# What ticks you off about Home Depot & Lowe’s?



## Frank Steele (Jan 14, 2008)

For me it is how they have become slaves of Wallstreet and not caring as much anymore about main street, their customers and employees. They seem to have thrown most of the retired ex tradesman under the bus and replaced them with inexperienced people who they can pay minimum wage. Ad insult to injury they under staff the stores with this new breed of employee. And the corporate bean counters sitting in their ivory towers can’t seem to figure out why they are losing customers and their stock price is declining. So much for the bottom line, I call that stupid is as stupid does!


----------



## nacko (Jan 29, 2008)

I like the fact that if I go in there to buy lumber when they open (like many other contractors do), that is the time that they choose to close the lumber isles and stock them. I also like that they often have exactly half of the items I need to complete any normal job (the stuff they sell most is in stock but not the items needed to finish the job)


----------



## blowmax10 (Sep 29, 2007)

yeah i hate that all the people that work there just know how to stock the shelves - no one can answer even a basic question 

i asked one question about the rating of wiring needed for a light that i bought and the store manager had to come out and still gave me the wrong answer


----------



## Frank Steele (Jan 14, 2008)

I like when you come down an aisle, the employee pulls out the phone like they have an important call, then turns around and books.

We are on to that one kids.


----------



## cheyenne (Jan 28, 2008)

I like how the check out clerks will spend unlimited amounts of time to find the the price or code for one .25 item some guy is trying to buy, while a line of people wait to be checked out. Real smart. Real profitable. I've gotten so frustrated at this I've walked out and left hundreds of dollars of merchandise setting on the floor.


----------



## Sammy (Mar 11, 2007)

I assume from the git go when going to Homey that the sales people know very little. They only work there part time afterall... Although I do know some people in some departments are very informative. 

Of course their job is to close off the aisle YOU need to get to to restock and make you wait 20 minutes so you'll mill around and buy more stuff. [so they think] 

Down our way lately they have people walking around the store with clipboards trying to SELL you installed windows, siding, etc in a DIY STORE!
Let me just say I have had some words with them and informed them if they dont stop it, I would shop elsewhere. 

Then there is the "Hotel California" effect where you cant checkout because there is only ONE checkout line with 20 people already in line. Or you can try thier new "self checkout/just shove money at us because we dont feel your worth enough to have a live person help you do business with us and take your money."

We're lucky enough to have a Lowes and Homey right across the street from each other...


----------



## Alpha Kennybody (Nov 24, 2006)

HD is the greatest thing since the invention of fire.


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Not enough employees, or employees that know what they are doing. I can go to Ace, and get better service, and the employees know what they are doing, and talking about.


----------



## Sammy (Mar 11, 2007)

Ace is a good place to go.. Most of their employees know what they are talking about. 

We had one down the street that closed four-five years ago... Amazingly they are now reopening a new store not far from the old one. 

Interestingly, most of their stores are franchises/owner involved operations. 
Therefore, they have a vested intrest in keeping customers happy... 

Novel concept huh?


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

We probably do 90% of our business at the Local Ace, due to the fact that they are close & within the neighborhood, I can get my pool supplies there without wondering around a store to find them, and always find something else that I need.

I did have to go to the local Super Menard's a week ago to get a Whole House Surge, due to Ace did not have it.


----------



## NothingsLevel (Aug 27, 2006)

Every one of them is laid out different.

There are 3 Lowes' and 2 HDs that, based upon the day & what other errands I'm running, I might go into. Every one of them is laid out differently, which means it takes far too long for me to find anything. I wandered the Lowe's closest to home for 15 minutes one day trying to find air filters for my furnace.


----------



## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

I'm a capitalist, and can respect the corporation for what it has accomplished in a capitalistic sense
They are truly a marketing...and pricing.... genius

However, their huge focus on CPV has destroyed quality expectations
CPV is the de-specing of product to lower price
(it's a common focus in companies like W*M and HD)



slickshift said:


> It's CPV
> 
> Lets say Porter-Cable has a framing saw, you see it in your local tool shop for...say $189
> It's quiet, light, strong, and has a great blade
> ...


The irony is the local tool shop would charge $139 if they carried it
But they won't carry it, as it's not up the their standards

Now, it's not that HD doesn't have it's uses
But just go in with your eyes WIDE open



slickshift said:


> HD is not able to lower consumer costs simply through "volume" alone
> By the volume of products they sell to consumers, they are able to demand different (cheaper) specs than other retailers
> It's what is called "Customer Perceived Value" or CPV
> 
> ...





slickshift said:


> The de-spec'ing of tools I mentioned above extends to hardware, sundries, paint, all materials
> Volume sounds like the simple answer as to why HD is cheaper
> But it's not really all that simple
> Any 2, 3, or even 10 percent discount that HD would get is swallowed up by the problems associated with huge volumes and low-payed employees
> ...


Now, after all that, you'd think I wouldn't set foot in there
Well, I will probably be going this afternoon
But it's for batteries and a piece of 2" thick foam insulation
Which, with my luck, they'll be out of

Again, they have their uses
But just don't think for one second that the quality of the tools you see there is the same as your local tool store, hardware store, or tool specialty chain
Don't think for one moment the lumber you find there is even close to the quality of the lumber at your local lumberyard

And for the love of God, don't ask anyone for any help or advise


----------



## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

> I'm a capitalist, and can respect the corporation for what it has accomplished in a capitalistic sense
> They are truly a marketing...and pricing.... genius
> 
> However, their huge focus on CPV has destroyed quality expectations
> ...


----------



## handyman78 (Dec 29, 2007)

*"Actually, the local tool shop CAN'T carry the dumbed-down version.The HD's and LOWES and WALMARTS and BJ's, COSTCO, PRICE CLUBS, get their name brand stock with unique model numbers built in. "*

While I know this does happen, this is nothing new. I remember appliance stores in my PA area like Silo's. They would often have great marketing schemes like 50% or 100% refund if you could find the item cheaper. Of course you couldn't since they "owned" the model numbers of appliances for their stores. You wouldn't be able to price compare. 

HD & Lowe's do what the consumers want, give cheap prices for certain products, often by buying in significant quantities and keeping out middlemen. Supply & Demand at it's finest. Do they have everything a local hardware store does? No, not at all. They work on the masses. When I was a very young adult I would get intimidated going into electrical supply or plumbing supply houses to get what I wanted. Everything was behind the counters so you had to ask. The counter staff would often sense your apprehension and make you feel worse. I had been told often "we only work with the trades or licensed personnel". I knew exactly the work I was doing and what I needed to purchase. I was only working on my or my sibling's houses. I was amazed the products I could find when I visited my first HD in Florida in 1989! Of course this has now changed but it certainly made me feel more at ease finding what I needed or looking over the stock without being stared at by the counter staff!

Lastly, I recall years ago trying to get a part at a plumbing supply for a Moen faucet. The counter guy said if it was from HD, it was inferior and they wouldn't have it. I called Moen customer service and was told my faucet was exactly the same as the plumbing supply version. They sent me the part free.

It is just a sign of the times- American cars are made in Mexico, Japan and Korea, Japanese and Korean cars are made in the US !!!


----------



## jamison_tilne (Feb 4, 2008)

Is it not quite as simple as "you get what you pay for?" I mean it's the same in all industries. Of course you can get ripped off, since paying more is not always better, but as a general rule of thumb more from some where smaller is better than less from a chain store.


----------



## Leah Frances (Jan 13, 2008)

For the record. I would rather spend my dollars at small locally owned businesses. I walked into my locally owned independent hardware store the day after I bought my new-old-house. The employees were condescending and they didn't carry a large enough selection of anything. I left ready to cry and drove directly to the local Lowes.
After my second trip of the day the checkout girl, and they guy in plumbing both knew my name.

It Sounds to me like people either hate or love the big box stores depending on who has pissed them off (first, more, more often).


----------



## jte1130 (Jan 8, 2008)

I was there yesterday trying to pick out some flood light bulbs. The guy that worked there came up behind me and said "Excuse me." I stepped aside figuring he needed to get to something. Next thing I know he just starts writing things down like he's taking inventory. I guess my shopping wasn't important.


----------



## End Grain (Nov 17, 2007)

The quality of their vendor-carded general sink/tub/faucet parts, hinges, catches and fastener hardware has deteriorated dramatically.


----------



## Chris Johnson (Oct 31, 2007)

Check the prices on things you don't normally pay attention to next time your in there. I'm talking about the odd ball size screws you may need, of the unusual light bulb, etc. Now compare it elsewhere...now you see where the box stores make the money. Comparing everyday items is easy and they are generally competitive or cheaper, off the wall items...look out


----------



## Bobrobert (Jan 8, 2008)

Actually I like the Lowes (big box) store we have here. A small town of about 14 K. But I usually know what I want and I know where to find it, and that helps greatly. AND most of the folks that work there are helpful, but a few are jerks as in any big store. But overall I have to give "this" Lowes a thumbs up. 

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION; - I have hunted down the top store manager and have placed a formal complaint about his store "re-selling" used and returned stuff for new. At that time I had bought a lot of stuff at this store and several of the items had been used, returned, and put back in the box and on the shelf as new. A small palm sander had sand paper glued to the rubber disc and had obviously been used. The carrying case was full of sawdust. They got it back. I also bought a "new" kitchen sink sprayer replacement hose in a hard plastic package. The problem was someone had already bought this same package and had put their old hose in it and returned it to the store. Lowes just put it back up on the shelf for me to buy.

The real problem with this practice is that it makes me feel like I have to "convince" them that I wasn't the person that's pulling the fast one. I explained that to the store manager as well. 

So now I try to look over items really well. 

OH!!! This happened just today. I bought a brass kick plat for the front door. The package looked fine and had not been opened, so home I went. When I opened the package sure enough, the thing was bent on one corner and then I could see where it had been dropped. When I returned it there was this young kid at the customer service returns. I told him what had happened, and he said; "OH sure....were you able to get to the truck before you dropped it in the parking lot?" Well I didn't even have time to blow my top, because he had a "crap eating" grin from ear to ear, and said ; "Ah we take anything back here." But I know he was thinking that I had done it and wanted Lowes to replace my goof, which is absolutely not true.


----------



## spotted nikes (Feb 9, 2008)

Bobrobert- Our HD is famous for that. We bought an "over the stove" microwave, that didn't work. We returned it and they just put it back on the shelf. Same thing with a set of bifold doors with a gouge in them and no hardware...They actually TOLD me to just go get a new set and put the old one back on the shelf.


----------



## rjordan392 (Apr 28, 2005)

The poster's are right about the bean counters. The manager of a Home Depot near me got fired for giving out discounts to active police and firefighters. This tells me even the managers cannot run their stores. I believe a reprimand should have been the worse he got, but not a firing.


----------



## johnrem (Feb 7, 2008)

I got a great deal on a box of paslode framing nails once from hd untill I got home and realized that the box held like 25% less nails than usual.


----------



## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Back in the day, HD was famous for the ability of a store manager to run and stock his store as he saw fit. Those days are gone. The GE beancounter killed HD, and Lowes has always been nothing but a gray colored HD. It is what it is, though, and I shop at both. Not for lumber or anything like that, though.


----------



## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

WOW, what a topic. I agree with all of what I have read, especially the part about waiting to get supplies while the aisles are shut down for restocking. 

Here is MY beef. What is with these special parking spots??? 

There are spots for pregnant women, women with small children, seniors and handicapped. Meanwhile, the contractor who is pushing 4 carts of drywall, 2x4's, 6's 10's, 30 bags of concrete, steel studs, and a hot water heater has to guide himself through a poorly designed parking lot or wait for a loading dock to open. (1st one who mentions 'delivery' gets the next handicapped spot!! lol)


----------



## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

*oops..another beef!*

So, my partner and I were at HD and since the checkouts were 8 miles long..ok, I'm Canadian, 8km long, we were ushered to use the self serve counter. This is a true story for those who have never tried it.

We bought a gallon of paint..thats it. We brought in the customer's paint chip (we told her not to buy Behr, but do they listen???) Ever so kind as HD is, we got a free stir stick. As my pard ran the paint through the scanner and placed it in the bag, I put the stick and paint chip in the bag and went to get us a couple of coffees. Well, all he** broke loose because the screen froze and displayed that an "unidentifiable object was in the bag" 

Did I catch royal- you know what for that- by the staff. Apparently, there is a scale that can measure the weight of a stir stick and a paint sample. I suppose the scale is calibrated to compensate for the weight of a plastic bag so as to reduce the amount of false shoplifting charges. I mean, really, this staff gal looked at me like I had six freakin heads! Suppose I spit my gum out in the bag???

Seems to me they could maybe install a scale behind the counters of the regular cashiers that sends off bells and whistles upstairs when there are more than 3 customers waiting to spend money. 

I'll be happy when Lowe's comes to Canada! At least their commercials promise the world. Well, temporarilly anyway???

CC


-I really need a signature-


----------



## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

canadaclub said:


> As my pard ran the paint through the scanner and placed it in the bag, I put the stick and paint chip in the bag and went to get us a couple of coffees. Well, all he** broke loose because the screen froze and displayed that an "unidentifiable object was in the bag"


Conversely, that same scanner also prevents you from removing anything until the transaction is complete. When I bought my miter saw, I had a cart load of other stuff. Of course, the saw took up most of the space on the scale, so eventually I got to the point where there was still stuff in my cart, but nowhere to put it. When I tried to take something off to make more room, the computer froze, and I got a scolding from the idiot cashier. The conversation went like this:

"You can't take anything off there until the transaction is complete."
"Well, the scale is full... where am I supposed to put the rest of the stuff after I ring it up?"
"Well, you can't take anything off."
"OK, so where do I put the rest of this?"
"You can't take anything off."
"Right, I understand that, but where do I put the rest of this?"
"Let me call a manager..."

All she had to do was push the override key on her console, but instead she felt the need to show me her IQ. Good ole' HD, when it comes to employees, they get what they pay for.


----------



## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

*Here's another story for you.*

Same cashier, same self-checkout as my previous post... different problem.

So I went to get light bulbs, latex gloves, and some painter's rags. I know where everything is, so I figure I'll be in and out in 2 minutes, tops. I get everything I need, ring it all up... the total comes to $16.91. I put in a $20, the computer spits out a nickel and a system error. So the Idiot Cashier notices something's wrong, and tells me she has to get a manager. She walks over to the Pro desk, talks to a guy, then walks back to her computer and waits. The guy she talked to at the Pro desk walked over to a display, straightened a few items on it, went outside via one door and came back in the one next to it, stopped to flip some light switches on the wall, and THEN came over to the idiot cashier's computer. She asks him if Travis is still the on-duty manager; he replies that Travis has gone home for the day. Then she asks who the manager on duty is, and he tells her to call Tracy and walks away. Idiot Cashier has to walk around to the backside of her computer to look up Tracy's extension, then walk back around to the front to call Tracy. Tracy tells Idiot Cashier to call someone else. Idiot Cashier has to walk back around to the backside of her computer to look up another manager's phone number, and walk back around to the front to call. The call is made, and Idiot Cashier informs me that the manager will be right here, sorry for the wait. So 5 minutes later, the manager just happens to stroll up and ask what the problem is. Idiot Cashier explains that I didn't get my change. Manager asks if Idiot has figured up how much I'm owed yet, and Idiot replies the she hasn't calculated that yet. So the manager strolls over to me, looks at the screen, and reads the error message. Below the box with the error message, the screen still reads "Subtotal: $16.91". "$16.91?" says the manager, "Is that how much your change was?" I almost said yes. Clearly a manager who doesn't know what SUBTOTAL means needs to be taught a lesson, and I could certainly use the money... but no, I'm an honest fella. So I explain to the manager that $16.91 was my total, I put in a $20, I got back 5 cents, so I am owed $3.04. I'm hoping I haven't fried the manager's brain with all these numbers, and much to my surprise, the manager understands and instructs Idiot Cashier to give me $3.04 out of her till. 2 minutes later, after Idiot has figured out how to count to four, I walk out of the store with the correct change and an insincere apology, and without 20 minutes of my life wasted on a 2 minute shopping trip.


----------



## DIYtestdummy (Jan 16, 2008)

Oh geeze - where do I start? This could take weeks!!!!

Bottom line - I don't go there unless there is something there I need at an unbeatable price. I don't say much more than "HI" to the staff, especially since the incident with the kid who insisted on helping me wrench my back with plywood that weighed more than him. "I've got it, ok? Don't hurt yourself, tuffguy." Their hardware is JUNK, and that is IF they have what I'm looking for; they don't carry phillips waferhead machine screws. If they do have the screws, they don't have nuts to match. They DO have the whacky hardware that you see housewives use when their husbands are worthless and too cheap to pay a handyman. I returned a box of deck screws that I snapped 3 off in door trim - I taped one of the faulty screws to prove my return...there it was on the shelf a couple days later with the tape still on it!

ALWAYS disorganized. Every store has a different thrown-into-place layout. Faucets far away from plumbing, sinks next to lumber, door hardware next to electric and doors on the other side of the store. Heater filters seem to be seasonal, so they'd usually be with the Christmas stuff.

HERE is where Lowes is worse than Home De POT in something other than price - the EXIT doors. Lowes DOES NOT let you come in thru the EXIT doors, and they have 3 EXITS on one side of the store and 1 ENTER on the other side.


I gotta stop before it gets dirty.


----------



## mikey48 (Dec 6, 2007)

I always get great service with a smile.


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

We walked into the local Lowe's yesterday, and people where wondering around like Zombies. Line at the Paint Counter, due to only one employee working (this was 1 pm in the Afternoon), some lady stated to her husband in Lighting that she guess that they should find someone. I mentioned to my wife, good luck with that.

Funny thing is, these stores want to keep building, but do not have the employees to keep them staffed, due to there is a line between want & need, and bodies.


----------



## Mooreski (Feb 7, 2008)

What pisses me off most is that I work at HD and when I worked at the store that originally hired me I loved it. The store was run like it should be, the management was great, the staff was awesome and the place was actually organized and well run. 

After 8 months I had to transfer stores because I moved and needed a job where I was moving. Now the store I am in could be run better by monkeys, it is understaffed, the management doesn't care about customers or their employees, the store manager and HR manager work about 20 hours a week and get paid for 40... while I am "part time" and I am there 5 days a week working 32-40 hours a week and making peanuts... 

I went in before Christmas to ask for a raise because they took my transfer wage and I found out from everyone I am making the least per hour in the entire store... So I had to leave a letter for our HR manager in her mail box so she actually knew I wanted to talk to her because shes never there... so a week later she calls me into her office and we talk about a raise... she tells me at the end of January she can bump my pay $1.50 an hour and to come back

Last week I go back and ask her about it... she denies it ever happened and tells me I have to wait until April for my one year raise (although my one year to the day of hiring is in 5 days)... The thing that pissed me off the most though is at the same time on her computer screen she had the pay scale up and I looked and the average salary in the store was just over $12 an hour and I am making $9 and trained in 3 different departments and going on one year with the company... meanwhile new hires are coming on and being paid more than me... 

Needless to say I am job hunting right now


----------



## DIYtestdummy (Jan 16, 2008)

gregzoll said:


> It is called management getting their bonus. Have you thought about going to your state Labor Board? Also documentation helps when reporting. Problem is, when it comes to Corporate America, they worry about the bottom line, but not the workers, due to them all workers are, are slaves.
> 
> Nothing has changed over the years, and nothing will in the future.


I work for the government and we get screwed worse. Nothing will ever change, except the increase of chefs screwing up the soup. Based on my 2007 taxes, I could almost claim to pay my own salary. CIO (worthless) just gave herself and her cronies a raise, and now she is opening a "Deputy CIO" position - basically hiring someone to do her job for her. So much for that $92 million budget increase we are supposed to be cutting. And we, the people that do the actual work, won't see one penny.

Mooreski - you became the bottom man on the totem pole when you transfered. Next time you reach an agreement with HR/management/anybody you deal with, get it in writing. Documents hold up very well in court. Otherwise, they can pretty much get away with murder. There's the door - make sure it says EXIT!

PS - Sherwin Williams is hiring, and I don't think they have drug screening either.


----------



## sammyjk1 (Feb 13, 2008)

What ticks me off about HD and Lowes is their commercials. They always show helpful and knowledgable sales clerks. Every time I see those commercials I want to throw something at the TV. What a farse.


----------



## RobertS (Feb 2, 2008)

I hate it when I need something and it is up on a shelf. It takes 20 minutes to find a employee, they take 20 minutes finding someone that is certified to use a machine to get it down. Then it takes 20 minutes for him to find the lift, and another 20 minutes to find help to block off the isle way. Then when they get it down it is either marked wrong or it is damaged. I honestly spent 30 minutes trying to purchace a new staple gun the other day. After a search to find a person certified to use a ladder, all of the 8 guns marked for staple gun were actualy brad nailers. Then it was the computer inventory search. WHAT A JOKE.


----------



## Contessa777 (Dec 25, 2007)

The experiences you've given could have been written by yours truly. I've found the experience level sorely lacking in many of the Lowe's stores I've visited. 

--Too many times I've had to locate an item for the "kid" who couldn't find the item for me. 
--One time, a "kid" got irritated because he was asked to load the flagstone I purchased into my trunk. It took away from his flirting with the cashier. The display was quite unprofessional. 
--Another time, I asked to have a thick slab of styrofoam cut in half. The clerk simply told me there was no one around to do it. As I walked away, I actually detected her smirking. 

These days, I go to Ace Hardware where service is ready and experienced help is plentiful.


----------



## DIYtestdummy (Jan 16, 2008)

The cuts, lol! If you have anything that needs to be cut make sure you use "proud" measurements. I have even marked the cut with a sharpie and it was still cut wrong. I fudged an inch once and somehow it came out perfect!

Returns. Just last night I had to return a couple of junk 36" (?) towel racks, unopened, same condition as they were on the shelf. I think the girl thought I stole them, since I didn't have the receipt. Yeah, I shoved 'em down my pants and ran out the door! I get a card for in-store credit. After finding somebody that knew where to find door harware that I thought I'd try out the you-scan overcharged me and then it wouldn't take the card. 15 minutes more and the stupid thing wouldn't give me change. I got yet another gift card...

I must be a glutton for punishment.


----------



## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

Once I learned that the *only *thing they can do for me is tell me where something is, I've been OK with HD and Lowes. I don't ask for advice anymore. That's what I use this board is for. FWIW, I love the return policy at HD, I can buy a tool, try it for a week and return it if is subpar.


----------



## hms (Feb 12, 2008)

I live in a relatively small town and until recently we only had HD. I kept watching the new LOWES being built across the street from the HD and thinking that I will never go into that HD again once the LOWES opened. 
WOW... Eye opener for me. The long awaited LOWES store finally opened a couple weeks ago and I was in heaven thinking this would be great. 
If there are any suits from LOWES reading this, pay attention! 
I have now been into the brand NEW LOWES store in our small town and to my amazement, not one time did I find what I needed. NOT ONCE! What the $#@$$! are they thinking. Did they not study the market that they were entering? I was looking for common items. Common especially in our town. 
Lighting timer, dimmer switches, amber light bulbs, log chinking material. They didn't even know what these things were. I was really for some reason suprised at that, they had to hire people from the area to run the store I would think they would be familiar with the products used locally at least. I think they had a special where if you took the job there you got a free hot dog or something. Maybe a free hit of meth with every day you show up to work. 
Needless to say, I shop at my local supply houses and or Ace for the most part. The extra $ is worth paying not to put up with that big corporate bs.
But I don't want to be negative here or anything. Please feel free to shop at these places that very obviosly don't care about their customer base.


----------



## idoelectric (Jul 10, 2007)

After reading all these posts, I can only imagine what it would be like if everyone from here was at HD or Lowes at the same time. It would be one miserable place to be in much less work. I'm in one or the other store on a regular basis and I see it with my own eyes. People tend to be a little arrogant and start talking down to and belittling the employees because they must feel superior since they are more important than everyone else.

One poster mentioned how long it took to get something down with a lift.
The ailses are closed for the safety of all those in the area. A wrong turn or a child running underneath a load from a great height can be tragic. If it takes an hour then so be it, safety is always a first formost priority.

Employees at this stores are not all experts in their department and asking them for advice about something they don't know about isn't worth the crappy attitude and treatment they tend to get.

It's seems as though people, like some of the posters here , for whatever reasons if someone is not there holding their hand or giving them their undivided attention it's the store's fault. Why don't some of you try working at one for a week since you think you could do better. Those stores have a huge amount of inventory with huge responsibilities with employees who may be overworked and underpaid and having to deal with people who dump their crap on them for really no big reason.

The employee who is not satisfied withhis/ her pay, What skills do you have to offer? What kind of experience do you have to negotiate pay with? What level of education have you completed? All these things factor in what an employer is willing to pay an employee and if one doesn't get what they want at the table, they take the job anyway. Absenteeism and frequent tardiness along with poor production will always shoot down chances for a raise. Wondering why someone would stay if they don't like what they're getting paid.

People should lighten up a little and don't play like they are victims at these stores, it's not very attractive to watch people in, yelling and complaining because things don't go their way.

My favorite to watch is when those are asked for their reciepts at the exit when their items are checked over once again and marking the receipts before walking out. 

Have a wonderful day.


----------



## JayBird (Aug 23, 2007)

I'm right here with you fellas, but what sucks is our attitude alone will not change anything. If millions of people finally had their light bulb go off, just maybe it would make a difference.

HD or Lowes isn't going to suffer if a few people decide not to shop there. Thats what bothers me the most.


----------



## oldfrt (Oct 18, 2007)

idoelectric said:


> Oldfrt, Who's qualified enough to say that anyone is qualified or unqualified? Wasn't planning on taking up for the employees but rather stand for them as people who deserves some respect regardless of qualifications.
> 
> IMO, people are already pissed off before they walk through the door and are determined to unload their bs on others.


 
*Who's qualified enough to say that anyone is qualified or unqualified? *

That's up to the employer and how they go about representing and educating each of their employees.

Maybe they should have different colored vests(for each employee) for each level of knowledge or responsibility so the buyers know who to approach for each individual need.

These Big Box stores advertise their own level of expectations in their ads,so maybe the HO's that are already pissed off,have a good reason because of past experiences where their expectations weren't met.
Whatever the reason,it's just an opinion,some people are just venting,nothing will change.

But:
Your point seems to be that people shouldn't expect much from the employees,since they may or may not be qualified?
So don't blame them for only trying to make a living as a wanna be for a wanna be institution.
Just roll with the punches and maybe you'll leave in a reasonable amount of time with possibly the right product.

Sure ,that makes sense to me!??!
I don't mind spending my weekend going back and forth to the store to finally get what I really needed.

As a business,these Stores can make their best impressions on the buyer as they are doing business.That means hiring qualified people.


----------



## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

NothingsLevel said:


> Are you saying that the manager should be capable of doing absolutely every task in the store? Doesn't that sound a bit extreme?


Not extreme at all. In every retail business I've worked in, the manager knew how to do everything in the store, and if someone didn't show up for work for whatever reason, that manager could step in if needed. Maybe we can just chalk it up to the declining work ethic in this country, though.


----------



## aace (Nov 23, 2007)

One for the walmart quality that things are going to. I recently bought a dryer vent for the side of the house. It has 3 plastic flaps that open when the dryer runs.

Well run the dryer, flaps open, plastic expands due to heat from dryer, flaps fall out!


----------



## End Grain (Nov 17, 2007)

I often wonder if the management AND any of the employees working in either of the home offices actually shop in their companies' stores OR their competitors' stores. It seems highly unlikely since so many inefficiencies remain unaddressed.

Case in point #1, the Self-Checkout area and stations are not designed or set up to accomodate typical purchases being made in a home center. They're actually supermarket checkout stations being fudged over to make each store look _state-of-the-art_. More and more, the employee responsible for overseeing these stations becomes just another harried cashier.

Case in point #2, the lack of continuity in the places throughout the stores where themed merchandise is stocked. Take toilet repair parts. The fill and flush valves, along with flappers, bowl gaskets, tank handles, repair parts et al are displayed in the aisle with toilet bowls and toilet seats. Yet, the toilet supply lines are two aisles over interspresed with faucet supply lines, water shut-off valves and PVC/ABS drain components.

I spend a lot of time going up and down aisles to get related stuff when most of it should be grouped together.


----------



## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

End Grain said:


> I often wonder if the management AND any of the employees working in either of the home offices actually shop in their companies' stores OR their competitors' stores. It seems highly unlikely since so many inefficiencies remain unaddressed.
> 
> Case in point #1, the Self-Checkout area and stations are not designed or set up to accomodate typical purchases being made in a home center. They're actually supermarket checkout stations being fudged over to make each store look _state-of-the-art_. More and more, the employee responsible for overseeing these stations becomes just another harried cashier.


Unfortunately, you cannot place the sheet of 3/4 plywood onto the scale
after scanning. You cannot ring up the item you picked that doesn't have a UPC on it. And plants don't have a set weight either. There oughta be a sign "prepackaged, off the shelf non live items ONLY." 




> Case in point #2, the lack of continuity in the places throughout the stores where themed merchandise is stocked. Take toilet repair parts. The fill and flush valves, along with flappers, bowl gaskets, tank handles, repair parts et al are displayed in the aisle with toilet bowls and toilet seats. Yet, the toilet supply lines are two aisles over interspresed with faucet supply lines, water shut-off valves and PVC/ABS drain components.
> 
> I spend a lot of time going up and down aisles to get related stuff when most of it should be grouped together.


If you're spending time up and down the asiles looking for related items, then the retailers and plan-o-grammers have done their job correctly. The goal is to NOT get you out of the store as quickly as possible.


----------



## rsmith1024 (Dec 17, 2007)

The fact that when I need a piece of wood cut or fitted it takes 20 minutes to find an employee who knows how to work the table saw! Something I could do myself if they allowed.....absolutely ridiculous.


----------



## canadaclub (Oct 19, 2006)

Lowes just had a grand opening here in the Toronto area. A very famous local radio talk show host was airing from one of the sites. Good Gravy, you should have heard him!!

"WOW, Look at that...3 customers in a line up and here comes another cashier to open up. That's what you can expect from Lowes."

"Lowes hires only professional staff to assist you. These people really know their stuff."

Talk about wanting to puke!


----------



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

well, my chief complaint is the pain in the a$$ of doing self checkout with their new machines, and the things having issues with the weight of products (like having to ask the woman to reset it 20 times because you have 20 packets of seeds that aren't registering on the weight tray). Also when they're low on employees and you can't find something.

In the past, I would've said:
- poor quality products (specifically in paint choices)
- dumb employees

However, I just started playing with even the most basic renovations a year ago when I bought a fixer-upper that I'm almost done with. Home depot is ~5min from my house. No matter how much the employees suck or how I cannot get, say, superpaint there, I just view home depot for what it is - a place where I can go to 1 store and grab an insane variety of stuff from birdseed/garden crap, to paint supplies, lumber, appliances, fixtures, hardware, etc. It's a big box shop so you have the same problems inherent in a best buy, GNC, etc that are ALWAYS present when you compare these major companies to smaller, more sophisticated operations. Just gotta take it for what it's worth, when I need good paint or paint advice I only go to sherwin williams, when I have an insanely varied list I can leave and be back in about 45 minutes, where if there was no home depot, it'd be hours and hours (lumber yard, hardware store, nursery, etc). I guess what I mean is I've lost the expectations of them being there to assist me greatly or anything like that and just take it for what it's worth, and it's certainly been invaluable to me in the past year (this house I bought was my first, just graduated college and moved across country - I don't know anyone here, so a lot of things are a problem since I don't have a truck - but that's okay, since home depot just rents me one  ).


----------



## DepotDweller (Dec 20, 2007)

Sorry guys, but I LOVE my Home Depot. I learn something new just about every time I go in there, be it indoors or outdoors in the garden center. I rarely have to look for more than a minute or two for someone to help me, but mind you, I'm not shy..........have never really heard hubby complain either. Only one incident I had recently was in the paint dept looking for my usual brand of wall patch. An unfamiar face at the counter tried telling me what I'm looking for not only doesn't exist, but was never carried there, in a nice condensending tone :furious: so I went home and sure enough, found the old package and went back to "check again". Oh, he said, that was here as a special, we no longer carry it. But nooooooooo, had to try to humiliate me in front of all, didn't work. S*%thead. That was one incident in about 10 yrs, not bad.

Lowes, however, is a ghost town. But their lamps, mirrors, ceiling fans and plumbing fixtures are much nicer than what hd carries.


----------



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

I should've mentioned it's highly variable store to store, time to time, as well. The home depot that's a bit further from me has MUCH better help, I actually drive there on occasion just to get my landscape/nursery stuff because the people at that location's nursery actually understand planting/lawns in FL to a decent degree. The people at the one near me basically just try to answer your question by reading a package label to you, like you were illiterate or something lol!


----------



## DepotDweller (Dec 20, 2007)

joeyboy said:


> nursery actually understand planting/lawns in FL to a decent degree. The people at the one near me basically just try to answer your question by reading a package label to you, like you were illiterate or something lol!


uh huh, haha.....has happened to me, but I found one lady who knows her stuff and I finally succeeded in a good batch of pointsettas planted in the ground that took!! I've succeeded b4, but it never lasted more than one or two seasons. I'll wait 5 minutes for her b4 I'll talk to someone else whose ready and willing to help, I'd rather have the able! :thumbsup:


----------



## USP45 (Dec 14, 2007)

I hate it all. Especially because HD's employees watched me load 12 sheets of 4x12x1/2 sheetrock by myself. Even when I was outside loading it into my ven there was several HD employees standing around. Not one offered to help.


----------



## NothingsLevel (Aug 27, 2006)

USP45 said:


> I hate it all. Especially because HD's employees watched me load 12 sheets of 4x12x1/2 sheetrock by myself. Even when I was outside loading it into my ven there was several HD employees standing around. Not one offered to help.


Like I said earlier regarding cutting lumber, it comes down to liability & insurance.

When I redid my front sidewalk in October (replaced a lousy, dangerous, [email protected]$$ "natural" stone path with pavers), Lowe's gladly loaded all the materials onto one of their "loaner" trucks for me to haul home; if I'd chosen to use my own vehicle, they'd take everything to my parking space and leave it to me to load.

The company doesn't want to be held responsible for any damage to your vehicle, so their employees *can't* help you load that stuff into your vehicle.


----------



## mikebal (Feb 27, 2008)

Overcharging, plain and simple, is the thing that pisses me off the most. Wherever I go with a list of stuff I need for a project, I always find something going into the cart at a price much higher than what everyone else charges. Whether it's nuts and bolts or plastic sheeting or a pair of scissors, it's always something. HD and Lowes are not the only businesses playing this game, but they are as bad or worse than anyone. So if I don't buy that $3.50 drop cloth that everyone else charges a dollar for, then I have to stop at another place. Having things packaged so that I have to buy a ton more than I need is more of the same. If I need three screws and I have to buy 300, the net result to me is the same as overcharging, even if the price per screw is reasonable. HD and Lowes have created an image that makes you think you are saving money, but in the end, you may or may not. Buyer beware.


----------



## gone_fishing (Jan 5, 2008)

I know the hand full of HD guys at my local store that know what they are talking about. My complaint is that they rarely have everything I need.


----------



## JDC (Mar 11, 2008)

I hate that they sell items that aren't code compliant. How about going with the adage "fix it once FIX IT RIGHT" !

In addition, the advice most (I said MOST, not all) of the employees in the plumbing department give out makes me cringe. I've been in there to get something trivial (most major plumbing purchases for me are from a plumbing supply house) and have actually butted in when I've heard someone learning how to hook up a CROSS CONNECTION. Yeah, the advice wasnt just erroneous, but actually dangerous. Anything for a sale huh?


----------



## joeyboy (Apr 10, 2007)

tigerbalm2424 said:


> Yeah, its horrible to think that a company wants to make money isnt it?:laughing: It sounds like they are doing a good job if even people pissed off about it still shop there and continue to buy their overpriced products even though that individual knows its much less expensive somewhere else!


heh, wrote the same thing, albeit not as polite, and just didn't submit. Well said. Yeah, some things are overpriced - it's up to the consumer to determine if it's better to just buy what they need all at home depot, or go to several stores to get the best prices. Factor in the gas spent, factor in the value of your time, and surely you can figure out whether you wanna go to HD to get most of what ya needed, or hit up several stores to get it.


----------



## mgarfield (Jan 27, 2008)

A few months ago I was helping a buddy redo a bathroom and bedroom. We loaded about 30 2x4s 20 or so sheets of drywall, a few bags of mud mix and some other misc stuff onto carts got in line behind several other large purchases and said, F this. Left the carts inline, left the store and went to the local lumber yard where they loaded everything into the truck for us! :thumbup: 

I hate that I can get sucked into that store for an hour at a time
I hate that anything you ask anyone you get :huh: 
I hate their F ing **** buckets, I had to mix mud in one once, not by choice, I had all these little orange bucket bits in my mud!
I hate their paint 
I hate their store layout or lack there of

When I have all day or time to kill I love standing in the contractor line thats a mile long with a box of light bulbs and tell all the puzzled employees, "Ill wait" instead of using the self checkout! Once I had a manager come up to me and say sir we do have the self checkout, I responded no I will wait and allow a real person to assist me. His look was slightly confused and a little pissy.

I do love their cashiers though, when you can get one. They often miss things properly placed on the cart. I love a legit freebee.

Oh and I love cutting my own moldings, 8ft 7inches is not 9 ft, so we'll call it 8. And if you need 4 nice straight 8ft sections take them out of the middle of 4 different 16 footers! Thats where the straight pieces are in the middle!! :yes:


----------



## pcampbell (Feb 7, 2008)

We are trying to buy cabinets from them, but they will not tell us the dimensions of the cabinets unless I ask EACH INDIVIDUAL CABINET because they don't want us to take their measurements (which are all off) and go elsewhere. The reason I want to know is because I have measured and I want to make sure we are maximizing the space, while not trying to fit cabinets where there isn't room.


----------



## Educator (Jan 1, 2008)

*External Replacement Door - 6 Months and Counting*

I think any retailer is going to have good and bad customer experiences. So, perhaps it's not fair to pick on the big box global building supply retailers. 

However, on Sept 12th we saw an flyer in the local paper from one of them stating 20% off exterior doors. We went the next day, Sept 13th. Today is March 14th, and the installation remains unfinished. They were supposed to come out two days ago, along with a 'service manager' to confirm that the last of the unfinished installation tasks were done (except one which I'll mention below) and no on showed up. No phone call, nothing. :furious: 

So, a full 6 months plus 1 day later after we started with ordering the 'professional' measurement of our door opening from the big box building supplies retailer we still do not have a replacement finished front door.

Oh, the last item to be 'fixed' on the new replacement front door. There was a 'fibre tear' within the glass insert caused by a manufacturing defect. The 'service manager' came out to inspect and, and said that the next time we would hear about would be either from the door manufacturer who would need to send their own inspector out or from the big box building supply retailer to confirm that they will replace the glass insert. That was three weeks ago. Nothing. Dead silence on that one.  

It has been quite an adventure. We have started to write about it on our blog. Today's article is Part 4; we are up to Part 15 (we've written ahead so we don't forget). If you want to see our experience (and share any advice how we can get closure to this) feel free to visit our blog and read about these 'adventures'; here's the link to the Part 1 posting.

If we knew this could happen, we would never have started.


----------



## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

The lessons learned here are clear. Do not walk into a discount warehouse home center and expect attentive, knowledgable customer service, or top of the line quality goods.

What I find amazing is the number of people who pay 1/2 the regular rate for something, and then are suprised to have a "horror story," as if it wasn't unreasonable to expect that the discounter is supposed to do as good a job as a full service supplier. 

You bought a Neon, don't expect a BMW.


----------



## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

what I don't like about Home Depot is ... some of their stuff is too pricy...

some of the stuff are reasonable cost.... but some are way out like a robery.... they gives you convenience.... and freedom to buy.... but doesn't mean they can profit like 1000% ....


----------



## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

Joe Carola said:


> People just love to complain. They complain about HD and yet they keep going back. Makes no sense.


It amazes me that people actually believe the $199.00 Murray mower at HD is the same as the $249.00 mower at the garden center.


----------



## wfischer (Dec 29, 2007)

DepotDweller said:


> You go to home depot just to buy lightbulbs?????  :no:


Personally, I've gone to HD just for light bulbs too. I'm slowly converting to CFLs throughout the house, and the multi-packs that HD sells are of decent quality for a decent price. I once bought some at Costco, and they're horrible compared to the ones from HD. Plus, at least in my small town, HD carries a lot of those odd-sized bulbs you can't find anywhere else.


----------



## DepotDweller (Dec 20, 2007)

wfischer said:


> Personally, I've gone to HD just for light bulbs too. I'm slowly converting to CFLs throughout the house, and the multi-packs that HD sells are of decent quality for a decent price. I once bought some at Costco, and they're horrible compared to the ones from HD. Plus, at least in my small town, HD carries a lot of those odd-sized bulbs you can't find anywhere else.


 
Me going to HD for just lightbulbs is like me going to Publix for just a loaf of bread......it aint gonna happen. :no: I've heard those cfl's can be hazaardous if/when broken. They let off some sort of toxins that inhaled, isn't so good for ya..........not that we break lightbulbs much around here..........heh. I pick up lightbulbs at wally world or the grocery store, or if i'm already in hd, but i would never go there just for a lightbulb <shrug>


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

Food for Thought: If you go in there on a Saturday, which is the busiest day, since every DIYer is there, you are going to find long lines. Espcially between 9 and 11 am.


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

I had a pre-scheduled meeting in the backroom at a HD this past Monday. 
They had pulled up our yearly sales from them for 2007.
The local contractor accts manager, regional contractor accts manager, and a few others were there.

Them: _"We'd like to ask.....Where do you have been purchasing your materials from?"_

Me:
_"We buy all our lumber from XXXXX_
_We buy all our tile and flooring from XXXX_
_We buy all our drywall from XXXXX_
_We buy all our roofing from XXXXX_
_We buy all our siding from XXXX_
_We buy all our steel framing and steel doors from XXXX_
_Etc, etc..."_

Them: "_We want ALL your business. What can we do to get you to buy all your materials here. We promise that we will give you the best prices. We will beat everyone's prices......blah, blah,blah....give us a chanvce...."_

Now, we get a straight discount down the line for everything we purchase from HD (Due to our volume). + misc. additional perks and discounts. We generally purchase incidental items and small quantities from them.

Me: _"OK, I'll give you guys a try, and see if you can beat my other supplier's prices."_

Wednesday, I am out on the road, by the end of the day, I have 10 new project estimates to do. Thursday morning, I get a call from one client. They need the tile portion estimate of the project ASAP to submit for approval. I call good ole HD. Tell them I need the quote ASAP. I type up the estimate (minus the numbers), and wait for the call back.....30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours...
I call back, ask for the guy that I spoke to. They tell me: _"Oh, he's gone to lunch..."_

Ok, so much for doing whatever needs to be done to get our business. I explain the situation, and tell them, I have to call my normal supplier. He gets me detailed information in 15 minutes. Done! - Estimate faxed.

Friday, I am in that HD store, at the contractors desk. They apologize. I tell them, it's ok. _"That matter was business. I am not mad at anyone, I just needed an answer pronto."_

They say: "_Well....give us some more estimates, give us another chance..."_

I say: _"Ummm, ok. We'll, I dropped off 5 project material estimates last month for you guys to take a wack at beating the costs on. After 3 weeks, I am still waiting on 4 of them..."_
Their response, they can't find them, can I make some copies and fax them over....:whistling2:

FWIW: We get normal quotes right over the phone from our regular suppliers. The most we have to wait for a call-back or a faxed materials layout is 15 minutes.


----------



## Wood Butcher (Feb 24, 2008)

I can't understand why they just done focus on what they are good at, which is a GREAT place for the DIY trade, period. 

They spend so much time price chopping that they forget that the pro user is more than willing to pay for service in most cases. 

For a DIY'er price is everything, if you are doing the job yourself for yourself, all it cost is the materials.

for the pro user materials is often the smallest line item when costing a job, but for some reason they can't get their heads around this concept.


----------



## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

Wood Butcher said:


> I can't understand why they just done focus on what they are good at, which is a GREAT place for the DIY trade, period.
> 
> They spend so much time price chopping that they forget that the pro user is more than willing to pay for service in most cases.
> 
> ...


Their sales are way down. Especially their new residential construction material sales. So they are trying to drum up profit, anyway they can.


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 1, 2007)

DepotDweller said:


> Me going to HD for just lightbulbs is like me going to Publix for just a loaf of bread......it aint gonna happen. :no: I've heard those cfl's can be hazaardous if/when broken. They let off some sort of toxins that inhaled, isn't so good for ya..........not that we break lightbulbs much around here..........heh. I pick up lightbulbs at wally world or the grocery store, or if i'm already in hd, but i would never go there just for a lightbulb <shrug>


I prefer to go to HD or Lowes over a trip to wallmart.


----------



## terri_and_jj (Feb 24, 2008)

Workaholic said:


> I prefer to go to HD or Lowes over a trip to wallmart.


me too, but the sad thing is more often than not walmart and many other places are cheaper than depot or lowes on many identical things. they have to make a profit on things, so they slash the prices on power tools and sheet goods, then make it up on sandpaper, screws and the like


----------



## JayBird (Aug 23, 2007)

I was at Lowes last night looking for a plumb bob. I know what one is and I was just browsing the tool section looking for it. Employee walks up, "sir do you need help with something" (that was appreciative) yes, I'm looking for a plumb bob.....worker: Huh? a plumb bob, what is that"? I explain to him what it was and he tells me he has no idea what it is, but has an idea where it may be located. He took me to the general location and whola! 

He had an idea but not really and idea....


----------



## Educator (Jan 1, 2008)

FWIW, 

Today marks 6 months and a week from when we first went to one of the big box stores to order a replacement for our front door due to the ad in the paper for 20% off.

Installation still not finished. Now dealing with the 4th 'customer service' rep. of the big box building supply retailer.

I wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't happening to us.


----------



## kimberland30 (Jan 22, 2008)

I find it iffy at either store. It's true about what times to go, forget a Saturday morning or even a Friday night on a nice spring day. I usually go during my lunch break or during a week night and it isn't too bad.

A couple months ago I had to pick up a few feet of trim - thanks to DH underestimating how many feet we needed (yeah, don't listen to the WIFE or anything). :wink: I asked for help since they come in 16' lengths and I didn't want to start an avalance of crown molding. Well, I had to actually FIND someone first, then that person wasn't 'authorized' to take down the trim...so he had to call someone else. WTF is that? When nobody showed up, I decided to take matters into my own hands (this is after about 15 minutes of waiting), I took down the trim, cut it, and only AFTER I was on my way to the cashier did someone ask me if I needed help. It's like how hubby asks if I need help bringing in the groceries when I've already unloaded the car, KWIM?

I go to our local ACE Hardware when I have a quick trip to make, but they are so expensive that if I have more items, I'll go to L or HD. But I don't like it!


----------



## mgarfield (Jan 27, 2008)

DepotDweller said:


> You go to home depot just to buy lightbulbs?????  :no:



I might, there are 3 HD stores close to me 1 Lowes. I may stop in after work and pick up something small, usually I have time to kill before wifey gets home for dinner and I pass right by the store. 

I will often go there on a day off and walk around the store looking at different things to get ideas for my DIY projects. Not from the staff, god no, measurements of cabinets/styles, shelving units things like that. Its a good place to see a lot of different options for materials. Or, if I need 2 2x4 or one light switch its easier to go there than the lumber yard or elec supply. But all my large purchases are made from the local suppliers, cheeper, better quality and service and they load for you!


----------



## sammyjk1 (Feb 13, 2008)

HandyPete said:


> Listen-up, you get what you pay for (so stop complaining). All you folks have the option of buying somewhere else!
> 
> Look around your town and you'll find plenty of other places to buy your supplies from...:yes:
> 
> ...


Pete;
We are not the ones running advetisements showing competent help and plenty of it. Lowes and Home Depot are. They build the expectations.


----------



## Tool-Girl (Mar 26, 2008)

Having new windows put in and the job is half done. They didn't measure them correctly and now have to make the window frames larger!! grrrr.


----------



## Dusty (Aug 9, 2006)

I haven't been into a HD for about 8 mos now (we have no Lowes here so I can't comment on them). I've been doing a lot of work on my new to me old house so had a few reasons to be wandering in there. Anyway about this time last year I wanted an estimate for tiling my bathroom so went in. The staffer in the area told me that to get an estimate I'd have to make an appointment with their specialists so I did that because all I could find out at that time was the price of the materials. Another trip in, having to fill out some forms, asking what the average price per sq. ft would be for install and being told there was no way to say so I'd better have someone come out... that'll be $50. I said no way as every other store I had been in could give me at least a ballpark figure for something as common as the area around the bathtub especially since I knew what type of tile I wanted. If they could tell me the price and I thought it was okay, I wouldn't mind paying for a final measure but I was not paying for a simple quote on a simple job just to get an idea of the price.

What really did it to me was a call I made to HD customer service (where ever they are... head office in the US somewhere) because the very next week I got a flyer advertising free estimates for their installs. The rep put us on conference call to the store manager who said it was their policy to charge for estimates and no, he couldn't say what the average cost might be first and then hung up on us. Rep asked me what I'd like to do and I couldn't believe she had to ask. She'd been hung up on by a store while making an official enquiry and didn't know what to do? Now something tells me that when a head office type calls a branch and the branch hangs up on them, they should know what to do.

Flash forward when I was looking at countertops last summer. They had installed one in my last house so I figured this might still be okay. The last time they did a educated guesstimate and then once I knew the price, yes I paid $50 for a measure. No biggie as I already knew the price and was fine with it. 

So in I went and spoke with not 1, but 2 guys in the area (go figure, more staff than customers...), neither of whom apparently were authorized to calculate how much a whole 10' kitchen counter would be. I'd have to make an appt. So I asked if I would be able to find out the price then and was told no, it was to fill out forms for an estimate, cost $150 (nevermind neither of these 2 clowns were allowed to fill out forms either)! Of course they are still advertising free estimates... Apparently any estimate done by the store for any service was now $150, even the ones they used to at least partially do in the store.

Their biggest competitor here (a similar large operation called Rona) could give me a quote for free (on the spot) and would charge $50 for a measure. Two other stores I went to would do the measure for free after also giving me a quote on the spot, some others do charge for measures but can still provide a ballpark figure first, but not HD. After questioning them on their advertising I was told it didn't apply to this region as someone has deemed it too time consuming to give customers quotes on such things without compensation lest they buy somewhere else. The nerve of some customers I guess. Imagine, wanting to know a price of something being too much for a store to provide. What kind of crazy customers we all must be.

So I just don't go there anymore. Between that and the self checkouts which nag and nag and nag because there is something on the bed (it's called my purse, which I have to put down to scan and bag things thank you for not providing for such things) I have no desire to go back. Luckily there are enough really good independents and other stores I can go to who actually seem to want customers that I don't need HD anymore.


----------



## DepotDweller (Dec 20, 2007)

Wow, lots of people with lots of gripes............it seems the majority of problems are with the staff. Maybe a call or email about them is in order. I LOVE my Home Depot. The same people have been there for a long time in the main departments, it's just the cashiers that change, and they're not all that personable, so I prefer the self check-out. 

To the woman with the purse problem at the self-check out, there's a shelf to the RIGHT of the keyboard and scanner for that. The only time I have a problem there is having a heavy item, and there's ALWAYS someone right there to help. <shrug>

I also see nothing unreasonable about putting $150. down towards a complete measure if I'm planning on using their services. It's put towards the purchase once you place your order. I signed on the dotted line last week for a new kitchen. Yes, it's more expensive than the local places, but being in South Florida, I've seen too many places close their doors after making their money, and running. Transients..  Got my laminate floor wet one year and had a problem, called the place I bought it from and had install and guess what? Out of business. Screw that........You get what you pay for! I'm more than happy to pay more with the security and satisfaction of knowing if there's any problem, I have a big, secure company to go to. 

I rarely go in there on the weekends, unless it's nice and early, and NEVER go to return something on a weekend either. If you have no patience, or little, it's the wrong place to go, and expecting no lines and plenty of available help is setting yourself up for aggravation. Common sense folks.


----------



## pdks (Apr 14, 2008)

My local HD is convenient and often fine. At times, they drive me nuts.

I needed to replace the interior workings of a running toilet. I purchase an 'all-in-one' kit from HD. Got it home. A critical part was missing.

Back I go. Stand in line. Get my money back. Pick up another kit ...this time I check to see if the part is there ...it is. Home I go, install it ...almost. A different part is missing from the second kit! 

Yes I should have noticed, but I didn't. Their inventory can get so picked over and molested that you never know what you've getting.


----------



## Dusty (Aug 9, 2006)

DepotDweller said:


> To the woman with the purse problem at the self-check out, there's a shelf to the RIGHT of the keyboard and scanner for that. The only time I have a problem there is having a heavy item, and there's ALWAYS someone right there to help. <shrug>


Your checkouts must be different. There is no place anywhere on the ones here to rest anything except on the scanner bed or the floor so if you don't happen to have a cart and have two or three items it's a total pain to try and not put the purse on the scanner while managing the merchandise and keypad. Also there just aren't staff in those areas to help. You end up having to get a cashier away from their till if there is an issue which really goes over big with people in that line.



DepotDweller said:


> I also see nothing unreasonable about putting $150. down towards a complete measure if I'm planning on using their services. It's put towards the purchase once you place your order.


The $150 isn't for a measure though, it's a charge for getting any sense of installed price. My bet is before you paid for that measure you had the price of the cabinets and some sense of what a kitchen of your size would cost to install before you paid for that final measure. That wouldn't happen here now although it used to operate that way. Now you could bring in all your dimensions, they could lay it out for you, price up the cupboards and counters, but you would pay for the measure before you got any sense of the costs. So you are flying blind until you pay that fee. In essence paying that fee for the privilege of knowing how they compare to the other places you have had quote the job (for nothing). 

So if you are shopping for things like flooring, tile, or counter install instead of going in and finding out that your materials cost x and the labour will be approximately $xx/sq ft, you only know materials unless you want to pay $150. Sure it comes off the work but when you are told to get at least 3 quotes for jobs, that could be $450 just to get estimates if everyone played that game. It makes no sense when I can walk into other stores or be told on the phone by a trade that labour is $2.50/sq ft, $10/sq/ft, $30/sq/ft. When I have 60 sq. ft of tile to do and know other places are charging between $10 - $25.50/sq. ft and HD wants me to pay $150 just to find out where they are in that scale, no chance. As I said, when I did my counter in the last house, I knew in the store, what cost per running foot and cost per sq.ft was instantly and then I could pay for a final measure which isn't an issue for me as I already know the approximate price of the job, no big surprises. They used to have it posted by the samples, but not now. They know the costs, but won't tell you now.. unless you pay first. Paying $150 non-refundable charge just to get an estimate isn't standard around here at all and I regard it as unreasonable.

I have also found that on some things they are overpriced. Before all this extra charging, they came and quoted windows for me (for free!) and were 30% above Sears and almost double what a local (reputable) company charges for the same windows. Now it would cost me $150 to find that out. They are gouging on a lot of these services and to charge a big non-refundable fee just to get an approximate price is further gouging.

I'm self employed and know full well what it costs to do an estimate but it's part of doing business, and when a supposedly experienced store offering the service can't ballpark for standard work right in the store (when they are charging by something as fixed as sq/ft.) something is wrong IMO. Ten running feet of standard counter is easy to calculate, as is 60 sq/ft of tile but apparently they aren't willing to do that anymore. My guess is the stores here really don't want to deal with installs or they wouldn't be pulling this. Given their work is usually higher in cost and at best comparable to their competitors, what is anyone's incentive to pay that fee when they can go elsewhere and only pay once they have an estimate of costs? What's worse is always advertising free estimates when in fact around here there is no such thing, on any install service, at HD.


----------



## DepotDweller (Dec 20, 2007)

I can see how frustrating that could be, I guess cuz I'm in such a populated area <south florida> we are fully staffed. There's a podium set right in the center of 4 of the self-checkout registers where an employee is always stationed at to assist. So there's no hunting down a cashier for help, there's always someone there. 

As I was designing my kitchen with the assosiate, several people walked up at different times and asked how much an install was, he told them a round about figure from the top of his head. They cost more cuz they hire out contractors and of course, have to make money themselves. LIke I said though, i know i'm paying more, but I feel the security is worth it. But that's just me. 

When I first was confronted by the kitchen associate i asked "what's an approximate 12X20 kitchen gonna run me, middle of the road quality" and he actually did a great job giving me a guestimate, it's damn close to what it came out to.

Being in South Florida, with all the hurricanes/hurricane scares, I'm guessing it's why our stores are so well staffed.


----------



## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

Dusty said:


> What really did it to me was a call I made to HD customer service (where ever they are... head office in the US somewhere) because the very next week I got a flyer advertising free estimates for their installs. The rep put us on conference call to the store manager who said it was their policy to charge for estimates and no, he couldn't say what the average cost might be first and then hung up on us. Rep asked me what I'd like to do and I couldn't believe she had to ask. She'd been hung up on by a store while making an official enquiry and didn't know what to do? Now something tells me that when a head office type calls a branch and the branch hangs up on them, they should know what to do.


You just don't understand corporate-speak. "Free" doesn't necessarily mean it WILL be free, it means it COULD be free. In Home Depot's "Free estimate" case, it's free IF you purchase the install. Otherwise, you're out the estimate / measuring service.

The HD manager that hung up on the rep was absolutely correct to do so. He was put into a position where the corporate office rep was making the situation look like it's his fault, when in fact it isn't. This is HD's policy on all their "free" services.


----------



## Dusty (Aug 9, 2006)

LawnGuyLandSparky said:


> You just don't understand corporate-speak. "Free" doesn't necessarily mean it WILL be free, it means it COULD be free. In Home Depot's "Free estimate" case, it's free IF you purchase the install. Otherwise, you're out the estimate / measuring service.
> 
> The HD manager that hung up on the rep was absolutely correct to do so. He was put into a position where the corporate office rep was making the situation look like it's his fault, when in fact it isn't. This is HD's policy on all their "free" services.


I don't agree. Many of their install services/quotes/measures are indeed free whether you end up using them in the end or not. It's all part of getting quotes for work and was no problem here before. I know for a fact, windows, floors, were free, no cost other than the job itself. With the kitchen measures etc. you always had an estimated price, in writing, before paying for any measures. That is not the case now, you pay to find out price.

As far as hanging up on someone, IMO there is virtually never justification for such rudeness particularly when someone is asking about something in a polite and respectful manner. No excuse especially from someone allegedly trained in customer service techniques. It was not a discussion to blame but to find out why services which are available throughout the chain for no charge are not available in this area any longer and whether or not customers can get in store prices on things like installs/sq/ft or not. That's not blame, that's a legitimate query given their N.American advertising, website info, and typical operating policies within the corporation. When a head office is calling in particular I would expect someone to be on their best behaviour because if that is how they react to a reasonable question from their corporate headquarters you can imagine what customers are running into. I've worked in mgnt in retail, and would have fired someone on the spot for reacting the way that clown did. I can't imagine what the staff who are trying hard to do their jobs properly are up against if that is the attitude of their manager.


----------



## Dusty (Aug 9, 2006)

DepotDweller said:


> I can see how frustrating that could be, I guess cuz I'm in such a populated area <south florida> we are fully staffed. There's a podium set right in the center of 4 of the self-checkout registers where an employee is always stationed at to assist. So there's no hunting down a cashier for help, there's always someone there.
> 
> As I was designing my kitchen with the assosiate, several people walked up at different times and asked how much an install was, he told them a round about figure from the top of his head. They cost more cuz they hire out contractors and of course, have to make money themselves. LIke I said though, i know i'm paying more, but I feel the security is worth it. But that's just me.
> 
> ...


And your experience is as it should be IMO but that isn't the case around here anymore. Typically there might be one or two cashiers for the whole store at any given time, you're lucky if you can get a shopping cart through isles because of stock all over the place, and it's frustrating all around for staff and customers. Half the time it's customers helping other customers when it comes to getting info on products. They just aren't staffing and I'm sure much of it has to do with a labour shortage we have around here, but oddly enough the employers who treat their staff well, have staff so that says a lot. My logic says when you are short staffed you leave prices etc. posted but instead they took them all down... go figure.


----------



## Hobb3s (Apr 2, 2008)

I don't know if anyone mentioned RENO Depot, but I've been to 2 different ones this week several times. Their customer service sucks in comparison to HD. We were trying to buy an medicine cabinet that one RENO told us the other had 4 in stock of. So we went across town to the other one. First since it wasn't 'on display' they told us they don't carry that item. We fought with them for a bit and insisted that they don't carry it. So as we were talking to the first guy another guy walks by, and I raise the question to him. So they both go off checking their computers and looking around. Finally someone in the know shows up and he checks around, 5 aisles away not even with similar products he finds their stock of them. He shows us them and we tell him we'd like to open the box, because at the other store the reason they sent us here was their last one was damaged. So he mutters yeah, and walks away. So I'm standing there with my pregnant wife and a huge box on a shelf, I had to go and track someone else down to help me cut open the box and get the mirrored cabinet out to see if it was damaged. 
So, ok while we're here I want to pick up the insulation we need, ask some one where it is.. the 'lumber yard'. ok, down this aisle, down this aisle and there's a big door.. you can't go out here with products from in store. wtf, I just wanted a roll of vapour barrier and to check out the insulation, so first I have to go pay for the some of the things I've picked up so I can pick up more and pay for them afterwards. argh.

Besides that the stores are tremendously messy, we had problems getting their own carts down most of their aisles, having to take random routes just to get out. Needless to say we were getting frustrated, then my wife looks up and notices something, hey they don't have strapping in front of all the big boxes up high in the aisles to prevent something from accidentally falling and crushing someone. I never really paid it any notice, but for a pregnant lady with a protective instinct, she didn't want to be in the aisles anymore. 

I wouldn't recommend RENO depot to anyone.


----------



## DIYtestdummy (Jan 16, 2008)

I stopped in again yesterday to get some facing lumber with the in-store credit card I got for returning some of Home Depot's crap. Did I mention they have the worst and most warped and crooked wood I've ever seen? Took me at least 30 minutes to find some decent pieces. Not to mention I stood at the checkout for a while when the cashiers were over in the corner gossiping. I know they get payed crapily, but do your job or find another.


----------



## DK75 (Jan 9, 2006)

I couldn't help but chime in on this one. It is like putting the bait out there. 

Anyways, I agree with the previous post. Ever since these automated check out machines went in, they have less and less personnel at the registers. If you are buying anything with a cost/dimension, without a UPC, or loose hardware, you can expect a long check out time and complete confusion. 

ALSO, HD formerly carried a ready to assemble line of cabinets and door fronts. I needed to install two cabinet doors under a breakfast bar. Note: I was making the cabinet myself and could conform to any size doors, therefore the stocked and premade doors would have been perfect. Well they no longer carry these in the store and have to ordered. This means they are going to cost me twice as much and with a leadtime. 

I ended up buying a sheet of MDF and making my own with a new router bit purchased (at least I got a new tool out of the project!). 

I am in the manufacturing business and can sympathize wtih their desire to reduce inventories. However it is not like before when a hardware store was a place for a quick drive to get all the supplies you need. Now they are "home centers" catering to more cleanign and cosmetics. 

Enough ranting for now. Keep up the good work.


----------



## tribe_fan (May 18, 2006)

Didn't know where to put this - thought it would fit here.


5 YR. OLD'S FIRST JOB 

Here's a truly heartwarming story about the bond formed between a little 5 year old girl and some construction workers that will make you believe that we all can make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time. 

A young family moved into a house, next to a vacant lot. One day, a construction crew began to build a house on the empty lot. The young family's 5 year old daughter naturally took an interest in the goings on and spent much of each day observing the workers. 

Eventually the construction crew, all of them "gems-in-the rough", more or less, adopted her as a kind of project mascot. They chatted with her during coffee and lunch breaks and gave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important. At the end of the first week, they even presented her with a pay envelope containing ten dollars. 

The little girl took this home to her mother who suggested that she take her ten dollars "pay" she'd received to the bank the next day to start a savings account. When the girl and her mom got to the bank, the teller was equally impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age. The little girl proudly replied, "I worked last week with a real construction crew building the new house next door to us." "Oh my goodness gracious," said the teller, "and will you be working on the house again this week, too?" The little girl replied, " I will, if those ***holes at Home Depot ever deliver the f---in' sheet rock."


----------



## krankykitty (May 16, 2008)

*sometimes good... sometimes not...*

Ok, so I am the true DIYer. Not a contractor (though I worked for one for a while) just a homeowner that has figured out that if I really want work done on my house done the way I want it... I best do it myself.

No issues there.

So yeah, sometimes I know exactly what the widget I want is, does, and how it looks. I just don't know what the industry jargon is for that widget. So I go to HD, paw through their racks of widgets, find the one I need, and go about my merry business. I stopped even attempting to ask the people that worked there questions a long time ago.

But then you have those times you MUST have some customer service.

Like the day I needed a new skillsaw.

Ok, so I guess I didn't mention I'm a 5'5'' girl.

Well... for what I needed it for, the cheapy skillsaw that was on sale would work just fine. I was out of my own town, visiting a friend, and helping them put up some privacy fence. No way was I going to drag the darn saw back on the airplane with me, so for trimming a few pickets, the cheap route was the way to go. And check it out... it was even on SALE:thumbup:.

Except the only one left in the store, while still in plain veiw, was way the hell up the rack, like 30' in the air.

Yeah, just try to get one of their "customer service" people to help you out getting that puppy down.

The first guy I asked was like, "Honey, if you are buying that as a gift for your husband, maybe you should buy a better saw."

Ah, the upsell. Or maybe he was too lazy to get the stair thing. Or a forklift or cherrypicker.

In any case, after waiting around for about 20 minutes for help, I finally started to climb the rack to get the saw.:furious:

Someone finally assisted me.

So yeah, there are things I hate about HD.

But truth be told, some of my experiences a locally owned and operated hardware stores haven't been the greatest.

I went to the local place looking for glazing putty. I have 26 windows to do. I needed the big tub.

And the "gentleman" behind the counter spent the next 20 minutes (note: this is no faster than me trying to get what I needed at HD) trying to talk me out of redoing my old wooden windows, in favor of getting $13,000 worth of new vinyl ones.

Yeah right... lets see... if I, optimistically save $50/month on my heating/cooling bills (which is a helluva stretch, as my electric bill is like $80-130/mo) it will only take me 21+ YEARS to recoup that investment... IF the windows don't fog up, or develop leaks, or do any of the crumby other things that vinyl windows do when they crap out.

When for less than $50/window in materials, and some sweat equity, I can make my beautiful old wood ones last another 75 years...

Who did he think he was fooling? But I'm a girl. (The window installer he was plugging was his cousin.) And I live in the south. And apparently, us little ladies are supposed to buy into stupid crap like that.

So... I can go to HD, which is from satan, and devoid of useful help (I don't WANT building advice from them, just the needed help to buy things) or I can go to my local place, and be treated like an idiot.

It's depressing.

But...

I go to the local place more... and here is why. Even if the guys that are running the place are jerks... the other customers are not. And I live in a small town. And I am starting to know some of these guys, (lots of work to be done on my Cajun Castle, lots of trips to the store) many of whom are our local contractors. I of course don't expect them to work for free, but most of the time they are happy to offer some good advice and tips, when they have a moment.:thumbsup:

I think they are tickled that someone is trying to fix up "the old moonshiner's place."

And THAT I can't get at Home Depot.:wink:


----------



## redwood99 (May 8, 2008)

1. Cheaply made crap at low prices is no bargain at all. If you weren't getting "less" than you paid for, how would they make such huge profits?
2. The most powerful vote you ever cast in your life is the one that occurs when you give money to a store. Want to support Chinese communist plutocrats? Great, keep giving them your money. Want to support Corporate Global Facism? Great, keep shopping at MegaChain stores. 
3. The real and total "cost" of any item only STARTS with the immediate sticker price. The costs you don't see are the costs to the economy, the environment and your own health and well-being. Do you really think the Chinese or Korean governments will step up to start paying your Social Security when the US is bankrupt and you are retired?
4. Everything bad and wrong with your immediate world is a direct result of your economic voting. 

Think local. Shop local. Build a strong local economy and you will never have to complain about the poor service or quality.


----------



## Lansing (May 8, 2008)

Hi...I'm sick after reading this whole thread...

How can any group of people here cope dealing with any of these stores and how they treated you and you treated them ???...People maybe we need a course in how to shop right 101...Maybe a night school in how to get what you want and have everybody smiling as you go on your way...

How about going on line and do some homework on what you need buy and where its best to go looking for the products at a price you can afford to pay...

Did I tell you I'm sick...oh...

Yes, I tried buying something at HD here 2 times ...I never when back...But that's just me...


----------



## pwhoolboom (May 20, 2008)

I do my research online before I ever go into one of these stores and my experiences have been great....except for checking out...

I don't understand how they think that those self check out counters are a good idea in stores like this...when I have a 100+ sq/ft of various tile on a cart it would be much easier to have someone with a scanner gun ring me up.


----------



## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

I have a classic!

I went to our brand new store here in Vancouver over the weekend and needed to pick up some 2X4. So I ask where they are and get told they don't sell any Lumber there!


----------



## joe_2663 (Jul 6, 2008)

Boy! do I have stories hd: sewer slow, have a rooter picked only rental open at 7pm. starts working on some thing then spins free,but water doesn't go down,,pull it out end broken off cable...cutters now part of the blockage! I go back to hd and I'm told "boy if you can't get that out it's going to really cost you, they may have to dig it up.....), then tells the other guy behind the counter " I told you that kids no welder" I'm instructed on various hooks and cutters they bring out of the back...they've seen work before on this problem!!! The guy waives the cost difference ( the only rooter left is a hundred footer) ,because they don't have anymore 50'....asked , if I,could wait ...one was due back soon.WELL got it out, THAT KIDS NO WELDER, next time well call rooter service...blah, blah it's going to cost me ..it broke....
lowe's..see roofing ,I like......months later need some ...go on line to SHOP THE STORE, they don't have any..going that way stop in they got a boat load of the stuff...can't find anybody, can't find price get UPC # take to front of store to cashier ask to run# I'm told I' ve got to go back to the lumber cashier (sign said contractors cashier and he's busy lil gal that sent me here was doing nothing, but standing there), i do he enters # gives me price......i decided to buy it online and have it trucked a little more maybe but sending "all the stuff" I'll need .what i don't use they'll pick-up free in one week, than bill!..... THEN there's the $105.00 remove and install pedestal sink, hell why do it myself I'm on vacation $35.00 down they'll call me and set it all up and bring the sink,etc I've picked out and they marked for me....the contractor called he's swamped it'll be next week..OOOOKKK....shops up mills about the bathroom a couple minutes..comes out has estimate for $480 and some change sounds right, the sink, new drain,faucet, hoses and valves (I'd picked out), plus 105 labor....good do it .....He was just the estimator ...they call and setup a date ......copy of the estimate reads only labor,they added for removal (mine wasn't a pedestal),installing the drain, hoses, valves, faucet ...lowe's didn't know what happened to my stuff on hold, the $35 was nonrefundable as I chose not to have the work done!!! ....waited several months got three bids....had a compete remodel..


----------



## ddodge (Aug 21, 2008)

This summer I spent quite a bit of time helping my dad around his home. I didn't have my tools on hand, so off to Lowe's we go to get what I need. I buy the "Worlds best shovel", a post-hole digger (Contractor's Model, the best they have in the store), a porch swing, and an assemble-yourself rocking chair. Next day I bend, all most in half "The worlds best shovel" when I put my weight on it. The next week the post-hole digger handle breaks where the bolts attach the wood to the metal, just by opening it to discharge the dirt. The guy that sold us the porch swing brings us out two frames instead of a frame and a swing. Of course we didn't see this till we get home with it. And the assemble-yourself rocking chair has defects all over it when we pull it out of the box. A year earlier I call Lowe's to see how late they are opened on a Sunday night. I had a plumbing problem and had one chance to get it fixed or shut the water off the rest of the night. I hustle and drive 25 minutes to get there from another town, and when I get to the big glass entrance doors, that are only on one end of the building, the manager comes out, right as I run up and open the automatic doors that sense my presence, and says "Sorry were closed." By my watch I still had one minute. I stand there like an idiot and look through the glass doors at a hundred people taking there sweet time finishing up their shopping. I just needed one simple piece and I knew where it was in the store. It would have saved the rest of the night and the weekend too of the headache I'd been through with the plumbing crap. I will never forget the manager and the store that did that to me. Great public relations isn't it for such a helpful company on a TV ad. I still go in there sometimes, but always know to expect crap. The best tools I own are 70 years old from my grandfater. I try to buy quality, but it's hard to find when you need it fast. I know where not to find it though.


----------



## GodFather (Aug 11, 2008)

I hate that they aren't open 24 hours anymore. I routinely work on projects at odd hours of the night and if I run out something or discover I need something, I need to hope that Walmart has what I need.

If you are going to be a big box store that caters to home DIYers, why must you still close at 10?


----------



## javan (Jun 9, 2008)

Honestly, I like Lowes and HD for some things, and hate them for others.

We had an ACE open up less than 1 minute away which is nice. The Lowes is 30 minutes away, and HD is about an hour away. I like ACE since they have almost all I need, but I pay a premium for it. I can get it cheaper at Lowes, but that costs gas and time. I have to buy a lot of stuf at Lowes to make the trip worthwhile.

One thing I do not like about the box stores is the lack of decent selection on some items, like shelving or sheet products, then again, nobody has a good selection. 

I too have noticed a drop in quality on almost everything though. Not just the box stores. Recently, we installed new interior doors with brushed nickel door hardware. the hinges that came with the doors had a brass finish, so I replaced with some nickle finish from lowes. I could not find matching screws at lowes, but found "stainless" screws at Ace. Looked good, but you could not thread them in with a powered driver since they would strip out (very cheap, but very exepensive!)


----------



## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

Home Depot has weeded out a lot of crooks, or atleast made them harder to operate.

My mom got a quote from a window installation company. This is a large local company (Probably shouldn't mention the name) but they carry the same lines Home Depot does as well as cutom made ones. Now when these people came by they quoted her $22,000 to replace 11 windows. She nearly called the cops on this guy as she had a bonified crook in her living room. The corporate office as probably standard operating procedure called her to offer a $10,000 discount. That still puts her at $12,000. I took her to a Home Depot and she saw the same damn windows ranging form $200-$300 and installation charges of $100 a window. No, she did not have wacky custom sizedwindows. She has standard off the shelf sizes of windows. She then had the knowledge of what the windows really should cost so she could go after quotes that won't rip her off.

The thing that erks me is how many people probably went for the quotes off this company.


----------



## mommybusybee (Mar 31, 2010)

One of my _*biggest*_ pet peeves is the customer service of Home Depot, Lowes and all of those other large chains. The product selection isn't the problem -- far from it. The _problem _is that half of the people in the customer service department don't know an Exhaust Vent from a Pop tart. In short, "they dumb."

I went out on a little journey about 3 months ago to a Home Depot to inquire about Ceiling Fan Installation. Maybe it was just that ONE person, but let's just say that my experience at Home Depot wasn't particularly stellar. So instead of trekking the 15 extra miles, I decided to shell out the extra cash for the Fanimation Fans in my hometown of Wabash. Now, the local store WAS immensely expensive, but individual attention is something you ain't gonna get from Home Depot or Lowes. BAH! Who needs em? >:3


----------



## Snav (Aug 20, 2009)

The lack of knowledge is always annoying, but it's always a gimme in big stores anyway.

I have 2 options for my supplies - a small store in town which is limited in quantity and options and Home Depot. My in-town store is full of knowledge.

The thing that really ticks me off with H.D. is when I need ONE item - like a 12" recip blade or a new 1/4" mortar bit because mine broke, etc, really NEED it - need it enough to drive all the way there to buy it - true basic stuff - and they don't have it when I finally get to the store, leaving me then to drive another 30 minutes to Lowes.

That can eat up an entire day.

In the non-hardware department Walmart is my bane, too - when I need ONE item they don't have it.

They all suck for this.


----------



## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

FWIW, this is an OLD gripe thread.


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

It sure is, although I'm glad it came back to my notice now that I'm a mod.
The old title was inappropriate for a family forum.

DM


----------



## Snav (Aug 20, 2009)

Old
But still fun


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

Snav said:


> Old
> But still fun


and, unfortunately, still ongoing at their stores....

DM


----------



## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

Snav said:


> Old
> But still fun


New day, but the same old complaints, huh? :yes:


----------



## operagost (Jan 8, 2010)

DepotDweller said:


> Me going to HD for just lightbulbs is like me going to Publix for just a loaf of bread......it aint gonna happen. :no: I've heard those cfl's can be hazaardous if/when broken. They let off some sort of toxins that inhaled, isn't so good for ya


It's called mercury, and we used to play with it IN OUR HANDS. I turned out perfectly fiHB KJHB VK PURPLE MONKEY DISWASHER


----------



## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

operagost said:


> It's called mercury, and we used to play with it IN OUR HANDS. I turned out perfectly fiHB KJHB VK PURPLE MONKEY DISHWASHER


So me did I too.....

DM


----------



## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

My biggest pet peeve is that there seems to be an abundance of helpful staff as you are walking in or are in the front of the store but when you are back in one of the aisles looking at merchandise when you may actually have a question, there is nobody to be found and you must go and seek out assistance. 

I have been in Home Depot enough lately that I know which staff are knowlegable and gravitate to them and they do have a few retired tradesmen in their ranks in our local store. I also have become more comfortable shopping there over Lowes and have an easier time finding assistance.

On the other hand, my daughter's first post high school graduation job was at Lowes and she experienced more than her fair share of downright abusive customers in both the professional and amateur ranks. At the time they were required to scan each and every UPC tag on every piece of lumber and if the tags fell off, it would really gum up the works. I can understand the frustration of wasting time at a big box store but taking it out on the poor slobs that make 9/hour and aren't really given the tools to succeed in the job just makes it worse. I have noticed that they no longer require their cashiers to scan each and every tag on identical items.


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Snav said:


> The lack of knowledge is always annoying, but it's always a gimme in big stores anyway.
> 
> I have 2 options for my supplies - a small store in town which is limited in quantity and options and Home Depot. My in-town store is full of knowledge.
> 
> ...


Ten Four


----------



## Droid (Apr 6, 2010)

*Forget the big box stores!!*

I try to get my stuff online now. I get way to frustrated dealing with understaffed and under-experienced personnel. When I go to a hardware store I want to know that the person helping me knows the same or (hopefully) more about what I'm looking for! Now that I shop online, I can get the stuff cheaper and save some money. Of course, that means I have to look to friends and forums to get input but it's worth it.


----------



## RocketDIM (Feb 7, 2010)

Ya know, if you save all your Questions for the Cashier, they will usually forget to charge you for a couple of items. Now those are questions well spent.


----------



## racebum (Mar 8, 2010)

my biggest gripe about HD is the behr brand. can't stand the pigments in the paints. just no where near as good as sherwin williams or valspar which lowes happens to carry. my biggest gripe about lowes is those damn exit doors. why in the heck do they have to have exit only doors right in front of the parking with the enter doors stuck all the way on one end of the store? my biggest praise about HD is with the special buys. 16x16 slate for $1.77sq/ft, 36" steel entry doors with the middle oblong glass for $177 and more. their special buys get retailed for somewhere around half of normal retail. this i really enjoy. the only problem is of course the quantity they get. if you're doing a large tile job and they only have 1 pallet it could be a problem.


----------



## gmhammes (Jan 10, 2010)

Just adding my 2 cents... We have a lowes, HD, Menards, RP lumber, and Hundman lumber. I avoid lowes for big purchases because i have found better prices at Menards and RP lumber. But for the little odds and ends, i'll pick those up at lowes. I recently found out Hundman sells Fein though so i'll be shopping there some more too! Customer service isn't great but luckily when i go there i know what i want and need and get the "blank" out.


----------



## gmhammes (Jan 10, 2010)

Jim F said:


> My biggest pet peeve is that there seems to be an abundance of helpful staff as you are walking in or are in the front of the store but when you are back in one of the aisles looking at merchandise when you may actually have a question, there is nobody to be found and you must go and seek out assistance.
> 
> I have been in Home Depot enough lately that I know which staff are knowlegable and gravitate to them and they do have a few retired tradesmen in their ranks in our local store. I also have become more comfortable shopping there over Lowes and have an easier time finding assistance.
> 
> On the other hand, my daughter's first post high school graduation job was at Lowes and she experienced more than her fair share of downright abusive customers in both the professional and amateur ranks. At the time they were required to scan each and every UPC tag on every piece of lumber and if the tags fell off, it would really gum up the works. I can understand the frustration of wasting time at a big box store but taking it out on the poor slobs that make 9/hour and aren't really given the tools to succeed in the job just makes it worse. I have noticed that they no longer require their cashiers to scan each and every tag on identical items.


Yet they still put upc's on every piece! I purchased my cedar fence and every dog ear had a tag on it. i understand the purpose just didn't like pulling them all off.


----------



## cellophane (Sep 29, 2009)

I hate that I don't have a truck which makes large items or buying a lot of items rather difficult... that and the fact that I haven't won the lottery yet, so I have to budget myself when I go


----------



## gmhammes (Jan 10, 2010)

cellophane said:


> I hate that I don't have a truck which makes large items or buying a lot of items rather difficult... that and the fact that I haven't won the lottery yet, so I have to budget myself when I go


+1 I should've financed a truck when buying the house. lol


----------



## RDS (Feb 29, 2008)

I will chime in with my peeves: Deceptive information, crap quality control and general bizarre policies.

This week, my wife wanted to buy a particular grill. On the HD web site it said three things about that item: 1) Sold out on-line, 2) Available at your local store, 3) Free shipping!

So we go to the store. There's one on the floor. Great. We'd like one of these, and we'd like it shipped, please. Free shipping, right? Well, turns out 'free shipping' only applies to items purchased on-line -- where, of course, this particular grill is sold out. [Sigh] Fine, she says, we'll pay the shipping. You have some in stock, right? Yes, the guy says, but they're all damaged. All of them? Yes, all of them. Arrived that way. And the one on display? That one's damaged too. So why is it on display if people can't buy it, or any other of its kind? This the guy could not answer.

We will be buying a grill somewhere else.


----------



## cellophane (Sep 29, 2009)

RDS said:


> Yes, the guy says, but they're all damaged. All of them? Yes, all of them. Arrived that way. And the one on display? That one's damaged too. So why is it on display if people can't buy it, or any other of its kind? This the guy could not answer.


Depending on the level of damage you could just buy it as a scratch & dent and save a few bucks.


----------



## RDS (Feb 29, 2008)

cellophane said:


> Depending on the level of damage you could just buy it as a scratch & dent and save a few bucks.


Yeah, I was open to that but the guy said he wasn't allowed to sell us one.


----------



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

cellophane said:


> I hate that I don't have a truck which makes large items or buying a lot of items rather difficult... that and the fact that I haven't won the lottery yet, so I have to budget myself when I go


After I bought my 1st house I bought a small sports car...that didn't last long
I bought a SUV 2 years later & a trailer
I now have a Ford F150 & a trailer
I went thru 4 grilles at Walmart before they were able to put enough pieces together for 1 undamaged grille
Too many people who simply do not know how to drive a fork truck


----------



## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Jimmie Johnson #48


----------



## Shamus (Apr 27, 2008)

I happen to think everything about those two stores is just typical of what you get in today's market. And I am ok with that. 

I shop for wood supplies at one of two local lumber yards and a sawmill. I don't buy wood from either HD or Lowes.

When I do shop I use the self check-out. Takes about 20 seconds and I'm gone.


----------



## jerseyguy1996 (Sep 27, 2009)

I just bought two Hunter ceiling fans from Lowes. Should I expect that there will be major differences in quality between these fans versus a Hunter ceiling fan purchased at a specialty lighting shop?


----------



## mel_kissmygrits (May 22, 2010)

Home Depot now sells "Ames" brand garden tools. The Ames brand says their tools built America.. leading one to wonder (or assume) the tools themselves are made in America. Not so fast.. every Ames tool on the rack is made in China.


----------

