Back in October I had been researching Husky products on Home Depot’s website, starting with the 3X ratcheting screwdriver, when a pop-up appeared and invited me to chat with a sales associate.
I can’t tell you what triggered the chat invitation, but it didn’t appear right away. I must have been on Home Depot’s website for a couple of minutes before the chat window came up.
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For kicks and giggles I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately I didn’t think to copy or save the transcript at the time. My questions were also somewhat general, making it hard to gauge the rep’s technical competence.
The first thing I asked about was what the 3X meant in regard to Husky’s 3X ratcheting screwdriver. The person I chatted with could not answer this completely, but he gave it a good try after admitting he was not familiar with the tool.
The next thing I asked was for a gift recommendation to gauge the tool expert’s familiarity with the Husky product line.
His first recommendation was for the Husky Rotary Ratcheting Wrench, a product I am not at all impressed with. (There is also the little matter of how I caught someone at or near to the OEM’s headquarters leaving shilling comments and reviews of it.)
When I asked the associate what his favorite hand tool was – one he could vouch for – the recommended the Husky black-chrome mechanics tools.
Summary: The Husky tool specialist did demonstrate familiarity with the Husky tool line, although it is unclear why he initially recommended the rotary ratchet. My overall feeling is that the sales associate is proficient enough to answer most questions about Husky hand tools. At no point did I feel he was being guided, dishonest, or pressuring.
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The tool specialist was friendly and was typing to me, rather than pressing a series of canned response buttons.
Husky’s Tool Specialist gets one thumbs-up in my book.
Anthony V
hey stuey..maybe you can have that chat option on YOUR website…youll only have to be online 24 hours a day to do it..good customer service is the key to everything isnt it?? lol…
Stuart
Actually, I do have plans to offer an “expert tool specialist” chat option on the site. It will be implemented right after we reach the $10 billion in annual revenue milestone.
In all seriousness, speaking as a consumer, I sometimes have questions that only a retailer or manufacturer can answer. Speaking as a tool blogger/writer who recieves tool recommendation requests all the time, I can tell you that a lot of people are in need of customized advice and opinions they can trust. They do a bit of research, land on ToolGuyd, and ask for help selecting tools that fit their needs. Even those who usually thoroughly research their purchases are sometimes in need of an outside opinion.
If a company offers chat/email/phone options where they say you can consult with an “expert” or “specialist,” they should deliver on that.
My experience with the Husky specialist was actually quite positive and I was very pleased with the conversation. The rep was friendly, seemingly knowledgeable, and I mostly felt I could trust him. It wasn’t a perfect experience but it could have been a lot worse.
Javier
Hey stuart, i went yesterday to home depot looking to see if there was any info on the in store release date for the new milwaukee m12 fuel line. I expected to possibly see a flyer or small display saying coming soon but I found nothing. I asked a nearby sales rep but he didnt know what I was talking about (I’m not surprised) he thought I was refering to a makita product since I was standing in front of a makita display but thats where I found the store rep. He had no clue about it, then said he was going to call a corporate office for more info but then ended up asking another associate that was clueless as well. This one thought I might be refering to the m18 fuel line but told him About the m12 fuel. His response was that they havent been informed in a meeting about them yet and that the m12 fuel tools are probably several months away before they hit the shelves, possibly will come out in the summer. All I told him after was that the tools are currently being offered online at the hd website and all sold out as “online exclusive”. I had to walk away as the conversation was pointless to continue at this point. Stuart, what are your thoughts on this? And do you know when home depot will offer the new m12 fuel tools in store?
Oh and also while in the makita display I saw the new 750 in/lbs of torque makita hammer drill. It was pretty cool to see it and was very light. The handle was a bit goofy as it seemed way too long and the plastic was cheap, it bent a bit. No battery pack installed so I couldnt test it, but if it did it the battery probably wouldnt have had a charge.
Stuart
My feeling is that the M12 FUEL line details – if the products are set to be sold in-store at Home Depot locations nationwide – are being held back until the tools arrive on store shelves.
There wouldn’t be a display up now because might detract potential customers from buying current/last generation of M12 drills and drivers.
The Dewalt 20V rollout was slow at Home Depot and Lowes for the same reason – stores still had plenty of 18V tools in stock. Only now that 18V inventories are starting to dwindle are stores really emphasizing the 20V line.
Home Depot stores probably account for a huge percentage of Milwaukee’s cordless power tool sales. Maybe that’s why they made an agreement to discontinue business with several other home improvement chains and independent distributors. (Milwaukee is one of the companies currently being sued for anti-competitive practices.)
I haven’t seen that Makita hammer drill in person, but its technical specs do look decent. If I wasn’t so behind on my cordless testing I would look into getting my hands on one for review.
Javier
Alrighty then, I was really hoping for a m12 fuel hammer drill kit soon but it seems Im going to have to wait. Oh and when I was talking about the handle for the makita drill, I meant the side handle.
Carlos
Husky products just want to make your lineman pliers better. I am a rodbuster I tie steel for a living. take pliers are not sharp enough needs to be real sharp if it can cut double tie wire like butter then they’re good. The same thing with the dewalt.thanks for your time.