Greeters at Home Depot...

[Rockfish9]

I have nothing against people haveing a job.... but do i need a moron at every Isle saying good morning welcome to " Home Depot" can I help you.... yesterday I went in to get a simple piano hinge.... One greeter met me at the door.. thats fine.... the next Isle had another one.... each of the first five isles had some one standing there.. and while I was selecting my purchase a sixth one tried to sell me replacement windows!... all of this would be fine, except when you ask them for something they have no clue what you are talking about... it drive me nuts....then i proceede to the check out... there is only one open with a line....my only conclusion is that these people are too stupid to make change( even though the cash register does it for them) and HD feels sorry for them.....this is my pet peve... pick up a broom do something constructive.. just let me shop in peace!

[afterhours]

the one i go to it's one cashier and nobody around (which is a good thing) during the week and one cashier and about 300 clueless can i help you(yeah right) people on weekends....

[Goose]

lemme guess, was it the one in east Bridgewater? Thats like the nicest HD I've been in with a huge shortage of customers

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Goose

lemme guess, was it the one in east Bridgewater? Thats like the nicest HD I've been in with a huge shortage of customers

Reading...

[massgc]

Try Rockland. They drive you a wall.

Leave me alone.

[The Dad Fisherman]

I thought it was just me......At the one I go into all the time there is this woman that must ask me a 1/2 dozen times if I need help.....If I didn't need it 2 minutes ago what makes her think I need it now.....and the one time I do ask her for help she walks off and never comes back...WTF..

If I need help I'll ask for it....

[justplugit]

A welcome is fine, but anything more than that turns me off.

Went to a bank to pay my credit card, I got a smile and "can I help you" at the door. I normally use the drive thru. I told her I'm paying my credit card and she says " i can help you. "
Takes me in a cubicle and starts asking me questions like, do you have a savings acct. with us, blah.blah blah, and let me update your info.
Next the Manger comes in and introduces herself and I say "you have to excuse me I have things to do."

Wrong approach, people value their time and taking it is not good business.

[Joe]

Back in the housing bubble they hid out in spider holes in the garden center. Now that everyone is broke, they're all helpful.

[RIJIMMY]

I usually walk around HD for 10 minutes looking for someone to help me?

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I usually walk around HD for 10 minutes looking for someone to help me?

Let me guess. The one in Mansfield? That's where I usually go if I'm stopping on my way home from work. Usually, I know where things are, but if I'm looking for something and need help, there's never anyone around.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by fishbones

Let me guess. The one in Mansfield? That's where I usually go if I'm stopping on my way home from work. Usually, I know where things are, but if I'm looking for something and need help, there's never anyone around.

Same one I shop at. You go on a weeknight and it's impossible to find someone - go on a weekend and you'll find someone, but there will be 2-3 other people waiting to talk to them.

[Katie]

Can't believe I'm about to defend HD. If you go during 10 and 2, its power hour, so we aren't allowed to do anything besides annoy the customers or as the managers say "attack and tackle the customers". But I absolutely agree its annoying, I hear about it all the time from customers, which is why I just say hi and nothing else. The day we don't have to do that, is the day I start to celebrate for a long time!

(I work at the one in North Dartmouth )

[luds]

Welcome ot the war of Homey's and Lowes. I think Lowes started the aggressive greeting and HD is just playing along to keep up.

[FishermanTim]

My brother works at the one in Merrimack, NH part time and he told me about the "aggressive greeting" tactics when they first started.
Fortunately for him he works in lumber so most people he encounters already know what they want and will ask him when they need help.
On the flip side, one thing he hates is when a customer will ask him a question and he gives the correct answer/advice and the customer then asks another worker the same question RIGHT IN VIEW of my brother!

[Swimmer]

I think the next time you go in you should run over to the cash registers and jump up on one, and scream out, "allready everyone lets get this over with, all at once now, Good morning!" Now leave me alone you a%*@^%*s.

Seriously though, you must have a friendly face. I walk in there and don't look at the greeters. Walk right by with a bit of a scowl on my puss. They don't bother me.

[luds]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

Seriously though, you must have a friendly face. I walk in there and don't look at the greeters. Walk right by with a bit of a scowl on my puss. They don't bother me.

It's all about timing. I'm sure the only time they have the all hands on deck attitude to greeting is when they get they're sh%tty customer satisfaction scores back. Sometimes you literally have to tackle someone to get help in there.

[Backbeach Jake]

Represent welfare checks that will never be written. A lot of folks with no skills or the wrong skills left to rot in this economy. Still they seek the dignity of a paycheck and are probably doing the best they can and playing catch up. I thank God that H-D and Lowes has the resources to hire and train them. My way of thinking, If they're working, then they must be good people.

[Joe]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

Seriously though, you must have a friendly face. I walk in there and don't look at the greeters. Walk right by with a bit of a scowl on my puss. They don't bother me.

Maybe your clothes reveal the slight outline of a pistol? Because a guy with a scowl and a pistol will scare away more people than a guy with a scowl alone.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

Represent welfare checks that will never be written. A lot of folks with no skills or the wrong skills left to rot in this economy. Still they seek the dignity of a paycheck and are probably doing the best they can and playing catch up. I thank God that H-D and Lowes has the resources to hire and train them. My way of thinking, If they're working, then they must be good people.

For sure, Fred.

[Joe]

28% of Americans have a bachelors degree, 85% have at least a high school degree. (2005 Census)

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Joe

Maybe your clothes reveal the slight outline of a pistol? Because a guy with a scowl and a pistol will scare away more people than a guy with a scowl alone.

hEY jOE i DON'T OWN A GUN. jUST A REAL GOOD LEAVE ME ALONE FACE WHEN i WANT IT

I LIKE MORE WHAT BACKBEACH JAKE SAID THAN WHAT i SAID ABOUT A SCOWL. RIGHT ON THE MONEY. I ADMIRE PLACES LIKE ROCHE BROS. WHO HIRE PEOPLE THAT DON'T POSSESS A HIGH IQ OR ARE A BIT ODD FOR ONE RASON OR ANOTHER. I REMEMBER WHEN THE KIDS FROM AFRICA, (THEY WERE CALLED THE ???SOMETHING??? BOYS)I CANNOT REMEMBER THE COUNTRY, THAT WALKED ACROSS THE DESERT TO ESCAPE BEING KILLED IN AN ETHNIC CLEANSING ATROCITY. FOOD MARKETS HIRED THE KIDS WHILE THEY ALL LIVED TOGETHER AND WENT TO COLLEGE HERE. I ADMIRED THEIR TENACITY. I USED TO SAY HELLO AFTER LOOKING THEM IN THE EYE AND THEY JUST WOULDN'T REPLY. JUST TRYING TO BE FRIENDLY AND I DON'T THINK THEY TRUSTED ME.

[Backbeach Jake]

I have one of those severe faces, too, Swimmer. If I have a headache or other nagging pain, I tend to look very angry. People always ask why I'M SO po'ed. I'm not, always, but I try to be aware of it .
Some of the store greeters are very uncomfortable in their jobs, I try to give them a big smile and a hello in return. Life is just too short to have to wade through attitude and BS. What I do, how I act affects others, I don't want them to be glad when I'm gone, ya know. A better and nicer world starts at the end of our noses, it's up to us. We're all in the same boat, some just have better seats than others.

[Charleston]

Originally Posted by Backbeach Jake

I have one of those severe faces, too, Swimmer. If I have a headache or other nagging pain, I tend to look very angry. People always ask why I'M SO po'ed. I'm not, always, but I try to be aware of it .
Some of the store greeters are very uncomfortable in their jobs, I try to give them a big smile and a hello in return. Life is just too short to have to wade through attitude and BS. What I do, how I act affects others, I don't want them to be glad when I'm gone, ya know. A better and nicer world starts at the end of our noses, it's up to us. We're all in the same boat, some just have better seats than others.

Nice attitude Fred.

[beamie]

How about just walking in with a list of items on a piece of paper and hand it to the greeter and tell them to get all this stuff for me, I'll be back in hald an hour.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by beamie

How about just walking in with a list of items on a piece of paper and hand it to the greeter and tell them to get all this stuff for me, I'll be back in hald an hour.

I like this idea... as I said in my opening statement... i'm all for people having a job.... pick up a broom... put the hardware back in the right places ( seeing someone else just laid it in the next bin when they reaized they had the wrong thing) there is plenty of work to go around.. if.. people want to work.. one person at the door saying "good morning " is enough.. those that know me, know I'm not a grouch and am a reasonable man... but everyone has a breaking point... and when I see that many people doing nothing but aggrivating customers.. it irks me... BTW... i went in and out of there yesterday with out incident ( I had to buy a kitchen faucet) i was even nice and OVERLY polite to the greeter

[FishermanTim]

To add to Beamie's idea, give a copy of your list to a couple of these "floating" greeters, and tell them that whoever is faster wins the "HD scavenger hunt". That way you can put them to work even if they don't win!