I went to Dublin Home Depot Saturday afternoon at about 3:00 to pick up crown moulding to finish a small bathroom.

Every employee I came in contact with greeted me and offered to help. This must have happened no less than 7 or 8 times so much so I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

I could understand their eagerness if a Lowes opened in Dublin last week but HD more or less has a monopoly around her.

Just a few short years ago you couldn't get a HD employee to help you unless you bribed them with cash.

TD

Most of the large home supply stores are pressing from store management level to try to attract more customers. Economy and lack of building is killing them.
This was the case when I left Dahlonega HD awhile back. Our store manager was a CS nazi for this very reason.

maybe their chickens are finally coming home to roost.  the downswing in residential housing has really hit them hard...more so than lowe's since HD's primary target crowd are contractors.  Lowe's has always struck me more of a DIY kind of place.  i'm willing to bet there has been some kind of corporate directive to try to earn every possible cent with the market the way it is right now.

i stopped going to HD about 5 years ago.  between the bums in the parking lot in the old macon location and there limited inventory (and no one knowing what exactly was going on)  i haven't missed them.

Home Depot, at least the one in Savannah, used to be like that a few years ago.  Employees would stop what they were doing and take you right to the item you were looking for.  The last couple of years it's been more like shopping at Walmart.

Same thing happened to me Friday, may I help you , let me take you over there ,  what else may I help you with .   Way different from a year ago  or so .

Home Depot has changes the way they do business to the way it was done when the company first stated.  When Bob Nardelli was running things (into the ground) his main focus was growth.  Now the new guy has changed up.  I guess you realy can't go wrong with doing what made that company as successfull as it is today.  I am once again happy to own stock in that company.

Never again. I am still pissed off about the money I lost on their stock. They will have to shit golden eggs before I go back in that orange hell.

Accountant

Sounds like they want your money.


Oh...wait a minute...

accountant... never bitter!



 

I started shopping at ACE stores just because of the crappy service I started getting at HD a few years ago. I don't mind paying 20% more if I don't have to look for what I want for an hour with no help.

I'll never visit the HD in Athens, GA.  They went so far as to build the illegals a shelter including picnic tables.

Maybe I'll stop by the one near my house. Last time I was in there the staff were avoiding eye contact and practically running away when approached. Another copped an attitude when I asked for a piece of plexiglass to be cut to size.

Lowes and Ace hardware was kicking their ass like Chuck Norris on Pee-Wee Herman.  I worked for HD in high school (I think there was two of them at the time) customer service was the focus period.  Then some typical ass-clown MBA CEO took over and was more worried about his personal portfolio and single handedly wrecked what HD was.  I quit shopping there years ago, sold my stock (after losing a bunch) when I decided I shouldn't have stock in a company I won't even shop at.

I thought I was the only one pissed off at the Athens HD illegal hangout.

And true be told Lowes pissed me off a few years ago when corporate made the decision to call Christmas Trees "Holiday Trees"

Same thing happened to me at the home depot in Mcdonough last week.  Wife and I went in to look at water heaters since ours just rusted through.  The wife asked me what was wrong with those people they were so helpful.

This just goes to show that not everyone can be pleased.  I might be in a very small minority, but I don't want unsolicited help unless and until I ask for it.  But when I do approach an employee for help and they see me coming out of the corner of their eye and walk away, that PMO.

The last time I was at CarMax I was there because I was early for a lunch date and needed to burn some time.  I tried to sneek through the showroom and not make eye contact with anyone because I had less than zero intention of buying a car; I didn't want to waste anyones time.  

I heard "Sir...sir!...SIR!...? I tried to ignore the salutation but it was so urgent that it occurred to me that I might be walking into danger and so I stopped and turned to face the person speaking.  I got this poorly rehearsed "Hi my name is bla-bla-bla."  As I said earlier, I don't want help unles I ask for it; I especially don't want a demonstration of a policy of friendliness.  I politely told the guy that I was just looking and that I had zero intention of buying a car.  He followed me out to the lot anyway.

I thought if I walked fast enough (I walk faster than anyone I know anyway.) the guy would get the message and leave me alone.  Absolutely on purpose, I walked all the way across the lot in a zig-zag pattern hoping to lose him, but like a Hellcat on a Zero he stayed on me...I know  this because less than five seconds after stopping to look at the car farthest from the showroom door, the guy had unferruled an umbrella and erected it over my head––it was a hot day. I pretended to not notice his presence and commenced walking all the way back across the lot.

This game became an annoyance and I finally rewarded him with my attention where I reiterated that I was there to represent financial hopelessness; that I wasn't going to buy anything; that I'm just wasting time.  I got another rehearsed "I'm at your service; to answer any questions you have bla-bla-bla."  

"OK, here's a question for you: Is it a CarMax policy to worry the sh*t about everyone who comes here, or just the ones who admit they're just looking?"  Undeterred, the guy says (paraphrased) that it's CM's policy to be with the customer to answer any question they might have or (sweetening the pot I suppose) to get keys for a test drive bla-bla-bla.

We had a bit of heart-to-heart and he pleaded that the bigbossman was there and he was afraid he'd get in trouble if I was seen on the lot alone.  I was sort-of OK with that but it continued to be very awkward with the guy following me around with the umbrella.  I decided to leave and while I walked away I pondered if there really are people who would be pleased with such ultra-service.  I also considered whether I should advise management that employees should be allowed to believe customers who insist that they be left alone, but it wasn't clear to me that the guy following me in the lot would have been blamed for my disenchantment.  I decided to fake satisfaction while walking through the showroom.  I shook the guy's hand and thanked him for his time and he was obviously appreciative.

This, but from higher up than store level. After Nardellli dipped out and the new guy stepped in he started pushing this "get back to basics" campaign. They were just starting it back in January when I got laid off. They're feeling the pressure the tightening economy and threatening competition.

I can only speak for myself, but YES!

If you want me to spend money at your store, then I expect very good customer service. Not annoying service, but helpful and informed service. There are too many other stores for a retailer to treat their customers like shit. HD's service went to pot and now they are having to fight Lowe's in their own back yard. HD is a perfect example of how to kill a retailer. If there was an alternative to W-M, I would say that they were next.

Accountant

I prefer "never forget"; but I do understand that it sometimes comes out as "bitter". Frankly, I just hate to waste / lose money. I actually consider it a sin.

Accountant

probably corporate policy if a customer is on the lot, sales rep must be there or get written up, 3 write ups and rep is fired. I changed from self employeed to being an employee and the crap I have learned is simply amazing, in a bad way......After 30 years of being self employment and a 4 year degree in marketing, I get the feeling that accountant type upper management takes the attitude, " we are not paying you to think, just do what I tell you" I have an entirely different understanding of retail employees.

One such example : We get our delivery truck in, let's say it should have 50,000 in goods on it and let's just say the warehouse shorts us 900.00.The store cannot file a loss against the warehouse unless it is over 1000.00, so we are short almost 2%. In addition if the store shrink is over a certain amount at inventory, the store manager is fired on the spot. The store has 48 hours to file what is missing if it is over that 1000.00 figure. If the delivery day falls on a Friday, then as of 5p on Friday, the store is out of luck.

Glad to have a job, just wish it wasn't here

the Lowes in Rincon (outside of Savannah) every isle I go down I get asked if I need help. I told one guy I needed professional help if I got asked that again, he gave me the look and walked away slowly

Ohhh, a viable alternative to Walmart is a fantasy of mine.

The mere though of It makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

Several have tried and all have failed.

TD

There are alternatives to Walmart.Just do what the Wife and I did a few years back,DO NOT SHOP THERE.Recovery is slower for some but in time everyone can learn to live w/o Walmart.

I do not shop at WM and I am more than will to pay more a given item rather than shop there.

I refer to WM as the evil empire.

TD

and so dies capitalism...





 

For what it's worth, I have been recently informed that the illegal immigrant worker shed in Athens was not built nor supported by HD.  The county put it up against the HD's wishes.