Why is it........?

That you never run out of screws (or bolts, or nails, or any other fastener) at noon when everyone is open? I always seem to run out at

9PM when everything is closed.

That I never drop the scrap pieces?

That you never see a BORG employee that knows what they are talking about? I have only ever come across one that knows the difference between a standard grade and premium grade 2x4. (I know the difference, and the one that knew was someone that I have known to be in building material sales for quite a long time and was working at the blue dump post retirement)

That you never see a BORG employee when you actually need them to fetch something from the top shelf. But stare at the wood products while you are making sure of everything you need, there will be 20 of them asking if you need help.

That the brad nailer will run out when you needed only 2 more.

That you tell someone that you make cabinets and furniture for yourself only and that they still insist on having you give them an estimate on building them some cabinets for their laundry room.

That the person from the above predicament gets mad when you tell them NO.

It's been a really long day.....

Allen

Reply to
allen476
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Just tell 'em "be glad to--$25K + materials".

Reply to
J. Clarke

On Tue, 25 May 2010 20:55:46 -0600, Robert Allison wrote the following:

Yeah, $700/ft per level. "You say you have uppers -and- lowers?" and give them that million dollar smile.

--------------------------------------------------- I drive way too fast to worry about my cholesterol. ---------------------------------------------------

Reply to
Larry Jaques

You don't have a 24 hour Home Depot?

How about one that has premium grade clear lumber that is not sold like hardwood?

I never tell them no. Just quote them about $700 per lineal foot of face and watch THEM trying to get away....

Reply to
Robert Allison

Robert, the short and simple answer is, "Because Adam ate the apple." It has all been downhill since

Deb

Robert Allis> allen476 wrote:

Reply to
Dr. Deb

No, all we have besides a family hardware store is a Lowe's and the hardware store closes at 7 and the Blue Borg closes at 9. Home Depot is another 30 minutes away and they also close at 9.

I would be happy if someone from there actually knew the difference between maple and poplar and the use for them.

At the time it didn't occur to me to tell them that. It was a hot day here and that occured at 8pm last night. They want uppers and lowers to match their kitchen cabinets.

I will have to try that.....

Allen

Reply to
allen476

. . . that it's next to impossible to find competent repair for my SENCO nailers? I hate dealing with Circle Saw.

Dave in Houston

Reply to
Dave In Texas

Karma?

Reply to
Tom B

Experienced knowledgeable sales people cost money. You want cheap stuff. In order to keep it cheap they shave a little of the thickness of wood,make the nails a little softer and hire newbie's as employees for low wages.You wanted cheep you got cheep ,quit bitching. They stock the shelves and if asked point you to the right isle, you do the rest yourself.

Reply to
Rusty

Now they charge a fortune for the shavings too.

Reply to
Josepi

no. they point you at an aisle. there's really no guarantee that it's the right one, and ime, is almost never the right one.

case in point: asked for sulfur in HD for using on cactus roots prior to replanting some saguaros that blew over in a wind storm. it took 3 people 30 minutes to decide they didn't carry it. the first "associate" i asked didn't speak any english besides the word "hello", which i thought was going a bit too far for a store in the US. none of them had even heard of what it was, let alone what it was used for.

regards, charlie phx, az

Reply to
chaniarts

I usually go to a lumber place here. But since I only needed a 1x6x4 piece of poplar to finish one of the pieces I was working on, a 40 minute drive wasn't looking too good just to get it. I use the Blue dump (because that is what it looks like on the inside and outside here), because it is only 10 minutes from me. But when I go there, the maple, poplar and oak are usually mixed together. That tells me either they don't care or they don't know. And also they don't point you to the right aisle half of the time here as well. Padlocks are not with the door locks, taping compound is not in the tape aisle (here it is in the paint department unless you want 5 gallons of it then it is next to the sheetrock), hydraulic cement is not in the plumbing department, and the winner from when they did their big rearrangement (so you could find stuff easier) sandpaper is not in the sand and cement aisle.

I know that you get what you pay for. That is why when I am starting a project, I go to someplace that has people that know what they are talking about. To me at least if you are going to advertise "You can do it, we can help" then have knowledgeable people that can help. Most of them do a great impression of "deer in headlights" when you ask them anything.

Allen

Reply to
allen476

No reason for them to be, either.

What, you mean with the masking tape? Of course not.

Exactly where I'd expect to find small quantities of it, for patching a wall before painting it

Right where it should be, too.

No reason to expect it to be. Hydraulic cement is for repairing masonry, and

-- guess what -- it's in the masonry aisle.

One of the two of us is an idiot. Either I just fell for an elaborate joke, or you have some *very* strange ideas about where stuff ought to be in a hardware store.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Bingo.

Reply to
Gerald Ross

No, that is where the "associates" said they were. I know where they should be. But they don't.

Our Blue dump has rearranged everything and now items are in different areas. Couple that with the lack of training and well no one knows where stuff is.

Padlocks used to be with the chain, now they are in the aisle with storage bins and pneumatic nailers.

Hydraulic cement (I use the UGL brand since I can mix up small quantities) is in the paint department when it was with the rest of the cements and mortar. But instead I was told that it was in the plumbing department. If I hadn't had to get another gallon of the UGL paint, I would have never had found it. And it wasn't in the paint department 3 days before either.

The 1 gallon and smaller joint compound used to be right with the taping tools, cornerbead, and sheetrock. Now it is with the rest of the vinyl spackle and caulking. I wasn't repairing but rather taping out a small room and needed only a gallon. Got the 4 sheets of rock on the cart and couldn't find the gallon size. I asked and was told that they were in aisle 5. Well aisle 5 is tape not taping compound.

Sandpaper.....that made me laugh when I asked where that was moved to. The girl had no clue and instead of asking where it was, said "it is with the rest of the sand products".

Sorry, I should have clarified where I had been told where stuff was. It has been a long week already.

Allen

Reply to
allen476

My favorite HD tale is being told that for plumbing parts I need to go to a plumbing store. I was told this while standing in the "plumbing isle" and the person telling me was wearing a HD orange smock/jacket/clownsuit These days when I need service while in store, I call the store from their phone, or use their PA system. However, in my area we have 2 HDs, and they have mostly compentent staff, so it really isn't that bad.

I usually go to a lumber place here. But since I only needed a 1x6x4 piece of poplar to finish one of the pieces I was working on, a 40 minute drive wasn't looking too good just to get it. I use the Blue dump (because that is what it looks like on the inside and outside here), because it is only 10 minutes from me. But when I go there, the maple, poplar and oak are usually mixed together. That tells me either they don't care or they don't know. And also they don't point you to the right aisle half of the time here as well. Padlocks are not with the door locks, taping compound is not in the tape aisle (here it is in the paint department unless you want 5 gallons of it then it is next to the sheetrock), hydraulic cement is not in the plumbing department, and the winner from when they did their big rearrangement (so you could find stuff easier) sandpaper is not in the sand and cement aisle.

I know that you get what you pay for. That is why when I am starting a project, I go to someplace that has people that know what they are talking about. To me at least if you are going to advertise "You can do it, we can help" then have knowledgeable people that can help. Most of them do a great impression of "deer in headlights" when you ask them anything.

Allen

Reply to
Matt

Ahh. I didn't consider that alternative. I guess it's me. Ok, you're not an idiot, I'm only a partial idiot, but the "associates" at your local Borg are complete idiots.

That's bizarre. The first place I'd expect to see them is with the chain; next place I'd look is with hinges and hasps.

Odd. Why there, I wonder, and not with the other similar substances such as mortar, concrete mix, and portland cement?

I still think that actually makes sense, though, to put the small cartons in the paint department. It would make more sense to stock them in both places.

That's one of my pet peeves. "I don't know" is an acceptable answer, provided it's followed by "... but I'll find out" or "... but I'll find someone who does". But to just make stuff up -- !!

I'd have complained to the manager about that. *After* chewing out the employee.

Makes an amusing conversation.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Some of this depends on store size. The Lowes and HD stores closest to me are about 30,000 ft^2 smaller than the next closest. That means stock mix will differ between the stores, but I'd think the small buckets in both locations would be likely in either size store.

BTW, both the Lowes and the HD seem to be almost overstaffed. Both stores' employees have been helpful for the most part* -- the doofii seem to be kept on check lanes -- and they know enough to leave me alone when I growl at 'em.

*This can't always be said of Rockler... and the Woodcraft store's manager's sense of humor rates "fail."
Reply to
Steve

-------------------------------------------

I have a friend who has been a H/D cashier for several years.

Trust me, you growl at her and you are likely to have very fond memories of your days in basic training by comparison to your encounter with her.

BTW, she would do it with a very big smile on her face.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

That is why I usually use the self checkout. Fast and no waiting.....

They need to send some of those employees to this area. Most of their employees here don't have a clue. Shook my head at this one.....I was standing in line because the self checkout was closed. Looked at the guy's cart behind me. He had 2 8' electric baseboard heaters, a 100' roll of 12/3NM-B, and a 25A 2 pole Siemens breaker. Now I used to sell electrical supplies for a living so something isn't adding up. Standard density electric baseboard is 250 watts/ft so there is 4000 watts which is about 17 amps at 240V. So the only qualm I have about the wire is that it should be 12/2 since they don't need a neutral. So I asked him if the electrical associate helped him. The response was "Why yes" and I said "Oh boy"

So he was curious and asked why. I told him the wire is wrong, the breaker is wrong, and what about connectors and staples. The breaker was the only one they had that would fit a Cutler-Hammer panel. Told him that you can't mix brands, that you need a Cutler-Hammer breaker. Further more he needed a 20 amp 2 pole breaker for the 12 gauge wire. The associate told him that he could use a 25A breaker and didn't need connectors (really wrong) and that he could use a staple gun for stapling.

I did help him because I couldn't in good conscience let him get that. I spent an extra 5 minutes helping him but I feel that places like Lowes should only have people to direct you to the items not tell you how to do it. Hence why I say that they should have people on staff that can live up to the advertising of "you can do we can help" but I know they won't though.

The Woodcraft closest to me has a good staff though. Too bad I have to drive 2 hours each way to go there. Never been to a Rockler.

Allen

Reply to
allen476

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