I'm surprised Home Depot Allows This

[Ben]

I was in the Home Despot today, and as I'm walking to checkout, I'm accosted by a "Home Depot Services" employee who needs me to take a survey. She wanted to know all about my water situation at home. I answered the first few questions as I kept walking, but then it got personal. People in the household, am I the owner, my name, phone number, and get this, " I need your signature".

I actually gave her all the information she asked for. It's just all wrong after the first three (that were about my drinking water).  Good luck contacting Jim at that fake number. Signed, Wile E. Coyote.

I thought it was weird, so besides not giving out real information, I did a quick gazoogle when I got home. Apparently HD lets some water softener company hock their crap in the HD stores. That info was for their salespeople to call you and tell you that you signed a piece of paper for their salesman to come to your home and test your water "for free".

That's right out of the book the guy at the county fair who sells the wonder kitchen appliances that break down 10 minutes after you get them home uses. I was actually quite shocked that HD lets that kind of business not only sell in their stores, but lets them do so under the HD Home Services banner. It's apparently been going on for years, but this is the first time I've ever been accosted.

[Boomhauer]

I have to deal with jackasses selling the solar panel bullshit and DirectTV all the time now in big box stores. Solar in the home improvement stores and Direct TV in Walmart, Sams, and so on

HD is a far cry from the company it once was.

[T.O.M.]

And this is part of the reason why I am now a Lowes shopper, not Home Depot.

[Ben]

Costco brings outside people in all the time, but they're rarely pushy (well sometimes the ones that sell the Costco credit card are) and don't pursue you. You pretty much have to stop at their spot and start a conversation. Letting third party people chase customers down with "survey forms" just doesn't seem good for business.

[Ben]

And this is part of the reason why I am now a Lowes shopper, not Home Depot.

Yeah, funny - I have Home Depot stock, but I mostly shop at Lowes. I usually just go to Home Depot when they have something Lowes doesn't.

[Perd Hapley]

The Direct TV guys in Wal-Mart always start with some question that assumes I currently have cable/satellite. Something like, "How much do you pay for cable?" They get a little confused when I tell them I don't have any such thing. 

[K Frame]

I have a HD less than half a mile from my house.

I normally drive 3 miles in the other direction to get to the smaller Lowes.

I've never been accosted by any of the shillers, maybe because if anyone talks to me I just smile, nod, and keep moving. When I hit the home center I know what I want and I want to get in and out as quickly as possible.

[Ben]

I've never been accosted by any of the shillers, maybe because if anyone talks to me I just smile, nod, and keep moving. When I hit the home center I know what I want and I want to get in and out as quickly as possible.

That is my normal MO and usually works fine. This girl just kept following me though, so either she was more aggressive or that company was. Maybe she gets a commission for every filled out form. Just something I wouldn't expect a store like HD (or Lowes, Costco, etc.) to allow, since it seems like it would turn off their actual customers.

[MechAg94]

And this is part of the reason why I am now a Lowes shopper, not Home Depot.

The Lowe's here is the older store and is usually busier.  The HD store is easier to get in and get out and has good service lately.  Never seen a any of those people in there. 

The local Lowes ticked me off a few months ago.  I was buying some links of chain (had to cut myself) and was waiting in the check out.  It was apparently just after some day crew were leaving as the number of checkers dropped just before I got in line.  Then someone was setting up a delivery of material for the next day and the check out lady spent about 20 minutes setting up the delivery at the register.  There were several people waiting in line not counting the number of people who left.  I am pretty sure at least one manager walked by during this time and didn't do a damn thing.  The other registers were just as backed up.  I mainly blame the local management. 

Funny thing is I bought a dishwasher and washing machine since then.  I ended up getting them at Best Buy mainly because they had a "pick up at store" option when ordering online.  I didn't want installation nor did I want to wait at home for their delivery person to show up.

[K Frame]

"This girl just kept following me though..."

Yeah, at that point I stop being nice and go to the direct "Get away from me, I am NOT interested."

I've never had that fail to back the person off, but I've only had to use it twice, both times with overly aggressive DirectTV (IIRC) turds at BestBuy.

[Perd Hapley]

I've had no problem with Lowe's or Home Depot, other than having to look around endlessly for someone to help me, if I need it. The offender around here is Menard's. They have something like 15 registers, but they never seem to want to open more than 2 or 3 of them at a time. Oh, and if you want to return something, or rent a truck, there's rarely more than one employee at that counter.

[K Frame]

"The offender around here is Menard's."

What does a pirate say when he's kicked in the crotch?

MENARDS!

[MechAg94]

"This girl just kept following me though..."

Yeah, at that point I stop being nice and go to the direct "Get away from me, I am NOT interested."

I've never had that fail to back the person off, but I've only had to use it twice, both times with overly aggressive DirectTV (IIRC) turds at BestBuy.

I don't think I have ever had one person follow me around.  What annoys me sometimes is an endless stream of employees asking me if I found everything I was looking for.  After one or two, please just leave me alone.  Later when I actually have a question or want to check out, those people are no where around. 

[bedlamite]

"The offender around here is Menard's."

What does a pirate say when he's kicked in the crotch?

MENARDS!

Ever heard their commercials?

Shave pink monkeys with my nads

That's what you'll hear from now on.

[K Frame]

Nope, can't say that I ever have.

I'm in Virginia, and the closest ones to me are in Ohio.

I shopped in one in May when I was in Iowa visiting friends... well, he shopped, I went along because what guy doesn't want to go to a home center?