Home Depot Sucks

Yowza! I didn't mean to get everyones feathers ruffled. The only reason I brought it up was because I searched through the rec.woodworking archives and found quite a few subscribers who had similar negative experiences involving HD. Judging from the response I've received on the website, I'd say that this is still the case.
If I offended anyone, I apologize. The fact of the matter is the Home Depot's in the Bay Area are flat out awful in my opinion. I've filled out endless comment cards with my name and address, and they do nothing. I honestly wish we had them as nice as the ones you all have access to.

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I've never understood the desire to so publically proclaim your dislike for a company. There are lots of options if you don't like a particular retailer, the most important being not giving them your business. However, they do have a decent selection of what I generally need and if I need something special, I got to the special stores.
When I lived in the Bay Area, I made sure that I supported my local hardware/lumber store by spending my money there. I didn't bother wasting my energies railing against the 'Borg'. Take the money you're spending trashing a respectible retailer and give it to another respectible retailer that you like.

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net says...
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Good advice. Remember that a lot of people like HD. Their growth shows it. If you don't like it, vote with your feet and your wallet.
Rick

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We have 2 here in San Jose (bay area) that I know of and they both seem ok. I actually think their people are more knowledgeable than any other retail store I've been to.

Don't be surprised if they file a lawsuit against you. I know a few people who have put up similar sites and had the companies come after them.
I also think HD sucks.
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ok.

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You still haven't stated what they do or don't do which is so awful.
I like my HD in the area. They're close, and they have great hours.

On 13 Nov 2003 06:45:17 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Larry Bud) wrote:
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I forgot about HD hours--I take them for granted now. They are good! The local 84 Lumber is closed when I get off work, closes at noon on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.

Im in IL. And we are either HD or Menards. Personally, I shop Menards for most items. There only a few things I go to HD for (ie. certain brands, or lumber).
Menards at least has sales. HD never has sales They have a flyer that just shows nice color picture of their regular prices.
Also, I see the Menards stores are a little more casual of a store, it definently doesn't have a large corporate image. Selling Christmas stuff definently makes it more family friendly.
It's pretty sad when they see you three times a day on the weekends.

c_kubie wrote:
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Ahh, c'mon. You love it. Hell, it makes you 'feel' like a pro at something. You know those aisles like the back of your hand dontcha? Admit it, you even try to assist shoppers and direct them to 'hardware' and 'floorcoverings' when you get the chance..
Otherwise you'd make a list and get it all in one trip.
-- Liam

On 14 Nov 2003 07:12:14 -0800, c snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (c_kubie) wrote:
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A sale is a consumer marketing device. A sale price simply means you've been paying too much all the other times. Any retailer expects to get a certain average profit on a given item, or he won't bother to sell it, unless it's a loss leader or poorly moving item that probably will no longer be stocked.
Have you ever compared the "regular" prices between stores? Asked for price matching?
Barry

in message (c_kubie) wrote:
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In our area (Minneapolis/St.Paul metro) Mendard's regular prices are generally lower than Home Depot. When Menards has a sale, then their prices are even lower. So I do not agree that in Menard's case, I am paying too much when their stuff is not on sale. Using your theory, then Home Depot must be severely overcharging customers. I do not believe that they do, they have a right to charge what they want, and so do all of their competetors.
So Barry, I have compared regular prices between these stores, and usually, Home Depot is more expensive. This is my observation over the last decade or so. During this time I completely finished one basement (All building materials and fixtures for 2 bedrooms, one family room, and a 3/4 bath.). This included everything from framing lumber, electrical wiring, drywall, paint, millwork, etc..... I have built an elevated deck, and done many other indoor and outdoor projects. I am now in the process of finishing the basement on our current house. So I have had lots of opportunities to compare these two places. Menards is almost always cheaper, sometimes by just a bit, sometimes more. If you'd like, I can site many specific examples.
As for price matching, the two time I asked HD to price match, it was like trying to pull teeth. The first time was on the materials for my deck. The second time was on some heating ductwork on the basement I am currently finishing. They had every excuse in the book for not wanting to price match menards. Deck: We are talking about $2500 worth of materials. Menards was about $300 cheaper, same quality/grade of lumber, Menards lumber was not on sale at the time. Finally, I got my price match. For $300 I can put up a good fight. They didn't want to play by their rules, I held them to it, and got my price match. Home Depot supplied my deck materials. I ended up writing a complaint to their Atlanta HQ over the way I was treated. This resulted in a appology phone call from the store magager. As well as a gift card. Several years later, I asked HD to match Menards pricing on some ductwork. They were about $1 per section higher than Menards, again no sale at Menards. We're talking about maybe $25 total price difference. Same fight, same song and dance. I got my price match, but I don't think I should have to push so hard to get them to match prices. This is just at one of the local stores, so I can't judge the entire chain by this one store. I still regularly shop at both. Menards may be less expensive overall, but HD has a broader choice of some things. I needed a 60 amp GFI breaker when I did my hot tub this summer, Menards didnt' have one, but HD did.
I'm glad that we at least have a choice between the two. All of the other home improvement stores around here have closed down in the past few years.
Dave

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So Menards it is! <G>
The bottom line, again, is margin & profit. A retail store has to make a given margin to be considered viable by it's owners. The "right" to charge what they want must be supported by the customers in order to keep the store open. Maybe Menards has lower overhead, a better deal on rent, who knows?
The point is that Menards is still using a marketing tool, the sale, to lure customers in, because they have to. They are making the missing profit up somewhere else. HD dosen't need to mark products down to sell them.
Obviously, there are enough people who haven't done the legwork you have, allowing HD's prices to stay where they are, or they perceive the extra money spent at Home Depot is getting them a value added service not provided by Menards.
Barry

I don't know what your beef is with Home Depot but, I have bought a lot of stuff from them over the years and have never had any reason to complain. In fact, I have reason to praise them. I have never had a hassle returning anything regardless of reason, the staff have been very helpful and courteous. I also have never had the staff "try to sell me something".
As far as I am concerned, many small stores should copy Home Depot's policies regarding customer treatment.

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In
You are fortunate to have a good store with good staffing. Quality of help varies but I've never had a truly bad experience. Surely nothing to make a web page about. Like any store with a lot of employees. Some stand out; some are twits. Same with the customers too. Ed

And most of the time it reappears on the shelf with soiled label of not!
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On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 15:10:37 -0500, " snipped-for-privacy@vcoms.net"
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If it was returned because it was not needed, why shouldn't it be resold? I am NOT talking about used items, but perfectly good, new merchandise.
I bring back extra materials, and new and unused tools all the time. Just because a label or box is dirty, the item should be sent to the dump? <G>
Barry

I bought a Qt can and it was 1/4 gone when I opened it! Saw a paint sprayer that was used for blue paint and return then on the shelf still with blue paint on it.
On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 10:58:30 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r .
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snipped-for-privacy@vcoms.net wrote:
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<aghast!>
You missed a perfect oppurtunity to thank the good lord you have at least 1 good eye..

Sam wrote:
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Mark my vote as being pro Home Depot (Here in Red Sox country..)
I'm old enough to remember when "self service" stores first emerged in quantity, having started life in the pre-WWII days when the department stores had scads of polite salesgirls (yes, I said girls, I never saw a guy working those jobs.) and a platoon of "floorwalkers", guys in dark suits with a white carnation on their lapel, and usually sporting a hairline mustache. Those guys kept their eyes on everything and knew exactly how to answer customer's questions, in english you could understand without struggling through an unfamiliar accent I might add.
It's all the unfortunate result of most of us wanting to live close to beyond our means, which reduces to our looking at low prices first, and then bitching about the lack of service.
Now, just stop and think what those two words self and service mean...I don't find HD any worse than nearly any other large store I shop at nowadays, generally their staff can direct me to the things I'm looking for. And, they are far more willing to accept returns "no questions asked" probably because the clerk handling returns probably doesn't really feel his income is directly linked to the day's profit and loss. The owner/operator of a small shop might look for ways to not have to "eat" a return, hoping to avoid it by saying, "They're all like that", or something similar.
I keep telling folks, if you're not satisfied with the service you got from the jewelry department at Sears, next time shop at Tiffany's, where you'll be treated like a big shot millionaire, and charged accordingly.
Low prices, ample courteous service, or high quality...Pick two out of three.
Just my .02
Jeff -- Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone to place the blame on."

Once I went to the Home Depot power tool department to look at dry-wall drivers. They had about 8 models on display. I had never used a dry-wall driver before (except for the bits for drills). I was comparing and scratching my chin for five minutes until the clerk came over to see if I had questions. SHE looked to be 22 years old, had at least 10 body piercings that I could see, painted hair. I rolled my eyes and silently asked "what can she possibly know about power tools"? She knew the general application for each of the tools from cheapest to most expensive, as well as the performance specs for most of them. She knew about the accessories available, and the limits of the tools. She weeded out a couple that were beyond or below my requirements, so I was left with a narrower selection to fret over. All that was left was deciding on merits of ergonomics and a smaller price spread. When she walked away I stood there stunned for a minute or two.
How's that for a HD story?
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