Lowe's closing 50 stores !

[ovrszd]

Toad suck is one of the mild names here there's greasy corner, three way, blue ball, monkey run, goobertown, stinking bay, weiner, and bald knob

That's awesome!!!!

 

[ultrarunner]

Today at the Local Home Depot I was wondering how they stay in business...

The store was well stocked and brim full of holiday tools in all the isles.

Parking lot full and lots of activity... so what's the rub?

The entire store had two cash registers open with clerks inside and customers on their cell phones explaining they are still at Home Depot trying to get out...

The self check has 4 registers but two were down and none take cash... the two that were down also are the two with the cash option...

I did not check the garden section as it was raining...

When this store opened it had 20 registers... now 2/3 of that space is for seasonal items.

How can a ware house stay open with two cashiers??? better yet... why would professionals patronize a store with two cashiers?

I mentioned it to the store manager and he said I happened to hit a busy time... 11 am Tuesday...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Toad suck is one of the mild names here there's greasy corner, three way, blue ball, monkey run, goobertown, stinking bay, weiner, and bald knob

I go thru bald knob a few times a yr. Theres a song about bald knob.

 

[radioman]

Lowes used to be my go to store. now its home depot as they always try to make things right with shipping or ordering . i still wonder how they manage to stay in business with all the stuff i ordered and they make adjustments to almost every order i make. there is always a problem with either what stuff being shippped or shipping damage.
I used to love looking in lowes but ever since they started putting craftsman stuff on display it just turns my stomach.

 

[fried1765]

CNN...always believe everything they say...NOT

Unfortunately many Canadians are hooked on CNN, and get much slanted US news.

 

[Ford850]

I have two towns about half hour from me that each have Lowes, Home Depot, and Menards. I usually go south and have settled on Menards 95% of the time. HD has gotten more of my business recently due to the great selection online because they ship for free or to the store for free. Last night I went north to that cluster of the 3 stores. I was in them all, and found the experience to be nearly identical to their stores when I go to the town south of me. Lowes was a ghost town, with employees avoiding eye contact and scurrying away so I had to find things on my own. HD was a little better, with a cleaner store that was better stocked and organized. One employee asked to help me. Still the store was nearly empty. Then on to Menards. Employees approached me several times asking if I needed anything. (when Menards opened, it was mandatory for employees to ask customers to assist them, and then mandatory for them to walk you to the item you were looking for rather than just say "it's in isle 9" ) The store is bright and clean. I bought a wide variety as usual, including Howes Diesel Treat, epoxy, treated lumber, 20' sticks of rebar, bacon, eyebolts and turnbuckles, dog food, and I special ordered a sheet of walnut plywood. I checked out and picked up this week's rebate form to get 11% credit on the purchase. They also have scanner stands around the store so you can price check items if they aren't marked. Oh, and they have an Ap for your phone, so you can look up items and the Ap will show you the approximate area to find it in the store. The Ap also has a built in price scanner option so you can point at bar codes and get the current price. I love that place.

 

[Diggin It]

Then on to Menards. Employees approached me several times asking if I needed anything. (when Menards opened, it was mandatory for employees to ask customers to assist them, and then mandatory for them to walk you to the item you were looking for rather than just say "it's in isle 9" )

I DESPISE that with a passion and that alone keeps me away from some stores like Best Buy. I refuse to go to places that have their staff descend on customers like starved vultures.

You may have just helped me decide to avoid them if they ever open one near me.

 

[ovrszd]

I DESPISE that with a passion and that alone keeps me away from some stores like Best Buy. I refuse to go to places that have their staff descend on customers like starved vultures.

You may have just helped me decide to avoid them if they ever open one near me.

I've never had a problem with that. Yes, if you are in their area they will walk with you to the item. I consider that a service. I never feel "descended on". In Menards it's viewed as excellent customer service.

I agree you should avoid them. You obviously don't need customer service.

 

[Ford850]

I DESPISE that with a passion and that alone keeps me away from some stores like Best Buy. I refuse to go to places that have their staff descend on customers like starved vultures.

You may have just helped me decide to avoid them if they ever open one near me.

They don't descend on anyone like a used car salesman. They simply ask if you found what you're looking for, and if you ask where to find something they walk you to it. I always consider that as 'friendly service', which is missing from most stores these days. As a comparison, while in a HD recently I asked where to find something. The employee pointed across the store and gave specific instructions "It's in isle 13, down halfway on your left". It sounded like he knew EXACTLY where it was so off I went. The problem was he was wrong, or maybe they rearranged things recently. Either way, I wasted my time looking and looking up and down that isle, high and low, until I gave up and started on other isles. I finally found it 2 isles over on the right side. If he had walked me to it he would have realized he was wrong and then found it for me, saving my time. That would have been good service too, in my opinion.

 

[TractorGuy]

I have 3 Lowes and 2 Home Depots within 25 miles of me. I don't particularly favor or dislike either but have had a negative experience at one of the Lowes and a positive experience at another. That is a people or management thing so not necessarily the fault of the company itself. Most of the time it's just looking to see which one has what I need. If it's an expensive purchase I may compare prices and quality of product.

I would much rather have employees asking if I need help rather than not being able to find one when I want help. Half of them don't know what the store has or where it's at so just warm bodies taking up space. I feel I am more likely to get knowledgeable help at Home Depot.

No indication any of the stores near me are about to fold.

 

[ultrarunner]

Don't underestimate Customer Service...

Medicare now surveys Hospitals and the ratings are extremely important if you have Medicare Patients.

Our front Admitting was not getting high marks... around 90 score which is a big problem.

Since I wear many hats, now including security, and the first to arrive at 4:30 am to open the surgery wing... I took over the front reception computer from 4:45 to 7:45 each morning and made it my remote station.

The survey went to 99.7%... the only difference as I see it was being helpful... and what I did not know I volunteered to find out and quickly follow up..

Simple things such as greeting each patient as they entered... helping them sign in... providing a time frame and assisting with special needs... none of this was/is my job... and it allows the admit clerks to concentrate uninterrupted on admitting when I am there... Hospital has received nice feedback notes... some comparing to concierge service...

Anyway... the corp office noticed and came down to check out why the better ratings... they were quite surprised it was me... the Chief Engineer.

A lot of good customer service is listening and being helpful... I was still reviewing contracts, emails, making calls... etc...

Before that, patients would show up not really sure where to go as reception is no longer staffed early AM... kind of have to figure things out on you own.

I think working in the auto business as a teen was immensely helpful... plus 27 years here I know my way around.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I worked in a grocery store many moons ago. It was a Furr's Supermarket in Albuquerque, and there was a Piggly Wiggly right next door. Our policy was to acknowledge every customer and and at least say "hello". Some of the young, inexperienced employees were a big clumsy in this role, but for the most part it made the customers feel welcome and not afraid to ask for help. You did NOT make them wait to be checked out, nor did you even ask them if they needed help with their carry outs. It was a policy that paid off; and I have noticed some of the local stores beginning to do the same thing, at least the part about speaking to every customer.

The local Homeland and Walmart makes you wait a long time to be checked out, or else use the self check out option. I personally resent this treatment and rarely frequent either one any more.

 

[ultrarunner]

This is the Christmas Tree busy season at the farm... my brother hires a lot of High School and Community College guys to help...

One has been coming back several years... he really cleans up on tips... never asks or has anything disparaging to say... the reason he cleans up is customer service with a snap and smile and always deferential and polite!

The good thing is the younger guys are learning from him...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

This is the Christmas Tree busy season at the farm... my brother hires a lot of High School and Community College guys to help...

One has been coming back several years... he really cleans up on tips... never asks or has anything disparaging to say... the reason he cleans up is customer service with a snap and smile and always deferential and polite!

The good thing is the younger guys are learning from him...

One thing I learned when working in the grocery store; women especially, like it when you make over their kids. I wasn't especially proficient at this, but as I've grown older, and have grand kids of my own, I love the little ones and making over them comes natural. Even as a customer now, I like to speak to the little ones and genuinely compliment the parents over the little cuties. Having raised two girls, the little girls are especially sweet.

 

[Wakey]

Lowes and Walmart (probably Home Depot as well) have excellent apps you can install on your smart phone that tells you exactly where each product is. Many times I check stock before I go to the store.

My local old time hardware store has an app called Rhonda. She knows where everything is.

 

[TractorGuy]

Lowes and Walmart (probably Home Depot as well) have excellent apps you can install on your smart phone that tells you exactly where each product is. Many times I check stock before I go to the store.

My local old time hardware store has an app called Rhonda. She knows where everything is.

I haven't found this with Walmart but I was hoping they would start. I just recently noticed the aisle markings. One thing I hate about Walmart is the number of items that aren't price marked. They have also removed and decommissioned the price scanners.

Half the time Lowe's aisle location us incorrect but it's nice when it works.

Home Depot also gives aisle locations but their web site won't set a cookie for me to shop at my location. My cell and internet service place me hundreds of miles away. Every time I go to the Home Depot web site I can wade through the process of setting my location but it won't save. I have even had it change back to a distant location while on their site after setting it.

 

[Oaktree]

I've never had a problem with that. Yes, if you are in their area they will walk with you to the item. I consider that a service. I never feel "descended on". In Menards it's viewed as excellent customer service.

While I'm not quite as prickly about it as Diggin It, I also find that to be a bit pushy. I would just prefer to be able to find an employee when I need one, but when I don't need one I'd like to be left alone...to me that's good customer service, not being pounced on when I'm "just lookin'" or know what I'm after.
In a store as huge as any of the box stores, I don't expect every employee to know where every single product is, especially the more esoteric ones, but I'm good with being pointed in the general neighborhood. If I can't find something when I'm there, then I'll ask for further help.

That having been said, it would be nice to find knowledgeable staff outside of 8-5 M-F, but I suppose good help is hard to find, and not everyone wants to work odd hours.

Lowes and Walmart (probably Home Depot as well) have excellent apps you can install on your smart phone that tells you exactly where each product is. Many times I check stock before I go to the store.

My local old time hardware store has an app called Rhonda. She knows where everything is.

Now THAT is a peeve of mine...everyone seems to assume you (1) have a smart phone, (2) have it with you everywhere you go and (3) want 8,462 aps on it.

 

[ovrszd]

While I'm not quite as prickly about it as Diggin It, I also find that to be a bit pushy. I would just prefer to be able to find an employee when I need one, but when I don't need one I'd like to be left alone...to me that's good customer service, not being pounced on when I'm "just lookin'" or know what I'm after.
In a store as huge as any of the box stores, I don't expect every employee to know where every single product is, especially the more esoteric ones, but I'm good with being pointed in the general neighborhood. If I can't find something when I'm there, then I'll ask for further help.

That having been said, it would be nice to find knowledgeable staff outside of 8-5 M-F, but I suppose good help is hard to find, and not everyone wants to work odd hours.



Now THAT is a peeve of mine...everyone seems to assume you (1) have a smart phone, (2) have it with you everywhere you go and (3) want 8,462 aps on it.

After initial contact, employee asking if I need help, me replyin no I'm good, I've never, ever been further stalked by a Menards employee.

 

[Diggin It]

Thing is, unless they've done a recent re-set, I usually know where things are better than some of the 'help'. I can almost plan my trip through the stores, aisle by aisle based on the list of things I need.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I would much rather say "thank you I'm OK" to a helpful employee than get the "no eye contact" treatment.

I use the aisle/bay locators but they are about 75% accurate here.

My preference is always the local Ace hardware which has lots of well informed and helpful staff.