Is it just me, or has Home Depot been getting .......um.....is "suckier" a word? If yes, then they are getting suckier and suckier by the month lately. Their stores are stocked by monkeys, their tool selection is for $#!7 and I swear I wait in line for 15 minutes every time I'm in there. I shop there because they are....well......there! They are everywhere. Like McDonald's only without the two all-beef-patties-special sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame seed bun.
~~~~~~SEETHING!~~~~~~~
~~~~~FUMING!~~~~~~~...........................ok deeeeeeeeeeeeep breath. Goooooo to a happy place.......yeeeesssssssssssss.

I know exactly what you mean. I love going there and seeing one open cash register and a line of carts and wood haulers a half mile long. Or asking an employee the simplest question and getting some as-backwards response. They do suck. Lowes isn't much better either. Menards and Ace, though they lack a lot of the product HD carries.

Self Check out is great... but if you do need something like a crimper or a fish tape or something that's locked up it's worth paying more @ the Electrical warehouse than waiting.

Ever since one of the founders died and the other retired, yep - it sucks. Total culture changed from employees with half a clue, paid well (for retail) to bottom line lets retail like everyone else. I've quit shopping there for that reason.

Is that what it was? That sucks. I'm writing a letter and then another. If they want to make things better they should talk to US!!

I have noticed it as well at some stores. I have a HD close to my home and it is okay. I dont get the 'two aisles over' treatment. If you are not familiar with that scenario, it goes like this: "Excuse me HD employee, I am looking for widget X, do you know where I could find this and if you have one?" HD employee " Yeah, its two aisles over in (insert name of the department the employee doesnt work in and has no clue about)". I go two aisles over, look for a while and then ask an employee in that department, only to get the same "two aisles over" routine. That happens to me more at Lowe's or Wal-Mart though. I guess I am lucky, at the HD near my house, I have asked and then been......please dont pass out........carried to the exact item and had it placed in my hand!!!!!! On the ONE occasion that an employee could not put the item in my hand, he found the department manager for that aisle and that person found said item and placed it in my hand.

Self check out is worthless if you're using a commercial account card to pay. You still need to wait ten minutes for them to get to you and check your id.

You guys are looking at it all wrong. On almost every trip to the electrical department, I help someone find what they think they're looking for, then I help them find what they really need, and as often as not, it turns into a job.

I usually ask "Can you use the advice of an electrician?", and if they ask "Oh, are you an electrician?", I just have to answer either "No, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night" or "No, but I play one on TV."

That's funny Larry. I'll have to try that the next time I am forced against my will to enter the big orange box never knowing when I will exit.

I miss my local hardware stores...
I used to have a place within 3 minutes of my driveway with old guys in aprons that stood right inside the door, and knew what ANYTHING is when you handed it to them.

Now I have to drive 15-30 minutes (in any direction) for a Menard's, Lowe's or Home Depot and walk 100+ yds to get into the "enter" door...

THEN I have to navigate my way around this massive store...

THEN I have to wait 5-10 minutes for a clerk to come over in EACH aisle I need something from, and then they know even less than I do so I wind up explaining to them what I need in expicit detail just to find out that "our other store 30 minutes away has those, I think" or "we discontinued those across all stores"...

THEN I need to go to the checkouts, where it seems like one of the checkers is always waiting to be relieved for a break, and the manager has to set up a new drawer or something for the reliever...

THEN I get to walk another 100+ yds. from the "exit" door (which is 100 yds from the "enter" door) to my car...

We reward this level of service with ALL of our business, so the home office somewhere in another part of the country can collect the big money. The local managers are lucky to make a half decent mortgage plus a car payment, but only if there is a second wage in the family.

Back in the old days, there weren't as many employees down around the minumum wage, and only a few managers, but there were owners of the successful businesses that built nice homes, bought new cars, ate at nice resteraunts and otherwise contributed to the local economies.

I managed a predominantly retail hi-fi store that was driven out of business by big box stores... do I still seem bitter??

I love the way each and every HD is set up the same you know exactly where in the store to go and find what you are looking for. Oh, wait that is another wish I had for HD.

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Dear Rick,

Yes, but you have a great reason. I hear that a lot of ACE Hardware stores are starting to kick butt (the ones that survived) Maybe the helpful hardware man isn't just an annoying jingle anymore! ............................................................................................Man though.....I can't get over Ace's crappy prices. What am I going to do!!??

Torn in Chicago

I love teh Depot. I gone there at least once a week to different locations. They guys in electrical are great. We also have a commercial checkout aisle that is always open, and never a line. We can also use our commercial CC on the USCAN. I can't stand buying from teh electrical suppliers because tehy never spell the name of my company, can't search by phone number, and I waste 20 minutes everytime I order. It is cheaper and easier for me to go to the Depot. Lowes on the other hand has a horrible store layout. They scatter stuff throughout the store. Not very organized and it done that way on purpose. Tehy want you to wonder around teh store and find something else to buy.

Krogers grocery store does the same thing. They just built the workds largest Krogers 5 miles from me. The buns are 300 feet away from the bread. How stupid is that.

Mike

I am starting to dislike HD more and more.

Seems like they are starting to move away from the contractor crowd and trying to appeal more to the yuppie tract house dwellers who just watched an episode of Trading Spaces and want to try their hand at faux finishing their bathroom...

I would take home depot over a Menards any day of the week. I refuse to go to a menards. I have only been to a few Lowes stores but i'm pretty impressed... Clean, organized, and some decent help. Seems like all of the Ace hardwares that are left either have 75 year old guys that don't want to be bothered or a bunch of high school kids that r too busy breaking floresent bulbs in the back working there!