76 replies to this topic

[ngilbert]

Okay - here's how my weekend went.

I'm renovating my dad's family room in Carmichael - the floor is done, the new doors are in, I just need to do the walls. So he wants it paneled. Fine with me - I hate doing drywall.

I went to the Home Depot in Folsom (or is that the The Home Depot in Folsom?) and found the exact kind of paneling I wanted. They had about ten on the stack so I'm thinking that won't be enough. I'd need about 25 for this job. Also, I figured it's easier to get it at the The Home Depot in Carmichael since it's closer to my dad's. But a very nice man at Folsom's Home Depot gave me the SKU number and item description. I would later come to believe he may have been a phantom or guardian angel of some sort and not an actual employee, because he was actually helpful. Perhaps he was the ghost of a customer who had died there once waiting for someone to help him.

So I called the Carmichael Home Depot on Thursday night and asked them if they had this SKU in stock. "We have 45 in stock". Excellent! "I'll see you Friday afternoon after work!"

So I get there Friday afternoon. I go to the Special Services desk and wait about five minutes in line. Screw this. I go to the Contractor's desk (even though I'm not a contractor - I can fake it) where I'm ignored for five minutes while the dude fiddles on his computer (I'm convinced they aren't actual computers - just props the employees use to look busy), and I say I want 25 of these badboys - can you bring out a stack? It'll take two hours because we're backed up he says - it's easier to to just load them up on a cart myself and buy them and load them on my truck myself. Splendid. So I find them. They actually had 20, but someone had driven a forklift into them so they were pretty chewed up. I figured the other 25 were in the back somewhere. So I was able to pick out 11. No wait - make that ten, one of the them is cracked down the middle. Struggle struggle struggle sweat sweat - I've now got ten 8x4 panels on my cart and go wait in the unmoving line Del Diablo. Some lady who looks like she might be a manger foolishly makes eye contact with me. I give her my most exasperated look I can muster with what little remaining energy I had. She suggests I used the automated union-buster checkout line. Okay fine. Aside from here, no one has helped me up to this point. But I have not yet lost my patience.

By Saturday afternoon I'd used my ten panels and it was time to go get more. Here's where it gets worse. I go back to the The Home Depot in Carmichael. Contractor desk is closed. Yeah - Saturday's are a good day to take off you morons. So I go up to the checkout line, show the guy the number, he checks the "computer", and tells me there are 33 in stock. Makes sense - there were 45, I bought ten. I'd like to buy 15 please. Can you have those brought out? Now I'm starting to notice that if you ask for any assistance other than just taking your money, they get all hesitant. He tries to give me the go load it your self line as before, but I tell him they are not out on the floor. There's only 6 and they've been hit by a forklift. So according to your inventory you've got some in the back. I would like to buy fifteen. He calls the forklift dude who tells him to just charge me and then have me go to the Special Services desk to set up a will-call so that they can bring out it out some time that day. Will it really be today? My work is stopped. Forklift guy is very trustworthy I'm reassured. So I pay - take my receipt to Special Services desk. I'm staring to suspect why they are "Special" at this point because after a long wait, I explain what's going on, the lady fiddles with her computer prop for a while and tells me I don't need to do a will call, they're in stock and can just bring them out for me. Well no duh! Don't you people talk to each other? So far I've been there about thirty minutes, bopping from line to line.

She calls the forklift guy and he tells her it will be five minutes. I go wait by the rolling door. Twenty minutes go by. I eat a hotdog or else I will die of starvation. I'm thinking "I wonder what starvation is like. If I starve and go to heck will Satan make me wait for all of eternity by the rolling doors for a forklift full of redemption that will never come?" I'm getting punchy. So I go back to the Special Service desk. Wait a while. Did I miss him? Hard to miss a forklift. They beep and light up and stuff. She calls forklift guy. Oh, he says. I didn't know you wanted it brought out. We put the stack back on the floor. Grrrrr. She apologizes (wow) and tells me to bring my truck up front and he'll bring it out to me. I wait. Guy walks out. "Are you the guy who wants paneling?" Yes! Yes! Oh God Yes I am!

"Well, we thought we had some. But it was a different kind"

Aaaaauuuugh! I go to the Special lady, she frowns (there's still some good in her - I can sense it) and tells me to go to the refund desk. So I'm pissed, and being shuffled from one desk to another like something out of Brazil.

So I call my wife. I ask her to call Home Depot in Folsom and check their stock. Hey they have 53 in stock. Fine then. I'll drive back to Folsom and get it there and drive it back to Carmichael. Sun's going down.

I get there, and go back to see what's on the floor. I've learned it's quicker and easier to just load them myself if they're available. They've got one. Plus there's a big ol' rolling ladder in front of it. I go to the Contractor desk (They're open Saturday - the heck?) and ask a guy if he can help me "Right after I process this order". Fifteen minutes of "computing" go by. I ask someone else. I say "You have 53 of these in stock, but only one on the floor - I would like to buy 15 and have them brought out" Phone rings. He "computes" while having some giggly conversation with his wife and/or girlfriend on the other line. Whatever happened to "this is not a good time. I'm with a customer. Can I call you back?" After a few minutes of woo-pitching, he hangs up, tells me there are 53 in stock. I know! I'm the one who told you that! He then tells me to go find someone in lumber to load them up for me.

So I roam the lumber aisles looking for someone to help. Where is my guardian angel/ghost when I need him? Should've brought a Ouija board. I find two teens in orange vests sitting on a cart. I ask one of them "Do you work in lumber?" His response? "I can" (such enthusiasm. His tone was like I'd asked him if he was physically capable of passing a stone the size of a ping pong ball - "I *can*. I don't want to, but I can") So I drag him off and explain the situation. He's ignoring me and looking at his friend/coworker as if I caught them in mid-joke. I say - here's one - I need 14 more loaded up. Your inventory says you have 53. Now I can tell he's not motivated to help me, especially if it involves him getting me some paneling out of inventory. So he tells me "Well, it *may* say we have 53, but we only inventory every two months and sometimes things get stolen" (how do you steal paneling?) "but I can go check and see what we have in the back."

I know where this is going. He emerges about 15 seconds later (hey - finally they can do something quick around here) and tells me they are out. Okay junior. You're not getting off the hook that easy. I tell him I want him to check every Home Depot in town and see who has some for me to pick up. So he computes for a while and I call my wife and, in a loud voice, tell her that Home Depot lied to her about having 53 and I'm swearing like a sailor about what a clusterf* Home Depot has turned my day into. Junior tells me they have 100 in Roseville. Roseville! But you just told me your inventory numbers are meaningless! *You* have 53! Why should I believe Rosevilee has 100? He says he can call and verify. I tell him not to bother. I have just hit the "I am never shopping at Home Depot again" point.

Anyway, long story short. I go to Lowe's. They only have one. I ask the guy if they have any at the Greenback store. He checks their computer. They have 25. He tells me (not the other way around) that he needs to call someone there to actually count them before he sends me there becuase otherwise I would be wasting my time (dude's psychic). He gets on his phone and I listen as he makes the other guy count them for me. They have 25 on the floor. Was that so hard?

Sorry for the long post. But I used to like Home Depot. It was close and convenient if you knew what you were looking for. But God help you if you actually need someone there to help.

[ngilbert]

By the way - those of you who know me know that I don't anger easily (it's a Taurus thing) and if anything I'm over-sensitive about being a "difficult customer". It just seems that HD service has taken a turn for the worse lately. Maybe it's always been bad though and I've just been lucky up to this point.

I've got this receipt where they ask me to go to their feedback webpage and tell them what I think. I think they'll reconsider after I send them the above.

[camay2327]

Great commercial for Home Depot... hahaha

[Farley]

On the other hand, I had a complete kitchen remodel done all through the services of Home Depot, "The Folsom Home Depot." I had teriffic service all through the process of ordering a cast iron sink, faucets, granite, etc. Home Depot coordinated with all the sub-contractors, and I ended up with a great kitchen. The plumbers had to come back a couple of times. But the guys who tore out all the tile and installed all the granite were great. It was a very satisfying process.

[Farley]

Yes I own Home Depot stock!!!

[Chad Vander Veen]

I always choose Lowe's over Home Depot if I can. I stick with the theory that if you're after service, the #2 store always goes beyond what the #1 store is willing to do.

[randb]

I too use Lowe's or Osh if I need help. If I know what I need and do not need help I use HD due to a lower price.

[tgianco]

I too use Lowe's or Osh if I need help.  If I know what I need and do not need help I use HD due to a lower price.

My experience was completely the opposite. The lawn guy at HD in Folsom is great. Lowe's, to me at least, seems to have the better prices usually.

I bought a self-propelled lawn mower a few months ago. I had an ad from OSh that offered a really nice one for $249 (originally $299). Since I was already shopping at Lowe's, I asked them if they would match the price for the same mower from a different (not as good) manufacturer w/ fewer bells and whistles (it's list price was $279). They said no and were pretty rude about it. OSH happily took my business.

As an aside, most stores can make that type of deal. It nevers hurts to ask. If they can't do it, they are usually at least nice about it or would let you know why their deal is good or better.

[mylo]

HD used to be so much better than Lowes, but now Lowes seems to be taking the lead IMHO.

I still prefer HD's layout to Lowes (Tools are in Tools, not Plumbing tools in plumbing, roofing tools in roofing, etc.) but yeah, Lowes service, selection and price, not to mention they're closer to me definately keeps me coming back.

[nhardy]

By the way - those of you who know me know that I don't anger easily (it's a Taurus thing)

I can vouch for that. In the 3 years working with ngilbert, I've only seen him mad once. And technically it was a big misunderstanding. We were at our anual company sponsored booze fest and he ordered a Single malt Glenlivet, but was served a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

[tgianco]

he ordered a Single malt Glenlivet, but was served a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

What you say! There's a difference?

[Cloud9]

That was one great story!

Having worked with numerous large companies, here's a tip - and it's not far off from CVs comment.

The truth is that most companies don't give a rat's behind about the customer - it's just lip service, they need to say it to keep customers coming because their competitors are saying the same thing.

The only time they'll care is when the red ink starts flowing. That's when they say, "oops, I guess we'd better look into this" - and when they do look into it, executive and management's answer is to blame the competition or the economy for their woes and lay off their employees (so much for employees are our greatest asset - that's b.s. as well) and install more self-checkout machines like some big net catching fish - err, that would be you.

Really, when was the last time you hear a CEO say, "I suck" the company would be better off without me so I'm resigning?

[ngilbert]

I can vouch for that. In the 3 years working with ngilbert, I've only seen him mad once. And technically it was a big misunderstanding. We were at our anual company sponsored booze fest and he ordered a Single malt Glenlivet, but was served a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Yeah - big misunderstanding is right. Actually it was the other way around and I wasn't mad. I was *acting* mad. I was doing my Frank Booth impression from "Blue Velvet", but nobody really got it except for that one IT guy who just buys DVDs.

But that's cool. I'm surprised you remember anything from that day. I think the only people who did any "team building" that day were the paramedics and the dry cleaners.

[camay2327]

If you need questions answered go to OSH. I have always had good luck there. Other than that I normally go to Lowes.

Went there this morning.

[Steve Heard]

So I'm in Home Depot a month or two ago. I want to plant some pennyroyal in front of my house. For those of you who don't know, it is a member of the mint family, spreads quickly, smells nice, and puts out bluish purplish little flowers. Nice plant to hang or use as ground cover.

I bought some at either Lowe's or Home Depot. Didn't remember which. Went to Lowe's, they said they didn't have any. Went to Home Depot. Found 3 young employees chatting in the garden department. I approached and said, "Excuse me" (one of the 3 took off). I asked the remaining two if they had any pennyroyal. "Any what?" one of the girls asked. The one who knew better than to respond took off in another direction.

"Pennyroyal. It's in the mint family."

"What's it called?"

"Penny ROYAL"

She goes and tracks down the department expert. They speak, look over at me, speak again. She comes back and says, "He's never heard of it", and backs away.