Citi Hardware

[Joe LP]

True to many businesses in the Philippines, each location is as good as it's manager is.  The one they built here in my area about 3 years ago was taken over by a good manager and he's still there.  So I guess I'm lucky that such a good manager is in charge and the store is run pretty good.  

I brought a lot of my hand tools with me from the US.  So I'm all set on those.  Now, when it comes to small appliances, and some large, I've gone, for the most part, to BostonBay.  The brand is exclusive to CitiHardware and at least at mine, they pretty much warranty it for life.  

My first purchase was a 15" wall fan that was BostonBay.  When I purchased it I did not know it was exclusive to CitiHardware.  But, it had some issues early on and when I took it back hoping for at least some instore credit, they very quickly and without any issues exchanged it for a new one.  Then after about a year and a half, it started making noises.  They fixed it for free.  I just had to bring it to the store.  So, I bought a BostonBay window aircon.  Never had any issue with it as of yet.  That said, the manager made it clear, if there is ever and issue and I bring it to them, they'll fix it for free minus any new parts that might be needed.  He said if after 2 years I need to bring it in.  Before that, it's under warranty and they'd send someone to my house to fix it.  

So, now I'm looking at getting my next fridge/freezer from there and it'll be BostonBay.  

The reason I bring up the manager is some fellow foreign friends from a few municipalities away bought there stuff from another Citihardware that was closer to them and have had issues.  They said the manager does not seem to like to be as friendly on fixing stuff bought from his store.  I'm sure there could be other things playing a part in this...just saying shopper beware.

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Joe LP said:

True to many businesses in the Philippines, each location is as good as it's manager is.  The one they built here in my area about 3 years ago was taken over by a good manager and he's still there.  So I guess I'm lucky that such a good manager is in charge and the store is run pretty good.  

I brought a lot of my hand tools with me from the US.  So I'm all set on those.  Now, when it comes to small appliances, and some large, I've gone, for the most part, to BostonBay.  The brand is exclusive to CitiHardware and at least at mine, they pretty much warranty it for life.  

My first purchase was a 15" wall fan that was BostonBay.  When I purchased it I did not know it was exclusive to CitiHardware.  But, it had some issues early on and when I took it back hoping for at least some instore credit, they very quickly and without any issues exchanged it for a new one.  Then after about a year and a half, it started making noises.  They fixed it for free.  I just had to bring it to the store.  So, I bought a BostonBay window aircon.  Never had any issue with it as of yet.  That said, the manager made it clear, if there is ever and issue and I bring it to them, they'll fix it for free minus any new parts that might be needed.  He said if after 2 years I need to bring it in.  Before that, it's under warranty and they'd send someone to my house to fix it.  

So, now I'm looking at getting my next fridge/freezer from there and it'll be BostonBay.  

The reason I bring up the manager is some fellow foreign friends from a few municipalities away bought there stuff from another Citihardware that was closer to them and have had issues.  They said the manager does not seem to like to be as friendly on fixing stuff bought from his store.  I'm sure there could be other things playing a part in this...just saying shopper beware.

Good to know - thanks for sharing. 

I will say in defence of SM Appliance we always buy from there -A/Cs excepted as I feel their installation fee is high and it's contracted out - and on the couple of occasions we've had issues we've had them resolved satisfactorily. This includes changing a refrigerator to another brand outside the initial 7-day period. 

While I'm here  - until I came here the idea of staff unboxing a brand new item to test was alien. I don't like it nor see the need for it.  How many of us have ever had an issue with an item out the box - I've never. In fact, there is more chance of doing harm unpacking and repacking it and, for products like refrigerators it's actually a bad idea to unbox it and plug it in immediately. End of the day, the cost/benefit analysis doesn't stack up given we always have 7-day return policy regardless of what some stores try to tell you. 

[jimeve]

10 hours ago, RBM said:

Around here (Bacolod) Triumph Hardware wins hands down on every level.

We have one near Dumaguete. 100% agree. And free coffee.

[OnMyWay]

54 minutes ago, jimeve said:

We have one near Dumaguete. 100% agree. And free coffee.

Seems that Triumph or Triumph Home Depot is mainly in Negros.  We have CW Home Depot in San Fernando and they are ok, but I have not checked pricing.

[OnMyWay]

9 hours ago, Joe LP said:

So, now I'm looking at getting my next fridge/freezer from there and it'll be BostonBay.  

I'm in the market for fridge, cooktop, built in oven and built in micro.  I looked at their website and they make you choose a location, but it will not allow me to choose the one in Hermosa.  That store is new so perhaps the website is not updated.  I chose Tarlac instead.  I'm not sure if the fridge choices are only for Tarlac or all the models possible.  There were not many fridges and the largest was 19 cubic feet I think.  I will probably get a larger one, maybe 24 cf.

[Tommy T.]

I think your mileage will vary store to store. The Citi Hardware stores here in Davao always have 8-10 sales people standing around talking until I need something.... then they all disappear like magic.

I had an incident in one store sort-of close by and, at one time had 7 "workers" trying to figure out how to open up an electrical fixture. None of them could do it. So I whipped out my Swiss Army knife and was able to open it up in seconds.... amazingly, most of the workers then vanished...

So many times, at so many stores - Wilcon, Citi, Trust, Ace.... they typically have a gaggle of "sales people" in a group which totally disperses when I I go to ask a question or seek something. Someone always ends up running to find the "one" (like in the Matrix?) who knows or can figure out the answer. It can often be an exercise in futility when they finally admit they don't know, or, "Sorry Sir, out of stock..." But sometimes I find what I seek. So often, a trip to find and item ends up with three to four stops at various stores to "hopefully" find what I am seeking. Sounds almost like a kid's game, right???

This is not always the case, but has occurred often enough to even piss off L who is generally mild mannered and somewhat patient - at least a lot more than me!

[Mike J]

13 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

So often, a trip to find and item ends up with three to four stops at various stores to "hopefully" find what I am seeking.

I used to have problems like that.  Now what I do is find an image on my smart phone.  Show them the picture and say; 'do you have this'.   Works well, saves time and frustration for me and the store staff.  Especially effective when the item here may be called something other than what you are familiar.

[hk blues]

I've found from experience that if I can't find what I'm looking than there is only a slim chance it's available and an even slimmer chance the staff will make the effort to hunt it down.  Basically, asking the staff for help is a last resort rather than a first.  But, I have to say that when it comes to product knowledge the staff in Ace are pretty good assuming you get the right person.  

[Tommy T.]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

I've found from experience that if I can't find what I'm looking than there is only a slim chance it's available and an even slimmer chance the staff will make the effort to hunt it down.  Basically, asking the staff for help is a last resort rather than a first.  But, I have to say that when it comes to product knowledge the staff in Ace are pretty good assuming you get the right person.  

I tend to agree. Even in USA, it was easier, often, for me to wander around to look for what I needed rather than ask a clueless staff member. Here, I find that there seems to be compartmentalization - there's one who knows something about electricity, another about paints, another about tools, etc. But then there seem to be many that are only talented with their cell-phones, or just talk talk talking...

Mike J's advice is good, but I sometimes forget to take the photo or research online before shopping in person - my bad.... But some of the stores have real stars who can find things and know about what they stock - I value these few a lot!

[hk blues]

4 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Here, I find that there seems to be compartmentalization - there's one who knows something about electricity, another about paints, another about tools, etc.

I believe they call them Merchandisers here - which doesn't even have the same meaning as back home.