Posted by I am always going on about how bad and frustrating the bureaucracy is here in Spain BUT there is also some amazing staff and services offered by others here that goes above and beyond their job.
Also a great tip that you will want to know that will save you hundreds.
Today i want to talk about one company and their staff.
Leroy Merlin.
Leroy Merlin is like the Uk version of B and Q i guess and has just about every thing you need when doing work on your property from screws to lights and almost everything you can think of that you will need for your home. They have branches in most major cities now.
So as a builder and carpenter i use them a lot and building my new 4 bed house here in Almeria i have 2 stores near me that i use almost daily over the last 2 years.
The staff in all the stores i use are always very helpful and friendly and some now speak English thats helpful when you need a hand with choosing stuff and all very knowledgeable in each dedicated department.
Heres a tip.
They offer a green card to customers thats free and you earn points so get a cheque back to use on products so saving you in the long run. There is also a Pro card that is normally for companies or trades people that most can apply for and this card does so much more. I have the pro card and you get assigned a personal shopper sort of. These staff members are just for pro members and you can call them directly and tell them what you need and they prepare it and send you a payment link so you just need to go and pick it up and then can go on your way without waiting and you also have access to the store warehouse to come and go even when the store is closed to the public. You also have different longer opening hours to shop when theres no public in the store. You have the place to yourself.
Delivery service
Most other hard ware shores and shops charge around 85 euros for home delivery and that can get expensive if your buying a lot over time but Leroys have very special rates for pro members and these home delivery services are a god send in these confinement times. I just order online pay online and they bring it to my door.
I have been personally invited to their staff room on a few occasions and seen that they have a large board with pro customers names and photos on the wall so they are trained to look out for these customers and be extra nice to them. I often go in the store and see a new person working there and they great me by saying hello David. they know my name even if i have never seen them before they are trained to be nice to every one but the extra service you get with the pro card is truly amazing.
Many times i get sent deals and offers sent to my phone long before they are on offer to the public and i dont have to queue up ever they have a pro member of staff that looks after me and writes up my purchases so all i do is pay and go. Now buying materials you need to shop around and things like large amounts of bricks or sand is often cheaper at specialist builders merchants but i always ask Leroy’s and they try and do me a better deal.
If i see a product cheaper in another store as i have in the past, i take a photo, show them and if they have that product then i get it for the same price i saw in other stores and this ends up being cheaper in the long run as i get my discount points on top of the buy.
I know all 4 of the pro staff in Almeria store and those in a few other stores here and all go over the top to help me get what i need at the best prices.
These staff also know a lot of trades people that they can recommend to me that have been very beneficial in the past.
As a pro member i also get invited to special bbq parties ” not so much at the moment” and events for new materials and tools. I also get gifts like masks jackets T shirts and other goodies all free.
The staff are not just trained to be nice to customers they really mean it as well and it shows. Personally when i am going to spend my money i want great service and i want to be treated like a king . Just a few days ago i went into a clothes store to buy some new jeans and with my jeans in my hand and the money to pay i waited for the assistant to look up at me as she was folding clothes after a few seconds that seemed like mins she looked at me and without saying a word walked to the other end of the counter to do something else. i put the jeans down and walked out. if they dont want my money i find someone who does.
Although i have seen behind the scenes how they are trained at Leroys i also see that they treat all customers like this and are very helpful to them all but having the Pro card you get a lot more service for your buck.
Ask in your store about the green card and the pro card and save time and money .
Have you had great service here in Spain. Let us know here.
More great tips and advice in my 2 books out on Amazon and Kindle.
Living and Working In Spain 