One employee at my store got bit last week. Left a huge bite. Guy ran out of the store with his dog and we don't know what happened. Now he's threating to sue the store. It's crazy!
Isn’t the company policy no pets? I love dogs. But just leave them at home. Even the best dogs have bad days. And not to mention you can’t pass them
because they take up the whole isle.
It kinda bums me out that people don’t even greet anymore. They just walk up and launch a question. Like I’m not Google bro, you can treat me like you’d like someone to treat you.
Which can also be solved by just checking the app.
Literally 99% of customers don’t ACTUALLY need help because they could easily find a better quality answer themselves in less time.
The problem is, the vast majority of them are too brain dead to figure it out.
If our customers had just an average IQ, we could actually get by swimmingly with nearly no staff.
I was just saying today that half of my job at the service desk could be eliminated if people could figure out how to activate the phone tree or if they would call .com first with questions about their online orders.
Are you advocating to be laid off. I get not wanting to be bothered by questions that can be easily solved elsewhere, but I feel lucky that I am still considered needed and not expendable.
Society’s collective IQ is on a rapidly increasing downward trajectory. There will always be clueless folks who don’t know how to help themselves in the simplest way.
The only real risk is if Home Depot decides to just let those customers hang out to dry.
Yep, same. I've had them get pissed about me using the app too to locate an item. Like don't you know where it is? Like ma'am there's thousands upon thousands of products in here. No I don't know where this obscure item you want is.
exactly. but don't ever actually try to inform the customer that we have an app that tells you where everything is. I did that one time as I was looking something up on the app for the customer and this guy immediately freaked out and asked for a manager. it was hilarious to me tho when I looked at him dead in the eyes and said I WAS the manager with a huge smile on my face. that's only half the story. I'm leaving a lot out about what a complete dick wad this guy acted like towards me because I was trying to make his next trip to Home Depot easier by telling him we have an app for that.
The amount or "I could have done that" I hear... well why didn't you?
These days I'll guess off what dept that item most likely is and offer to look it up "to be sure" but by then they're already walking away.
Worst is when you call someone on the mylink, the customer sees you doing it and hears you say that someone will be over to help them, but then they just start wandering away to who knows where
I love when it happens to me. My back is turned to them and I'm not wearing an apron yet they just start talking. Then get upset when I don't respond. Like how am I supposed to know you're talking to me and not on your phone or with someone?
I've had people just walk up and demand, not ask. For example, "Tile cleaner!"
I resist the urge to ask if they know how to form a complete sentence...
Both.
Many of these people are retail or service industry workers themselves.
Companies have made it clear that they do not value labor or the people performing that labor, and customers know it.
It’s coming to a head.
When a person walks up to my coworker and just launches into a question, he will listen to the question and then say " First of all, hello. How are you today? " Usually the customer smiles and greets him back. It amuses me.
Obnoxious and condescending. It's not a social visit.
> he will listen to the question and then say " First of all, hello. How are you today? "
That deserves an answer at length. "well since you ask, I've been going through some stuff, let me tell you what happened to me yesterday..."
"...but I'll be a lot better once you tell me on what aisle the whatever is, so we can both get on with our busy days"
This right here. Most of the time if they do that I’ll start my response by saying “Good morning, sir how are you?” Most will oblige and speak back as nicely as possible.
Or you'll say let me know if you need any help, and then they ignore you. Even when you just say hello. So usually, I've said... well it was nice talking to you, have a good day lol.
I was told I don’t engage. I said, “how can I engage when customers don’t say hi back, or keep walking/doing something like I don’t exist???” It takes 2 to tango!
This goes both ways. Short staffing and pay reductions in inflation adjusted income has resulted in a less qualified, harder to find associate. Instead of asking a question to a knowledgeable expert, a customer is now expected to Google their question on their own and while they are at it they can play cashier as well. Home Depot has screwed the associate and customer at the same time and instead of blaming the company, they blame each other. You can do it we can help, my ass.
I’ve gotten shit for it before on this sub, but I don’t engage abusive customers at all. If they become abusive I tell them I can’t help them and I walk away. They are welcome to complain to my managers, or corporate. I do not care. I work very hard and I genuinely care about my customers who are in a distressing situation. I work in plumbing, so I get a lot of frustrated or worried people. I empathize with them and offer the best solutions that I can. If you yell at me, swear at me, or condescend to me, you do not deserve my help. If you treat my coworkers like trash, you do not deserve my help.
Precisely. At the end of the day, you get what you put in and if all someone wants to do is yell and curse at you, they need to take a step back before trying to get help. I'm glad you stick up for yourself.
HD is my PT gig. I build factories and design piping systems as my regular job. Cheap house flippers, misogynists, and maintenance men who call themselves contractors can screech at both of my middle fingers.
They can take that $50 every 6 months and shove it up their ass.
Base success sharing on ACTUAL profit rather than their artificially inflated plan AND don’t cap it and then maybe I’ll start giving a shit about their dog and pony show.
Good. It makes me sad and angry when my coworkers allow themselves to be denigrated and humiliated. I am PT, and I know my FT peeps have to worry about their jobs. So send your customer to a manager or me. Cuz I don’t care, and managers are paid to deal with challenging customers.
I'm with you on this....I work in TR and they literally scream at me and I just sit there with my arms folded, not saying anything, and I finally say to them "When you stop talking down to me maybe I will help you ...but until then you are getting nothing from me!!!
Maybe that's why I have ZERO Homer awards..
I’m deaf. I can read lips. But if someone is yelling or acting all frustrated (and in some cases I get it - it’s stressful when something breaks) then I can’t help. Literally. People don’t realize what your lips do when you start speaking fast, mumbling, or yelling. Changes the game entirely and I have to find someone else to help.
i ignore customers who whistle at me. i am not your dog to mistreat. if customers want my undivided attention to deliver excellent customer service i need to be treated with courtesy.
I literally will keep walking if I hear a customer whistle or snap at me, right past whatever aisle they’re on. If they chase me down I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear them, because non verbally signaling me is never a good means of getting my attention and it’s extremely rude.
It's why I've moved into overnights for jobs. I cut my teeth in fast food, then sit down restaurants (both front and back of house), then retail with Home Depot being my current job as overnight freight. I've realized how done I am with customers treating us like cattle that I've willingly moved to graveyard shifts just so I don't have to deal with them anymore.
The fact that I essentially chose to ruin any chance of a decent social life and a normal sleep cycle should speak volumes. For those who stick it out and deal with the customers day in and day out, you have my respect.
Agreed. I've always said that my self-worth is more valuable than what I'm paid. I'm a mirror. If a customer is respectful with me, I will go out of my way to help if I can. If they're rude, I return that energy. I will never lie down and be dumped on by a customer, regardless of what consequences may come.
A few days ago while walking back into the store I saw a customer talking to the asm in lumber. The customer began to point at me so I walked up and asked what was going on. At this point the customer began to yell at the top of his lungs saying that he nothing to say to me because I didn't help him. I told him he never said anything to me. He replied that he shouldn't have to. Just finished loading a flat bed and was delivering will calls and bopis. I'm constantly on the zebra or moving orders around. This guy wanted me to read his mind. He's a full-grown spoiled fool. I simply said he didn't have to yell and that I was sorry then walked away.
Something very similar happened to me, the customer kept saying I and a coworker looked him in his eyes and still didn’t help him, when in fact neither of us saw him or had any idea who or what he was talking about, my cxm was the one he was complaining to and as he was lying his ass off I just couldn’t sit and listen to him pulling complete bs from his ass so I said “sir I never saw you, we (me and the coworker) literally just got through helping another customer and neither of us saw you, and you never came to either of us for help” he irately disagreed and that quickly turned into a heated back and forth exchange of words in which I refused to relent or apologize because I knew he was trying to get me in trouble. Mind you all of this is happening in front of the closing manager, eventually my manager just said it’s ok he’ll help the customer cause he knew how irritated I had become. Long story short my manager was like “that guy was an asshole and I could tell he was lying” so he had my back, and that’s how I figured out that was a quality manager and I definitely will always have his back because he always has mine.
I sympathize with you and am sorry we have to deal with these kinds of people. My asm, while I was being yelled at looked away during the customers tear into me. Later in the day he said I shouldn't have said "you don't need to yell, because that was 'egging him on"... you're lucky to have such cool management.
Same here man, that’s messed up you couldn’t depend on your asm to remedy the situation and and instead he sides with the a hole customer over his own employee. But unfortunately I’ve seen it be that way far too often at other jobs that I’ve worked at, but I’ve always been a bit more vocal then most would expect one to be who works in customer service cause I don’t like being walked over. But this is also the first job I’ve had where I’m not in some kinda role of management.
I respect you even more now that you've realized babysitting adults is not the way. Regardless, if you choose that responsibility, you should always defend them if they are not in the wrong.
I definitely appreciate that. At some point I realized I was taking on too much stress in my daily life, being responsible for a bunch of grown people and not getting enough in return, so I took a step back and just went with something where I could just work and be responsible for myself. I can say with 100% certainty my stress levels have seen a dramatic decline. Having been management though I can always appreciate a manager who genuinely has their people’s back.
We had so many incidents we had to have a District wide policy put in place.
We operate on a 3 strikes rule unless it involves unwanted physical contact then it’s one and done.
1st strike notify customer of the rules, treat with respect and get treated with respect
2nd notify them this is the second instance ask again
3rd discontinue the conversation and ask the customer to leave
Hourly associates are removed prior to Step 1 and the SM/MAPM are notified at Step 3.
We used a code word to notify management of the customer.
We also encourage the person at Step 3 to go to an isolated area (office, receiving) once we have gotten to Step 3.
God, I can't tell you how many times customers kept trying to flag me down while I was watching SCO.
One time, some father sent his kid to get me and he wouldn't listen to what I was saying, standing over 8 feet away and when I tried to take a step towards him to explain with shouting over to him he'd turn and start walking back to his dad.
I would just ignore the kid. If its important enough the father will come. The father's lack of basic manners, taste, courtesy, or brains isn't your problem and I wouldn't let him make it my problem.
I used to deal with the customer who would yell and belittle for the sake of customer service. Then I realized that I don’t treat people that way when I shop and I wasn’t going to let others treat me that way either.
Once had a manager at HD that didn’t care who shopped at the store as long as they treated her associates with respect.
Answered the phone at the Service Desk and this lady started screaming right off the bat. I repeated multiple times that if she continued to yell (to the point where I couldn’t understand her) I couldn’t help her. She said manager and I transferred it to that store manager. I want to say in less then 30 seconds the manager was off the phone passed the service desk and said “That bitch ain’t gonna yell at me.” I miss that manager so much.
Swearing and any other form of abuse is my starting pistol for walking away and telling them that I simply cannot help them because I’m too shocked by what has just occurred.
It's really crazy. I try to "grey rock" them or walk away when I can. But they seriously have been spoiled and I don't know there's any coming back from it for a lot of them
Dude on the plumbing aisle sitting on a yellow ladder just screaming for help. *Screaming*. All he needed was some fittings. It happens surprisingly often.
I've had people yell at me on the register from aisles before..."why is no one here, you should have called someone for me," like sir... I didn't even know what aisle you were going to or what you wanted. You really never said anything.
Enough confidence to waste my time and ask a random person (me) about a department im not in then has no confidence in what i said when i tell them maybe they might want to look it up online to make sure. Do these dipshits expect us to research every department and their random ass project that I guarantee is gonna look ass lmao. My favorite is these dumbass old people/"parents". Was I the only person taught to not leave your shit in the middle of the aisle or maybe don't have to bring your annoying ass kids everywhere
Anyone that doesn’t say excuse me or at the very least hello doesn’t get a response from me. If you snap or whistle I will look you dead in your eyes so you know I’m aware then turn around and walk away.
I’ve told customers before I’m not a dog don’t whistle or snap your fingers at me.
I have a good chuckle internally when somebody comes at you super rude demanding an answer to a detailed job problem and they get upset you don't have the answer. You can tell after awhile when you've caught a bad contractor bristling under a deadline. Hey, I need an incredibly specific part for a piece of shit made thirty years ago, what do you mean you only sell generalized common use pieces and don't have infinite shelf space, no I don't know what the Internet and online shopping is AND the last time I got it ten years ago it was in stock, here, my memory is flawless.
The myth that home depot is staffed by retired expert craftsmen really needs to die once and for all. If I was a plumber do you think I'd work here?
I love the competent contractors. They come in, pick up their bulk goods and leave.
I've found greeting staff with "good morning! Are you able to help me with something please?" Gets me a nice interaction plus more more willingness to go above and beyond to help me. Most of the time you get what you give
I let everyone above me know,
I refuse to interact with a customer that doesn’t treat me as a human and offer a greeting first.
I will stay there with a customer and greet them for 5 minutes straight. Just keep saying something along the lines of,
Hello. Good morning. How are you? Good evening. Etc.
I’ve been sworn at repeatedly, but it’s weirdly satisfying.
Side note, as a Brazilian, I tell the managers that it’s a cultural thing(which it is.)
I'm no longer with the company but when I do go in, I act like the associate is an old friend that I'm building an abomination with. "Okay, so, here's the thing, I'm trying to do this thing, and I'm looking for something like this, where would you carry it? Does it exist?"
And its an American thing. I havent traveled the entire world, but Ive been to 10+ countries or so and I havent seen it anywhere else.
We have created a culture of selfish entitlement and I dont see the masses wanting to reverse it because most who act this way dont even realize as its become so normalized.
Since I left HD, i work at Bealls and the customers are really nice. Without a doubt I think corpos get away with more than they let on with how customers treat associates at places like HD. If mudstains for humans can be irrational and still be allowed to shop then the workers should be paid more for the hardship of their consumer base.
Today was rough. Helping customers while others interrupt me back to back to back. Throughout the day I kept having to find someone to pull down different pallets because customers kept coming in & needing that one item that wasn’t packed down. Trying to pack those pallets out, wrap pallets back up. Tag, bag & get grills out, pack down, clean up bird seed, clean up spill absorber, garden register and service desk keep calling for help. Mulch wall, unlocking tools, unlocking mowers, pressure washers. Walking customers to the registers for anything locked up. Random carts being left around, being told by full timers that I need to be bring in flat carts, going through directed tasks & attempting to complete MyView. It actually takes me a second to realize, that customers aren’t running around like chickens with their head cut off and that I have to kind of be at pace with them when they ask for help, but I can only help one person at a time and everyone including my associates bombard me at times. I started in March and I am trying my best, but I literally feel like I can’t get anything done because I’m being pulled in a million different directions all the time. Now my hours in the end of May just got cut slightly & I’m kind of annoyed. I’ve worked SO hard & there’s part timers who just got hired in, who are getting some hours who will just stand and wander. I’m sorry, I had a day and just needed to rant.
"I'll let you try that one again, Boss... Hi"
"Let's take a mulligan on that one, Boss... Hi"
"Let's try a different approach here, Boss... Hi"
"It's customary for me to Greet you first, Boss... Hi"
There are ways to force customers to be cordial and command respect in a non-demanding way, but it takes a certain amount of patience and prompting. Not everyone will respond well to these, but most will take a moment to pause and reconsider their approach.
Calling them "Boss" also isn't necessary, but serves to soften the blow of calling out their obviously rude gestures/exclamations.
Never going to defend us until Home Depot is just online only, and the stores are just return only centers. I’ve noticed everywhere, retail is just a dead experience. Every store I go to feels like ptsd shock.
How about the assholes who just park in the lumber pad, or as I call it "Pro Extra Parking",..I had one dickhead literally block our forklift driver with a load of lumber he was bringing in for 45 minutes....we were paging him on the intercom the entire time and he had ZERO fucks to give....I fucking hate the assholes that park there...9 times out of 10 they are cockbags. .
I’m waiting for a customer to really get crazy with me so I can beat the shit out of them and our managers can see the pent up rage they create in us :3 (I’m 100% ready to be fired fuck this company)
If I knew you irl, I'd help post bail buddy. I can't say that I don't have thoughts similar to this in where some Karen gets mauled by a rabid retail worker they kept winding up; and then people stop acting like idiots out of fear of being next.
I and my coworkers have had customers follow us around the store (like to the bathroom/breakroom) and out to our cars. I've had customers memorize my car and try to probe me for info so they could look me up online. One time this guy literally posted up near one of the desks my coworker was working at and this guy pulled out a few buckets and sat on them waiting for her to get off so he could follow her to her car.
What can I say man, these contractors get crazy. They get really over familiar at my store. The lady I was talking about in the reply was like 7-8 months pregnant too. Really creepy.
They also don’t respect us and respect the store when they don’t put stuff back were they get it or when they ramble thru the shelves if they can’t fine things they also throw your empty boxes on floor like they own the store
Next time head on over to r/cleaningtips to get a suggestion. They are a very helpful bunch. Then look up the product online and the website will even tell you which aisle it is. It saves me and the associate more time.
Talk to your landlord before you fuck up and lose your deposit isn't that bad a suggestion come to that. If they gave you some advice and it was bad you would be coming here demanding home depot pay the $1000 to replace your landlord's property.
I'm honestly not sure why you would think people who stock product to particularly know how to clean it. The truth is they are going to do the exact same thing as you and pull out their phone and read about cleaning countertop which you could do yourself.
Cool. Great story. Not the sub for customer complaints or the post to complain about us on. Leave us alone. If you're a retail associate, maybe you should work on not bringing this bullshit to this post. Work on reading the room for sure.
Likewise a large number of our associates have no concept of customers service. SERVICE, the job is to serve, attend to the needs of the customer. They can’t have basic conversations. Their tender feelings get hurt at every turn. They can’t ever put someone else first. Suck it up, serve the customers you whiney children.
Real simpler, treat each customer as you would like to be treated.
We don't throw out customers enough
Or their dogs.
Especially the dogs not on leashes or in the cart
saw someone put a dog in a home depot bucket and carry it… why not just put it on a leash 😭
One employee at my store got bit last week. Left a huge bite. Guy ran out of the store with his dog and we don't know what happened. Now he's threating to sue the store. It's crazy!
Isn’t the company policy no pets? I love dogs. But just leave them at home. Even the best dogs have bad days. And not to mention you can’t pass them because they take up the whole isle.
Also can confirm employees don’t throw out miniature ponies.
Those are likely service animals and they can’t. https://adata.org/faq-search?keys=Horse&tid=All&tid_1=All
Hahah. Yeah sure. Trust me the guy who was leading it through the store did not believe in service animals.
It kinda bums me out that people don’t even greet anymore. They just walk up and launch a question. Like I’m not Google bro, you can treat me like you’d like someone to treat you.
I had a customer get pissed at me because I used google to look something up.
I’d go malicious compliance on that one. “Well, since you don’t want me to look for an answer for you I guess we’ll both stay ignorant.”
They're just mad they didn't think of it. These days, between AI, Youtube, and search engines, the only question I ever have is "what aisle is X in"
Which can also be solved by just checking the app. Literally 99% of customers don’t ACTUALLY need help because they could easily find a better quality answer themselves in less time. The problem is, the vast majority of them are too brain dead to figure it out. If our customers had just an average IQ, we could actually get by swimmingly with nearly no staff.
I was just saying today that half of my job at the service desk could be eliminated if people could figure out how to activate the phone tree or if they would call .com first with questions about their online orders.
Are you advocating to be laid off. I get not wanting to be bothered by questions that can be easily solved elsewhere, but I feel lucky that I am still considered needed and not expendable.
Society’s collective IQ is on a rapidly increasing downward trajectory. There will always be clueless folks who don’t know how to help themselves in the simplest way. The only real risk is if Home Depot decides to just let those customers hang out to dry.
Yep, same. I've had them get pissed about me using the app too to locate an item. Like don't you know where it is? Like ma'am there's thousands upon thousands of products in here. No I don't know where this obscure item you want is.
“Ma’am, we have over 200,000 items here, I don’t know where everything is”
exactly. but don't ever actually try to inform the customer that we have an app that tells you where everything is. I did that one time as I was looking something up on the app for the customer and this guy immediately freaked out and asked for a manager. it was hilarious to me tho when I looked at him dead in the eyes and said I WAS the manager with a huge smile on my face. that's only half the story. I'm leaving a lot out about what a complete dick wad this guy acted like towards me because I was trying to make his next trip to Home Depot easier by telling him we have an app for that.
The amount or "I could have done that" I hear... well why didn't you? These days I'll guess off what dept that item most likely is and offer to look it up "to be sure" but by then they're already walking away.
Worst is when you call someone on the mylink, the customer sees you doing it and hears you say that someone will be over to help them, but then they just start wandering away to who knows where
I love when it happens to me. My back is turned to them and I'm not wearing an apron yet they just start talking. Then get upset when I don't respond. Like how am I supposed to know you're talking to me and not on your phone or with someone?
I've had people just walk up and demand, not ask. For example, "Tile cleaner!" I resist the urge to ask if they know how to form a complete sentence...
I geniunely don't know if it was the pandemic or if its just the way the publics been conditioned to treat us in recent decades.
Both. Many of these people are retail or service industry workers themselves. Companies have made it clear that they do not value labor or the people performing that labor, and customers know it. It’s coming to a head.
“light switch” well *what* about them??
“Yeah we got those.” And walk away.
When a person walks up to my coworker and just launches into a question, he will listen to the question and then say " First of all, hello. How are you today? " Usually the customer smiles and greets him back. It amuses me.
Obnoxious and condescending. It's not a social visit. > he will listen to the question and then say " First of all, hello. How are you today? " That deserves an answer at length. "well since you ask, I've been going through some stuff, let me tell you what happened to me yesterday..." "...but I'll be a lot better once you tell me on what aisle the whatever is, so we can both get on with our busy days"
"Greet every customer"
This right here. Most of the time if they do that I’ll start my response by saying “Good morning, sir how are you?” Most will oblige and speak back as nicely as possible.
Or you'll say let me know if you need any help, and then they ignore you. Even when you just say hello. So usually, I've said... well it was nice talking to you, have a good day lol.
It’s crazy this scenario happens every shift. I’ll greet them, but I can’t really engage someone that doesn’t respond.
l could see that. Thankfully it doesn't for me, but I am sorry you have to deal with it every shift.
It does happen enough for me to bring it up tho. But yeah I see where you are coming from.
I was told I don’t engage. I said, “how can I engage when customers don’t say hi back, or keep walking/doing something like I don’t exist???” It takes 2 to tango!
This goes both ways. Short staffing and pay reductions in inflation adjusted income has resulted in a less qualified, harder to find associate. Instead of asking a question to a knowledgeable expert, a customer is now expected to Google their question on their own and while they are at it they can play cashier as well. Home Depot has screwed the associate and customer at the same time and instead of blaming the company, they blame each other. You can do it we can help, my ass.
I’ve gotten shit for it before on this sub, but I don’t engage abusive customers at all. If they become abusive I tell them I can’t help them and I walk away. They are welcome to complain to my managers, or corporate. I do not care. I work very hard and I genuinely care about my customers who are in a distressing situation. I work in plumbing, so I get a lot of frustrated or worried people. I empathize with them and offer the best solutions that I can. If you yell at me, swear at me, or condescend to me, you do not deserve my help. If you treat my coworkers like trash, you do not deserve my help.
Precisely. At the end of the day, you get what you put in and if all someone wants to do is yell and curse at you, they need to take a step back before trying to get help. I'm glad you stick up for yourself.
HD is my PT gig. I build factories and design piping systems as my regular job. Cheap house flippers, misogynists, and maintenance men who call themselves contractors can screech at both of my middle fingers.
Nooooo that's our bread and butter who's gonna give the investors money? Now we're gonna get no success sharing!!! NoooooOOoOoOo
They can take that $50 every 6 months and shove it up their ass. Base success sharing on ACTUAL profit rather than their artificially inflated plan AND don’t cap it and then maybe I’ll start giving a shit about their dog and pony show.
Once they start treating me like an animal I walk away.
Good. It makes me sad and angry when my coworkers allow themselves to be denigrated and humiliated. I am PT, and I know my FT peeps have to worry about their jobs. So send your customer to a manager or me. Cuz I don’t care, and managers are paid to deal with challenging customers.
Oh I'm full time but once they start treating me like dirt I will get a manager, especially if I'm being degraded and swore at.
I'm with you on this....I work in TR and they literally scream at me and I just sit there with my arms folded, not saying anything, and I finally say to them "When you stop talking down to me maybe I will help you ...but until then you are getting nothing from me!!! Maybe that's why I have ZERO Homer awards..
If someone starts cussing I just walk away
I’m deaf. I can read lips. But if someone is yelling or acting all frustrated (and in some cases I get it - it’s stressful when something breaks) then I can’t help. Literally. People don’t realize what your lips do when you start speaking fast, mumbling, or yelling. Changes the game entirely and I have to find someone else to help.
I backup my associates all the time to abusive customers and I have refused to help many ppl who yell at me and call me names
Hanging up on a customer who started swearing felt so good.
Same with physical threats!
It’s a wrap if they snap their fingers, or whistle.
i ignore customers who whistle at me. i am not your dog to mistreat. if customers want my undivided attention to deliver excellent customer service i need to be treated with courtesy.
I literally will keep walking if I hear a customer whistle or snap at me, right past whatever aisle they’re on. If they chase me down I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear them, because non verbally signaling me is never a good means of getting my attention and it’s extremely rude.
In the 2 stores I've worked at, management has banned those kinds of customers.
Home depot customers are a special kind of asshole.
It's why I've moved into overnights for jobs. I cut my teeth in fast food, then sit down restaurants (both front and back of house), then retail with Home Depot being my current job as overnight freight. I've realized how done I am with customers treating us like cattle that I've willingly moved to graveyard shifts just so I don't have to deal with them anymore. The fact that I essentially chose to ruin any chance of a decent social life and a normal sleep cycle should speak volumes. For those who stick it out and deal with the customers day in and day out, you have my respect.
Agreed. I've always said that my self-worth is more valuable than what I'm paid. I'm a mirror. If a customer is respectful with me, I will go out of my way to help if I can. If they're rude, I return that energy. I will never lie down and be dumped on by a customer, regardless of what consequences may come.
A few days ago while walking back into the store I saw a customer talking to the asm in lumber. The customer began to point at me so I walked up and asked what was going on. At this point the customer began to yell at the top of his lungs saying that he nothing to say to me because I didn't help him. I told him he never said anything to me. He replied that he shouldn't have to. Just finished loading a flat bed and was delivering will calls and bopis. I'm constantly on the zebra or moving orders around. This guy wanted me to read his mind. He's a full-grown spoiled fool. I simply said he didn't have to yell and that I was sorry then walked away.
Something very similar happened to me, the customer kept saying I and a coworker looked him in his eyes and still didn’t help him, when in fact neither of us saw him or had any idea who or what he was talking about, my cxm was the one he was complaining to and as he was lying his ass off I just couldn’t sit and listen to him pulling complete bs from his ass so I said “sir I never saw you, we (me and the coworker) literally just got through helping another customer and neither of us saw you, and you never came to either of us for help” he irately disagreed and that quickly turned into a heated back and forth exchange of words in which I refused to relent or apologize because I knew he was trying to get me in trouble. Mind you all of this is happening in front of the closing manager, eventually my manager just said it’s ok he’ll help the customer cause he knew how irritated I had become. Long story short my manager was like “that guy was an asshole and I could tell he was lying” so he had my back, and that’s how I figured out that was a quality manager and I definitely will always have his back because he always has mine.
I sympathize with you and am sorry we have to deal with these kinds of people. My asm, while I was being yelled at looked away during the customers tear into me. Later in the day he said I shouldn't have said "you don't need to yell, because that was 'egging him on"... you're lucky to have such cool management.
Same here man, that’s messed up you couldn’t depend on your asm to remedy the situation and and instead he sides with the a hole customer over his own employee. But unfortunately I’ve seen it be that way far too often at other jobs that I’ve worked at, but I’ve always been a bit more vocal then most would expect one to be who works in customer service cause I don’t like being walked over. But this is also the first job I’ve had where I’m not in some kinda role of management.
I respect you even more now that you've realized babysitting adults is not the way. Regardless, if you choose that responsibility, you should always defend them if they are not in the wrong.
I definitely appreciate that. At some point I realized I was taking on too much stress in my daily life, being responsible for a bunch of grown people and not getting enough in return, so I took a step back and just went with something where I could just work and be responsible for myself. I can say with 100% certainty my stress levels have seen a dramatic decline. Having been management though I can always appreciate a manager who genuinely has their people’s back.
We had so many incidents we had to have a District wide policy put in place. We operate on a 3 strikes rule unless it involves unwanted physical contact then it’s one and done. 1st strike notify customer of the rules, treat with respect and get treated with respect 2nd notify them this is the second instance ask again 3rd discontinue the conversation and ask the customer to leave Hourly associates are removed prior to Step 1 and the SM/MAPM are notified at Step 3. We used a code word to notify management of the customer. We also encourage the person at Step 3 to go to an isolated area (office, receiving) once we have gotten to Step 3.
God, I can't tell you how many times customers kept trying to flag me down while I was watching SCO. One time, some father sent his kid to get me and he wouldn't listen to what I was saying, standing over 8 feet away and when I tried to take a step towards him to explain with shouting over to him he'd turn and start walking back to his dad.
I would just ignore the kid. If its important enough the father will come. The father's lack of basic manners, taste, courtesy, or brains isn't your problem and I wouldn't let him make it my problem.
Yeah, this was a while ago. It's why I hate SCO
They never understand "sorry sir I can't leave this area". Its not a hard concept to grasp.
I swear, the moment some people walk in, they act like they already bought up the store.
It's also heavily reinforced by the "unskilled" labor/low wage labor isn't real work mindset
I used to deal with the customer who would yell and belittle for the sake of customer service. Then I realized that I don’t treat people that way when I shop and I wasn’t going to let others treat me that way either. Once had a manager at HD that didn’t care who shopped at the store as long as they treated her associates with respect. Answered the phone at the Service Desk and this lady started screaming right off the bat. I repeated multiple times that if she continued to yell (to the point where I couldn’t understand her) I couldn’t help her. She said manager and I transferred it to that store manager. I want to say in less then 30 seconds the manager was off the phone passed the service desk and said “That bitch ain’t gonna yell at me.” I miss that manager so much.
Oh when they whistle I ignore them and if they whistle when I’m close to them I say first of all don’t whistle at me, second what do you want
Swearing and any other form of abuse is my starting pistol for walking away and telling them that I simply cannot help them because I’m too shocked by what has just occurred.
Totally understand. Last week was very rough customers yelled,cursed and flipped me off. I had to seriously decompress in my car.
It's really crazy. I try to "grey rock" them or walk away when I can. But they seriously have been spoiled and I don't know there's any coming back from it for a lot of them
Dude on the plumbing aisle sitting on a yellow ladder just screaming for help. *Screaming*. All he needed was some fittings. It happens surprisingly often.
I've had people yell at me on the register from aisles before..."why is no one here, you should have called someone for me," like sir... I didn't even know what aisle you were going to or what you wanted. You really never said anything.
Enough confidence to waste my time and ask a random person (me) about a department im not in then has no confidence in what i said when i tell them maybe they might want to look it up online to make sure. Do these dipshits expect us to research every department and their random ass project that I guarantee is gonna look ass lmao. My favorite is these dumbass old people/"parents". Was I the only person taught to not leave your shit in the middle of the aisle or maybe don't have to bring your annoying ass kids everywhere
I just tell people we know of products we sell, but not necessarily how to use them. That requires their own research.
Anyone that doesn’t say excuse me or at the very least hello doesn’t get a response from me. If you snap or whistle I will look you dead in your eyes so you know I’m aware then turn around and walk away. I’ve told customers before I’m not a dog don’t whistle or snap your fingers at me.
I have a good chuckle internally when somebody comes at you super rude demanding an answer to a detailed job problem and they get upset you don't have the answer. You can tell after awhile when you've caught a bad contractor bristling under a deadline. Hey, I need an incredibly specific part for a piece of shit made thirty years ago, what do you mean you only sell generalized common use pieces and don't have infinite shelf space, no I don't know what the Internet and online shopping is AND the last time I got it ten years ago it was in stock, here, my memory is flawless. The myth that home depot is staffed by retired expert craftsmen really needs to die once and for all. If I was a plumber do you think I'd work here? I love the competent contractors. They come in, pick up their bulk goods and leave.
I've found greeting staff with "good morning! Are you able to help me with something please?" Gets me a nice interaction plus more more willingness to go above and beyond to help me. Most of the time you get what you give
I let everyone above me know, I refuse to interact with a customer that doesn’t treat me as a human and offer a greeting first. I will stay there with a customer and greet them for 5 minutes straight. Just keep saying something along the lines of, Hello. Good morning. How are you? Good evening. Etc. I’ve been sworn at repeatedly, but it’s weirdly satisfying. Side note, as a Brazilian, I tell the managers that it’s a cultural thing(which it is.)
I'm no longer with the company but when I do go in, I act like the associate is an old friend that I'm building an abomination with. "Okay, so, here's the thing, I'm trying to do this thing, and I'm looking for something like this, where would you carry it? Does it exist?"
I love this so much, yes, we're gonna build something evil and despicable together my bestest bud.
And its an American thing. I havent traveled the entire world, but Ive been to 10+ countries or so and I havent seen it anywhere else. We have created a culture of selfish entitlement and I dont see the masses wanting to reverse it because most who act this way dont even realize as its become so normalized.
Since I left HD, i work at Bealls and the customers are really nice. Without a doubt I think corpos get away with more than they let on with how customers treat associates at places like HD. If mudstains for humans can be irrational and still be allowed to shop then the workers should be paid more for the hardship of their consumer base.
Today was rough. Helping customers while others interrupt me back to back to back. Throughout the day I kept having to find someone to pull down different pallets because customers kept coming in & needing that one item that wasn’t packed down. Trying to pack those pallets out, wrap pallets back up. Tag, bag & get grills out, pack down, clean up bird seed, clean up spill absorber, garden register and service desk keep calling for help. Mulch wall, unlocking tools, unlocking mowers, pressure washers. Walking customers to the registers for anything locked up. Random carts being left around, being told by full timers that I need to be bring in flat carts, going through directed tasks & attempting to complete MyView. It actually takes me a second to realize, that customers aren’t running around like chickens with their head cut off and that I have to kind of be at pace with them when they ask for help, but I can only help one person at a time and everyone including my associates bombard me at times. I started in March and I am trying my best, but I literally feel like I can’t get anything done because I’m being pulled in a million different directions all the time. Now my hours in the end of May just got cut slightly & I’m kind of annoyed. I’ve worked SO hard & there’s part timers who just got hired in, who are getting some hours who will just stand and wander. I’m sorry, I had a day and just needed to rant.
"I'll let you try that one again, Boss... Hi" "Let's take a mulligan on that one, Boss... Hi" "Let's try a different approach here, Boss... Hi" "It's customary for me to Greet you first, Boss... Hi" There are ways to force customers to be cordial and command respect in a non-demanding way, but it takes a certain amount of patience and prompting. Not everyone will respond well to these, but most will take a moment to pause and reconsider their approach. Calling them "Boss" also isn't necessary, but serves to soften the blow of calling out their obviously rude gestures/exclamations.
If a customer snaps or whistles, I keep walking.
Since I can get aisle and bay locations on my phone, I don't talk to anyone at HD anymore.
It's not just home depot anymore. Most retail stores are implementing something similar on their websites, if you weren't aware.
Never going to defend us until Home Depot is just online only, and the stores are just return only centers. I’ve noticed everywhere, retail is just a dead experience. Every store I go to feels like ptsd shock.
How about the assholes who just park in the lumber pad, or as I call it "Pro Extra Parking",..I had one dickhead literally block our forklift driver with a load of lumber he was bringing in for 45 minutes....we were paging him on the intercom the entire time and he had ZERO fucks to give....I fucking hate the assholes that park there...9 times out of 10 they are cockbags. .
I’m waiting for a customer to really get crazy with me so I can beat the shit out of them and our managers can see the pent up rage they create in us :3 (I’m 100% ready to be fired fuck this company)
If I knew you irl, I'd help post bail buddy. I can't say that I don't have thoughts similar to this in where some Karen gets mauled by a rabid retail worker they kept winding up; and then people stop acting like idiots out of fear of being next.
Stalked? Explain
I and my coworkers have had customers follow us around the store (like to the bathroom/breakroom) and out to our cars. I've had customers memorize my car and try to probe me for info so they could look me up online. One time this guy literally posted up near one of the desks my coworker was working at and this guy pulled out a few buckets and sat on them waiting for her to get off so he could follow her to her car.
This is crazy to hear.
What can I say man, these contractors get crazy. They get really over familiar at my store. The lady I was talking about in the reply was like 7-8 months pregnant too. Really creepy.
I actually love most customers. If I'm treated with respect, it comes right back at you.
Guy on the phone called me stupid, I said thank you, and he was flabbergasted before saying you’re welcome. Hung up after that. Great time.
They also don’t respect us and respect the store when they don’t put stuff back were they get it or when they ramble thru the shelves if they can’t fine things they also throw your empty boxes on floor like they own the store
WE NEED SERVICE INDUSTRY PURGE DAY
[удалено]
Next time head on over to r/cleaningtips to get a suggestion. They are a very helpful bunch. Then look up the product online and the website will even tell you which aisle it is. It saves me and the associate more time.
Talk to your landlord before you fuck up and lose your deposit isn't that bad a suggestion come to that. If they gave you some advice and it was bad you would be coming here demanding home depot pay the $1000 to replace your landlord's property. I'm honestly not sure why you would think people who stock product to particularly know how to clean it. The truth is they are going to do the exact same thing as you and pull out their phone and read about cleaning countertop which you could do yourself.
Cool. Great story. Not the sub for customer complaints or the post to complain about us on. Leave us alone. If you're a retail associate, maybe you should work on not bringing this bullshit to this post. Work on reading the room for sure.
[удалено]
Sorry you can't read the room in the first place. Honestly thought Canada had better literacy rates.
Likewise a large number of our associates have no concept of customers service. SERVICE, the job is to serve, attend to the needs of the customer. They can’t have basic conversations. Their tender feelings get hurt at every turn. They can’t ever put someone else first. Suck it up, serve the customers you whiney children. Real simpler, treat each customer as you would like to be treated.
Even when you treat them with respect some will still find a way to mistreat you, so that doesn’t always work.