandy and the guy/gal is making something I think is cool I would want to know what dyes, stamps, technique and ultimately spend more than I wanted.

Really knowing the product is one of the reasons I pick a place to shop. I like the small old camera stores far better than the big chains just for that reason. Now if I could just find a real hardware store again ..

[bikermutt07]

Very well put, NV.

[NVLeatherWorx]

Amen Boriqua and everyone else gets a big "you're welcome".  I remember the days of when you could walk into a Tandy store and actually see the staff working on things and that was one of the biggest hooks for me at that age (I was 8 then, over 50 now) which resulted in me being where I am at now.  I learned the tricks of the great leather workers of that time which many of us know the names of and I have spent every day of my life since that initial moment refining those skills and achieving the same level of expertise as they had.  I have worked every aspect of this trade to include saddle making and it pains me to see how pathetic that the Tandy brand has become since changing into just another corporate minded profit house.  I recently offended the manager from local store here when he told me that Tandy was the ultimate source around the globe for all things leathercraft and that any of the remaining sources would soon be gone.  Guess it pissed him off when I told him that Tandy is actually seen in a very poor light by the real leather craftsmen and that we make it our mission in life to provide newcomers to this trade with proper direction and guidance on where to invest in their future within this craft and that Tandy is really not on the list, unless you just need something real quick.  I have never seen a person his bleached white skin tone turn so red as he did at that moment and I actually thought for a moment that he was going to go into cardiac arrest.  He lives and breathes the company line and is way too blind to see past his nose to find the truth about how poorly viewed his employer really is.  

As a simple note, if anyone is offended by my take on this company then good, you should be.  Tandy is the last place on this planet that is concerned with helping leather crafters with growing this craft or obtaining quality materials and supplies to work with and grow their business; they are pure and simple just another big corporation that only cares about how much money they can drain from the pockets of their "customers", nothing more.

Have a great day all and may your creativity and enjoyment of this craft continue for years to come.

[bikermutt07]

14 minutes ago, NVLeatherWorx said:

Amen Boriqua and everyone else gets a big "you're welcome".  I remember the days of when you could walk into a Tandy store and actually see the staff working on things and that was one of the biggest hooks for me at that age (I was 8 then, over 50 now) which resulted in me being where I am at now.  I learned the tricks of the great leather workers of that time which many of us know the names of and I have spent every day of my life since that initial moment refining those skills and achieving the same level of expertise as they had.  I have worked every aspect of this trade to include saddle making and it pains me to see how pathetic that the Tandy brand has become since changing into just another corporate minded profit house.  I recently offended the manager from local store here when he told me that Tandy was the ultimate source around the globe for all things leathercraft and that any of the remaining sources would soon be gone.  Guess it pissed him off when I told him that Tandy is actually seen in a very poor light by the real leather craftsmen and that we make it our mission in life to provide newcomers to this trade with proper direction and guidance on where to invest in their future within this craft and that Tandy is really not on the list, unless you just need something real quick.  I have never seen a person his bleached white skin tone turn so red as he did at that moment and I actually thought for a moment that he was going to go into cardiac arrest.  He lives and breathes the company line and is way too blind to see past his nose to find the truth about how poorly viewed his employer really is.  

As a simple note, if anyone is offended by my take on this company then good, you should be.  Tandy is the last place on this planet that is concerned with helping leather crafters with growing this craft or obtaining quality materials and supplies to work with and grow their business; they are pure and simple just another big corporation that only cares about how much money they can drain from the pockets of their "customers", nothing more.

Have a great day all and may your creativity and enjoyment of this craft continue for years to come.

Well, I'll say this... They were right down the street from me and were there when I started a few years ago. And yes, I own some tools that I quickly found that weren't needed at all. So, that's something. Sooner or later Springfield will be getting some of my business just because. I've watched all of their videos, and dangit, I just like the heck out of Kevin. He's totally entertaining without trying. 

Back on topic, Tandy just released their summer clearance flyer with great deals on all kinds of stuff I wanted. Which absolutely no of which was in stock. That was probably a marketing shenanigan.

[Halitech]

I don't think it's a blanket ban because the girls at the store closest to me are always working on something and the store is always well stocked and customers are looked after

[beardedrigger]

I can see it from both sides. When I read the first post my initial thoughts were those of treyman's. I could definitely see the practice being abused and leading to poor customer service, lower sales, loss of inventory, etc. But I can also see positive benefits for allowing it if it's properly managed. 

As for the Tandy reputation, I think Tandy serves a purpose, even today in its ultra-profit-driven corporate-mindedness, because the reality is that for most people it's the only retailer around where they can go touch and see leather and tools. I think Tandy could do a lot better in its service to the common leather worker, but its main customer is the new I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing-and-don't-want-to-spend-a-lot-on-a-new-hobby consumer. I often run to Tandy because I need immediate gratification and can't wait for an order from Springfield to arrive for that one thing I'm missing. The Tandy workers I've encountered are always nice and friendly at least. I'm also still learning, and for the most part, most of the Tandy employees know more than I do (for now), so if I have a question at the store, it's usually easily answered. I've even had Tandy employees open new product to show me how to do things without asking if I was going to buy it first. I agree that the classes Tandy offers are pretty worthless because the people teaching them aren't usually skilled craftsmen nor are they trained trainers, but at least you get the tools at a discount. No, they're not top-of-the-line tools, but everyone should be able to agree that they're serviceable.

To me, Tandy is for the new hobbyist and not the craftsmen who make they're living working leather. They're like JoAnne's Fabric and Hobby Lobby for the sewing and craft communities. If you're using Tandy to supply your business I'd question your business practices, because that's not their main focus. Even as a wholesaler, they're main purpose is providing products for resale, not for actual use in the leather trade. 

 

[beardedrigger]

And, with the exception of those who live in Springfield, MO, or near Herman Oak, or near one of the other extremely limited leather retailers, what alternative is there to see and touch the leather and tools?