60% off discount at Home Depot after I asked for the Corporate Telephone Number

Last night I was buying OSB at Home Depot at about 8:15 p.m.. Before I even went to the store, I though to myself "is there going to be anyone there to operate the saw," since I needed it cut. I took my chances and rolled the sheets of OSB back to the saw. There were no employees in the lumber department. I looked up the phone number of the store and called the service desk and they told me they'd send someone back there. I called three times. By that time, there were two other people waiting to have lumber cut.

I was going to leave, but I was annoyed, especially since this store has been cutting staff and worsening service for a long time. I went up the service desk to ask for the corporate office phone number. Apparently I asked the manager of the store, and he was wonderful. He walked over to the lumber department, found an employee that was doing something else that wasn't critical, and send him back to help the three customers waiting for service.

When I checked out with the lumber the manager was now manning the cash register. I did not ask for, nor did I expect, any discount, but he rang up the purchase and gave me 60% off the total. $35.94 became $14.38.

BTW, at Home Depot they will usually write the keypad code for the saws and for the electrical wire thingee on the wall. I could have cut the lumber myself and no one would have ever noticed since there was no one around, but the saw may be on camera.

Reply to
SMS
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On 10/19/2012 11:56 AM, SMS wrote: ...

What difference does that make? I've done same several times at various outlets. They yell if they get the chance but what else are they going to do???

Reply to
dpb

being OSB, they could glue it back together...

Reply to
rlz

What is OSB?

Don.

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Reply to
Don Wiss

Oriented-Strand Board...

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Reply to
dpb

A for-what-its-worth comment: Lowes gives a 5% discount for using their charge card. HD doesn't. But if you ask HD for competitive pricing on the Lowes charge card policy. they will give you the 5% discount also. But you have to ask.

Reply to
Red

I'm in Canuckistan and I asked an assistant manager once about ALL the cameras they had at a HD near me, and he said they were all monitored from Atlanta and nobody from their own store or indeed anywhere in Canada was monitoring a camera inside this particular Home Depot.

In this store, the saw is in the open, not in a back room.

Reply to
Dusenberg

But do you have to show them an HD or Lowe's card to get the discount? Or just any credit card?

Don.

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Reply to
Don Wiss

All stores like HD, Lowes, supermarket chains, have cameras pointing at all aisles. I wouldn't exactly say they are being monitored. More correctly they are recording. The purpose is to protect the stores from fraudulent slip-and-fall lawsuits.

Don.

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Reply to
Don Wiss

Me and JH did some T1 cable extension work in some Sears stores and the loss control folks had a monitor room where they were watching the whole store inside and out. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

You probably have to use their card, as you do at Lowes to get their deal. I have both but haven't used them in years.

Reply to
krw

Okay. I bet shoplifting is higher in a Sears than a supermarket. And slip-and-falls higher in a supermarket where there are spilled liquids that people can pretend they slipped and fell on. As for HD and Lowes??

Don.

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Reply to
Don Wiss

-snip-

Both give 10% to Veterans-- so before you start any home projects, be sure to enlist for a couple years.

I don't know when they started this-- but if I'd known about it 25 yrs ago, my discount would be worth more than Uncle Sam paid me from

68-72.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

Years ago, I needed a manager to sign off, some work I did in a Tops grocery. They had a room full of TV monitors, and a guy who was using them to watch the women shoppers.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Me and JH did some T1 cable extension work in some Sears stores and the loss control folks had a monitor room where they were watching the whole store inside and out. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I do a lot of data network, telecom, energy management and electrical work in all the big name retail stores. Believe me, there IS someone watching via the cameras. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

I did, 57 years ago. I always wear my US Navy ball cap when shopping. Many other places have veteran discounts. :-)

I think it began around the time we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan for something that mostly Saudi Arabians did in NYC.

Reply to
willshak

They record everything to defend themselves from the fake slip and falls launched by the local attorneys who run ads on late night TV and to document activity for prosecution purposes. Likely someone is watching and it is handy to have a recording after the fact.

Reply to
George

I just go to the local lumber yard. They have better quality materials at lower prices.

Reply to
George

Conversely, I sat down on my riding lawn mower for the second time this morning and turned the key.

THE FREAKIN' BATTERY EXPLODED!

That's exactly what it did - it blew up! Scared the bejesus out of me and garage cat who was watching with feigned indifference.

Took the remnants of the battery back to Walmart. "It's out of warranty," said the clerk.

"Forget about warranty," said I. "It damn near killed me and both my neighbors! It's a safety issue."

"It's out of warranty," said the supervisor.

"I'm not making a warranty claim," I repeated. "I'm claiming attempted manslaughter!"

"I'm terribly sorry, sir," was the final word from the store manager. "The battery's warranty has long since expired. I can, however, make a saftey report."

"And just how is a 'safety report' going to affect me in the next five minutes?" I inquired. "I can barely hear you, I have acid burns on my hand, my cat is in the next county, I'm even afraid to be in this sales room with so many potential bombs!"

Presently I left and bought a replacement battery at the auto parts store. I should have asked how often this happens... Anybody know the area code for Bentonville?

Reply to
HeyBub

Damn near! What with the cloud of smoke, the sulfuric acid fumes, bits of the battery flung all over the place! It was a scarifying experience! Not to mention the psychological counseling that will no doubt be required for garage cat.

I would have settled for a little empathy and a modest monetary consideration. Something like: "I don't blame you for being agitated. Had it been me, I'd have had to change my drawers. How about I give you five dollars off on a replacement, seeing as how this battery is out of warranty?"

Reply to
HeyBub

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