Home Depot -normally good customer service

[CMonster]

Incident, July 5, 2003

I was at the self checkout register and had some red bricks, the assistant was in the process of helping me and already had the barcode book open to the item, when an assistant manager told her not to take customers with bulk items but refer them to other registers, and I was bumped out of line.

When I complained, and stated that I was almost through and that there was no sign posted prohibiting bulk items at the self-chckout. The assistant manager replied that that's why he was there -to "educate" the customer. I found this remark somewhat offensive.

I think the proper way this should have been handled would be for the employee to have informed me that in the future no bulk items should be brought to the self-checkout, and allowed me to finish my transaction.

I waited in another line, paid, and eventually loaded my items in my vehicle. Finally I returned and asked the assistant manager his name and asked him to clarify for me whether the purpose of a Home Depot employee was to serve the customer or "educate" the customer as he had said - he replied "to educate" with a smirk and an affirmative nod of the head -and then offered to give me the 800 number for complaints.

Is Home Depot a university now? I don't recal signing up for any classes.

Furthermore, if bulk items are not allowed in the self-checkout, then small items that can be easily scanned should not be allowed in the contractor/professional checkout either, and I would not have been in the self-checkout if the pro checkout hadn't been backed up half-way into the isle.

Imagine if any of us told our customers that we were there to "educate" them -imagine if your mechanic said it to you.....

[RituallyPure]

Fortunately for him, I'm not you.

I wouldn't have left the store that day until that employee was canned.

RP

[wju425]

That was an offensive remark. I would have rearranged his smirky face.

\o/ Billy

[no1_vern]

Wow, Home Depot usually has much better service than that! Even here in Ga.! The Home Depot here seems to be taking care of its customer pretty well, at least I havent had any problems like this with them. Be sure to call the 800 number and complain unless the corporate office knows they cant help the customer.

You were awfully willing to accept such an arbitrarily stated rule. I would have stood in the middle of the line saying

"YOU WILL take me next, or YOU WILL LOSE MY BUSINESS."

Shouted at the top of my lungs if need be.

But most likely, the NAZI type of "assistant" would have backed down after you stated that you wanted to see the manager and would wait there preventing any ANY BUSINESS until the manager came to you and settled the matter. One of the few things stores DO NOT want is to lose customers I would have made sure BOTH THE MANAGER and the "assistant" knew I was upset over the matter and that they would lose my business if I had to move to the other line.

In fact I would probably have unloaded all my materials on the counter and or floor so THEY would have TO MOVE IT THEMSELVES or check me out through that line.

[Ed_S]

CM, you've got the complaint 800 #, right? And the name of the asst. manager?? And your reciept, showing date & time??

USE THEM!!

[vfrxsw]

And send a message using their feedback form
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...tact/index.jsp

CMonster, I was a Home Depot Débutante for over a year.
The smartbutt remark by that assistant was unacceptable. You should notify the store manager and then get the regional manager. Because usually an Assistant smart butt gets away with it because of a bad manager. So tell the regional manager too.
Then call the 800 number and follow up with a letter.
Fry that jerk!
Because that is absolutely unacceptable behavior!

Hmmph. I'm not one to create a scene, but I don't think I would've stopped checking myself out. I don't go to the management. I go straight to the bunghole with the problem.

[MTAtech]

I had a incident like that regarding lightbulbs. They ended up having to sweep broken bulbs from the floor.

[pickel]

I beleive that he would have gotten an education from yours truly.
I wouldn't have moved a muscle until the manager got there and had my say on the asst mgr's additude , in front of all the other customers. Then when all was said and done, filled a complaint with the Mississippi consumer protection board ( which I have done in the past with excellent results ), sending a copy to corporate headquarters, regional headqurters, and finally to the manager and asst mgr.
Such total disrespect should deserve full retribution !!!