I am done with Home Depot!

Yes, this is a rant and your mileage may vary......

Purchased 150 feet of white plastic fence, 5ft. tall with 1ft. lattice on top.  25 4X4 posts, caps, concrete etc.  No problem sir, should e here in 7-10 days.

Yesterday I stopped at the Pro Desk.  "How's my fence coming?"

It took three people staring at a computer screen to tell me the manufacturer canceled the order over 10 days ago.  Some problem with the plastic fence post, they didn't know exactly what.  (actually they couldn't even hazard a guess).

"That's ten days ago, when were you going to tell me?"

Umm, well.....

"Listen, to me anything over $2k and takes days of hard work is a major event.  This is the SECOND major event in my life that you've Berkeleyed me on!  We're done here". 

Lowes up the street gave me a similar price, stuff in stock, it will be delivered Friday.

OK, rant off.  Carry on.

I have found that people end up talking to me for most things because lowesdepot hires the lowest common denominator. I cost more than they do, but I know what I'm doing at least. 

I had a similar thing with the local ace hardware, but not on a major purchase.

Needed a new key for the wifes Mazda5, they had to order it, no problem. Could take a week or two to get in. Ok, but in this age of overnight parts from japan and all, thats a long lead.

I call every week and check on the status of the order. Not in yet, keep waiting.  A MONTH after the order they say its still pending, I ask for a manager. He digs in, oh, it was canceled by the system but not logged. I'll resubmit the order and have it in a week.

Am I out of order that I expected some discount or something for jerking me around for a month and holding $200 ransom? (required prepayment) I got nothing but a verbal apology from them, no more business from me.

Apexcarver said:

I had a similar thing with the local ace hardware, but not on a major purchase.

 

Needed a new key for the wifes Mazda5, they had to order it, no problem. Could take a week or two to get in. Ok, but in this age of overnight parts from japan and all, thats a long lead.

 

I call every week and check on the status of the order. Not in yet, keep waiting.  A MONTH after the order they say its still pending, I ask for a manager. He digs in, oh, it was canceled by the system but not logged. I'll resubmit the order and have it in a week.

 

Am I out of order that I expected some discount or something for jerking me around for a month and holding $200 ransom? (required prepayment) I got nothing but a verbal apology from them, no more business from me.

That's E36 M3ty. I can tell you I have that key in stock, or at least I did yesterday. More than likely though, that key was never ordered and they're using the "it got cancelled " as a cover. Duracell orders will sit on back order forever- the vendor doesnt cancel those. I've been waiting for Chevy van keys for two months. 

I had an "associate" suggest that my friend solder an unused copper gas line shut.

There's a reason their "tradespeople" aren't out working in their field.

I actually prefer HD to Lowes. Lowes stores are always a mess. If the have a spot for something the odds are very good the box will be full of the wrong thing. That goes for the bolt bins as well. HD does a much better job of keeping the shelves straight and stocked. Unfortunately the closest Lowes is 2 miles away and the closest HD is 15. It's a toss up as to whether it will be faster to go to Lowes and not find it or make the drive to HD. 

I tend to prefer Lowes over HD mostly because Lowes gives me 10% everything and HD does not and that Lowes is 10 minutes away and HD is more like 30 mins away.

I ordered an exterior door from HD last year. It came in when promised and I went and picked it up. Installed it the next weekend. The week after got an email from HD saying that my door was in and I need to come and pick it up. These emails persisted for a couple of weeks getting more and more strident and finally threatening to send my door back. When I would call the store, they couldn't explain the emails and agreed that they didn't have my door that was already installed in my sunroom. It was more amusing than anything. I don't really see much difference between the two overall. I would say that a situation like the OP describes is more down to an incompetent individual employee or manager than something to do with the store or the entire chain.

I generally find in HD that it’s easier to get help from an associate. Also, since SWMBO is a disabled veteran Lowe’s now requires online registration for her to receive their discount, vs. HD where she just needs to show her VA ID.

I miss Menard’s though. I wish they’d expand south. 

I have two Lowes stores nearby, but will often travel further to go to HD because they are typically better in every way, at least around here. I've had much better luck with HD purchases over the years, especially expensive ones, and their customer service has been a lot better, not to mention their prices are better. Like anything else retail, it's extremely YMMV.

Of the two, I only have a Lowes nearby. Some shopping trips are great, some are terrible. It all depends on luck of the draw. Some of the employees are really awesome; knowledgeable and helpful. Others will ignore you in line at the register while they deal with a 'problem', then shut down the register and walk away without a word when you finally reach the check- out. I really need to fill out the customer survey one of these days.

Military discount: Used to be just a flash of the ID at Lowes, but it did change. The 10% discount was enough incentive that I did do the registration. Pretty simple and now all I do is tell them the phone number I gave, 'work fax' number worked and is pretty non-invasive.

 

Military discount: Used to be just a flash of the ID at Lowes, but it did change. The 10% discount was enough incentive that I did do the registration. Pretty simple and now all I do is tell them the phone number I gave, 'work fax' number worked and is pretty non-invasive.

+1

Mine now asks for a photo ID that corresponds to the name in the system...to many Berklying snotsniffers using a friends phone number.

There's a HD, Lowe's and Menard's within a mile of each other here. With Walmart and Academy Sports and Dick's Sports right there too. Extremely convenient.

I hate them all at different times. Checkout is usually the worst part of them all. Lowes never has enough people on registers, HD never has ANY people on registers, forcing me to use the self-check lanes. (Side-Rant: I should get a discount for doing your job for you. Or a pickle. Something.) Menards is usually the best for checking out.

I rarely accept help from anyone who offers, because I already know what I need. The exception is that a local building inspector moonlights there, so it's nice to chat when I see him.

Special order stuff has gone OK for me, I've used them all. Just lucky I guess.

I have lowes closer so go there more, but hate them both equally.  They both will usually have the thing the other didnt have, they both suffer from a bunch of minimum wage high school kids who couldnt care less about what you need. Gotta go find someone over 30 that works there to get decent help, or better yet find the old guy/gal who is a retired contractor and isnt full of crap. 

At both lowes, HD and walmart, ive found it much easier to use their website for the store location and find the shelf spot for the thing im looking for. 

I go into both with LOW expectations and can usually still be surprised by how much they suck. I much prefer our ace as they hire better folks and have better stuff, sometimes. But im also not paying double what i can get it on amazon for. 

Spent 35$ this morning with amazon for 2 new capacitors for my AC unit that took a crap last night.  I could have driven all over, called around, gotten mislead and my favorite, go to a specialty shop only to have them tell me “we can order that for you!”. Yeah i can order it too and it wont have your markup on it and i then wont have to go back to your store to pick it up. 

Tend to go to the Blue over the Orange.  Near me, Blue usually is cleaner, better organized, and seems to have a slightly higher quality of stuff.  

Recently went to Orange first looking for some picket fencing.  None in stock- it was too early in the season.  Blue has it in stock, it's not on display yet, and their forklift is out of gas, but they help me cut the bundle straps and load it up anyway.  

Have also had moldy lumber from Orange.  

As far as lowes vs home depot: I think the biggest differences are going to depend on the staff and management of the specific local store to you. We have two lowes and a depot in my area. One lowes is significantly better than the other one, its in the nicer suburb, I shop there and its also less traffic headache to get to. 

as far as advice from associates, yeah, I know more than them. the only question I ever ask is "where can i find x?"

ShawnG said:

I had an "associate" suggest that my friend solder an unused copper gas line shut.

Ass-ociate was in the market for a lot to build on with a pre-dug basement?

I'm much closer to the L than the HD, the former seems cleaner and better stocked, too.  I think the variation in personal experiences in the two stores depends on management and the availability of good employees in the particular market. 

Apexcarver said:

I had a similar thing with the local ace hardware, but not on a major purchase.

 

Needed a new key for the wifes Mazda5, they had to order it, no problem. Could take a week or two to get in. Ok, but in this age of overnight parts from japan and all, thats a long lead.

 

I call every week and check on the status of the order. Not in yet, keep waiting.  A MONTH after the order they say its still pending, I ask for a manager. He digs in, oh, it was canceled by the system but not logged. I'll resubmit the order and have it in a week.

 

Am I out of order that I expected some discount or something for jerking me around for a month and holding $200 ransom? (required prepayment) I got nothing but a verbal apology from them, no more business from me.

It’s a learning lesson I’m just finding out recently.. whatever it is I use Amazon Prime.  It’s there by the next full day!  If Amazon doesn’t have it, then and only then will I let someone order it for me 

But!!!! I keep mentioning Amazon Prime. Let them know that the days of the customer being willing to wait endlessly are over.  

Now that is cruel and horribly disloyal. According to forecasts I’ve seen  roughly 1/3 of  smaller business will fail due to the newer standards. Reports vary but I’ve heard as little as 3-5 years.  

Even if it’s a decade the new dynamic promises to be disruptive. Last Night the Blackstone group announced the purchase of something like 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space to provide for future demands.  So people with really big money  understand it’s here right now!  

Two weeks ago we received the concrete we ordered from our local HD for a big repair job.  Five pallets were dropped in our driveway; two of which were someone else's delivery order.  After days and days of calls and escalations the extra pallets were finally picked up this morning.  The store is one mile away!  Seems like some locations just aren't good at coordinating their deliveries.

That said, the closest L is 16 miles away. My last two customer service experiences at the store there were so pitiful I broke down and complained on their Facebook page.

I have found that on the rare occasion that I have a problem with something from Home Depot, it is generally the result of some (other) douchebag customer who had previously bought and then returned the item. Home Depot has been too good to me too many times for me to ever write them off.

I find that Lowe's stores may be a little cleaner and have slightly nicer stuff, but Home Depot was here 10 years earlier and I know exactly where everything is, so they are still my first choice.

Build one house from top to bottom and that sort of thing tends to happen.

I'm a bit peeved at our HD - they have gone to all self-checkout... at a building supply... SERIOUSLY?

I guess it's not just HD.  It's everywhere.  They want me to come into their store with my business and then make me work to pay them?  Guess they want to save having to pay a minimum wage salary? 

If they are saving money, they should at least make their prices low enough to make it worthwhile for me to do their job.

Apexcarver said:

as far as advice from associates, yeah, I know more than them. the only question I ever ask is "where can i find x?"

I won't even ask that question anymore, I have to spend 5 minutes going into a lengthy explanation of what it is I'm looking for and why (which probably 75% of the time is some odd ball thing I need for a car project completely unrelated to the item's intended purpose), only to receive a list of half a dozen places it **might** be found, all scattered at opposite ends of the store. No thanks, I can wander the store just fine on my own, or better yet spend 30 seconds looking it up online and finding the exact aisle and bin location. 

In reply to Pete Gossett :

HD doesn't offer a military discount on all items though. Seems like it doesn't apply to the things I buy there more often than not. Lowes is simple to use once registered and you can get the 10% off everything even at the self checkouts.

In reply to T.J. :

I get my military discount. But I have to show my DD214 

Last I heard from someone who worked at home depot is that a lot of their problems stem from the dumbE36 M3s higher up decided that home depot, of all places, needed to be a competitor with amazon instead of lowes.

So that leads to a lot of stuff that doesn't need to be online only being online only.

All the lowes around here are better than the home depots but the home depots are closer to where I usually need them or in delaware so there's no sales tax.