I visited my local Home Depot store today, and I have to say, it was a wonderful experience.
The floors were clean. The merchandise I was there to buy was clean and tidy. I was greeted. I was asked if I needed help. Checkout was a breeze (my store has new hand scanners at the self checkout). There weren’t any stray shopping carts cluttering up the parking lot or front of the store. And when I checked with a cashier about something, they were helpful and polite.
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I had a chance to chat with the tool department head, who was unboxing windshield washer fluid near the pro tools desk displays. Before and after our quick chat, he fielded questions and helped out customers. I’ve seen him do this before; he’s helpful even when answering a question takes him across the store back and forth. He’ll be a great store manager one day.
I really like my local Home Depot.
What I have found is that experiences can vary depending on the store, although this seems to be more with Lowes stores than Home Depot stores, at least around me. The Lowes 45 minutes away is fantastic, while a closer location (my least favorite) is “meh,” while the Home Depot stores near me all seem to range from “very good” to “great.”
I didn’t really pay attention to these types of things when I was younger. If I had a lousy experience at a particular store, it would color my views towards that chain, when I should have just been displeased with just that store location.
Maybe I’m noticing more now, or maybe things have changed over the years, but it has become easier for me to recognize signs that a store is well managed or poorly managed.
What has your Home Depot experiences been like? Lowes?
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Do you have a store or location that you prefer?
There’s a good Lowes around 20 minutes from here, two so-so ones within 35-40 minutes, and a great one 45 minutes from here. In contrast, there are three great Home Depot locations within 15 minutes, and a couple more within a 30-45 minute drive that I have not frequented enough to comment about.
Denny Sawyer
I have two Lowes stores and two Home Depots within 10 miles of my house, and one of each about 15 miles away. All the Lowe’s stores are terrific, and two of the three Home Depots are pretty good. Unfortunately, one of the Home Depot stores sold me a “new” air compressor that turned out to be very, very used, and the manager showed absolutely no concern about the criminals she apparently has in her employ, I got my refund only after making a scene, even though it was obvious that they tried to rip me off.
I agree that the experience at one store should not form the basis for one’s opinion of an entire chain. I’m just glad I have the choice as to where to spend my money. I happily drive an extra couple of miles to deal with the Home Depot that is run by a true professional, rather than one who thinks that reboxing a worn out old tool and putting it back on the rack as “new” is “a mistake” and not a crime.
jake
it more than likely was not the store. someone returned it saying they never used it and taped the box back shut. this happens all the time. i had this happen with an $800 pressure washer a few months ago.
Kurt
I got a used stud finder at 30% discount because it was being sold as new in a beat up box… I was told i am buying the moisture meter not and the condition of the box did not matter, however once i showed the back of the meter with the scratches from being run over brick they gave me the discount. It was the only one in stock and i needed it that day to find rebar in a CMU wall.
The annoying part is that I had to go all “Sherlock Holmes” to buy a used tool…
Scott K
HD is closer to home than Lowes, though I do pass a Lowes on my commute. I prefer HD’s brand offerings and I’ve had better experiences with employees as well. With that said, my local HD can be inconsistent. There seems to be one guy in each dept who can be relied on for solid advice, but I often have a hard time finding an available employee to help find something or answer a question.
mattd
I mostly just buy clearance items at Lowes (their clearance pricing is posted on their website so it is easier to search for than depot) and buy full price at HD. I do research online first if it will be a big purchase and play their price matches against each other. All of my power tools are HD brands and I don’t really plan on switching everything even if I do have a bad time at one store or the other.
Popgun42
I went to my HD to pickup something today. I make a list and know the isle number to save time. Went to the isle, not there. ask a lady and she new where they had moved them to. This is the kind of service I usually get. I like my store also.
Addison
I have two stores about 35 min away, a third about 40. No Lowes. I have had quite a mixed bag of experiences, amazing kiddo builds, great pick ups of special order items, good tools, we just bought a fridge (all went great). I havn’t encountered an employee that has the first clue about nearly anything like; stock locations, paint (literally anything), tools, flooring, plumbing, and building materials. Departments that have been good electrical (sometimes there are retired sparkys), Doors and windows (millwork workers haven’t been able to find the sharp end of a pencil). Whatever shortcomings HD has I have a great appreciation for what they do amazing, which is a lot.
Chris
I often shop at Lowes for work because we save 5% on purchases, but I prefer HD, which is right across the street from the Lowes. My local Lowes always has products stacked up in the middle of aisles, making it hard to navigate a cart. But other, newer Lowes I have been to are better in this regard. Nevertheless, I prefer HD.
MacLean
When I lived in Boise the 1709 store was fantastic. I moved to Oregon and our local Home Depot is beyond terrible. Like you said…good management and great staff make a store.
Derek
HD is also my go-to tool store, they always have what I want, Lowes is okay, Menards ain’t bad, But I prefer HD. I’m there at least once a month.
Dave
There are about a dozen Depots within 30 minutes of me, two Lowe’s.
I can’t say much about Lowe’s because I rarely shop there, most of my time is spent in one of four HD locations, depending on which is closest to the property where I’m working. I’m in at least 2-3 times a week, often more than that. Last year my total spend was just shy of $30K, accounting for about 2/3 of my tools/materials outlay.
It’s really hit or miss at any of my local stores – on occasion I’ll get great help from a staffer who’ll cris-cross the store with me trying to track down inventory their computer shows in stock but is hiding in the rafters somewhere. More often employees are nowhere to be found, too busy chatting with one another to help, or clueless when I try to explain the project I’m working on or the parts I need to find.
Using the Pro Desk is always a nightmare, it’s not uncommon to spend an hour or more in that line even with only a few people waiting. For that reason I tend to make most trips myself so I can self checkout or use a normal line rather than sending a helper to spend half the day on the clock waiting for a phone sale.
The online pro tools are nice, though – I like having access to all my purchase records online and searchable by part number, name, or job name. My wife, who runs the office and has to reconcile all the money I’m spending with our various management accounts, particularly likes the online system.
Kurt
There was a Lowes about 5 minutes away from one job site I go to monthly. I would drive to the Orchard Supply that was a 40 minute round trip whenever possible to avoid that hellhole. Sadly, Lowes closed the Orchard Supplies, which were great stores. Now they closed that Lowes. The Home Depot is about an hour round trip, so I go to a local hardware store for my immediate needs.
On the other hand, their is a Home Depot about a half hour from my house that I love, and go to for tools and occasionally supplies. Like other folks have said, it’s all about the individual store, but in general I prefer HD”s tool brands.
csroc
It’s a very interesting point in general whenever you’re dealing with a large chain. The experience at one location may not be representative of another local store, or the company as a whole. I am not sure if that might even be exacerbated further by franchise situations.
For whatever reason I gravitate towards Home Depot over Lowes, and while there are multiples of both within a 20-30 minute drive I always go to the same one of each in the same general part of town. Unscientific but I might grade the quality of materials at Lowes here as generally seeming a bit rougher and dirtier than HD.
I’d say both the HD and Lowes there are pretty good, they’re both very active at all times and I can’t say one is really better than the other. Of the several in the area I’ve not been to any of the other Lowes and I’ve only been to one of the other HDs as far as I can recall. It was a pretty quick whirl through, but it seemed good too.
While I might like HD better than Lowes for otherwise intangible reasons (based on a very limited selection of each I’ve been to overall as an adult), I have to at least give Lowes the nod for the color blue on their Kobalt tools and whatnot. I just like blue, even if at this point I’m invested in team yellow.
AbleBaker
Lowes gives Vets a 10% discount, that adds up. Their associates seem more knowledgeable and helpful than HD (at least in Pocatello, ID). At HD, again in PocatelIo, I found that the tool prices and descriptions were inaccurate (1″ Rotary Hammer was being sold as a 11/8″, the model number wasn’t even right. When I brought it to the attention of the “tool lady” she told be Milwaukee owned all the display models and tags so I should talk to them…right. I like’s HD’s tool brands but Lowes treats me better.
Adam
HD also gives the same discount, but only in-store. If you set it up at Lowes in-store, you can also get it online.
With your case of the rotary hammer, it sounds like the tool was in the wrong place. If the description & the model don’t align, then it’s the wrong tool most likely.
Raoul
I drive past a Lowes almost every day on my way to a Home Depot. I have 4 Lowes in my area and they are all terrible. I do go into Lowes sometimes for clearance items and occasionally I get an employee that is great but they don’t last long. Apparently Lowes regularly purges employees that have survived a few years and are replaced with lower wage workers and it shows. My closest HD even has a greeter most of the time.
Corey
The only gripe I’ve had with my kids local home Depot is regarding their weird floating inventory practices, which have on numerous occasions resulted in my seeing a particular box or tool in stock online, but being unable to locate it, having to catch an associate, look with them, review their system info with them, wait for them to go check the off floor inventory, then occasionally finding out that it’s not actually physically in the store and leaving empty handed. It’s not super common, and I’ve learned some signs to foreshadow that this might not actually be there (ie a quantity listed but no aisle indicated) but it’s frustrating to say the least when it does happen. To their credit though, even when I’ve had to leave empty handed, I’ve still had great experiences with the associates and staff while trying to find what I’m asking for, and their sincerity in listening to my ideas on what the situation may be each time. I’m in a fairly rural area, and home Depot is really my only brick and mortar option, but I don’t feel that I’m disadvantaged for that, thanks to their caliber of service. ?
Adam
I’ve been told in similar instances, “it’s on the truck still.” Hmm, when I worked retail inventory, we didn’t receive the truck until it was put out or staged for departments to put away, not on the actual truck. Why would you say you have it, but not actually available on the floor. What if I put an online order in?
That’s just one HD that has that garbage line, as others have never given me that line of bull.
Josh
Hd is about 5 blocks from me and Menards abot 2 miles and a few lights away. For lowes its maybe 5 miles but more traffic. I don’t really have any pros or cons for costoner service but I usually go to hd because its closer then Menards because i can usually find what im looking for there. If I don’t then it’s ace for hardware or harbor Freight for tools
clayton
I have HD, Lowes and a Menards all within 5 min from my house which is a blessing and a curse, I’m in one or the other or all three of them almost everyday. I like home depot the best but Lowes offer’s a 5% discount for using your card, or Menards a 2% for there card and then there’s the 11% off sale they run periodically. As for tools home depot is my go to then Menards or Lowes is a toss up after that. On the service side I’d rate Home depot and Lowes tied and Menards last. Quality of the products, HD and lowes tied menards last. Value deffenity goes to menards , they are almost always cheaper ( there are some exceptions) but then there is the quality issue. Selection also goes to menards they have everything (the store next to me is 2 floors with a huge outdoor area and a large pole barn for building material) from 2″ copper fittings to 24′ 2×12
duburban
These stores are the worst places in the world. So much of the cheap material coming out of these stores get put directly in the landfill by people doing horrible work.
I used to like the tools but my taste has changed there.
Darth
This sums up my experience at both: youtube link.
DustyTools
This is exactly my experience at Lowes, that store (Bellevue WA) was a mess and I was not surprised that it closed last year.
HD in Bellevue and Woodinville both have one guy who is awesome. Friendly, helpful and both go out of their way to say hi.
I also find the staff at Dunn Lumber to be VERY knowledgeable and friendly.
ktash
Hilarious clip, and yes, it happens. Not always. Not because I’m so knowledgeable. Just because I do some research before I buy. Now, the two local franchised hardware stores, one Ace and one True Value are great. They do know more than I do.
Robert
Hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha
I’m sorry, but that’s what I want to say to every single employee at these stores.
The ones that kill me are the ones I call to ask them to check for a specific bolt/plumbing part/breaker, etc. And they swear to me they know what I’m talking about and have that exact thing in their hands, only to find once I get there, that what they had in their hands was what I specifically warned them I did not want!
Occasionally I find a gem of an old timer that knows his stuff, but that’s happened maybe 3 times.
In my entire region the employees at both blue and orange stores are carbon copies. However, Lowe’s is cheaper, most of the time, with material I want and HD has the tools I need.
John
” I was asked if I needed help. ” you said No and they disappear….right? Not where I shop, which is at Thaiwatsadu, Global House or Homeworks. The staff follow you around! It’s annoying to me as I like to browse and having someone standing in my shadow is annoying.
logan
I actually only go to home depot when I’m away from home, and I live within a mile of one.
The music isn’t in English and most of the customers dont speak English, judging by how they talk to eachother. (I work in the town, and in many shops I understand their spanish replies to the English I speak to them)
This home depot is my favorite, though. They hire cuties, or at least schedule them for during the week when I go.
I used to go to orchard for everything but tools and lumber, but c’est la vie. I prefer lowes to home depot when I’m in town, but prefer small town home depot to large town like kind boxsore
fm2176
Your comment about your local store hiring “cuties” reminds me of a review I read of the Columbus, GA (it might have been the Phenix City, AL) Home Depot a year or two ago. The reviewer lamented that the store hires attractive young women in an effort to lure in male customers, and that his wife had been seduced by a prominent contractor in the area. I had noticed that most HD stores have a few women working near the front, while the more experienced employees (male and female) are usually working in less visible parts of the store. Then again, I very well might just be noticing the attractive women more.
Mark
Older lady with walks around with a cane, at the store I buy at…always smiles helpful, been there forever. She walks from one end of the store t o show u products from garden to lumber. Makes our day
Nick
We have a single Lowe’s and a single HD in my area. I go to HD for Milwaukee and that’s about it. I’ve learned that at this HD, if you need help with something you are screwed. You either can’t find someone or they act annoyed. I love HD’s brand but without decent staff I typically avoid. I spent 10 minutes politely disagreeing with a HD employee that yes, the tool on the upper shelf is in fact the Milwaukee tool I’m looking for and that the website says is in stock. Finally he got a ladder and realized it was. Every experience there seems to be that way.
Dave T
I shop at four Home Depots fairly regularly, one near my house, one along my commute, and two near my home. The helpfulness of the staff seems to be more intermittent depending on who is working. I’ve had great experiences from very knowledgeable people and at other times had to wonder around and wait 20 minutes for someone to find a ladder to restock an empty shelf of an always instock item after finding whatever random pallet has the supply.
I’m curious if any of you that frequent multiple Home Depots find the layouts all different like they are in my area. None of the four I visit are remotely laid out the same. Building materials are either on the left or right if the building. Electrical may be in a middle aisle, maybe in a back aisle, or in one of those perpendicular aisle along the sides. Same goes for tools, fasteners, paint, etc. When I first walk in I find myself taking half a minute trying to remember where things are in that particular store. It seems odd to me that the layouts are so dissimilar, it’s a big rectangular building with fairly symmetrical racks spread across the floor. I only visit two Lowe’s but the layouts are identical.
Bill Clay
Yes, that’s my biggest gripe about HD as well. The two (or three) HD’s that I shop at to are laid out completely different. Why? Arrgh!
Ken
There are 4 home depos and 3 lowes within easy reach from my home and work. There is very clearly one home depot that stands out among all of them and I usually go there.
There is also a smaller independent hardware store that puts them all to shame though…
Matthew
I generally like both of my closest Lowes and HD. I’ve received great service from each and some disappointing service from each over the years. On the whole I try to check online before blindly walking into either so that I don’t waste a trip.
Nate B
I love HD but the new hand-scanner checkouts annoy me. You HAVE to lift the scanner with one hand to scan merchandise held in the other, they got rid of the in-counter scanner, which slows me way down.
Also the scanner seems less capable of reading marginal barcodes on curved or low-contrast items. I checked out with a handful of AC cord ends (curved) and circuit breakers (thin white ink on dark plastic, low contrast) and needed assistance to enter all of them, because the scanner just couldn’t cope.
HANDY TIP: The breaker wouldn’t scan at all, and the staff couldn’t find it in the register’s system. But I knew I could find it on the mobile app. I did so, and the staff were able to enter the SKU displayed in the app to complete checkout.
Nathan
wow sort of wish I had some of the stores you have.
Since I live near the nexus of everything crossing america I often like to think our stores should have everything. IE there are warehouses and the like for nearly every major company or distributor yet more often than not stores around here don’t carry squat.
Anyway – we have what I call mega Lowes and I avoid it usually and we have at least one mega Home depot – same thing I avoid it mostly. One it’s on the other side of the city from me and usually despite the size they mostly carry just more of the same crap.
I find I end up shopping both stores but via web or mobile app – and figure out what I want. Some projects I even end up going to both stores before I’m done. mostly due to the idea that neither store has exactly everything I need/want. They are also a mile apart so it’s not a major issue. Typically the breakdown looks like this – plumbing/electrical and tools – Lowes. Wood basics – lawn and garden – electrical Home depot. Typically but not always.
Matt
I posted something about this a month or so back but our HD recently stepped up their game big time. I hadn’t been there in a month, maybe two but when I went back it was like a whole new store. Clean, organized, new layouts of things, wider aisles, different ( possibly softer) lighting and toned down hues of orange here and there. It was worlds better… Menard’s is still the most inviting place to be around here but HD is easily a close second. I’ve said this before too but Lowe’s needs a complete makeover. We’ve bought our last two sets of appliances there for different homes because really HD sucks in this department and so does Menards for that matter but appliances aside, Lowe’s is lacking a cohesive direction and their store layout (at least here) is not inviting at all. However their staff is friendly. No doubt, HD is serious about sticking money back into their stores to get foot traffic again.
Matt
I have a Lowes and HD near me. I prefer the tool brands offered at HD and generally find that they have better deals on tools than Lowes. I prefer the lumber at Lowes. My local Lowes has a better organization/floor plan than my local HD, but the local Lowes is new and huge, and the local HD is old and small. I tend to find myself at Lowe’s more often as it’s a 5 minute drive while the HD is a 10 minute drive. The Home Depot near where I work however, is excellently laid out and better than both stores near me. Unfortunately, I’ve found the associates at both stores are generally no more knowledgeable than I am, with a few minor exceptions.
I also have an independently owned Ace near me that I GREATLY prefer in terms of store layout, cleanliness, and especially the knowledge of staff members. When I need a quick item or two, or I need a suggestion from someone who actually knows something about how to deal with an odd problem, I go there. However, their prices are too high to justify for any kind of bulk buying. I do like supporting small business, but I’ve found the price differential for fungible stuff can be 50% greater when compared to Home Depot and Lowes. They do send out useful coupons more often than the others, so that helps get me back there more often.
Bill Clay
My local Lowes seems to have better lumber than the nearby HD as well FWIW.
John
I bounce between Home Depot and Menards, depending on what I’m looking for. The nearest Lowe’s recently closed and was never a good store to begin with.
We shop Home Depot for bigger ticket items that we can put on the store credit card. This includes things like appliances, landscaping material, tile, carpet, etc. Our HD store has a panel saw and will rough-cut sheet goods for you, which had proven very helpful for use, since we don’t have a vehicle suitable for hauling full sheets. We’ve also had really good luck with their Behr paint
Menards has a better selection in general and is our go-to destination when they are running their 11% rebate sales. I use the 11% sale to buy materials for all the “small” projects around the house that my wife keeps bugging me about. I then use the rebate checks for things I want for myself. Menards also has a much better selection of lumber and mill work. They have a wide variety of clear, milled boards in a multiple wood species that you won’t find at Home Depot.
Both stores are clean and well organized and offer good customer service. Neither has given use any headaches, so I guess we’re a bit lucky in that regard.
Thom
Matamoras PA Home Depot is a friendly, helpful and clean store… Plus they are very Dog friendly.
The lowes down the road from them is just as friendly but they don’t seem to know their inventory and finding an associate can be difficult. I usually just order online and have it shipped to store.
Bill Clay
I just recently found out the the local HD is dog friendly as well. When did that start?
Joe framer
No contractors.i know buy stock/ material at home Depot, that’s only homeowner quality stock there., We buy material at lumber yards.
… 95% of the time.HD around me ,take from 6 months to a year to get new tools in stock ( you can buy online) most tools we buy are from acme tools ,who usually has the best prices and the latest tools first.
..HD in my area have morons for employees, absolutely no clue where anything is or what it is…but..I’ll say one positive thing about a local HD (30min away) ..
..One time I went to HD to get a new Milwaukee ratchet (3/8) fuel..when they first came out, HD had them ,very rare,I picked up the last one and walked around with it, to look at other supplies….about 20min later I went to a register to pay, they manager came over with a new M12 battery 4ah…
..he said ” I saw you walking around with that Milwaukee ratchet, and then you came up to the register to pay for it” ..I said ,yes of course,why? He said because they got 14 new ratchets in and 13 we’re Stolen ,I was the only one to actually buy it ..
..He told the girl to ring up the battery for free ,handed it to me and said any tool I buy at his store ,he will give me a free battery from now on.
… Normally I’d say thanks anyway ,you don’t have to do that…but…I took the battery . Only problem is ,as I said, they never have new tools in stock…but it was nice of the manager to do that..
ktash
Wow!
JoeM
Yeah, I’ve had managers do that kind of thing for me, too. But, most of the time I rather pay for the thing, rather than feel guilty. Usually it’s stuff like a cut down board, or a simple 2×4 reduced from 3 feet (the shortest in stock) down to 1 foot, because it was going to be used for a mounting bracket. I’ve had managers say “Go to THAT desk right there, and tell them Bob told you it’s free.” And sometimes it’s cashiers who are sick of my crap, because I’ve gone and bought a bunch of bolts, washers, and nuts for a project. They look at the little parts bag and just toss it in the bag without ringing anything up. They just say “We won’t miss 4 bolts, just take them.”
The Dremel PL400 Planer Attachment was probably my most guilty feeling of all. I saw it on a shelf, marked down 10% because it was discontinued. It went from $40 to $30… which was 25%… When I inquired with the desk clerk there in the hardware department, he said “Yeah, we’re trying to get rid of it. No one’s buying.” The Sticker literally said “$40 (Crossed Off) $30! 15% off!” So I had him scan it to confirm it. Turns out we were both wrong… the computer marked it at $16.50 Clearance. Damn Skippy I took that little puppy home with me. Got to the register? They scanned it, and I got it for $10 even.
I think some of the managers here are sick of how corporate wants them to run things, so they’re always trying to undermine them in favour of the customers.
David R
Good post. I have an HD about 10 mins away, and two more about 20 mins away. Lowe’s is also about 20 mins away. They’re all good enough stores. I preferred the OSH that was close to me for gardening supplies and fasteners, which is now gone.
For hardware, the local ACE and True Value stores have a better selection, particularly for fasteners. Home Depot is a good store and I’m glad it’s there. I’ll to to a locally owned place when possible.
Bill
A little over a year ago I was in the Atlanta area shortly after my daughter and family had moved there. While performing some of the many, “we just moved in” duties, I took a trip to the local HD about ten minutes away for some needed supplies. When I first walked in I was struck by immaculate nature of the entire store. With shiny eat off the floor cleanliness, large LCD screens (running HD adds and tips) at the head of many of the aisles and what seemed like a one to one ration of staff to customers, it took me about five minutes to realize that I was in a store close to the corporate offices and the founding city of HD. While there may be other such HD stores in the Atlanta area, this one will always stick out in my mind. There is even a free self-serve coffee counter by the lumber and pro desk exit.
On two other visits to the same store there were camera crews inside filming commercials.
jaynedefranco
The home depot is one of the worst places to be. Everything is overpriced. The staff there are so obnoxious. “I’M doing you a big favor by helping you”. But you always get what you need and its always more than what it is worth……..
Andrew
I prefer lowes due to the military discount and family experiences with the military discount at home depot. With that said I do realize its store dependent but all being the same I will go to lowes now. I do not go to the store looking for advice. They are normally kids who are just stocking shelves. As Ron Swanson said, “I know more than you.”
The What?
You must be shopping at Mr Roger’s home depot in Mr Roger’s neighborhood where everything is wonderful. I don’t think about how my shopping experience is when I go to HD being that I go to one 3 out of 5 days a week to procure materials for the job. I typically try to get in and out to get back to work. Most of the stores in Atlanta are all laid out differently which makes it a headache to find what I need and I try to avoid asking for help unless I absolutely have to and then it’s a 50/50 chance whether or not they’re useful or useless. If they have to call someone to come to their own department (useless) to help them answer my question , I’ll tell them not to and that I’ll find it myself. I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve asked for help and the person I ask has to call someone because they don’t know shit about the department they work in. And it’s even better when the person they call is dumber than they are. This typically happens once a week. Another typical occurrence is that when I go to get lumber it’s either not on the bay, sold out, or 50% or more of the boards are warped. If they’re warped, I then proceed to empty out the bay into the aisle in search of useful lumber. When I’m done finding what I need, it feels good to know that I’m giving back to my local HD by giving their employees an opportunity earn their keep. Especially if they’re dumber than a sack of water. Same goes for Lowes.
Stuart
Nope, it’s in the Lego universe, where everything is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UJ1syXaNoQ
Kurt
Home depot comes up with a floor plan in my cellphone, i think in google maps. I have not seen that feature for Lowes. Saves alot of time when looking for something in a new to me store, or for finding the bathroom which seems to be more urgent as I get older. Or i could cut back on the liter size seltzers?
MichaelHammer
I shop or have shopped Lowe’s across three states and can say unequivocally, Lowe’s blows. Lack of knowledge, lack of service, poor attitudes abound. Try to find a lumber cart, go ahead, I dare you. I like that they have a call button, brilliant. Lowe’s store buyers seem to have a better eye for the trendy than HD.
I shop a half dozen Home Depots regularly. They are poorly staffed and poorly managed. The staff is woefully ignorant, unhelpful and lazy. The management is making meager attempts at following the fundamentals of customer service. They are a step up from Lowe’s. I shop them only out of convenience or expediency. Their knowledge and service will never compete with a lumber yard. I have found this to be true in varying degrees in neighboring states as well.
I wear Blaklader pants and have a logo on my shirt. It is obvious, even to the unobservant that I am a contractor, yet I am still approached for contractor services. It’s shameful to blatantly compete with your patrons to your patrons. I don’t appreciate being sent on a wild goose chase for merchandise. Time is literally money. I can’t stand hearing “this isn’t my department,” when all I need from them is a ladder to reach merchandise. I hate that they don’t give tracking numbers for orders. I have 16 guys to schedule and deadlines. Call-in and internet orders take longer than just shopping yourself, dumb. I have never heard a contractor to even pretend to like Home Depot
Andy
The 1 HD in my town is probably the worst retailer I have ever dealt with They’re inventory control is atrocious, and the employees are beyond lazy. The manager won’t answer his phone, even when you have their corporate customer service call them. I actually received an apology from their CEO due to numerous special order issues. Unfortunately, the nearest Lowes is about an hour away, and I have no option if I need something quickly. If I can wait a day I’ll always give my money to Amazon
JoeM
I have an obscure bias. I have PTSD, and being around crowds takes both concentration, and emergency medication for panic attacks. Add Type II Diabetes, and I’m just embarrassed to go to the big box stores at all. It’s always the same routine. Walk very quickly through the front door, over to the washroom to relieve myself, breathe a second, then venture out to the floor for what I’m looking for. I ALWAYS end up in the Hardware section… That’s where the tools are, and that’s where I anchor myself to try to breathe. I then take a quick slip through the department to the center… Does it count as an Aisle if it’s 30 to 40 feet wide? It’s more like a Causeway, where you can see all the Aisle numbers. From there I tend to fast-walk to the place that has what I’m looking for, and I search for it. I either get it, or I don’t, on the first try. If I don’t, I tend to start sweating heavily. Probably the bravest thing about this sad routine is this failure ALWAYS leads to me actively seeking an employee to make sure I’m in the right place. The Employees up at the Home Depot I go to are always friendly, usually up for fist-bumps, high-fives, and a good strong dude-hug or hand shake. They also know about my condition, or someone who knows approaches them with a head’s up on me. Once I’m discovered it’s kinda too late. They tend to swarm, 2-5 at a time, attempting to do all my running around the store for me.
Now… I’ve been known to try and keep my Home Depot visits under 20 minutes… That’s all I can take. If I take any longer, I start to degrade and get confused. This is affectionately known by my friends and family as “Going Rain Man.” The employees there know about it, too. Because I wander the area aimlessly, and avoid eye contact. One of the managers, I think for Hardware, has been occasionally known to see me in this state, and walk with me, pretending he’s helping me find something, just to lead me back to hardware, and pull myself together.
And, before you say “Preferential Treatment”… I have seen them do the same thing for older people with walkers, scooters, and wheelchairs too. Like worker bees, they swarm, see what can, or can’t be done, and go running around the store to bring them what they need. I’ve seen the HEAD Store manager walk around the store with a customer’s down syndrome daughter holding his hand the whole time, because the sound of the saw in the back freaks her out. The Cashiers tend to stay where they are, and the Customer Service desk tends to have its staff, but the employees and managers walking around the store tend to swarm the customers who are in need of help, even down to language. Sometimes they have someone who speaks Spanish, Arabic, or French (this being Canada and all) and they stop that customer where they are, and call that one employee who speaks the language better than anyone else to help or translate for them. And, as has been noted by some previous comments, whenever an employee shows up, they greet you, say hello, often check if you’re okay.
For all the good I say is going on, I find big-box stores to be extremely unpleasant. And the last Lowe’s I went to, it took them several hours to find the “Wood” department… Meanwhile, it was located across the parking lot… with saws screaming away to mark where it was. I’ve been to others, and even going to the Store Manager, they didn’t know where anything was, even if there was a banner with an arrow pointing to it. Which doesn’t make sense to me, because somehow Lowe’s in Canada did enough business to make a genuine bid for Rona, a purely Canadian Owned and Operated chain of hardware stores. If they were that incompetent, how the hell did they manage a 2 Billion dollar (Canadian) bid for Rona? They must do something RIGHT, I just don’t know what.
I think my PTSD may cloud the situation, so I don’t know how relevant my view is here. I much prefer online ordering to dealing with people.
ktash
What you said about the Home Depot store sounds like they have a very good store. A team like that has to have something going for them to give that kind of help to customers. If they weren’t a good team, they likely wouldn’t even notice the customers. A member of my family has panic attacks and severe anxiety, and it’s really rough. PTSD is rougher.
JoeM
Honestly, Panic Attacks and Severe Anxiety are the major chunks of PTSD, so it’s not that different. Sufferers have the same problems as those with social anxieties and panic attacks, just… with a couple extra symptoms, such as confusion or lack of focus, and the odd blackout state, usually punctuated by memories of the Trauma that started the condition.
So, it’s not worse, it’s just more specifically targeted.
Home Depots here are relatively large. There are nooks and crannies to stop and breathe, or take an emergency panic med. Go often enough, and the staff pick up the cues. I once stood in the plumbing aisle with 2 stock guys, just staring at the item numbers of the boxes above the displays, looking for one exact thing that wasn’t there. They weren’t humouring me, we were genuinely looking, for a half hour no less, because the part number displayed as having 12 in all computers and web pages, but just wasn’t on the display racks at all. They were something stupid (until you don’t have them) that they were positive they had. Toilet Seat Bolts. After about 40 minutes of this I had to say “Guys, as much fun as staring at numbered boxes with you is, I think I should just come back another time. I think you may have other customers to help, and I also gotta use the washroom.” To which they both jumped and looked startled, one saying “That’s right! There’s a stock truck in the back that needs unloading! Probably has these too! Should be back on the shelf in, like a day or two!” and the other saying “Oh! Yeah! Customers! Thanks for reminding me! And we’ll see ya later!” then I just went home empty handed.
These people at Home Depot are just… Human. And it seems like they don’t take the job TOO seriously, otherwise they’d be miserable. I LIKE them there, but my conditions tend to make it very unpleasant. Plus, I think they like me more because of my impulse control issues the Meds give me. I’m always grabbing something extra, like a key organizer, or gloves, or glue sticks… Sometimes there’s some obscure Dremel attachment they are trying to get rid of, so they’ve marked it down, and I come along and buy it, despite not having any thoughts on how I’ll use it. It’s either that, or I come in knowing either the store SKU of the item from memory, or the exact name and model number of the things I want to buy, making it easy to get everything. Either way, the most unpleasant thing about going to Home Depot is in my head, not in the store.
I genuinely don’t know what’s wrong with Lowe’s. That’s a mystery to me. The Canadian stores, Home Hardware, Rona, and Canadian Tire… Those are a little easier on my nerves, but all 3 still make Lowe’s look like the kindergarten student who eats paste, and tries to lick the teacher afterward. How Lowe’s makes any money… I don’t know, but they do… I want to stay unbiased here, but… It’s very difficult. It’s also tragic for the Canadian Economy to have such an awful chain of American owned stores, sitting there depleting our resources so horribly. I’m sorry to all the Americans here, but honestly… That’s an issue that is the elephant in the room on this issue. These are Global companies, right? Or at least Pan-North-American? Shouldn’t there be some regulations in place to protect the buyers and the countries from such… mistakes?
Sorry if I’m rambling… Been tired and stressed lately… Part of the package, but nothing to worry about.
ktash
Two local Lowe’s. One is better than the other. For a while the worse store had one of the grumpiest, most unpleasant managers I’ve ever seen. He stood there glaring, perhaps daring anyone to cross the line into his dept 😉 . Both stores have problems with inventory. You can order online, and often it’s not there. Once a sales assistant confided in me that when they get closeout super-good prices, the employees get the stuff first, that’s why you can’t find the good deal you saw and ordered online and inventory showed multiples in stock. Likely, they don’t pay them enough so maybe that’s compensation. I like the 5% discount with the Lowe’s card and sometimes it makes a difference in where I shop.
Home Depot here is ok, and I sometimes enjoy going there. The worst thing is their service desk. It must be a computer/inventory issue, or perhaps they put all the new people there to train them. Who knows? I’ve waited more than a half hour when the line was not even very long, like two or three other people. More than once. I never order stuff online for convenience, because it takes many times longer to pick it up, nearly always. I do like their plywood, and some other wood is good. Their dimensional lumber is better than Lowes locally. I don’t think either Home Depot or Lowes is particularly well managed.
Menard’s is further away, and has good things, but the power tool brands are heavily weighted toward their house brands or cheaper brands. They do have lots of specialty stuff. Also a lot more in the lumber department and better prices and larger selection in the outdoor stuff. I dislike their 11% sales. Too much of a hassle and you have to use the coupons quickly. If they weren’t so far away I might take advantage of those.
I truly love our local hardware stores. They are local franchises with Ace and True Value. I’m always very happy to go to either of them. They are well managed and also a part of the community. I try to buy as much as possible there, just to keep them in business, like trash bags and cleaning stuff, etc.
Nate 818
Van Nuys Home Depot is Tijuana
jeff
Thats interesting.
3 Lowes around me, all great. 2 Home Depots around me both absolute crap.
I associate Home Depot with Walmart, as such my expectations are low for them. I will only go to Home Depot if I absolutely have to.
Frank D
I use my local HD because they’re 5 min away, and closer than anything else, and that is it.
The store and staff leave a lot to be desired, the store is very cluttered, not clean, customer service is very poor, … even management will flat out lie to you! Back in the days of 5% competitor discount match for lowes credit card holders, staff would treat you like you are stealing and as the match was ending one young bloke actually accused me of theft asking for it!!! … even though it was the norm for two years prior. Then the assistant manager promised to honor it, adding my name to a list, just check out via the pro desk … right, until I tried to do that a few weeks later.
I’m just a small guy and who still owns some HD stock; but if I had any pull or say at HD over what happened one particular day, that staff member and the assitant manager would have been fired on the spot. Period. I still have the note on my phone where he promised to honor 5% if I check out via the pro desk and mention his name.
Either you hold that promise or you don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Either way, he should be fired for the next conversation saying the one two weeks prior about a list and names of some customers, etc never took place.
To this day, I go out of my way not to shop at Home Depot, if it is possible.
And, don’t get me started about the active loading zone now being the authorized personal parking area of lazy local “contractors” refusing to park and walk 50 steps into the building. I have to wait 15-30 minutes to pull through with a truck and trailer for loading of a prior order … because the loading area is full off …
It is amazing our local store is still open.
loup68
Veteran’s, please be aware that Home Depot has a $50 dollar limit on their veteran 10 percent. Meaning you will only receive up to $50 credit off on large purchases!
I could not believe this after a cashier told me about it, but it is true.
We just saved $2,600 on a new kitchen cabinet sale at Lowe’s.
Ed
My local Home Depot or “Humpty Depot” per my son, has been up and down. When it first opened the employees in a department had real life experience in that department so you just had to ask and they could help out with any purchase or project. It was great. Then it went to employees who were just bodies and knew less than me which became very annoying. They would try to help and just would have no clue. It got to the point that I would go down different aisles just to avoid them. There were a few holdovers that I seek out but they are getting fewer. Now for the most part I just ask for location of Items and they check on their phone and tell me. They are nice and try to help or find someone to help so I don’t fault them.
At the local Lowes I only ask for location advice, it is mostly bodies there but again they are nice and try to help.
Both stores are clean and organized The construction materials are priced extremely well, especially pro pricing. Only thing I don’t like is Home Depot going away from Dewalt but that is only because I started with Dewalt due to their huge line of tools at my Home Depot at that time.
Justin
I am a building professional and restoration stonemason in Upstate NY. I generally avoid Home Depot, since I can get better quality offerings at my local builder and industrial supply stores. That said, I inevitably find myself there looking for a quick solution when a supply has run low or out of convenience to my job site. There is a huge difference between Lowes and HD in my area, with Lowes being more organized, clean, and professional. Even a HD store in an affluent suburb is poorly managed, merchandised, and maintained. Home Depot is generally ubiquitous, while Lowes tends to occupy more rural areas.
Dollar for dollar, Kobalt hand tools are superior to Husky, especially when they were made in the USA by Williams and Danaher. I know that’s not the case today, they’re all made in China or Taiwan, but I still prefer Kobalt to Husky when given the option. Home Depot seems to have better power tool offerings than Lowes, but forget about getting warranty assistance on their house brand Ridgid, even with a valid receipt. After two major tool purchases from HD gone bad, I only buy Bosch, DeWalt, and Makita through independent pro dealers. If I have a problem, I can bring it back and often times go home with a new or remanufactured tool on the same day.
Both Lowes and Home Depot have garbage lumber. I could spend half a day looking for straight and crack free 2x4s, or just go to my local lumber yard where they already inspected the entire lot and will load it into my dump truck at no charge. For a small fee, they will deliver it anywhere within a 50 mile radius. The lumber cost is maybe 7-10% more than Lowes or HD, but without the fuss, so the local yard has all my business.
Oddly enough, my local HD store has started marketing their toolbox offerings against the Harbor Freight store across the street. The irony in this is that Harbor Freight’s tool boxes are head and shoulders above the Husky boxes my local store carries. I know this because after purchasing a Husky box for my shed and being disappointed, I elected to purchase the new US General 26″ and 56″ Series 2 toolboxes for my garage.
In the last ten years, I have struggled to see the merits of Home Depot or Lowes to the consumer. In my lifetime, local and regional hardware stores and suppliers have been bought up, sold, and shuttered as big-box giants moved in. First it was Hechinger and Builder’s Square, then it was Lowes and Home Depot. Home Depot may have more offerings under one roof, but I feel like the quality, service, and experience leave much to be desired.
Coach James
No HD here, but my experience in HD’s has always been good.
Our Lowes is hit and miss. Some good staff, but some lousy too. I wanted two cases of 20×25 furnace filters, the cheapo ones, not the crazy expensive ones. The only ones they had were on the top shelf. The clerk was happy to get the people lifter and go up there and get them. Even then, he could barely reach them.
The Lowes website often shows items in stock, but nobody can find them in the store. That’s true for items as large as roll around tool chests. The lumber is not very good. The local ACE has started selling lumber and I see a lot of folks buying lumber when from them instead of Lowes.
I know guys on here say go to a “real” lumber yard, but that is hit and miss too. One yard, Builders First Source, has good service, but the other one is terrible. That’s probably the reason they have gone out of business twice.
The guy that works the pro desk is a surly jerk most of the time. I wanted to order some doors and got so fed up with his sorry attitude, I walked off, went to customer service and told them why I came in and why I was leaving without spending any money. She asked who was at the pro desk. When I told her, she rolled her eyes and said customers complain about him every week, but he’s been there for years so management won’t get rid of him.
DJA
These stores are very much dependant on the manager. While they have little actual autonomy, the manager sets expectations and standards. I’ve worked for both and in my narrow experience THD is a much better managed business… by a large margin. However, Lowe’s treats their people much better… also by a large margin. They both have many of the same problems. They both set staffing levels by cutting hours to the point of general dysfunction and then add one person, and they both have haphazard inventory control. POS systems at Lowe’s are ancient and often require patience from customers and staff. If you have a good big box in your area, the store manager is definitely the reason.
Rick Owen
I’m so glad you asked for our experience with local stores. In Hendersonville NC the Lowe’s store customer service is terrible. Three experiences in the last two years has resulted in that I will always go to Home Depot first. These are not including the times I couldn’t even get someone to help. The first example was I tried to find something and after searching for several minutes I walked up to three Lowe’s employees standing and talking to each other and no customers present. After about 5 minutes one walked over to me (I was about 5 ft away) and asked if he could help. I told him what I wanted, he looked at his watch, took off his Lowe’s apron and said” I’m on break” and walked off. A second time, again a group of four employees stood talking to each others about 15 ft away, no customers present, while my wife and I waited at the carpet section about 8 minutes. They looked at us, kept talking. Another employee walked past us to join the group and after about 5 more minutes, he came back and offered to help. The only reason we didn’t walk away was I wanted to see how long before someone offered to help. The third time I was buying a stand alone drill press. Almost $300. I waited next to the floor display for about 6 minutes with an employee about 15 ft away. He looked at me a couple of times but as we made eye contact dropped his head. I pushed a call for help button and after the announcement was made via the loudspeaker system, he came over to me. I told him what I wanted and when he saw it was bulky and heavy, he tried to get me to buy the tabletop model. I swear I’m not making these up. Oh and by the way, I’m handicapped and have to walk with a cane. I don’t want special treatment but you’d think employees might think that people who have trouble walking in general might need assistance. At a different Lowe’s, that much further away, you can’t hardly get in the door before someone offers to help. So it’s not that Lowe’s can’t do customer service but the local store has really turned me against them. The Home Depot here doesn’t have the selection as the local Lowe’s but customer service at Depot I’d great. Always friendly and offering to help but they don’t pester you.