# Got to love Home Depot



## SamM (Dec 13, 2009)

It's threads like this that make me feel blessed with my lumber yard.

Today there was a lineup at the service desk, so the owner jumped in and rang me through. Then took me aside to ask about a project I'm doing, because he's heard that the customer sometimes takes a while to pay so I ought to watch out. 

And they know where everything is.


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## antonioooooooo (Mar 8, 2010)

I knew a guy from high school working at the home depot in the flooring department. From what I remember, the only thing he knew about flooring was probably what was the most comfortable to pass out on.


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## thehockeydman (Dec 19, 2012)

The issue (well... one of them....) I have with HD is how some of the employees see their orange aprons as a badge of authority to give out building advice.

About two months ago, I over heard a conversation between a customer and employee. Customer is building a deck and wants to know what kind of fastener he needs to attach his joist hangers. The employee asks what kind of wood the deck is being built from, and the customer says PT.

The employee tells the customer that the only kind of fastener you can use in PT is corrosion-resisting green deck screws. He says "these are what you should use in your hangers."

I cut in and say, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but that's not the right fastener for that application." The employee, a late-middle aged guy likely 20-25 years my senior, looks at me and says, "Look kid. Did you read that off Facebook? I've been working here for almost 15 years."

I said, "Right. And if he [the customer] asked you how to stock a shelf, you could probably give him a good answer. Aside from that, you should leave building advice to people who actually build."

Not proud of saying that, and if I see him again I will likely apologize. But seeing painfully unqualified people giving instructions and advice drives me damn near bananas....


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## robotnbr1 (May 30, 2014)

I'm in a Home Depot everyday, only because it's convenient: They're everywhere, and you can by a 4x12, a furnace filter, and a shower valve in one place. 

Oh those people in orange shirts are employees! We avoid them like the plague! They only slow down the process. 

Two things that make HD a little easier.
1) get the pro app and when your wandering around the store trying to find a square headed hootenanny, you can find it on your phone, it will then show you a map of the store with a red dot over the hootenannies. It also tells you how many are in stock (not alway reliable do to CGO)
2) if you have two hours before you need your items, you can buy them all on the pro app, two hours later, one of the orange shirted drones will have all your items loaded up and payed for at customer service. Just walk in, show then your id, and walk out. Works great for an employee without their own credit card. You can buy it all on your phone and they can pick it up. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

thehockeydman said:


> Not proud of saying that, and if I see him again I will likely apologize. But seeing painfully unqualified people giving instructions and advice drives me damn near bananas....


I'm a bit unsympathetic to someone building a deck and asking a clerk how to do it. Even before the internet age you could go to the library or bookstore. The stores are there to sell products not provide legal advice. You need to do your own homework.

If the deck is done with all the wrong fasteners I doubt the retail store could even be held liable. I say doubt though, these days nothing is a given.


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## madmax718 (Dec 7, 2012)

Apparently backer rod is stored with weather stripping. Just a FYI. You can find it on homedepot.com, which will say 'online only" but then it will be in the store.

Could be worse. Could be drywall screws.


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## CO762 (Feb 22, 2010)

SamM said:


> It's threads like this that make me feel blessed with my lumber yard.


Recently I went to two different (though same chain) local hardware stores. One pound box of screws was double, around $7 and at the other one, a roll of felt cost $35, once again, double.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

RangoWA said:


> I'm a bit unsympathetic to someone building a deck and asking a clerk how to do it. *Even before the internet age you could go to the library or bookstore*. The stores are there to sell products not provide legal advice. You need to do your own homework.
> 
> If the deck is done with all the wrong fasteners I doubt the retail store could even be held liable. I say doubt though, these days nothing is a given.


Exacerbated by the fact that they could walk to the front of the store (or on one of the kiosks) and pick a "How to build decks" off the rack and "probably" get better info... :laughing:


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## SamM (Dec 13, 2009)

CO762 said:


> Recently I went to two different (though same chain) local hardware stores. One pound box of screws was double, around $7 and at the other one, a roll of felt cost $35, once again, double.


I went to the other yard in town for some plumbing bits, and their price was double the price of my yard.


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## RangoWA (Jun 25, 2014)

KAP said:


> Exacerbated by the fact that they could walk to the front of the store (or on one of the kiosks) and pick a "How to build decks" off the rack and "probably" get better info... :laughing:


But that costs big bucks.


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## Mark122 (Sep 27, 2014)

I dont get the Home Depot/ Lowes bashing thing here. I dont feel insecure walking in there, dont feel like i need to mark my territory and let the few people walking around know that im a contractor (and i know what im doing) by asking the pro desk (or a clerk) where to find a screw driver.

its a hardware store. the poor folk that work there are just trying to make a living, the ones that didnt cut it working construction are the experts there, so what?

I dont do much business with them, 10-12k a year and maybe its cause im a cheap bastard, but i know when the lumber yard is high on something and when its going to be faster for me to walk in a big box store and find what i need and get it. 

for the most part, everything is divided up in sections. by the time you track someone down and ask for something you can walk the 2-3 isle of that section and find what your looking for.

yeah im all about buying from the local yard. i do, most of the time, but its just a store like anything else. cant go in there expecting to be made felt special because you own your own business or buy x amount from them.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

SamM said:


> It's threads like this that make me feel blessed with my lumber yard.
> 
> Today there was a lineup at the service desk, so the owner jumped in and rang me through. Then took me aside to ask about a project I'm doing, because he's heard that the customer sometimes takes a while to pay so I ought to watch out.
> 
> And they know where everything is.


Yep ours is great as well. The other day I was at the contractor desk and the main gal was talking to a customer who needed a referal for some work. She saw me and told me to sir at her desk and chat to the guy. We just got done with that job

Today I was in there and heard them give out my name to a customer, so I popped my head around the corner. He'll be calling me in a couple weeks to look at a texture match job. 

They also know what they are talking about. Great store.

Big box stores, sure, I use them when I have to, or to buy major tools.

I prefer to support the small yard that supports me. I'll even buy power tools there every once in a while, but always buy my lumber and other stuff there.


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## RenaissanceR (May 16, 2006)

*Ordering Process doesn't work*

Was doing a tile job, and the local HD was out of the tile I needed. "no problem" they said, We'll call the nearest store (18 miles away) and you can pick it up. Fine, drove to the other HD, waited 45 minutes at the pro desk, and after asking about the order was told "Sorry, we don't take orders from other stores, we can get the items for you in an hour or two".

Walked away, went to the rack and got the 3 boxes of tile I needed in 5 minutes.... On the way out, they asked if I wanted to rate my experience. Gave them a colorful speech and left.



J


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

I've had plenty of "user experience issues" with non-national local stores over the years.

The chain stores nearest me ARE the local yards. The people who work there are local, the store supports the local economy and civic causes - so yeah, on balance, I don't miss the former "local yards" that all went under.

Would I like to see a local yard - like the amazing one in Ann Arbor (Fingerle), or the one I grew up with - Dick Kelly's Clarkston Lumber?

Maybe. Would they let me order on line and local ship? Would they pull from other stores? Would they order special trim with no minimums on footage, knowing full well the extra will probably gather dust in the bins?

Would they give me a commercial account - and not force me to mortgage my home, and then not until I turned 40 - or wait hat in hand while they hand service the local rich widow?

There were only ever a few "great" local yards. The rest are gone, and that's because they got what they dished out.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

I was in blowes today getting some of that metal grid shelving stuff. Stood there for 5mins waiting for someone to help me cut it in half with their tool and guy turns up and started cutting. Another customer comes over and asks him to cut him a key as he's in a rush. The employee just ups and walks off. I then turn around and say where do you think your going? And tell the other guy there's a cue get in line and the employee walks back and starts cutting again. Who does that? Just walks off like I'm not even there. Damn place pisses me off every time I'm in there.


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## txgencon (Jan 4, 2011)

Mark122 said:


> I dont get the Home Depot/ Lowes bashing thing here. I dont feel insecure walking in there, dont feel like i need to mark my territory and let the few people walking around know that im a contractor (and i know what im doing) by asking the pro desk (or a clerk) where to find a screw driver.
> 
> its a hardware store. the poor folk that work there are just trying to make a living, the ones that didnt cut it working construction are the experts there, so what?
> 
> ...


Totally agree. Expect nothing and you're never disappointed. I make it a point to scout all the stores in my area (local hardware, full service lumber yards, big box stores, supply houses, etc.) so that I know who has what. At my "farm" in east Texas, the choices are limited to a couple of mom & pop hardware stores (one ACE affiliated and one Do-It-Best affiliated) a Home Depot about 45 miles away and a Lowes another 15 miles past that. I use my computer or phone to check inventory (and the SKU code) for an item. Just about everyone you encounter in any of the stores has a handheld device that will tell them if they show to have it and where it is. 

I don't see the point of trying to stump them on the name of something that would be relatively obscure to the average employee.


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## Youngin' (Sep 16, 2012)

My boss had a Rona salesman dogging him for weeks trying to get his business. When my boss finally gave in the service was excellent. The guy would run small things out to us and schedule large deliveries promptly. We were very happy with him. 

Then due to downsizing they laid off our sales rep. Can never keep a good thing going.


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## jandersoncont (Oct 20, 2015)

HD can be maddening. I have a few local places that specialize in supplying contractors. The guys on the phones know their stuff, as do the showroom salespeople. The outside sales guys are really specialized and know the trades inside and out. Wish all places could be like that. Unfortunately, home depot is right around the corner from wherever you are working. But I'll take the time out for my specialty places. Plus they deliver to my job sites.


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## SectorSecurity (Nov 26, 2013)

I don't mind the home depot. I do agree with what some of you have said, the staff for the most part are trying to make a living give them a break. I do have more respect for the ones that simply say I don't know what/where that is rather then try and half ass their way through an answer.

I find one thing that helps is trying to frequent the same store, that way I know where everything is. I really wish they would give each store the same layout, hate walking into one I don't frequent often and feeling like I need a map.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

SectorSecurity said:


> I find one thing that helps is trying to frequent the same store, that way I know where everything is. I really wish they would give each store the same layout, hate walking into one I don't frequent often and feeling like I need a map.


I would be in Heaven. :thumbup::thumbup:


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