Shopsmith Forums

...you can't ever find help at HD.
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Generally If I need help at one of the big box hardware stores, I look for the guy my age (late 40s) or older. They tend to have a clue. Failing that I look for a female employee. They at least try. If all I have left is the 20 something slacker to ask, well, let's just say I don't get my hopes up.

judaspre1982 wrote:.....
Then there are the ones that see you coming and play duck, dodge and hide.

Dave

And there are the employees I've learned to play "duck, dodge and hide" from myself. Learned from experience with their "help". HD and (B)Lowes as well.....

terrydowning wrote:Failing that I look for a female employee. They at least try.

You hit on something there. I noticed the same general principle when teaching entry level marksmanship to Plebes at the Naval Academy. The guys were more likely to have a macho attitude, think they knew it all from watching movies (even if they had never fired a weapon before) and wouldn't listen to the coach's constructive criticism. The female Plebes were more likely to approach the situation with a blank slate, listen to the coach, then implement what they were taught. Then the macho guy would get pissed that a female outshot him.

A high school age guy at Lowe's is more likely to form an answer for you before you even finish asking the question. And if he does listen to the question and doesn't know the answer, the fight or flight instinct kicks in. He just wants to break contact and get out of the situation before loosing cool points and having it publicly known that he doesn't know everything. The female employee in that situation normally doesn't care about manly cool points because she doesn't play that game* - she just wants to do her job, and do it well.

This is, of course, a stereotype - a generalization - and obviously doesn't apply to everyone.

*They play different games. Same human nature, it just manifests itself in different ways/situations.

I don't know where you shop but the HD and Lowes here have excellent, helpful employees. I have just completed two big projects (enclosing and heating my shop and the build-out of the interior of an Art Gallery in a 100 year old building) that were both beyond my construction experience and the people at HD were extremely helpful, one even showed me how to save over 50% on the design (he actually redesigned it on a piece of scrape paper) and another at the tool rental counter taught me how to use several tools I have never used (or even knew existed). Also at every entry they have an greeter who directs you to what you need and get you a human if you need it. They also stopped carrying Chinese plywood in favor of wood from Canada.

Paul,

I'm sure there are a few of us on here who would like to see some pictures and a quick write up of those two projects if you have time. Especially what design changes could save that much money. A little best practices sharing, if you will.

Somehow I think this is dependent on location, or store manager. In the suburbs of Washington, DC, I found most employees at the big box stores to be basically useless and only there to collect a paycheck. I once had a couple of guys walk away when it came my turn to load my vehicle, only to return immediately after my wife and I finished loading the plywood sheets. I did complain to the manager and pointed out the two people. Last week, here in western Pennsylvania, the guy in the lumber department asked me what I was looking for and then proceeded to select four nice 6x6 pressure treated timbers, load them on a cart that he got, and then thanked me for shopping there. And, just today I got a very helpful rundown on window treatments -- window shades, and vertical or horizontal blinds -- at a Lowes.

terrydowning wrote:Generally If I need help at one of the big box hardware stores, I look for the guy my age (late 40s) or older. They tend to have a clue. Failing that I look for a female employee. They at least try. If all I have left is the 20 something slacker to ask, well, let's just say I don't get my hopes up.

That makes sense and answers the question "Why I can never find someone to help me". There is no one there as old as I am.

I should have seen that one coming!!!

Bunch of old coots!!