Home Depot Sales Drop 9%, tries Customer Service

[jpatter666]

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.

Walmart is serious. Some of my cousins work for them in Bentonville as buyers. They took me to what I thought was a warehousing area -- nope, headquarters. The stories of their doing multi-million dollar deals in sparse rooms with two bare chairs, a table and a picture on the wall are apparently true.

[cjppjc]

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

Walmart is serious. Some of my cousins work for them in Bentonville as buyers. They took me to what I thought was a warehousing area -- nope, headquarters. The stories of their doing multi-million dollar deals in sparse rooms with two bare chairs, a table and a picture on the wall are apparently true.

I just thought that was great. Tell the dept. mgr. why they need to bring in another product and they do it. To me that's the essence of customer service. As opposed to Virgin Records losing money. Wal Mart is making money

[jpatter666]

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

I just thought that was great. Tell the dept. mgr. why they need to bring in another product and they do it. To me that's the essence of customer service. As opposed to Virgin Records losing money. Wal Mart is making money

Agreed. I gave the example just as a corollary to what you were saying. Walmart is *all* about the customer. Those buyer rooms are deliberate. They state -- we don't spend one thin dime on show. It's all about the price and you'd better give us your best one.

[due_indigence]

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

I happen to have a blonde blue-eyed very attractive girlfriend who has been in construction for years. I'm a GC. If we need help in a HD, I go and stand idly in the adjacent aisle. Within minutes she is being assisted. Yes, it's a horribly sexist ploy. But it shaves crucial minutes off our store visits.

[santafe2]

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

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.

In my previous, decidedly non-renewable energy life, I delivered software projects for several Fortune 100 companies. Without hesitation, I'd say HD was the least productive environment I've ever worked. The culture at HD has been dog-eat-dog for at least 10 years.

When we started our company last year I made a point to explain to my partners and now to our employees that we are the anti-Home Depot. We use HD as an example of what we can never become if we want to be successful. Our vendors and our customers are our partners. Without them, we don't exist. Somewhere along the line, HD forgot that they had a mission much larger than making money. Now that anti-customer culture is who they are, I don't see how they thrive. Survive maybe, but it's bleak.

[kingcopper]

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

My wife and friends joke with me; that I know HD and Lowes stores better than the managers do. Maybe I do. I'm a landlord and we are a frugal lot.

To this I add; home depot reminds me of a lumber yard by the name of Furrow that fell out of favor some 10 years ago. Furrow couldn't keep up with current trends or, god forbid, current inventory. Lowes, however, is extremely efficient at current trends and inventory.

If you want to see an excellent example of falling inventories in this current recession, go to your local home depot and look up at the top racks; EMPTY.

Now go to your local Lowes and look up; the top racks are packed. I'd say that Lowes is in much better financial shape right about now.

Times change though and Lowes may very well pay a mighty steep price for such excessive inventories!

[dbarberic]

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

I only use HD for core construction products (2x4s, nails, wire, etc.)

Lowes is much better when it comes to "designer" items to add style to your project.

I can find stuff much easier in HD. At Lowes, things are arranged in a goofy and illogical way that never seems to make sense.

HD customer service is horrible, Lowes is marginally better, but at least you can find people.

My favorite place is my local Ace Hardware. They always have all the itty-bitty parts I need and plenty of very helpful staff.

[flintlock]

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

I can find stuff much easier in HD. At Lowes, things are arranged in a goofy and illogical way that never seems to make sense.

Funny, I find just the opposite to be true as far as organization. But both can be a real pain to find things in. Saw an episode of the Simpsons once that showed a similar store called "Home Labyrinth". I still laugh about that.

[Slimprofits]

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

"It's almost like you've stepped back into a time warp," said Craig Johnson, president of consulting firm Customer Growth Partners. Total sales at these retailers have dropped to the level of five years ago, he said. (Lowe's & Home Depot)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125058982528639625.html

[rj1]

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

I've never had much of a problem with Home Depot, Lowe's, or Menards.

[newnewthing]

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

I've bought the odd item at HD every couple weeks. Yesterday I bought a gas pressure cleaner and related stuff. They had everything I needed. I was approached multiple times be employees offering help - which I didn't need.

I had noticed a big customer dropoff the first part of the year but things seem almost as crowded now as 2 years ago. At least here. I was at one on the East coast a few weeks back and it was nearly empty.

[bcassill]

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.

I have a background in HR (I/O Psychology to be exact from graduate school). I remember hearing the horror stories back in school from the local manufacturing operations that paid workers $6.00 and were dealing with workers who couldn't even read and write. In addition, my uncle was involved in manufacturing (before it was all moved to Chindia), and I heard plenty of stories of bad attitudes, unmotivated people, etc. Surprisingly, when I finally entered the workforce, I never saw any of those problems. I worked at a HQ of a large national bank with lots of bright, educated, motivated employees. It was then that it hit me. If you pay $70K (which was worth a lot more 10 years ago than it is now), you'll attract the people who are willing to go out and get the education and experience required to make that level of income. If you only pay $6.00 an hour, you'll only be able to attract those without the skills, ability, or motivation to do what it takes to make $7.00. The bottom line is you get what you pay for. Although there is always the exceptional low paid employee that naysayers try to hold up as the exception to the rule, in statistics we call those outliers, or those who deviate from the majority norm.

P.S. If where you work is filled with unmotivated and sloppy but highly paid workers, well, they will shortly be unemployed given the economy and/or something is terribly wrong in the recruiting process where you work.:p

[cjppjc]

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

I have a background in HR (I/O Psychology to be exact from graduate school). I remember hearing the horror stories back in school from the local manufacturing operations that paid workers $6.00 and were dealing with workers who couldn't even read and write. In addition, my uncle was involved in manufacturing (before it was all moved to Chindia), and I heard plenty of stories of bad attitudes, unmotivated people, etc. Surprisingly, when I finally entered the workforce, I never saw any of those problems. I worked at a HQ of a large national bank with lots of bright, educated, motivated employees. It was then that it hit me. If you pay $70K (which was worth a lot more 10 years ago than it is now), you'll attract the people who are willing to go out and get the education and experience required to make that level of income. If you only pay $6.00 an hour, you'll only be able to attract those without the skills, ability, or motivation to do what it takes to make $7.00. The bottom line is you get what you pay for. Although there is always the exceptional low paid employee that naysayers try to hold up as the exception to the rule, in statistics we call those outliers, or those who deviate from the majority norm.

P.S. If where you work is filled with unmotivated and sloppy but highly paid workers, well, they will shortly be unemployed given the economy and/or something is terribly wrong in the recruiting process where you work.:p

What you say is interesting. I was only pointing out that some people take pride in their work, and others do not. I've found some people who make alot of money who take pride. Also alot of people who don't make much money who take pride. The opposite is also true. All levels of income who do not take pride in their work.

[Slimprofits]

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

Desperate times call for said measures so Home Depot resorts to allowing an mlm/pyramid outfit to operate in the stores.

ASL Marketing Group, AKA DS MAX, AKA Granton Marketing, AKA Smart Circle, AKA Dallas Edge Inc., and numerous others.

I've been approached by their "sales associates" probably ten times in three different Home Depot locations over the last few months.

They ask if you're a homeowner and if so want to sell you kitchen upgrades and what not.

Here's a typical ripoff report:

http://le-enfant-terrible.blogspot.c...from-hell.html


Smart Circle Intl. bragging about relationships:

http://www.smartcircleinternational....meimplead.html

K-Designers
Dixie Home Crafters
Long Fence & Home
The Home Depot

[metalman]

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

Desperate times call for said measures so Home Depot resorts to allowing an mlm/pyramid outfit to operate in the stores.

ASL Marketing Group, AKA DS MAX, AKA Granton Marketing, AKA Smart Circle, AKA Dallas Edge Inc., and numerous others.

I've been approached by their "sales associates" probably ten times in three different Home Depot locations over the last few months.

They ask if you're a homeowner and if so want to sell you kitchen upgrades and what not.

Here's a typical ripoff report:

http://le-enfant-terrible.blogspot.c...from-hell.html


Smart Circle Intl. bragging about relationships:

http://www.smartcircleinternational....meimplead.html

K-Designers
Dixie Home Crafters
Long Fence & Home
The Home Depot

soon enough we'll see teenagers selling pot & crank in the home depot... 'something for the brain, man...'