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Big boxes – don’t have a clue

grahammay | Posted in General Discussion on February 5, 2007 08:08am

Picked up an 18 guage nailer – hitachi – Lowe’s

Pro supplier was out of stock – broken blade drive on original, old school 18 guage, great trim gun for past five years.  Repair took about 10 days because my dealer was closed from before Christmas to after the New Year.   

Depth of drive adjustment won’t turn, return too lowes 34 days after purchase have to contact Hitachi, not our problem(Lowe’s.

No problem, have $750,000 in material purchases already planned for 07, none will being going through the lowes account.  

Don’t really like psycho composite design of new tool and now lack of service…

 

 

 

 

 

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Replies

  1. alwaysoverbudget | Feb 05, 2007 08:45am | #1

    your luck sounds like mine. but do you ever walk by and see a air comp or airless sprayer that some one has returned and they have sent it out for repair. hd is the worst at this.the compressor is 2,3-4 years old beat to heck,decals faded plum out and somebody has got them to take it back. i ask the tool guy one time about a ridgid compressor setting there[ honestly i wouldn't have gave 50.00 for it. this thing had to be outside in a p.u bed for a couple years,faded and rusty.they were trying to sell it reconditioned for 225.00.]and i asked him how do they get hd to take this back?it's obvious it's way out of warranty. he just shrugs and says they just tell him to sell it.when i return something they tell me to hit the road also,even though i'm in there enough the girl at the reg. knows my lic. number by memorie. larry

    hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.

    1. paperhanger | Feb 05, 2007 03:11pm | #2

      Get someone else to do your returns, they take back everything! They must know you are contractors. Once had HD give 10% off on a $16,000 order, back in 2000. We told them we wanted 10% off, it was a christmas offer for the two weeks before Xmas. Told them to come take back the delivered items , my wife walked out with $1600 off the bill. Get a store credit or something, but have someone else do the return. Try it.

  2. TomW | Feb 05, 2007 05:52pm | #3

    You need to speak to the manager since their published returbn policy gives you ninety days with the receipt and they can usually pull up a copy of the receipt in their computer if you know the credit card you used. Here is the verbage of their return policy.

    Our ultimate goal is for you to be completely satisfied with your purchase from Lowe's. If you receive an item you are dissatisfied with, you may return it within ninety (90) days** to any Lowe's store for a refund or exchange within our current return policy guidelines. For additional assistance, visit your local Lowe's store or you may call toll-free 1-800-890-5932 and one of our customer service representatives will be glad to recommend alternative return options that may be available. Information contained on the invoice will be necessary to process the return or refund. Please have the invoice ready when you call. After the return period**, products will be covered by the manufacturer's warranty as applicable.

    **30 days for Outdoor Power Equipment
    (mowers, chainsaws, blowers, tillers, trimmers and pressure washers)

    http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pg&p=CustServ/custsvc_oo_returns

  3. User avater
    Mongo | Feb 05, 2007 06:32pm | #4

    When the Big Box managers resist, push them harder. If you're in the right.

    I went to visit my Mom last Memorial Day weekend, her roof was absolutely atrocious. I mean bad, Real bad.

    I had the long weekend off, didn't know any supply yards up her way, so we went to HD to shingle shop.

    They were also having a 10% off for military veterans for the weekend, so hey, I could save my Mom 10% on materials. Of course I'd make that up on labor since it was a holiday weekend and I could bill her double.<g>.

    As we were checking out, the cashier told me that the manager was extending the veteran's 10% off to everyone that weekend.

    I asked to see the manager. After a bit of chatting, we ended up getting the military 10%, plus the 10% they were extending to everyone else, plus a $100 gift card.

    I forget what the total was...maybe $1800? Soo in total we saved about 25% off that $1800.

    A few weeks later I wrote a letter to HD. They sent me another $100 gift card as well as a 20% off coupon. Haven't used those.

    So, if you think you're in the right, then let them know. Don't stop with the cashier, push to see a supervisor. If the super shuts you down, hang out for a few minutes taking up their space. They tend to get nervous real easily.

    I see from some posts here that they do ge abused with returns, so to a certain extent I can see it from their angle.

    The boxes do seem good for simple point-of-purchase sales, but if you need any interaction or customer service above and beyond that, or god forbid, special orders...good luck.

    Mongo

    1. peteshlagor | Feb 05, 2007 07:40pm | #5

      There's some things one does not buy at the big boxes.  Tools and locksets are on my list.

      Fortunately, I live a few miles from ToolKing's head shop on the west side of Denver.  These guys carry a lot and are getting new lines all the time.  They are gettiing big!  (Although I hear he's shut down most of his other stores and is concentrating on the internet more.  In the back of the building is where the telephones and computers are.  I'm told there's herds of people working them.)

      But the tool selection is getting mitey nice.

       

    2. woodway | Feb 05, 2007 10:16pm | #10

      Did I read that correctly? You charged your own mother to install the roof! Tell me you didn't!

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Feb 05, 2007 10:27pm | #11

        I would have under the circumstances.Two apple pies instead of one..
        .
        A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

      2. joeh | Feb 05, 2007 11:32pm | #12

        Charged her double, the guy's a cutthroat.

        Joe H

        1. User avater
          BillHartmann | Feb 05, 2007 11:59pm | #13

          We forgot overhead.He is probably charging her a 3rd pie for overhead..
          .
          A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

        2. Norman | Feb 06, 2007 12:30am | #15

          In the imortal words of Billie Preston:

          Nuttin time nuttin is still nuttin.

          I presume he intended to charge his mom nuttin for the roofing. 2X that is still ......

           

           

      3. User avater
        Mongo | Feb 06, 2007 12:02am | #14

        No, I didn't charge her. That's what the "<g>" was for. She did insisted on "paying for everything", so I had her only pay the roll off dumpster fee, as that was billed by mail to her address. It was a tear off.So to her it was about $350-$400 for a new roof. Fit right into her expectations of 1950's pricing.I never did get an alllowance when I was a kid...dang, missed my chance for back pay.Nope. Not even an apple pie.But she did smile at me.Mongo

        1. MGMaxwell | Feb 06, 2007 01:59am | #18

          I can see a funny extrapolation from your generosity. Your mother tells a friend what her new roof costs and when that friend gets an estimate for her roof she thinks she's being gouged, whereupon her son gets on the web and ends up here on a thread about unscrupulous roofing contractors.

          That's only three degrees of separation.

          1. User avater
            Mongo | Feb 06, 2007 04:24am | #19

            Not far from the truth.The house right next door to hers had one side shingled new, the other side had a partial tear off and it was tarped. The owner had been waiting several days for the crew to return and finish his roof.He ambled on over, suprised to see me working on Memorial Day weekend.Of course the conversation eventually turned to "how much". I told him that it was about $1400, which is what it cost me.He freaked. Even moreso when I told him that I replaced a couple rows of decking, I was using F8 drip edge on the eaves and rakes, two courses of Grace, felt, new lead flashing on the two chimneys, and adding a ridge vent and cutting in new soffit vents. I was using 40-year architectural shingles as well.His roofers had talked him of drip edge, talked him out of ice/water membrane, they were reusing the old chimney flashing which was aluminum, and they were shingling over the cap and keeping the gable vents. They were using 3-tabs shingles.His cost was $7200.Let the gouging begin!

          2. jrnbj | Feb 06, 2007 06:04pm | #23

            Man you get a lot done in a long weekend...I hope it was a small roof ;-)

          3. User avater
            Mongo | Feb 08, 2007 01:48am | #25

            Small ranch, 14 square, so pretty straightforward.A long weekend with long days, though. I'm not terribly fast wehen it comes to roofing.

  4. User avater
    BillHartmann | Feb 05, 2007 07:53pm | #6

    "Pro supplier was out of stock "

    How was that Lowes problem?

    "Repair took about 10 days because my dealer was closed from before Christmas to after the New Year. "

    How was that Lowes's problem?

    "Don't really like psycho composite design of new tool"

    How is that Lowe's problem.

    Are you saying that Lowes not stock the things that you want and should be closed when want something. And since they aren't you are going to purchase more of your matterials from company that stock what you want and are closed when you need them?

    Is that what you want to do?

    What kind of service is being out of stock and not closed when needed?

    Now my rant has nothing to do about Lowes not taking it back.

    In another forum I suggested trying to go to HD to get some compensation for a defective light bulb base that damaged a controller. And his reply was.

    "Thanks. Yes, we are all required to manage HD. They are unable to do so themselves. the least they can do is pay us for those services occaisionally."

    .
    .
    A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
  5. MikeSmith | Feb 05, 2007 08:16pm | #7

    graham... your post was a little too cryptic for me.. i didn't understand your complaint with Lowes

     

    Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
    1. CAGIV | Feb 05, 2007 08:21pm | #8

      I believe he was pissed at Lowes because he tried to return an item past their return policy time.

      At least thats the way I read it.

       

  6. frenchy | Feb 05, 2007 08:53pm | #9

    grahammay,

     I've had both good and bad luck with my Home Depot.. recently I put up some grills in my windows. Little fussy work I've put off 'til another time..

     Well it took me over a year to get around to it and sure enough Home Depot screwed up! Actually Andersen did. I ordered one set of grills for the front picture windows but got two and I ordered two sets of grills for the entrance doors and got one..  Paper work was all right and I never opened the boxes to check..

        SO I tried to return $150.00 worth of grills and get a $65.00 grill in exchange..

     I had reciept and everything!

          They wouldn't do it.. so I went elsewhere  and bought the grill.  I still have the spare picture window grills , I don't know what I'll use them for but I have them..

       In addition I'll need 7 more windows so I'll get them from Elsewhere! Home Depot lost a $2200 sale because the customer is always right! Plus Now I'll shop elsewhere first. 

     

  7. rez | Feb 06, 2007 12:32am | #16

    I don't know what you guys get all riled up about.

    I don't go to a bigbox expecting service. I go for entertainment, deals, and to flirt with the girls.

    Seems some bigboxes are shallow in the manager area as I never get problems with returns, in fact the lowes here bends over backwards to please you.

    Now the homedespot down the street has some dept heads there that make me walk away 'cause of their attitude so I rarely buy there.

    I remember the bigboxes down south where I'd be walking in there real early morning and they are having a 'get ready for the day' meeting in the middle of the center aisle lobby area.

    15-20 or so of the employees are standing in a large circle with the leader of the pack giving them a 'we are one and can do all' pep talk for the day with the traditional football huddle break.

    Everyone placing one hand on top of another's in the center of the circle and ending with a shout.

    Other places you can walk in and the attitude of the whole place is so dead you wonder how the place can stay open.

    All depends on the individual store.

     

    be a 'tude

     

     

     

    are you 'simple but elegeant'?

    1. sharpblade | Feb 06, 2007 01:18am | #17

      >>> ... they are having a 'get ready for the day' meeting in the middle of the center aisle lobby area.

      I see that here once in a while. Not necessarily at open, more like when a stuffed shirt honcho is visiting from HQ and gathering the peons for some lecturing. Walk by and at least a dozen of them greet me in unisson. Always looked a bit overdone, but thanks for the gesture.

  8. fingersandtoes | Feb 06, 2007 08:50am | #20

    If you can stand it, go on a  Saturday at about four. They are so shell shocked from dealing with all the DIYers returns they will take anything.

    1. TomW | Feb 06, 2007 04:29pm | #21

      Have you printed out a copy of their 90 day return policy and showed it to the manager yet??

  9. User avater
    davidhawks | Feb 06, 2007 06:02pm | #22

    I've found geography to play an amazing role in the level of customer service in these parts.  My bLowes in Galax, VA is about 50%, which means that half the associates go well above and beyond to be of help.  The other half are just picking up a weekly check.

    Go 70 miles south to the Statesville store and that percentage rises to maybe 70 on a really good day.

    Another 30 miles further down I-77 to the Mooresville location, and they're so eager to be of assistance that they practically offer to park your truck for you, take any and all returns nearly regardless of the circumstances, and are knowledgeable far beyond what you would expect.

    Oh, did I mention that the M'ville store is about 3 miles from bLowes corporate HQ?

    I'd be curious to see how the HD's in Atlanta operate.



    Edited 2/6/2007 10:06 am ET by davidhawks

    1. User avater
      BillHartmann | Feb 06, 2007 06:07pm | #24

      I don't have to go that far.Here I get good (sometimes very good) service from the lowes 2 miles away. And poor to terrrible service from the HD about 4 miles away.Some of the other area stores have been different..
      .
      A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

  10. jerseyjeff | Feb 08, 2007 02:33am | #26

    I had to employees at the home despot look at me like I had two heads when I asked for

    "wooden dowels"

    a what? 

    dowels

    Huh

    then they stare at each other

    ROUND WOODEN STICKS

    still dumb looks

    then finally

    like the kind you might put in a round hole?

    It took everything in my power,  all of my self control not to bonk their heads together. 

    sheesh.

    and this was after two days of jury duty

     

    1. DustyandLefty | Feb 08, 2007 09:33pm | #27

      Ha!  I think you probably lost them at "wooden dolls"!  After that they couldn't hear anything you said.

      justguessing,

      Dusty and Lefty

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