Home Depot - Bad Customer Service

So I go to Home Depot in Marlboro, Mass., yesterday to buy two paint brushes and a few plastic tray liners. I anticipate a quick five-minute breeze-through, hassle-free.

Not quite.

As I'm making a decision about the paint brushes, a Home Depot employee asks me something about taking a survey. I look at him quizzically, as I'm not here to take a survey. After my cool response, he says, "Didn't they tell you about the specials when you came into the store?"

Um, no, "they" didn't.

I tell him I'm in a hurry and he walks away.

I walk up to check out, and there are no live bodies to ring me up. The only way to pay is through the self-checkout lines. Now I'm hardly shy about technology, but I'm in no mood to scan my purchases. I would rather have someone else do it. Especially since no one is in line and I just want to move through quickly.

I see a girl wearing a Home Depot vest hanging out near a register talking to a guy wearing a Home Depot vest and ask if she's open. She says, "no, but I can scan your stuff." 

So I set my two paint brushes and plastic tray liners on the counter and I tell her I have two liners. She dryly says "you have three." Um, OK. Didn't mean to take three. I thought I had two. At 99 cents apiece, who cares? Really, I wasn't trying to pull one over on Home Depot.

She scans my paint brushes and trays, but I still have to go to the self-checkout register and swipe my card. I guess that would be too much to ask the girl wearing the Home Depot vest talking to the guy wearing the Home Depot vest.

I go through the exit and the door buzzer goes off. I stop, but she tells me it's OK, I can leave.

So, here's the summary:

In my 10 minutes at Home Depot, I'm solicitated, offered no option other than self-checkout, and accused of shoplifting verbally and electronically.

Not a good experience.

Next time I'm going to Lowe's.

Comments

[Josh]

I have been in there lately as well and I think they have cut back on staff. It's too bad. Customer service is everything.

[Christine]

The HD in Leominster has really stepped up its game since Lowe's came to town. They go out of their way to be helpful in there. Of course, I prefer Lowe's anyway (also, it's a mile from my house!) but HD around here is pretty good.

[Dan]

Josh - yes, staff cutbacks seem obvious.

Christine - I haven't been to the Leominster HD in a while, but it has to be better than the one in Marlboro.

[microtome depot]

I have been in there lately as well and I think they have cut returning on team. It's too bad. Client support is everything.