OT gumpy old fart rant

When I go into Home Depot, I'm normally stopped by two or three employees
who ask if I'm finding what I need, and, if I'm not, they usually take the
time to walk me to the spot I can find it. I think that's fairly decent
service, but that's just me.

Then again, there is "too much of a good thing." Last night, whilst
waiting for my daughter to get to her apartment so I could help her
pack it up (semester is over, she's coming home for the Summer), I
went to Red Robin for a burger. On three sucessive bites I was asked
how every thing was going. Once by the waitress, once by the
assistant manager and finally by the manager. At each query, I had
just taken a bite. When I was finally able to speak with an expectant
manager hovering over my table, I explained the situation and told her
that I would just like to eat and please could I be left in peace.
Frank Reid

On May 8, 12:24*pm, "Tim J."
wrote:
Hmmmm. . . I purposely look for this type of checkout. I find it much faster

Ditto. Plus, you have a much higher likelihood of having your
transaction processed correctly. Not to rag on Home Depot (who always
seem to have decently competent folks), but all of those pimply-faced
teens at the service counter could be working checkout and not knowing
how to make change without the register telling them how much. You
ever run up a bill of say $5.15 and give 'em a ten spot? After the
computer tells them to give you $4.85, find fifteen cents in you
pocket & see how long it takes them to figure out they need to give
you a five. IME, about 1 in 10 get it right away; the other
nine...not so fast.


When I go into Home Depot, I'm normally stopped by two or three employees
who ask if I'm finding what I need, and, if I'm not, they usually take the
time to walk me to the spot I can find it. I think that's fairly decent
service, but that's just me.

My local HD is not as well-stocked with easy-to-find associates; but I
give them credit for being helpful & knowledgeable when you can find
one.

Joe F.

On May 8, 8:25*am, "Larry L" wrote:
Recently I pointed out that "customer service" is a good place for real,
breathing, humans.

Apparently I have too much effect on the local Home Depot.

My wife wanted me to do a few things before I leave in a week for my
Montahoming trip, so I went shopping. * * I found the needed materials and
headed to check out only to find that there was ONE register manned *by a
human ( with a huge line ) and the rest contained talking machines ... "Self
check out"

Now I admit being, may even be a bit proud of being, a grumpy old man fed up
with many of the trappings of our 'culture' like everyone looking like they
are in the Borg collective Bluetooth stuck in ear, or 'reality' TV.
But, honestly, I find having a machine talking to me ( to take my money, for
god's sake ) effectively telling me to "bend over now, and insert your card"
is just too dehumanising.

Seeing a large sign hanging from the ceiling with the word "service" ( the
place you take returns ) on it I went over to find 5, yes FIVE, pimply 20
somethings laughing at each other's jokes, and not a customer in sight.
I piled my stuff on the counter and said, "I don't want any of this badly
enough to check myself out." * * * *And I left to go to the mom and pop
hardware store for my purchase.

So, if you're still listening out there .... when I suggested real humans at
"customer Service" I did NOT mean just under the sign that says "service"
... if you want real, breathing human beings to part with their money and
want to come back ... treat them like real, breathing human beings, not just
bar codes

Print up your own bar code stickers and put them over the real ones.
The machine doesn't know a 2x4 from a bathroom sink. Go through the
self service isle.

On May 12, 1:43*pm, BJ Conner wrote:
Print up your own bar code stickers and put them over the real ones.
The machine doesn't know a 2x4 from a bathroom sink. *Go through the
self service isle

Aside from the obvious illegality, the machine does in fact know a
kitchen sink from a 2x4. It checks the item weights. That's actually
an annoyance when buying small stuff like a packet of two screws or
such. You toss it in the bag, but the stupid machine doesn't sense
the weight change and you have to wait for the associate to clear the
machine.

One grocery store near me also has self-service checkout. Near as I
can tell, it senses the item profile as it passes down the belt. It
*can* tell the difference between a box of macaroni and a cantelope.

Pretty spiffy technology really. I'm amazed it costs less to purchase
and operate than a half dozen minimum wage checkers.

Joe F.

"BJ Conner" wrote in message
...

Print up your own bar code stickers and put them over the real ones.
The machine doesn't know a 2x4 from a bathroom sink. Go through the
self service isle.

**********

Hee, hee, hee. That actually sounds like fun.

I'd be careful about proceeding with that plan, though. Don't know about
Home Depot, but I'm pretty sure the machine at my local grocery store knows
the difference in weight between a baguette ("Please place item in bagging
area.") and a canned ham.

On the other hand, I suppose one could enter "32" baguettes.....but I'm not
sure that would represent a substantial savings over the price of the pig
meat.

Wolfgang

On May 12, 1:59*pm, "Wolfgang" wrote:
I'd be careful about proceeding with that plan, though. *Don't know about
Home Depot, but I'm pretty sure the machine at my local grocery store knows
the difference in weight between a baguette ("Please place item in bagging
area.") and a canned ham.

Though I'm thinking that a 10# roast & a 10# sack of flour look pretty
much the same to the machine. Not that I'd consider such a thing.

Joe F.

"rb608" wrote in message
...
On May 12, 1:59 pm, "Wolfgang" wrote:
I'd be careful about proceeding with that plan, though. Don't know about
Home Depot, but I'm pretty sure the machine at my local grocery store
knows
the difference in weight between a baguette ("Please place item in bagging
area.") and a canned ham.

Though I'm thinking that a 10# roast & a 10# sack of flour look pretty
much the same to the machine. Not that I'd consider such a thing.

**************

Ah hell, a bit of consideration never hurt anybody.

Wolfgang
not that there's an overabundance of evidence of that around here.

On May 8, 11:40*am, wrote:
On Thu, 8 May 2008 12:24:09 -0400, "Tim J."





wrote:
Larry L typed:
Recently I pointed out that "customer service" is a good place for
real, breathing, humans.

Apparently I have too much effect on the local Home Depot.

My wife wanted me to do a few things before I leave in a week for my
Montahoming trip, so I went shopping. * * I found the needed
materials and headed to check out only to find that there was ONE
register manned *by a human ( with a huge line ) and the rest
contained talking machines ... "Self check out"

Now I admit being, may even be a bit proud of being, a grumpy old man
fed up with many of the trappings of our 'culture' like everyone
looking like they are in the Borg collective Bluetooth stuck in ear,
or 'reality' TV. But, honestly, I find having a machine talking to me ( to
take my
money, for god's sake ) effectively telling me to "bend over now, and
insert your card" is just too dehumanising.

Hmmmm. . . I purposely look for this type of checkout. I find it much faster
because all of the grumpy old farts are in this really long line, for some
strange reason, writing these things called "checks" (whatever *those* are)
which they don't even pull out of their pocket and start writing until AFTER
the clerk gives them the total. . . and I don't recall the "bend over"
drill. Are you sure this was a Hom_E_ Depot?

Seeing a large sign hanging from the ceiling with the word "service"
( the place you take returns ) on it I went over to find 5, yes FIVE,
pimply 20 somethings laughing at each other's jokes, and not a
customer in sight. I piled my stuff on the counter and said, "I don't want
any of this
badly enough to check myself out." * * * *And I left to go to the mom
and pop hardware store for my purchase.

So, if you're still listening out there .... when I suggested real
humans at "customer Service" I did NOT mean just under the sign that
says "service" ... if you want real, breathing human beings to part
with their money and want to come back ... treat them like real,
breathing human beings, not just bar codes

When I go into Home Depot, I'm normally stopped by two or three employees
who ask if I'm finding what I need, and, if I'm not, they usually take the
time to walk me to the spot I can find it. I think that's fairly decent
service, but that's just me.

Interesting. *I've had this very conversation several times over the
last 3-4 years, including just recently. *Weird thing about Home Depot
and Lowe's, at least as I've found it: rarely are they both good (or
bad) in a particular area. *For example, on the MS/AL gulf coast, HD is
a mess, usually empty, and you'd wonder how they manage to stay afloat,
whereas Lowe's is always full of customers, helpful staff, wide product
selection, etc. *However, in the DFW area, I've found it to be the
opposite - Lowe's is iffy and the management is terrible, whereas HD
seems to be the better store. *In New Orleans, it's Lowe's over HD, but
in S. Florida, it's HD over Lowe's. *I can't recall any area where both
have been either good or bad - it always seems like one is good, one
bad. *I could understand such in a highly specialized market where there
would only be enough skilled staff to supply one vendor, but in this
case...

TC,
R- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That's pretty much what Ive found. With the added filup that the goods
seem better at my local Lowes and the folk seem to have better morale
at Lowes, but the advise of the MALE HD folk is better, but the fems
at HD goof off and know less that ****. As an ex consultant all above
are signs that selection and training of managers is a major problem
at both places.

One other observation. HD seems to have limited cape in tuning the
inventory to the locality. Examples include stocking plant and tree
varieties unsuitable to local climate, and selling JD equipment but
not the spec grease for same. Ditto for routine maint. supplies for
same. I blame it on dumbass MBAs.

Dave

On Mon, 12 May 2008 14:01:00 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

... selling JD equipment but
not the spec grease for same. Ditto for routine maint. supplies for
same. I blame it on dumbass MBAs.

FWIW, the JD stuff sold at HD and Lowe's are built for them - JD dealers
don't sell them. Some are good and some are bad, but none are "true"
JDs. And never buy a Jenn-Air grill from Lowe's - it's a Chinese POS
made outta the same ****ty stainless as the house brand "Perfect Flame"
(and "Perfect Flame" must be the phonetic "POS made from ****ty
stainless" from Mandarin or something...).

TC,
R

Dave

On May 12, 2:42*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 12 May 2008 14:01:00 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
... selling JD equipment but
not the spec grease for same. Ditto for routine maint. supplies for
same. I blame it on dumbass MBAs.

FWIW, the JD stuff sold at HD and Lowe's are built for them - JD dealers
don't sell them. *Some are good and some are bad, but none are "true"
JDs. *And never buy a Jenn-Air grill from Lowe's - it's a Chinese POS
made outta the same ****ty stainless as the house brand "Perfect Flame"
(and "Perfect Flame" must be the phonetic "POS made from ****ty
stainless" from Mandarin or something...).

TC,
R





Dave- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thats good to know. Is it the same for Jenn Aire stoves? I have a
rental and like to put in basic models of better brand appliances
because most people will take better care of them than other stuff.
However the GE stuff looks better and better for the money.

Dave