Went to HD today to pick up a few things. Normally I would go to Lowes, but I had a gift card. Shopping went well cuz I found everything I needed without any help.
Got in line behind one customer, noticed that the clerk was fully engaged in a friendly phone conversation, but she got him out the door. My turn. First thing I had was a 10 ft piece of closet rod. She’s still on the phone, but she took the rod, stepped away from the register, stretched the cord, and measured it against the story pole. Went back, punched in the number, and announced “$12.50”. That’s all she said. I just looked at her with my un-friendly face. Thens she says “Let me call you back” and hung up.
I was feeling real chitty then, so i said “Did I interrupt your phone call?” No response. So I said I have more in the basket, and she looks and see about 6 more things, and starts to scanning. I said something else about if you weren’t on a personal phone call maybe you could take care of customers like you’re supposed to. I give her credit for not responding.
Anyway, after i pay the bill, she hands me the bag and turns to the next customer. Didn’t say have a nice day, did you find everything you need, thanks for shopping at HD, kiss my a$$, nothing. So i went ovewr to the supervisor station and asked to talkn to the head cashier, and then proceeded to very politely tell her waht happened and how I felt about HD. She was clearly upset and said she would talk to the clerk.
Got home and decided i wanted to go one more step, so I went to the HD web page, and discovered that there’s no way to submit a comment on-line. Has to be a phone call. Well, maybe that’s not so bad after all, cuz at least then i’ll know that a human got the message.
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
Went to HD today to pick up a few things. Normally I would go to Lowes, but I had a gift card. Shopping went well cuz I found everything I needed without any help.
LOL without any help..... like you'd expect anything other than "ummm thats not my department" as they walked away from your question... HD sux the information that i've ever heard them telling anyone has been wrong 99% of the time
I must say... Lowes here they are all over you and they just about all know where stuff is...
last time in to return a level that wasn't... took 3x to get one that was... I now know where the unemployable go to find work
p
Count yourself luck that you even had a cashier, around here(Nothern California) HD only has "self check out" ie. do it your damn self! Lately I've been going to Lowes cause they still have checkers but even there I only go in when I know they have a tool I want at a cheaper price than anywhere else or I have a gift card purchase. I like a local store much better, they have slightly higher prices but fantastic service both at the check out and in the store. Ask a question about how to do something or application of a particular product and they have knowledgable people who can tell you what you want to know. I'm only afraid of one thing: they may be purchased by a local big hardware chain or taken over by Lowes or Home Depot and closed entirely, God forbid.
I heard a report on NPR, about a month ago, concerning the closing of a small, local hardware store. They were doing fine, but added an expensive new store...the debt burden killed them and IIRC, they closed both stores.The story then broadened their scope and mentioned that even as HD & Lowes & Menards built stores in the region, the number of small hardware stores and lumberyard was actually growing (even in the lackluster economy of the midwest).I'm sure the big boxes have run local stores out of business. Some of them were probably on the way out already. This story refuted the myth that the big dicounters were killing the little guys. They serve different markets...if they specialize in knowledgeable, personal, service, they should do fine.One more thing...when people are complaining about the big box...it is because--even knowing what they do about them--they keep going back. That way, you can always find something to complain about.
I would have liked to hear that report about Grand Hardware on NPR.
I remeber hearing they were having some trouble with the Ace franchise when they wanted to expand to another store and decided to dump Ace and the advice Ace was giving them and go ahead with their expansion plans with Do It Best. Had a big sale to get rid of everything with the Ace name and made their switch. Don't think it was much more than a year latter that they were having the big sale to get rid of everything and close the doors for good.
The short article in the villager eluded to poor customer service, and also mentioned some of the other local hardware stores doing well.
Sad to see the little guy go down - but, it is a tough market.
I trade with both lowes and home depot on a regular basis. I go through the lines at the cash register once or twice a week.There are no cashiers who have been there long term. They seem to stay a month or two. Why do they leave? I don't know.'^^^^^^"and that's all I've got to say about that"
They seem to stay a month or two. Why do they leave?
Probably because they can make 25¢ more an hour at the grocery store for either more regular shifts, or for fewer "surprise" shifts (that's Surprise, X called in sick, you're working a double).
It also can be that "head cashier" often rotates just as fast, so the person who week ago was just in their 3rd or 4th week cashiering is now over behind the desk making $1 more to try and not hire more cashiers, yet have at least one per shift (and one to cover Tools, and maybe, if we're lucky, one for Commercial Sales--excepting those stores that run CS separately <sigh>).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
My sis in law got a job at Lowes because they had dental coverage .After the family's teeth were done...she quit. That was her only motivation.
I bet you could catch that NPR story in their web archives...maybe I'll check into it myself (i wouldn't mind hearing it again.
I'm sure the big boxes have run local stores out of business. Some of them were probably on the way out already.
Yeah, we lost an Ace hardware store that way. They were stocking stuff not that much different than the HF and dollar stores. They also were selling for more than the slightly better stuf as the big box & discount stores were selling for, too.
Even with their "10% discount for cash" at the register, they were a tough sell. I needed brooms for a job site clean up. Went to big box and got a couple of decent, if no-name brooms, about $10 each (got the last two). Needed two more brooms on the site, ran over to the Ace for brooms--they had plenty, they were $19 each and not as good (had one crumple up in the first hour).
Gee, the county ain't that big that 10-15 more minutes of driving gets me lower prices . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
What would anyone expect from NPR but support an sustinance for the mediocre. The hardware chains Lowes put out of business by buying them and closing the stores alone puts truth above what NPR reported.
I know Lowes has closed some of the hardware stores they purchased and so has Home Depot. For the most part, they "Reset" these stores they purchase with their name and vendors, but employees can keep their jobs and most stores remain open. Most of their buyouts are targeted at expanding into new markets where they do not already have stores.The statement on small hardware and lumberyards having a net gain in stores was made by a trade group representing these stores...insisting that their segment of the marketplace remains vibrant, in spite of the big boxes. Don't blame that claim on NPR just because they reported it.
Edited 3/7/2006 10:58 pm ET by basswood
The only thing I would ever blame NPR for is extremly biased reporting, which includes selecting data that supports the news from the political perspective they champion. Other than that, they consume tax dollars with no tangible return like Amtrak, the US Post Office and other tax-fed non-governmental 'agencies'.
OK - you've tried several times to start a pisssing match and basswood has taken the high ground and ignored you. If you don't like NPR don't listen to it. Quit trolling, assshole.Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
No pissing match was intended. If that had been my intention, I would have done a very good job of it. I do have strong opinions about NPR and am not shy about stating them. If you read what I wrote, you will note that the only thing I discredited was what was repeated from an impeachable source. I neither know Basswood nor have any dislike for him. (I do appreciate working with his namesake, and think he made a good choice). As for name-calling and direct attacks on another . . . you have opened the door.
Sorry can't hear you. I'm listening to your tax dollars being wasted on "All Things Considered".Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
Whatta you doin' letting a trollwannabenewbie rattle yer cage for anyhoo Willis?
be deported from depot
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
I was bored and I like NPR. I also like PBS and as they say on Monty Python -"I came here for an arguement".Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
>>>>>>>>>>they consume tax dollars with no tangible return like Amtrak, the US Post Office and other tax-fed non-governmental 'agencies'.By the way:NPR supports its operations through a combination of membership dues and programming fees from over 780 independent radio stations, sponsorship from private foundations and corporations, and revenue from the sales of transcripts, books, CDs, and merchandise. A very small percentage -- between one percent to two percent of NPR's annual budget -- comes from competitive grants sought by NPR from federally funded organizations, such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
and the Easter Bunny has a tropical island paradise in South Dakota he wants to sell you, too.
>>"consume tax dollars with no tangible return like Amtrak"
Guess you don't use trains or know anyone who does.
Amtrak is a form of transportation, right? Gov't spends more than the railroad takes in so no "tangible" returns, huh. All of the transportation the railroad provides isn't a return.
Cars and trucks are a form of transportation. Using your thinking, ever ask yourself what "tangible" returns come from the billions of tax dollars spent on bridges, highways, roads, etc. for cars & trucks? Oh, right, you use those so spending there is OK.
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
I love to ride trains. I wish it was feasible where and when I need to travel in most our fine country. I use them in europe and in Japan and part of the East coast here. The desire to ride them, coupled with the knowlege that I'm paying for them, is a little embittering.
>>"The desire to ride them, coupled with the knowlege that I'm paying for them, is a little embittering."
Know what you mean but I have a cure for you. Just think about all the roads and highway bridges you'll never drive on.
If you get a bad case, just think about all the expensive beach front property that is being preserved by the Army Corps. (jettys, sand pumping, etc.) so rich people can have nice homes on the ocean -- on beaches you might never even see or walk on. It goes on and on.
If it gets really, really bad, take Amtrak to a beach and relax for a while. While there, think about all the rich people in the beach front homes around you listening to NPR. ;-)
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
Edited 3/15/2006 7:31 am ET by philarenewal
I'd like the Amtrak-bashers to keep in mind that a lot of Amtrak's unprofitable routes are only kept open because of senators/represenatives forcing them to do so. The east coast corridor is hugely profitable, with over 20,000 travelers per day! Similarly, I imagine that the West Coast track is also quite popular due to the tourist trade and all that.The "scenic" stuff running through Kansas, IL, IA, and all that would be axed in a heartbeat if Congress ever cuts the pursestrings. That's why Amtrak keeps getting re-funded every year, because the Pols are afraid of their constituencies in the Midwest. Check the voting records for yourselves if you do not believe me.
What do ya'll form the coasties have against flyover country?
I went to Lowes or Home Depot and looked for a rubber "connector" to join 4" cast iron sewer line to clay tile.I grabbed the last one in the bin and noticed it was missing the large hose clamp.I went to check out and told the clerk about the missing hose clamp and she said "oh" and went on about her business.I asked if I could have either a hose clamp included or a price reduction and she responded "oh - I don't know - I don't think so" - "I don't think I'm allowed to do that".I asked to talk to a manager and he apologized and said lets go find you a hose clamp.We looked and looked and couldn't find one and I said "forget it" and left..^^^^^^
I imagine that the West Coast track is also quite popular due to the tourist trade and all that.
The "scenic" stuff running through Kansas, IL, IA, and all that would be axed in a heartbeat if Congress ever cuts the pursestrings
There's an 'operational' thing too--there's two sets of equipment, one for east of the Mississippi, and one for west. The "east" equipment fits the various commuter, and inter-urban, routes & ROW. The "western" equipment is generally larger, and more efficient for long-haul travel (and njoying the scenery).
Why is that important? Well, because they really need two different maintainence schedules, but can't. So, those "scenic" runs through AZ don't get a lot of repeat business from people suffering without a/c. The midwestern routes get a no-repeat clobber when you have to change trains only to find out one set of equipment won't take you where you want to go.
Some of the scheduling "compromises" do not help, either. We used to have a run that connected Houston to Dallas (the Dallas end was coordinated to link to the Dallas, KC, Chicago run). The strange part was, that since the terminal end was Chicago, they only used eastern equipment. That equipment was not always up to operating in Texas weather.
Now, since they were adding the "from Houston" cars to the "going to Chicago" consist, they only ran the route every other day. So, you could go north from Houston, or College Station, or Ennis (I think) to Dallas (and further on if you cared to) on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday. You could come back only on Monday, Wednesday, or Saturday (I have no idea what happened on Fridays).
So, supposed you wanted to take the train to Dallas from Houston for the weekend. No problem. You just had to leave early Thursday morning, and come back late Monday afternoon. It would take from 5 to 6 hours to make the trip, too (it's a 3:45-4:00 hour drive).
You then got to flip a coin on whether the a/c worked for that trip, as well. No club or dining car, either--you had to know to bring your own, if you wanted refreshments.
They started out running four passenger cars, that quickly reduced to two; they eventually could not justify the one, and they canceled the route shortly there after.
Now, if they could have run Metroliner-style commuter units, and run them in a way that allowed for real weekend travel, that train would probably still be running. If they had run a car-train service (there not being a car rental handy at either end ) they probably sould have kept the service. Why didn't they? Too many rules, not enough money.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I'm going to go way out on a limb here and guess that it takes a lot to "embitter" you...
I've got you outnumbered, one to one. Come out and meet your doom. ~Yosemite Sam
Count yourself luck that you even had a cashier, around here(Nothern California) HD only has "self check out"
That would really stink especially if you have bags or mortar, doors and 16' lengths of base and what not.
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WWPD
I love self checkouts. If I have to go to HD, I'd rather check everything out myself than have to deal with the majority of their cashiers.
I remember once I went there to pick up an air hose connector & the line at the one checkout counter they actually had open was about 10 people long. I politely asked the cashier if they were going to open any more registers & she shoots back "Yeah right, their gonna open a new register just for you". (because apparently another register would only benefit me - not the other people in front or behind me)
I never understand why they have 20 registers, but only 1 or two of them are open at a time. If they are going to only open 2 at a time, you'd think the extra space could be better used than having closed up registers.
"I never understand why they have 20 registers, but only 1 or two of them are open at a time. If they are going to only open 2 at a time, you'd think the extra space could be better used than having closed up registers."
I got a really wierd look from a clerk at Lowes when I made that same remark, out loud, to the seven people in line behind me.......so I proceeded to mention (out loud) that HD (which I prefer) can also do a return w/ just the HD card, no reciept needed......don't think she cared much for me.
Oh well.........now we are even.
The local HD here has got rid of most of the registers and put in mostly self-serve registers, and have 1-2 people dedicated to assisting people on how to use the self-serve registers. The contractors area has 2 registers, but most times after 9:00am, only 1 register is open.
I have love hate relation with the self checkout.But of all I HATE the local HD and use Lowes, whenever possilbe.I usually use the self checkout at HD. It is nice when it works. But about 10-20% of the time it screws up. Often added and abedded by myself.They have improved the programing on the system, but it still suck. Several times I have gotten ahead of it and it only have 8 items, but it has counted 9 and wants 9 in the bag.I think that I have messed it up a couple of time by swaping my CC too early.
Now your talking about an example of bone head management!
It never made sense to me how Home Depot would let hundreds of dollars "stand in line" cause they won't open another register.
While at the other end of the store the same management who preaches " Loss Prevention" is pushing self check out to save maybe $20 an hour on the cost of a cashier.
In my neck of the woods self check out is an open invitation for dishonest people to steal. And they do it constantly!
Tripping over dollars to pick up dimes if you ask me.
the same management who preaches " Loss Prevention"
Just wait. If management notices a change, they'll add another "head cashier"-expense position to stand at the exit door to check your receipt; to prove that you are not stealing from them when you walk out the door in other words.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
I never understand why they have 20 registers, but only 1 or two of them are open at a time.
That's because you are actually seeing two different things at once.
There's a whole bunch of store design which is fueled with some expensive consulting, to determine how many people go through an average register in some unit of time. Then the "max load" of customers is plugged in, and then the calculus is run until the company's "max line wait" or "max lin length" goal is achieved.
Then, when the store is opened, (at lest until recently) the Manager of the store was given a bonus for being under the payroll budget. That created (creates) a dis-incentive to hire a full shift of folks. Then, natural attrition (cashiers calling in sick, quitting, being on break, whatever) means there's often only 1 or 2 people in the entire building "qualified" to work a register.
Similar dynamics occur in most big retail stores, they just seem to be magnified in the bulk stores. Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
i was in HD a few weeks ago looking for 4 conductor fire alarm cable. naturally i am tooling around in electrical. i didn't see it at first so i asked the attendant where i could find the cable...naturally he didn't know. in fact he claims they don't even sell it and suggests i go to othe local electrical supply house. he even goes on to explain how special it is and HD doesn't handle that stuff.
so i start walking to get my next item and guess what practically jumps off the shelf at me...you got it...a 1000ft role of 4 conductor fire alarm cable.
i interrupted the guy while he was speaking with another client to inform he has some studying to do and showed him the role. he was quite embarrased.
i had lowes deliver and install a maytag front loading washer and drier. the installers who presumably do this for a living didn't know that the clamps on the rear of the washing machine wear infact washers for the shipping bolts. our first load of laubdry was lite and had the washing machine jumping 3 inches off the floor.
sometimes i feel like a monkey chasing a weasel around a bush in those places. round and round i go
Sooo, you bought the machines at a place that sells a low price.
Then you had them installed by the same place that sells installation at a low price (maybe even free).
Then you complain that they didn't do it right.
Go figure.
Do you think the underpaid and overwhelmed employee in the electrical department cared about your 4 wire? I bet the employee was new on the job.
don't be dumb...your expectation should be that the guy can point to the 4 wire cable. it was literally 4 feet from where we were standing and would have taken all of 15 seconds to answer. instead he spent 2 minutes asking what it was and explaining where i should go. the installers should also know they have to remove the bolts. it is a required step in the installation.
these are bare minimum levels of service and they cannot perform them.
All of the employees are new. If they are smart enough to keep, they'll leave. If they aren't smart enough to keep, they either can't find their way back to work or they get promoted.
Everytime I pay for anything at HD the reciept has a code to enter a drawing at the website and an opinion survey. You didn't get an opinion survey on your reciept?
Might want to bring that up with management.
She might have cut it off because she didn't want the negative vibes commin' back.
esta ... My receipt had the code, and I submitted the survey. This morning I will be calling the 800 number to voice a complaint.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
This is what you sacrifice for those low prices. When you are only pay $9.00/hr, you aren't attracting experienced professionals - you're attracting high school students, summer job seekers, and the occassional retiree with nothing better to do but tinker (and they generally don't stick around much after the first closing shift that requires them to stay until midnight downpacking inventory).
Just last month my wife and I purchased about $2000 worth of kitchen appliances at HD (they were the only ones that carried the GE models we were looking for and they gave us a great price). The employee who helped us was incredibly accomodating, cut us a good deal, was not pushy, and overall very helpful. I was so impressed I went up to the service desk and asked to speak to the store manager. I told her what a great experience we had had after looking all over town for these specific appliances and how impressed I was with the customer service. She shrugged her shoulders said, "Great. Thanks for your purchase" then turned and walked away. She was totally uninterested. Her reaction totally soured the whole experience.
Don't blame the employees that are probably undertrained, understaffed, and underpaid. HD management needs to make the changes in hiring, paying, and training their staff.
and the occassional retiree with nothing better to do but tinker (and they generally don't stick around much after the first closing shift that requires them to stay until midnight downpacking inventory).
Hey, watchit, y'r talkin' bout my dad! Seriously. He needed something to do until Retirement & Tri-Care kicked in, so he put in a couple years withthe big orange box. He was making about $15/hr, too, with full medical, over in 'Lectrical (but was really Lighting). The PFK all sent folks with questions to the "grown up," too (oh, some painful stories could be told . . . )
His gripe was closing one store and opening another 16 blocks the other way. Didn't count as o/t when split across two stores, either.
We will leave all horror stories about inventory control right alone, too.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
and the occassional retiree with nothing better to do but tinker (and they generally don't stick around much after the first closing shift that requires them to stay until midnight downpacking inventory).
Hey, watchit, y'r talkin' bout my dad!
I wasn't trying to rag on the old guys at HD - they are the only ones in the store that know what they're talking about! (most of the time). I always find it amusing when I see the 17 year old talking to a customer about how to install a toilet, how to strip and refinish furniture, lay tile, or which species of plants to plant in the garden. Chances are the extent of their experience involves flushing toilets and driving over their mother's roses along the driveway at home.
If HD offered better wages, they'd attract a more skilled/experienced employee pool to pick from. Anyone who can install recessed lighting isn't going to want to get stuck with a job that pays $8.75/hr and requires you to work until midnight unpacking cardboard boxes and stocking shelves.
If I heard right, they have regional people go to the stores every week, so you could find out when one will be there. If they hear about the crappy attitudes, they usually do something about it."I'm sorry, you must have mistaken me for someone who gives a crap."
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Hey, Jay, I have seen other hardware and building supply stores go under. Now that there are a few major stores left . I'm gratefull that I can still go to HD. or Lowes and SEARCH AND GET WAT EVER I NEED WITHOUT ASKING THE CLERKS FOR HELP. because I know what I'm looking for. Most of the time they are there to help and they are polite and curteous. I treat them the same way. It upsets me that other customers belittle them. thaks for showing respect for them and for speaking up with a good word.
In my area, cashiers are making around $6.75 an hour.
What kind of service do you expect for that?
Do you realize how many other aholes go through the line expecting the royal treatment? Or a discount because of "how much money I spend here"? I could go on and on.
If you want better service at HD, maybe you should be willing to pay more so they can pay more and hire employees that care- not employees that need a job to hold them pver until the next one comes along.
danski .... get up on the wrong side of the bed? I wasn't demanding royal treatment, or a discount, and I paid the price they asked. All I wanted was to be treated like a cutomer.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
eddie , eddie .... life is short man.. let it goMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
The amount of money they are paid is not relevant to how they should treat customers. I am certain the job description states that they are to show courtesy and respect to all customers. All the other big box stores, Target, Walmart, etc all pay their employees a similar wage and I've never had any problems at those stores.<!----><!----><!---->
Bottom line is they knew the job description and responsibilities and PAY before they took the job. If they cannot follow the company policy and be nice then they should haul trash and be bitter.<!----><!---->
Danski:
Here's a quarter go buy a clue.
It should not matter what wage you're pulling down, when I go into your place of business I as a customer expect respectful service. That means no personal phone calls unless it is an emergency and give me your full attention. I don't think most of these guys want royal treatment or "cut me a deal" pricing they just want someone that has a clue. If that same cashier is making $40/hour do you think their service is going to be better? I doubt it.
Jeff
Waiting on that quarter... :)
I bet if you tried working there for 90 days your perspective might change a bit.
The local HD here has been advertising for help up to $20/hour, so one of my neighbors who is retired went down and filled out the application. The clerk at the store asked him his age, he replied "53", and got the response "Well, we don't like to hire people over the age of 30, it's an insurance/health issue". The clerk even put it in writing.... From what I've heard, Lowes has the same "older than 25 not apply" around here.
The local HD here has been advertising for help up to $20/hour ... "Well, we don't like to hire people over the age of 30
Sounds like someone ought to be able to get an equals sign wrapped around "can't fill jobs even at $20/hr" and "won't hire older than 30"
Last I heard, EEOC didn't much care what the company's insurance costs were, either, you're not allowed to discriminate by age was my understanding.
I'd be sore tempted, if the PFK running the big box told me something like that, to make an ADA EEOC complaint of it. Now, that would be very mean of me, but it would make the big box have to prove the contention, that it's safer (even if only for insurance rates) to hire younger people. But, it would be hugely tempting to turn the ADA complaint on its ear by claiming the big box is increasing the risk to the general public by only hiring the less-experienced and less-knowledgable . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
GReat points....also.....Younger = Safer??????
Never heard that one trumpeted by ANY insurance Co.
I thought it was illegal to dsicriminate on basis of age.
Geekbox hero who had a lot of fun in the glass city.
Yeah, me too. I'm not one for frivolous lawsuits (the McDonald's lady gets no sympathy in my court), but this is different. Of course, by the time it gets to court (which it wouldn't - it would be settled), HD Corporate would claim that it was just this employee's misunderstanding of corporate policy, which is, of course, that HD loves and cherishes older Americans (sorry - make that "experienced" Americans) who have dedicated their lives to make this country strong, and that in fact, HD strongly believes in the same values that built this great country, blah, blah, blah. They'd probably even be willing to give the guy a job, just because it would be cheaper than litigation or a jury verdict...
For what it is worth, our local Home Depot is pretty good. Helpful staff, and anxious to please. I am just a DIY'er, but am currently remodeling two rooms and so am in there at least twice a week. After the first few trips, several of the employees there recognize me, and always speak, ask to help, etc. Our local hardware store (which I patronized religiously) is closing, not due to Home Depot one mile away, but due to the owner wishing to retire. Is sad that his children do not want to take over the business, so they are selling out the inventory, and closing the doors.
With this said, the only real "problem" we have had at HD was experienced by my wife. I sent her to get paint and primer. She went to the paint department, and no one was in the area. After waiting about 5 minutes, no real problem, since she guessed the paint guy had to visit the little boy's room, he returned. Upon his return, he began to wait on the 4 customers that were waiting. Still no problem, and she patiently waited her turn. After the third customer, she should have been next, but several other customers had come up after the return of the clerk, and he proceeded to wait on each of them before he finally helped my wife.
I guess I should probably explain why this happened. We live in deep South Texas, where it is predominantly Hispanic. The clerk was Hispanic. All the customers waited on before my wife were Hispanic. She is gringa (slang for Anglo). Voila, is now very clear. As you have guessed, she is now furious. Was going to walk out, but wanted her kitchen finished up, and knew I had to have the paint to do that. Bit her tongue, got the stuff, and left.
As soon as she got home, she called the store, asked for the manager, and told him the story, well, guess what now. Manager is also Hispanic (clear from very heavy accent) and says he doesn't believe her, but he is sorry that she is unhappy. She calls HD home office, and gets a rep on the line. From this point, things got better fast. They were appalled at her story, and passed the call up the line three times. By the end of the call, she had a promise that the issue would be looked into, and a promise of a coupon in the mail. Sure enough, about a week later, we received a coupon for 10% off, no expiration. Is hanging on the fridge, waiting for me to start on a bath remodel, when I will get everything from tub to tile to paint to fixtures, to towel bars, etc, in one order, with the discount.
I don't know if this incident had anything to do with this, but that was the last time we ever saw that clerk in the store, and about 1 month later we also had a new manager. You think?
I really like the local hardwares, and lumber yard, but like lots of the other posters, they are not open when it is convenient to me, and the HD is. Also, I have found that since I got to know the guys at HD, their service to me improved greatly. Perhaps that is the trick, go in with an open mind, and be as cordial to them as possible. What goes around, comes around.
Sorry to ramble, but for those of us that do our own work, and have to do it after our regular jobs, and on the weekends, HD and Lowes are often our only option. In my opinion, the absolute worst place to go is Wal-Mart, for anything.
"In my opinion, the absolute worst place to go is Wal-Mart, for anything."Amen.
They opened a super walmart here and I went there shopping for groceries. Once. I don't see any advantage at all, but I suppose some areas of the country it is an improvement.
Did you know that in a Super Walmart, the only inventory owned by WalMart is the grocery inventory????? Nothing else (well, I should say "almost" nothing, just to be on the safe side) is owned by Walmart. It's all owned by the manufacturers or wholesalers, and Walmart is just a middleman. Floored me when I learned that. I will pay several times as much for something (depending on the item) if I can get it anywhere except Walmart... I can't drive them out of business by myself, but I can try!!!
I'll never shop at Walmart. I cant support a company that sells them selves as "the great supporter of the american way" and by doing so forces their suppliers to go to China for production.
Wal-Mart now wants to go into the banking business, also.
Corporate business today measures everything by the size of the silver dollar.
Well of course they would. Gota launder all that money somehow. ;-)
Hola, neighbor!
Welcome to the BT 'hood, too.
Corporate business today measures everything by the size of the silver dollar.
Thanks for the welcome. Really enjoy the lively discussions here.
There are quite a few at my local Lowes over 50.
It's my understanding that an employer is not even allowed to ask your age, unless you're UNDER the legal hiring age (might be 18? for the bigbox stores). That is definitely age discrimination.
Filing a discrimination complaint in MA is a long process, you can't file the complaint via usmail or on-line. You have to drive to the nearest regional office (Boston, Springfield) and make an appointment with a counselor who will discuss the complaint, and if the complaint is legit, fill out the required paperwork, and start the process, and hire your own lawyer also to assist.
Not bad my friend, Not bad. I take it you work at the big orange box? I'll pay an extra 2% for that!
-Lou
Yes, I hold a part time job there.
Anyone that thinks they understand the general public needs to work there.
Contractors are the worst- always looking for a freebie because of "all the money I have spent here".
I am surprised that more homes haven't blown up with some of the stuff people do- even "pros". You know, those "pros" that are trying to find out how to do a job from the HD employee.
I have heard many horror stories from people that got screwed.
Home Depot does not allow a set schedule, so a second income or even just a life outside of work is extraordinarily difficult. This "fully flexible" demand of employees is how they can staff the store with the minimum number of employees to reach floor coverage numbers.
Cashiers have the toughest job, yet they are paid the worst.
They have to deal with every person that walked through the door an a$$hole, and every other person that became an a$$hole because of some problem that is beyond the control of the peon on the sales floor. Then there are the other jerks that are trying to scam something through returns.
Oh, and the real big a$$holes that raise their voice and get belligerent when they can't return something without a receipt. Some even make threats. Of course, they always win because the manager is afraid of losing a "customer"- or their job when the a$$hole calls corporate and complains (but the a$$hole customer part is always left out).
When coworkers call in sick, even simple bathroom breaks are a challenge for cashiers.
Anyone that thinks it is easy should fill out an application and try it for a while. Yes, there are some people that "love" retail work. Most are just there for a paycheck, just like many other jobs.
"You can do it, if you can find the help" :)
if home depot is such a burden find a better job. it isn't the consumers job to ensure you are a happy employee. maybe if you lightened up everything about your job wouldn't seem so unbearable. go back and read what your wrote. you sound like a whiny b!tch.
The job isn't unbearable- have been there for a while.
People like you make the job suck.
only because i expect employees like you to have a clue...sucks for me.
geesh , m... you should go back and read dan's post..
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=70575.134
doesn't sound unhappy to me.. just describing the aZZholes that make the rest of us look like good company
which customer are you, good .. or the one they'd like to avoid ?
yo momma ever tell you about catch more flies with honey than shid ?
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
mike...he is categorizing customers as a$$holes. I spend a lot of money at both HD and Lowes...to the tune of 10K-15K a year on projects for my house alone. Customers pay his salary. Would you go around being derogatory towards all of your customers?
Edited 3/10/2006 8:28 am ET by mcf
MCF,When I read his post I took what he was saying to mean that there are -some- customers out there that are a real PITA to deal with.Just as there are -some- cashiers and other employees who are a pain to deal with.You, on the other hand, took it as meaning -all- customers are a PITA.Maybe it has something to do with perception ?I do not act like an arse with the employees. Therefore, I do not expect to be percieved as an arse. When I read Dan's post, I just instinctively knew he was talking about someone else.You, however, took it to mean that -you- are a PITA. (As are -all- customers, according to your perception.)Is that really how you think you are percieved ?I wonder... Why would that be ?
I've got you outnumbered, one to one. Come out and meet your doom. ~Yosemite Sam
Is that really how you think you are percieved ?
Not at all...my angst with dan is that he came into this thread guns blazing. I had spoken of 2 instances where I had difficulty with both Lowes and HD. I had a minimum level of expectation. He was somehow offended and projected that my expectations were too high. I guess any expectations are too much for Dan.
Feel free to read the beginning of this thread...it is pretty clear. Without Dan knowing more than a description of those 2 instances he labeled me as unreasonable. It is pretty clear to me that his view of customers is less than favorable. I am just calling this as I see it and has nothing to do with how I act in HD.
Dan,So what you are saying is that corporate sucks.They are screwing the employees to the point that they have a constantly revolving work force, but not so much that they can't get anyone at all to work for them.They are screwing the customer, but only just so far as it can go before business drops.When was it that everything in this country devolved to the lowest common denominator ? Used to be that employees were taken care of if they were good employees, and the customer was king.Now it's screw the customer and the employee in the name of profits.
I've got you outnumbered, one to one. Come out and meet your doom. ~Yosemite Sam
Yup. that is pretty much it, and it just isn't at HD.
The change probably coincides with the export of jobs to low cost countries.
Wall Street greed is the source of many problems.
Edited 3/10/2006 5:55 am ET by danski0224
Danski0224,Having not even read teh slurry of messages that inevitably will follow your post, let me say this:
Seeing as how you called the HD customers azzholes and jerks at least 5 times in your rant, I have to say, from this side of things it looks like the problem is yours as much as it is the HD clientelle.
You seem to fit the ideal image of the disgruntled HD employee that the OP was trying to paint. I know retail can be tough, but it's not that bad. I'm not trying to pizz you off, but you need to realize that if you let things get under your skin, you can become too cynical. If you start expecting exeryone to be an azzhole, there is a good chance you will get exactly what you expect.
"Oh, this is the worst-looking hat I ever saw. What, when you buy a hat like this I bet you get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you though."
Edited 3/10/2006 12:33 pm ET by xosder11
I'm sure if I was a problem, I would no longer be employed there. Customer complaints are a sure fire way to begin a new job search.
I'm not disgruntled, either. I do the best I can with what I have and go home at the end of the day. Whatever isn't done today will be there tomorrow.
Obviously, not all customers and employees at HD are azzholes, but those special customers are the ones that are remembered and possibly influence the attitudes of those that work there.
Oh, I'm not pizzed off, either.
It is unfortunate that a small negative minority are the ones that are remembered and then grouped with all the others. That seems to be the case in many venues.
I can't believe I just spent all this time reading every post. I only have one thing further to add.If people on both sides of the counter would see the other person as a person maybe some of this feudin' & Fightin' would stop. I used to be an obnoxious SOB if some lame azz clerk pizzed me off. Now in my later years I figure the poor bastad's had a bad day and I ain't-a'gunna make it worse. If I have a problem I try to handle it quietly and with a modicum of dignity. Then I go home kiss my wife and kid, pop a beer and relax by the telly. Life gets shorter every day. I think I'll make that my motto. Y'all be nice out there.
I have to say that over the years of shopping at HD I have had some very pleasant experiences and some not so nice experiences with employees @HD. Out of all the HD's I have shopped in the store that gets the award for being the most friendly and most helpful has got to be the Home Depot in Olean NY. The people that work in that store are the most helpful and pleasant I have ever met anywhere. On several occasions myself and my wife complimented them on being so helpful and also so pleasant. If you want a real surprise stop in to the Olean NY Home Depot and you will walk out smiling. Bob
Man, I don't know where you're coming from but I gotta say, I don't care how minimum that old minimun wage is...that's not the point. They at least have a job... and that job has a description of service. You can't perform that job, then you should be out on your can. I don't like what I do at times either but one thing I am is cordial.
Besides, if they aren't doing their job well, why should they expect to be paid more? You don't get raises by doing a crappy job & being rude to the customer...
When did things in the USA go from "having a good job" to "at least you have a job"?
Anyone else see a problem with that change?
Like it or not, there is a point where almost anyone will say "They aint paying me enough for this...." Doesn't matter what company name is on the check.
Then quit.....and have no job.
That's a typical clerk anywhare you go around here. The worse ones are the ones at our home town lumber yard.
Ugha Chaka! Ugha Chaka! Ugha, Ugha, Ugha, Chaka!
Probably because lumber yard guys are used to dealing with pro's. They generally don't have the time (or willingness) to help a homeowner who doesn't know what they're looking for. But the quality of the materials are 100% better than anything you'll find at the big-box stores.TFToolfanatic (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak")
Not true where I live. The lumberyard is stacked with jackasses. It's the worse you've ever seen.
Ugha Chaka! Ugha Chaka! Ugha, Ugha, Ugha, Chaka!
Gunner, you have got to change lumberyards. Couple of the yards near me even load the truck for me. By the time I'm done paying, truck is loaded and I'm out of there.
Seeking perfection in an imperfect world is a fool's errand. Making something look perfect is a whole 'nother story . . . .
There isn't a choice. This guy has it sewed up in the imediate area. And that's why they are all azzes. You would'nt believe the way they answer the phone. The only business I give them is company business. Meaning when my boss pays for it. I don't give them a cent of my money.
FWIW I know you guys all get on the "I hate home depot and Lowes" bandwagon but if you use them for what they are intended for and don't expect anymore then they offer then they are great.
You have to know why they are there and what their purpose is.
Ugha Chaka! Ugha Chaka! Ugha, Ugha, Ugha, Chaka!
Gunner, I used to have to go into a lumber yard where the counter guy sneered at me when asking what I wanted. I was pretty gruff myself, but this guy scared me. I used to drive by and go to other yards all the time.
blue
"You have to know why they are there and what their purpose is."was thinking about this the other day.looking at HD or Lowes and what they carry and a lumberyard. It ain't the same. The big boxes don't carry everything a lumber yard carries.The yard I use on occasion has hardly any tool selection, but they do carry lumber.How big is the lumber selection ar the big boxes, not much in my opinion.while there is overlap, they ain't the same.
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
Most of the HDs in the SF Bay Area have private security exit receipt checkers. It's cursory at best and designed just as a deterrant, not to actually catch anyone as they don't check all that carefully. They also have undercover loss prevention staff who ocassionally nab someone. $20 an hour to start? Not around here. You're looking at $8 or $9 unless you've got years of experience. HD reminds me of some huge social experiment where the powers that be keep decreasing customer service and observe as customers keep coming back. "Let's cut back on cashiers even further...look- the grumbling increases but sales continue to rise!" Anyone familiar with store in Oakland that opened in 2004 knows what I'm talking about. The first couple of months were unbelievable- most registers open, well-tended shelves, help available everywhere- it was a revelation. Then they cut way back on everything. And revenue still goes through the roof.
have private security exit receipt checkers. It's cursory at best and designed just as a deterrant, not to actually catch anyone as they don't check all that carefully. They also have undercover loss prevention staff who ocassionally nab someone.
Which is slightly absurd, as the national averages show true shoplifting to only be 10% of inventory loss (the other 90% is internal--employees & friends/accomplices of employees).
I'm still trying to wrap my head around numbers like what 10% of all inventory loss rounds out to, and then justifying the rather high costs of uniformed security (that can run from $25 to $75/hr, billed).
But then, the National Buyers can score pretty good bonuses on 0.001¢ reductions in wholesale cost, too.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
No they are not the same. That's what tickles me about guys that go on those rants. They don't have a clue.
Rock the Tipi. 06
They're "home stores", not anything else. Lumberyards carry lumber and some other building materials, Electrical suppliers carry electric, plumbing suppliers carry plumbing, tool suppliers carry tools and so on. Big box stores were never intended for pros anymore than Sams Club is intended for businesses. Actually the local HD and lowes are OK, but they are what they are.
Right on brother man.
Rock the Tipi. 06
I've had several memorable experiences ad HD, the best being where I purchased 3 dozen Simpson anchor bolts, which come with the nut and washer already attatched. The 'cashier' rang up the bolts, then proceeded to remove the washer and nut from all 36 bolts and ring them up separately. When I attempted to correct her, I got the response "well, don't WE have an attitude you old fart". I asked to see the head cashier, and got "she's busy,too bad". The cashier then took my credit card after paying and rubbed it over the magnet on the counter several times, rendering it useless, and handed it to me, as well as the bag and said "have a wicked nice day".
That evening, I wrote a letter to the manager of that HD, as well as the customer service contact at HD's home office. Much to my surprise, I got a response, a large refund check, and was told the cashier had been terminated.
Still, I refuse to go to that particular store anymore. The Lowes near here is no better, populated by people who have no clue. I goto a real lumber yard 15 miles west of here, where I'm treated like a real person.
Renaissance Restorations LLC
Victorian Home Restoration Services
http://www.renaissancerestorations.com
I've got to say that compared to HD, going to local lumberyards is like going home to family. They treat you right and will go out of their way to help.
Even plumbing supply house (no ding on that trade, but they are a cliquish bunch) will help you out of a jam (I remember one time they stayed open a little late so I could run over and get a couple of fittings I needed to finish a job -- try that at HD).
Seeking perfection in an imperfect world is a fool's errand. Making something look perfect is a whole 'nother story . . . .
"I've got to say that compared to HD, going to local lumberyards is like going home to family."
Yeah....only problem is that the "family" store near me (3/4 mile) closes at 4:30pm M thru F, and 3pm Sat, and not open on Sun.
So.....when do I ever need anything? You got it.....at night or on Sunday.
Now, I drive the 3 miles to HD whenever I need something.
Incidentially, contrary to other experiences here, the Lowes across the street from HD has the most inept, uncaring people around. You have to page someone to the dept you are in so that 20 minutes later they can tell you....."I dunno..."
Your comment about limited hours reminds me that about 30 years ago I was building my house on Martha's Vineyard (before it was fashionable). The lumber yard I went to was only open 8-4 weekdays and Sat. mornings in the summer, BUT, you could "shop" for stuff in the yard at night or on Sunday and stop by on Monday to pay for it. Everyone did it, no one cheated (it was a small place). Of course I could only carry a limited quantity of lumber at a time on the roof of my Toyota.
Sounds cool, could not do that now though, It would be a FREE FOR ALL.
I just feel that if these small guys want to compete w/ big box, the easiest way to do it is at least be open in the eves (till 6 or 7) and on Sun when all the DIY'rs are out in droves.
They need to be the place that can tell a guy what type of fastener he needs, and sell it to him at 3pm on a Sunday when he is stuck in the middle of his project.
That type of service, not the price comparisons, would buy them life long customers.
>>"I just feel that if these small guys want to compete w/ big box, the easiest way to do it is at least be open in the eves (till 6 or 7) and on Sun when all the DIY'rs are out in droves."
A well run yard that caters to the trades doesn't want the DIY business. It's the other way around. HD just bought Hughes because it can't break into the contractor's market unless it buys it. Can't be all things to all people. Each niche has it's own, well, niche.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635175329,00.html
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
No * ding * taken on the plumbing supply. I work for one. One of the perks that keep people coming to us is FREE delivery ---- versus 69 dollars at HD. The bee in my bonnet is from the SELECT few who treat us like their own personal peon. I am supposed to deliver the plumbing products - not PLACE them in every room in the house. These clowns are oblivious about working someone on a dime that is not theirs. Perhaps they dont give a damn......
Home Depot, yes, I have had my experince to. I patronize HD to, once a week or so, in a pinch I need something quick. They have these new machines, self debit ones, I have never used one before. When I approached the check -out, a cashier is standing at one, and proceeds to operate the macine for me , with no instructions except to as punch in my pin number. Before that , she asks me if I want cash back, hmm, ya, I say $40.00. I punch in my pin , and she walks away to help with another customer at a regular cashier. So, I am waiting for approval and in awe of this automatic cashier, I take my receipt, and walk out. As a contarctor, I can have many things on my mind, especially at 7:30am. And I usually do not get cash back, so, I walked out of the store with -out my $40.00 cash back. I come back in a half hour relaizing this. I told the cashier and ,she then proceeded to show me where the cash is dispensed. Of course, it was gone! And, it was my fault, dummy me! Thanks for your help, machine, and Human Depot!
The Lowes here was always pretty clean and the staff, while limited in their expertise were just helpful.. but not experienced....
...then Menards moved in right next door, the stores PL are separated by a narrow strip of grass....and boy did the service at Lowes change dramatically.
the help now comes at you and follows you around if you can't find something tthe Electrical guy is getting smarter and the Paint and Flooring steadies are very helpful...
I wouldn't go to Menards to watch dogs ###k
According to a local Lowes dept. head, Lowes recently had a multistate lawsuit bought to them over their lack of paying overtime to employees for time spent after hours.
Apparenty state after state ruled in favor of the worker complaints and it all added to a hefty enough $figure in back pay, some as far back as 4 years, that managemnt positions now are required to be sure not to have more than 40 hrs time in a week.
be scoring one for the little guy
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
so paying folks for working overtime improves their attitude!!!!go figure
>> so paying folks for working overtime improves their attitude!!!!No -- paying folks what they've earned improves their attitude. And paying folks what they've earned without b!tching and moaning about how expensive they are improves their respect for the business. And letting folks work full 40 hour weeks so they qualify for benefits and not expecting the state to kick in pay in the form of welfare benefits... aw heck, I hate Wal-Wart's business practices.
.......... And letting folks work full 40 hour weeks so they qualify for benefits and not expecting the state to kick in pay in the form of welfare benefits... aw heck, I hate Wal-Wart's business practices................at the same time that they AIN'T paying property taxes.......
Home Depot seems to have the shortsighted belief that since their revenue keeps increasing every year they can continue to offer lousy customer service and get away with it. Until they feel it in the bottom line, their system is "working"- at least in their minds.
If you were paid hourly and didn't get overtime, you mean you wouldn't cop an attitude? I bet you would!Basically, the people working at places like these, doing what they do, making what they make, either they have no work ethic at all or they don't understand what people expect. The first should have been taught by their parents and the second is a job training issue. The third factor is that they don't care enough to remember what they were told. Most of teh people at HD and other stores like it aren't rocket scientists. The smart ones move on pretty quickly, either up the company food chain or to another job.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I'm one of those "older folks" who worked at HD. I made good money - and no one was paid under $10 at our store (wages vary depending upon the marketplace). I left because I had a better opprotunity combined with two things I disliked:
1) The customers - 95% were great but the other 5% easily ruin your day;
2) The hours - HD is closed 2 days - Christmas and Thanksgiving - try opening the store on Easter Sunday at 8 AM - wears thin quickly.
I hate to say it but the 5% were many times contractors - I got tired of having licensed contractors asking me how to cope crown molding, how to mortise for hinges, etc.
We had one contractor come to an associate who has a strong cockney accent (Brit by birth but a US citizen for the past 25 years) and want to take him out in the lot and "beat the ****" out of him for stealing "our" jobs. But contractors were not alone!
I had two 60+ women (dressed to go to the opera) get into a shoving/pushing match becauue one needed to be waited on now even though she was not first. You only need a few of these a week - and all of us had these incidents happen - to put a damper on your enthusiasm.
I had one lady ask me how to prevent mice from coming in her sump pump - I told her she need to seal around the drain line coming out of the house. She said that was sealed - the mice are coming through the pipe, down through the pump and out. She knows this because she found a dead mouse floating in the sump can water. I told it it was impossible for a mosue to crawl through a pump mechanism - she not only complained to the store manager, but also to Atlanta. And she was impossible to convince otherwise.
Big box stores are not easy to manage - HD has close to 2000 stores with an average of 125 part-time and full-time employees. Where do you think they get these folks? Are any of you raising your kids to work in a box store? Our store wages are high becaue everyone in my area wants to work for the government - why lower yourself to "wait on people?"
You bet there are lots of problems in big box management - HD is far behind in technology implementation - inventory control is still looked at primarily a "loss prevention problem." Go to the HD web site, go under jobs and find the description for store manager - there you will find "works a minimum of 55 hours" with a miltitude of duties and by the way, no high school diploma needed, a GED is fine. The CEO tried to change that but was beaten down. And it's the store manager who sets the "pace" - a well managed store, like any well managed business will shine.
I still shop at HD - mostly for the commodities that are priced right. But I never gave up on my local lumber yard and hardware store - if they are smart, they can compete with big boxes.
Thanks for that "insider's view" ETC.
blue
I go to HD, but find that I usually know where things are and don't need to involve the floor people. The one close to me had a girl in CS who was great- she looked for, and found, a transaction record that I needed so I could get warranty coverage, since the company I worked for was closed and I needed the tool the next morning before our office would open. She went way beyond the call. The problem here in MKE is that the latest survey showed that MKE is the 4th poorest city (with whatever criteria were used) in the country and the public schools are just not doing the job. That shows any time someone goes to a place where there are a lot of low wage workers. In a big $ suburb to the west of town, the only thing they could do to get HS kids to work at the local Mc Donald's was to pay them >$10/hr to start, and this was 20 years ago. Bill Cosby was here early last year and told the gathering what he thinks the problems in the community are and they all clapped when they agreed, then got really quiet when it cut too close for their comfort. What happened? The murder rate shot through the roof and so did armed robbery. It's continuing this year and it's usually in a small area of the city. The mayor is doing a crappy job, just like his predecessor of 20 years and the police chief is just as good. Your area may have a lot of gov't jobs, but here, the city planners are trying to make the city look so nice that many can't afford to own a house since the property taxes went up so much. The county gov't was completely oblivious to a county worker pension scam that has cost millions, so all kinds of cuts have been made. I can't wait to see this place in ten years. I doubt that I'll be here, though. Winter has lost its charm and I have a lot of friends in warm places.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
high... where is MKE ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Sorry, Milwaukee, WI. That's the airline abbreviation.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
You have a tough situation. I've never been to Milwaukee - most of my travels in business were in Madison and points north. Inner city locations are tough - you have a hard time recruiting experienced folks and the ones you have to hire have for the most part never driven a nail.
It's going to be interesting to see over the next 10 years where HD, Lowes, Menards and 84 end up. Of the whole group, HD has the most cash and they are using it to buy up companies. But like many on this thread, I still love walking through a local lumber yard and especially one with milling capability - the smells, sights and homey atmosphere are hard to beat!
Just thinking out loud but what if Home Depot would give some kind of token of appreciation (such as a gold watch or maybe even just a plaque or certificate) if an employee stays for at least six months?.^^^^^^"and that's all I've got to say about that"
Why, Oh Why do you people shop at HD or Lowe's. Sure we sometimes have no choice, but I'll pay a premium at the local lumber yard, my local electrical supply house, my local plumbing supply house, even my local hardware store (if I had one) so that I would never have to step foot into a BIG BOX COMPANY. Sure I have a charge there and do shop there but the majority of my buying commercial or otherwise stays as local as possible. And my customer's are locals who would rather buy me than some anony-mouse HD installer.
Primarily because if I am re-doing a 1/2 bath in the evening (which is when I always do small jobs) and need:
3 shut off valves, 2 ss-16" flex lines, 1 timer switch, 2 light bulbs, caulk, a new towel bar, a faucet, a marble treshold, and 1 sheet of sheetrock (for patches).........etc
One stop......
CONVENIENCE
Only reason....not price, not respect for their employees, not favoritism....just convenience.
I use the big boxes for the same reason. Convenience.
They aren't the best, but quite often they have something that will work. When I need real lumber, I check prices for the junk at the boxes, then shop at a real lumber yard.
I was doing a project up north, a long way from the boxes and had to buy a box of 9' beads. I ended up paying three times as much ($18 vs 55, or something like that). Shame on me for not coming prepared.
The locals don't have to match price, but they should be in the ball game for similar materials.
blue
The locals don't have to match price, but they should be in the ball game for similar materials.
Exactly!
and.......they should be open till at least 6 or 7pm, and on Sun.
3 shut off valves, 2 ss-16" flex lines, 1 timer switch, 2 light bulbs, caulk, a new towel bar, a faucet, a marble treshold, and 1 sheet of sheetrock (for patches).........etc
Oh my, I've been there before.
Mind you, I'm not certain that it has always helped. Like when they only had two shutoff valves in the entire store (even though inventory says there's 13), and one of those is straight, not right-angled (and neither is quarter-turn) . . .
Oh the night of the make-it-work till morning comes to mind . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Like when they only had two shutoff valves in the entire store (even though inventory says there's 13)
Actually, there are probably 13 there. The real secret is knowing where they are....
2 are in the correct plumbing isle, not spot....just isle.
3 are in "doors/windows"
2 are in "electrical"
1 is floating around in some guys basket waiting to check out,
and.....5 are in the basket in the "returns area"
Please do not blame the store just because you are too lazy to look for the items in all the necessary places.
;-)
Actually, there are probably 13 there. The real secret is knowing where they are
Well, yeah. Which means knowing too much about ICS & store ops sometimes.
If the order point is "hold 10" and some one buys 8, the ICS 'triggers' to send 8 more, which would be fine but for two things. The "ship point" for the item is really "1 box" which is 20. So, when the delivery comes in, the count is 22 on hand.
Oh, and the original customer returned 5 of the original 8, but they are still on the returns desk, so the true inventory count is 27. Except there's only shelf space for 10, so the physical inventory shows 10, and 17 are somewhere else in the store, and the ICS is triggering an "end cap" memo to put 15 of them on sale, since there's too many in the store per ICS.
The returns desk has not been able to enter them back in inventory because ICS shows too many on hand. Those five go to the endcap display with the 10 shelved per the memo. There should now be 12 to put on the shelf. Except they were pushed behind something else by a new hire, and there's 17 of them. Bin on the aisle is still empty, though.
Customer goes and finds the empty shelf slot, and says "What gives?" This, then can repeat the evil, circular, catch-22 cycle over again.
About the time someone finds the extras behind Seasonal during a display change, the National Buyer has found an identical (ok 53/64 similar) product from a different nation & supplier that is 0.001¢ cheaper each. Shelf slot & SKU number both vanish as the new product replaces them.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Wow...it's pretty complicated.
I just thought that some dumb "shelf stockers" were sticking products into any avail spots.
Apparently it's the extreemly smart computer software engineers that are screwing w/ us.
Apparently it's the extreemly smart computer software engineers that are screwing w/ us
LoL!
Actually, the process is not helped by uncaring, or dyslexic, or only semi-literate, shelf stockers.
The "problem" occurs when you go to the Department, or the CS, desk--they only know what the computer tells them, and GIGO still rules.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Once gave a manager a hard time when I overheard him ordering an employee to front up a shelf to hide a void of out of stock merchandise. "I don't care what you put here but we can't have that big empty space". AS if it isn't already hard enough to find stuff and a price to go with it. Just take a look in can light section...
"I don't care what you put here but we can't have that big empty space". AS if it isn't already hard enough to find stuff and a price to go with it. Just take a look in can light section...
Dunno, go look in the faucet section <g> . . .
The "no empty shelf space" is one of those "rules" in retail marketing. Your grocery store probably has "sold" shelf inches to the product vendors, to get those products not only on the shelf, but on specific shelves. This can get so detailed, that they print full color shelf displays to show the stockers "how" to put the product out. (This can get dicey with 'outside' stockers, they generally can't move the shelf product-price codes.)
I know that there are some Big Box store managers/supervisors who want filled shelves to help deflect the "hey, why can't I find xxx" customer questions. If the shelves look "full," it can't be that the item is out of stock or not ordered, seems to be the desired impression.
What I'd like to see, woulf be a deal like Sam's has. You may not know it, but you can email your shopping list to Sam's and they will pull hte order for you, and it'll wait until you get there. This can be very slick.
Now, that would require some inventory changes for some of the big boxes . . . <g>Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
My wife used to cashier at Friedman Brothers a local lumber/hardware store. She was always cautious to the customers, however the customers cold be down right obnoxious to her sometimes.
One time a contractor come through her line as was buying some flashing. The was a problem with the pricing on the item (not her fault). He became really anger and slashed her arm with a piece of flashing. Needless to say the A***ole didn't make it out of the door before security detained him. He earned him self a stay in the local jail for a while.
Mike
The best place to find valves and other small plumbing / electrical parts at Depot, is in the bin at least three down from where it should be.
I cant tell you how many times i'll be in a hurry, grab three "quarter turn" valves out of the box, get back to the job, and have, one quarter turn, one for threaded pipe, and one multi turn valve.
I know its not necessarily the stores fault but it sure gets frustrating.
I agree..the bins hold something different than what they are supposed to. But those bins are stocked by those people wearing those VENDOR vests. I think they are clueless. Pick it out....check again...verify a third time, and please.....make sure it has a skew number before you get in line.
1) Depot Vendors no longer wear vendor vests, spent too much time waiing on customers that thought they worked for Depot. Lowe's vendors on the other hand still wear vendor vests.
2) Most stocking at Depot is either done by floor employees or in the case of items from the distribution center, by an overnight crew.
3) A skew is a type of chisel, on the other hand a SKU is shorthand for a stock keeping unit.
2) Most stocking at Depot is either done by floor employees or in the case of items from the distribution center, by an overnight crew.
...had to chuckle...the last 2 times I went to the HD for a plumbing fiting, I ended up replacing the empty box with a new, unopened one...the second time it was 4 shelves above where all the overflow is kept...
maybe I should've gotten paid for a "re-stocking fee"???
....yeah...didn't think so either.
knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
I think part of it is people looking for their right part, picking up the wrong one and whipping it back wherever it lands. My favorite is 1/4 turn shut offs. It almost takes less time to rough the bathroom then to find three shutoffs.
>>"My favorite is 1/4 turn shut offs. It almost takes less time to rough the bathroom then to find three shutoffs."
You can find three? That actually match one another?
Man, you got skills. ;-)
If I get to two, I consider it a good day at the local HD.
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
Did any-one see message #201 in this discussion?
Did any-one see message #201 in this discussion?
Nope. Must have been deleted before I got a look at it.
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
I think part of it is people looking for their right part, picking up the wrong one and whipping it back wherever it lands. My favorite is 1/4 turn shut offs. It almost takes less time to rough the bathroom then to find three shutoffs.
AMEN, AMEN, AND AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!
they must all hang out in that "bermuda triangle" that all my utility knives, tape measures and left foot socks hang out...knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
We call it retail manners. DW worked at Hobby Lobby and Party City. Gave us an appreciation for that. We try to put things back where they belong. I used to go help her close sometimes and it just irritated me. It is time (extra work) for the poor stiff working and an irritant for the customer who usually blames the staff.
Daughter worked at Party City for about a year. Tlak about a poorly managed outfit. We would not let her quit until she had been there ayear and had another job lined up, but it was not easy. They would post the work schedule on Friday night for the next week, so if you were working Saturday you only got a few hours notice. And she said the customers were terrible ... taking stuff off the shelves and just leaving it on the floor.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Yeah, I understand why it happens and that the big box catches the blame, that however does not make me feel any better when I get to the job 10 miles away before I realize one of my supply lines is 1/2" x 1/2" instead of 1/2" x 3/8".
How long does it take to look at each one when putting it in the basket or on the counter? I always figure I am the last man in the quality control line. There is no way the poor sob at HD or any other seller can make sure there is not something in the wrong bin. You have more at stake than they do.
Bob
You're right. I learned the hard way and I always check now. Like I said, cant really blame the big box for the guy before you that just threw the piece back where ever.
If you really want help finding an item, do what I do....
...one time I was in need of a 15mm 1/2" socket for a project...stopped by the first HD to my job...they was out of it...asked if they had any in hiding...they didn't...ok..left and went to the next one(there just happened to be 2 of their stores on the way to my job)...went in, they were out of them also...what the h3ll???...so I wait around untill someone will come by and I can ask them to see if they have any in stock so I don't need to make a trip to another store...
..no one is around...I walk up and down at least 4 lanes and still see nobody...I turn to my nephew who is with me and say " I bet I can get someone here in under 10 seconds...
...I proceeded to take their big orange "ladder/stair" deal they use to get the tools down off the top shelf and start pusing it toward the socket section....not 5 seconds later I hear..."sir, may I help you"?
....yep...not in stock.knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
I've done that exact same thing before with the same results. No ones around till you start to become a liability.
What I want to know is how those blue and orange aprons work, once the employee puts one on they gain the power of invisibility.
hehehehehe, I like it...
Yes, convenience is a factor. But, --- I work 7:30 to when the job is at a point I can go home. Then I see people to estimate a job, then I go home and do estimates, then I kiss my wife and go to bed just to start over. I do this 5 days a week. Saturday I work on my century home. or have family time. Sunday I work on church business or veg at breaktime. Good customers get my attention when they need it(24/7/365). The Big Box stores have their place. I use them, I appreciate them, but in the end they are stealing my customer's and the customer's of my local "Mom & Pop" stores. Where are we going and where do we want to go? I would like to start a new thread about what we care about. What is important? Local suppliers or big-all-in-one-suppliers? Damn it I miss the local guy that gives and takes to and from me.In the end I'll probably retire to being one of those guys with the apron trying to help the helpless at a big box store.
"but in the end they are stealing my customer's"
Are you in retail?
"and the customer's of my local "Mom & Pop" stores"
I agree w/ you that I would prefer to deal w/ the local mom & pop's, and I still do. My grandfather had a hardware store, and I hung around there since I was 5 yo.
My First point was simply that the convenience (of variety of items) at a big box store is a strong lure. Time is money.... and I would personally rather spend mine on my family.
Who wants to go to 3 or 4 different places to get what can be had in 45 mins at a big box.
My second point was that although all the small local stores are complaing....they continue to close at 4pm weekdays, 2pm Sats, and are not open at all on Sun.
Times and customer bases change (more DIY's now working on weekends and nights) , and the operating hours of the local mom & pops should accomodate them too.
RE: "stealing my customers"What I meant was they not only sell, but also install. I don't sell, I install. They are competing with me (for installation business)and I am helping them compete by spending my money there. My local lumber yard probably gives me 30% of my business thru recommendations and don't have a single installer working for them. HD gives me zero. Like I said maybe a better discussion is where is it all going? (Fine Homebuildings article on the big box stores is very good but doesn't go far enough into the repercussions of our present day addiction to cheap, low quality, throw away products). Someone said Wal-mart sux for much the same reason. The big-boxes have become bigger and less sensitive but are probably a necessary evil in these days of discount pricing, made in China tools and non-service oriented employees. I'll not apologize for missing the days of sitting around the pickle barrel talking about how the new fangled "pneumatic nailers" will ruin the carpentry business. It's a good thing I found Breaktime (AKA the electronic pickle barrel). I really do enjoy listening and chatting with all of you out there. Keep up the good discussions.
Sorry....I did not think about the install part of the deal. That's a pain to compete against all the time.
Point well taken.
I can tell you why - its attitude. I an an amature DYI and the local lumber yard, especially local plumbing shop or electrical shop treat me like I am a lawyer - better dead than alive.Mike
This is all I need to know to like Home Depot:
View Image
Corporate business today measures everything by the size of the silver dollar.
....I was being sarcastic.... how'd you miss thatI would never ask or expect anyone to work without compensation .
I couldn't hear the way you said it. You may not ask someone to do that but it's not particularly uncommon.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
If I guessed, I would say that about 1% of the folks I work around are non-union ...so to me it is uncommon , at least in this part of the woods
Apparenty state after state ruled in favor of the worker complaints and it all added to a hefty enough $figure in back pay
Yup, gotta be careful, most of the DoL fines involve an audit of your employment records and paying triple damages for any cvariance found (that over and above the penalty fine).
Some of the big box stores actually had a bonus for the store manager if their payroll came in under a target figure--and the bonus was proportional to how much. So, a manager could just hire barely enough employees to run the store, finagle the o/t a bit, hose a few employees when they gripe--and still get a big fat bonus check.
Probably would be inapproriate to even suggest the alternate term of derision that check had among the worker bees . . . Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Here are the reasons why I shop (and will continue to shop) at Home Depot and Lowes.1) Big Selection (no need to stop a variety of specialty shops)
2) Well Organized (I always know where everything is without asking)
3) Good prices (we all like saving money)
4) Convienence (there always seems to be one within 15 minutes)
5) EXCELLENT no hassle return policy (this is a huge. They routinely take back tools over a year old. They take back lumber. They even take back dead plants)
6) Rental Equipment (at Home depot, the prices are always reasonable and the equipment is new, quality, and in pristine condition. I'll trent tools here any day over a rental store)
7) I like aimlessly meandering through the tool department (come on, we all like this!)The Drawbacks1) Service (every once in a while you will get exceptional service in a department. It is the exception, not the rule. Although I generally get good service at returns, rentals, custoimer service, kitchen, and contractor services. Everywhere else the service is mediocre at best. Be sure you fill out positive comments for those people who gave you good service. But I don't go here for service, I know what I need, get it, and get out).
2) Cashiers (Home Depot especially is chronically understaffed in the cashier department. I can see why. Does that seem like fun to you?)
3) Load Out (I like to have guys dedicated to helping me carefully load a pallet of drywall instead of hunting them down and begging them to come out and give me a hand).In my opionion, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I can honestly say that I depend on Home Depot and Lowes for my job. They save me a whole lot of running around.--AndyPS I also LOVE small hardware stores, (I worked in them from 15years old to 23 years old), lumber yards, and specialty stores. But I frequent Home Depot much more than these. The more big box stores and small stores out there, all the better for us!
i wonder if the automated checkout service is there because of the lack of polite people willing to work for $8.50US per hour. I am relieved when i see that thing. Also go to the cashier who cares the least...they always miss scanning a few of your items. That has paid off for me at least once to the tune of $50.
"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know" Ralph Waldo Emerson
All.....Strange experience with 84 lumber company locally. I decided to try them on room addition and found they have a good system . I parked at the front door, went inside with my material list gave it to the first guy I saw , he entered it , I Paid for it , he went outside to the yard got the fork lift and loaded it , double checked the material list and said have a great day and I wish we had more customers like you. Drivingdown the road Ihad to ask myself "what just happened here?" Strange experience.
Recently had my first and last experience at "Expo Design" the upscale Home Depot. Ordered a glass tub surround; it came in 2 weeks, opened it at the jobsite, cracked. OK, not their fault- I drive it back, return it and reorder it( they made it a change order). Every week I call, and get - "it is still on backorder- we'll try to speed it up..." Ok. 4th week (my customer has been w/ out a tub for 6 week now - I need to finsih and get paid) I call, will call guy calls back and says "bad news - your order is on hold because there has been a price increase ($150) and even if it did go through today it would be 3 more weeks for delivery". So they raised the price on something I had already paid for then lied and said it was on backorder - when it had not even been processed. Ordered it from a kithen/bath shop last Friday - should be here today. At least my customer is understanding - I am still so fuming that if get time this week I will drop by Expo and attempt to have the manager call my customer and apologize.
Lumber 84 better be nice. They have the worst lumber in the country so polite isn't everything either.If Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
"Also go to the cashier who cares the least...they always miss scanning a few of your items. That has paid off for me at least once to the tune of $50."
Can we assume that you weren't aware of the cashier's mistake until you got back to the job site? Because, otherwise, knowingly leaving a store with something you didn't pay for (regardless of whose mistake it was) is just another form of theft.
I like how you worded that.No accusation, etc.Wish I could do that more often.
Geekbox hero who had a lot of fun in the glass city.
assume away"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know" Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am not a carpenter, electritian or plumber. Most of you can tell by the questions I ask here and might even notice I NEVER give advice - it would be worth what was paid for the advice - nothing. But I am a business owner and hold a degree in business. Now wait befor eyou condemn - that degree and 50 cents will get you a cup of coffee - true. However, I do know some things about running a business. I have also visited Lowes and HD and had my disagreements with cashier(s). Usually only one with aline of 20 customes waiting. What I have found is appaling. Pay has nothing to do with it nor does item pricing. Its just the way of the general public and the rudeness we all tolerate and expect as a consumer. Builder's Square is history for these same types of problems. I am amazed at the inventory these stors carry. It is daunting to think how well organized the corporation must be to assemble the requirements of each store and keep it moving on demand. Yet at the basic level of customer vs clerk they fail. That is perhaps the most important business link.I refuse to believe I deserve "attitude" at any establishment because they are underpaid or have redusced pricing. I do avoid at all costs HD but will still shop at Lowes - what else is there? I needed a sparkplug for my Torro snowblower. Went to my local Ace hardware - on "sale" for $8.95. Found the same plug several weeks later at Lowes for $1.95. Sorry its a competative business world.The final answer to all of this? Lets start a "box" as you call it with service, low prices and and product worth buying that will compete successfully with Lowes and HD - call it Costco II???Mike
I agree about not going to Menards to watch dogs ###k - I think you would have better luck with that at a local dog park.
I assume by this statement you are saying that you don't like Menards. Statement seems to say that as much as you like to watch dogs ###k, there is something so bad about Menards - that you wouldn't go in there even if they enticed you with the opportunity to view this activity you like so much.
Anyway, enough about the ribbing about your statement.
I am curious about what you dislike about Menards so much. Is it the fact that they built a business right next to Lowes. I find that to be a pretty dirty practice myself. It is amazing at how often it is done by many businesses. I remember in college learning that Burger King skipped all the expense of market research when they went to build new stores and simply built as close to McDonalds as they could. Also notice that many of the Home Depot stores opened very near existing Menards stores.
I end up going to the Menards here in St. Paul for many hardware and building items. I like the fact that I can drive my van right to the pile of drywall or studs or whatever and load it - rather than loading on a cart first and then trying to navigate store isles filled with little displays before going to the checkout to have the cashier try to count everything. Much easier to just give cashier a piece of paper to ring up.
I certainly don't hold Menards on a pedestal as a standard of excellence that all other lumber yards and hardware stores should strife towards, but, lately they have been the store I choose. Probably more to do with proximity to my house than anything - but, I do find them to be a little above my other choices for price, selection, and service.
Would like to support a couple of the local lumber yards, but, really can't stand waiting there being ignored because I am a lowly small remodeler and the desk guy is busy with a big customer - can't really take the no discount price they give the little guy either.
Post is getting really long - was really just curious as to the source of your dislike for Menards and if you have a good local yard or if you just prefer to go to the Lowes which, thanks to Menards, has improved customer service.
Oh, I do have a good store for hardware and tools - 7 Corners Hardware.
how to phrase this delicately.....Menards just sucks....
they would come in a distant third in a two-way race.....anyway,I think their location here is based on pure greed and a town bending over backwards with tax breaks to bring in another behemoth that the area doesn't need or can support....all in the name of jobs, when most of the folks in both stores live somewhere elsethe downtown businesses have never recovered from the local govts antics years ago.. and they continue to have a bad track record when it comes to development as an example they knocked down several profitable stores and built a police station ,when ONE street away the whole area was nothing but vacant storefronts ....just typical small town BS
I have been to our Menards six times and all I got was a package of sink clips. You are being too nice about sucking.
I really hate the walk. Must be a 1/4 mile from truck back to truck at Menards.
I enjoy going to Lowes although I consider them a hardware store not a lumberyard. If you need a tool or a part for a tool look for Walt. He is the best.
Walt ? is he the guy with the white hair? He helped me pick out my little Bostitch ...... yeah he is a decent fella too, I forgot about him.......
Debating whether to chime in... here on the southwest side of Milwaukee we had a HD and Menards across the street from each other, and within the last couple of months a Lowe's opened up basically next door to HD. Advantage? EXTREMELY convenient if one doesn't have what you need, or if you want to price shop.DISADVANTAGE? None of the three can shake a stick to my local hardware store or lumberyard when it comes to knowledge and service. Lowe's is by far the best of the three, maybe it's because they're new and trying to make a good impression and the employees aren't burned out yet; hopefully it won't go downhill. HD I don't like just on general principle.Menards I used to patronize when forced to use a box, simply because they're the most "local" of the three (Menards is based in WI.) But the last time I was there I needed shelving supplies. I picked up the standards, brackets and screws - no problem. Asked the lumber desk what they carried in 5/8 or 3/4 4x8 AC or birch ply. Answer: we don't carry anything in 4x8. WHAT???? Are you kidding me? Nothing???? Nope. Required a trip to HD (Lowe's wasn't open yet) for plywood.To make things even better, out of the first five screws from the sealed box of #10x2-1/2" wood screws, three snapped off about 1/2" below the head before they pulled up tight enough to kick in the 2nd lightest clutch setting on my cordless driver, and the other two were bent when I took them out of the box. Not impressed. Wasn't about to try my luck with any more, so another trip, this time down the street to the corner hardware store. No more problems.
If I had to work at Home Depot
1. The day would go much faster if I was nice to customers
2. Maybe if I am nice a business person may offer me a job making 3 times than HD
3. Maybe if I act like I am trying I will get a promotion
4. Maybe if I quit standing round in the dirty aisles my feet wouldn't hurt
5 Maybe if I heped customers they will tell the manager
SOME CRAZY THOUGHTS
Edited 3/6/2006 10:24 pm ET by shellbuilder
yeah, crazy like a fox <g>
I used to live in northern Indiana and actually preferred Menards to Home Depot and Lowe's. The staff wasn't particularly helpful, but they had a great selection of power tools and a decent lumber yard.Having said that, my favorite "local" hardware stores were part of the "Do it best" chain. The guys in these stores were VERY helpful and you could tell they had prior experience working in supply houses, as contractors, etc.TFToolfanatic (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak")
Hello Shoeman,
I'm a fellow resident of St. Paul. I visit the same Menard's (and Home Depot, too). I used to be really down on Menard's, but it seems that they actually carry a more interesting variety of goods than HD. I like their cabinet lines, and door lines, too. And they're closer to my home.
HD doesn't carry PEX, but they will thread pipe, and have a panel saw & radial arm saw in the lumber area. Menard's carries a PEX line. I guess nothing is perfect.
If you ever need help with a cabinet layout/purchase at Menard's, see a fellow named Ben. Very helpful, and efficient at his job.
Have a good one.
DIA
which Menards??. Personally I like the one in stillwater. Close to home. But the one on 61/36 always seems to be on the way to where im going.
I think Menards has stepped it up a notch. ever since knox went belly up, I think they saw the writting on the wall. Im starting to like them better than HD cause I think HD has gotten too big for their britches.
Although i never have a problem with the cashiers at White Bear ave HD. Stick to the contractor check outs. Those ladies treat you right. They even tear off the end of the reciept for you so you dont have to muck around with the take our survey piece of it.
GoodLuck
Steve
I agree with you on your comments about Menards. I've got a "guy" at the Maple Grove store where I go. I can place an order with him for just about any item in the store and he will have it ready for me to pick up when I come in. and I LOVE being able to go and pick up my materials BEFORE paying for them via their Contractors Program that gets me in the gate without a receipt.
As for the big orange box, I get a great response from the cashiers as I always go to the same 2 stores and always go through the Pro Desk where they have their own cashiers.
For the local lumberyard, Justice Lumber in Hopkins is my favorite haunt. I was originally quite intimidated to go to a local yard because the big boxes afforded me the security of not having to admit I didn't exactly know what the h3ll I was looking for other than in complete vague terms. the first time I went there was a few years back when I was looking for a particular trim style a customer had made at Scherer Bros (who recently bought Justice). I had to return to the store 3 times within the length of the project. The second time I was back, the guy behind the counter knew my name and asked how my project was going....that really impressed me.
I think the thing with any store is to establish a relationship with one or two people who can be counted on to be there when you need them...to have a "guy" to go to. I know they contractor sales rep in the 3 box stores I frequent, and always ask to deal with them...and when they see me in line, they are quite eager to help out.knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
Yeah, the contractor program is nice. Show card at guard gate, load up, go in and pay. Would be nice if they could do charge purchases right at the lumber desk.
I also have a contractor rep assigned to me that calls every once in a while to see if there is anything he can do for me.
As for Justus in Hopkins - they were alright the couple times I stopped in there. Also have had good luck with Bennett in uptown. The Scherer Bros. in NE Minneapolis is the one where I really felt I was treated like I didn't exist because I didn't already have an account with them.
I live just a few blocks away from Bennett Lumber in Uptown. They're a good, old time, neighborhood yard and I shop there whenever I can. They have great stuff - I bought some 5/4 redwood there a while back and it was beautiful...I could hardly bear to cut it up, it was so pretty. Their prices are pretty competitive as well, even more so when I consider the time and effort it takes to drive out to the big box stores in the suburbs.
On a similar note, my neighborhood hardware store (Rex Hardware, on 26th and Lyndale) just recently closed...I can't blame the owner for finally retiring, she and her husband bought the place way back in 1944! Still, I hated to see that place go. They still had the old squeaky oiled wood floors, all the nuts and bolts and nails were loose in metal bins in the back, that sort of place. It even had that old time hardware store smell.
Bennett is good...
as for downtown Scherer Bros...I avoid it like the plague... Luckily, I can usually get what I need out here at their Alberville plant when I need to... knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
and as for 7 Corners....although it is over 45 miles away, I try and make it there at least 3 times a year...just to look. The feeling you get in that store is one of pure nostalgia....
best store in the country....hands down.knowledge without experience is just information.... Mark Twain
http://www.cobrajem.com
the big blue box just built a store across the rd. from me
I applied ---didn,t get the job?--- welll shoot never worked at a place were I could
walk to work anyway. Finnally went in there after they opened
a few weeks later,there sits the commercial sells guy holding his
head in his hands shaking it back and forth,being the concerned
type I ask him if he is allright.he says yep just wanting to get off
well he asks me what he can do for me,well we sart chattin
and I tell him of some of my upcomeing work --man he is alll
over thatlike a hobo on a ham sammich--he shoots me a price
including delivery to the job site -which isnt even in the
zone of the store -for .35 psf. cheaper for materials
than last year.seems like that they are now revamping their
markupon commercial sales..I hope they still keep that fellow....DW.
Same thing happened to me...the HD cashier made no effort to have a pleasant transaction because she "was having a bad day." She even politeley thanked me for making her day even worse. HUH? I was just asking about who to go see to get some insulation off the top shelf because NOBODY seems to be working back there. Usually they'll get on the speaker and get somebody over there...
but she was having a bad day and all she could tell me was "find somebody in lumber". I tried I said. There's nobody there I said. I'm sure someone's there now she said.
Steaming hot about it when I got home I called, and got a $25 gift card.
My local lumber yard...a mom and pop yard...I'll even tell you the name I hate them so much..Burt Lumber. total aholes...I was about to spend about fifty grand there "initially" which turned into wayyyy over a hundred grand...when I was trying to compare apples to apples they gave me such an incredably hard time. They send me an email that says at the end and I swear this is the truth word for word..."Your job sounds interesting, but not exciting"! F'in F you you F'n F!!
I have no problem with HD. I know what to expect and thats that. Over all I have a pretty decent experiance there...prices are right and I don't have to travel all over town for hours getting different things at different places. When its something important I'll go to that specific supplier..If Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
Yep that's my attitude exactly.
Ugha Chaka! Ugha Chaka! Ugha, Ugha, Ugha, Chaka!
BINGO!!
We have a winner!Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
I bought some small odds and ends lumber at HD one saturday and I wanted it cut to a length so as I could fit it in my Honda. I think the guy who I had cut it was still coming down from a bender he had the night before. He fired up the saw and instantly started cursing at the special guard HD puts on the saw.
Literally, he was dropping all kinds of f-notes in front of all the customer's - f this and f that. Starts saying to me how stupid the blade guards are and how it's all cause one stupid f'n idiot cut his hand off or something and how he wished he could put the guy's f'n head on the f'n thing...he was completely out to lunch.
At this point I'm getting a rise out of it as I'm not offended by his bad language persay and the absurdity of the situation is amusing me. He finished cutting and I say "thanks man, have a good day huh."
His reply with wide eyes in a long deep voice was, "Nooooo way. No my friend. There are noooo f'n good days at this f'n place. Not today and not ever!" I just laughed and walked away.
I called my dad on my cell phone on my way home and told him the scene and how I was talking to a guy who I was pretty sure was in the middle of his final day workin at HD.
As it turns out, he's a pretty regular fixture there. I see him all the time.
"Oh, this is the worst-looking hat I ever saw. What, when you buy a hat like this I bet you get a free bowl of soup, huh? Oh, it looks good on you though."
Edited 3/6/2006 12:18 pm ET by xosder11
Was that the HD on SW Military?
It sounds like it.
It was the I-10/deZavala store.
They also have about 4 self-pay lines, but I tried one once about 2-3 years ago, and I refuse to do it again. First, do I get a discount for not usingf an employee? And depending on the items, the scale has a problem recognizing what you pot in the bag. It was a frustrating experience.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
HD web page, and discovered that there's no way to submit a comment on-line
A dirty little birdy might have (or might not have) whispered the (possibly apochryful) rumor that the "Comments" area was removed from a (or many or none of) big box site as the volume of email kept crashing the server.
Getting pissed at a big-box corporate minimum wage no benefits part time employee isn't really worth the effort.
Home Depot Customer Service is the pits.
Back before Christmas I wanted the new V28 combo pack. My 18 volt tools were over 3 yrs old with a rough row behind them. I stopped in the new HD (they had a 20% off promotion) and found the display empty and shelf bare. I asked the manager if he had any more coming before the end of the promotion. "NOPE thats all we're gittin and they're all gone". I asked him about a rain check. He looked at me like I was from Mars. Then said "NOPE, can't do it".
I went home, got on line and ordered 1 from the HD site. I didn't get charged for it untill it shipped and that was after the end of the promotion. I got the 20 off and recieved the tools in less than a week and the store didn't log the sale.
The local newspaper had a artical that said the HD store has to do $22 million a year to be successful, about the same as the Lowes store here. The population in town is around 20,000, with about 60,000 people living in the area served by these 2 stores. That means every person needs to spend $367 per yr. at each store for them to be able to stay in business. The V28 pak cost me $583.20. That's about 1% of total sales needed for a day. I went back to the HD and told the manager what I have stated here and said "when engaging in business in a vastly competitive market, customer service means everything". He still had that supid look on his face when I turned and walked out the door.
k
The local newspaper had a artical that said the HD store has to do $22 million a year to be successful, about the same as the Lowes store here.
Wow- HD must be working on a different cashflow model in your neck of the woods- here in NJ, every store is based on a quota $1 million in sales per week. Kinda makes you wonder how they're going to keep that up when the keep building stores 1/2 way between every two stores they've already got, in an area that's not seeing any population increase. Currently I can drive less than 5 miles and hit 5 of their stores, and there are more in the works.
Bob
Edited 3/9/2006 6:46 am ET by BobKovacs
How else will they run all the local stores out of town? Then they can close down all the extra stores and raise prices after they have no competition left.
Sales "quota" is based on location and sales volume.
The KwikTrip Convenience store in my neighborhood generates about 22 million/year in revenue selling gas, smokes, and food. That is out of an 800 s.f. store with maybe 15 employees & 3 shifts. You would think a HD/Lowes/Menards would do much higher volume out of a store 100 times larger.Granted, twinkies take up less room than hotwater heaters & storm doors...I would still expect much larger sales figures
Edited 3/9/2006 10:02 pm ET by basswood
That # breaks down to 1200 people a day buying
50$ of gas and consummables each, is this store open 24 hrs?
That # sure seems up there to me?
ANDYSZ2
PS home depot has 2051 stores and gross sales were 81.5 billion averages out to 40 million a store.
I MAY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Remodeler/Punchout
Edited 3/10/2006 9:26 am by ANDYSZ2
Very close...about 1300 customers a day averaging $43.00.
"You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave".
The Eagles
"Hotel California"
Are you a contractor? Do you regularly shop at Home Depot? I hate Home Depot the corporation but the regular, full-time staff are helpful and professional, even though HD is continually finding ways to cut their benefits. For what they're paid, they're extremely helpful.
Was having to wait a few seconds for her to get off the phone such a hardship that you had to go out of your way to make her feel like ####? Have you ever worked customer service? From what you describe, it hardly seems like she should have to lick your boots after your snotty comments...
Grow up!
Man, I'm tired of this no customer service. Fasteddie said nothing about her "licking his boots". He was only asking that she do her job and not ignore him, the customer, like she was doing. Damed right she didn't say anything back to him, because she knew she was in the wrong. I'll bet you anything that it's right in the HD handbook where it says something about no personal phone calls while you're dealing with a customer.
I have worked in customer service and I will be the first to say it's not easy, but neither is what I do, or the guy who dumps garbage, or the teacher who is tired, or the politician who is trying to do good and gets nothing but cynical feedback from both the system and the public, or the cleaning woman who's body aches from hours of scrubbing other peoples toilets and floors...only to know that in a week's time she will have to come back and do it all over again. These jobs are thankless, but nobody stands higher in my eyes than the person who does these type of jobs, does them well, and doesn't complain about what they have to do except of course if they have a legitimate cause.Customer service is all about attitude. You don't like your job? Then set a goal to work your way up to doing something else and keep your eye on that goal as you work your minimum wage in the trenches, and do a good job doing that.Both the customer and the employee are frustrated at these big box stores and why shouldn't they be? It's a breeding ground for frustration. The consumer cannot get satisfaction from staff because the much of the staff is underpaid, not trained, doesn't know product, and doesn't care. I have come up against impossible consumers, and you just have to learn to process them quickly, give the best service you can, and then rise above your fruistration and let it go. I understand it's a tall order for minimum wage, but what are the other options?I don't really like going to HD because of the product for the most part. The staff at my HD is actually quite pleasent and has come to know me by name and they really go out of their way to help. Interestingly enough, the ones I am talking about are all over 40. The ones I have trouble with are usually the kids who don't care at all.I'm glad Fasteddie spoke up. I have done the same in times past when it calls for it. Frankly I would be embarrassed for posting what you did and telling him to "grow up". Take a long look at that.
jer.... i take a page from my wife ( a travel agent .. boy, can she tell the stories )
if i find a clerk who is not treating me right i make a game out of trying to bring them around.. even in HD
and especially in the regular lumber yards i deal with.. yes , they too have some clerks who can be surly , or out of sorts..
but guess what.... they respond to the golden rule , just like you and me..
i don't resort to going to their boss.. i treat them wiht respect, show some interest in them.. ask them questions.. ask for their advice...
it usually only takes about 2 - 3 times until they at least acknowledge me and start to respond..
they aren't stupid.. they look around and notice that it's easier to be nice than to beat your head against the wall
i'v also noticed that the ones who can't deal with the public, don't .... it isn't long before they've moved on to something else
anudder ting i've noticed.. time flies.. ten minutes invested in making a clerk into an ally will come back in spades.. ten minutes invested in making them into an adversary will come back in spades too.... what goes around , comes aroundMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike
You've given the best response here. Kudos to you bro..Life's short and people are people. Some good days some off days. Cut a person ####break. Personally I wouldn't have gone to management and looked for trouble for this cashier. For all I know her Dad died last week..We're not robots for godz sakes. We all F up (cept' me of course : )and deserve to be spoken to directly before we try and strong arm them.
Your response was great and should be applied to friends, family and our own employees. Only makes for that much stronger quality of life for all concerned. Thoughtfullness can be contagious.
Be well
a...If Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
Your words are golden my friend. Often it's not at all about the situation at hand but rather something else in one's life that gets them in trouble.Thank you for that.
Great point Mike! How hard is it to be nice to a clerk? I've gotten so many discounts and favors just cause the HD staff knows me. (I know some one in every department). I realize HD is the devil's work, but the people I work with everyday are great people.
Your point is well taken, but do we know that she was on a personal call, or talking to back office.
Snide comments from homeowners, non-trades people, and general a-holes need to be nipped at the bud.
Customer service does not need to be obsequious, but generally friendly. My only point is that I am a regular Home Depot contractor (which I know is a sin to "old School" carpenters), and the regular, FULL-TIME employees are great; the part-time employees come and go---so if the cashier in question may be one of those. MY point is, if this guy goes to Home Depot and is considered a "regular" and not some poseur/prima donna, he'd blow the thing off instead complaining like a woman.
You're right. Each situation is subjective, and we don't know what all the circumstances were, we are assuming it only to a scenerio that we imagine to be so.
That being said, I have seen or been a part of so many of these same scenerios where cashiers are having personal phone calls to their boyfriends or girlfriends to the point of verbal niggling and oogling over the phone and flirtations and nonsensical conversations with fellow employees to the point of totally ignoring me as I stand there waiting to be waited on. They never meet my eye, nor try to carry on a conversation with me or engage me in any way other than to snap their gum and mumble some uninteligible"mmmnphh". Or the easy flinging around of four letter words in front of everyone. I can use language that will make any sailor blush with the best of them, and maybe it's hypocritical to say this but, have some discretion. In public like that?
This of course does not happen all the time, there are many cashiers and helpers at checkout that I look foreward to having a 30 second interaction with. And when they recognize me and make that extra effort...it really does make a difference for me to want to come back there again.
The people at my local HD and Lowes are actually quite good and friendly. It's the local supermarkets that will have the rude noncaring ones.
"But I'm tired, and sick of the azzhat customers", said an angry checkout girl to me once.
Gee...that never happens to me or anyone else in this world from what I hear. Only you.
Best to ride the wave and let it go and smile.
do we know that she was on a personal call
It was personal. She was talking loud enough that one side of the conversation was easily heard.
poseur/prima donna, he'd blow the thing off instead complaining like a woman.
Prima donna does not describe me. All i wanted was curtesy, not personal service. And now you're bringing gender into the issue?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Snide comments from homeowners, non-trades people, and general a-holes need to be nipped at the bud.
WTF does this mean?
THere's no excuse for bad manners no matter where you are or what you are doing.
Rock the Tipi. 06
THere's no excuse for bad manners no matter where you are or what you are doing.Or which side of the counter your on, right?
That's right.
Rock the Tipi. 06
yeh gunner...so behave..yer giving us all a bad nameIf Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
They always blame the fat kid.
Rock the Tipi. 06
Is not having your "but" kissed by a Home Depot cashier worth complaining about? When you get exceptional service, do you stop and tell a manager? (I do. Everyone loves to complain, but no one likes to thank customer service.) I realize that some customer service can suck, but we do not know who the woman was speaking with. I actually discused this situation to the Home Depot girls I know, and they were blown away but how huge an ash hole this guy is.
To get some perspective:
We're fighting an illegal war in a country that had nothing to do with 911. Corporations and the rich are selling off this country bit by bit, sending good paying jobs overseas so there bottom lines improve, while taxes are cut for the rich, and New Orleans is a wasteland.
How trivial is waiting thirty seconds for a woman to ring up your stuff?
not having your "but" kissed
You spelled butt wrong, and that's not what I was expecting from her.
When you get exceptional service, do you stop and tell a manager
Yes, and I send an email to corporate.
waiting thirty seconds for a woman to ring up your stuff?
It wasn't an issue of time. It was being disrespected.
blown away but how huge an ash hole this guy is
You're starting to irritate me. Come down to San Antonio and mouth off, and we;ll settle the whole thing.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Leave me out of it. I've beenout of this stupid thread for a while. Why do you need to keep dragging it up?
Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na !I need somebody to help me say it one time!
View Image
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
Razz, You have insomnia too, eh?
BTW, is that pic from Vegas? I think the original is missing its nose.
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
LOL...
Oh great one....We're not worthy , we're not worthy!!
Your up aweful late thinking of me. LOL
Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na !I need somebody to help me say it one time!
yeah,
but what are you doing back on this thread?
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
Responding to the notification that notified me that you had resonded to me. Or something like that.
I don't have the heart to look. Are they realy still whining because they got ignored by a girl. They should walk a mile in my shoes.
Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na !I need somebody to help me say it one time!
a 250 plus thread on kick the bigbox azz again.
I think Tauton needs to start a separate category called HD/Lowes.
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
No kidding and they need to do it like the tavern. I don't want admission to that one.
Na na-na-na-na na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na na-na-na-na !I need somebody to help me say it one time!
Well there went an hour and 1/2 of my life down the drain.
Did see a lot of names that I'd never seen before.
And I did like Mike Smiths post so not a complete waste of time.
Doug
What I wonder is that if there is a marketing division for these box stores that reads these threads and uses them for anything like...oh gee....umm...I dunno..maybe, IMPROVEMENT!?
The fact that this thread jumped to over 250 responses in as short a time as it did says volumes. The opinions expressed here represent a giant poll, a cross section if you will, of the majority of their customers and the potential for these delphic words we write in these threads is far reaching to several millions. Not that opinion or satisfaction to the customer AND the employee much matter anymore over the almighty buck. Or is it Yen? What's today....?
I don't know Jer, although the readership of BT has changed dramatically over the past two or three years, I think it might be a bit of a stretch to consider BT readers representing a giant poll as a cross section of the majority of the bigbox customers.
True, the many that read from the unknown shadowed crevices of lurkerdom and never posting probably cover a wide range of varied readership from the poorboy sustenance liver wanting just to get the best bang for his buck to the mysterious housewife that just sneaks on here wondering about all this stuff.
Several millions, tho' sounding rather evangelistical, might actually have the basis of sound reasoning in that a mag publishing number of what, 100,000 give or take, and that readership multiplied in most homes by numerous viewings, and the online number increased by word of mouth of those not buyers of the mag but still finding it interesting enough to hang around over, puts the readership up quite a bit.
Now adding in the overflow from the other Taunton mag readers as woodworking, sewing, gardening and the like, and the numbers solidify a bit more.
But saying BT is far reaching to several millions, Taunton being majorly centered stateside in a country of what, around 220 million+, still seems to carry a feel of exaggerated claim to me.
But hey, we are all BTers so it's all alright.
And that's my cup o' coffee on the matter.
be but it's all alright now
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
300M...
Is that a 3M product?
be nothing like living in the past
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
Edited 3/22/2006 3:08 pm ET by razzman
BODY COUNT...
would you like to be tabulated ..Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I can't, I have trouble counting over 100.
be still liking those franklins tho'
'Nemo me impune lacesset'No one will provoke me with impunity
then you lead the parade #1...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
a 250 plus thread on kick the bigbox azz again.
Ya know, I thought about your comment for a while, and finally realized the thread has morphed from a HD-bash into bashing poor customer service.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
OK, 250+ posts concerning the level of service from retailers, (focused on HD / Lowes) is wearing pretty thin. I'm sure every poster who experienced bad service has also eperienced good service and the opposite is also true. Same here. But I feel compelled to describe a personal experience at my local Lowes. (I'm a simple homeowner - not a professional as most of you, but...)
I purchased a compressor a few months ago. Got pretty good advice etc from the store personnel. Paid for it and they had a "kid" from the flooring dept put it on a cart and met me out front. I explained that since I recently had stomach surgery and couldn't lift, would he help my wife load it in the van? He said "sure, no problem". (Mostly I mentioned the medical problem to him simply so he wouldn't think I was a total jerk having her help lift it, while I watched).
The "kid" then asked, "How are you going to unload it at home?" I said that would be tricky, I'd try to find a neighbor to help.
Now, this is the part that is important---- the "kid" asked me, "how far is your home?" I said about 2 miles and he said "how about I just follow you home in my car and I can help you unload it?"
What???????? He said "just give me a minute to let my supervisor know what I'm doing and I'll be right back".
He did follow us home, helped and unload it. I was blown away by 3 things:
1) He had the foresight to see the problem and volunteer a solution
2) Lowes would allow him to do it and
3) When I offered him a $20 tip for his outstanding service, he declined and said it's not necessary nor appripriate. (I stuffed the $20 down his shirt anyway....)
In that instance Lowes totally exceeded any of my expectaions and they have me as a customer for life.
Now, which of you have a compliaint that you were kept waiting that day because they were short of staff (the "kid") ?????????
I'm surprised for all of the same reasons your are. But his supervisor approving it surprises me most. If he was "on the clock" (and he should have been), then he was driving his own car and working off-premises on company time. If he had been injured in any way, Lowes would have been liable for allowing it and probably subject to a lawsuit. I doubt that his job description includes deliveries.
Whether or not we're too litigious as a society is a separate issue. Most employers are pretty careful about only allowing employees to perform tasks within their job description.
-Don
cool... the olde golden rule strikes againMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
a 250 plus thread on kick the bigbox azz again.
Ya know, I thought about your comment for a while, and finally realized the thread has morphed from a HD-bash into bashing poor customer service.
You're right, too. But, I laughed like all get out when I read it.
Corporate business today measures everything by the size of the silver dollar.
"but the regular, full-time staff are helpful and professional"Not at my local HD.Now, Lowes on the other hand have been.
Lowe's sucks here. Maybe it's a regional thing. I figure out Lowe's layout, I'm too used to HD!
Yes I am a contractor. No I do not regularly shop at HD. usually I shop at lowes, or more frequently at a specialty store (plumbing supply, wholesale tile, etc).
You mis-read my post. She was spending more time on a personal call than on her customer. She didn't have to say anything to me at all, just pay attention to her job. But by being opn the phone she did a poor job of running the checkout.
I am very tolerant of people who try. When the nearest Lowes opened about 4 yrs ago, they hired a girl to be the greeter. My wife knew her when she was a student in my wifes middle school. The girl is very slightly retarded ... very sweet girl, tries hard, but just not quite all there. All who knew her were glad to see that she had landed a real job. Then about 6 mos ago they promoted her to cashier. I have been in her line, and I wait patiently as she goes through the process. She is very deliberate, follows every step just like in the training class, and does not get in a hurry. But she is pleasant and again we're happy to see her working. Very different scenario from my experience with the HD cashier.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
The up side to sloppy cashiers is they frequently screw up and you wind up with free stuff. I used to help them out and pay the full frieght, but frankly I'm getting tired of going to HD and finding one cashier working and lines of folks waiting at self-service stations. So now I stand quietly and make sure I'm not overcharged. The last time I got a freebee (about $60 worth), the transactioin went by three people including the line manager who signed off on it. If HD hired better people and paid them accordingly it probably wouldn't cost them anything.
My local Lowes is actually a bit closer than HD and I usually stop there first because it is less crowded and the parking is better, but they invariably don't carry what I need (in spite of their slogan "More of Everything") so I wind up trekking on down to HD. All Lowes would have to do to get all my business is carry More of Everything, but they don't seem to get it.
What could you say about HD that would surprise me?
What did surpirse me was that you used your gift card to buy a closet rod.
What did surpirse me was that you used your gift card to buy a closet rod.
Why? Actually I bought several things, and spent more than the value of the card. But it was the closet rod that caused the problem.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
What did surpirse me was that you used your gift card to buy a closet rod.
FastEddie:
Living large! Next time treat yourself -- it's a gift card for pete sakes. ;-)
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
Ok, if'n ya gotsa know the hole story ...
I did some freebie work for one of the pastors, on his house. Mostly I lent my tools and knowledge, and walked him through a 1/2 day Saturday project. 'Bout 3 weeks later his wife sent me a thank you note with the gift card inside. And about the same time the youth leader needed some doodads built for the bittie kiddie choir, so i used the gift card to buy the supplies.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I bought a 20 oz estwing hammer at HD. About a month later I notice that it's cracked where the claw comes together. So I take it to HD and explain that it's defective and I ask for another. Not without a receipt. I didn't save the receipt. So the manager tells me that he will call Estwing in a couple of days(all this for an item that retails for $18). He says that if Estwing will take it back he will give me replacement.
On my way out of the store a clerk saw me and he just replaced it for me when the manager was out of sight.
I'd rather pay a little more at the local hardware store.
Similar experience trying to checkout at HD. Self checkout only thing open but attended to by 1 checker. I walk up, tell the person to check out my stuff. Limp wristed wave to the 4 do it yourself stations. I turned the basket around, put my foot on the lower level and shoved it (hard) back inside. If it fell over after wacking something I didn't care. Turned back to the HD employee. In a very loud voice made the following comments. 1) Why not just leave a key outside so I could let myself in at any time 2) I was already waiting on myself once inside 3)I really didn't like loading everything twice 4)Now I am supposed to check myself OUT too!!!???
If HD didn't want to be in business I could sure make sure that they never got any of mine! I would talk to every contractor I knew and pass the word. I never really wanted to go in there anyway but I was working late, away from my place, and they were the only outfit open at night. Half the time I pass somebody talking to an "associate" about how to do a job thus identifying what materials to purchase. The "associate" knows nothing. Being kind hearted I stop and explain some details hoping the homeowner will just say, "could you do it for me and I'll pay you"? Never happened yet so out of necessity I have sought out lumberyards, ACE hardwares, or local hardware shops. Hugh M. Woods went out of business years ago and Lowes as been even worse than HD. Times change and I am too! Tyr
This is not directed to you specifically, but you can't have it both ways. I buy most of my lumber from a lumber yard. They deliver for free and if I'm not happy with what they deliver they bring me new asap and haul the unacceptable off. They regularly refer me and I do the same for them. They don't, however, sell gas grills, caulk, ladders, romex, pvc, etc. especially on Sat or Sun. Lowes and HD do. I have two of each within easy distance. Both HD's suck. One of the Lowes is mediocre and the other is fantastic. The manager of the good one must be the cause. He often works a register and knows my name although I can't think of his.Point is, Get low prices and pay for delivery and crappy service or pay the right amount and get free delivery and fantastic service or hire the right people and get the best of both worlds.Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
No wonder some of the HD employees think some customers are a**holes.
Thanks. You saved me the time of trying to figure out how to say it "nicely".
-Don
Appreciate it. I am not sorry, there is no excuse for that. Leave the buggy and walk out, fine. They will not miss you. If the buggy had hit me I would have talken the largest thing I could find to his head.
Therein lies the problem. Point #1. No HD employees working check out. (I never fail to collect from MY clients, don't shy away, shuffle around in back, etc.) Point #2 No thinking, period. OK so maybe some asst. manager type stifled thinking. Too bad! That approach would not work in my business. Remember, as a contractor I have to "sell" my company first. Part of that "sell" is paying attention to client's wants/needs and solving problems. The problem at HD is that they have the "cart before the horse". The customer (which for a short time was me) is NOT the problem. So, am I just some frustrated one time customer who had a bad day? Try the term "Certified Management Consultant" on for size. Officer and Director of more than one publicly traded company--dependant on OPM (other people's money, like HD is in retail sales). See any monkey ward around? I could go on but just take a look at the size of this thread! Duh, could a "problem" exist? Does it take an Adam Henry (yeah, I was a white collar crime detective too!) to get attention?? I guess so!! Tyr
If you are a "Certified Management Consultant" and Officer and Director of more than one publicly traded company we just solved the mystery as to why corporate America is going to he11 in a handbasket.
Was that "certified" or "certifiable"????????The cashier's lack of civil behavior doesn't excuse yours.
I think I spelled it correctly in the post. Try, try, again. Tyr
about one year ago i wen't to lowes and the cashier was applying for a credit card on thephone, while cashing me out.she did not even care about disscusing her personal business,knowing there was a long line.that is when i gave her a very bad look.she did not even say good bye or thankyou.it was then when i let her supieriors know about it. 6 months' later i'm in HD.i see the same cashier working there. she say's can i help you sir did you find everything you needed. i said no i did not.because i knew that was HD. talking not her.i still go to hd and i still see her there,but now she's clowning around while waiting on customers.i wonder if her draw ever comes up short.
I am a shop teacher by day and a contractor by night. I will never shop a HD cuz I end up answering more questions then the help and helping people load cars and carts. when I bitched once I got "Well do you want a job?" that was enough for me