Ask the “young” know nothing:
“What is the price on your 120 inch 4 x 2’s?”
You can then watch him/her pound away on the computer trying to find 4 x 2’s. Then they usually say “I’m sorry, we don’t carry 4 x 2’s”
I tried it and it works!
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working — yes, I’m retired!
Replies
Many times I have to go to Wally World while in my work clothes ( they look nothing like a Wal-Mart smock ) and it never fails that somebody asks where they can find something. I used to take time to explain that I don't work there but I got tired of the stupid stares. Now without missing a beat I send them to the feminem products. I have on occaision followed along several paces behind just to see them scratch their head when they get there. BUt when I am at lowes it's another story I take pride in knowing where stuff is there when their people don't even know.
I had some time to kill between stops and made a HD run. Still had extra time and I asked if they had a "contractor lounge" and they pointed me to the employee break room.There was a big poster on the wall "No Pointing Zone," implying that as an employee you should never tell a customer, (pointing) "That's in aisle 34 (or maybe 35)'I guess most of the employees can't read, either.
Oh, you're mean! Too funny!!
A few days ago, a KNots member sent me an email asking about what kind of sandpaper to use for lining an auxiiliary fence. I wrote back suggesting that PSA-backed paper is the easiest (and explained what that was, just in case). He called Lowe's and asked about PSA sandpaper. "We don't carry that!"
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Here we call it "Slowe's". Just try to get someone to answer the phone.
Two ways to keep your wife happy:
1. Let her think she' having her own way.
2. Let her have her own way.
When I have made as much money as Lowe's & Home Depot, then I might feel like denigrating them. They apparently know their markets, but maybe not their execs, considering the Depot's recent fiasco. A very helpful employee complained that every employee of Home Depot could have received a $700 bonus if that exec's payoff had been distributed to them. It has also been my experience that many employees are well informed. They are nearly always as helpful as they know how to be. Just like any large employer, all hires aren't going to be the cream of a crop. If that were the case, your goods would cost lots more.Cadiddlehopper
Cadid:
You are too kind. I supply both big boxes with product and trust me they are not as sharp and startegic as you may think.
Thank you,
Cheatah
As much as we make fun of HD and Lowe's, I remember the 20 years before they came in town here. One hardware store / lumberyard after another went out of business. About every 3-4 years, I'd need to look for a new one. I remember the last one that died when the big boys came in town. I spent two hours in the electrical aisle looking for the supplies to put two new circuits in my shop. Nothing was in the right place, boxes on the floor, stuff scattered everywhere, nothing priced, the lone attendant overworked, and it smelled bad and was stifling hot. The one before that was overextended from their vendors and the shelves were mostly bare.Have you ever seen how many drills there are at the big boxes?When I need something specific or real help, I visit the local independents.Sears, however is a different story. On my PSL.
H & H has good point. I can remember when the local hardware store was your only option, and the old guys working there were mostly too busy chewing the fat to help anyone who wasn't a buddy of theirs, and too condescending when they weren't.
I went to local independent tool dealer in November looking for a sander hook & loop pad. He said he had a box on the way and would call when they were in. Haven't heard from them since, but got one from Lowe's anyway.
And then there's the old joke about the guy who's asked for 4 by 2s at the lumberyard. When asked how long he wants them, he replies " a pretty long time, I'm building a house out of them"
Some H D employes can be moderately helpful..............after 20 minutes or more of looking for one.
Paul
Picture this... My 'standard' attire is a t-shirt, dungarees held up with wide blue work suspenders, and sneakers or work-boots. I'm asking TWO Home Despot employees a question about joist hangers for a special application. Each of them are wearing the usual orange apron and enough badges/buttons to qualify as admirals in the Utah Navy. Along comes another customer, looks at the three of us and asks ME a question. I reply.. Ask these guys, I don't work here. Less than two minutes later ANOTHER customer comes by and does the same thing, asking me the question. After customer #2 leaves, I jokinly said... One more question to me and one of you guys are going to have to give me YOUR apron. Take a slow count to 10 and here comes cusatomer #3. Yup, he looks at the three of us and asks ME his question. After we stopped laughing, neither of these two HD guys would give up their aprons.... 'company policy....' they stated.
What am I doing wrong?? or right???
SawdustSteve
Well the three customers I think were pretty intelligent they looked at three people. two where obviously store employees, the third looked like a competent builder type person of some flavor, so they asked the one that MAY know the answer vs the two that obviously did not. Remember orange is used as a warning to other people, that is why HD has their employees ware orange so others can see them from a distance and avoid them, as they generally are more dangerous then helpful.
One of my favorites was in an HD a while back and a customer asked the HD guy standing behind me "were are your Simpson strong ties"
The HD guy says "We don't carry them" I look over my shoulder and ask, "Uh then what are these?" (I was picking up a couple butterflys that I needed) HD Guy say "Oh those, they are not buy Simpson" I reply buy picking up a box on the shelf clearly marked "Simpson Strong Tie" HD guy just shrugs and walks off. The customer that started the whole thing just kind of looks at me.
I mean if he did not know what they are fine but at least ask the guy, why is it that everyone that works in this place says they don't have it if they don't know what IT is?
It was like a book store I was in, I asked for a book (2nd in the series) by an author. The guy behind the counter looks it up and says that they don't have ANY books buy that author and that the book I am asking about does not exist. I look down at the book in my hand from that author (First book in another series by the same author) and at the name of the book I want printed in the book as "other books buy this author" I look up at the guy show him the book and say "So I can keep this one as it obviously does not belong to your store?" He says no and I reply "But you just said you don't have any books buy this guy so it can't belong to you" He did not think I was funny. But I thought he was. So I set the book down and laughed my way out of the store.
Doug Meyer
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled