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.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I guess it's time to dump the HD stock and buy Lowes.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They tried self check outs at a local K-Mart.

I've been in some K-Marts where this could only be an improvement.

[leadpenny]

I like 'em and it beats dealing with a surly clerk.

[oceanperch]

You call it Krogers here in the PNW we call it Freddies. Your Kroger bought out our Freddies.

The Phamicists are two fellow church buddies and have been my pharmacists for 15yrs.

Now that they are under Kroger Corp. it is a new game we laugh when I have to show my ID for my monthly tube feeding formula that costs a few hundred.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They have the unmanned check outs in Freddies here in Oregon now too. I refuse to learn how to do it. I also hate the store where you have to bag your own stuff...............

They should provide both options - for those who need assistance and for those who want full service. It's not the same as buying gas.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I use self-check all the time at Kroger, but I have noticed that the lines are longer because the clerk is helping all the customers with the computers/machines..it would be a lot faster to just check them out.

Bump!

I've seen customers try to drag 40lb bags of mulch over the scanner and the checker at the "helper station" just stand nailed to their spot.

[oceanperch]

What is the big deal with Home depot anyway. I mean is it for home fix it up stuff and construction.

I don't have the time to do home repairs so I call my plumber of 10yrs, or my GC or whoever to do the job.

Plus if I tried any home repair I would majorly screw up what ever I was trying to improve.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

No. Actually I was thinking I should sell before posting that ditty. Ha!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....I don't have the time to do home repairs so I call my plumber of 10yrs, or my GC or whoever to do the job. .....

Some day this "convenience" will come to where you shop.

[mewzilla]

I think the question is whether to the American consumer price point considerations are everything. And I think most American consumers have answered in the affirmative. Then those same consumers turn around and whine about bad service. Bet they kvetch about high gas prices, too.

[oceanperch]

Our favorite grocery store is the locally owned. KV gets all the attention a guy could want.

They sent him a get well card last week.

All our kids grew up together and on occasion when homebound they have delivered out to the house.

[Jhensy]

We've got serious mouth-breathers employed at our local Home Depot; the service stinks, the place is a madhouse, but...

The prices really are unbeatable. A little while back I bought a simple plastic wall-mounted hose rack for the back yard. $3.99. Saw the same item in my local village hardware store for $13.99.

I'm all for supporting the local storeowner over the soulless national chain, but my money pit demands feeding on a daily basis, so it's a no-brainer. Local hardware stores are now for the idle rich.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

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

If HD is trying to cut down on how much you buy each time, they're heading in the right direction. The only register open is in the tool sec. (no carts allowed) so people are all bunched up at the counter trying to form a line, to no avail and giving each other pained looks.

[jigsaw]

...such as the Mr. T voice: "Place the item in the bag, fool! Now git your change! I pity the fool who shops at Lowes!"

LOL!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....The prices really are unbeatable. A little while back I bought a simple plastic wall-mounted hose rack for the back yard. $3.99. Saw the same item in my local village hardware store for $13.99. ...

I agree, so why are they trying to drive away business with this hair-brained idea?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LOL

[mhking]

I know the feeling - I've backed off of Home Dept for anything short of my furnace filters (Lowe's doesn't carry my odd size; Home Depot does).

I'll admit that if I do need to go, then most of the time, I'll go out of my way to go to the one in Vinings: it's across the freeway from their corporate headquarters. That one's always stocked properly, clean and well staffed. I guess it's GOT to be...[g]

[nuconvert]

I want service and Lots of it.

[oceanperch]

Bingo!

Lazorquick did our Calenders this year KV takes pictures of himself and friends and makes them up for x mas gifts.

They put Ash Wends. on a Thursday! I called the Church to ask when did this change occur and then relized it was Lazorquick boo boo. The owner is Catholic and she even missed it I am going to bring it up next year to see if I can get a discount.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They should assign a clerk to watch over the self check outs, IMHO. I saw that we just had one or two at our local Home Depot. Haven't tried them yet. Home Depot is such a zoo, I prefer the nearby Lowe's. It's a little more expensive, but not nearly as crowded. However, they don't have what we want and we HAVE TO make the trip to the Depot, yuck.

Watch, they'll keep closing down more lanes (all 2 of them) until you have a person monitoring from a station post. This person is either way too busy for all the customers or a statue who sees no one having a problem.