The Home Depot — Attraction in Town of Oneonta

After searching for an air conditioner near us we decided on Home Depot. I checked their website and found the air conditioner that fit our budget and was in stock. When we got there I had to go through two different people to find where the ACs were. They didn't have the one we went there for so we asked someone that works there to clarify that and he said someone must have screwed it up because they don't have those there. As in, they never had or just that there weren't anymore? But never an apology for the screw up. Okay, I know by now you're probably thinking 'wow, well she's an entitled gem'. But that's honestly not the case. Who hasn't just wanted a simple apology. I don't think I'm asking for a lot and does good work ethic mean anything anymore when nobody even offers to apologize for causing a simple misunderstanding or inconvenience to their customers anymore. It was more like, good luck to ya! And I was beginning to think that we should be the ones who apologize for bothering them. What I remember with any orientation or training that was required before I started working at my job was to always DO for the customer and make their experience a good one. Period. Which some customers take to extremes (believe me I know). But simple courtesy things like that, I just don't see that with a lot of stores anymore in this town, especially Harbor Freight. So that's why it's not a complete 5 stars. Anyway...by that time it's like, come on pick one. The whole purpose to us getting an air conditioner so late in the day is because our 15-month-old has not taken a nap AT ALL today because the house is too uncomfortable, even with fans blowing. The sun just sits on our house. But I wasn't wanting to leave without one so I kinda felt forced to purchase something we probably could have just got at Lowe's, which is right across from us. So maybe the fact that we had a cranky baby with us or that we had to go to that particular store (which we usually don't - no offense!) was why I gave Home Depot a 3. BUT, on the actual AC review: it is AMAZING. We use it for only our bedroom that we share with our daughter and it cooled down the room SO quick. I like the automatic shut off function. It's quiet and is the perfect white noise for sleeping. Highly...

It's been a couple years but my last visit nobody would answer the page for key cutting for 5 minutes. So I cut it myself. They still have a better tool selection than Lowe's and now that I need a short 40 gallon water heater I gotta drive there again, from Sidney, back to Norwich. Lowe's doesn't have what I need half the time. Home Depot does about 3/4 of the time. But we also have a real hardware store so I avoid both like the plague.

After getting my water heater, all I can really say is that these stores are all laid out very poorly, and they always have been. It isn't just that I'm not used to it, but when things like water heaters are in the middle of a narrow, obscure isle somewhere in plumbing and all of the necessary add-on sales are scattered about isles and isles away, it makes a quick emergency stop very difficult. I spent an hour looking for my solder, torch (they didn't have the one advertised that I needed and ended up spending more on one with a MAPP tank, which I don't need) and other accessories, and that was even with a nice kid named Ryan helping me out.

The only positive thing about Home Depot is that they do have a good selection of power tools, an area which Lowe's has seriously neglected. As a former commercial tools sales rep at Lowe's, I can say that neither of these stores are what they used to be in terms of service. I'd rather go to Curtis Lumber any day, except they aren't open late. I'm not a contractor so my hours don't fit.

Meh... it's another Homeless Despot. What...

Home Depot as a store I have no issue with. They have a good variety of products, I've never had an issue with the quality, nor with their price points. I go to this store quite often to pick up supplies for my place of employment, and I always have a specific objective. I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about tools or the like, but I know what I'm there to buy. On four consecutive trips here I was told by multiple employees that they didn't have what I was looking for. I've been told they were out of stock, that I was looking for items they simply didn't carry, or that they couldn't be located. In each instance I had to go on the website on my phone, locate the specific item, see whether it was available, and then locate the aisle and bay where it was displayed. I had to do this after being given all sorts of runaround and excuses by the employees for at least 5 minutes. Its how I deal with home Depot now, by finding it online before I go, avoiding any contact with the employees, and handling it myself. As someone who worked retail for years, these people aren't doing the job of a sales associate if they can't even point me in the...