I need to start this post with a statement: I HATE HOME DEPOT! (But sometimes I gotta go there)
A client wanted me to install some cabinets for storage in a spare bedroom. She specified ones seen at HD, the cheapo of course. I told her in this case you definitely get what you pay for, but she maintained that quality wasn’t an issue, just wanted a place to hide… stuff. But I digress here.
Yesterday as I put the carcasses together and mounted the door(s), which are separate purchase, one of the doors was miss-packed (wasn’t the door it said on the box) shame on the Mfg. So a trip to HD ensued to exchange the door. At the returns desk the counter girl didn’t care WHY I was bringing the door back and merely placed it in a stack without any indication regarding the mistake. Shame on Home Depot.
So let me take a minute from the story to rant. This is just one of the many reasons why I HATE HOME DEPOT! Ok, now some poor schlep, maybe a contractor like me fulfilling the wishes of a customer wanting cheap a$$ cabinets, is going to get the wrong door and have to make a time consuming-money-wasting-unnecessary trip get the matter straight too. I’ve encountered this TOO often with HD products. Go to install only to find that some moron, either goofed it up trying to install or didn’t get all the parts back in the box, had returned it. (These are typically a customer purchase because I will not purchase a taped together box, but customer purchases are a whole topic already beat to death on this board)
Home DePot needs to be more attentive with their returns!
To finish the story. Knowing how HD operates I had written, in pen, in a conspicuous place, next to the bar code “WRONG DOOR IN BOX!”
Bet I can go to HD and find that box on the shelf! Idiots!
Scott R.
Edited 11/28/2002 10:59:45 AM ET by Scott R.
Replies
Roar! I just love a good rant!
Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
I bet HD has big investment in oil stocks, given the number of trips they cause.
On that note, I often think about why these places bring in so much poorly graded lumber. I asked a clerk recently if they actually expected to sell some of the crap customers had picked through. He said they eventually dump it.
I guess they would rather incur the shipping cost on junk and have customers grade the product than grade it properly at the mill.
I've done that before...mark the box.....on stuff I got that was wrong, or broken...but neatly repackaged.
I'll try to do it if I think I might not have been the first peoson to get the bogus materials off the shelf. Pretty much each time..they give a dirty look...like I'm the one doing something wrong.....not being the shy type....I fully and loudly explain why I did so..and how bogus materials cost me time and materials.....the rst of the return usually goes extra quick......as in..shut up the jerk and get him outta the store.
I'll mark on all sides of a box with a sharpie...."BROKEN" or "PARTS MISSING".....or write it right on what ever I'm returning.
Jeff
..............Al-ways look on......the bright......side of life...........
.......whistle.....whistle.......whistle........
Makes sense to the bean counters at HD.
At least a small part of their customer base will not waste their own time or money to return items that are broken, or misboxed, etc. Hopefully the next person to buy it will be one of those customers.
The ONLY time that you being out the production time, and all the other troubles that it is to you... affects them at all, is if you get loud about it at the return counter. As you did.
As I said, makes perfect economical sense to their bean counters.
Something a bit more sinister. I don't think they physicaly return damaged items. They trash them. But they get their money back anyway. You suppose that they are so lenient on people returning things because they have found a way to scam the manufatcurers ? Do you suppose that every time they do the paperwork on that item, they get their money back... again ? (No matter how many times it is returned ? Copy the last one, and change one digit in the reg# or something...)
After that, ultimately selling it to someone else who just might not go to the trouble of returning it, is the icing on the cake...
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Edit: to make sense. Forgot the not in "not waste their own time"...
Edited 11/29/2002 3:35:31 AM ET by Luka
I don't know if it is different for HD, but when I worked at the other Depot (Office Depot) they didn't care what returns were for, because they were all sent straight back to the manufacturer.
I never buy anything that has been opened before - but I'm also not one of those rotten customers that opens one packet, and then leaves it on the shelf to take another identical one!
In a perfect world, the individually owned door & lumber supply store near to me wouldn't treat all potential customers like dirt if they don't happen to know all the trade + local lingo for everything - but they do, so if the need isn't too special, I'll go spend less at HD or Lowes.
When HOME DEPOT first came to this town all there stock was impecable. After 7 months of them setting up shop and getting use to screwing people, I don,t buy jack #### from them anymore. If I need any stock at all I,ll go to a small lumber yard. You may spend a litte more money but the stock is top quality and you wont be making a hundred trips to the store where you can buy more crap.
Bean, Without doubt I buy most of my materials at very good suppliers but sometimes its just not worth the time to drive an extra 12 miles round trip to pick up some small stuff in the middle of a job. Time is money.
I'm quickly learning how to dance with the big fat lady and not get my toes stepped on.
Scott R.
Scott
I'm guessing your talking about Mills Pride cabs. I've had that happen more then once and it wasnt HD's fault (not to defend them). The boxes were factory sealed as far as it looked. No tape. Yet the idea behind people taking parts from boxes then returning them is very evident in that box store. Its give and take. When I return anything to my lumber yard I have to pay an 18% restocking fee which is bullshirt if you ask me which is why I go to HD at times. You just have to be really aware when you buy something there.
Be well
NAmaste
Andy P.S..why does the percent % sign always look like a six and a nine....microsoft cheap basterds......and whats with number 11...how come it aint oneteen...I never understood that. If some one could answer THAT one I'd be gratefull....lol..I need to come into the new year with more understanding......ROFLO
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I always open anything I buy at HD to check it out and take that very item. The next one might be missing something.
I bought four gate hinges there a year ago. When I got home, One pakg had been openned and was missing a part.
Next week, I returned it for exchange. I checked the part when I got the the register and found that this one had also been openned and a different part missing. Got another and left the cashier with both of them in torn pachages with markings that parts were missing.
Next week, I had to get something else in the same aisle right nearby. I glanced into the bin of gate hinges and - you guessed it - both packages were there in identical condition with parts missing and torn packages. They just threw them back in the bin on top.
****.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
I've got a buddy that regularly buys delta faucets, strips the cartridges,puts in an old one and returns it. He calls it payback for a number of times he's gotten hosed by them. Shame on him.(and one of many reasons I won't buy delta stuff at that home depot)
I returned a $500 pressure washer that crapped out 5 days before the one year warranty expired. I ask the paint salesman about getting it fixed, he said nobody local would touch it because it came from HD, and that I should just return it. So I did, got a new different model, then 3 days later, my old one was sitting out for sale as a return. Pump was siezed.
I don't understand what all the rant is about HD. I must say that my HD has always provided quality service. I think it must be some regional thing. As far as finding the wrong door, that's too bad but my opinion is that it is the contractor's responsibility to bring the appropriate supplies and equipment to the job site in the first place. Further, if something is not right it should have and could have been prevented earlier by thoroughly inspecting the merchandise before taking delivery. I don't make any excuses, I make sure I have the right stuff right from the start.
If you always have all the right stuff......and never have an on-site problem with any materials......ever.....then ya don't build much, do ya?
Give me a break.
Jeff
.....as I wait to see when the replacement door for a run of kitchen cab's that I installed will be here...so the square top door can be replaced with an arch top...because the factory boxed up and sent off the wrong one the first time around.......What was the company owner I subbed thru...or the lead carp on the job....or the production manager that checked them all off as they were unloaded from the truck ....supposed to do? Drive out to the factory when they first boxed the order....or climb up into the delivery truck with a roll of duct tape...to tear open each box..then tape it back up if it was ok?
It's construction/remodeling...there's always gonna be parts and pieces missing and /or broke...............Al-ways look on......the bright......side of life...........
.......whistle.....whistle.......whistle........
Man you guys are a tough crowd. Come on, I did not say that I never have problems on the jobsite. And true, this time of year I don't build much in my part of the country, if I can just make through December... My point was that I am careful to pack the right tools and equipment on my truck and make sure I have all of the right materials if I am responsible for picking them up. If the crap is delivered to the jobsite, and it is not all there, then I rant. By the way piffin, I've been around long enough, I can take the abuse.
Oh yeah, I do not buy all of my materials from HD. I am fortunate to have some very nice lumber yards nearby. It just depends on what the customer wants. If they don't want to spend the dough on the good stuff I'll throw in the cheap ****. It can be painful sometimes but I give the customer what they want, keeps them comin' back.
HAPPY BUILDING!
Henry.
Edited 11/30/2002 11:02:41 PM ET by Henry
Edited 11/30/2002 11:04:01 PM ET by Henry
Tough crowd ?
It is tough to control how you come across when you make a post here. But that responsibility does lie with you.
Your post came across to many here as... a frustrated homeowner who had had his spoon in way too many pots belonging to the tradesmen who had built his house. One whose frustration comes from wanting everything to be perfect. To be done exactly the way that he wants it done. Who knows better than the plumber, the tile guy, the framer, the electrician. et al... how to do their jobs. And who did not hesitate to tell them that fact every time that he saw them.
Who had found a venue where he could preach belittlement to all those tradesmen out there, because they were not smart enough to snap to attention in his presence. To do everything exactly the way he wanted. To use only the very best of materials. (No matter the cost... to the builder.) To do all that, and yet to charge him less than the cost of an all day sucker.
In short, you came across as a pretender who had found himself a soap box.
The "tough crowd" reacted accordingly.
: )
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
WOW! I guess I didn't realize how I came across. I have worked for the type of person you describe, I know how those types piss people off. But that sure as hell ain't me. I respect other tradepeople. Hey if HD goes completely out of business tomorrow, I don't give two bits. I'll go to the next big box. I just wanted to give my opinion on the subject, having been in that situation before, it is not fun or profitable to have to make return trips. No disrepect intended.
Henry.
And none taken. (Note the smiley. LOL)
I gathered that the first impression had been wrong, when I read your second post. That's why I pointed it out.
As stated, it is sometimes very tough to come across in the way that you intended, and not in some total other way. The more we pay attention, the more we learn. But sometimes we have no idea what to ..pay.. attention to. Those times it is good to have someone ..draw.. attention.
: )
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
It just depends on what the customer wants. If they don't want to spend the dough on the good stuff I'll throw in the cheap ****. It can be painful sometimes but I give the customer what they want, keeps them comin' back.
Henry,
Cheap as you put it only makes it hard on yourself because the minute something fails, guess who's going to be blamed....HD? NOPE! YOU! Guess who's gonna go back to fix it "for free"? YOU! Guess who's going to pay for the parts? YOU! As for myself......I'd rather explain the issues about HD to the customer when buying Delta or windows etc etc....explain to them that your labors the same no matter where you purchase the product. Either that or put a clause in your contract if youre so steadfast on dealing with cheap customers that if the product fails then they pay all the time it takes to remedy the situation and for the new product. Bet they don't sign! Off to the next shmuck thats desperite for work.
Good luck
Namaste
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I have purchased hot dipped galv. nails from lowes (made in China) that were rusting in the box. I am sure they are the Lowes low bidder.
I have also bought "grip tite" brand nails from Lowes that the finishing nail points were bent, mashed, missing, also heads missing off the nails, etc. Wonder what dumb brain Lowes manager selects the company? why is everything cheap? never have a prob with nails at the hardware store.
Bought a couple boxes of normal drywall nails from beLowes or HomeDeephole. Quality control inspector at the plant must have been more interested in quantity cause the screws were so screwed up a lot wouldn't screw. Stems without threads, bent tips, stems without heads and heads that had the driver insert X off center to one side(try making do with those things). Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Sheesh, rez, what's the big deal? They go in fine with a screwdriver.... : )
Or a hammer.
: )Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
the ones that don't snap off...
.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Just hammer another one in right next to the one that snapped off.
: )Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Sorry, I can't let this one pass. Looks like you got your story-telling skills from the returns desk at HD... :)
Bought a couple boxes of normal drywall nails from beLowes or HomeDeephole. Quality control inspector at the plant must have been more interested in quantity cause the screws were so screwed up...
No, it just depends what side of the box he was reading the label off of at the time.
Well, I went back and reread my post and sure enough you nailed me. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations,
no matter how loud you roar with a primal scream.
Good thing he didn't read the other side of the box.Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Now I gotta check tomorrow. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
How did you do that ?Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
...that? hmmmm...what? Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
You edited your post.
....and there is no indication it was edited.
You said, "I knew that would come from somewhere", or something similar to that. I almost responded. Then, the next time I open the thread, it has changed to, "Now I gotta check tomorrow."
No line. No "edited by", no nuttin. Howyoododat ?
: )Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
there are ants in my laptop, too. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
ROFLMFAO!!!!
Well send some over here to teach mine how to do that trick.
: )Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
what thread had the ho ho hoe in it?
Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
You wanting to call me a ho too ?Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
That was the post I was replying to when I said 'I knew that would be coming from somewhere.' Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
nevermind.......Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
in 2 hours theo arrives... Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
Give her a hug for me. I'm going to bed soon.
: )Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
ROFLMFAO !!
Touche'.
I wondered if that was the case. Too tired to look around and figger it out.
: )Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
I think cheap is a relative term. To me 3-tab shingles, vinyl siding, and OSB sheating are cheap items, both in quality and price. However, they are also (probably) the most popular exterior treatments. Along those same lines, common pine, melamine, and some plywoods are cheaper than hardwoods, or better grade sheet goods. But, most people would probably not care about what the cabinet case is made from, so they could save money there and still have some nice doors, face frames etc..
Most of what I buy from HD is lumber, fasteners, glue, etc.. I stick to the brand names, and try to select the best looking stuff. I've been burned by them on other things.
I do custom interior finish woodwork. I prefer to make my own cabinets, trim, etc., so I avoid problems with pre-fab stuff. I don't do roofing, siding, exterior doors or windows, or concrete work. I think because if this my perspective might be different from others in this forum because I don't deal with alot of the things they do.
part of the problem is that some "traditional" supply places like lumber yards are only open (at least in south carolina) 5 days a week and even close at 5.
Plus they will tell you on the phone - sure we have 35 of those and when you get there they are 33 culls - all warped.
I usually pick out my own wood but I hate to think what you people in the bidness get when you let them load the truck and bring it to you.
I really think there is a wood grading problem at the source - and they get away with it because no wood ever goes back to the lumber mill-- whatever they ship goes one way : toward the consumer.
So the quality line gets fuzzy - er.
Edited 12/2/2002 9:05:36 AM ET by wain
this was my last straw at HD
a year and a half ago i started my 24'by 24' two story addition on my house i went out to get bids for my lumber i went to hd and two other local lumber yards the small yards were about the same at about $5800 both are over 10 miles away but delivary was free HD was around $5650 plus delivery they said it was $45 per trip they said it was two trips i live 1.3 miles from HD!!!
screw them and there delivery charge i went with one of the small yards who had to make three trips with there truck the put all the lumber on donnage and covered it with tarps that they supplied!! icalled and told them i wanted to return about 12 pieces of lumber because they were cracked or warped i called them on a monday morning and asked about getting them replaced before the weekend they said no problem my wife called me at 11 am and said they just dropped the lumber off!!
hows that for service that would never happen at HD i never by lumber at HD anymore although i do shop for other things somtimes.the lumber yard i use is a true value franchise in westboro mass
HD's vary from store to store. There's one less than two miles from my house, and the lumber there is garbage. 10 foot 2x4's are all Standard and Better, warped, twisted..... My BIL has one near his place, about 20 miles from me. The 10 foot 2x4's there are all #1 and Better, and straight. I had the truck, so I bought a couple dozen.
Perhaps the thing to do is treat HD like an auction: only buy what you can tell is OK by inspecting it at the time of purchase.
-- J.S.
john your'e right about only buying stuff that ok when you purchase it but if you have a big job and you need stuff delivered are the guys that pick your order inspecting like you would? and also even if i drive 10 miles to the little yard they help you load the truck and i almost never have towait in line so it sometimes quicker to go there but hey maybe im just bitter
My guess is Henry that you probably are a contractor that gets his jobs from HD. They can do no wrong in your eyes. You also must be an incredable contractor , from the sounds of it you make no mistakes at all. And then you woke up right Henry?
Better Duck Henry, if you've still got your scalp!
;).
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Edited 11/30/2002 10:29:55 AM ET by piffin
Henry, It's nice that you have time to piss away. As I stated in the original post it was the mfg's Fault that I received the wrong door. The package was factory sealed with tape that had Classic printed all over it, even indicated Classic on the description label, however it wasn't a Classic door. Hey chit happens. My rant is with HD that puts this crap back on the sales floor knowing something is wrong, perpetuating a cycle of apathy regarding the customer.
Some time back when I was still green about the ways of HD I was buying a 3-0 pre-hung exterior door. In the door isle a HD "associate" was helping me pull the door I needed. The first door I pulled had a huge nasty ding in it. I said to the guy this one is all banged up, (as he's putting it back in the rack) don't you need to keep it out? His reply was "No, somebody will buy it"
There is the Home Depot philosophy wrapped up in four words when it comes to goofed merchandise. "Somebody will buy it". That's HD apathy!
Scott R.
That's probably the door I bought. It was the last door I bought or will buy from them also. My local yard will make my interior prehungs any size I want. Mostly short for basements with soffits etc. and the price is competitive. Plus they deliver them and will scatter them If I ask them too. I also can call them to pick up extra material so I don't have to load them up, find a parking space 300 yards from the front door, comandeer and orange cart that is usually lodged in someones passenger door about three parking spaces away, and push it up to the return counter and wait 45 minutes to present them with my reciept. I am trying real hard to find local guys to supply me with all of my materials, but it's not that easy.
ColeCole Dean
Dean Contracting
Probably need to get a Japanese manufacturer to box the stuff initially. That wont help the returns problem but it might reduce it.
The cabinet companies probably have no quality competition in their price range.
the general lumber quality at Lowes in parts of the south is also terrible.
I live by a few simple rules which allow me to co-exist in a world where contractors and Home Depot must exist side by side.
1) Purchasing anything like cabinets, windows, appliances or fixtures is ABSOLUTELY out of the question.
2) Ordering anything through HD they don't have on the shelve is a no-no.
3) NEVER, under any circumstances ask a HD associate a question this will only serve to confuse all parties involved. (sidenote: if you are a contractor asking HD associate advice on a project, might think of working there yourself)
4) Only use HD when all else fails, (i.e. it's the weekend, all my suppliers are closed and if I had a 6in. lag bolt I could finish this job)
Lastly) Only buy products from HD you KNOW they haven't screwed up somehow by having the manufacurer make it esp. for them.
There is a better Simple Rule out there:
If you dont like Home Depot (or any other store, doctor, drycleaner, restaraunt)
Dont give them your business! Simple!
To the folks who saw HD folks put or leave damaged goods out on the HD floor for other saps to buy who didnt take the two minutes to discuss this with the HD General Manager but had enough time to come here and bitch/complain/email...shame on you!
Those who arent part of the solution are part of the problem.
Hey Bud, plenty of us have been that route, wasting the time to speak to upper echelon and seeing nothing happen..
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Haole,
I agree with what you're saying about the need to register complaints with management: it's a necessary part of the feedback loop.
However, like Piffin stated, this has been done by a number of us.
The unavoidable conclusion I come to is that the unethical business practice of putting a damaged product back on the shelf is not due to the floor-level employee. It is due to management itself -- management tells them to do it.
Like many top-down organizations, short-sighted and otherwise bad policy is set by the bean counters and the lawyers in the corporate office.
Ragnar
I guess you guys need to shop at Lowes then...
Good one, Haole. As if Lowe's is any better..... ;)
Personally, I give my business to smaller outfits which are responsive to my needs as a contractor. Sometimes I pay a little more, but the time I save ultimately results in savings for the homeowner, too.
Edited 12/3/2002 6:14:05 PM ET by ragnar
Went to beLoews today to buy some 1 inch drywall screws.
They don't stock them. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
"Went to beLoews today to buy some 1 inch drywall screws.
They don't stock them."
Get some 3/4" then. That way you stop short of getting screwed.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Funny thing was I was looking for the 3/4 inch also and they didn't have them either. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations,
no matter how loud you roar with a primal scream.
I don't have time or get paid to help HD run a better store. I've had discussions with HD management before, Even sent a letter to Headquarters, now I'm done.
By the way it's not bitching and complaining, it's commiserating.
Scott R.
25172.45 in reply to 25172.20
<<<<<<To the folks who saw HD folks put or leave damaged goods out on the floor for other saps to buy who didnt take the two minutes to discuss this with the HD General Manager but had enough time to come here and bitch/complain/email...shame on you!>>>>>>>>>
ROFLOLMAO
Haole, (Mr. Wonderful)
When we all become the good citizen you are I spose the world might be a better place but.......HD is a schlock outfit that one shops in with serious caution. I happen to know someone that works for them and goes from store to store to do inventory work. He worked for me for about a year and I trust him. Even he says to shop lumber yards for quantity and quality. HD has its place but trying to change them is like trying to fight city hall. I might have the time to fight city hall but I certainly havent the time to change HD cause that aint happenin'. Sounds like you work for them. YOu don't happen to be Mr. Depot? I never heard here anyone defend them the way that you do. I like them for what I'm cautious about...thats all.
Be well
Namaste
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 12/3/2002 7:01:55 PM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
One good thing about gnomedepot and beLowes is I don't feel guilty about kicking the ice chunks off my truck in their parking lot. Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
rez and Piffin... LOLScott R.
Andy, Mr. Retail
I will say this again, if you dont like HD, then dont give them your business! Simple.
By all means, go to a mom and pop lumberyard or ace or lowes or whereever. But to still go to HD and just bitch about them like a couple of scullery maids in the kitchen is pretty darn funny. Every comment that people make about them can also be made about lowes, etc. In case you havnt noticed, there are no perfect stores! Or better yet, why dont you open one up and lets see how it is done Andy?
I think HD is a fine store, good selection for most amateurs/professionals, good prices, open all hours, service is a mixed bag, depends on where and when. I ahve my problems with them but they are no worse than any other place around here. And no, I dont work for them, do you work for lowes?
Whether you like it or not, HD is a very successful company (I wish I bought stock when my friends BIL from Atlanta recommended them to me in the mid 80s) and still growing.
H27,
In case you didn't get it in your engineering education - just a playful poke here ;) - saying that HD isn't so bad because Lowes sucks, too, is what's known as a false consolation. Engineers were exempted from the "logic and critical thinking" general education requirement where I went to school, because it's pretty hard to get through engineering curiculum without the ability to think logically and critically.
Ragnar
>>saying that HD isn't so bad because Lowes sucks, too, is what's known as a false consolation.<<
Ragnar,
Actually what I said is that all the competition stores (lowes, lumberyards, hardware) have similar issues as raised here. There is no perfect store as most of us know. We all go to some of them for price and some for the best lumber or hardward selection, some for the best hours or whatever. Mindlessly picking on the big boys while still shopping there sounds like false logic (and wasted bandwidth) to me Ragnar.
H
Hey Andy- This newbies got some oats.
Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations,
no matter how loud you roar with a primal scream.
an' we got ringside seats.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Hey Andy- This newbies got some oats.
rez
Bet he bought the oats at HD. Can't imagine he's a builder. More DIY'er. No builder is going to stand with a friggin squeeky cart with bad action and pick through 200 2xs then lug em to your truck and unload em'. As I said in my post which he obviously missed is that I shop the box but real cautiously and ask the sales people nothing cause why would you expect anyone getting under ten bucks an hour with an orange apron on to know more then an experianced builder? As far as Blows or the other boxes....never been to one. Theres five HD within 20 minutes of my house and three lumber yards even closer. Stock in HD...yeh me too.wish I had some stock in that co. cause its great for DIY selfers and has a place for us pros. Nice chicks walking round in there too unlike the yards...lol
Be well my brother and have a great new year
Namaste'
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 12/5/2002 12:50:38 AM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
Andy, well said.
Like I've said before, HD and Lowes are merely convenience stores. In comparison the local 7-11 is a great place to buy a soda, however it's not where you shop for the family groceries. Scott R.
Both stores should have a large sign over the entrance that states:
Self Serve Island
or ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE ABANDON HOPE (of customer service)
Speaking of lumber, I was in a beLowes the other day and they had racks of PT 2x's with some kind of living mold stuff all over them that looked like little white spider webs. What was that?
Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Edited 11/30/2002 8:42:18 PM ET by rez
SaltDon't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Really? That's all it was? Looked bad. Stringy. Not just flat on the boards but clinging between boards out away from the surface. Wouldn't really bother me buying if I needed some PT but looked funky. Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
I've seen white, wispy, hairy looking mold, quite similar to what you are describing. I could even mail you some if you want. LOL
I have no idea whether what you saw was the mold, or if it was salt. But I do know that I have seen pt 'bleed' salt before. The stuff comes out of the board. The next crystals sort of bonding to the last ones, and pusing them farther from the board. Kinda "grows" like grass, hair... or mold.
: )
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
white hairy looking you say? And grows? Hmmm...think the stuff could handle some hair coloring? Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Scott, Last week for some reason I couldn't get the 36" shower door I was putting in the basement bath that I was finishing to fit into the 32" fiberglass surround that I had installed ( go figure ) So while I was out picking up some other things I stopped by HD and purchased the right door kit. They only had one and it was duct taped together, but I had to finish this for the customer for the holiday. I still had the 36" kit at the site. When I unpacked it the sill was gone, actually there was a 6" piece that had been cut ( wrong by the previous owner I assume ). Long story short I had to use about 1/2 the parts from the 36" kit for the 32" door. I packed everything back up and took it back and told them what I did and that the 36" kit is not complete. I don't think she heard me, refunded my money and stuck the kit behind her. Do not buy anything that looks even slightly used from HD. Ive even got to the site to find the prehung exterior doors I bought with huge dents in them
Cole
Cole Dean
Dean Contracting
Home depot does have it's good points. If you are looking for damaged material, they tend to discount it deeply (at least at my home depot). I just bought a pre-hung door for a bathroom I'm adding on. The manager knocked off 25% because it was dirty and unboxed, and then 20% more when I noticed that the hinge side jamb was missing. 15 minutes with my tablesaw and finish nailer, and a coat of paint and I saved a bundle.
Lowes will do the same thing, having knocked 40% off a dented steel door (which you wouldnt notice if you weren't looking for it.)
My biggest beef is with Lowes. For some odd reason, whatever it is that I go in looking for is out of stock. I believe that the demon possessed associates see me coming, know what I am there for, and hide it. It cannot be possible to screw up the stock levels in that store as bad as they seem to be.
I know.
What IS that ???
If I go in there just especialy for lath, they're all out. If I go in for plastic. All out. If I go in there hoping to find one particular and very common plumbing fitting... yup.
I think they have a mental ray outside the door. The ray reads the mind of the customer as they come in. It makes note of the one thing most important that the customer came to the store for. It laser tattoos a bar code on the customer's forehead, using invisible ink. Then the supercray that is running in the sub-secret owner-manager's private wine cellar, keeps track of the customer as they move about the store. As soon as the customer gets near the fully stocked bin of exactly what was the most important thing they came for... a trap door opens, and the bin is emptied into a holding bin in the basement.
As soon as the customer leaves the aisle, the bin is refilled via a hidden automatic conveyor.
Means you have to come back again some other time, hoping that what you wanted, will be restocked.
It's a conspiracy, I tells ya. There has to be a Bush behind it somewhere...
: )
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Joe, right they do discount, However to get the discount you must put on your best Oliver Twist impression and go to the manager and ask "Excuse me sir, but may I have a discount on this damaged door?"
Discounting should be automatic by people that stock each department, looking out for damaged goods and marking them appropriately. From my perspective it appears as though they plan that some poor shmuck will walk out the door with it at full price. If it gets returned they try it again. No sweat for HD if you purchased with a check in the last two weeks they still have your business, you get a store credit.
Scott R.
I bet the marketing executive(s) are descendants of P.T. Barnum. Therefore we must turn that strategy against them wisely and just maybe they will get the massage.
Regards.
Scott,
I`ve had similar experiences in the past(big surprise there!). About a year ago I began a policy that has to this point worked out very well. Should a homeowner, designer, architect or whoever spec something they "saw at Home Depot", I automatically go on the defense. I refuse to guarentee any job I do using materials or products purchased there, and I furthermore stipulate that I shall not be responsible for obtaining or returning any items from or to Home Depot. It works nine outta ten times. Most often the client will allow me to supply a comparable substitute. Those that have to have the Home Depot item end up with the headaches and pay me any extras for return trips to the job. When people start to realize that they are voiding a warranty, suddenly saving that $50 on a particular item just aint worth it.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
Its all part of the initiation process some people feel they have earned the right to thrust upon newblood.
That being said I'm sure I'm game for some sheet to.
Doug
So Ron.being that you didnt bring up...lol......yeh sure....lol.the Roto Zip..Do you like it yet? lol... Theres a handy atachment I just discovered for it... you need to buy the larger arbor or whatever you call it to accept the CBU bit. Thing works cherry! Lasts a pretty long time. Its like a fat tile bit.
Be well
Namaste
Andy
It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Hey guys, FH is adding another site for you guys who like to complain, carp, kvetch, whine, earhole, vent, spew, etc.
Its called Bitchtime! hahaha!
yer bummin me out that you changed yer name...just thought I'd say that.
a
You don’t complete your inner work before you do your outer work. Nor do you say, "Well, the hell with the inner work: I’ll go do the outer work because it’s so important and pressing." That’s not conscious either. The conscious thing is the simultaneous doing of both. "Ram Dass"
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Ya, I didn't really like the idea of changing your name either. Change a tagline ya, but not your name, man. Oh well, there's little permanency in a cosmic universe.
Half of good livin' is staying out of bad situations.
Primal screamers make better lovers.
You know, I feel lucky! Why? because I read all the time about how miserable HD is and how they hate going there and bla bla bla. I feel that way about LOWES. But when it comes time to make a return, no one is willing to slam them. You know, when you go to return a box of tile. Or when you purchase 300.00 of lumber and the client decides that she wants redwood not treated. Granted, I have had to wait in lines and I have had to return items that weren't fully packed in the box, or damaged or whatever. But doesnt this occur EVERYWHERE!! Even the mom and pop stores have damaged goods in the box. I have never been hassled when I return stuff for good or bad reasons. What will it take to satisfy EVERYONE? I hear people slam HD for their tools. WHY? I have bought many tools from HD and they all come on when I turn the on button on. I said I feel lucky. I have rarely had a really bad experience from a HD. Waiting in line is a miserable experience for me, and that is the extent of my bad experiences there. I have learned that youknow in the first 3 seconds if the guy you ask for help knows the answer or not. I have learned that you DON'T buy packages that are taped up. I have learned that you don't go there on weekends, you go at 7:00a.m. I have also learned that you get the lowest price around for the majority of products. I LIKE picking through the lumber pile. ILIKE BEHR paint. I LIKE RIDGID tools . I LIKE the tool corral. I LIKE the free breakfasts for contractors. I LIKE Bob, the guy that works the plumbing Department. I like Home Depot. I just moved to a new town and all they have is a lowes. Home depot has broken ground and will be erected right next door to Lowes. I will be there.
SO don't give me this "I hate HD" crap all the time. The majority of the products, the majority of the time, in such a wide variety,are stocked, and sold cheaper than most any other hardware store you can find.
No, I am not aan employee or stock holder of Home depot. I have said my peace.
We have two HDs here in Naples, FL and one Lowes. I love them all. Maybe it's because I used to be a retail store manager over 30 years ago, so I know their problems.
Compare the complaints here to our own industry's "punch lists. "How about each customer of ours yelling: "For Christ's sake! Why the hell can't you guys get it right the first time? Why do you have to come back or get some subs to come back to do this and that over again - and sometimes a third time? Are you guys blind? Can't you see that paint needs to be touched up, and that door that rubs, or that trim joint? And another thing. Why can't you call me when you're going to be 1/2 hour late? Don't your guys know better to cover things up better?"
Nah. The grass is no greener on our own side.
Sonny.where ya been my southern brother....in that stuffy journel website? Good to see yer still around.
HD as I've said dozens of times is good for some things and not for others. YOu want some copper pipe and some PVC......no problem...but buy a faucet there and compare the guts of an American Standard from HD and your local plumbing supplier and notice the plastc parts vs the copper parts from the plumbing supplier. Might not matter to some but it matters to me. Pick through 200 2x4's and load em into a squeeky cart then reload em in your truck then unload them on the site vs having your local lumber yard deliver all straight ones to your site for free. I think colored paint at HD totally sux vs my private paint supplier supplying me with Benny Moore excellent quality paint. Whites ok at HD but the colors are trash unless you wanna spend a zillion dollars for tha Ralph Duche bucket Lauran paint. I love the return policy at HD which is the A#1 reason I go there..... As I've said in the past..HD has its place as do whore houses.
Be a wall
Dont be floored
Namaste
Andy...PS Sometimes I even crack myself up....LOL
You don’t complete your inner work before you do your outer work. Nor do you say, "Well, the hell with the inner work: I’ll go do the outer work because it’s so important and pressing." That’s not conscious either. The conscious thing is the simultaneous doing of both. "Ram Dass"http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 12/8/2002 1:24:45 PM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)
I agree, Andy, and OK, so I'm getting "stuffy" in my old age, but considering what the big boxes do carry, they are a one stop shop for me, except that is, for some of the items you mentioned that I buy from plumbing or other suppliers, including my paint supplier. The one stop shop save me lots of time.
I get to know some of the key people in all three store and like my wife and I have done with each other, we concentrate on our strong points and address those weaknesses only so they don't bite us in the rear end. Besides, I own stock in both companies. As I've said here before, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Those big boxes do serve their purpose for some and in some situations. I just try to exploit their advantages.
I do think my point was made about the deficiences of our own industry. Besides, a try to constantly stay positive. I can, if I so chose, bring out the negatives of virtually every aspect of my life, but what whould that serve, other then to make me aware of what and whom to stay away from, which I do.
One more thing, it is possible, which I do, is to take the big boxes "disadvantages" and use them as "postitive" advantages when selling "my" products and from "my" suppliers, and why. Works like a charm. Like I said, use the negatives to one's advantage. There is always a flip side to any coin.
Sonny
Never quite heard you speak in a Zen sort of fashion. Miss you man, Please stop by more often. the Newbies only get Piff......they should only know about you....things come and things go go sonny....please come back. Miss ya man. Youre a treasure in my opinion. Stop wastin time at that Journel place. Andy was graduated and you know how much we love him. Be a contributer here to newbies again.......c'mon man!
Andy
PS might just have to visit you next time I'm in florida visting my family in Clearwater or the Disney area
You don’t complete your inner work before you do your outer work. Nor do you say, "Well, the hell with the inner work: I’ll go do the outer work because it’s so important and pressing." That’s not conscious either. The conscious thing is the simultaneous doing of both. "Ram Dass"http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Edited 12/8/2002 8:54:20 PM ET by Andy Clifford(Andybuildz)