The Home Depot Bet

Texas_Tickle · Feb 3, 2003

True Story. A person lost a bet and had to spend 16 hours at Home Depot and had to account for every minute of his time there.

Here is a link of the bet

http://www.typicalcrap.net/home_depot/hdlog.shtml

I cannot imagine 1 hour at HD, let alone 16 hours.

TicklingDuo · Feb 3, 2003

You want a wager involving Home Depot? I wager you can't find anyone to help you when you go there! I don't know how many times we've walked around looking for someone to give us info, only to be told by the few employees we encounter..."It's not my department." We've come to the conclusion that nobody works in ANY department. They just all wander around to make a show. I must be honest in saying that Lowes is no better. These corporations make a TON of money. You'd thiink they could hire enough people to cover the stores!

Ann

Texas_Tickle · Feb 3, 2003

TicklingDuo said:
You want a wager involving Home Depot? I wager you can't find anyone to help you when you go there! I don't know how many times we've walked around looking for someone to give us info, only to be told by the few employees we encounter..."It's not my department." We've come to the conclusion that nobody works in ANY department. They just all wander around to make a show. I must be honest in saying that Lowes is no better. These corporations make a TON of money. You'd thiink they could hire enough people to cover the stores!

Ann

Those type places normally hire part-time help (usually high-school kids) and pay them minimum wage. You get what you pay for.

Many of the employees there would'nt know a hammer from a screwdriver.

sole seeker · Feb 3, 2003

Gee Ann,

I gotta tell ya, I think this is a regional thing. I travel a lot, mostly in the midwest but to both the east and gulf coasts at least once a year. I've wasted time in various chains throughout my travels, 'cause hotel rooms can get claustrophobic after awhile.

In my opinion, Walmart generally has the friendliest, most helpful employees, but the guys working at the local store near my home wouldn't p*ss on you if you were on fire. :ignite:

Conversely, the guys at my nearest Home Depot are terrific, plenty of staff and everyone is helpful. The same is true for the closest Lowes, but not quite to the same extent.

I think it must be up to the local and regional managers, and what type of behavior they expect and are willing to put up with. I'm in a lower tier of management and my guys are professional and polite, but then again I carry a chainsaw and get results! :blaugh:

amk714 · Feb 3, 2003

I HATE Home Depot! If you're going there to buy stuff, you'd better be a handyman or something, because the people there (at least at the one near where I live) will be of little help to you, if any. 😡 Sorry to rant, but it looks like I'm not the only one dissatisfied with their customer service! (What service?) Now back to your regularly scheduled thread. 😀

TicklingDuo · Feb 3, 2003

Glad that you've had better experience in your area, SS. I agree that WalMart (overall) is probably the best for friendly and knowledgable service. Since I normally know exactly what I want, it's not often an issue. Finding it in the mess of a store near us is the problem.

One funny thing, kinda related to this...

We had set aside a weight bench and a set of free weights last Wed. The guy we spoke with was very helpful and (though the store is preparing to close) was willing to hold them for us until last Friday. The reason for this was that the sales on the items crossed in time and the weight set wasn't on sale until Friday. Fine. So, he takes our name and number and promises to hold them until Friday for us, lest someone else get to them first.

Friday comes along and we go to pick them up. It took ten minutes just to find someone willing to come to sporting goods. The kid didn't have a clue. Even after telling him what had been done and where the stuff was to have been set AND him reading the note on the register to that effect, he didn't know where to look. I told him again "It's in the gun room". He looks in the little glass cabinet in front. We then take him to the door of said gun room. He says, "That doesn't open."...even though there's a doorknob. Hmmmm.

After another half hour and three more clueless people (including one of the managers) they determine that it is, in fact, in the gun room. Here comes the tricky part.... They can't get IN the gun room because some clown took the key home with them. We've now wasted about 45 minutes standing around waiting to hear this. We're supposed to go back tonight to pick it up. HOPEFULLY someone with a brain (and a key) will be around this time!

No wonder they're going out of business! :sowrong:

Ann

Texas_Tickle · Feb 3, 2003

amk714 said:
I HATE Home Depot! If you're going there to buy stuff, you'd better be a handyman or something, because the people there (at least at the one near where I live) will be of little help to you, if any. 😡 Sorry to rant, but it looks like I'm not the only one dissatisfied with their customer service! (What service?) Now back to your regularly scheduled thread. 😀

Like I said before, most of those places (usually) hire after-school help as the bulk of their work force (with the exception of management). Then they can get away with paying minimum wage, with no hopes of promotion or advancement.

If somebody quits, there is prolly a line of other people looking to take their place.

You get what you pay for.

I have worked 6 years in the customer-service industry and yes I started out on the lower-rung of the pay-scale ladder, but as I got experience, I also got more pay.

I won't work for a company that offers less that $10.50/hour. Because of my experience, I don't have to settle for min. wage.

BettyBoop2002 · Feb 3, 2003

Yeah Wal-mart is the place not Ace or Home Depot!
That was funny reading from the link :blaugh:

AffectionateDan · Feb 3, 2003

TicklingDuo said:
No wonder they're going out of business!

Ann

Going out of business? Says who? They just built and opened one in my town in record time, and easily forced the local ACE Hardware store to close, a family business that's been in the same location for like three quarters of a century. I hope you weren't just venting when ya said that, Ann, I really would dance in the parking lot of that dung heap if it burned to the ground. Corporate America at it's finest, forcing the small businessman into the poorhouse while they stretch forth their hands and cover the world. It's evil, I tellz ya, Eeeeeeeeeeeevillllllllll. :sowrong:

😡