Home Depot Rant

[Ron]

Trappey's, Cajun Chef, whats your poison?

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Since my favorite electrical place is closed on Sundays, I went to HD last spring for a couple of fluorescent fixtures for the basement. Big display, model numbers are clearly visible on the nice big posters next to each fixture, and the boxes were neatly stacked on the shelves below. Should be easy, right?

Wrong. The model number on the poster didn't match any box on the shelves. I found the so-called "electric guy", who came over, pointed to a certain box and said "This is probably the one. It's the right size." I asked him to get the manager. The manager came over and was as clueless as the clerk unit. I pointed to the UPC code on a likely looking box and asked if it would help to enter it into his computer. He said "No, probably not." I left. Fuck it. If they can't identify their own products, why help them learn? I'd be happy to train their babies. They can pay me $200 an hour for the aggravation.

There used to be a woman there who knew the place like the back of her hand. I complimented her about it. She said she usually snuck in 20 minutes early so she could wander the aisles she wasn't familiar with. What a concept. A month later, she was gone.

[clifto]

Chicago doesn't have one because they want to tell WalMart how to run WalMart and impose all sorts of conditions on their operation. So WalMart opens stores in the suburbs, right across the street from the city limits.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Maybe the city refused to give WM the tax breaks they insist on, but don't deserve.

[Art]

What's dreadful about having no Walmart. They are dumps.

[Ron]

After all of my posts today about never having problems with HD, I went there to get a sprinkler head.

While walking around the store I had four employees in less than ten minutes ask me if I needed any help. I also had at least four other employees ask me if I was having a nice day.

Guess it just depends on the store or maybe even the state/town/area. Orlando here.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

HD and the other big stores have never put anyone out of business. Please, get your facts straight.

When the big box stores move in, customers gravitate to them for some reason and it is the lack of custoemrs that puts the other store out of business. All their loyal customers over the years think they are smart shoppers by saving 10¢ on selected items by going to the big stores.

Back in the 60's and 70's, small town store lost to the big shopping malls. Why? Parking for one thing. To go to the local store you'd have to park

200 feet away and walk. At the mall, you can park in the lot right outside and walk 1/4 mile to the entrance and the another 1/4 mile to the store you want to visit.

[Ron]

In New Orleans.

[Ron]

He said "driven out of business" which is exactly what you just wrote.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Often, HD has what I need, but not what I want. better selection at many other stores. Often cheaper prices too.

[Ron]

Huh?

Do you mean what you want, but not what you need?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

He said by HD & the other big boxes. That is NOT what I wrote. The former "loyal" customers drove them out. Can't you comprehend a full sentence? Taking half of it out of context does not give the proper meaning.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Not every installer does a good job. HD hires the lowest bidder, good or bad.

[Nate Nagel]

I'm sure it does, I have several HDs near my house and there's definitely an order of preference. Unfortunately the absolute worst one is also the closest. :(

nate

[SMS 斯蒂文?]

They hire the lowest bidder, and they get a cut. Pretty simple.

For a simple installation it may make no difference. For a complicated installation, with a lot of stairs, different types of stairs, and transitions to other types of flooring, it can make a big difference.

They also are very expensive compared to most discount carpet stores.

In San Francisco, you want to gravitate to the areas with all the building supply stores, and look for the Chinese stores. Send in a Cantonese speaker to do the transaction. For stuff like carpet, tile, granite, marble, cultured marble and granite, and cabinetry, you'll be at about 50-60% of what Home Depot or Lowe's charges.

[SMS 斯蒂文?]

For specialty items it's usually necessary. Even the Home Depot staff will often refer you to a specialty store for plumbing and electrical items.

[SMS 斯蒂文?]

You can usually find some decent 2x4's and plywood at Home Depot, but for anything more than that, a lumber store is preferable.

[SMS 斯蒂文?]

All of those items are far more expensive at Home Depot that at other stores, all of which are open on weekends (or at least Saturday). I just did a remodel with lots of carpet, tile, and cabinets, and I would spent at least $6,000 more if I had bought the materials at HD.

One time the HD cashier advised my wife to stop buying pavers there, and to go to the nearby rockery, which sold them for less than half of what HD charges.

[SMS 斯蒂文?]

groceries:

>

Costco has very good quality meat. Most of the supermarkets around here no longer sell USDA graded meat, having come up with their own marketing where they sell what USDA would grade as the low "Select" grade. Apparently they decided that selling to people that don't care about quality is more profitable, and are willing to lose the customers that do care.

Some of the high-end stores sell USDA choice and prime, but their regular prices are higher than Costco.

[SMS 斯蒂文?]

There are a bunch of Wal-Marts in the San Francisco Bay Area, just none in the city of San Francisco itself. No Target, Sears, JC Penney, Home Depot, or Lowe's either (though there used to be a Sears and a JC Penney).

Big box stores in these areas tend to go into nearby business-friendly towns (those without living wage requirements, heath care requirements, restrictions on hours of operation, etc.). Costco has a store in San Francisco, but Costco treats there employees well, and is a responsible corporate citizen.