I'm not sure what experiences you may have been through with the big box stores, but I must say it has gotten worse in all phases. I won't say the name. I needed Simpson structural screws, joist hangers and a few other items for a project. Searched the items online. Ok, great they have them within 10 mile radius store. Go there only to find out they are nowhere to be found. Boxes allover the place, disorganized, lumber carts allover the place. Had to move 5 carts just to get through the aisle. Ask someone for assistance only to look at you like you are from a different planet. Unexperienced. I don't know what happened in the last few years. All I know is that it's beyond unbelievable. So, I got disgusted and visited a different supplier. It was like night and day.
FT, Before my father retired, he worked for a non-chain building supply company that had 4 stores spread out throughout the Central PA area. It was a no frills, knowledgeable company that had a little bit of everything from small do it yourself projects to major construction supplies. The people that worked there were helpful and knowledgeable. It drives my father nuts to go into one of the big box stores and ask for something specific and not be able to find someone that knows what they are doing. I’ve experienced a few who are very helpful, but you have to seek them out. It’s too bad.
FT, Before my father retired, he worked for a non-chain building supply company that had 4 stores spread out throughout the Central PA area. It was a no frills, knowledgeable company that had a little bit of everything from small do it yourself projects to major construction supplies. The people that worked there were helpful and knowledgeable. It drives my father nuts to go into one of the big box stores and ask for something specific and not be able to find someone that knows what they are doing. I’ve experienced a few who are very helpful, but you have to seek them out. It’s too bad.
I remember when our town got it's first big box store in late 90s. They had at least 2 people for each department. Not anymore. It's all bottom line, investor driven, cost reduction. I found a smaller franchise lumber supplier with just about everything the big box stores have. Lumber is much better too.
FT, Before my father retired, he worked for a non-chain building supply company that had 4 stores spread out throughout the Central PA area. It was a no frills, knowledgeable company that had a little bit of everything from small do it yourself projects to major construction supplies. The people that worked there were helpful and knowledgeable. It drives my father nuts to go into one of the big box stores and ask for something specific and not be able to find someone that knows what they are doing. I’ve experienced a few who are very helpful, but you have to seek them out. It’s too bad.
I remember when our town got it's first big box store in late 90s. They had at least 2 people for each department. Not anymore. It's all bottom line, investor driven, cost reduction. I found a smaller franchise lumber supplier with just about everything the big box stores have. Lumber is much better too.
I've lived in a bunch of different states/places in the past 20 years and can tell you it's location driven. Home Depot and Lowes are usually around each other, and in a certain radius one would be great while the other sucked. Move to another location, exactly the opposite. The store that was poorly run in the previous location was well run in the new one, and the other sucked. Sometimes both were good, only once did I think both sucked. All the stores in that area, whatever local/regional manager in charge seemed to be driving how good or bad they were.
Also I feel like where I am now has better stores in general, more well run and clean with people who want to help. I couldn't say that of other areas I lived, where the help wasn't so universally happy to help or take pride in their job. Not saying there aren't bad apples here and there, but overall I would say my experience was way worse back east towards urban areas. Once I'd get closer and closer to a city, the amount of help/interest in doing the job seemed to drop (on average). Lots more employees not knowing what's going on, looking at their phones, not caring, etc. The stores looked worse too, just more dirty. Rural areas (again, on average) always seemed to be a bit better, and the more affluent areas too, though not always.
That all said, there's one company here in Oregon that I honestly have no idea where they find such happy employees. Like, their hiring practices must be amazing. Dutch Bros. Coffee. The people that work there are like the nicest and happiest people you'd ever meet. All of em, it's almost creepy in a Stepford type way. LOL
The Starbucks here in villa rica take happy pills a guess because they’re very nice and always have a smile on their face. Chick-fil-A is the same way.
So many many moons ago, early in my Navy career I rotated to shore duty for a 3 year stint. I decided to get a part time job. Home Depot was opening a new store and hiring so I went in for an interview. They asked me my experience. I told them I went to a Vocational school for residential and commercial plumbing and heating before joining the Navy and worked in the Co-op program my senior year for a plumbing company doing residention new construction and service calls.
I told them that in the Navy I was a trained and certified mechanic on gas and Diesel engines and was very well versed in power tools and equipment. I also told them that I had experience in tile and flooring. I got called back for a second interview with the plumbing manager. At the end of the interview he offered me the job.
Well after we got all the shelving and Isles set up, we received and set up all the stock. I pretty much worked 30 straight days 6 hours Mon-Fri after my Navy work and 8-10 hours on my Saturdays and Sundays. I knew where everything was in that plumbing department!!
They scheduled me to work the Grand opening day. The day before the opening, we went in to do any last minute things that needed to be done and have walkthroughs of our departments from all the big wigs that were in town for the opening. Right before I was ready to go home for the day one of the assistant managers called me to customer service. So I go up there and he and 2 other managers are there and told me that some people walked off the job so they needed to make some department changes. They put me in the electrical department for the grand opening! The 1 department where I knew next to nothing! Yea I felt like a royal dumbass but I did my best and stuck it out. After a couple of weeks they moved me back to plumbing and worked there till I went back to sea duty.
So I hear ya FT. Our local Ace hardware is a little more expensive but, it is locally family owned. They got some old bucks and ladies in there that actually take pleasure in helping you. You can get almost anything you want, they have people that actually know what the hell they are talking about and care about their customers!! I don't mind paying a little extra to help a family owned business stay afloat!!
@navylion Well, if Tsuga isn't going to pick it up and run, guess I'm gonna have to... So you're saying you went to school to learn how to lay pipe?
