Who thinks that Home Depot doesn’t care?

Question

I have been shopping at Home Depot for a very long time, but lately it seems that Home Depot has gotten really customer unfriendly. I have fixed up a condo I had w/ Home Depot and I had a few problems, but they were mostly fixed promptly. Now that I bought a house and are fixing that up also (and I mean everything…. The whole house was gutted… including the floors and some walls) I have been having nothing but problems w/ Home Depot. I purchased two toilets (the nice ones) and one was put in one of the bathrooms, b/c we needed at least one toilet. The other bathroom was being worked on, and so the other toilet was sitting in a box till that happened. We put up the toilet finally and it turned out that the bowl was cracked on the side… it was a tiny crack so it took us a few days to notice. I didn’t want to replace the whole toilet so we took off the bowl only and went to the store to get a replacement.
First, it turned out that even though we bought the toilet from the store floor, it was some sort of a special order thing, so they didn’t feel like ordering another one, unless I paid the full price of like a $150, even though it was their bowl that was cracked and I didn’t want money or to replace the whole thing, I just wanted a bowl. Then the lady got a big attitude w/ me (after treating me like dirt in the first place) and sent me to see the manager.
The manager basically thought that I was trying to swindle Home depot out of the toilet bowl money… even though I kept explaining to him that I just want the bowl, not the money for the bowl…. I just want my toilet to work. I told him that if he wants to, he can give me another bowl that fits this toilet. He just got angry and said that there is no other bowl that fits that toilet. I called my husband, who said that he’s about to uninstall that whole toilet, bring it to the store and put it in the middle of Home Depot and leave it there. He told me to just leave everything there and go to Lowes.
Finally, some store employee, I guess overheard the conversation, and was nice enough to say that there is a bowl that fits that toilet. I ended up having to BUY the bowl off the floor. Brought it home and guess what????? This one had cracks on the bottom. I was sooooooooo mad. There was no way that I was going to go to Home Depot again to buy another bowl. Since the cracks were on the bottom, we filled in the entire bottom with resin and it worked, but of course that is not the issue. All of this toilet bowl madness took over two hours. Not to mention having to drive back and forth.
This is just one of probably about 15 nasty Home Depot stories I have. We started going to Lowes as much as possible, even though it’s further then Home Depot. Of course sometimes we just don’t have the time and end up going to Home Depot anyway. Is this the reason Home Depot started getting so nasty and simply doesn’t care? Is it because they know that people basically have to come back from time to time?

Answer 1

I would write a letter to the better business bereau and tell them about it. I would then write one to the Home Depot corporate office and attach the letter that I sent to the better business bereau to it. I would aslo give them a idea of how much money you were spending in their stores and then say I guess my money is not good enough for you. And then say Lowes helped me out big time and that from now on you will be doing busines with them. And maybe even write a letter to the other voices or your opinion section of the local paper. That could get others who have had the same type of trouble to do the same as you.

Answer 2

Home Depot has no real training process for their employees anymore. Many know nothing about the department that they are working in. They have gotten away from the reason that got them where they are. Several years ago, you could not go into a store without employees falling over each other trying to help you. Now you can wait 30 min for someone to help. I try to go to Lowes more, but they do not have all of the things contractors need and they are a little more expensive. The best thing is to find smaller privately owned businesses if any still exist and give our business to them.

Answer 3

I don't really shop too much at Home Depot, however I experience the same sorta problems at lots of stores that I shop at. I think that workers in general just aren't taught how to serve their customers in a friendly manner. The thing that gets me a lot too is when I ask a worker at a store something and they have no idea if they have a certain item in the store. Sorta annoying to have to walk around those big department stores like I'm lost, knowing that even the workers don't know :(

I suggest, like you said, stay away from Home Depot as much as possible. Go to the stores you like, and the other ones will sooner or later catch on, hopefully.

Answer 4

Am so sorry you have had such a struggle. Like you - we completed a huge project mainly through purchases at Home Depot. Their computer should have most of your transactions listed. We have had a predominantly good experience with them. I would contact headquarters and repeat what you wrote. Appears you have a mismanaged Home Depot sorely lacking in customer service skills. The ones here even hand out mail in service satisfaction cards. Best Buy is one that I wrote to headquarters for and was never acknowledged. Unlike them, think Home Depot upper management will do something positive for you. Good luck & best wishes.

Answer 5

I am sorry that you had such a bad time at Home Depot. The one near my house is very friendly and the people want to help. If I were you, I would contact the district manager or go to Home Depot on line and contact them so that they can rectify the problems at that Home Depot. If you do, then it might get better. If you don't it will probably stay the same.

Answer 6

I don't think Home Depot can find considerate people to hire. If half of the store owners knew how their employees were treating the customers, I really think they would have a good talk with them.

It is not just Home Depot. We are raising a cold hearted society.

Answer 7

HOME DEPOT AND OTHERS
They have cut costs by replacing experienced people with cut rate kids.
They used to check stock every day, re-order and trade between stores to keep items on shelf.
NOW they stick anything in holes to look like they're stocked, god help you if your are not sure what your buying.
AND, finally they put the fewest checkers out in the morning when a contractor needs to get out to a job.
I now use wholesale suppliers as often as possible
e-mail comments to home depot.

Answer 8

My husband works for Home Depot and he says to go to the HD and tell them what you found with the washer/dryer. He says that when the first owners returned it, that it should have been marked "return to vendor" and not returned to the sales floor. He says it could have been an employee's mistake, marking it simply "returned" instead of "return to vendor." Also, he says if the manufacturer's warranty is now void, that the extended warranty from HD should go ahead and pick up where the other one left off. Go back to HD and ask if it can be returned or exchanged for a different one. Also ask about that warranty. They should be able to work something out with you since it was their fault that this happened. Good luck!

Answer 9

For me and my family it's Lowes that's the customer unfriendly one. We got a doorknob on special order and it was put aside for us, when we took it back to house we were fixing up it turned out someone had ripped the box open partially and the crucial piece was missing. Also, we've had issues with them before on returns/broken merchandise. So now we're going to the hardware store that's owned/operated by a town resident and his family, sure they don't have as much there but at least they are friendly, they get to know you and if you are really looking for a specific product they would order it for you.

Answer 10

On every receipt that you get from Home Depot, they give a website for you to use to report your experience. Don't omit your contribution to the information flow to their headquarters. Take your receipt and go to http://www.HomeDepotOpinion.com and fill out their forms. If that store keeps getting bad ratings from customers, the higher-ups in that company will eventually notice.