Sage advice from Home Depot

[Syberia]

Stopped by Home Depot the other day to try and pick up a right angled 3 prong cord cap. They seem to be needlessly expensive so I just ended up buying the regular kind, but not before asking one of the employees if they had anything cheaper.

He shows me a flimsy plastic lamp-duty plug with only 2 prongs. I mention that it is for outdoor use and that I need a ground, to which he proceeds to tell me that the ground "doesn't do anything" and "lots of people just cut them off" anyways. Instead of arguing, I just buy a normal 3 prong plug for a lot less money.

I get home and recount the story to the wife, who has absolutely no idea what a grounding prong does. I try to explain it, after which she agrees with the Home Depot guy that it serves no purpose and it's ok to cut them off

I went back the other day and a different employee is jamming a piece of plywood into the panel saw as hard as he can, the saw sounds like its about to explode and I can smell the wood burning as I walk past.

 

[the gypsy]

So what is your point? Is it that the Home Depot guy and your wife are smarter than you? LOL

 

[Kracin]

ron white has a saying for this.....

 

[C96]

 

[72Anthony]

Re: panel saw...it probably still has the original blade from when they opened the store!!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Doesnt surprise me. Par for the course for big box stores

 

[G_P]

Re: panel saw...it probably still has the original blade from when they opened the store!!

Exactly. When I worked there, getting the blades replaced in those saws was like pulling teeth. They had to send out a service tech to do it. A bad blade could put the saw out of service for a week or more until someone finally showed up to change it.

Our pipe threader was down for nearly a month waiting on new dies. Then in the end, they just mailed us 4 new dies and I installed them myself.

 

[joe_padavano]

So what is your point?

X2. The only thing about this that surprises me is that the OP is surprised...

 

[sourdough]

I think all of you folks are expecting contractor quality expertise from folks that are making minimum wage working for a warehouse type supply organization.

I like Home Depot and Lowe's (and probably others like Menard's that aren't in my area) because all I want their associates to do is to direct me to the appropriate area and let me do the shopping. That is a no-brainer for someone that has a bit of a clue as to what they are looking for.

I'll pick the product I want.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I think all of you folks are expecting contractor quality expertise from folks that are making minimum wage working for a warehouse type supply organization.

I like Home Depot and Lowe's (and probably others like Menard's that aren't in my area) because all I want their associates to do is to direct me to the appropriate area and let me do the shopping. That is a no-brainer for someone that has a bit of a clue as to what they are looking for.

I'll pick the product I want.

Exactly! It pays to be an informed shopper!

 

[dowmace]

I think all of you folks are expecting contractor quality expertise from folks that are making minimum wage working for a warehouse type supply organization.

I like Home Depot and Lowe's (and probably others like Menard's that aren't in my area) because all I want their associates to do is to direct me to the appropriate area and let me do the shopping. That is a no-brainer for someone that has a bit of a clue as to what they are looking for.

I'll pick the product I want.

If they didn't offer "expert advice" it wouldn't be a gripe.

 

[Ohmthis]

Most on here will understand the surprise. The main problem to isn't that they have unqualified people giving advice. It's that they market themselves as a place to get materials and the "right" advice to go along with them. I worked in the electrical dept when I was finishing up my apprenticeship. I was paid more than double what minimum wage was. We did have people that were over glorified stockers too. The average person going in is depending on the advice to make thier project a success, looks like they need to do some reaserch first before shopping.

 

[Scott r c]

One day I was picking up a part on the plumbing aisle. I overhead the home depot worker tell a homeowner who was replacing his kitchen sink drain that he didn't need that "p-trap thing" just to hook the drain straight into the wall. I wonder how that worked out.

 

[BioNerd]

Man, I never ask questions to the HD people. They seem to be mentally despaired. I think HD and the post office are equal opportunity employer.

At Ace hardware, I ask help for specific hardware, they seem to be a bit more knowledgeable.

 

[BioNerd]

The best story at HD I have is when a lady came to an african american employee and said "i need black caulk"...

Since then I make sure I say "caulking" or I pronunciate the "L" very well.

 

[Whitworth]

Why would anyone ask a question of a Home Depot employee other than "where's the restroom" ?

 

[Banjorear]

I don't know. The one by me has a few grey beards that know their stuff. They are far and few between, but they these two or three dudes do know what they are talking about.

 

[Sparkyjack]

My daughter approached the first orange aproned person in HD and asked where could she find JB Weld.
The employee thought about it for several seconds and said we don't have a Mr Weld working here.
A more seasoned employee offered up the department and aisle number.

 

[sberry]

Home Depot is a big outfit, they do what they do pretty well and not everyone knows everything, They do have some good people.

 

[joe_padavano]

Home Depot is a big outfit, they do what they do pretty well and not everyone knows everything, They do have some good people.

All I can say is that when I moved to Northern VA almost 30 years ago, Hechingers was the big home improvement chain. They had gotten very complacent. Stores were always out of stock (it was like going to Radio Shack) and the employees were clueless. Home Depot arrived and service was remarkably better. The stores were well stocked and employees relatively helpful. Hechingers was driven out of business, HD had no competition, and guess what?

The local HD is constantly out of stock, and if I can even find an employee to ask if they have something, all I get is either a blank stare or "if there aren't any on the shelf, we're out of them."

In a few locations, Lowes stores have opened near HD, and the competition has improved the service somewhat. Similarly, there's a relatively new HD about half an hour away that is still well stocked and with helpful employees. I'll use that one until the service tanks.

I started using online ordering for all my auto parts years ago, and I've just started doing that for electrical and plumbing items now. Seems like anything I need these days is out of stock or not stocked in the stores anyway, so why even spend the money for gas (not to mention the waste of my time).

 

[J king]

lol!!!!!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

One day I was picking up a part on the plumbing aisle. I overhead the home depot worker tell a homeowner who was replacing his kitchen sink drain that he didn't need that "p-trap thing" just to hook the drain straight into the wall. I wonder how that worked out.

It worked out with a very smelly kitchen. Ewww!

The best story at HD I have is when a lady came to an african american employee and said "i need black caulk"...

Since then I make sure I say "caulking" or I pronunciate the "L" very well.

LMFAO with tears.

lol!!!!!

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