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.

[Havoc]

I tried a self-checkout several months ago just out of curiosity. It didn't save any time. It was a pain in the behind. And I shop where I do because of the people - the help - not the price. I can get dvds at Walmart cheaper than at Best Buy. But at Best Buy, they actually bother to assist and are quite pleasant about it. I want a body there that is being paid something to do a job. I don't begrudge anyone the right to make a profit; but, replacing people with machines is just wrong. There are people out there who need work. What is that machine contributing to society? Nothing.

[cyborg]

I was intrigued by the self checkout because sometimes it is faster but I'm sickened by it now. Now that they got some stupid robot to play the trumpet, next thing they'll be replacing people with robots. It'll be like the new Will Smith adaptation of I,Robot.

[steve86]

For example, I tuned up my lawn mower recently and had no problem getting the right spark plug and air filter, etc., even though I bought the grill about 7 years ago!

Maybe that's why my grill won't light -- no spark plug! Just razzin' you.

[GulfWar1Vet]

I have no ideeeee..:D

I am not a Tim "The tool-man" Taylor type. The only reason I have gone in to Lowe's is because I am finishing the basement with a couple of friend's help.

..and mentioning those scanners..I went to Wal-mart today, self-help scanners. That darn thing kept saying that the item I scanned was the wrong item scanned or something. I had to scan it at least 4 or 5 times. I was about to call the clerk when I noticed she hit a button at her command station and then came over. Next thing I knew the screen was doing what it was supposed to do.

Arrgghh..technology. LoL

[Wordsmith]

NR's John Derbyshire has now posted a link to this thread on The Corner, National Review Online's group web log. Hi John!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

NR's John Derbyshire has now posted a link to this thread on The Corner, National Review Online's group web log. Hi John!

Bump!

[isthisnickcool]

Hi,

Remember this "HOME DEPOT HELL" thread?

During the thread I cut a bunch of comments and sent them to Kenneth G. Langone. I told him I had the same problems with my store locally.

Kenneth G. Lagone just called me on the phone. Upset about reading the thread. He said that their research says that the self-checkouts have been well received.

He is, to say the least, a hoot! A very passionate man. He said if he "gets a complaint he calls the person himself". I just found out that's true. The man is hell on wheels. It was like talking to Donald Trump. He had statistical data about how well the Home Depot self-checkout technology has been received, etc.

I was kinda shocked he called me. He was a co-founder of Home Depot. He said to try the store again and if I had problems call him.

I freeped a billionaire:)

[ken5050]

Do you get a gift certificate?

[TXBSAFH]

The self serve check outs are still a pain and an insult. I want a degree of service when I shop somewhere. Home Depot does not and at least in Pasadena TX has not for some time given this. They are understaffed and what people they do have half of which could not tell a 2X4 from a turnip. I do most of my trading at Lowes.

[Glenn]

I freeped a billionaire:)

I'm impressed! Well done!

[katana]

We stopped shopping at Home Depot as soon as we had the chance to try out a new Loews that opened up nearby. The lack of service and plain ignorant staff at HD was a constant frustration. Loews has better or very similar pricing, good selection, and MUCH better customer service. I still purchase smaller hardware needs at the local ACE store, but for bigger ticket home improvement items we've found Loews to be the better choice among the big box stores.

[Redcloak]

A word of advice: Never wear an orange shirt to Home Depot. You will have other customers asking you where to find this or that. I made this mistake once. The embarrassing thing was that I was able to answer all of their questions.

[texasbluebell]

If you have 20+ items, PLEASE use the clerk!

Not at the grocery store I go to. As many as you want, and I can zip through there like nothing. Love it.

At the Kroger's nearby, which I don't use as often, there are 2 separate sections, for under-15 items, or larger orders, so that's easy too.

Much prefer it to checkers who lick their fingers when touching my money and my stuff! Not to mention scanning the same item 3 times which happens, and I can't tell till later.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Wow. Never mind real feedback from the real "man on the street"... he's apparently stuck in a "statistics don't lie" paradigm. I've run across these spastic charasmatic types... they believe their own hype. They have to, otherwise they'd implode. Heh.

Never give up. Never... surrender. ;-)

[isthisnickcool]

He sure talked a lot. A very agressive Italian guy. Guess he figured us Texans are dumb.

Basically, he would not agree with what was posted here. What can I say? His Home Deport stock is worth about $616 million right now. In that regard I suppose he is smarter than me if the measure is how much someone is worth.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Well now you know he doesn't call the complaining customers to actually listen to the complaints, but to convince the customers that their complaints are invalid. This surely makes *him* feel better but it won't make a bad experience become a good experience. People will simply shop elsewhere, and he won't have a clue why.

Fortunes come and fortunes go. If he has to do this a lot (call customers to convince them that the store isn't awful), then he may be on the "go" end of that equation.

[discostu]

Hokey Smoke Bullwinkle! That's pretty cool.

[Smartass]

I use Home Depot all the time. Their new self checkout
sucks. Machines simply can't answer questions. No doubt
the new generation self checkout will take questions and
have answers outsourced from Timbuktu.

[boxsmith13]

"Who says that conservative's don't whine?"


John Derbyshire is by far the worst columnist on NRO