Home Depot customer service: LOTS better!

[Brad54]

Home Depot has earned a reputation over the last couple years for having crappy customer service when you're trying to flag down one of the orange-vested workers in the store.

Fact is, I stopped going to them for most things, and this was a big part of the reason.

Well, I needed a small piece of sheet metal the other night: I live between two of them, about 15-20 miles on either side of me. Went to one, they were out of the metal, so I went to the other and they had it.

But what impressed me at both stores was that as I walked in, and walked through the store, there were plenty of workers there, and they actually said Hello, and asked if I needed any assistance.

Sounds like their Corporate offices got the message, and took appropriate steps.

-Brad

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

There is hope that they have changed for the better, but with the economy (which is based on trust more then anything), we see fewer people in my local store, as there are fewer builders. Now that the typical election fear (wait and see attitude) has passed, I see more remodelors, diyers at the store, and the help, actually trying to help. (and stay busy and justify their jobs).

 

[boiler7904]

Usually, I know what I want and need before I leave the house but...

...If I feel like exercising, I go to Home Depot and ask one of the teenage employees where such and such item is. They inevitably do not know and send me where it might be. Get there and teenage employee number 2 sends me in a different direction. It usually results in me walking the length of the store at least twice round trip.

...If I want to get in and get out quick with the right item for the job with advice from someone that may have actually used the item (let alone seen it on a shelf) in question, I go to Lowe's. It helps that they also have twice as many cashiers working at any one time and they don't have the self checkout line. Self checkout is ok for a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk at the grocery store, but it doesn't work so well with bulk building materials. Not having to walk through the gauntlet of HVAC salesmen, DirecTV salesmen, and the Home Depot credit card sales pitch person before I get 30' inside the store is a bonus.

While we're talking about Home Depot, has anyone been in one of the new stores where they turn half of the aisles in the middle of the store 90 degrees to the rest of the store? On one hand it eliminates the dead end U-shape trap that the tool department usually is, but it also makes for navigating the other stuff to be a PITA. Because of this alone, I choose the older store twice as far from my office as the new store down the street whenever I'm picking stuff up on my lunch break.

 

[Stuey]

Brad,

I wonder if their treatment of you has anything to do with the upcoming winter holiday shopping season. Many/most retail stores are skipping Thanksgiving and already have their shopping season displays up.

Plenty of workers means nothing if none of them are knowledgeable. Let's remain hopeful and see how things are in mid-late January and later. I remember waiting around for a half hour last spring for someone to cut some 2x4s for me.

These days, unless something I want is only available via HD (such as Ridgid and Ryobi tools, or a certain type of pre-laminated boards), I go to Lowes as they're usually cleaner, better stocked, and well organized.

 

[speed bump]

The only reason I go to HD or Lowes in general is to maybe pick up something like Klein or Channellock pliers. They also tend to be about wholesale for electrical stuff so its convenient not to have to deal with the wholesalers tend to be kind of snotty becuase your not an electrican when you buy from them.

Otherwise I get much better lumber, close to the same prices, and people that actually know something about what they are selling at my local stores.

 

[MXtras]

Service here is the same.

Last Friday I went to pick up 20X 80 Pound bags of Quickcrete and asked the "customer sevice rep" if he would grab a lift and run the pallet outside to my truck. The response was expected - "no - we can't do that" as he walked off to do whatever was more important than helping a customer. The lift was sitting, unoccupied, 25 feet away.

I see no improvement. You are on your own at HD or Lowes.

Scott

 

[rcleaver]

Service here is the same.

Last Friday I went to pick up 20X 80 Pound bags of Quickcrete and asked the "customer sevice rep" if he would grab a lift and run the pallet outside to my truck. The response was expected - "no - we can't do that" as he walked off to do whatever was more important than helping a customer. The lift was sitting, unoccupied, 25 feet away.

I see no improvement. You are on your own at HD or Lowes.

Scott

Maybe you prefer taking no for an answer. That's OK but I wouldn't put up with that. I find a supervisor or the manager and complain then and there. Guess what? Problem solved (usually).

I also often order online and go to the customer service desk, then wait while my order is brought to me. Again no problem.

I'm never nasty or confrontational about it. I don't believe it's personal. You just got some kid who thought he could get away with it. Without supervision or a customer complaint, he will.

More than once I've gotten uncooperative managers, so I just tell them I'll be escaating my complaint, while writing down his name, then contact the CEO by any means available (if he still won't help). I usually get a call from the company head of customer service. If I mention the name I wrote down, I get a call from the offending manager to apoligize. I make it a point to see the guy next time I'm in the store.

Once I complained to the FCC about Verizon. You better believe I got quick action then. I got a call from a "liason" who fixed the problem immediately and then followed up a week later to make sure I was satisfied.

I've got it down to a science. If you insist on customer service you will get it, eventually.

 

[jmack]

I think you are seeing better service simply because fewer people are shopping and thus the employees have less to do. Helping customers helps justify their jobs.

BTW - Every HD i;ve been to has self-checkouts and I use them all the time. They are usually empty because people are afraid of computers. I can check out and be moving along by the time a cashier in an adjacent lane scans half of a customers order. I prefer self-checkout to cashiers anyday.

 

[flexysteve]

I go to my HD at least 2x a week for various projects (landscaping, paint, gutters etc) and if you get to know the people they will be more likely to go out of their way especially if its not busy. One night i was getting drywall and was about to pick it out piece by piece when the guy came over and just had me write down the # of sheets and brought that and the UPC to the checkout. They used the forklift to slide the sheets into the truck and even picked through the ones with dented edges. I didn't have to do a thing. I find Lowes has too many soccer moms picking out curtains and other nonsense that don't pay attention when I'm trying to manuever a cart full of cement and lumber.

 

[Junkman]

The only reason I go to HD or Lowes in general is to maybe pick up something like Klein or Channellock pliers. They also tend to be about wholesale for electrical stuff so its convenient not to have to deal with the wholesalers tend to be kind of snotty becuase your not an electrican when you buy from them.

Otherwise I get much better lumber, close to the same prices, and people that actually know something about what they are selling at my local stores.

I buy all my lumber from the local lumber yard, and the quality and prices are better. They deliver free of charge, even if it is one 2" X 4" X 8', but it will be when the truck is in the neighborhood. Excellent service and quality lumber.
I used to purchase my electrical supplies from a local electrical dealer that always gave me the best price and had both a thriving contractor business and "retail" business. The owner sold the business to another supply house and retired. The new owners canned all the old employees, and started with all new people that had no interest in serving the public, only contractors. They upped the prices, and the contractors now only use them when they absolutely have to. The walk in retail customers don't even try to purchase anything there any longer. A perfect example of taking a thriving business and ruining it.
A supplier of mine once told me that if you raise the price by 20%, you can afford to do 20% less business and make the same profit. He did this for a few years until 80% of his customers went elsewhere, and he went out of business. Today it is more important than ever to have good prices along with good service. One without the other will spell your demise most often.

 

[WinFred]

I think they are more like Home Desperate...

people are tired of them...

 

[woody 73]

Brad,

In some strange way I too have seen the same change at HD;they went from having horrible service to actually helping you !

 

[tenorplayer23]

Exactly.......couldn't have said this better myself. This should be a primer for anybody who doesn't get proper attgention/service from 'any" business, HD/Lowes included. Intelligent escalation will typically get you a response, from McDonald's to nuclear utilities.

BTW, the local HD isn't too bad. But, sometimes, you have to "push" them to do what is really to be expected. Lowes here is actually less helpful. On the other hand, I used a Lowes in Florida for an entire condo refurb and have to say, thanks to the help of one very nice employee in "appliances", of all places, was able to conduct a lot of business there without any issues at all. So, I guess, it "depends"! (BTW, the appliance sales person, was a mature woman/probably 50's, who knew a lot about her area, as well as, the rest of the store. Was lucky to befriend her to help.).

See ya.

Maybe you prefer taking no for an answer. That's OK but I wouldn't put up with that. I find a supervisor or the manager and complain then and there. Guess what? Problem solved (usually).

I also often order online and go to the customer service desk, then wait while my order is brought to me. Again no problem.

I'm never nasty or confrontational about it. I don't believe it's personal. You just got some kid who thought he could get away with it. Without supervision or a customer complaint, he will.

More than once I've gotten uncooperative managers, so I just tell them I'll be escaating my complaint, while writing down his name, then contact the CEO by any means available (if he still won't help). I usually get a call from the company head of customer service. If I mention the name I wrote down, I get a call from the offending manager to apoligize. I make it a point to see the guy next time I'm in the store.

Once I complained to the FCC about Verizon. You better believe I got quick action then. I got a call from a "liason" who fixed the problem immediately and then followed up a week later to make sure I was satisfied.

I've got it down to a science. If you insist on customer service you will get it, eventually.

 

[Toolhorder]

I think Hank Hill said it best,

" I need a can of WD40 and a tap and die set"
"Where can I find a hammer?"

 

[tonydanzah]

I love Home Depot for the fact they are on of the few places you can haggle.

 

[Vinko]

I buy all my lumber from the local lumber yard, and the quality and prices are better. They deliver free of charge, even if it is one 2" X 4" X 8', but it will be when the truck is in the neighborhood. Excellent service and quality lumber.

My local lumber yards have pretty poor quality compared to home depot. Especially on 2 x 12 and 3/4" ply -- I've found HD to be better quality wood so I go there. Of course HD has 23/32" or whatever it is I have to go further out to find a good lumber yard. If it's a big order, it's worth it. If it's just a few 2 x 12 or a few sheets of ply, then no.

I think a lot of chain stores ran out the really good guys, and the few indy's that are left have a pretty dismal selection, at least in my experience.

One area that seems to be holding on is paint stores and plumbing supply houses. Unfortunately, I don't have a good electrical supply place around anymore, so I'll order from McMaster-Carr. The quality is good and pricing is fair.

 

[AndrewBigA]

my local home depot stores still give the worst customer service. when you ask someone for help, they act like they dont hear you, put theyre head down & walk in the opposite direction. i wish i could be manager of one of the local home depot stores just for 1 day so i could save some money & fire half of the working staff that gets paid to pretend to be busy & provide no customer service at all. there are so many people without jobs & then you have some home depot workers that dont deserve to be working at all. what a bunch of lazy *** people. they should install more self checkout machines & have less idiots directing airport trafrfic with ear mufs, orange flags & that stupid forklift that they drive around in. im waiting for the day one of those fork lift things runs over my foot so i can sue! lol!

 

[gtir007]

home depot employees are eager to help you when someone from their corporate office or a district manager is in the store, otherwise you are on your own

 

[Cameronl]

I've got to beat them off with a stick at both locations near me. It's been that way for awhile now.

 

[KevinCT]

I think they are more like Home Desperate...

people are tired of them...

I've got to beat them off with a stick at both locations near me. It's been that way for awhile now.

yep, it's attack of the cart people. I dont get it, but I get followed by this cart lady every time I pop in, I must get ask twice every time I'm there if I am interested in home services, meanwhile they don't ask if I need any help with the actual item I'm looking at. Doesn't matter if I'm looking at tile, lighting, etc they ask me if I want siding, roofing , etc. it's kinda bizarre.

 

[AndrewBigA]

gotta love those idiots that check your receit before you leave the store. what a waste of money on those people. fire them & have a reg home depot employee at the exit door checking bags & making sure everything is on the receit! i still think they should install more automatic payment registers btu that would put alot of idiots out of work. home depot is a mess!

 

[oldwino]

One thing I still get at my local HD is an offer to help, but if you have a question, the response is usually "this isn't my section so I really don't know".

ADD the fact that if the SKU tag is not attached to an item you are SOL. Yesterday I needed 4 items and the SKU was missing from 2...I went back and found one # while an "associate" was looking up the other. After returning and waiting 25 minutes I'd had enough and went back to my local Ace store (a couple of bucks more but worth it)

 

[Coach James]

gotta love those idiots that check your receit before you leave the store. what a waste of money on those people. fire them & have a reg home depot employee at the exit door checking bags & making sure everything is on the receit! i still think they should install more automatic payment registers btu that would put alot of idiots out of work. home depot is a mess!

Why are they idiots? I suspect they're doing the job they were hired to do.

Coach

 

[rikmeister]

Home despot is much better than how lowes can you go. You could be laying on the floor with a heart attack and they will walk over you at lowes. Plus they have no idea what they are selling.

 

[kf4zht]

Home depots vary largely on the store manager. In normal economies they have a hard time hiring good people to work, most of the best guys there know enough to make more elsewhere.

I worked there for a summer while I was in college. I had fun, kind of still wish I worked there, given the job I have now. I had some trouble with people assuming that I had no idea what I was talking about due to my age, however since I was typically able to answer their questions (people seem to think their problems are harder than they really are). Even after a few months I had several people that I turned into their personal associate, they would drag me all over the store to help with their projects.


It was great one day, my dept manager (flooring) came up to me and asked if I knew a guy and described him. Apparently he had come in, asked for me and left saying he would come back when I was there to help him.

One helpful hint, they will (at least while I was there) price match + 10% up to a certain amount with no manager needed or receipt/ad shown. Just tell an associate that you saw it cheaper, I think it is up to 10% (ex, 100 at home depot, 90 at lowes. Home depot will do it for 81 with only your word) This may have changed.

 

[SharkD]

In my local Home Depot, you're lucky if you can even catch a fleeting glimpse of an "associate."

Meanwhile, you're hounded by "unmarked" staffers trying to sell you a new roof/countertop/cabinet/hardwood floors.

If you do manage to corner someone in an orange apron, they shrug and explain that they don't work in this section and know nothing about your particular inquiry and walk away quickly.

The nearby Lowes stores are a little better, and usually have much better lumber, cleaner aisles and better selection of tools/electrical components/trim.