Poor service

My comments deal with the Mennards store in Minot, ND My wife and i have just completed building a new house in Williston , ND and the contractor explained that we could save money by buying the materials thru the Minot menards store. Little did we know the savings would be returned with a good share of very poor service. there are severe problems with the organization of materials to be shipped to us, the customer. Most time that we ordered something special order and tried to get the shipping department to send it with an order that the contractor had placed it took several trips and calls before the item actually made it to us. Seems the department that ordered the product does not comunicate well with the shipping department.

Next beef on my list, When we applied for the contractors credit card to pay for the building materials the card had a rediculous low limit of $7500. To buy materials for this house we had to spend 70 to $80,000. At this low limit the card could not possibly cover all charges, so we gave the contractors ordering desk our debit card information and gave clear instructions to notify us before any charges were place so we could arrange for funds in this account. Jeff at the contractors counter did not notify us, just billed it out and created an overdraft on our account that we have had for 35 years without a blemish ever !! There was no apology for this, only excuses that he did not hear any instructions we gave.

The next problem was a A quartz countertop that was ordered. We supplied the model number for the sink for the hole to be cut. There were mistakes made by Menards or the counter manufacturer and the hole was cut for the wrong sink. To expedite this problem my wife aggreed to let Menards find the correct sink that the hole was cut for so this could be installed without waiting for a new countertop, thus saving Menards the cost of new materials and us saving time. The sink was found and The Menards employee insisted that this had to be shipped by regular ground as this was policy. I had to threaten and scream and become a real ass to get someone to get this thing sent overnight. This was not our misstake and we were treated very poorly getting this fixed. When I told them to recut the countertop if I had to wait for a sink they refused, even though it did not fit the sink I had bought for this counter and which they confirmed the right part number that we had given them. It was only after I told them that the contractor that was building for me and does several houses a year thru menards wasn't to happy about it either that they ordered this outside regular channels. It still took 4 days to get to the contractor for installation.

The latest problem is an order of Black Aluminum fence and post that was place 6 weeks ago. The material arrive in store and we were notified it was in. My wife instructed them to send it with the next truck coming this way. Did not show up, as usual. A call to the store and now the materials can't be found. Had to be reordered. 10 days later parts were delivered with another load of materials and it was stacked aside for completion of dirtwork around the yard. A contractor came to install the material and finds that 2/3 of the posts were not sent with. So here I am again with people trying to do work and Menards has let me down again. Not enough posts in stock to complete the order and the rest are on back order. I am sick to death of Menards poor comunication,records keeping and workers. I have just cancelled an order for $3000 for materials for a small garage as I don't think they can fill this order without problems.

These are not the only problems we had, but the worst ones. Very shabby place to do business. If I had bought an $80,000 car or that much furnature the dealers would be falling all over me trying to make this right so there would be return business and a thumbs up that these guys do a great job. Not so here. The manager, Phil, has tried to late and to little to help with this but when he is not around there is no cooperation whatsoever.

As of now I am half done with the construction of my buildings at my new home. I will most likely be shopping somewhere else so I do not have these problems anymore.

Gary and Becky Gilbertson