Lowes Vs. Home Depot

[LOWSBLOWS]

Over the years I've used Home Expo and Home Depot to do new flooring, stone counters, back splashes etc etc. Last year they opened a Lowes. Clean very helpful! I went to the local Home Depot one day to pick up the Ridgid Table Saw they had 2 in inventory but could only find box 1 - 2. 2 - 2 (the rails) no where to be found, but the staff seemed unconcerned. So I went up to the Saddle River HD great store good people.

So one day, I had a simple job and the wife suggested trying Lowes. They came and measured (wrong). Then tried to install it and the doors were the wrong height and even short from their original wrong measurement..... So I got a botched job that they rigged. So we paid them a visit and spoke with the Ass. Manager who offered us a $100.00 Lowes discount card to essentually go away!

Then all Customer Service would do Apologize over and over and over..... But NOBODY from Customer Service ever called back Yes Sir we will have our supervisor contact you within 24 hours (don't hold breath) We Apologize Sir, Yes the Regional Manager will contact you within 48 hours. (REPEAT DON'T HOLD BREATH)

Oh we have a solution could you please get an estimate. Sure! Oh Sorry Sir the estimate (we made you get) is way to high!?

Piss off I want new doors NOW, Oh I guess we can accept the estimate. (since it was way cheaper then NEW DOORS)

Cut me the check!!!! This way............ I no longer EVER have to deal with Lowe's again.

over a week later I got my money and the job is now done right.

No matter what it just wasn't worth the aggrevation.....................

I'll stick with the staff that ignores you and picks their noses as they huddle together to shoot the breeze. Then the smiley Can I Help You! types!

[Mark]

Around here, we have Lowe's, HD and Menards all in the same areas. I'm a

10 minute ride from any one of them. I still prefer HD 'most' of the time. It seems as if HD is more geared towards the contractor (although I'm not one), Lowe's towards the homeowner/casual DIY'er and Menards somewhere in between. But I have learned one thing in the last few years during our remodel, if I'm looking for an idea or inspiration, look at all three stores. Quite often, Menards carries something that the others don't have and visa-versa. Mark

[Phil-in-MI]

{snip}

I have had reasons to visit 4 HD stores in the Metro Detroit area, and 2 Lowes. We don't have Menards in my area yet.

For sake of clarity, just presume the 3 of HDs were located in 3 different economic areas. The 4th in a new home development area, my estimate that about 80% of homes in 2 mile radius less than 3 years old (this was maybe 3 years ago.)

You will just have to trust me on this, the HD and the one Lowes that were located in New Homes and High income areas, were clean, better trained staff and were close by, and lots of products on the shelves. In a very "blue" collar neighborhoods, where there is less disposable income for home improvement (mostly just affording home repairs is touch-and-go) HD staff was none existent, or no where to be found, many empty spots on the shelves, or in general not a good place to shop.

While I really dislike HD and the big box BORG clones, I must admit that not all BORG stores are created equal, and the managers and staff at some stores are not like the managers and staff at other stores.

Phil

[dpb]

...

And, as your example shows, not all markets are the same. It's quite possible the "bad" store started out when new w/ all the intents/services/products of the others but the revenue to support it just didn't come in...

--

[Rick Samuel]

For sake of clarity, just presume the 3 of HDs were located in 3 different economic areas. The 4th in a new home development area, my estimate that about 80% of homes in 2 mile radius less than 3 years old (this was maybe 3 years ago.)

You will just have to trust me on this, the HD and the one Lowes that were located in New Homes and High income areas, were clean, better trained staff and were close by, and lots of products on the shelves. In a very "blue" collar neighborhoods, where there is less disposable income for home improvement (mostly just affording home repairs is touch-and-go) HD staff was none existent, or no where to be found, many empty spots on the shelves, or in general not a good place to shop.

While I really dislike HD and the big box BORG clones, I must admit that not all BORG stores are created equal, and the managers and staff at some stores are not like the managers and staff at other stores.

Phil Same here in Austin, the new Lowe's at Bee Cave's staff is very helpful. Same with HEB grocery stores, upper neighborhoods store have better produce and such. One of the reasons why free enterprise is so important, so one can afford better schools, cars, housing. While some want to bring every one down to the lowest common denominator........OOPS

[Doug Miller]

Just wait til you *do* get Menards -- you'll see the same disparities you describe below, except on an even grander scale.

For those of you in the Indianapolis area, if the only Menards store you've ever been in is the one in Carmel or Avon... go visit the ones on East 38th Street, or High School Road, and you'll see what I mean. :-(

[J T]

Sat, Jun 16, 2007, 8:28pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (LOWSBLOWS) doth burble: Over the years

You saying you had Lowes come and do the work for you? Sounds like it. Which would mean you must have been havng Home Depot come and do work fo you. Which sounds suspiciously lke a troll.

And, for what it's worth, of all the Home Depots and Lowes I've been in (whethr blue-collar or wite-collar areas) the Lowes have been far better than Home Depot, which is why I have not been a Home Depot for years.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Crap shoot with both stores. Best answer is "none of the above"

[the_tool_man]

My experience has been that both Lowe's and Home Depot used to be staffed with knowledgable, helpful people and good-quality merchandise. Recently (last 5 years or so), I have noticed that the quality of the employees and the merchandise has declined significantly. I have three of each within driving distance of me, but have not seen any difference from one to another.

I typically shop at Lowe's unless they don't have what I'm looking for, or unless I get a gift card from HD. My reason is that competition among the chains is good for me as a consumer, and that Lowe's is smaller, and thus needs my business more.

Both chains hire local contractors for installation work, and give the business to the lowest bidder. You can expect to get what they (not you) pay for when it comes to installation quality. If I can't do the work myself, I hire the installation labor myself.

Regards, John.

[Allen Roy]

The HD and Lowe's both like to go to the local lumberyards, hardware stores, supply houses, etc. and hire away their mid-level sales people when they are going to open a new store. They give them a good salary, train them and the salespeople do what they do best, bring some contractors in. A few weeks later, said employees are all of a sudden being fired or forced to quit. Replacements can't tell the difference between window shades and paint shades. HD and Lowe's have there clientele and the good salespeople are left with nothing but empty promises and a spot on the unemployment line. Been there, seen that. Been offered it twice. No thanks.

The local hardware store or lumberyard needs it more and dare I say that the warehouse person/truck driver for the local knows more about wood than a senior sales person at either BORG.

We had carpet installed that we bought at Lowes. Should have had my 9 yo daughter install it. It would have looked more professional. The store manager gave us a full refund after he came out and looked for himself. (By poor I mean that the seams didn't match at all, there were 1" gaps near the walls, carpet not stretched properly, and they gouged the plaster in spots pretty good) They even paid for the repairs as well. As far as replacement of the shabby work, we had my dad's carpet guy come install the new stuff we bought at a local carpet store. Cost us $300 more but looks beautiful. And he installed it for a case of beer.

Allen

>

[J. Clarke]

Personally I wouldn't have HD or Lowes _install_ anything.

There's a True Value, that I pass on the way to HD, and I pass HD on the way to Lowes.

I used to start at True Value and if they didn't have what I wanted I'd try HD and if they didn't have it I ended up at Lowes. Most of the time I ended up at Lowes, so I finally just said to Hell with it and started going there first.

There's an Ace that usually has whatever I want, but it's farther than Lowes and in the opposite direction.

[BillinDetroit]

I generally go to Ace Hardware if I know they have what I want. Otherwise, I'll go a couple miles further up the road to HD. If HD doesn't have it, I'll sometimes (but not often) go slumming at WalMart

-- but only because it's directly across the street. Even then, it's barely worth the gas. Usually, for a hardware item, I'll end up back at Ace hardware and find out that they DID have it, after all. Many woodworking tools come from a special trip to Woodcraft or (further away and thus less frequently) Rocklers, but I noticed yesterday that the local HD has an acceptable price on a Milwaukee Sawzall that I'm interested in.

I buy CWP (cheap white pine) from HD. Hardwoods from Public.

If Woodcraft / Rocklers / HD et al are within 10% of the online price (after shipping) for a tool, I'll buy from them ... otherwise I pull out the plastic and DAGS.

I have too many friends who do the sort of work you mentioned doing to consider hiring through a store. If the project is too big for me, I can get excellent results from them and they are never more than just a few dollars away from the store price ... often lower.

Bill

[J T]

Tue, Jun 19, 2007, 1:29pm [e-mail] (J.=A0Clarke) doth sayeth: Personally I wouldn't have HD or Lowes _install_ anything. There's an Ace that usually has whatever I want, but it's farther than Lowes and in the opposite direction. Yeah, saying he had HD install in the past made me suspicious of his story from the begining.

Heh heh, The Ace here is in town, so unless I take a back way, it's on my way. They usually have what I want/need. If not, it's off to one of thee Lowes in the area, all about 9-10 miles from me. I even pass a HD on the way to one. And I pass the HD, don't stop.

JOAT If a man does his best, what else is there?

- General George S. Patton

[John]

Being in metro Atlanta, I've (usually) had better service at the Home Depot store in Vinings - which just happens to be across the road from HD headquarters and less than a mile from new houses in the $500K - $800K range.

I'm in an area with houses from 10 to 30 years old and prices from $140K - $450K. The nearest HD is directly across the road from a Lowes and I'm more likely to go to Lowes - where I'll probably get an offer of assistance in every other aisle - plus they have the "Push for Help" buttons in the areas you're most likely to need help with (wire cutting, glass cutting, etc).

At HD, I've found returned items on the shelf to be resold as new (some things may not be obvious, but a hose-mounted water timer in an open package and with water dripping from it should be obvious and be on the bargain table). HD also usually doesn't have enough checkers, which wouldn't be so annoying if they had gotten self-service checkout right - lightweight items (bag of #4 screws) or items larger than the bag shelf (lumber) are never properly handled: "Please put item in bag" - the scales can't see items under a half ounce or so and there's no place to put a 2x4x8... I've left a cartful of potential purchases at the self-service checkout more than once because the "help desk" person is on the phone and appears to be more interested in getting to the end of her shift than in helping customers. I've also had good experiences (smaller number) at the same HD: the guy driving the forklift taking great care to get a heavy load (concrete blocks, pavers, mortar mix, etc) properly centered in the bed of the pickup.

John