Had a similar experience at KMart a couple of years ago. Mine was with the manager, not an early twenty something.

I told her that I hoped she had a. a lot of money, or b. didn't need any money to live on, because KMart wouldn't be around very much longer with the level of service they were providing.

She's been out of work for quite a while now, that store was one of the first to close and her unemployment must be just about running out. Couldn't happen to a nicer person.

BTW did Steve get better service at Lowe's - I somehow doubt it.

All the megastores are about the same as to service. If I was a betting person, I'd bet that small neighborhood stores will start making a comeback in the near future. People who've lost their management type jobs might like to take a stab at opening a little store in their own downtown area. Wouldn't that be something to look forward to.

I stay as far from Home Depot and Lowe's as possible. There is a family-owned Ace Hardware store no more than a mile from my house and I will always go there first when I need such items. If I need building materials, there is an independent lumber yard near by and they are more than happy to actually speak to me and answer my questions, unlike the drones at Home Depot and Lowes.

Weird. The Home Depots around here (here being Fort Worth, Texas) rock. All the people who work there are amazingly helpful. I'm pretty stupid when it comes to fixing/building/installing crap, so I've had to ask them about a million questions and they always have the answer, or can find someone who does. Anyway, just thought you might want to know not ALL Home Depots suck. :)

I figure I've got a 50-50 average on getting sales help quickly but I find the merchandise selection in both Home Depot and Lowes frustrating. If nine million other people aren't looking to buy it, they don't have it. One time my husband and I had selected recessed lighting items only to find they didn't carry the necessary bulbs! Did they know if they were getting any in, or when? Did they care? Need I answer?!

It's pronounced "Slowes", the first "S" is invisible.

LOL great story. thanks for the laugh

I've certainly had my share of frustating HD experiences. However, Lowes tends to be considerably worse.

Can't complain about Home Depot, the local one is great on service. The Food Lions here are getting ridiculous. They have these new self-serve stations where you scan your products and pay for them at the self-serve register (checks, cash or Credit card). If you go into the store at 9 p.m., there is a long line at the only aisle with a human working and the 3 self-service machines 'CLOSED'.

FYI to interested readers... Service at Lowe's was no better.

Thanks for the post Tony. We miss you out here in the heartland. Talk to you soon.

A friend of mine, by the name of Joshua, worked at Home Depot for a few months, and honestly, I can't blame him for quitting. When do most people go to the Home Improvement stores?

A. Something is broken. They are in a bad temper.
B. They need help on building something. They are confused, and in a bad temper.
C. They are deciding on what color to paint a room, or where to put an addition. They can't decide, and are contradicted in their opinions by their spouse and/or children. They are in a bad temper.

Joshua was fairly competent as far as sixteen year olds go on these issues, and tried his best to please the customers and be helpful. Most of these customers either berated him for his stupidity if he did not know the answer to a question (he always offered to find someone for the store patron who may know) or screamed at him for 'being rude', when he honestly being as sweet as can be. I was present on one of these occasions when the following happened:
Woman: Hey, kid! I have a question.
Joshua: Yes? How can I help you?
Woman: You don't say 'can', you say 'may!'
Joshua: I'm sorry. How may I help you?
Woman: What color goes best with cherry twist?
Joshua: Excuse me?
Woman: It's a paint color. What should I use for the trim?
Joshua: I don't think I can answer that very well for you, but in the Interior Design department there's a woman named Pat who can help you.
Woman: You don't know?
Joshua: No, do you want me to grab Pat for you?
Woman: Why'd they hire you if you don't know?
Joshua: I'm not sure, ma'am, take that up with my manager, if you'd like to.
Woman: Why do they always hire kids your age? You never know anything. I haven't met a single kid your age that I've liked.
Joshua: I'm sorry for that, ma'am.
Woman: You're sorry! YOU'RE SORRY?! I'M the one that has to deal with you delinquents! And you're no better! I'm sick of your rudeness! Where's your manager? I want to complain.
Joshua: That's him up at the front there, with the brown hair.
Woman: No respect!

After this the woman promptly barged up to the counter, yelping to the manager about the unbelievably rude boy, demanding he should be fired. The manager nodded and smiled, and said it would be taken care of. Needless to say, Joshua wasn't scolded at all.

I'm not saying all customers are like this, at all. Just that a good deal are bad-tempered, and the employees have to deal with this. Give 'em a break sometimes.

Or go to a different store. It's all good.

To follow up on Jessica's last comment -I manage a small family owned guitar store in Ann Arbor, Mi.(where Tony used to take guitar lessons!!) Well, I have to deal with leftist Univ of Michigan faculty/staff types, and other left-leaning townies every day, who usually have attitudes like the woman who berated young joshua. For example, yesterday, lady with a teenage boy comes i n, and in a very imperious way, orders me to let her son try out some effects pedals, and then she demanded that the kid be given the most expensive, limited edition guitar. Then, she said, "we are here to just try out the pedals, and decide what we like, and then we will go home and order it from a mail-order place!!!" I asked her why she wouldnt buy from us, at which point, she said "dont get rude on me, I dont need your pathetic display of salesmanship, you local businesses, you small stores are all rip-off artists!!!"
At which point, my boss who was watching and heard the entire onversation, stepped to the plate, took the guitar away from the woman's kid, and he told her to go and "try out the pedals and guitar over her keyboard!!!"
This is the kind of behavior I, and others who work in retail establishments every day. I think it is time for m e to open up my own gun store - I am sure people wont come and misbehave at a place where the employees are packing heat!!!!
Anyways, kidding aside, working in retail can be a very frustrating experience, because of the number of people who feel it is acceptable to be verbally abusive and difficult with store employees.
Yes there are some places where service is horrendous, but keep in mind that retaili employees in most places try to do a good job. Just my 2 cents.

Glad you agree.

Although, I do admit, I probably have been the rude consumer at some point. It's easy to be frustrated, and take it out on someone who seems wonderfully factory made for that purpose. Someone who just smiles and nods (which tends to frustrate the consumer more, a fact that I have no way to explain) and lets it all bounce off. Not that it's the RIGHT thing to do, but simply that it's easy. ^-^

Joshua showed amazing restraint in not whipping it out and pissing right on Woman's shoes.

EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SERVICE THEY RECEIVE AT LOWES AND HOME DEPOT BUT THEY NEVER STOP TO THINK ABOUT THE SOURCE OF THEIR FRUSTRATION. THESE POOR EMPLOYEES WORK 8-12 HOUR SHIFTS SOMETIMES 8-9 DAYS STRAIGHT! IF YOU DEMAND ON THE SPOT CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEN GO TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DESK AND ASK FOR IT. DON'T TAKE YOUR PROBLEMS OUT ON EMPLOYEES WHO ARE THERE TO HELP YOU. THEY ARE REQUIRED TO ANSWER PHONES (GIVEPRICES, TAKE ORDERS, ETC.) HELP CUSTOMERS ON THE FLOOR,STOCK SHELFS,DO PAPER WORK,TAKE ORDERS BY FAX OR INTERNET,AND TAKE CARE OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.HOW DO YOU EXPECT SOMEONE TO BE AROUND EVERY CORNER WITH THOSE TYPES OF DUTIES AND THEIR THE ONLY ONE IN THEIR DEPARTMENT.NEXT TIME HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND SERVICE WILL SOON COME BECAUSE YOU ARE CONSIDERED A VALUABLE CUSTOMER.I HAVE WORKED FOR LOWES GOING ON THREE YEARS WHILE ATTENDING COLLEGE AND I LOVE MY JOB.MY CUSTOMERS ARE ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF AND I KNOW THEM BY NAME NOT BY NUMBERS.