When I go into our local HD, my experience has been that most of the employees are on their phones complaining to one another about the latest outrageous management demand on them while hotfooting it around the corner to avoid interaction with the despised customer.
Plus their lumber stinks.
Your Home Depot is definately different from the one around here. Ours has better lumber than the Lowe's next door, has friendly helpful staff, and will come running to assist you if you appear to need it. I buy most of my building supplies there.
That's not to say that I never spend money in Lowe's. I just bought an unfinished solid wood corner kitchen curio there since nobody else seemed to have one, finished or otherwise. That store, too, is friendly.
Maybe its just a southern thang. :^)
That's a definite possibility.
I think Yankees tend to be a little more crotchety.
Like me :-)