It's been taken over in recent times by a South Australian outfit, resulting in a consequent loss of friendly localism.
One potential customer recently experienced this when he was out buying a 4-stroke motor mower at RT Edwards' Booval store.
The ticketed price was just over $600 and he asked if that was their best price.
It was not negotiable he was told. Basically, take it or leave it!
Which is exactly what he did as he headed off to Bunnings.
At a time when other stores such as the Good Guys and Harvey Norman are always willing to negotiate a price, RT Edwards now seems to have a rock-hard "no-negotiation" policy.
What particularly galled the customer in this case was that he had never previously attempted to negotiate a lower price on an item and just got a huge rebuff for his enquiry.
The name RT Edwards might live on but Roy Thomas Edwards who started the firm in 1931 would turn in his grave if he knew how customers are no longer number one at the company he created.
Bring back Tom Edwards, whose smooth negotiation and customer relation skills were legendary in the City of Ipswich when he was firmly in charge of the RT Edwards' chain.
