Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

[Glenn Black]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...m58&refer=home

All 300,000 employees took a mandatory crash course in helping customers earlier this year. The company is also on a two-year push to improve merchandising and modernize distribution. The goal is to cultivate happier shoppers who buy more paint and power tools.

I used to be a dedicated fan of Home Depot for I could do 1-stop shopping for my projects. Yes, prices were higher on many items, but I could get the items I needed.

Then they fooled me, mis-led me, mis-treated me, and abused me. I turned into a "Home Depot Terrorist". One day as I shopping at HD, I heard a public service announcement asking all customers to be on the lookout for safety issues, keep kids safe in the store etc., and to report issues to management.

About 5 minutes later, I was looking for flat-packed bookcases, and was moving stock around to find an almond coloured in amongst all the walnut ones. I leaned the bookcases against the safety cable at the front of the storage bin while I looked deeper. I eventually found my wish and put everything back, then I noticed the safety cable had slid on the plastic sleeve inside the crimp. Plastic sleeve should have been removed before crimping. Kids playing or a slip & safety cable would easily fail under emergency, exactly when you need it to work.

I reported it to the service desk. They asked me to show them. I went back, they agreed with my concern, and said they would fix immediately. About 2 weeks later, I was in the store and about to leave when I thought I'd drop by & see the improved safety cable. It was still stretched out of crimp, ready to fail. I went to service counter & asked to speak to store manager. Explained, then showed store manager, he apologized for inaction & promised immediate repair. About 3 weeks later, I checked again, and still not repaired. I went to service counter, complained, filled in feedback form, went to HD website & complained by web posting, called head office & complained. Later, I did an Internet search and found Home Depot had numerous lawsuits from people killed or seriously injured inside Home Depot stores. That's when I realized I had been duped. Months went by, but nothing was ever done. Each time I went into the store, I checked and became more frustrated and angry.

They tricked me by playing the "concerned good corporate citizen" with their PA announcement. Stupid me went out of my way to help. They fooled me not once, not twice, but over and over again.

I've told more than a few thousand people this story, as I feature this story in seminars I teach, as a prime example how you don't want to piss someone off so bad they will go out of their way for the rest of their life to get even.

Home renovation is collapsed for a long, long time. Home Depot had a good, long run. Soon it will be time (if not already) to short this dinosaur till we have sucked the last ounce of nutritional juice out of its dead and decaying carcass. Good-bye Home Depot.

[solotar]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

I shop at Home Depot because I basically have no alternative. The second I get one, I'm gone. The service there is just so bad. Key advice: any time you buy something there that has more than one part, check the seal on the box very carefully. If the tape doesn't look original, don't buy that box: you'll just open it up and discover missing parts.

[rabot10]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service: Fooey!

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...m58&refer=home

I used to be a dedicated fan of Home Depot for I could do 1-stop shopping for my projects. Yes, prices were higher on many items, but I could get the items I needed.

Then they fooled me, mis-led me, mis-treated me, and abused me. I turned into a "Home Depot Terrorist". One day as I shopping at HD, I heard a public service announcement asking all customers to be on the lookout for safety issues, keep kids safe in the store etc., and to report issues to management.

About 5 minutes later, I was looking for flat-packed bookcases, and was moving stock around to find an almond coloured in amongst all the walnut ones. I leaned the bookcases against the safety cable at the front of the storage bin while I looked deeper. I eventually found my wish and put everything back, then I noticed the safety cable had slid on the plastic sleeve inside the crimp. Plastic sleeve should have been removed before crimping. Kids playing or a slip & safety cable would easily fail under emergency, exactly when you need it to work.

I reported it to the service desk. They asked me to show them. I went back, they agreed with my concern, and said they would fix immediately. About 2 weeks later, I was in the store and about to leave when I thought I'd drop by & see the improved safety cable. It was still stretched out of crimp, ready to fail. I went to service counter & asked to speak to store manager. Explained, then showed store manager, he apologized for inaction & promised immediate repair. About 3 weeks later, I checked again, and still not repaired. I went to service counter, complained, filled in feedback form, went to HD website & complained by web posting, called head office & complained. Later, I did an Internet search and found Home Depot had numerous lawsuits from people killed or seriously injured inside Home Depot stores. That's when I realized I had been duped. Months went by, but nothing was ever done. Each time I went into the store, I checked and became more frustrated and angry.

They tricked me by playing the "concerned good corporate citizen" with their PA announcement. Stupid me went out of my way to help. They fooled me not once, not twice, but over and over again.

I've told more than a few thousand people this story, as I feature this story in seminars I teach, as a prime example how you don't want to piss someone off so bad they will go out of their way for the rest of their life to get even.

Home renovation is collapsed for a long, long time. Home Depot had a good, long run. Soon it will be time (if not already) to short this dinosaur till we have sucked the last ounce of nutritional juice out of its dead and decaying carcass. Good-bye Home Depot.

I have a Home Depot just down the street from me, service couldn’t be better. I am not much of a price comparison shopper so I’m not sure if they are competitive, but the prices seem fine – could just be that store.

Glen you may just want to let this one go, they and others will go out, without any outside help.

Just a thought
rick

[BadJuju]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

I cannot blame Glenn for his ire. Home Depot is doing precisely the opposite of what it should be doing, which is protect the people that shop at its stores. They are skimping on safety to meet the bottom-end, which just beggars derision from those informed of their practices.

[cjppjc]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

The store manager is responsible and the store employees just don't care. Have you never gone to a chain of any kind, retail, restaurant, and gotten good service. Then gone to another location, and gotten bad service? It's the people. It's always the people.

[rabot10]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

The store manager is responsible and the store employees just don't care. Have you never gone to a chain of any kind, retail, restaurant, and gotten good service. Then gone to another location, and gotten bad service? It's the people. It's always the people.

I know what you mean. Sometimes I wonder if the idiot working at a store
realizes that he needs me to keep shopping or eating there so he/she has a job!!

I think that this attitude comes from the socialist think of the last 40 years.

[cjppjc]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

I know what you mean. Sometimes I wonder if the idiot working at a store
realizes that he needs me to keep shopping or eating there so he/she has a job!!

I think that this attitude comes from the socialist think of the last 40 years.

No It's comes from taking little pride in your work.

[swgprop]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service: Fooey!

I've told more than a few thousand people this story, as I feature this story in seminars I teach, as a prime example how you don't want to piss someone off so bad they will go out of their way for the rest of their life to get even.

I hear ya. I had a wonderful experience with Virgin Records years ago. Bought a product that was defective, simply wanted to exchange it for a functional version of the same thing. Was advised that returns had to take place within xx days of purchase (I don't recall the policy, I was bringing it back after a couple of months had transpired). I asked to speak to a supervisor or manager. She told me the same thing.

I said "So you realize that because of some arbitrary policy, not only am I not going to buy this other merchandise I picked out today, but I will never ever set foot in Virgin Records again, and I will bad mouth your company for the rest of my life to whomever will listen?"

That didn't sway her. So I haven't set foot in another store and as evidenced by this post continue to bad mouth them at every opportunity.

[zoog]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

No It's comes from taking little pride in your work.

You think that might be related to little pay for your work?

[rabot10]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

You think that might be related to little pay for your work?

lol............................

[cjppjc]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

You think that might be related to little pay for your work?

Lots of people get paid less than they think they should. Some people still take pride in their work. Also some people get paid very well and take no pride in their work. You can always tell by their attitude. Now, that is not to say you can't catch someone on a bad day. Think for example all the good teachers, as well as the bad teachers you had.

[zoog]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

Lots of people get paid less than they think they should. Some people still take pride in their work. Also some people get paid very well and take no pride in their work. You can always tell by their attitude. Now, that is not to say you can't catch someone on a bad day. Think for example all the good teachers, as well as the bad teachers you had.

Alright I'll buy that. Still, getting low wages for what you do would seem to make it more challenging to have pride in your work, even if that may (or may not) be fair market value for the work.

[flintlock]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

I go into a Home Depot store several times a week as a part of my business. Reluctantly, I must add. They have convenient locations and every now and then I get lucky and they have the part I need and If I'm really lucky the part isn't defective or missing parts. Besides, they put every hardware store within 20 miles out of business. So I've been a reluctant customer for the last 5 years . A happy one the previous 20 or so.

My brother in law is a lawyer with HD and is very involved in things like reducing accidents in stores . I can assure you they care at the corporate level. They spend big bucks in training and other programs designed to reduce accidents. Why? Because accidents cost them big money. He never tells me details, but I get the idea that accidents were becoming quite a problem there until about 5 years(?) ago when they stepped up the effort.

I can vouch for the unresponsive managers at many stores. Products out of stock for weeks on end, despite my telling them they need to restock. I've literally seen their electrical department out of ordinary residential receptacles. Or 14-2 wire! Staple kind of items. One store consistently stocked recessed lighting housings but never the trims required to complete the fixture. I finally emailed corporate about it and the next day the store manager called me and said he would personally go pick up the trims at another store. And he did! I saw him in his personal pickup with a load in the back the next day. So it really depends on the store and who is running it.

Nardelli really did a number on Home Depot. Screwed the quality of products, the service, everything. They are still recovering but I will say I've noticed a marked improvement in the attitude of the employees. I think that has as much to do with the economy and the plentiful supply of more qualified workers than anything else. Lot of unemployed construction folks who laughed at Home Depot a few years ago now are damn glad to have a job there.

That said, I think they are going to come up against a point of diminishing returns by trying to "win over" customers now. Lets face it. People aren't spending as much on their homes now that they are losing value. And the EZ financing is all dried up. I see more employees in the stores now than 5 years ago. That pisses me off. Where were they 5 years ago? Somebody telling me, "Hello" forty times as I walk through the store is not going to make me buy a new house full of appliances. Those of us who were shopping there in the boom times facing poor inventory, shoddy parts, grumpy employees, and indifferent managment may find all this new found "customer service" a bit phoney and hard to stomach. A day late and a dollar short. If there is a Lowes nearby I'll still drive a few extra miles just to avoid Big Orange.

[cjppjc]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

I just thought of a great example. A few years ago I went into Wal Mart to buy tennis balls. They didn't have Penn or Wilson. Just cheap crap that you don't want to play with. I mentioned it to the head of the sporting goods dept. I can't remember what he said, but the next time I went in they had the good stuff next to the cheap stuff. The good stuff was still cheaper than anywhere else.

[ricket]

Re: Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

My brother in law is a lawyer with HD and is very involved in things like reducing accidents in stores . I can assure you they care at the corporate level. They spend big bucks in training and other programs designed to reduce accidents. Why? Because accidents cost them big money. He never tells me details, but I get the idea that accidents were becoming quite a problem there until about 5 years(?) ago when they stepped up the effort.

I actually worked at the SSC (the "Store Support Center" --aka the corporate office) for almost 3 years in Software Development. Their software developers were still using Windows 2000 in early 2008 and most of their systems were just simply old and outdated. I got burned quite a few times with the management style and this led to my eventual departure. There is definitely an eager drive for the cheapest and fastest solution at the expense of the one that makes the most sense. The overall morale is ridiculously low (at least as of the beginning of 2008) even for a corporate environment. The health/vision/dental benefits are terrible (at least from a price perspective), the pay is awesomely non-competitive and there is a high turnover rate even within individual departments. By the time a system moved from QA to Production, almost the entire team that developed the system had moved onto different teams and/or left the company entirely. The IT managers all cowered at business analysts who were only 2 years removed from a college degree. Some of these same analysts were promoted to "Managers" within a year of full time work experience.

There are/were so many inefficiencies in the entire structure of Home Depot that it doesnt surprise me where their stock price is at (it dropped almost 50% during my 3 years there, even before the stock market tank of October 2008). Perhaps different employees would have different experiences than these, but not from the conversations I had with my colleagues. I actually contemplated whether or not it was possible to actually absolve myself of *any* responsibility while also continuing to draw a paycheck. To sort of "disappear" into the system and somehow become my own boss LOL.