Most of you are probably aware that I have my own business, and it has picked up fairly well. However I still have more open spots in my schedule than I’d like, so I decided to get a part-time job at Home Depot. I also need the benefits they offer and my wife is going back to school soon, so money will be tighter. Finally, I might weet fellow contractors and get some good business connections.
Well, I got a part time spot in lumber. My first day was yesterday, and it was pretty cool. I helped quite a few people and they seemed to appreciate my sincere interest in helping them. I’m quickly realizing that I know more about lumber than 90% of the other lumber associates, but I’m trying to act “dumb” enough so as not to tick anyone off so soon. That, and the other associates know I’m a contractor, so they send all the “We were hoping you could help us design/give us a materials list for….”
It just sux they won’t let me wear my company’s shirts. Anyway, if you ever come to the West Mobile HD for lumber, ask for me.
Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
Replies
Wish you well.
Just don't pass out any business cards or otherwise solicit business at the store. You will be out on your ear in a NY minute.
"It just sux they won't let me wear my company's shirts. Anyway, if you ever come to the West Mobile HD for lumber, ask for me.
Jason, I am sure Home Depot has an air tight uniform policy, that place seems to be very corporatized (sic?) good luck!
Noticed your address as Mobile- Spent a couple of weeks there last spring, could not eat enough at "Dreamland BBQ" the BEST
Take care-
<i>Noticed your address as Mobile- Spent a couple of weeks there last spring, could not eat enough at "Dreamland BBQ" the BEST</i>
Is that the place that's in an old house, unlit parking in the back yard, and a stage on the far side of the building where locals can get up and sing along with the 4-piece band? (in the Key of H, as the bandleader called one old lady)
I thought I was going to die of a ruptured stomach coming out of that place. That's my only memory of Mobile, but, my what a fond one!
Actually, I know of a better place if you're ever back in town LOL.Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
jason
Feel out the customers and pass out biz cards discretely....screw HD....so what if you get fired.
One or two "real" good jobs will probably pay you better than HD pays you all year including their dopey benifets.
I had a guy that worked for me years ago working there now and he's in the higher bracket employee division and he keeps bitchin' and moanin' how everything they give him is so super minimal...He's just too lazy to work on his own and "just" wants a paycheck without thinking too hard.
Be well bro
andy
My life is my passion!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
i was in West Mobile Hd today, about 2:30 buying electrival conduit. Watch out for that big brute in electrical.
Brown, do you live in Mobile? because I always see you posting about it...anyway I work nights and weekends, so come talk in lumber or millworks.Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
me and Home depot are not on speaking terms no more, especially the schilliger road store. They had plywood for $20.99 last week in the sales ad but they would not sell it to me. kept quoting that wood prices change daily no matter if on sale or not.
BB,
Don't want to make you madder but post Depots have a big sign in the lumber aisle stating prices are adjusted daily and also there usually is a disclaimer on the last page of the ad. Persoanlly I think you got screwed. Call you state attorney general for an opinion.
Feel out the customers and pass out biz cards discretely....screw HD....so what if you get fired.
Eh, he can be even more discrete and keep his job. "So you need someone to build a deck for you, eh? Have you thought about what material to use? I've had alot of luck with the pressure treated decking we have over here for a $1.88 a foot. I've got a picture of a job I did with it on my website, mobilebuilder.com, check it out - I think you'll like the way it looks when it's installed."
Will they fire you if you're selling alot of lumber?
Bill
Very very good idea~"My life is my practice"
Jason wait till the customers start asking questions and are unsure of themselves then just say well If you need any help here is my card and work it from there. You'll also be asked by customers if you have any contractors you can recommend, hand them your card.
Remember to be discrete especially as HD has been pushing the full service buy from them andthey'll install it for you. Theyve been calling lincensed folks around here trying to get them to do installs for them. So you need to be discrete.
Darkworksite4:
El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera
I'd be careful: generally speaking, if you start promoting a competitor (ie, your own business, as opposed to the HD install service), you're likely to get fired pretty quick.
Be careful, there are no 'maybe's' about it. You pass out business cards while on Home Depot's time clock, you get fired. No two weeks notice, no more benefits. It is a case of "they sign the paycheck, they make the rules." It isn't worth it. (my two cents.)
D&L
A lot of these big boxes have a builders board. A board where contractors are allowed to pin up their cards. This makes it easier people asking about contractors. A contractor I know gets a steady flow of calls by making sure that when he goes to Lowes or HD he goes to this board and making sure there is a couple of his cards available.
If such a board is present nothing says you couldn't put a few of your own up there. If the people put two and two together and notice your name in both spots so much the better. Just restock your cards on break.
HD's policy is one of self'-protection more than anything. When a contractor is either recommended by an employee at Home Depot or is a moonlighting employee of Home Depot, and an accident happens on the job harming the homeowner or destroying property (or something else goes wrong), the homeowner goes after Home Depot's deep pockets every time even though Home Depot is in no way involved in the transaction. Like most things, a few people wreck it for everyone else.
"A completed home is a listed home."
What's the store number of HD West Mobile? Personally, I am building HD #1030 in the arnoit of SaN Diego bay.
Are there any behind the screns secrets you acn reveal? I know one:
On the price sticker on the shelf, there is a product number prefixed by a letter "A" thru whatever [probably "D" or "F"?] If the letter is "A", that means it's a hot selling item and the manager will negotiate a quantity discount.
Right now, they are starting to stock the place. They have a tendancy to drop pallets full of stuff right in my way. For instance, how often do you turn around and suddenly, you access to what you're working on is block by a dozen toilets?
Each rack, each shelf space is carefully laid out somewhere else in advance. They have little charts and diagrams. But they're a little bit meaningless since it's all done by product number. For instance a shelf might have B5287A3, then Buno4365 next to it and then comes K7847392241058 and so on. No wonder the help doesn't know where anything is.
~Peter
As a vendor calling on Home Depot........I just work in the stores and don't shop there...You are correct in noting that the letters on the shelf label is a code for sales....the labels run from A...to E, A being the best. If you look closer you will also see a number close to there like a 3.55. that tells you how many units a week they sell on average.
While it is true that the stores have a strict layout for what goes on the shelf it ususally only stays that way for about a week. Most of the stores are stocked by people working overnights and they don't usually give a flying fuhhgg where they put things. It's like Hey this is a light bulb, let's put it with the rest of them. Most of my time is spent putting stuff where it belongs.
I can sympathsize with y'all when it comes to finding anything there and the lack of help. I spend most of my day helping customers since there doesn't seem to be any employees around. I've had lots of people tell me that they see the orange aprons run away from them and hide when they look for help.
I could go on forever, but it depressing enough having to work there everyday :o)
It's like Hey this is a light bulb, let's put it with the rest of them..
For some reason, light bulbs seem to live in 3 or 4 places at the localist HD.
Makes it hard to find some of them.
And why do grocery stores NOT keep the coffee filters with the coffee? Same reason, no reason?
Joe H
The people who lay out grocery stores want you to walk every aisle in the store every time you visit. If they thought they could get away with it, they would arrange it so you had to walk their route. This is one reason why some people by bread and milk at the gas station, even though the prices are higher than at the grocery store.
Where do the keep the coffee filters? In the same aisle as the paper towels would be my guess.
It's called cross merchandising. For example.....you're going to buy a shop light, why not have the shop light bulbs next to it. However most of the corss merchandising crap winds up wherever the store fits it in.
I will try to attach a copy of a real, authentic, genuine, official Home Depot price tag.If it doesn't work, here is the transcription:
1 X 4 2L 32W WHITE STEEL
$4947ea
TF-LITHONIA LIGHTING3461RE
27 C28 503 04/16/04 PK 2
E 487-072[bar code]7 84231 16316 0
Now I did some research on the Lithonia website and couldn't find the item but I guess it is a florescent light. I did come across a reference to a POS site which did mention 3461RE. On the week of March 28th, out of 1535 stores, they sold 523 units of these for a total of $25,845 which comes out to be $49.42 each. Note that that is pretty close.
I didn't see any number like "3.55". Could you point that out?
~Peter
Did you steal that from one of my commercial flourescent departments? I'll try to post one on Monday.
Just so you know, it is part #3461 RE for Lithonia. However Lithonia doesn't use their own part numbers for ordering but they use a number called a CI number (don't ask).
Edited 5/1/2004 12:30 pm ET by rookie
Edited 5/1/2004 12:33 pm ET by rookie
No, I didn't go to Alabama and steal one of your precious shelf labels. I found it on the floor or in a trash can.
But I am curious what all the other numbers are. Namely "27 C28 SO3" and "E 487-072". The "E" obviously stands for a rather poor seller, maybe 1/2 of one per week.
Do you get enployee discounts?
And what is a "CI number"?
~Peter
If you find a stray dog and feed it, it will not bite you. This is the difference between an Iraqi and a dog. --Mark Twain
The 27 is for Department 27 electrical. You didn't steal one of "my" labels since I'm in Kansas. The E as you surmise is a dog item. A being the best. The 427-504 or whatever it is, that is the Home Depot sku number which is the code number they use to order. The CI number is a Lithonia invention, it stands for Commodity Index don't understand why you can't order stuff from them using their part number for heavens sake.
I'm going to post a good shelf label with a translation one of these days if anyone is interested.
>I'm going to post a good shelf label with a translation one of these days if anyone is interested.
I'm interested, rookie! thanks for the contribution so far. Is their any negotiating room with the big boxes? I usually haggle over tools and have an A/R app for a commercial account, I might get serious about it if it came with a negotiated discount. I spent around $50k with a local big box last year and it irks me that someone housewife spending $20 on a cut piece of plywood gets the same price I do. But the big box is more price competitive on a lot of items I buy.
remodeler
I second Remodeler's interest.
It will be good for all of us to get the inside scoop.
Jon Blakemore
Good to be armed with one more thing to bitch about.
Joe H
I'm suprised at how interested you guys are in the HD shelf labels. There is really not that much useful information on them, even if you do work there.
Lets see:
SKU, UPC, Average Sales per Week, Department (ie paint, electrical), Class, Subclass, part number, price, description, and the date the label was printed.
Courtesy of my grandfather, who has been at depot for nearly ten years. He admits that he may have left something off that list, since he didn't have a label in front of him when I asked him this question.
Eric
Yeah there is flexibility in pricing, but.......the best way to get things cheap is to buy things that are discontinued.
A Depot manager can authorize any price for anything....they have the ability to override prices in the system. Usually depends on the manager, spme are good, some are bad.
Sometimes these managers can be good resources. Being friendly and possibly helpful with a difficult customer can help. Being friendly is free. As is noticing the surroundings. Look around the department. Any materials or tools that appear old? Looking for built up dust. On out of the way shelf or backs of shelves. Look for orphaned lines. Singular tools from a manufacturers line they no longer stock. Possibly returned items. Be careful and double check any returns.
I have found that if the manager is favorably disposed by friendship and the thought of moving out dead end stock the discounts can be quite substantial. 80% is possible.
I'm afraid I've shot my chances if friendliness with the manager is the requirement. The tool work dep't head is a jerk at my local outlet and demanded the receipt for a defective pc tool I was returning, and it was the SECOND pc tool that was defective in a short time period, and I was even more pissed to run home to get the receipt just to break even on their #*&@, that i brought my receipts straight back
(organized by cost code - couldn't be easy to find)
and raised holy hell with the store manager over it and made sure he saw the dollar volume I spent there and jerk-off wanted me to dig through a stack of: 200 receipts to find his d*^n tool receipt.
I spend the extra money sometimes there for the convenience of clearing my extra items out at the end of a job, and not having to carry an inventory of parts. And it would kill me to have to produce a receipt for every return, I'd take my business to a wholesaler who are almost always pain in the butts on returns but cheaper at decent volume.
HD and lowe's tend to be cheaper than wholesalers though on the rock-bottom quality items, which I buy a lot of. Such as price-pfister faucets,etc.
My big bitch is that I get no better treatment than the casual once-in-a-while customer even though I generate a lot more money for them. If HD or Lowe's listened to this post - give me a commercial card with a 2% rebate! dang, my chase card gives me 1%. Those guys don't even offer that.
remodeler
Remodeler,
Your comment on returns reminded me of something that happened recently.
I return a lot of stuff to HD (of course, I purchase and keep a lot more) and usually I return w/o receipt. They have never given me a hassle and it saves me from having to dig through the receipt pile.
The last time I returned the computer put me in "suspend". I guess you get flagged if you return too much stuff so I am going to start remembering to bring my receipts when returning.
Jon Blakemore
...shelf label with a translation...
post away...I'm interested
Many, many moons ago..I worked in a hardware store as a purchaser..we used two codes
Hard to guess..H=1, A=2 ,R=3 etc.. and
Black horse B=1, L=2, A=3, and so on..
The tags on individual items ( Pre UPC) had our COST spelled out in one of the codes..
so for a black horse code AAS would be 4.49...cost code..
I could pick a markup and make it anything I wanted..really..if I wanted to push a slow mover..I'd price it out at cost..want the store to make some $..it's 7.99..
when I needed to buy any thing..geez it was easy to look at the cost code and HALVE it..that was MY price..got ALOT of goodies for cheap..part of my job description and benefits..ahhh the good ol days..
I'm sure restocking codes are a lot different now..
View Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Sheesh,
There ain't no way to get a cost from the label more. I have a hard enough time getting the cost info for credits.
Did you know most Home Dumpos have a full time person just to handle all of the crap that is returned and damaged. Looks like a war zone back in that RTV (return to vendor) cage.
By the way if you don't like something at Home Depot bring it back. they take anything back.
Better tell RonT about that.........
Joe H
Dont make me tell my roto zip story again...
Darkworksite4:
El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera
Not to dissuade you in any way, but be sure to check out what benefits really cost. I thought for a long time I couldn't afford to work on my own because of the cost of benefits, but I wound up coming out of the insurance broker's office with a great health insurance package for under $400/mo for a family of 3.
You mentioned an education match, so of course there's no comparison there.
Bill,
What company? around here the Home Builders assoc. and the Chamber of Commerce run almost $900 a month.
What company? around here the Home Builders assoc. and the Chamber of Commerce run almost $900 a month.
This was with Anthem BCBS. I have a $40/visit co-pay and a $5K/year cap on out-of-pocket hospitalization. You can pre-pay down that co-pay and cap, but I'm not too sickly and it saves me money not to get hurt. :)
When I did some looking I found that many associations trying to sell me insurance plans were taking a percentage. They also have a limited selection of plans.
There _are_ regional differences, this is a NH price. We're the healthiest state in the union and pretty tame on the malpractice lawsuits.
Oh, and maternity coverage jacks the price way up too (+$300/mo). Ye old pill costs $30/mo. I don't know if I'd ever buy it though - that's $3600/yr, and our last kid was under $5k and I have a $5k cap anyway. It's another way to pre-pay.
When I went into the office the broker said, "here's what it's going to cost you." The correct answer is, "no, show me the options, show me the price sheets," and break out the sharp pencil.
i'm in Pennsylvania and in my area costs are skyrocketing. A plan like yours would have been $350 a month four years ago. Now, maybe $700. I reaserched for about a week. Currently the Chamber is the best bet but set to go up drastically soon.
Hey I just had a brainstrom ..why apply to be a licensed installer for them? I dunno what they can do then either way ya work for them.
Darkworksite4:
El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera
cuz then folks will think he don't know his azz from a hole in the ground..like thier other installers..it hard to soar like an eagle surrounded by buzzards..or something like that..maybe it was turkeys?
View Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
My thoughts exactly.
How do you like the snow/rain tonight?Who Dares Wins.
Here's a thought... I checked into the Lowes installer program thinking of it as a "get the name out" idea. I figured I would tell Lowes I was qualified to do something very simple only_ storm doors. Thinking i could go do a simple, low overhead, low exposure kind of thing, cover my costs and when I got on site, see what else the customer needed, or was interested in doing. WRONG
They have a non-compete clause. If you do any work for any of the people through them, you are never allowed to do work for that customer without them.
In My area th H.D. actually encourages it's installers to pick up work on their installs. Customers are told " anything not covered by this install, you can work out on your own with the installer. Or, another contractor if you choose".
On the downside. After doing some research, I decided I would have to sell a kidney in order to eat and install for H.D at the same time. I would like to move from mostly subcontract new work to more independent, work directly for the homeowner stuff. H.D. installer would simply not do that. They requirements mean significant overhead, but they don't pay accordingly.
Hey is that why I cant get my buck fifty outta you
Darkworksite4:
El americano pasado hacia fuera ase la bandera
Ohh.........Err I forgot...... I'll mail that today.Who Dares Wins.
**Enter secret get over on Ron T code**
Now Gunner! Well at least he doesn't know about the 20$....
**Exit secret get over on Ron T code**
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!
That's true to a point, but on HD's "notice of installation" there's a clause that states if HD's garage door installer (for instance) finds a rotten lintel, it is up to the homeowner to pay for it and find a contractor on their own. Stuff like that; i.e., the "gray area."Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
bill, there's more to know than just Dr visits and hospitalization on that insurance coverage.
The great outback of medical costs ( we found out the hard way) is not always hospitalization. Much more treatment is rendered on an outpatient basis with medicines and without hosp admission. Then there are tests. Diagnostic tests are life savers nowadays but many ins cos have protochols for when they agree to cover for them. and m,odern sophiticated tests, and the technicians that read the results to the doctors are very, very expensive.
So read your policy and see if you want another rider or two.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Quite right, I should have written "out of pocket _expenses_", not hospitalization.
Jason,
I think you should clean up your vehicle if it's not already in presentable condition, and get a nice looking sign job painted on your truck. People will be noticing that nice looking vehicle always parked in the same place.
Another thing. Your tag line says "Jason Pharez" is your company name. When speaking with a potential customer, mention that your name is J. P. and they should ask for you if they ever return with more questions.
When they walk out in the lot 2+2 will probably make 4, and you could get some calls.
Jon Blakemore
Actually, I park my truck in the loading lot area of the parking lot, and when a customer really starts asking those "gray area" questions or asks for a business card, I tell them to get the number off my truck and call me...probably also against corporate policy, but better than a manager watching you pass out cards via the security cameras (and they do that!). Or, if I'm loading a customer's truck, it works well, too. And I always tell them to ask for me when they come back, just because I like having a good working relationship with clients be they HD's or my own. 2+2, right?Jason Pharez Construction
Mobile, Alabama
General Carpentry, Home Repairs, and Remodeling
When quality is your only consideration
don't let these guys scare ya too much about pimping work outta the Depot.
My painter's been working for HD for a coupla years now ....
he's way too honest and straight to be a painter ... so I know he's not breaking any company rules ...
but ... he does pick up the occasional customer from the paint dept.
The whole store knows he's a painting contractor ... and other employees even send inquiring customers to him.
He's on great terms with management ... did I mention the honest to a fault thing? ... so I'm betting they overlook and rules which might make their best employee go away.
He too does it for the bennies ... ugly divorce ... pays child support and still has all the kids ... and covers all their health care ... so for him ... it's worth it.
Last I talked to him ... today at lunch ... he's even thinking about hiring the paint dept manager PT onto his daytime crew.
Get known ... then bend the rules to suit.
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I have a friend who works full time at a job that pays well, but offers no benefits. He has a 15 hour per week job at HD, which qualifies him for benefits. He could not afford to get benefits for his family any other way. I think it is a great opportunity for him. When this construction job goes away, he can get more hours in at HD until he finds something more lucrative. Don't jeopardize your job. You can put out business cards anywhere in the world except at HD. Accept that. You can distribute cards by the thousands.