How the BORG cost themselves $6k for 2 minutes and $4 (a rant)

[sailor55330]

This is a rant, if you don't like rants, you probably won't like this one, but I had an experience in my local BORG that just absolutely set me off to no end.

Background--I am in the middle of some home upgrades---Carpet and kitchen backsplash. We were looking at carpet and tile at the BORG for the projects. LOML hadn't completely decided on tiles or carpet specifics, but about 90% at this point. While there, I decided to pick up some tools that I knew I would need (tile nippers, diamond blade, trowel, etc). The diamond blade had a shelf tag of $25.99. When I was at the register, it rang up as $29.99. I asked the cashier if they could check the price as I was sure the tag had said $25.99. Another associate came over, scanned the item with a mobile device and confirmed to the cashier "it's 29.99" without ever leaving the register or checking the actual shelf. This completely lit my fuse and I walked out. The arrogance of the employee had me so fired up I went back into the store and double checked the tag myself----it was $25.99 as I had thought. I then went to the customer service desk and asked to see a manager. It took about 5 minutes for him to show and he asked what happened. I explained the situation and he said that he was really surprised given that this particular associate usually wasn't like that, bascially defending him from the start rather than listening to all that had transpired. I explained to him that I was pretty dissapointed in the lack of effort, even if it was only for $4, it was the principle--wrong shelf tag representing the item at a lower price and no one was willing to even do a visual check. I then told him that we had been shopping for carpet and tile and that he was welcome to check my story with the associate back there that we had and that based on this arrogance and lack of customer service I would now be taking my business elsewhere and the ultimate, $4 and laziness/lack of thinking had cost him $6k in revenue. He looked at me and said "you mean I lose $6k for a $4 transaction". I said no, you lost $6k of revenue because your employees don't care about taking care of customers. Here's the part that suprised me the most--this employee was not young, I would have expected a younger employee to blindly trust the computer. This gentleman was mature, if you understand my meaning. At the end of the day, they had not updated their shelf tag pricing, which is not the consumer's burden.
Did the $4 matter, absolutely not. Did them respecting my request (and I knew I was right) matter---yes and they chose not to. WIll I ever set foot in that store again, no way on earth. I will also do my best to steer clear of all orange themed home improvement centers whenever possible.

Unfortunately, this seems to be happening more and more, which troubles me because as wages go up, service levels seem to be going down in too many instances.

Now a former BORG patron.

[greencat]

I have felt the same way about borg. Borg is my 2nd choice and they would be 3rd if I lived near a Menards. I watched a Borg manager yell at an employee for putting too much popcorn in the little bags.

Looking back on it I should have said something. I got in an argument with same manager when they messed up my paint order. They used the wrong base for 1 gallon and I used it on a few walls before I realized. I tried to explain to him that I needed more than 1 gallon to fix the mistake. He didn't see it my way.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[twistsol]

I live 14 miles from Menards and drive 45 miles to go blue or orange instead. While I would never wish to speak ill of someone, if you've ever read any news about John Menard and how he treats his employees, he may be one of the most despicable people on the planet.

[JoeyGee]

Sailor, that is appalling and I would be contacting someone higher up.

I think I have been ticked off at just about all the big boxes at one point or another. Customer service just can't be found anymore--oh, yes it can. It's at my local ACE Hardware that I am praying doesn't get swallowed up by the big boys.

[All Thumbs]

Sailor, that is appalling and I would be contacting someone higher up.

My thought exactly. Some retraining (top to bottom) is in order.

[gerti]

I live 14 miles from Menards and drive 45 miles to go blue or orange instead. While I would never wish to speak ill of someone, if you've ever read any news about John Menard and how he treats his employees, he may be one of the most despicable people on the planet.

I despise Menards' $1.99*

(*after $1 mail-in rebate)

tactics. Mail-in rebates are a pain in the neck, and they know and use that. Another reason to avoid Menards. And another one: their trim lumber and doors are upstairs in the farthest possible corner from escalator and registers. @&^%$ that!

Blue vs Orange: the one Blue store in driving distance is almost always deserted, and it is near impossible to find help. And if you find someone they usually don't know what you are talking about and/or where to find it.

In the orange stores I have always had great help when I needed it, and I did not have to look hard for it. So I may prefer the 48 car, but the orange store. Unless I can find what I need in the local hardware store(s), always my first choice.

[sailor55330]

I too am not a menarss fan. I have read stories. While I do shop there occasionally I have found that you must be very careful as their quality can be iffy. I learned that when I twisted the head of a 2" wood screw by hand. Their lumber usually substantially better than the other two though.

[capncarl]

I had an experience with the blue one, probably 30 years ago, that cost them my business for 3 store moves before I finally resorted to shopping with them on a limited basis! My bad experience was a Saturday evening I discovered that I needed something 15 minutes before closing time. (This was when they closed at 5 pm Saturday and nobody was open on Sunday). I pulled up to the front door just minutes before 5 and someone inside the store beat me to the door and locked it seconds before I got to the door! I motioned to him that I only needed 1 thing and he pointed to his watch, turned and walked away, leaving me standing at the locked door. I was so mad that I really considered pulling their fire alarm but though better of it, not wanting to go to jail because of my temper. I called their headquarters but got no satisfaction. I still have the grudge and take my business to the smaller building supply chains whenever I can.
capncarl

[jon_ramp]

I only shop the borg for what I can't get at Ace or another retailer. I long for a real lumber yard in the area.

[atgcpaul]

I've upheld my Lowe's ban for over a year after a series of mistakes on their end regarding a siding delivery.

I've noticed that HD has stepped up their game regarding approachability. In the past the associates were always going somewhere or preoccupied with something. Now they actually troll the aisles looking for customers to help.

[woodturner]

Unfortunately, this seems to be happening more and more, which troubles me because as wages go up, service levels seem to be going down in too many instances.

I think you have almost identified the issue - wages are insufficient to attract skilled and experienced help, but we won't pay more for products to get the CS we want. Basically, you got the level of CS you were willing to pay for, and others have mentioned shopping at the local builders' supply, with better CS and higher prices (usually, but not always).

Service levels vary by store - try a different HD. The idea of "pick your battles" comes to mind, too, - IMHO your reaction was excessive for this situation. It could be that attitude was conveyed from the start, which might make the cs people less willing to make extra effort to help.

By choosing not to shop there, you will really only be affecting yourself. Your $6K purchase is not a big deal for them, with the typically HD grossing $200K to $800K per day. It would be nice if a consumer or group of consumers could make enough difference that the business would notice, but sadly that is rarely the case.

[leehljp]

I think you have almost identified the issue - wages are insufficient to attract skilled and experienced help, but we won't pay more for products to get the CS we want. Basically, you got the level of CS you were willing to pay for, and others have mentioned shopping at the local builders' supply, with better CS and higher prices (usually, but not always).

I will pay for better customer service by walking to who ever has it. You are equating CS to price and salary. I equate CS to training, expectation and individual ethic. It is a little insulting to insinuate that personal ethic is dependent on salary across the board. I work with generational poverty everyday. Even among generational poverty, there are many of those that have good work ethic and work for minimum wage when they can; very polite and helpful.

Service levels vary by store - try a different HD. The idea of "pick your battles" comes to mind, too, - IMHO your reaction was excessive for this situation. It could be that attitude was conveyed from the start, which might make the cs people less willing to make extra effort to help.

I applaud his "reaction". If we only had enough people to do this. - enough to not only stand up for what is right, but willing to walk if service is not what it should be, particularly at management level. On the day he posted this, I had a similar experience concerning 20 cents on a case of colas. At the checkout, I told the lady what the sign had said. She sent someone to check and sure enough, the sign said it was 20 cents per carton cheaper. BUT someone had placed the "sale" sign on the wrong shelf. They gave it to me anyway. I went back and they more than made up for their 40 cent loss. I am a customer. It is not about my dollar and their product only, but if it is - Then that is why I go to a "Dollar Store". I don't view stores to be there for my convenience; rather I view a store as a service center as much as it is for the product. If NOT, It is not a matter of attitude, but ethic. In for a penny, in for a pound.

Once we give UP the expectation of customer service, we degrade ourselves to becoming like store. I applaud him for taking a stand.

By choosing not to shop there, you will really only be affecting yourself. Your $6K purchase is not a big deal for them, with the typically HD grossing $200K to $800K per day. It would be nice if a consumer or group of consumers could make enough difference that the business would notice, but sadly that is rarely the case.

You would sorely loose this argument if you were talking to LOML, and you would feel bad about it when she got through! Standing up for what is right even if it costs more is a matter of ethic and choice. We shouldn't judge others for taking this stand.

[twistsol]

Based on no evidence whatsoever but with over a decade of customer service management experience, I think this is more and issue with publicly traded companies vs. privately held ones. Good customer service is expensive and shows up immediately in the bottom line. Customer loyalty isn't something that can be easily pointed out on the quarterly reports and when you manage to the short term this is what you get. The attitude of the manager in this instance is also an issue. If this manager doesn't care about customer service, or doesn't see the long term benefit until it is shoved in his face, that's a long term problem and that attitude will be reflected in the people that work for him.

Sailor55330, whether you ever shop at Home Depot again or not, you may have educated this manager a bit and possibly helped out someone else in the future. If this manager just lumps you in with the "crazy customer" class, then your effort was sadly wasted. Had you been talking to the owner of a small lumberyard, you'd have either been heard, or that small lumber yard would be quickly out of business and the owner would be wondering what went wrong.

[os1kne]

For what it's worth, I think it has a lot to do with the individual location. For several years, I worked about 1/4 mile away from a HD location that was "ok" (not bad, not great). I'd pick up small items there, but when it was time for a large purchase, I'd go 10 miles out of the way to go to a great Lowe's location.

Now, I live outside Atlanta (home of HD). I have a long commute to work that probably takes me within 1 mile of 10 HD stores, with one being walking distance from my office. I pick up small items either at the location near my work or the closest HD to home on my commute (both locations are "ok"). There is another HD location that is outstanding - great service, etc. that is about 10 minutes past my home (so, not in my daily travels). I go out of my way to make large purchases there (deck materials, flooring, etc.) I know that that location probably only does half as much volume as the others, but I try to do my part to help them stay open.

[cwsmith]

I'd like to think that I'm a pretty patient and understanding guy, but I too have had many problems with HD, to the point that I really don't like to go there anymore.

In your incident however, I think you should have given the manager a chance to right the situation with you, but maybe you got the feeling that he wasn't about to do that for you; in which case, I think you were totally justified in your action.

Years ago I went to Sears to buy a lawn shed which was marked on sale. When I approached the salesman, he bluntly said that the sale price was for model "123456", not that particular one that the price was taped to. I told him that was ridiculous, and how was a customer supposed to know... he simply walked away. So I went to a local building supply store and saw a similar shed, opening the door on it, I saw a sign that had it cheaper than the Sears. I approached their manager and he questioned, saying that he wasn't aware that they had any sheds on sale that week. He asked me to show him and found that the sale sign was for the week before and that someone hadn't removed it. I thought that I simply missed out, and I asked for the current price. That manager said, "Well for you, it's last week's sale price; we should have removed the sign!"

I went to my local HD last week. First time I've been there this year. There is only one cashier in that store now, all the rest are auto-checkouts. I refuse to use such robots, anywhere. Those machines cost more than what an employee would cost them in a year or more and I simply don't think that's right.

While I think HD has significantly gone "down hill" in the last decade with their poor customer service, cut-back on both employees and tool offerings (no stationary tools anymore), and just plane poor quality product offerings (especially lumber), their profitability seems to be doing well; at least the last time I checked financials.

My local Lowes seems to be doing spectacularly well and their parking lot is always full. They also have a heckuva lot more employees and most all of them pretty well trained and knowledgeable. There are also no robot cashiers there! The customer service desk has three to four people most all of the time. Stock is also much better, though five or six years ago it was far worse than HD's.

Bottom line for my wife and I is simply that customers should, and have every right to, be somewhat demanding. I don't mean "rude" or "obnoxious", for surely whenever you deal with people one has to be respectful. BUT, as a customer you absolutely should expect good service, proper pricing, good quality, and respect from employees that you are the customer. Whenever we buy a product that doesn't live up to expectations, we have no problem taking it back and certainly when you receive poor service as you did, we bring it to the managers attention... that should be the duty of every customer!

Lastly, I don't think salary has anything to do with an employee's responsiveness, or their willingness to do their job. In many ways, I think too many of today's managers are failing in their jobs to manage and to do a proper job for both their employers and their employees. It makes me wonder exactly how some people ever got the job to begin with or what their managers saw in them when they were hired. In the case of HD, they at one time used to employ guys from the contractor industry. With only rare exception did I ever witness that as a good idea. From my point of view, an "ex-contractor" orange apron, seemed to display the same failings that was probably the reason why they were NOT in the contracting business any longer.... usually laziness and attitude. I've rarely been impressed by the older, so-called "experienced" guy who used to be a contractor and is now a sales associate. There are exceptions of course, but most simply aren't happy to be wearing that apron, and it shows.

CWS