I am getting my condo ready to sell, and as part of that process, I am getting tile floors installed in place of my laminate fake wood floors in the kitchen and entry way.  After seeing a few recommendations for Home Depot, I thought, why not, they're at least big enough to remember to call back (one of the other people I called was clearly high when I talked to him, and when I asked if he wanted to call me back at a better time, he gratefully said yes and never followed up).

 

On to Home Depot.  Home Despot.  Current bane of my existence.

 

1st trip - Find a tile I kind of like, can't get any samples to take home that night as they would have to special order it.  Given I want to sell ASAP, waiting 10 days just to see if I'd like the tile doesn't seem optimal.  I asked about tile in stock, do they have samples?  Yes, provided I want to buy the individual tiles.  Not ideal, feels a bit like a scam, but fine.  I buy three tiles in various colors and go home to test them out.  Find one that will work, done.

 

2nd trip - Hand over tile, this is what I want.  Choose grout, etc.  Pay $50 for someone to come out and measure my floors.  Home Despot assures me that someone will call me to schedule a time to come out.

 

1st phone call - Vendor calls, we schedule time to meet on the weekend.

 

2nd phone call - Different vendor calls.  Tell them I already have something scheduled with first vendor, must be some mix-up.

 

1st meeting with vendor - No show.  Call, leave messages, nothing.

 

3rd phone call (me to HD) - What happened?  Vendor didn't show, no one has followed up, what's the deal? 

 

It turns out HD had neglected to inform me that they sent my information to the wrong vendor the first time around.  When they noticed the mistake, they called the first vendor and cancelled the request.  Apparently, this also cancelled my appointment although no one told me.  Second vendor is correct, HD will make sure they contact me ASAP.  I complain fairly vehemently since I would be out $50 with nothing to show for it if I hadn't called.  As near as I can tell, HD had no inkling that there was something they needed to follow up on here.

 

4th phone call (me to 2nd vendor, 5 days later) - Hi, I'm betting you don't know me, but I need to schedule a floor measurement.  Vendor: Gosh, you're right, we thought you were working with someone else, but let us schedule you in for a workday measuring or you can wait until the end of the month for a weekend.  Fine. 

 

Measuring happens, oh joy unbounded.  Luckily, 2nd vendor is cool, very helpful.  Will have quote shortly.

 

5th phone call (HD to me) - Quote available, need to sign paperwork.

 

Meet with HD, complain a bit about lack of follow-up with vendor from last discussion since I had to call them directly.  HD helpful, sign paperwork and hand over credit card.  Am assured that everything will go smoothly from here on out.

 

6th phone call (Vendor to me) - Schedule time, by the way, are you picking up the supplies? 

 

This is news to me.  Why is the vendor unable to pick up supplies or why is HD not planning to deliver them?

 

7th phone call (HD to me) - When do you want to pick up your supplies?  Hmmm.  Ok, nice of you guys to tell me I needed to do this or pay more money to have you or the vendor take care of it.  Schedule time to pick up supplies.

 

8th, 9th, and 10th phone calls (HD to me) -

Call 8: Out of tile, can you go to Bellevue to pick up?  Me: No.  

Call 9: Out of tile, not enough time to transfer, can you go to Bellevue to pick up?  Me: Will all of my supplies be there?

Call 10: All supplies will be waiting for you at the Special Services desk tonight.

 

So I drive over to the Bellevue Home Depot last night to pick up all of my supplies.  But are they ready and waiting?  No.  The tile is there, but nothing else.  I have to go find all of the other items as no one seems to be available or even willing to help.  They can't wait to foist me off on the next person who has no idea who I am or why I am soooooo angry at this point.

 

Bottom line.  Next time, I'm hiring the vendor direct.

 

Home Depot's stock should be in the toilet; their employees are unhappy, bitter people who have no resources and their stores are incredibly understaffed for the volume of customers they serve.  The store computer systems don't even talk to each other - Bellevue had no record of my order at all.

 

In both of the stores I've been in recently, I've seen people looking at high ticket items ($1,000+) forced to wait for 15 minutes to half an hour to get help.  And often, the "help" is "Sorry, not my department".  That's just unacceptable, I hope they go under soon.