76 replies to this topic

[camay2327]

Tony Stewart is the man. He is a great race car driver.

I pull for him every time he races. Hope he wins this weekend. Came in second last weekend.


I do not go to Home Depot anymore. I hate that place...

[SunshineServices]

As someone who spends time at one of these stores at least once a day, every single day, for a living, let me say that Lowe's beats Home Depot by a mile! My only complaint with Lowe's is their re-stocking of material, when I need 10, they have 8, when I need 3 they are out. Then when we have to go to HD to pick up the rest, it usually makes for a very bad experience, and yes I will admit my preconceived bias against HD probably doesn't help. The VAST majority of their employees are rude and not helpful, their insistence on the self-checkouts is a joke, much of their inventory is damaged but is still on the shelf, and boxed items are missing pieces when you get them home. We actually cringe when we have to go there.

In regards to self-checkout, ever wonder at any given time how many employees are actually on the clock(I am guessing usually around 30), and there is but one sad sack manning a real register. The majority of items you can't self-checkout anyway, like lumber, anything over 40 pounds, etc etc. Of course I do share this same complaint with Lowe's.

OSH is not a bad store, but their selection is usually limited in comparison, and their prices are higher than either of their competitors.

Stick with Lowe's, tell them the Sunshine Boys sent you!! Seriously.

jeff

[cybertrano]

I went to HD in Elk Grove last weekend and it was terrible as I tried to get some woods for my project. I am going to Lowes from now on.

[cw68]

I went to HD in Elk Grove last weekend and it was terrible as I tried to get some woods for my project. I am going to Lowes from now on.

Were you at Lowe's this morning? I thought I saw you, but since I've never actually met you, I wasn't sure and didn't feel comfortable saying anything. If it was you, you and your son were watching the fountains with my husband and son.

[Dk436]

Went to Home Depot today. Service was as awful as I was reading on this post. Asked for an item, no one would even show me where the item was, only telling me what aisle it was on. Needless to say, HD didn't have the item. On my way out, I saw the employee who had pointed me to the aisle, he asked if I had found what I needed, I told him I didn't, and his response was "You might want to try Lowe's or Ace." Seriously, this was a simple item, that a store this big should have. Instead of trying to find it or at leat offering the effort of trying to order it, the guy just was no help at all.

Went to Lowe's and found the item I was looking for without even having to ask. Store was much cleaner and organized and a much better experience. We won't be back to Home Depot.

I share everyone's complaints about the self checkout. I had to use the self checkout at Lowe's today and it was really inefficient. Of the 4 self checkout kiosks in the area I was 2 were out of order and the one I was using stopped working midway through check out. The worker there said I would have to use the only one that was working, which there were already 2 people in front of me. Seems like since they have to have an employee there working the self checkouts, they should just have him on a register and get rid of the self checkouts. Basically just limit the self checkout type items to the one register to speed things up. Oh well, at least Lowe's had what I needed, eventhough the self checkout was a mess.

[cybertrano]

Yep that was me and my sonny doing our weekend routines of killing time.

Were you at Lowe's this morning? I thought I saw you, but since I've never actually met you, I wasn't sure and didn't feel comfortable saying anything. If it was you, you and your son were watching the fountains with my husband and son.

[cybertrano]

All self checkouts are terrible by its nature. From HD to Lowes or albersons.......

[ducky]

Went to Home Depot today. Service was as awful as I was reading on this post. Asked for an item, no one would even show me where the item was, only telling me what aisle it was on. Needless to say, HD didn't have the item. On my way out, I saw the employee who had pointed me to the aisle, he asked if I had found what I needed, I told him I didn't, and his response was "You might want to try Lowe's or Ace." Seriously, this was a simple item, that a store this big should have. Instead of trying to find it or at leat offering the effort of trying to order it, the guy just was no help at all.

Went to Lowe's and found the item I was looking for without even having to ask. Store was much cleaner and organized and a much better experience. We won't be back to Home Depot.

I share everyone's complaints about the self checkout. I had to use the self checkout at Lowe's today and it was really inefficient. Of the 4 self checkout kiosks in the area I was 2 were out of order and the one I was using stopped working midway through check out. The worker there said I would have to use the only one that was working, which there were already 2 people in front of me. Seems like since they have to have an employee there working the self checkouts, they should just have him on a register and get rid of the self checkouts. Basically just limit the self checkout type items to the one register to speed things up. Oh well, at least Lowe's had what I needed, eventhough the self checkout was a mess.

If you were at Lowe's around 5:00 or so I think I was behind you at the self-checkout. What a mess.

I had just come from Home Depot and I have to say I had an employee help me there who was great - took me totally by shock. I kept feeling like asking, "Are you sure you work here?" she was so nice.

[Birdie]

My son is a cashier at the Folsom Home Depot. They have lost a number of cashiers in the last 6 months, which were not replaced. I think it was a financial decision to lower overhead...

Eventually this has caused long lines, cashiers not taking breaks on time, stress among the cashiers because of unhappy customers...and on and on. If there is no one to relieve the cashier in the garden department for their break or lunch, the employee must close the register and the door to the outside. This doesn't make the customers very happy.

So, more employees have been giving notice, or walking out.

They had a staff meeting last week where they told the employees that they are hiring a number of cashiers and people to help in the parking lot....carrying heavy or bulky items to customer's cars, etc. I think my son said they are trying to hire them ASAP so they can start training them right away. I know my son is greatly relieved; he was thinking of quitting because of the situation.

Hopefully we will see an improvement in the near future. Especially with the nicer weather and more people doing home and garden projects. And if the people who are trained stay, them we should see more knowledge from the employees when we ask questions.

I like shopping at Lowe's because their employees have the answers to my questions.

[bishmasterb]

I share everyone's complaints about the self checkout. I had to use the self checkout at Lowe's today and it was really inefficient. Of the 4 self checkout kiosks in the area I was 2 were out of order and the one I was using stopped working midway through check out. The worker there said I would have to use the only one that was working, which there were already 2 people in front of me. Seems like since they have to have an employee there working the self checkouts, they should just have him on a register and get rid of the self checkouts. Basically just limit the self checkout type items to the one register to speed things up. Oh well, at least Lowe's had what I needed, eventhough the self checkout was a mess.

I think the whole retail industry is experimenting with self checkout right now, and sometimes experiments are messy and don't necessarily produce the results being sought. So they make adjustments to the technology and the process until, hopefully, they find something that works well. I think this may be just a step on the way to the time when every single product has an RFID tag and can be scanned by RF instead of barcode.

Unions seem to have a tight grip on checkers. It will be nice for retail to not have to pay $20/hour w/benefits to someone whose job can be taught to a customer in just a few minutes at a self-checkout lane (no disrespect to retail clerks, I've been one myself).

[Chad Vander Veen]

Yep, RFID is on the way and it will RAWK! Imagine, just roll your cart past a sensor and it will instantly tally your total - no need to scan each item. And if your CC has RFID, just wave it at the reader and you're done.

Of course, some of you will still insist on writing checks after the checker gives you the total - pissing off everyone.

[Sandman]

Tony Stewart is the man. He is a great race car driver.

I pull for him every time he races. Hope he wins this weekend. Came in second last weekend.
I do not go to Home Depot anymore. I hate that place...

Ahhh Stewart is a big arrogant cry baby. He has no problems dishing it out on the track but as soon as somebody gets into his back bumper he's the first one to cry foul. I never said he can't drive a car. I just don't think much of the guy personally......

[Sandman]

Of course, some of you will still insist on writing checks after the checker gives you the total - pissing off everyone.

Boy isn't that the truth. I always seem to get stuck in THAT line at the store. Some will just not want to leave there old ways.

Yes RFID is the future, but that is not to say it has many technical and social barriers to overcome before ever becoming mainstream.

[tgianco]

Boy isn't that the truth. I always seem to get stuck in THAT line at the store. Some will just not want to leave there old ways.

Yes RFID is the future, but that is not to say it has many technical and social barriers to overcome before ever becoming mainstream.

RFID rocks and so does self-checkout.

Home Depot has big issues... check out the golden parachute given to their departed CEO, who couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag! His deal is probably the most-cited example of shareholders getting screwed on CEO pay and perks.

Lowe's is nicer anyway.

[Revolutionist]

Of course, some of you will still insist on writing checks after the checker gives you the total - pissing off everyone.

No, but I will insist on checking to make sure that every item and price is correct before paying!