Don't use the service if you need help quickly.

Have tried to use this service twice. The first time, there was a three hour wait. The second time, they weren't able to tell me how long it would be. After waiting five hours, I found a 'bricks and mortar' doctor that was open on a Sunday, drove there, saw the doctor, went to a pharmacy and was on my way home when I was called to say a doctor would be there soon.

No drugs are available so, if you need medication, you have to go out anyway. May as well see a bricks and mortar doctor and go to the pharmacy while you're out.

Approximate cost: $0

We had to take our cat there during an emergency. The staff weren't very 'warm' and made a big deal about wanting to be with him during the examination and visit him when he was hospitalised. Leaving an item of clothing in his cage, so he had a familiar scent with him, was also an extremely big deal for them. I was already upset because of the state he was in and their behaviour made things much worse. Was really glad when we could discharge him to our normal vet instead. Even though our normal vet is smaller, they are much more compassionate and understanding of animals' natures.

I had no reason to doubt the staff's competence, but the manner definitely left a lot to be desired. Paying up front was also a huge deal for them. From memory, they even wanted some payment before he was examined.

On the positive side, great to have access to a 24 hour vet reasonably close.

Good range of products, including free range hens. Not too expensive. They've been very helpful in providing a weekly order of a specialised product and are happy to set it aside and freeze it for me if I can't get in there. Staff are friendly without being false.

This is a true health food store. They don't just have shelves full of supplements - they have real food! This is an old-style health food store with personal, friendly service. Shelves are crammed full of a range of products, including a small selection of organic fruit and veg. They also have a range of products in bulk, so you can bring your own container and reduce waste, while saving money. I understand that they have a policy not to stock any GE food, which is reassuring. They also seem to have strong links with the local community. If they don't have something, they'll order it in for you and are happy to set items aside. Shopping here is very different to shopping at most health food stores.

Open six days a week and on the Sundays when the Farmers Market is on.

Large store by health food standards, and quite a good range of products. I think staff are generally naturopaths, or have some naturopathic training. Prices are often better than the health food stores in Greensborough.

A down side is that, if an item's out of stock, they can't give you any indication of when it might be in stock, as the person who runs the business seems to order things of his own accord and not communicate with the staff. This is very frustrating.

They're also not inclined to order something in for you.

Quite a large range of goods and knowledgeable of animals. A double bonus is that they are an 'adoption agency' for animals from Lort Smith Animal Hospital/Shelter - rather than selling animals who've more than likely very likely been bred in a puppy/kitten mill, where their mother and father are still suffering and where there's likely to be terrible cruelty, thereby perpetuating that questionable industry, they're providing a community benefit by matching shelter animals with new families, reducing the number of shelter animals who are killed.

We won't buy from pet shops who sell 'puppy/kitten mill' animals, but we will buy from Pets at Home.

They were happy for our dog to be inside the shop while we were shopping, which I always regard highly.

While you might think the larger supermarkets would have better prices, I'm surprised how often Ritchies is lower. Range isn't as good as the larger ones, but if you're wanting to get in and out quickly, it's a better alternative than Coles.

Added benefit is that you can get a Ritchies Community Benefit Card and a % of what you purchase will be donated to your nominated charity.

Needed a downpipe unblocked. They came out promptly, on time, were friendly, down to earth and helpful. Gave us some helpful information about other things. Quoted us a much better price for doing other work, which we've yet to arrange.

The person is very talkative, so things can take longer than they need to to get done.

Approximate cost: $100

Staff are always courteous and don't seem bored out of their brain, unlike many petrol station attendants. The person who works there on Wednesdays is happy, friendly and a pleasure to be served by. With United, you can also get a 'United card', where you can nominate a charity to benefit and they'll donate a (small percent - 1c per litre, I believe) of your purchase of fuel.

Shop here regularly. It's big enough to have what you want, but not so huge you get lost and can't find anyone to help. We also find that their prices are usually lower 10% lower than the 'larger' name hardware store that offers a 10% 'price guarantee'. Staff are knowledgeable with a range of expertise. Some are tradies who work there part time, not school kids. They're always willing to help with advice and tips and don't laugh at 'stupid' questions.

The place is also animal-friendly - it's our dog's favourite shop!