Consumers

[Lilith]

I was wondering how many of you have written, emailed, or called to complain/give praise to a company about service you've received, or the quality of products you have purchased.

I have always tried to lob praise (and tips) on good service providers, often making sure someone else knew what a good job they did. Likewise I will email corporate headquarters of a chain restaurant if they provided an awful experience.

Lately I have been having more and more problems with purchased items. Either they do not include what they state they do, or the item breaks immediately. I have really decided that I am going to become a professional bitch-er. I just can not spend $$ hand over fist for products that seem to be declining in quality as they increase in cost. I just feel like we must demand more from the companies we give our salaries to. I have vowed to email, call, write every single time I am dissatisfied.

Anyone else jumping on the bitch wagon?

[Cheyanne]

Yes

The few times that I have 'driven' the bitch wagon rather than just jumped on it I have had mixed results. 1 time I received a free $50 gift card, the other time I didn't get anywhere and still owed the bill (which I will never ever pay).

[Oldfart]

"Anyone else jumping on the bitch wagon?"

Hey everybody, it's a hayride.

[LixyChick]

lmfao@^^^

I'll hitch my team up to your wagon Lil!

Yes...I praise good service and good products. But I am in total agreement that quality is slipping to an all time low!

Not too many years ago we bought shutters for all but 2 back windows of our home. That's 12 windows...2 shutters per window. They were "guaranteed" to withstand even the harshest of weather and never fade...as the color went through and through. They faded to almost a pinkish color (from a deep burgandy) now. The company recommends a "wash" product to bring back the color but does not make that particular shutter anymore. Another company makes such a similar product and we wanted to finish off the 2 back windows...so we chanced it. We've had the newer shutters up for 3 winters/summers now and they haven't faded a bit. AND...the new ones are on the back of the house which receives the harshest conditions of all sides of our house! So what do we do? Replace all the other shutters? Wash them with that idiotic stuff that we should have never had to use? If we take them down there'll be holes in the stucco beside every window. Arrrrrgggggggg!

Even simple things like...I bought a wrap-around light for our umbrella pole on the picnic table. It didn't work so I took it back and got another. It didn't work either!

Even more ridiculous...Healthy Choice® soup. I was buying the chicken noodle and on a few occasions in a row there was hardly any noodles or chicken. Each container had mostly carrots and broth. So I thought, "It happens from time to time that they hit the bottom of the batch so I'll wait a while before getting anymore...giving my store a chance to renew their stock". Usually this product is chock full of noodles and chicken. Well...waited a while and purchased again. Same thing! I wrote to the company and received coupons for 4 free containers! Uh...you gotta be kidding me!

And don't get Mr. Lixy started on this subject! Only difference with him is he'll only bitch to me. He won't return a faulty product unless it's an exchange. But boy oh boy can he rant on about this very topic! I make him make the store test a product on site now! This used to embarrass him but he's getting used to it.

[maddy]

Slighty different example but similiar topic. I just did a long and professional move where I purchased insurance to cover replacement value of my "stuff" should anything get damaged in the move. The insurance for essentially one week is three times my renters insurance for a year - so not exactly cheap. I had things get damaged and some flat out destroyed. I requested a claim form and was shocked to see the following - copies of original purchase receipts should be included! Are you kidding me? I had two lamps and two different shades get destroyed. You think I kept receipts for the lamps? Maybe I'm just bad at record keeping but I don't keep receipts for most things I own unless it is a really large purchase with a warranty.

I really don't want to fight with these people, in total my claim will be about $300, which is less than the insurance cost so they are still coming out ahead.

Not to mention the service they provided was downright horrible. Which I will be relaying in the customer service survey letter I received.

[osuche]

I've called to say thank you - I actually did it with Olay body wash once because I so love the stuff.

I rarely call and complain. The last time I did it was with a hotel experience about 18 months ago. We paid $$$$$ for a nice room and had it filled with smoke all night. I got $100 voucher for my next stay - which somehow I was not motivated to use (given that I would have to pay an additional $250 for the pleasure of anothe rnight there). :rolleyes:

[gekkogecko]

Well, I'd like to bitch (again) about the lack of service I've received in having the garage door replaced. Shit, it's been four months of broken appointments, and lame excuses.

OTOH, I have occasionally called corporate head to particualrly praise a product or service.

Like the one time my wife & I were standing in a Blockbuster when a couple of guys walked in with guns and robbed the cash register. The manager was massively professional about it, ushered everybody he could out the "in" door, tried to make sure the gunmen didn't hurt anybody (they didn't), made sure his employees were safe, etc. best service I've ever received that had nothing to do with the product or service being offered by the establishment.

[Steph]

I really don't want to fight with these people, in total my claim will be about $300, which is less than the insurance cost so they are still coming out ahead.

Not to mention the service they provided was downright horrible. Which I will be relaying in the customer service survey letter I received.

Ugh, I've heard such horror stories about moving companies. I think that's why I have always moved on my own (also because I'm a strong woman of Irish/Czech stock and travel light :D).

A good friend of mine had her belongings held hostage by a moving company because she refused to pay the full fee (mainly because they were horribly late in the first place).

I've dealt in forms of customer service in all my jobs (don't most people, for that matter?).

My philosophy is: Work hard out of respect for my employer, work hard out of respect for everyone who uses the services of my employer, work hard for me because hard work is its own reward (not necessarily in that order) — I think this attitude is sorely lacking in the 20-something generation who man the customer service centres of our nations. Shit can flow upwards and downwards, it might seem.

[LixyChick]

Oh...and speaking of the 20 something generation (mostly below... but 17-20ish)...

I so rarely ever want fried anything. But I had a hankering for fried chicken one evening a few years back (so few fast food joints around our place unless we drive miles) and I hate to fry myself (curtains stink for days and then there's the spatter...yuck!) and so I sent Mr. Lixy out for KFC. I had a coupon...so that might have been my first mistake.

Well...he got to the KFC and 7-8 "kids" were hovering around the counter. It was about 7:30pm and other than the hoverers no one else was in the place...seated or waiting to order. He stood in line, as best as he could figure the line, and waited to be waited on. The "kids" never moved aside and the clerk never made them move. He has more patience than I and was gonna prove a point (when he got home to bitch to me), so he stood there and waited. I asked him if he was seen coming in and he said yes. And he waited...till finally the "teen" behind the counter said to let him up. The crowd parted...he walked up and ordered and gave over the coupon, to which the "teen" snickered and went to get his order.

She came back with three bags...all of which looked like the fried chix hadn't been drained...and told hubby his coupon wasn't necessary because it called for an everyday deal at that time of day. He ended up paying full "daytime"price (which he couldn't have known in tally) and brought home "meal deals" which had nothing to do with the coupon I sent him with.

I called that KFC as soon as he got home and asked for the shift manager. A young girl got on the phone and I proceeded to relate hubby's experience...when she suddenly stopped me and said she had been the person to wait on him and she remembers him implicitly. She said SHE was the manager. I asked her age and she said 19. She said hubby was rude and she didn't have to take "this shit" from irrate customers.

If you knew Mr. Lixy...you'd call her a liar and ask for corporate headquarter's number. I got her name and did just that!

All boiled down? I got friggin coupons for free KFC of my choice. $50.00 worth! Um...WHAT?????????????????

[jay-t]

[QUOTE=maddy I requested a claim form and was shocked to see the following - copies of original purchase receipts should be included! Are you kidding me?

Not to mention the service they provided was downright horrible. Which I will be relaying in the customer service survey letter I received.[/QUOTE]




Maddy ask whomever if they have the receipts for the underware they have on! In a stern voice and tell them not to give you the receipt crap!

I've had to do this to a few store managers myself when retuning broken or non-working crap and so far its worked every time.

[LixyChick]

Good advice jay-t!

It could be anything maddy...anything they are wearing that doesn't require the receipt a year or two from now. Stand in front of the manager/supervisor of the company and look to see if he/she is wearing something older than a year or two.

And on another note...ask them where it says anywhere that EVERYTHING moved should have original purchase receipt if moving insurance is purchased...in case of a claim.

Just a thought!

[maddy]

Oh, I like that second thought Lixy and will use that if necessary. It is replacement cost insurance, so I like to think I should replace my things and give them those receipts as proof. They can come pick up the damaged crap if they want, I don't care.

The last mover was incredibly easy to deal with, I submitted the form and had a check within 5 days. I asked if they wanted pictures and they said no. Of course, their form didn't ask for original receipts either.

[Jude30]

My wife and I both will give compliments to good workers. Going so far as to track down the manager and telling them that such and such cashier was exceedingly nice or what ever.

We also don't hesitate to call and complain if we get bad service in a restaurant. One thing I always make sure to do when complaining to a restaurant is decline what ever freebies they offer. Sometimes going so far as to tell the manager I don't want your free appetizer to get me to come back in I want the problem fixed. I've worked in various food service jobs long enough to know that most complaints are scams to get free food. I want them to know I'm not after their food I have a legitiment complaint.

[txgrneyes]

As always I should have known...I am not alone in this battle against "them".

LIL...I will jump on your bitchwagon, hell I will even drive it you want me to take over sometime.

In everyone of your experiences I could see myself. Expecially Jude. I too have had my fair share of jobs in the food industry and I know how things should work, what customer service really means.

I have even worked at the service desk at Wal-Mart( complaint department) and OMG... it got that some of the stories were so outrageous that I would stop them in mid sentence and ask them "would you like the refund or just a replacement?" WE even had one guy come in EVERY 85-90 days and get a new pair of shoes after he had worn the previous pair for all that time. After all the 90 day warrenty was still in effect. He came in about 6 times until the management stepped in.

But seriously I am one to give cuddos for something done right or someone going out of their way to help me. And on the same notion I will complain when something isn't done right or works right.

[scotzoidman]

Had a good experience at Lowe's once, very helpful guy in the hardware aisle, I made a mental note of his nametag & intended to let Lowe's know they should do whatever it takes to keep that guy. I'm ashamed to say I never got around to it...oh well.

I have had so many incidents of bad service form fast food joints, you'd think I'd give it up...but everybody expects me to take care of dinner, & some nights I just don't feel like cooking. The topper was a few weeks ago at Jack in the Box, waited forever (fast food, my ass!) they got the order wrong, short one sandwich, & then the b&^%$ looks away while handing me my change & lets half of it drop on the ground under the pickup window...when I got home, half the order was fucked up as well...they have a website called telljack.com, & I sure did...

I'm now the proud owner of a "guest redemption certificate", good for "one single menu item (excludes combos)"...whoopty-freakin-do...

[WildIrish]

I wrote to Chicken of the Sea about some bones I found in a can of tuna & received coupons for a few free cans of tuna...which I gave away. I guess it was dumb, but I was pissed.

Recently, I called Home Depot after receiving the only thing worse than horrible customer service...no customer service. I purchased a small set of patio furniture and had to take it off the floor and load it onto my truck by myself after requesting assistance. Luckily it was raining really hard so I didn't get too hot. :rolleyes: My phone call netted me a $30 gift card. Hardly worth the aggravation I endured after spending almost $500.

[maddy]

I'm anti-Home Depot. After spending 10K (yes, that's a K) in their store they had the nerve to charge me for 3 individual home delivery charges. I politely explained to the manager that I would think they could wave the home delivery charges when I'm purchasing flooring plus the install services, did they really think I was going to haul the flooring home and then have them install it? Seemed ridiculous to me. He woudln't wave the charges and I've not been back since, Lowe's is happy to have my service.

Oh, and the kicker was coming home to find my removed carpet piled up in my driveway in a rainstorm... yes, apparently I didn't pay for the "haul away" service... JERKS!

[WildIrish]

Oh, and the kicker was coming home to find my removed carpet piled up in my driveway in a rainstorm... yes, apparently I didn't pay for the "haul away" service... JERKS!


I've had that happen before and I ranted and raved!


Unfortunately it wasn't Home Depot that did it...it was Mrs. WI. :roflmao:

[Lilith]

I got a nice email from Dan at Quaker Oats yesterday :D

[Jude30]

I'm anti-Home Depot. After spending 10K (yes, that's a K) in their store they had the nerve to charge me for 3 individual home delivery charges. I politely explained to the manager that I would think they could wave the home delivery charges when I'm purchasing flooring plus the install services, did they really think I was going to haul the flooring home and then have them install it? Seemed ridiculous to me. He woudln't wave the charges and I've not been back since, Lowe's is happy to have my service.

Oh, and the kicker was coming home to find my removed carpet piled up in my driveway in a rainstorm... yes, apparently I didn't pay for the "haul away" service... JERKS!


I am Jude's wife and I work at Home Depot. If I had a dollar for E.V.E.R.Y T.I.M.E. I have heard "I spent 'thousands of dollars' in your store" I would be a very.very.rich.woman.

If you cannot read the install policies that is not the fault of the store. Rather, it is your fault for not reading the contract. It is a legal and binding contract. Surely you don't go putting your signature for just anything without reading it, or do you? As a side note, if you were going to have laminate or tile installed, then you must have it in the area where it is going to be installed at least 3 days for it to acclimate to the room temperature. Carpet, not so much. But again, your customer agreement CLEARLY spells out all of the charges. If you had any questions, you should have asked before paying for the install or called the store as soon as you had a question.

Also, if you think that Lowes is any different, just wait. We hear people saying "I'll just go to Lowes" but see them in the store the next day. In time, they will do something to you that will anger you. It's the nature of the retail beast.

Besides, you'd be surprised to know how much Home Depot and Lowes have in common.

[maddy]

Ummm thanks, I hope you enjoy working at HD, but regardless I've been jaded by the lack of service I received. Perhaps I have too high of expectations from a bigbox store but regardless I will not be shopping there again.

[WildIrish]

Because I work in a lease-driven field, I'm very "contract oriented". But it would be very helpful to have an associate hit the highlights of the agreement when you're executing it. Things like "do you have a way of disposing of the old carpeting or will you need us to take it away?" not only helps to avoid a homeowner problem related to the service you're providing...but it also is a potential increase in the sale. There's no excuse for that.

How many times to you need to hear someone complain about having spent a significant amount of money before things change? Your comment about them coming back the next day shows you don't care about pleasing the customer. You take their business for granted. Funny how you don't have a problem providing them the service of taking their money. Though even that is going away now that HD has 8 self-checkouts and one live register.

[Jude30]

I'll let her reply herself later but WI are you saying that if someone spends a certain amount of money or doesn't bother reading their contract they should be exempt from the charges everyone else has to make? They aren't complaining they want special treatment because they think their money (and time) is more important than everyone elses.

As for what level of service you think she provides I can guaruntee you're mistaken. She has received more rewards for customer service than I care to count, but after hearing so many sob stories about people wanting special attention because of the amount of money they've spent when in fact 10k really isn't that much money compared to some of the other jobs she's done.

She works very hard to make sure her customers are happy. Very few of them return the favor and make sure they make her job easier by reading the contract and knowing what they want and or need done.

[Oldfart]

"Self check-outs"?

Scary for the job market.

[Jude30]

Because I work in a lease-driven field, I'm very "contract oriented". But it would be very helpful to have an associate hit the highlights of the agreement when you're executing it. Things like "do you have a way of disposing of the old carpeting or will you need us to take it away?" not only helps to avoid a homeowner problem related to the service you're providing...but it also is a potential increase in the sale. There's no excuse for that.

How many times to you need to hear someone complain about having spent a significant amount of money before things change? Your comment about them coming back the next day shows you don't care about pleasing the customer. You take their business for granted. Funny how you don't have a problem providing them the service of taking their money. Though even that is going away now that HD has 8 self-checkouts and one live register.


WI, (it's Jude's wife btw) you are absolutely correct in the statement that it would be very helpful for the associate to hit the highlights of the agreement while the transaction is in process. I cannot agree with you more and feel that it should be done every time to ensure that each customer is told the same thing across the board so as to avoid problems down the road. Whether it was done in Maddy's case or not, I don't know. But again, I stand strong with my statement that it is the customer's responsibility to read the contract before putting their signature on the dotted line.

I also believe that most of us go to work to earn the Almighty Dollar. That said, most of us work for companies that want to earn a profit. Forget about the fact that I work at HD and they make millions of dollars in profit, at what point do you as a business say that if a customer exceeds a certain dollar amount then they should get some service for free? 5K? 10K? 25k? The point I was trying to convey is that we hear "I've spent thousands of dollars" so many times because people want something for nothing. Does HD have deep pockets? You bet. But what about the mom and pop stores that don't have that luxury? Every delivery is a loss for them because of the cost to own the truck, insure it, maintain it, but they still offer it because not every one has the means to deliver large amounts of product or large size product. If that means that Mr & Mrs Customer will come back and shop their store then its a loss they're willing to take.

Again, I wasn't present during Maddy's transaction. If the sales associate grossly under calculated the amount of product or even over calculated it, then it is the stores responsibility to make things right. Even though I work for HD, some customers cannot understand that we are at the mercy of our vendors. We can't control back orders on product or the fact that one of our freight lines had a horrific accident and all the product was damaged in that accident and product had to be reordered. Instead, one of the first things that I get asked about is how much are we going to compensate them for lost time. I cannot stress enough that not all customers do that but I get my fair share of them.

I care about my customers. On the day of their scheduled install I call them during the install to make sure that the installer arrived on time and that that everything is going ok. Sometimes problems do occur and I give them my direct phone number so that they can call me instead of having to go through a bunch of people and adding to their frustration. Unfortunately that didn't happen in Maddy's case and for that, all I can say is I'm sorry. I realize that the customers are the ones that sign my paycheck. I have understood that concept since I started working when I was 16 and worked at Dairy Queen after school. Without customers patronizing your store, you are going to fail.

I take pride in the fact that I have earned many awards because of my commitment to the customer. But it still does not excuse the fact that with any agreement, the customer needs to read the contract before signing on the dotted line.

[maddy]

Sorry I've plucked a nerve with my dislike of Home Depot - but at the end of the day this thread was started to talk about where as consumers we are being pinched on the products and services we purchase and if we were going to get on the bitch wagon and do something about it.

I've done something about it, taken my business elsewhere. There are certain things I expect when I make a purchase and if it is not someone's (in this case Home Depot) business for whatever reason to provide the level of service I expect I will take my business elsewhere. That's the lovely thing about a capitalist society, there are plenty of places more than willing to take my money.

I'm going to end it with this... isn't it interesting that at Home Depot the "delivery of the carpet" is a built in cost ... oh I'm sure I paid a delivery charge its just factored into the install cost ... but for hardwood and tile it is not pre-factored into the install cost it's a seperate charge. And just for the record I wasn't asking for a significant "discount" it was less than 1%, which if I would have liked to sign up for a credit card I could have received a 10% discount. Clearly cash is not King anymore but I imagine that's another topic that we can vent about.

[maddy]

Oh, one more thing I wanted to add - the mom and pop stores that you referenced... yes their pockets certainly aren't as deep as the big box stores. But the one thing you wil ALWAYS find is people return to the mom and pop store and pay more for the goods (in many cases) because the customer service tends to be superior. I know this is not exclusively true - but the mom and pop stores are competing on something and it typically isn't profit margin per widget.

I learned from my choices, and if I had to do it over again, I'd make a different choice. I wish I would have contacted WI, I bet he knows a good flooring store in the area ;)

[Jude30]

Sorry I've plucked a nerve with my dislike of Home Depot - but at the end of the day this thread was started to talk about where as consumers we are being pinched on the products and services we purchase and if we were going to get on the bitch wagon and do something about it.

I've done something about it, taken my business elsewhere. There are certain things I expect when I make a purchase and if it is not someone's (in this case Home Depot) business for whatever reason to provide the level of service I expect I will take my business elsewhere. That's the lovely thing about a capitalist society, there are plenty of places more than willing to take my money.

I'm going to end it with this... isn't it interesting that at Home Depot the "delivery of the carpet" is a built in cost ... oh I'm sure I paid a delivery charge its just factored into the install cost ... but for hardwood and tile it is not pre-factored into the install cost it's a seperate charge. And just for the record I wasn't asking for a significant "discount" it was less than 1%, which if I would have liked to sign up for a credit card I could have received a 10% discount. Clearly cash is not King anymore but I imagine that's another topic that we can vent about.

Maddy, (Jude's wife again) It's quite obvious that HD failed to meet your expectations in that install and for that all I can say is that I'm sorry. Unfortunately you didn't get the service you are entitled to and to me that is a shame. But for the record, when your carpet was ordered it was shipped from the mill.... probably in Georgia, straight to the installer. In most areas of the country carpet does not have to acclimate to the environment where it is going to be installed. Hardwoods, laminates, and tiles do need to acclimate to where it is going to be installed - for a minimum of 3 days to meet manufacture warranty purposes. That being said, our vendors will not ship to the installer for that reason.

And you're right about customers are willing to pay a little extra at the mom and pop shops... I do it too. Most of the time I'd rather go to the local mom and pop grocery store vs the alternative, Walmart simply because they have some cool little extras that Walmart doesn't offer.

In the end, it is your right to choose to spend your money where ever you want. I wish you much success in your home improvement projects and that you find the service and product that you desire, elsewhere.

[WildIrish]

at what point do you as a business say that if a customer exceeds a certain dollar amount then they should get some service for free? 5K? 10K? 25k?


I work in commercial real estate. Nobody knows better than I that it doesn't matter what the lease says when you're arguing with an irate tenant. They don't care that they were the ones that executed a lease with certain entitlements and stipulations...they care about how they're paying $100,000 a month for rent and it doesn't include a picnic table outside for their employees to eat at. So what do I do? I weigh their wants and how much it will cost me against the loss of income and inherent expense that replacing them as a tenant will bring should they decide to take their business elsewhere. Sometimes they get what they want, sometimes it just doesn't make economic sense.

In Maddy's case, I can understand why the store didn't send a truck right out to pick up the carpet. But it never should've gotten to that point. It was easily avoidable and had someone truly focused on providing good customer service been helping her, it wouldn't have happened.

[WildIrish]

I wish I would have contacted WI, I bet he knows a good flooring store in the area ;)


I'm better with hard wood. :D

[WildIrish]

Apparently, people are taking complaints to the next level (http://news.aol.com/business/story/_a/angry-consumers-fight-back-on-the-web/20070904104309990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001). I have mixed feelings about this. It's nice to have resolution to a situation in which you truly were wronged, but I don't necessarily agree with this tactic.

[Lilith]

I got $8.00 worth of coupons from Quaker today that is good for a wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide variety of their product line not just the oatmeal.

Did you know they own Gatorade?

[Aqua]

I got $8.00 worth of coupons from Quaker today that is good for a wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide variety of their product line not just the oatmeal.

Did you know they own Gatorade?
I was not aware of that.

Now I'll always be checking my Gatorade for lumps... thanks Lil. :p

[Wicked Wanda]

Jack: You are NOT either a Lesbian!

Rosie: Yes I am!

Jack: Ok, then say something in Lesbian.

Rosie: "Home Depot"

Jack: OMIGOD! You ARE a Lesbian!!

(Sorry, I had to repeat that. I think it was an episode of Will and Grace. I think of that exchange and get the giggles every time I go to HD)

Anyway...
I have spent more than a year nesting in my adopted new state, and now that the place is mine, (the bank's) I am redecorating, and I spend a lot if time in home stores. And I see lots of other Lesbian couples doing the same.

The closest home store is HD, which was my favorite before coming here. Now I go to Lowe's, even though it is slightly further away.
I am talking about this one particular store.
It seems no one cares.
It is hard to find help, they don't know what they have in stock, and I was left waiting for 1/2 hour at the Interior Door desk while they paged "the guy who knows all about that". I got mad, and got up and left, Leigh running after, watching for signs of incipient violence on my part.
I behaved.
This time.
Another time I took back a garage shelf unit because half of it was missing, the box had been opened and then taped shut before I bought it.
Their response was "but you opened it!
I am not sure how I was to know it was missing half the pieces without opening it. Anyone want half a metal wall shelf?

They (HD) wanted an extra fee to deliver my door, which Lowe's did not. (a door will NOT fit inside a small car!) Lowe's simply arranged to have their contract installer pick up the door at the store at no extra charge.

I am going to kick the next person who looks down from above his beer gut and says "Yah sure little lady? Can't yur husband come 'n and hep y'all out"? Where he gets kicked is best left as an mental exercise for the reader.

HD definitely has a local problem with condescension. I do not deal well with condescension. Next time he gets his ears, toes and testes handed to him on a platter.
Another buffoon in the air conditioning department was not too helpful.
I wanted to replace the floor registers with new ones. They didn't have the right size. Instead of offering to see if they could be ordered, he sneered "no one uses THAT size anways" I pointed out that they SOLD register boxes in that size, and didn't carry the matching floor registers!
His reply? "Oh." Then he WALKED OFF, never to return.

The garden staff are entirely different. They are polite, helpful, and know EVERYTHING about landscaping in what turns out to be a subtropical environment.
They carry stuff out to my car and refuse a tip. They do look down my blouse, but that's OK, I enjoy it, it's fun. (for me it is, let's not argue)

Hardware- sucks
Garden- a delight.

Again, it is just this one store, but I have noticed that my stock in HD has had a LOT of problems mostly related to management.
Attitude comes from the top, I think.


:curse:

WW

[scotzoidman]

Apparently, people are taking complaints to the next level (http://news.aol.com/business/story/_a/angry-consumers-fight-back-on-the-web/20070904104309990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001). I have mixed feelings about this. It's nice to have resolution to a situation in which you truly were wronged, but I don't necessarily agree with this tactic.
I find it very interesting...if used properly, as the last resort rather than the first, it seems a very effective way to get Big Corporate where they live...my daddy told me years ago one angry consumer in the right place can undo all the positive advertising a company can make...