RANT: Welding Store Hours ?

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What's with the Prima Donna store hours of the local welding stores?I know of no other retail business that is:a) Closed from 1200 to 1300 hours for lunch (Customers just have to wait in the parking lot!)b) Closed both Saturday and Sunday!  (Customers just have to do without!)If you wanted to make it darn inconvient for shoppers, just look to the LWS !Here's my story but I'm certain you have you stories too...Thursday morning I ran around to several stores, Bust Bee machinery, Princess Auto, two LWS (Praxair and Linde/BOC) and headed to the third (Air Liquide)... but my watch said  it was 11:40 and I knew I'd never make it to the store before 1200.  RATS!  Well I was not going to sit outside their store for an hour (it would seem like ages) while those Prima Donnas ate their lunch!  I went home and got caught up in other activities.  Firday morning I was just about to head to Air Liquide when I had a medical emergency... rest of day shot.  So here it is Saturday morning and I'm screwed - Praxair, Linde/BOC and Air Liquide are closed!WTF is this?  No Service at Lunch Time & No Service on Weekends! If you work, when the 'H' are you supposed to get there?Lunch time - Closed! After work - Closed! Weekend - Closed! ? ? ?Hey 40 years ago here, banks used to be open from 9:30AM to 3:00PM, Monday through Saturday.  Bad hours... but even then they were open at lunch time and on Saturday!  Today most banks are open 9 - 6 Monday - Saturday and have deposit/withdrawal machine open 24 hours a day.  They fixed their problem.I say it's high time the LWS fixed theirs!  Stop ignoring Customers! Is it any surprise folks get fed up?Might as well buy your welding machines and most consumables online - at least they are open 24/7 and IMO - that's better service!Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:Half the LWS in my area used to be open on Saturday. I used to trot over and exchange my bottles myself on Saturdays.As thier business declined they all closed on Saturday. So now I keep lots of extra bottles on hand. The only other thing I can do now is run to Home Depot, Lowes, Grainger, and Harbor Freight.Darn Tootin they are shooting themselves in the foot.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Well everybody knows that welders only work Monday to Friday and the normal business hours and the union required breaks. So why cant you fit in with your society? If you cant fit in you need to be an organized shopper and carry an inventory. Ps I agree that they are a pain in the but. My home hardware is not open Sunday and that is a pain too. Its funny how much we expect in service now, cause not so long ago no one was open Sat or Sunday. Sunday was for church, rest and family. I live in a tourist town and 7 days a week in normal for most places except LWS.Miller thunderbolt 250Decastar 135ERecovering tool-o-holic ESAB OAI have been interested or involved in Electrical, Fire Alarm, Auto, Marine, Welding, Electronics ETC to name a just a few. So YES you can own too many tools.
Reply:local air gas gave me phone numbers of manager and *** manager to call anytime i need something on the weekend and told me not to hesitate to call and they will come in and let me get what i need. btw last week i swapped a 170cf bottle of oxy i picked up at an auction awhile back for $22.50 exchange. the manager even commented about how old the tank was. since the tanks last hydro was in 197ish i asked him when he told me $22.50 if he was going to charge me for a hydro. he looked at me and said it's already done. i hear the horror stories of lws's especially air gas and all i can say is i got a good one. wish i could say that for our other lws. they suck.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Praxair by me is open on Saturdays so the guy can catch up on paper work and help those weekend warriors. He is a top notch and I will not do business with any other company based on the superb customer service and deals this guy and company hook me up with!Sorry you have such bad luck with your guys!http://jackalopefab.com/MM210Synchrowave 200DXMiller XMT350 w/60series feederMiller Bobcat 250 with SGA 100 and spoolgunHTP PlasmaFull Machine shop with everything
Reply:We have two LWSs and both are open until noon on Saturday.The local steel yard is open to 11:30 on Saturday.  I asked them why 11:30 and not noon.  He said they're really open until noon, but if they announced it that way they'd still have guys coming in at 12:30.Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:this guy is in canada, different world up there.   years ago, pre internet, i had to restore a prevost motor coach that had been damaged in a fire.  rented a warehouse installed  phone line for fax and started doing business with prevost in quebec.  whoa, that was an experience.   thankfully i finally found a couple of after market dealers in the us or else i would still be working on it sixteen years later.  not bashing canada, i actually just spent a few days in vancouver and victoria.  you'll never catch me in montreal although half the city must winter in hollywood, florida.  no missing those white beerbellies in speedo's. lol
Reply:Not being open on weekends is a pain. Locals arent open here either. We try to keep enough stuff on hands to get buy but sometimes stuff happens. Than again if I have to stock more parts than a dealer why cant I get the dealer pricing. I have had my tire guy call me because they were out ofa specific size tire and they know we keep some on hand. Used to be places had parts or supplies on hand you need something you go in buy it go home. No everyone wants to order it and for a fee you can have it tomorrow well tomorrows not today.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:My LWS is open till noon on Saturday, and if you need something and it's almost 12:00, if you call ahead and tell them your on your way they wiil wait for you till 12:30 AT LEAST on most occasions. They'll tell you beforehand if they can't stay open till 12:30 or later if that's the case. Can't blame the guy though if he has plans for HIS Saturday afternoon.
Reply:We have two here in town - Airgas has lousy hours, no weekends and only until 4 weekdays.  Mississippi Welder supply is open Sat until 12 and until 5 weekdays.  I haven't been able to ever make it in during Airgas's hours.  Guess who gets the business?  Not like I'm making them rich, but business is business.  Very helpful guys there too.-DaveXMT304 with: 22A Feeder, or HF251 Hi Freq DC TIG air cooled
Reply:I live in the suburbs near Atlanta.  There are half a dozen LWS within reasonable driving distance of me.   Not one of them is open after 5 or on weekends.  I get the best service and prices from a local outfit  sidney lee welding.  They are friendly and helpful and there prices are better than most of the others.  They get my business
Reply:This rant coming from a retired old fartAnd they wonder why they r loosing business to online sellers.    Only one LWS is open saturdays for 1/2 day near me and both are locally owned shopsTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Buy from the same guy all the time. Once you have been buying all your supplies there they get friendlier. I have had them leave things in the parking lot for me when I HAD to have it and they were closing before I got there. I have also had them stay late for me to get there by calling ahead and explaining my predicament. I have also had an employee take something home, and I picked it up there. I buy all my supplies from one small operator, and all my steel from another. They know me when I walk in the door, or call on the phone. I drop off Christmas gifts for them, and once or twice cold drinks in the summertime. They are now my friends as well as my suppliers. Your friends will go out of the way when you need something.
Reply:I don't expect my LWS to be open weekends since that's not where they do volume in my small town. They don't close for lunch though. That's absurd. They are very nice to me and I'm delighted with their service.I keep enough gas and bench stock that I don't need weekend service.  Ebay and other online suppliers are so much more convenient and economical than driving to a store that I use them for specialty and low-weight items. Cutting tips etc are like toilet paper, and I don't buy that by the sheet.
Reply:Welcome to the real world.Guess you don't work construction for a living. Most plumbing and electrical supply house are Mon-Fri, usually 6or 7am -4:30pm. Same goes with commercial roofing suppliers and lumber yards, though some lumber yards are open 1/2 days on Sat. Steel yards are usually only open Mon-Fri as well, though I do have one that's open 1/2 day on Sat. I'm lucky if I can get concrete delivered on Sat. To do so, usually the plant has to have at least enough orders to run 6 trucks all day and you pay a premium price for this if they do to cover the OT.As far as being closed for lunch, I can think of any number of small businesses that do that. My mechanic for instance. He's got 6 guys, but don't expect to see any of them from 12-1pm. Yeah the shop manager will walk out to talk to some one who come in, but thats usually about it. Same goes with most 1-2 man outfits. Every chiropractor I've used is closed from 12-1 for lunch ( small 1-2 person places) and a few even close 5-6 for dinner as well if they have evening hours.As far as late hours, the paint store I use was recently bought up by Sherwin Williams. The main company extended store hours to 6 am to 7pm Mon-Fri, and Sat/Sun 8am-6pm. Most days on the new extended hours they don't see a single person in the store. They do have to man the store alone now almost 80% of the time to have the same guys cover the extra hours.Oh and some of us are old enough to remember when almost all stores were closed on Sundays. You couldn't buy anything except maybe gas an some times groceries. And almost all stores closed by 7-8pm including gas stations.Last edited by DSW; 10-22-2011 at 07:39 PM..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Most stores in my little town are closed up by 4 on the weekdays. The nearest LWS in another state closes at like 11 on Saturday, or 11:30 maybe. Oh well, I understand they are open when 90% of their customers are working and need them, but it still sucks.[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:My lws closest to me is open 8-5 Monday through Friday, and is closed for lunch sometime when the one guy working in the store has to go to lunch, which could be any where between 11:30-3:00 depending upon his business that day.His and a backup workers number is on the door, and he has opened up for me on Saturday when I have given him a call.  He has also offered to loan me a small cylinder for gas on a weekend if needed and only pay for the gas. He also has special ordered parts, and pieces I needed, and stocks a generous amount of stuff for his small store. Can't beat that for service, even though he has to close up to eat lunch.My closest AirGas store is open only normal M-F business hours, till 5. They have 2-3 people working in the store.  During lunch, sometimes only the secretary is in, so sometimes you have to wait until the salesman gets back, though she can handle a lot of different purchases.A lot of stores in small towns STILL close their stores at 1200 on Wednesdays or Thursdays too, in general.  Some of them will offset the early close hours to work Saturday Mornings without causing overtime issues.Last edited by lugweld; 10-22-2011 at 11:35 PM.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:I have Laurel Bottle and Gas in Laurel MD.  They actually have Sunday hours.  Most of what they sell on Sundays is propain, and a few years ago a bottle of argon was rare.  But now they have the cheapest prices and they tell me they have 80s of argon all the time.  They bottles have Air Gas stickers on them (suggesting they are re-selling air-gas bottles).Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:Originally Posted by con_fuse9I have Laurel Bottle and Gas in Laurel MD.  They actually have Sunday hours.  Most of what they sell on Sundays is propain, and a few years ago a bottle of argon was rare.  But now they have the cheapest prices and they tell me they have 80s of argon all the time.  They bottles have Air Gas stickers on them (suggesting they are re-selling air-gas bottles).
Reply:.  I started dealing with  a local company that is open until noon on Saturdays.  Better hours and better prices.  I think they are loosly assosiated with Airgas. The TSC store in Grimsby has a bottle exchange program. I thought I might check it out.  They are open Sundays.  Just a 45 min return trip makes it tough.Miller Thunderbolt AC/DCMillermatic 211 and spoolmatePower Plasma 50Syncrowave 180 SDMike
Reply:I like to support the small local guys in general, but when they aren't open when I need something, they lose a sale. They made the decision that it would more expensive to keep open the hours I sometimes need than what they'd make on that missed sale.I don't hold it against them, and I don't feel any guilt for not using them at those times, no matter how helpful they are when I do deal with them. Its all business,
Reply:I feel the pain. Our mower shop is not open on Sat, make lots of people mad. But when someone asks what time are you open till, Ill say five. When that say I cant make it, I tell them I will wait on them to get there. Also some of my comercial customers will call and if they are in the area of my drive home, I drop it off for them. On the other hand, I have some common parts here at my house so if I break down, Im not running all day to try and get bac up and running. I dont do that for the people who buy the 899.00 big box store lawn mowers. I do it for the guys that do this for a living.Learning one rod at a time
Reply:Originally Posted by Ragtime... The TSC store in Grimsby has a bottle exchange program. I thought I might check it out.  They are open Sundays.  Just a 45 min return trip makes it tough.
Reply:The welding supply stores in Kelowna are generally closed on the weekends and open until 5 during the week (Princess Auto doesn't count!)  We have praxair on this side of the lake, and air Liquide on the other.  There used to be a welding supply store about 5 minutes from where I live, but they shut down, unfortunately.
Reply:I agree, if you wanna stay in business these days, you gotta keep up with the competition or you'll be run over.There's a local bike shop near my house and everytime I go in, they're always complaining about business and blaming the Internet, bla bla bla.The problem is that they have ****ty hours and don't carry products that today's riders want.In order to compete, you better know you're enemies and know what your customers want.---But then again, my buddy owns an old beat down radiator/mechanic shop, surrounded by old houses, tucked in a back street, but HE has no trouble getting customers!Why? Because he does quality work for 1/4th the price as surrounding shops!Those guys work from 7am to 8pm every night at least.He has stolen a nice chunk of work from surrounding shops...because he knows what outrageous scams other shops are pulling.Just stay competitive...that's all.Lincoln 125HD, yep I'm a big spender.