another customer service rant

[david hines]

Hello all, I am refinishing some oak floors and went into lowes to rent a sander.I headed to the paint department, found the one employee working in that half of the store and inquired about the price. The answer, dont know, you have to go to customer service.Ok can you plug it in to see if it works ?answer no. At customer service I was helped right away but then an employee was buying a 3 dollar item and the person helping me just walked away in mid-sentence to check him out. when she gets back 5 minutes later I ask how much does it cost? Can I hear it run first? answer the guy in paint can plug it in for you. answer from me, He already said no and heres the kicker, the customer service person told me to go back to paint and tell him the she said to plug it in for me. I told her that was her job not mine and of course we left at that point .Oh and I didnt buy the 3-4 hundred dollars of supplies we left in the cart. sorry about the long rant david hines

[Jim McCarty]

AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! I can't stand when those things happen. You did the right thing. Now write a letter to Lowe's and let them know. Good luck.

[Brad Townsend]

Now write a letter to Lowe's and let them know. Good luck.
Sad to say, but does corporate really care? If they wanted reliable employees who really know something, they would have to pay them more than the bare minimum, and they're not about to do that. Their business model is not based on service.

[Joe Mioux]

Customers are not ping-pong balls.

I am dealing with this problem with one of my staff right now. I told her "do not treat customers like ping-pong balls!"

Joe

[John Thompson]

I think it depends on the particular store management. I have a Lowe's about 3 1/2 miles away and a Home Depot directly across the street. At one time I would not go in that Lowe's as Home Depot was fantastic back in the Arthur Blank days. The Lowe's was about the way you described.

But things change. A new manager at Home Depot after the General Electric guy was installed as CEO and all the know-ledgeable and pride-ful people left for greener pastures. Then Lowe's cleaned house of the manager and assistant at my store and it's been an up-hill ride since.

The majority of people at that Lowe's are at least know-ledgeable (not guru's by any means at those saleries) and go out of their way to help. If they don't you go ask for the manager or assitant and you suddenly either see a change of "attitude" in that employee or you might not see them again period.

Reality is well... reality I suppose. Some store's just seem to be more "real" than others from my observation. I would contact the manager in your case and see if things get corrected. If not.. contact district.. etc. if you feel that strong about what happened!

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Vernon Taylor]

If they spent the advertising dollars on training there might be some truth to the slogan YOU CAN DO IT WE CAN HELP

[Marc Casebolt]

How do they do it??
It seems every time I go to either of those big idiot boxes, the item I'm looking for has no price tag. Every other item near by has one, But some all seeing gnome seems to know what I want and remove the sign. Every time I go there I swear I'll never go back, but it's the only place to get screws on Sunday so....

Marc

[keith ouellette]

Now that the building boom is over and has turned into a building slump the lack of high volume at the stores has also cut back on the man hours used. Even though there is less shelf stocking and fewer customers, the help that is available is stretched thinner over the large floor space. The slower mood in the store contributes to lax employees. You would think a slower volume would create better more energetic employees but having managed retail I can honestly say this isn't the case. I think it is a phsycological factor or something. Sales have been way down at Lowes and Home Depot and Home Depot has been poorly managed from the very top for years. You can see it in their stock price.

[Don Bullock]

David, you did the right thing. I too have noticed a big decline lately at both HD and Lowe's. Right after the article came out knocking HD (can't remember the publication) the service at both these stores picked up quite a bit. Now, they're back to "business as usual" which means little or no service. It's amazing how big those places are and how few people are shopping in them. Right now the only good thing they have going for them is the fact that Jimmy Johnson and Tony Stewart are both in the "chase" for the NASCAR Championship this year.;) :D

[Bill Wyko]

I'm self employed and one of the peaves that get me the most is when an employee thinks they get paid for getting out of ned in the morning. You just want to tell them get up off your ascot and do your job. ( Sorry to rant but I just had a similar situation with a Lowes.):(

[Richard Link]

I guess that we, as consumers, are part of the problem, though. In town, we have both big box stores as well as a very nice boutique-style hardware store. The hardware store is staffed with knowledgeable folks who appear to take service very seriously. Its a very nice, but markedly overpriced environment. Also, the selection isn't nearly as comprehensive as HD and Lowes. Alas, I'll admit that I usually take lousy service, frustration and better pricing over the high priced if more pleasant environment. Not proud of it but that's the reality.

Its a function of the current environment that we are stuck with these two options and no option of decent pricing + decent service. On the other hand, if I (and others) won't "pay at the pump" for better service, then the big box business model will prevail in the end.

Rick

[John W. Willis]

Definitely write or email the home office. I have had pretty good success emailing Lowe's corporate. I finally quit going to Home Depot, it just wasn't worth the aggravation. I also make sure to email when I have had a "better than expected" experience also. Not just what's expected but better than expected. I catch myself thinking "Wow that went well" when actually that was the level of customer service one would normally expect.

To teach employees customer service skills does not take a lot of money. It takes someone who knows what those customer service skills are in the first place. Most employees "adopt" the attitude and skills of the management. As with society it seems that each generation loses a little in "translation".

Write 'em!

[joe greiner]

Ironically, we have a traditional lumber yard and a real hardware store (Ace franchise) within shouting distance of the borgs. The lumber yard has better service AND better prices. Its only drawback is it's closed on the weekend. The real hardware store, a little farther away, has superlative service, as well as more complete selection of fasteners.

I'd slather myself with shark bait, and swim to Cuba, before I expect "customer service" from the borgs. If we're lucky, their business models (similar to the current Chinese fiasco) will be seen to have no "emperor's new clothes," and some revisions might be made. First, we have to kill the bean counters (to paraphrase Shakespeare).

Humph!

Joe

[david hines]

after we left lowes we went to HD next door the man in the rental department was helpful and knew his stuff, but the paint people made me laugh.I asked the women in paint which poly dried faster. She pointed to the can and said see "fast drying" I waited until we left the aisle before my wife and I broke out in laughter. She was trying to be helpful but was clueless.I keep forgetting that the employees in these places are just employees and not in the trades. My fault I guess. just some more info, I shop first at the local hardware stores . One of these does rentals, but doesnt carry the ROS style of floor sander.I have never used a drum sander and did not want to take a chance on gouging the floor. I shop at the borgs only as a last resort. In the Laplata area we have 2 good hardware stores and several local mills. On a sad note lowes is building a store in Laplata.

[Brad Townsend]

On a further note: Now that the genius who ran Home Depot into the ground is taking over at Chrysler, doesn't it make you want to go out and spend forty grand on a Dodge Ram pickup?:D

[Don Bullock]

Ironically, we have a traditional lumber yard and a real hardware store (Ace franchise) within shouting distance of the borgs. The lumber yard has better service AND better prices. Its only drawback is it's closed on the weekend. The real hardware store, a little farther away, has superlative service, as well as more complete selection of fasteners.
..Joe

The Ace hardware store in my town is even worse than the Borgs!:( They don't seem to stock anything. I used to go to a small chain now called Do-it! Center, but many of their prices are now double what the same item sells for at the borgs. Their employees know even less too.:eek: Other than hardwood, I don't buy enough lumber to worry about that.

[Fred Voorhees]

Yeah, well, I'll say it again. I have found no problem with my local Home Depot. I know my way around the place and can pretty much quickly find what it is I'm after. I don't usually need any sales help and don't care to look for any. Any time that I have had the need, I have usually been helped fairly quickly. The place is handy and stocks quite a supply of what I usually need. Yes, I have seen some crappy sheets of hardwood ply, and that woe is worked around by going through the pile. In fact, I consider it a nice deal that I can go through stacks of 2X4's and other structural lumber and pick out what I consider the "best stuff". Same goes for the sheet goods and other stuff. No, I have rarely had an instance where I had to rant about my local big box store. In fact, Lowes will be coming soon just a few more miles up the road. Guess I'm just one of the lucky ones to have no problems.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

As far as the BORGs.....I really think the quality of service you get is determined by management. Since HD got new leadership, the service by our local HD in my experience has really improved. I was shown a letter earlier this year by an employee after they got new top management at the corporate level. The HD worker went into the employee break room and brought the letter from their bulletim board. Corporate management and the local store manager were encouraging all employees to take 2 hours from their regular duties and get out on the floor and help customers. Just yesterday and earlier this week I walked into the paint departement and had at least 3 different people ask if they could help me. This attitude wasn't there a year ago. The guy who showed me the letter worked in the electrical department. Very knowledgeable....He was laid off a couple of years ago .......Local store manager seeked him out early this year....

[Dave Lehnert]

I would have just taken the sander to the nearest plug and tried it out. Why ask?

You always hear complaints about employees not asking if you need help or even saying “Hi” but when was the last time you ever just walked up to a store employee and said “hello” I do this all the time and have gotten to know a lot of employees in stores to the point I would call them friends. Amazing how much help I get in there.

[Ed Breen]

Here in Muskogee we have a local owned old time hardware store. The help knows the stock and they have plenty of parts in ancient wooden drawers in old cupboards. You can buy Dietz lanterns, iron spiders etc. Yesterday as I drove by there was a sign in the window that they now have a bridal registry. Our kind of brides!!!
Yes, it costs a bit more, but they are closer to my heart than Lowes!
Ed:) :)

[Richard M. Wolfe]

By and large, I have had good service in the stores. The people may not be very familiar with the item, but they usually try.

But..... The best one that comes to mind is going into a Lowe's and after hunting for a little and coming up empty asking the guy working in the paint department where the shellac was. He had never heard of shellac.