Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 58

Thread: Great Article about Home Depot

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Damascus, MD
    Posts
    216

    Great Article about Home Depot

    Go here to read a great article re: HD

    http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com....aspx?GT1=9215
    Jim Stastny ~ Damascus, Maryland
    A poor workman blames his tools

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Brentwood & Altamont, TN
    Posts
    2,334
    Hi Jim,

    I'm not sure I would agree with the take on HD provided in your link. I lived in Baton Rouge when HD opened their first store less than 2 miles from my house in the early 90's. At the time, it was the largest HD on earth (their promotional line) and we loved it as new home owners. To me, HD hasn't changed much since then. They keep a very limited stock of items that will fit the middle to lower price range for consumers and continue to try to be all things to all people (home improvement wise). For general home maintance they are still my store of choice. But, I think you have to consider the times as well. IN the early 90's the housing market wasn't so hot and most people were trying to increase their sweat equity by DIY and until HD came along there was really no provider in this arena. Lowes predates HD but, they didn't really get their act together until HD came to market.

  3. #3

    I will have to agree with it.....

    In my area there are 3 HD and 2 Lowe's that I can get to very easy. The HD is the closest of the stores. If I really need something I will go to Lowe's even if it takes a little longer to get there. I know when I leave I will have what I need and will not have to stand in line for 20 min. to check out.
    The closest HD to me does now have self checkout which does help with the line but they are always out of things. They don't have much in the way of tools, I would say about 2/3s that of Lowe's.
    Then there is the problem of getting help when you need it, you almost have to tackle someone to get them to stop and help and then when they do you find out that you know a lot more about it then they do.
    Then there is the thing that really gets me and that is to hear a sales person giving someone a line of crap about what they need or how to fix something. That to me is the worst, just tell them you don't know or get someone that does but don't feed them a line.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Byron, IL
    Posts
    609
    I read an interesting article recently that could be nicely paired with the article presented. It concerned Ace Hardware and how they have not noly survived, but thrived in the era of the big box home center. Defying predictions that they couldn't compete, both their sales volume and stock price have gone up steadily in recent years. They have done it primarily with service. Link below.

    http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar...701170356.html

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Fort Worth, TX
    Posts
    805
    The article fits my experience with Home Depot. The folks there are friendly, but there are never enough of them, and most of them don't know much about their stock.

    I enjoy going to my local Ace much more, although the prices are generally higher. It's also closer, so if I need something they both have, for example, paint or stain, I have to balance the proximity and the ease of Ace vs. the price savings at HD or Lowes. Ace often wins.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Webster Groves, MO
    Posts
    655
    Blog Entries
    10
    Around us, We definately see the short staffing issue at Home Depot, espeically at night. The only people working in the store are the front desk people, a few cashiers and a couple of people cleaning up. It is near impossible to ask any of them a question because they are all younger people that are there just to collect a paycheck; therefore, their knowledge about "home improvement" is very limited.

    On another note, I stopped going to the Home Depot once the Lowe's down the street from it opened for three reasons:
    1. Lowe's is much cleaner with wider aisles and less cluttered. It's easier for me to find what I am looking for.
    2. There are always knowledgable department heads working, which makes it very easy to get questions answered.
    3. I like their power tool department's layout much better instead of the 2 clutter aisles at the HD's.
    For home center type purchase, Lowe's gets my business, unless I need a Ridgid power tool; but when I need that, I drive out of my way to go to one of the Nicer Home Depots.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Living in the sticks....sometimes has it's advantages......sometimes not.....We've only had a Home Depot here for maybe 4 years. Prior to that, the local small business folks more or less "had the market" with no competition. If you really wanted a good deal you had to drive all the way to Spokane, WA about 110 miles one way. I know...went there a lot. There were several chains (some regional) there. You really didn't save any money but you got a lot better quality than you got locally for the same dollar.

    Then about 4 years ago we got a Home Depot. The first year it was open, the service was excellent. They had a lot of old experienced white-haired folks like me working there and if you asked them a question, they had a good answer and there were plenty of employees around to help you. I actually developed some very friendly relationships with some of them.

    At the same time a large number of local businesses that used to have the entire market went out of business due to competition.

    Then it happened, one by one, the more experienced employees were let go and I noticed and asked some of the ones I knew. Then I saw on the news where HD was cutting back. Yup, the experienced ones were often professionals in a trade and that's why their information was so valuable. These were the higher paid individuals. Now....fewer people working the aisles......don't hesitate to block off an aisle to restock during store hours....when you ask these younger kids and most of them are kids...they can't answer your queston as they haven't been trained or have the experience......

    I find myself frequenting a locally owned lumber yard now. Seldom go to HD except for finishing supplies to use up the gift cards I've received. My hardware needs are better supplied by a local Ace hardware store and a local industrial hardware center that supplies local wood and paper mills.

    Locally......HD has changed.
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 03-08-2007 at 11:06 AM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Shawnee Kansas (KC Area)
    Posts
    74
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Stastny
    Go here to read a great article re: HD

    http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com....aspx?GT1=9215
    I share the writers experience. The biggest dissapointment is that in 1990 you could get about every odd thing you were looking for to build a project. I walk out of the store empty handed far too many times. I understand that the items that don't move often, take up costly floor space, but I shopped because I could get what I needed at a regular price.

    The staff has IMO been dropped signifcantly since 1990. It is hard to find someone to help locate a special item.

    It is what it is folks. I'll keep shopping there because it's close and for regular items, you can't beat Lowes, Mendards or HD. If I don't find it there, I go to true value, pay a little more in price, but it's what I need. Maybe it's not possible to build a BORG business model with true value benefits. Home Depot did have that at one time IMO.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Hendersonville NC
    Posts
    56
    I tend not to go to HD because of one experence even though Lowes and HD are only .5 miles apart.

    I went in to order Kitchen cabnets (I know, I know I probably should have buitl them....) and had already planned out the Mills Pride ones for my space.

    I had planned and wrote out all the part numbers needed and everything, all they had to do was enter the order. That being said 2 and half hours after I sat down with the guy to place the order I was finally done. This tends to put a bad taste in my mouth when I have to walk through the door of that place.

  10. I agree with points of both Chris and Jim. As Chris said, Although many home centers predate Home Depot, HD forced many to get their act together, and those who did not went out of business (Home Quarters, Builders Square among others). However, in recent years, it has been my experience that HD's customer service has suffered. As Jim mentioned, HD used to have knowledgeable sales people, now it seems that they employ people to wear orange aprons and not much else. Employees do seem less eager to offer help, or give help when ask. This is clearly not the HD of say 10 years ago. Their CEO did take a lot from the company during some difficult times, and I feel that they are having a hard time recovering from that as well. HD does still stock about the same supplies/materials as they always have, but the CS is still sliding downhill. A home improvement center in our region, and I suspect will go nationwide at some point, is Menards, they are growing steadily, and have a great customer service, and they are still a privately held company. Only time will tell with all of these companies. But I do think the writing is on the wall for Home Depot, probably less than ten years, unless there is determined restructuring in employee hiring practices and customer service area. Just my thoughts. Bill

  11. I agree wholeheartedly with that article.

    It once took over an hour to get some pipe cut and threaded for pipe clamps.. The people they kept paging over didn't know how to use the machine. Finally, the manager got off his lazy rearend and did the job.

    Another time I foolishly waited over a half hour to find the price on something. It wasn't in their system, and I kept being assured that someone could do it in just a few more minutes. In the end, the manger just took a wild guess, and guess what, his guess was way overpriced.

    And then there's aggravations like how they fail to stock some sizes of dowels, etc.

    Oh yeah, when they run out of something, sometimes it takes MONTHS for them to reorder. I was told by someone else that they often will wait until enough other items run out so they can make one big order to the vendor, instead of multiple small orders.. Ok, I could see this logic if it was just waiting a day or two, but MONTHS?

    Lowes isn't much better, IMO.

  12. #12
    ********Back in 1990, when my wife and I loved Home Depot, the stores were staffed with well-trained, knowledgeable and helpful people.***********

    How often does it all come down to customer service.

    The HD neer me was really great some decade or so back. I could find a real plumber working in the plumbing department who would share his trade knowledge with me. At the Contractor's desk there were real tradesmen who would share their info with you. Even the electrical department has a guy who was an expert.

    Times have changes but there are still some really good guys working there. I think the plumber still is. He's getting on in years tho.

    However the HD near my daugher's place in a more densely populated part of the state is - abysmal.

    It's a crappy shoddy poorly managed disaster. Nothing is where it's supposed to be and bins are permantly in disarray. You want a store employee you have to wastle one down as they are all on permant break.
    You want some information the best they can do is look on the package to see if there are instructions and they point to that. That's it.

    From the customer's standpoint it's all about customer service.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    HD experiences seem to be the result of local management attitude. The HD I used when living in the Sacramento area could not have been better. The one nearest me in SoCal where I live now could not be worse, the one a few more miles away is fine.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Anaheim, California
    Posts
    6,903
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley
    HD experiences seem to be the result of local management attitude. The HD I used when living in the Sacramento area could not have been better. The one nearest me in SoCal where I live now could not be worse, the one a few more miles away is fine.
    Second that: there's only one locally that I'll set foot in.

    Luckily it's the one about a mile from my house.
    (91 and Weir Canyon if you feel like driving that far, Glenn.)
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
    "Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
    We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
    The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
    The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
    You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Southern, CA
    Posts
    569
    I think in all the years I have been going to Home Desperate I may have asked once for some wire to be spooled, once to find something and one time to get something off the highest rack. At $9.50 an hour what do you expect from the employees.

    The newest store right next to my house had a few things in the Electrical area that were odd in sizes but lacked the most used items for running conduit and the like. Spoke with a manager one early morning and within two days the 8 things I pointed out were on the shelf and the less used items I mentioned were high on the shelf.

    I have to admit where I live the lumber yards are aweful for lumber, higher prices, everything is outside and moisture ladden so I aviod the lumber yard. I do have to pick through the lumber at HD a bit for construction grade and I do buy hardwood ply, melamine and BB from them as well. A lot cheaper than the lumber yard and the same quality. Of course hardwood stock I go to Austin for bf, great selection, ok prices.

    Lowes does not even have 1/4 of the tools HD carries in my area. For paint I go to Lowes, but that is it.

    Even if I have lumber I still go through self checkout and the person standing there to fix problems at self check will scan the long stuff.

    If you have a return HD will take it no questions asked. I took something back to Lowes once and it took almost 30 minutes to locate a manager to clear the return. Have not been to a Lowes in more than 6 months...

Similar Threads

  1. 3/4 inch Maple Plywood @ Home Depot
    By John Respass in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 12-12-2005, 7:34 PM
  2. Home Depot Black Friday?
    By Andy Howard in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 23
    Last Post: 11-24-2005, 9:26 PM
  3. My latest trip to Home Depot
    By Dennis McDonaugh in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 45
    Last Post: 10-17-2005, 12:41 PM
  4. Great article Ken Salisbury, thanks!
    By Mike Schwing in forum General Woodworking and Power Tools
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 07-29-2003, 9:07 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •