So I get to Home Depot, all jazzed about my garden project, and leave almost in tears. I’ve never met a more rude bunch of men in my life. I got to the store and promptly went over to the wood section. I looked around for someone to help me and got NOTHING. Finally, a man (who didn’t work for Home Depot) asked me if I needed help. I quickly described the kind of wood I was looking for, and he directed me to the pressure-treated wood in the very back section of the store. I head over there and am face to face with a dozen kinds of wood to choose from – and no one to help me determine which kind I need for my project. Again I wandered around looking for help. Saw a couple Home Depot men organizing crap with a loader, and instead of helping me they shooed me out of the way. Saw a couple other men organizing more crap (apparently Mondays are “crap arranging day”), and they wouldn’t even look at me when I said, “Excuse me,” to begin to ask for help. I stood there looking at all the wood, trying to figure it out on my own, and finally said, “Screw this,” and left the area. I came upon the original man who told me where to find the wood. He said, “You change your mind?” I said, “No, I couldn’t find anyone to help me.” “Help you with what – the wood’s right there.” He said it so condesendingly that I got really angry. Just like that my anger was at full force. Which sucks because when I get really REALLY angry – I cry. Ugh, that’s one of my most annoying traits (to me, anyway). Because to other people (read: men) crying doesn’t signify anger – it signifies PMS.
Give him a withering look, I bit out, “Forget it,” and stomped away. I was going to leave the store altogether (vowing never to come back) when I thought, “I can do this – I don’t need some stinkin’ man’s help.”
So I went back to the wood area, looked around a bit, checked the measurements I brought with me, and loaded up ten 2×6 planks about 8 feet long each. Then I grabbed some chicken wire and headed to the front. Paid for my stuff and went out to my car. Started loading and realized I’d only be able to fit half of the planks in the car. So I took the other five to the front of the store and asked one of the HD guys if I could leave it there while I took the other half home. He said sure, and away I went. Got back to Home Depot and promptly loaded the other five (it took some doing – we have a small car). And those men standing out front? WATCHED ME LOAD MY CAR. They didn’t even offer to help when I was having trouble with the last plank.
Everyone claims that the people at Home Depot are so helpful. They aren’t. At least, not to women on their own. In fact – the nicest person there? The woman who checked me out.
ugh!! what an awful experience!
i would have begun to cry too. what else can you do?!? at that point it’s either cry or hit ’em in the nuts with a 2×4 and sometimes crying just seems like the lesser of two evils.
Why do you think they call it Homo Depot? Guys helping guys. Sorry to hear about that.
I started reading your post and I knew the phrase “I’m never going back to Home Depot.” was going to show up.
Also, I think Jane is PMSing right now. Pre-, post- or presently. Don’t let the jerks at Home Depot get to you. They’ve been horrible in there every time I’ve gone in.
Sometimes I think the only way to get help in Home Depot is to walk around with matches, lighter fluid, and a crazed look in your eye. (The other option is to wear a slutty bikini, a cowboy hat, and a look of lustful hunger…) Gggggrrrrr.
I’ve never gotten help from anyone at Home Depot — that’s why I shop at Lowe’s. My experiences at Home Depot usually involved my lifting unwieldly bags of mulch and soil into a cart while shrieking “NO! DON’T HELP ME! I CAN MANAGE!” at the three to five employees who are clustered around with their fingers up their arses.
Horrid, horrid store, and I’ll never shop there again. If you have a Lowe’s nearby, try that. You’ll still be on your own, but not as often (or as with as much rudeness) as you would in a Home Depot.
I’m liking ‘Angie’s’ comment – I think I’ll try that the next time I need to get mulch/clay/flowerpots/plants/2×4’s/4×8’s/8×12’s etc., etc from H.D.
Sorry to hear about that, you’re not the only one! And believe me, guys get the shaft too. I’m researching Home Depot Customer Service for a class I’m taking, and it’s UNBELIEVABLE, some of the stories you hear. The more I research the more disgusted I am. I’m glad you got the wood anyway, that’s really cool you didn’t let their apathy and condescention get in your way.
Home Depot Sucks, your experience is typical for them!
All home improvement stores suck in my opinion. They pay minimum wage to people who know nothing about the products, especially the ones that have to be special ordered. They act like we have to have this stuff right now so take what we have or forget about it. Surely you do not want to mess around with special orders since the employees of the store do not know how to do one.
I used to pay with a check as much as possible so I would not have a big credit card bill at the end of the month. Now, if someone agrivates me, I pull out the VISA plastic because it takes 4% off of the stores profit. I explain to the cashier why I am using the plastic, just so that his or her retirement fund will be smaller. I also love to rub it in about how much the stock in their 401K has declined in value.
On the other hand, I like to share information about people who did something right. It is so rare that some one in retail sales knows how to help a customer that I go around for weeks and tell people about the good experiences. After all, it is so depressing to complain all of the time.
Here is one if you need some locks. Check out a site called Masterlocks.com. The sit actually has enough information that you can make a purchasing decision from looking at the pages of the catalog. Then each page has an 800 number posted on it. When you call the 800 number, a human answers. The human that answers actually takes an order instead of transfering you to some knuckle heads voice mail.
Another outfit that I had a good paint buying experience with is the Preservo Paint Company in Houston, texas. They have lots of specialty paints and have a lady there who can tell you how to use the paint properly. They are generous with samles too.
To hell with the big corporations. My time is worth money and wasting time in places like Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware etc is a financial loss to me.
Fight back by using the smaller slightly more expensive places. The time you save more than makes up for the higher price of the materials.
I work for Home Depot and let me tell you… You are all correct. Hell, any big corporation is crap. I have actually been one of those men who just looked around dazed and confused and didn’t want to help a customer because you know what?… I didn’t know jack about what department I happened to be in. Because you know why? Home Depot likes to just float people around from department to department. Trying to get people to learn everything. It doesn’t work. There is too much knowledge to retain if you were going to be a know it all. So that is why you get liars, or people who say I will be right back because I have to go find someone who actually knows what they are talkin about to help you. These stores don’t actually pay minimum wage, they actually usually pay double that. But the majority of people they do hire have other jobs. So all their employees are always burned out and tired of people and trying to meet impossible expectations given to them by Home Depot. The people they hire to be your boss try to be your friend too much, and obviously can’t do their job effectively, because they do it improperly. lol. I could blow so many whistles on Home Depot it’s not even funny. You have to realize all big Corporation are ****. I used to work for Target and they sucked so much… I couldn’t even figure out where to begin if i were to tell you. But, yes Home Depot sucks sooooooooooo bad. Their image is soooooo fake. For example. We have this help out our servicemen and maintain their homes crap while they are away program. They all blab about how Home Depot has donated a million dollars to help our fine servicemens wive’s maintain their homes… blah blah blah… Think about it. 1 million dollars. Then think about how many servicemen and households… what does that add up too like $15 bucks a house? maybe? So much more I can tell yah folks… just wait for my next post.
I work part time at Home Depot. The employee turnover is horrendous. The training is zilch. Basically you put on an orange apron walk out on the floor and it’s sink or swim, you’re on your own. The problem comes from the expectations that the Home Depot customers have from the advertising – – friendly, helpful, knowdegeable, caring and experienced employees. In reality the customers get the same level of respect and service from the sales associates that they receive from Home Depot management. It’s a vicious circle, but what goes around comes around. Lower your expectations, don’t believe the advertising hype and recognize that Home Depot has the lowest prices for a very good reason – low payroll, zero training expense and very few orange aprons on the floor. Customers who shop at Home Depot are looking for the cheapest prices and you get exactly what you pay for.
Thank you for clearing that up. I guess you get what you pay for. Good to know that if I ever need part time work, I can always go to HD and put on an apron. Can’t be any worse than any of the “knowledgable” floor walkers they have right now.
Don’t worry. I’ve learned to lower my expectations and expect nothing from the guys (and gals) on the floor. I think my wife has finally learned that too.
NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT HOME DEPOT JUST PLAIN SUCKS 4 CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES
you guys are all nuts…I’m an ardent Home Depot shopper and although I haven’t always had great experiences, for the most part I’ve been helped out quite a bit. All you people who posted above seem to be bent on one thing: whining your heads off and making ingnorant, juevenile asses out of yourselves. C’mon, people! Believe it or not, there are more important things in life besides complaining about things beyond your control. Ball up, take some responsibility, and stop freakin cryin’ about how you’re just such victims everytime you walk into a store! Food for thought, geniuses, if Home Depot sucks SO bad, why are they the absolute biggest and best in their market? Alot of retail establishments are better off without you showing your bitter faces in them and yelling at the employees about how you’re using your visa card so that their store gets less money and their retirement funds will be a little smaller. Grow up!
I have worked for the HD for a couple yrs now and I can see both sides of it.Some of the customers are absolutely unreasonable about trying to pull us away from a line of customers to get them a cart from outside cause they are too lazy to get it themselves.Or the ones that walk us around the store as their personal shopping consultant. We our a warehouse, we are not waitresses to serve you hand and foot nor your babysitters to watch your kids climb unsafely over riding lawnmowers as you shop the store. Although we do get training, you can’t expect us to know EVERYTHING! If we did do you think we’d really be working at HD. We’d be contractors and them you’d really pay big money for our recommendation. Our pay leaves alot to be desired and I’m sure that spoiled people that shop there definately contribute to the high turnover. Although I don’t agree with alot of the policies of Home Depot it is all Mgt related problems that don’t affect you as much as it affects us. And by the the way if mgt didnt treat us like crap half the time moral would be higher and we might be able to tolerate the day a little better. Just remember we are human too. Let’s see how much you can tell me about soldering pipes!
I am a department manager at Home Depot. The position I am in now is a new one created to increase customer service levels and make shopping easy for customers. I am responsible for making sure that associate are doing what they are supposed to be doing (not hanging out in groups talking). Over the last year Home Depot has been going through a “rebuilding” phase. Some of you long time shoppers may remember when Home Depot was bent on doing whatever it takes to satisfy the customer. When out new CEO came in he underestimated our culture and tried making changes(cutting back on associates and hiring more part time help). There has been a huge backlash and things are starting to go back to what they used to be like.
Now that I have explained that, let me say this. I read all of the entries above and not ONCE did I see someone say that they spoke to a manager about a bad experience. You all took the time to write about your terrible experience and have it posted on this website. What good is that going to do? I know that most of you who are writting or reading this will be in a Home Depot again. Where else are you going to go? Lowes? Good luck. Lowes is the same box as Home Depot only blue instead of orange. Here’s an inside tip… Many Lowes employees and managers were fired or quit Home Depot because Lowes is easy to work for. That means lower customer service levels. If you have a problem in any Home Depot here is what you do to get help that you all deserve…
1. If you need help just ask. Sometimes you may have to wait because our stores are very busy. My store has over 10,000 customers come through on a weekend day. If you come in on Saturday expect to wait.
2. If a sales associate is not treating you well go to the front of the store and ask to talk to a manager. Make sure you get their name(it’s on every apron)and tell the manager respectfully what happened and that you want help from a sales person that will treat you better. If you are reasonable I promise that you will be taken care of.
3. If you have done all of this and still think that you have not been taken care of ask the manager for the number to the district office and the name of the district manager. You can call and voice your concern to them. Believe it or not the DM does address these issues to the store manager.
All Home Depots are not the same. In fact some are much better that others. I drive past two Depots on my way to the one I work at because I believe that mine is the best in the area. If your local Depot sucks tell the manager that you are going to go to the next closest one until they get their act together.
Just remember that the sales people are human. They have bad days. Some of them just suck. Come on, all of you have works with coworkers you hated. It happens in retail too. If an associate is constatly getting complaint from customers, he/she will not be employed at the Home Depot. So bring your complaints to me. It will make my job so much easier.
all you people need to get a life, there lots of rude customers who are complete arses