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posted May-17-2013

A client saw a patio door at Home Depot and asked if I would install it. It was a 6' ASHWORTH French Patio for $800.00. She told me she had a couple prior experiences with Home Depot's installation, but would try again, just buying their product.
She needed a 5' door replacement. Home Depot only stocks 6' ASHWORTH patio doors. A 5' door would be a special order. Requiring the assistance of their Millwork Specialists.
After three hours in store, of asking unanswered questions, trial and error selection, surfing the web for Google answers, break time interruptions, cookie snacks and their life time stories of serving in the military and why they were fired from previous jobs, I broke under the stress and placed an order. Other than the door being identical to their 6' stocked model it was one (1) foot ... 12" narrower.... a smaller door for a total price of $2,087.63, a smaller door for $1200.00 more.
The base price of this door started at $1,137.57. Then the extras; $533.27 for grills, again identical to what the 6' doors came standard. And another $157.08 for the least expensive simply Clear glass. The $114.06 for a wider 2x6 jam was understandable.
When asked, the Millwork Specialist had no idea what the Base Price door included, nor could they provide definition to any terms used or specifications from the ASHWORTH site. They would become nervous and offer me a Girl Scout cookie.
When I would inquire about prices of different options, I would just be offered another cookie.
I am a General Building Contractor and a professional member of the International Conference of Building Officials (an organization that certifies our California Building inspectors) so I have an above average ability of ordering a door, and the capability and experience of installing doors in the homes and commercial buildings I have built for the past 30 years.
I pride myself in delivering what a customer wants, whatever it takes. It's my professional responsibility to deal with the detail and get the job done. And whether I am building a 600 square foot structure or a two million dollar home, the cost as well as the quality is alway an issue. With availability an equal priority.
Over the years I have dealt with a number of Home Depot specialists, and I must admit, there are a few that are right with the program. A few constructional terms and numbers .... and you have the product. Yet, most are underpaid, high position, low status employes. You just have to know the abilities and limitation of the tools you work with.
When a Specialist cannot explain simple features of a product they trying to sell you, yet they know the dates of when the Girl Scouts formed and when the first Chocolate Mint cookies were made, what ingredients are used, how much they cost then compared to today .......... there is a calling of direction for these sweet souls, somewhere else.
I would have went for the 6' store model door had it not been for the side lite panels and restricted feasible replacement of the existing. And, I would have just paid the price for what was wanted by my client and move on with it. Chalk it up as another lesson learned.
But, then came and went the two week promised delivery date. Almost a month later, tracking found that had been delivered.
I was to physically inspect the stretch plastic wrapped merchandise as it was being moved to the loading area. There was no outward indications of foreign object penetration in the outermost packaging nor internally, as far as I could pry and inspect. Two guys, lost in conversation about acne cures and companion denial loaded the doors onto my truck.
I took several pictures as I unwrapped the doors. First noticing the inner cardboard had cuts across it. The corners showed signs of impact and the 2 scrap fright 1x4 boards were split and torn loose. The damage to the clear wood frame finish was consistent to the damaged cardboard.
It made me question, when did the damage occur? It had to be before the stretch plastic was installed. Another Why question - Here is a $2,00.00 product, diagonally supported and protected with a piece of cardboard stapled on either side, wrapped up with plastic.Being freight shipped and handled across the United States.
The physical damage is disappointing in the delivery system. The worse feeling was the quality of the door construction. A lot of work went into the design and construction of this product. A lot of money is required to acquire. Yet it was so inconsiderately assembled, I felt the loss of pride in the American worker. How could anyone let this product out of the company? How could an assembler allow the door to pass his area after splitting the frame from the handle bore? What process to allows the screws to be installed so crooked, splitting the jams? Is there no quality control to see that the weather stripping did not stick, and is pinched and permanently disfigured? The frame meets at a simple 45 degree cut, can't you see how ugly 1/2" gaps look? It's unacceptable -at any cost.
I have purchased a number of Atrium patio doors from Home Depot. Nice product, professionally built and very reasonably priced. Since then they were acquired by ASHWORTH. I am researching their origin and structure of this company. Whatever it is now, was a disaster of a transition.

As well as I know the outcome, I did call customer service Home Depot (where I bought the product). After the phone game, I was told I will be speaking to 'Ruthless' Ruth. How would anyone prepare themselves for that?
However, after her 45 second attempt to unsuccessfully reach ASHWORTH, she was helpful enough to give me their number. I was once pushed into a pit, from standing too close to the edge. Neither I nor the person that pushed me will ever experience that again.
I bought these doors from Home Depot, not ASHWORTH nor China. I will deal with Home Depot. I realize they stand in the shadows of only Wal Mart, and above that of Lowe's. But no structure, no matter how huge or financially backed will stand with out a true foundation.
I have read an embarrassing number of complaints, of real people that were treated as waste of a recycled resource, simply walk away.
I know I am only one contractor, maybe only a fraction of a percentage in value above the retail spending customer's worth, and yet represent no more than a drop in the ocean of profit. And another complaint consumes no more than life of a snowflake. But when accumulated, can shut down the flow of a freeway. An inevitable equation lacking only time.

No, I did not install these HOME DEPOT/ ASHWORTH doors for my client. Yes I did pay for them.

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