HOME DEPOT HELL

National Review Online - The Corner ^ | April 20, 2004 | John Derbyshire

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This darn place is going to the dogs. As if the aisle-closing business wasn't bad enough, I have now encountered a new annoyance.

The Home Depot has introduced self-check-out stations. Fair enough, and a convenience, if you have just small items & no complications. However, there are now situations -- I just encountered my second -- where Home Depot employees apparently feel that the self-check-out business relieves them of the need to man check-out stations altogether. If for some reason you can't check yourself out, there may be no regular check-out stations manned. (Personned, whatever.)

I gotta stop using this store.

[cupcakes]

I'm with you. I used them exclusively, but now in the last month of pregnancy, I find it far easier to just let the clerk ring it up and bag it. I have a feeling I will probably opt for the clerk when all three children(under age 6) are in tow from now on;-)

[BigSkyFreeper]

The only time I set foot in a HD was back in 1999 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was about a mile from my brother's house, and we needed to pick up a 100 foot long extension cord for the outdoor Christmas lights we were going to put up that were stored away by the previous owner in the garage and then install 200 feet of standard phone cable (we did a DIY job of putting together an extra phone line for an empty spare bedroom). I was pretty impressed with HD. With our cartload of stuff, we were out of there in what seemed like no time at all. I'd rate Home Depot pretty highly as well.

[cupcakes]

Nope, won't do it. Walmart has a ton of self-scans and they are not limited by the number of items. I treat them like open lines. If Walmart feels this isn't to their benefit, I'm sure they'll change their item policy on them in the future. Only thing I hate about the self-checkout is they aren't the place for coupons--ugh! And they don't say it until it finally won't accept anymore and the clerk has to enter each one individually(put a damn sign up walmart!)

[FreedomPoster]

I think that "the new guy" tries harder. Here in ATL, it's Lowes. In KY, where the folks are at, it's HD, and I usually go to HD first there. Actually, I do here, too, but only because there are two HDs closer than the nearest Lowes.

If I need real hardware, I have a Super Ace Hardware less than a mile from my house. It's hard to beat. Where else can you get a 14-1.25 metric die on a Sunday?

[Michael81Dus]

I was a tourist, and this Home Depot is at 5600 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028. Glad, that you´ve no problems, and I hope this will last long!

[ErnBatavia]

Home Depot, WalMart, Winn Dixie....

I went to WalMart a week or so ago to get one thing, and the self checkout line was empty...figured that was as good a time as any to give it a whirl; it was slightly daunting, but doable.

This thought just popped into my head: What about a liquor or cigarette purchase? How will they "card" the customer? A gong probably goes off, and then you get to enjoy waiting for a humanoid to show up...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I went to a Design Center store run by HD (bought some towel rods). It is a big store with lots of great stuff to see - the higher end stuff. I've shopped at HD because of their warehouse/cost savings set-up. If they're trying to drive women to the more expensive Design Stores, they're going to lose in the end. They need to stick with what made them so great.

[BigSkyFreeper]

LOL Ace Hardware here is a "mom and pop" operation. Great place to go to pick up odd items when in a pinch. I've bought fan belts, spark plugs, light bulbs, and just last winter, a snow shovel at Ace. I went a winter without a snow shovel and I said "no more" and bought one. It's a push shovel, but it beats walking knee deep in the snow up to the steps.

[Flyer]

the checker looked embarrassed and told me I wouldn't believe how many compaints she takes about this

At my Home Depot there is ONE very helpful person and she apologizes for her co-workers, too. You don't happen to shop on W. Bellfort, do you?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You don't happen to shop on W. Bellfort, do you?

LOL - no, I'm suffering in the Silver Spring, Maryland area.

[Flyer]

Hmmm. . . for some reason I thought you were in Houston.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

We were.

[Flyer]

Well tell me text time ya move!

We're saving a spot for you here in Texas when you're ready to come back ;-)

[pt17]

I got to save somewhere.

Ain't that the truth. Sorry to hear about your (ex) employee.

[CJ Wolf]

I went to hell depot for 40 stone for a small garden wall. I didn't see a check out person at the nursery, so I went up to front. The only check out open was the self, so I started to wait in line, then a clerk came up and told me to go to the tool check out line at the other end of the store. I got there and it was a very long line. After the wait the check out person tried to charge me 4.80 per stone, they were 1.87, get management lock out register...blah blah blah. The next time I went to Hell Depot, I decide to get a pallet of paver stone to build a patio, they picked it up with the forklift and put it near my truck and left. I had to load each stone into the truck, they guy says "I got other customers to help". Next time I go in to buy blinds for my new windows. I have to get them cut. I tell the cutter to cut them to various sizes. She says they will be done in an hour. I come back in an hour, they are not done, she had cut about 5 of 14. She says it's not her 'biggest priority' and that they would be done later. I said ok, and went to lowes. I think they are still waiting for me to go back and pick them up. Never going back, I swear. And they are NOT Cheaper then lowes.

I think they should start hiring druggies instead of the cream of the crop they got now.

[P-Marlowe]

I gotta stop using this store.

Well then stop shopping there. Nobody is forcing you to shop there, are they?

I love everything about Home Depot except the fact that there are millions of other people who love everything about Home Depot and you often spend more time in line than finding your product (which is pretty easy because the store employees are very knoweldgeable).

I can't stand Lowe's. They are nice and clean and stocked full. But their employees don't know anything and getting the right help is impossible, since I can't trust any of their employees to know anything about anything. It's no wonder Home Depot is such a hectic messy place. Everyone shops at Home Depot. There's a BIG reason for that. Nobody seems to shop at Lowe's. There's a big reason for that too.

[FourPeas]

"Place the item in the bag, fool!

I like that! In all seriousness, Mr. FourPeas belonged to an amateur radio club that was convinced it NEEDED a new two meter repeater with the voice of a woman rather than a man.

[Bobby Chang]

Sounds like you're from Atlanta, and even Atlanta Motor Speedway advertises Lowe's instead of Home Depot, even though this is HD's hometown. Track owner Speedway Motorsports has a long-term deal with Lowe's to be the official home improvement store of TRK's circuits.

Wal-Mart Stores -- Hillary's fingerprints are still on the company -- she was a Director until Billous was elected. Target also has a Dem Senator in their hands.

"China Mart" -- good thinking -- they push for Red China. The problem locally is I don't want to shop at ANY supermarket which sells LOOTtery tickets. Only one supermarket other than WMT doesn't sell the "Al Qaeda". I opposed the state LOOTtery and still take my stand against these looney pieces of junk which clog traffic. You can't even be NEAR any supermarket or CONvenience store which is selling LOOTtery tickets when the SuperQaeda is near $100 million.

Someone on FR must be a Waaahhhhddddd fan.

Lowe's has been around since 1946 (and actually North Wilkesboro Hardware since the 1920's). Home Depot has only been around since 1978.


DISCLAIMER: I am an active shareholder in Lowe's Companies (NYSE : LOW).

[Bottom_Gun]

the one here in New London Ct is great, I've never had a problem with the self checkout. Being retired navy and my wife being active duty we get a 10% discount there. The only self checkouts I had problems with was Wal-Mart in Virginia Beach when we were there, The security sensor for the anti-theft system kept picking up my Officer's .45 in my fanny pack as an "unknown item in bagging area" *L*. the cure for that was starting to wear a Glock 30. No problems since then!

[SuziQ]

Frankly, I prefer the self check-out. I'm using them in Wal-Mart, B.J.s AND Home Depot. I much prefer that to standing in line waiting behind several other folks when I only have a few things. I can also do it faster than most of the checkers.