Untrained staff and staff with attitude

I needed a bag of mosaic adhesive. I know where it is in the yard, I know the description, I have previously bought it from Builders Warehouse.

I should have taken a picture of the product number. That's on me.

I went to the contractors counter and followed the 'queue here' signs. There was only one customer at the counter, a charming but confused old lady. Only one contractor counter was open.

I wait, and wait as the old lady gets her order wrong, makes corrections and makes calls to find out what she needs. And while this happens a queue builds up on the opposite side of the counter.

Then - what I assume is one of the managers - who has been standing watching tells me in an irritated tone that I must join the queue on the other side. The queue away from the 'queue here' sign. He doesn't call for another counter to be opened or assist any way.

The old lady is still struggling with her order and now I'm irritated with the manager's attitude. But eventually everyone else in the queue gets fed up with waiting and leaves.

It's just me and the old lady again but now I'm on the wrong side of the counter. The old lady finally sorts her order out and I step up.

The builder's contractor assistant is very sweet but she has no idea how to use her system. I'll tell her word for word what she has to search for to find the mosaic adhesive I need. But she kept getting flustered and searching for only a part of the description. Or something else entirely.

Eventually she says no she can't find it and I must go to the bathroom aisle. This is going on twenty minutes for a single bag of adhesive. And I know that bathroom do not have it because I have previously looked. Remember I know it's in the yard. I've bought it before.

Here is where things really go wrong.

In the bathroom aisle the two of the Builders Warehouse staff are chatting at their desk. I wait for them to finish, I don't interrupt. I'm just stand there waiting for them.

When they're done I get asked what I need. The assistant must have been in his very early twenties but there's an attitude rolling off of him.

I describe the mosaic adhesive I need. No he doesn't have. I tell him he does and I've purchased it there before and describe it again. The description I'm giving is a 20Kg bag of white mosaic adhesive that can be also be used to grout. He gives me a bag of 5Kg grey grout.

I'm starting to get really irritated now and tell him to walk with me to the yard where I show him the exact bag I want.

He walks off without a word leaving me to take my wasted 40 minutes and single bag of mosaic adhesive back to the tellers.

Where then I push the 'I would not recommend' button. It doesn't work but the tellers starts fighting with me about how it wasn't her fault.

I ask her to get a manager.

She doesn't make any attempt to get one of the mangers; just rings up my purchase and I leave.

I wish I could say that this type of experience at Builders Warehouse was unusual but it's absolutely not.