Lowes/Home Depot vs. small local stores - recent experience

[rekees4300]

When I walk in the store, there is a fella behind the counter playing on his cell phone. I say "Good morning - how's it going?". The fella briefly looks up, says nothing, goes back to playing on his phone.

That same fella works in every local store around here. The Mom-N-Pop stores always complain about the big box stores putting them out of business but they do nothing to compete. Educating their employees re customer service isn't even on the radar. They put their head in the sand, and fail to adapt as the world evolves around them...not a formula for success.

 

[creekbend]

I have done business with our local hardware store for around 14 years, even before I moved my Family here to live. Not once in all those years, have I been dissatisfied with the service I received. Not once. I visit both of the other two major chains previously mentioned around once or twice monthly. I would rate the service in those businesses as somewhat mediocre. Some departments have knowledgeable and responsive employees and some don't. This behavior fluctuates from time to time, but the overall record of business practices involving courtesy, knowledge, response, attention, remain somewhat dismal overall in the locations that I visit. I would also like to add that the Courtesy desks in both locations, don't even deserve one Star out of Ten. Just my thoughts and experiences.

 

[kootch88]

I know HD and Lowes has better prices on the whole, but I try as often as possible to shop at the local guys. I always buy my lumber from the local yard, the quality is so much better than the box stores and it is a pain to wheel 1000 feet of lumber out of HD, not to mention having to cherry pick through the horrible lumber. I guess I am just thinking these folks do business with me so i should do it with them too. I would hate it if our Ace and True Value moved on. In the end all we will be stuck with is the Wal-Marts of the world if I don't support the local guyus, and in our case the service is superb at the local guys.

 

[gilbertmsg]

Just built a deck (12 x 16) for our new pool. Saved around $100 - $200 on lumber and screws by buying at local store. Pulled trailer into building and materials was loaded for me. Much easier and a lot cheaper.

Eddie

 

[foreman Etexas]

My wife works for LOWE'S well just until she's back in nursing school in august and said that most men dont allow her to help them they need a man,said that she has been cursed at and then end up being right and the guys wife makes them apologize:laughing:. She said customer service is #1,she hates working there for the customers are very rude. They dont think she knows anything but we have already built one house and she is always helping me and actually has alot of knowledge. I dont care really just like getting the 10%discount

 

[chopped]

At my local masonry yard, we had a woman working there.I had a small s 10 pickup with a small trailer, I was 45 at the time she was maybe 35. She would drive the lift over, and she would load the trailer (by hand) And I would grab and load the blocks (standard 8 inch). She was always done before me. We did close to 15 loads that way. She was obviously better built than me..
Oh odd thing was this yard was the manufacturer of the blocks, yet a year or so later the local lumber yard had the blocks for less. So I bought from them.Their cheaper blocks were bought and delivered from the other same madonry yard.
So thats good ole competion

 

[Turbys_1700]

I remember as a boy in the 60's the first Lowes opening up in Linconlton and Hickory...
At that time there were multiple lumber/hardware stores in both towns/cities...
Now, Hickory has 2 Lowes and a Home Depot...
In addition, Lowes and Home Depot has locations 15 miles and 20 miles from me in addition to 2 more within 10 miles...
They have muscled out for the most part smaller lumber/hardware stores even though a very few are still in business...
I shop at Lowes mostly for convenience and find that the service is typically good if you can find someone to help you...
I have found that some prices are lower at some locations due to demographics and the economic wealth of the local area...
I have no issue in supporting Lowes...
They employ lots of folk in the area and are headquartered in NC...

 

[forgeblast]

One thing that I have noticed is that at HD and Lowes, the employees have been taught, even mandated, to make eye contact and ask if you need help.

When I was working retail there was a push to train the workers to ask if a person needed help! (at this point i had worked retail for over 10 years and I just couldnt belive people wouldnt ask others if they
needed help, but then seeing the new workers coming in I realized they really needed to do the training). The training went like this there were two sets of foot prints 3.5' apart. The manager would stand on one and the employee had to stand on the other and ask him if he needed help. It worked on making sure they were the proper distance away and would ask for help. Btw there is a website called
3point5.com - Learn and Earn! - 3point5.com that provides employees with online training to teach them about the products they sell.

 

[EddieWalker]

I like Home Depot and Lowes. I'm at one or both just about every day. I also go to half a dozen other stores, depending where the job is that I'm on. I can sometimes find what I want or what will get the job done, but those little stores are so limited in their selection that it's hit or miss if it's even worth the time to stop and look for what I want or driving farther and knowing I'll get it at Home Depot or Lowes. I'm there so often that I don't need or really want any help from anybody, just let me get what I need and get out. I've gotten to know quite a few people that work in all the local stores and really can't say any are any better at any of the stores, big or small. I go where I can get what I want and pay the best price, service is secondary to me.

Eddie

 

[jinman]

There's a little lumber yard in a town about 9 miles from me. It's so small that normally one person works the store and one works the yard. You have to be a bit cautious about the lumber you buy from them, but if I spend $200 or $2000, they have free delivery and that's hard to beat. I think Lowes (20 miles away) charges a flat $65 for delivery. Of course, they have a big flatbed truck and piggy-back forklift. The local lumber yard has a ton and a half flatbed with a headache rack.