Hey Jim B

[Rob Z]

Hi Jim

One of my friends used to work on the side at HD for beer money. He called me one time to tell me that he overheard a HD "colleague" actually tell a customer to buy cheap thinset, water it down, and make a SLC compound out of it.

This HD "expert" said this was okay because it would save the customer money and that there was no real difference between thinset and Custom's Levelquik anyway.

Just thought I'd send you to this make you start drinking a little early this weekend. As for me, our new neighborhood is having a block party. Close off the street, meat on the grills, potato salad and that kinda stuff, and kegs of beer!

I'll be worthless for two days after this one.

Have a nice weekend. Where's the picture of your
golden?


Rob "I've got my 5 gallon bucket for the keg" Z

[Sponsored Links]

[flatfloor]

Geez Rob, did the customer have a "Kick Me" sign on his back?

Not too long ago a guy said he might be able to get our product into HD. no thanks.

Nice to hear your not on the road, have a blast. Around here we are in the middle of a resort area so we just hunker in until it's over, small get togethers with neighbors.

Busy for the next couple of weeks but I do want to do the picture thing ASAP just for the hell of it, not sure if the Internet can handle my likeness on there tho.

The Breveler

[Bud Cline]

I was meandering a few weeks ago thru our local Big Box when in the tile department I happened upon an elderly couple that were loading one gallon cans of Double Duty into a basket. They had 8 or 10 gallons loaded which is what drew my attention. A sales rep was there with them holding two 3/16" V-notched trowels telling them "these are the trowells to use".

I stood an isle away watching and listening.

When the couple headed for the check out, I stopped them and began asking questions. They were very hesitant to talk to me and appeared suspicious of my inquiries. I was wearing a work shirt with my contracting logo and finally had to hand them a business card just to get them to relax. All the time telling them I wasn't prospecting and wouldn't ask to do their work.

I learned these people were from the Sand Hills of Nebraska and had driven 150 miles (one way) to buy product. They already had their tile. 12 X 12 porcelain, 450 square feet. They said the salesperson had told them this was the adhesive to use and pointed them to the one gallon cans knowing they had 450 square feet of tile to install.

Long story short is after much convincing I converted them to thinset in 50# bags and saved them a great deal of money, to say nothing of a job failure.

We put the gallon cans back on the shelf and I loaded the thinset onto a cart for them. During this exchange activity the salesperson now stood an isle away watching our every move. Never once did she approach us and when I looked at her several times she would always look away, eye contact just wasn't going to happen.

Now I know damned good and well that these sales people receive training in these departments. Why in Gods name would she recommend 1 gallon cans of mastic for a job this large. Is something unethical intentionally taking place in these stores? I'm beginning to think so.

[Rob Z]

Bud

It's just the tip of the iceberg, buddy. I'm telling you that friend Jim used to call me a minumum of once a week, usually more, to tell me of the latest snafu caused by their installers or employees.

We could start a whole new forum just with HD stories.

My Dad has a book about the "Miracle" of HD. I'll get the exact author/title for your reference. I read it one Saturday while visiting. What a crock of poop. All this talk of the experts and the training at HD, and the anecdotes of how these dedicated associates went to help out people do their work, and knew so much and all kind of crap.


And don't get me started on the Expo thing. They haven't set the keg out for the neighborhood party yet...

Rob

[flatfloor]

Bud, I think it's a combination of poor training and stupidity. I once was checking the HD to see what kind of slc they were selling and was told they didn't sell any and what is it. I poked around and found some LevelQwik, or some such, "oh, is that what that is"

[John Bridge]

Jim,

Put your product in HD. The experts will see that it's used correctly.

Bud,

I don't think it's anything more than ignorance. There is a limit to how much training you can give an employee who's department carries several thousand products.

On a similar note, one time I was standing in the checkout line at HD with about 6 or 8 sacks of Versabond on my dolly. A guy comes up behind me with a few sacks of the low-cost thin set on his dolly and asks me why I'm buying the Versabond. I told him it was because in my experience it was worth the money and would do a superior job, whereupon he starts agruing with me. Says he's been installing tile for 25 years, and all that modified crap is just that -- completely unnecessary and a rip off.

You could tell by looking at the guy that he'd been around a while and really believed what he was saying. Bet he still thinks I'm an idiot for needlessly spending money.

Point is, there's a whole bunch of ignorance out there, in and out of HD.

[JC]

Ah who needs that new fangled modelfried stuff anyways..phooey


I catch those guys doing that every time I go it seems.

Last good one was a guy complaing that the glue for his outside deck carpet did not work.
Turns out he had the wrong glue and everywhere he stepped it soaked right thru the carpet...can you say trashed.