Huge Disappointment

Bart Leetch

Member
Messages
3,206
Location
Clinton, Washington on Whidbey Island
I was in our local Home Depot store yesterday & noticed that some of the power tools are not available to pick up & hold in our hand to check them out to see if the particular tool is what we want to buy it. The same with the stationary tools.

Instead they have mounted big cards with pictures & a complete description
Have you ever tried to see how a tool feels in your hand while looking at a picture & description?

Then when I went to contact them by E-mail oops we can't connect you to the URL.

So I called the 800 # & complained anyway.

They are sending me a $10 gift certificate.

I don't know what to spend it on when & if I go back into Huge Disappointment.
 
Steve

We have a Lumberman's lumberyard 12 miles away in another small town. A Frontier Lumber yard in town & an Ace store in town. That is it unless you want to go to Huge Disappointment or travel a bit more than 30 miles to Mt Vernon find what you want or even more up to Bellingham.
 
I hear ya, Bart

I mentioned it to the regular tool guy at my local HD and he vented a bit himself. Says the new CEO ain't doing anyone any favors...just talk. Said they are having to work with even fewer employees than before..contrary to his promise to improve things.

Lowes still has a better selection of "touch..feel" displays, but I still look to online stores for most of my purchases (or Craigslist).
 
To save a long story, I once tried to make a complaint at our local (new) HD and was treated with extreme rudeness. I haven't gone back since and don't plan to. Even though I'm not particularly a huge fan of Lowe's, if I need something not available elsewhere (check prices, Lowe's is high), I'll go there. Service is hot and cold but I have always been treated with courtesy.
 
Well, I guess all things are local, I have had good luck at the local Lowes, people are friendly, tools are out on the shelf so you can fondle them (and then go look for better prices on the internet :D ) and their dimensional lumber is way better than HD. I try to support local lumber yards for wood pruchases when I can, but many won't let me pull from the pile and I can do that at Lowes. HD quality is going downhill fast!

Jay
 
One thing about Lowes, though, is....they have sales every week! Usually in the morning, and weekends, Lowes puts a bunch of stuff on super discount. I've picked up a bunch of lamps, a couple of ceiling fans and other stuff for about 75% of retail. Also got my Beis commercial fence there for 50% off. I bought a bunch of electrical switches, sockets, door hinges and hardware and got 10% off just by asking.:thumb:

HD has never given me a discount for bulk buying stuff....but then I could never find any employees to ask..:bang: And the cashiers have a hard enough time just running the scanner...:doh:
 
Sad to say, but the best things I've seen at the Huge Disappointment lately are the addition of self-service checkout and 24/7 computerized propane exchange. :huh:

If you have $10 to spend at the Huge Dissappointment, I would go for a couple of bottles of Titebond or some flashlight batteries. Anything more high end is likely to hurt in one way or another...

Seems like HD's new strategy must be aimed at competition from Harbor Freight, though I get better service at HF.:dunno:
 
You ain't discribin' my HD as they have all their tools in front and ready for you to fondle as you please (Been gone all weekend so maybe things have changed but...) local management is your problem (perhaps)

Keep doing as you did and call the 800 number to allert the corperate office of your displeasure. The gift certificate is a nice jesture. Use it asap. Locally, Lowes is a step behind HD on deals but they are trying to compensate. Will outdo any ads HD has to offer and HD will out do any Lowes ads. Play one against the other.

Snobbish to say you ONLY deal with "so & so" ... deal with whomever offer the best for the buck. I buy a lot of materials from local Lumber yards but still I frequent the BORGS and play HD against Lowes. Best price gets my dollar. OK so it is a PITA to drampse from store to store but when you are talking about a couple hundred $$$ in goods it is worth it... Lucky fopr me they are 1/4 mile apart.
 
"Locally, Lowes is a step behind HD on deals but they are trying to compensate. Will outdo any ads HD has to offer and HD will out do any Lowes ads. Play one against the other. "

This doesn't work to well for me. Lowes is 30 miles away.

I will buy most of my needs at Ace, Frontier & Lumbermans.

Huge Disappointment will be a very very very last resort.
 
I've seen the same thing in the Home Depot I go to. Dunno what's worse, pictures of the tools, or "floor models" that are not set up correctly, missing parts, and with rusted rings from Coke cans sitting on the tables. After I bought my Ridgid tablesaw, I used to go back to the store and marvel at how different (better) my saw was from the same model on display at Home Depot.

In my immediate neighborhood, there's been a fight going on for three years or so to keep Home Depot from building a new store where the K-Mart used to be. The majority of the residents don't want it, including me. You've gotta understand that even though I'm in LA proper, the area I'm in (Tujunga/Sunland/La Crescenta) is a somewhat older neighborhood, and not very affluent on the surface. We have virtually nothing in the way of general merchandise (Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart) stores. On the other hand, we have a couple or three Tru Value stores, an Orchard Supply Hardware and Do-It Center (mini-borgs, but the employes know you and speak English). And there's a Home Depot 8 miles away in Pacoima, and another about 10 miles away in Glendale. (Lowe's is 10 miles away in Burbank.) We don't have a shortage of home improvement places, but we could really use more general merchandise.

Last week we got three pieces of propaganda mail from Home Depot, trying to promote the idea of having their store here. In one example. their counter argument to the "we need more general merchandise" cry from the public was to show pictures of local "general merchandise" stores like the 99 Cents Only store, Goodwill, and little Armenian clothing boutiques that have three shirts and 8 pairs of socks for sale. It was downright insulting that Home Depot would think their lame attempt at PR would have a positive effect.

If and when they do actually open up that Home Depot, I doubt they'll get much of my business. I'd rather pay a bit more to support the little guys that are already here.
 
Top