My latest foray into the shopping world of HD left me…well…agitated to say the least. It wasn’t really the fact that at 8:30 Am the whole lumber section was fenced off with NO visible work being done anywhere, that was just the final straw of the last few visits.
I am kind of anal about my shopping and one thing that really chaps my butt is those “impulse displays” at the grocery stores… but that is understandable cause the grocery world mostly caters to women but at HD us guys are KING. The new local HD has totally clogged the isles with those impulse displays along with unstocked merchandise in carts, those rolling ladders and various other crappola.
I thought it might be just the new local store but I went to visit another nearby store and they are now totally crapped up too! SoooI went across the street to Lowe’s and all the nice and clean isles. Not that Lowe’s is my favorite but until HD cleans up their places they are off my list.
If any one else has the same complaint, just go to the HD website and go to the “corporate info” section and you can send them an email. They do answer so it is worth a try…
Replies
If it's any consolation, you could have been writing about both of the HD's near me...Buic
HD sucks, Lowes sucks, but sometimes you have to use them. If you have another option (local yard, hardware, supply houses, etc.) but decide to use the box store, you get what you're paying for.
I wrote out my monthly check to the local lumberyard a few days ago, minus the percent they take off if paid within a few weeks. Free delivery on just about anything I buy there, as well. So why go back to HD? Makes me wonder... Oh yeah, convenience. Only you pay for the convenience with exasperation.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
well yes convience but selection, quick in and out, self check out, wide range of products at one location etc. Price usually isn't always the issue as competition usually takes care of that.It is interesting to see that many times the biggest companies make the dumbest moves. Big doesn't always mean smart.
I like your approach....now lets see your departure
"well yes convience but selection, quick in and out, self check out, wide range of products at one location etc. Price usually isn't always the issue as competition usually takes care of that."
I hate those self checkouts; out of the last 8 times I've used them, they've only worked once.
Yeah I really didn't like them when they started them at the grocery store but I've kind of gotten used to them but you do have to make sure the merchandise you put in the bucket all has bar codes. A lot of times they are unreadable by the machine. The thing that really irks me is the constant voice instructions to "put the item in the bag". Good thing the speaker isn't visible or I would have my way with it. ;-)I like your approach....now lets see your departure
my only complaint with the local lumber yards is that most of the time, the people seem to come with an attitude. And you have to deal with the guy behind the counter to get to the stuff.
A lot of the HD people have attitudes too, but I can usually get my stuff, check out, and leave, with little hassle. Just getting tired of running into the "tough guys", or the "arrogance", or the "i don't want to be here" snot nose teenagers:)
We have our share of those yards as well, or we did. The one yard in the area I refused to go to because of their attitude is closing their doors. Good riddance. The rest of the yards I go to (there's about two lumber yards and one good plumbing supply) are not just decent to work with, but take the time to get to know you. No doubt, the countersales people are not ex-contractors, but they learn your name, even know my account number, and go out of their way to be nice and get my order in and scheduled for delivery as quickly as possible.
Of course, the prices are higher than the box stores, sometimes significantly so. But when I need a large order such as a deck package, or specialty material, I know who to go to to get it soon and get it right, and that isn't HD or Lowes.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
So why go back to HD? Makes me wonder... Oh yeah, convenience. Only you pay for the convenience with exasperation.<<
Not always so. I saved over a thousand dollars a cpl of weeks ago on 8' 2x2 red cedar to make my fence spindles. And that was was with the $75 delivary charge. They gave me an additional 10% off for getting a HD credit card which I through right in the garbage. Was over $6 a piece at all my yards and under $5 at HD. Same exact quality.
You just have to be wise consumer is all.If Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
So why go back to HD? Makes me wonder... Oh yeah, convenience.
I agree Andy. This weekend, I needed a $1.50 spark plug for my chainsaw. The discount auto parts store didn't carry them. The only place that was open and had one was Home Depot or MJEIRS supermarket (superstore). I stopped at the HD becasue it was closest. They had something that would fit in the chainsaw.
It didn't work, but at least I had a chance. I drove a little farther and got one at the Mjeirs. It worked.
If these stores weren't open so many hours, I'd have to wait till the specialty power equipment stores open on Tues. Waiting till tues isn't the end of the world, but when I finally get motivated to do something, I'm happy that there are stores open to sell me the stuff that I want. It's all about convenience. It comes with a price (limited supplies, poor information, etc), but sometimes it's the only game in town. It all depends on the hour.
blue
Gettin' a tad gray there Andy.; Must have been away from the board for longer than I though...........
So another HD bashing thread.
My 2 cents. Every big box has good prices and LOUSY help, with the exception of Fleet Farm/Farm and Fleet, which I always go to first. They are what they are, Never ever ask for "advice".
Hows Tipi Fest planning coming BTW?
JB.
Hey jon...
Was just wondering where you were.
TipiFest needs some more registrants (is that a word??). I imagine it always goes like this...people sign up the closer we get to August. It'll be what it'll be. If all we get is a cpl of dozen people than thats the amt of dough we'll have to spend on it which will be fine any which way cause its about us brothers in arms gettin' together. Thats the main thing so.......AND...my pool guy will be here tomorrow to empty the pool. He just called. And the marble dust will be here Thurs-Fri and it should be dusted and up and running by next Tuesday so that'll add to the Fest. Everyone can bring their fishin' poles now to fish in my
cee-ment pond : )
Be well
andyIf Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
TipiFest needs some more registrants (is that a word??). I imagine it always goes like this...people sign up the closer we get to August. It'll be what it'll be."
If I see myself in NY at the time, I'll be attending. Right now I just don't know. I was actually in your neck of the woods last week, and wanted to stop by, but was on such a tight schedule, I didn't happen.
Your Bro,
Jon B.
Now THAT is a hat !!!
The destination is not the point. The completion is not the point. Enjoy today. If you can't enjoy today, then what is the point ?
Maybe I'm missing something here...how can the "box" stores, Lowes and Home Depot, be more convenient then the good ol lumber yard that has free delivery on just about everything you buy? Went to Lowes the other day cause it was on my way to the job and was reminded, again, why I don't shop there. Needed one 1/2 sheet of 5/8 plywood for wall repair. Went to the lumber section and found the shelf area where they stock half sheets of ply, they had half sheets of every conceivable plywood except 5/8ths! I could feel it coming! Asked the checker if I could get someone to cut a sheet and he said, "Sure, I'll call for assistance". A so called Manager walks over and while talking on his cell phone and asks if he can help. I tell him my story and he then walks over to house phone and calls for assistance in the lumber section and walks off into who knows where. Five minutes later a guy walks up and asks if I'm the one who wants a half sheet of ply. "Yes, that's me", I respond and we walk over to the cutting area. We both pull out a full sheet of 5/8 and haul it to the panel saw and load it onto the frame. The assistant then tries to unlock the saw and punch in the combination...He can't get the saw unlocked. After another phone call, the original Manager comes out of the dark bowels of the lumber section and unlocks the saw. The assistant then punches in the combination, cuts the sheet, we load it onto the cart and I push it up to the checkout counter. Another five minutes and I'm pushing the cart out to my truck. I looked at my watch, it's 46 minutes since I first walked into the store! If I'd been at my usual lumber yard I'd have been in and out in less than 10 minutes and I wouldn't have had to load my own truck or push some stupid a** cart through a couple hundred yards of store.Don't shop at Lowes or Home Depot!!
"...cause it was on my way to the job..."
In my book, that's convenience.
I have often had to wait well over half an hour at one of our two local lumberyards. Usually, HD or Lowe's is much less of a wait for me. Actually, I am usually in and out in less than five minutes if I just need a couple of things.
I had the impression while reading your post that you were angry that they had every type of plywood in half sheets but the one you wanted. My local lumberyards don't have any half sheets stocked.
Are you saying that HD is too big? I don't see pushing a half sheet of plywood through a couple hundred feet of store to be that much of a challenge.
I know it sometimes seems that you get a lot more customer throughput in a local lumberyard, but I think the big box stores often make a hundred customers happy in the time the lumberyard takes to handle two or three. I must admit that a "professional" is not going to get his rear kissed in a big box like he would when he pays more at his favorite local supplier.
One thing I like about the big boxes is that I can take my sweet time and make some decisions while I am in the store. In the lumberyards, I don't really feel comfortable making my order at the counter unless I have everything planned in advance. The clerks really don't like waiting while I think. I also like culling my own lumber rather than having somebody in the yard make those decisions.
I like to use all of the resources available. My local lumberyards have their strengths and the big boxes have their strengths. Saving money is a priority for me, and the best place to do that is at Lowe's or HD.
In my area, all the suburban HD stores are neat and orderly. The one store they have in the city has crap and junk all over the isles.
never been able to figure it out, except the city store is run by a messy guy, and the regional management doesn't care.
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I hate that too ...
each and every time I "need" something ... they're already put a damn display smack dab right in front of it!
if it don't have nice easy moving wheels ... it gets tossed not so politely out of my way.
I don't get it ....
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
>> if it don't have nice easy moving wheels ... it gets tossed not so politely out of my way.Why? Why be rude and unpleasant? Do you think management (at any level) knows how you feel? Or does your reaction just make more work for some overworked peon who's just trying to put food on the table?
"Why? Why be rude and unpleasant?"
Just my nature I guess?
"Do you think management (at any level) knows how you feel? "
after complaining more than once and never seeing any results at any of the HD or Lowes ... I'm thinking they don't really care. Now ... I don't waste my time nor let their poor asle stocking of the "impulse buys" slow me down any more than need be ...
"Or does your reaction just make more work for some overworked peon who's just trying to put food on the table?"
don't know ... don't care. Probably the same idiot that put the pallet fulla crap right in the way of a bin of lumber is probably the same idiot that's gotta straighten it all back up .. and hopefully realize they should find a better place for that pallet fulla "on sale" crap.
see ... I'm creating job security for them.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
just a word to the wise...
be wizzened
Beware. RFID is coming.
andy got laid off from HD?
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
With all the commotion at the HD shareholders meeting recently about the megabucks paid to the CEO while the stock price is falling...................
and multiple thread after thread here complaining about HD service...............
just makes me wonder if HD might not be another good company being run into the ground by fat cat management......................
Another Enron in the making?
Live the Good Life in the Permian Basin.
Interesting tidbit, HD did not post "same store sales" for the last quarter, that left the markets wondering what's going on. HD's reply was that they are aggresively expanding their contractor sales divisions and that would skew the same store data or sumsuch babble.BTW, they reported their gross margins remain strong at ~ 38%
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski
At the last shareholders meeting of Home Depot, many investors tried several times to ask the CEO regarding the falling stock price and his $127 (?) million salary for 2005. The CEO refused to answer any questions and left the meeting.Renaissance Restorations LLC
Victorian Home Restoration Serviceshttp://www.renaissancerestorations.com
I also noted that the board members who supported that salary were absent.
So what gives?
Are they plundering the company?
If having a low wage work force was good for a country's economy then why hasn't Mexico built a fence?
The HD near me here in MA did 358,000 in volume on saturday, according to the woman at the register who I was making the usual small talk with. I don't really know how this pertains to the current bashing taking place here, but who the heck cares anyway. I find that number staggering
Which store is that? That is a ridiculous number. I usually go to the ones in Bellingham or Norwood and I don't think they even get close to that number. I like them because I never have to fight a crowd, though. Maybe someday I'll know a little something.
Somerville. They always do a lot of volume. One of the busier stores for sure.
A friend of mine is a cashier at the Home Depot in Watchung, NJ. Your numbers are quite credible even though it seems incredible. My friend rang up over $17,000 in sales during the course of the day yesterday. That's just one of several cashiers and only 8 hours. On a busy day, like yesterday, they might have an average of 6 cashiers working at one time.
-Don
Also remember how often people are crowded around the kitchen and appliance display areas on weekends.I would bet a good portion of the volume is done at the customer service desk or pro desks. People buying items to be delivered (appliances, cabinets, deck packages) usually pay there.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
The funniest sentence in this entire exchange is the mention of 'they might have had 6 cashiers working at once.' I am pretty sure that never happens...unless you count the people ringing out themselves.
yuor post sounded creditable until you said "On a busy day, like yesterday, they might have an average of 6 cashiers working at one time."
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
When Hechinger used to be open near me the store turned over $42,000,000 a year which is 115,000 every day!!!!
The number seemed high to me, also.
What was it? Do I remember correctly at $358K for the one busy day?
Let's say they do that over an 8 hour period, the business ringing through at the same rate throughout.
That's $44,750 per hour. Now let's say they are doing this through 8 register lanes, which seems like a lot, because the stores I have been in, even going full tilt, may have 2 self-checks, 2 pro-counters, and maybe 3 full-service checkouts going. But not continuously over 8 hours.
But the hourly volume, going through 8 checkouts, means each checkout is doing a little more than $466 on average, each five minutes.
But, five minutes can go by real slowly, especially when you are fifth in line, and each guy in front of you is wasting that much time getting checked out. Let's half it to 2.5 minute sessions, thus each transaction averages $233.
Still sounds a little heavy to me, given that this rate needs to go on, steady, over 8 checkouts, for 8 hours. Hey, I know, they open early, and close late, but my 8 hour model compresses all the slower times into it.
Gene,How many times have you walked out of HD with a bag and spent less than $25? I know I can spend over $100 without really getting much. A sawblade here, box of screws there, it all adds up.The local HD is open 16 hours on a Saturday. If you just figure on 12 hours were down to $29,833/hr. If you remember that they sell lawn mowers, washing machines, front doors, and other relatively large ticket items it would seem plausible that they could push those kind of dollars.Looking at their 2005 annual report, they sold $81.5 billion last year in 2,042 stores. That's just under $110k/day, every day. Saturday was part of a three day weekend and at the beginning of summer. I think triple the average volume is quite reasonable considering those factors.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
You are right, for sure. I was just about coming to the conclusion, doing my math for the last post I did.
It takes a lot of people with a whole lotta money to spend on fixups to drive one bigbox at a clip of $40 mil per year, which seems to be the HD average.
From my perspective, the numbers are staggering. But I suppose it all relates to population densities and demographics. I live in one of the poorest counties of far upstate NY, in a town of maybe 4,000 people, but still, we are served by six competing lumberyards. Each of those yards serves the entire county and somewhat beyond.
But our county population is only about 35,000 people, with the weekend- and vacation-house owners and visitors swelling the ranks to maybe 150,000 in summer. I cannot imagine any one of those lumberyards doing over $40 million in annual sales, given that they can only get out so much on the two or three (average) boom trucks they each operate.
But in the more densely populated areas with not-so-poor population bases, the HDs and Lowes can really start cooking.
Speaking of densely populated and chain stores, we were coming back up north from visiting in NC a couple weeks ago, and were astounded at the number of chain stores that have sprung up in your neighborhood, at the I-95 interchange near Fredericksburg. That is your neighborhood. Absolutely amazing! The largest grouping I have ever seen. You must have every single chain store in America, represented there, and the chain restaurants to go along with it.
" But I suppose it all relates to population densities and demographics."
Gene - It surely does. I live on long island and there are 8 HD's within 35 minutes of me, and 2 lowes.
A friend used to manage the HD nearest me (about 5 years ago) and said an average week for that store was 1.4 million.
Their loss to shoplifting sometimes topped $10,000. per week! Like you said, staggering numbers!
Buic
Gene,You're not kidding. I imagine you have been to the area before to visit the TT plant off or Rt. 17. I've only been here three+ years but the growth even during that time is pretty significant.Unfortunately we have the traffic to go with it.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Just got a quote from HD for a deck 1200 sq ft. $65,000 made with #1 pt frame and trex decking. That is not a miss print!!!!
How complex?$54/SF seems like they should make money on it.How high, what railing, any stairs?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
>>"Just got a quote from HD for a deck 1200 sq ft. $65,000 made with #1 pt frame and trex decking. That is not a miss print!!!!
I'll do it for $59,999.99. Travel included if you provide lodging. ;-)
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Your profile doesn't say where you are but you might think it more believable if you had ever been to the store in question. I still think it is something of a stretch (nice work crunching the numbers, by the way), but having been there at a "slow" time I can see how on a nice holiday weekend they could burn rubber like that.
At the same time, I never see more than 2 cashiers at any store, and those self-checkouts are pretty slow if you're not buying only a box of screws, so one would do well do wonder how they could ring 20 grand in a day, let alone a couple hundred thou. Maybe someday I'll know a little something.
I think that number is wrong. Back when I worked at a Builder's Square, they considered anything over $20,000 a day to be exceptional. Even considering that was 15 years ago, I can't see them doing much more than double that due to increased material prices/inflation. Maybe she just had a decimal off one place, and it was 35,800. That sounds much more reasonable.
Yes this is my truck. No I won’t help you move.
Maybe she ment for the weekend. But this place was busy. ANd I had overheard the guy who manages the electrical dept saying to another emp. that they reported 40,000
no Boss, those numbers are good- I used to set up the kitchen design centers up & down the west coast. This was mid to late 90's- the top stores could bring in a million a week quite often.
greg
Boss
My wife runs a clothing store down here in TX and she has weekends that do $200,000! They arnt all that uncommon.
I'm guessing a lumber yard would do much more than that.
Doug
Yeah, but doesn't she run one of those stores at the outlet mall.....
where people drive from all over the country and park their $400,000 Prevost motorhome's out in the parking lot overnight just to get some 'bargains'?
Live the Good Life in the Permian Basin.
Yeah, but doesn't she run one of those stores at the outlet mall.....
Yes she does! And do you know where better then 1/2 of all the money her store takes in comes from?
Mexico
They must have some cash down there because she said without them her store would be just another typical Iowa store!
I cant imagine how much money must change hands on a busy weekend out at the San Marcos mall..... gotta be 10 - 15 million at least.
Doug
I love reading about you guys who bitch and moan about HD and keep going there and still bitch and moan.
Can you explain why you like to do that knowing your going to get pissed off and then go to their website and complain????
I really think that this excites some people knowing there in for a disappointment and then KEEP GOING BACK FOR MORE!! and then like to complain.
If you pi$$ in the wind, will you complain with the end results knowing what they would've been from the start?
Can you please EXPLAIN?????!!!!!
I have heard that one sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over with the expectation of a different result.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
And just try to drive your trucks thru the door (or windows) to load them!
Framer ole buddy, if you will reread my original post, this is a new condition at HD so it is not a case of some masochisim on my part. Besides, if a company or store is well managed, they do listen to their customers and that is exactly what the "contact us" sections on the web sites are for. Ifen ya don't speak up, ya won't be heard.I like your approach....now lets see your departure
" this is a new condition at HD so it is not a case of some masochisim on my part. Besides, if a company or store is well managed, they do listen to their customers and that is exactly what the "contact us" sections on the web sites are for. Ifen ya don't speak up, ya won't be heard."HD has been around for 15- 20 years or so and since day one everyone has had complaints and they have NEVER changed. Your right that they should listen but they don't.Their obviously not well managed because everyone you talk too or read on these forums has complaints.I was just there on Sunday and bought a hose real with a sink set up all in one for $100.00. If it brakes a month from now I will not complain because I think it was cheap but who knows..it breaks...it breaks.Joe Carola
Yeah, nothing better than blocking the whole lumber section every morning, been there. As far as the aisle blockage, cant stand trying to navigate a full cart of whatever down an aisle blocked with "swiffer" displays and other ridculous things that either dont belong in that aisle or no one will ever use.
I dont know about where you live but I much prefer Lowes, at least I can usually navigate there aisles.