The Home Depot — Local services in Cottonwood

I am traveling the US Southwest by motorhome. The day before I was planning to be near Cottonwood I ordered a propane space heater on Home Depot's website to pick up in-store the next day. Upon arrival I got a cart in the lot, headed inside and headed to the designated Online Order Pickup counter. Upon reaching the counter I was met by an orange apron after waiting in line for him to finish with the customer ahead of me. His first words were "What do YOU need?". This was a morbidly obese man in his 30's with greasy, unkempt hair, glasses and a strong yeasty odor distinctly like that of a fungal infection. I ignored the rudeness...I've just come to expect it any time I have to shop at a Home Depot... and answered that I was there to pick up an online order. He asked for the order number, which I immediately gave him from the confirmation email on my cell phone. Tap-tap-tap..."It's already been picked up". After a beat or 2 to process that, I told him I had just then arrived to pick it up. Still staring at the computer screen; "Per Roberta it was picked up yesterday"....honestly, I almost laughed out loud at the thought of a 'Little Britain' running sketch..."Computer Says No-ew." But now I'm starting to be annoyed, did a 5-count and asked if he could check where the merchandise is kept in that area because I had not picked it up previously. Orange Apron gave an exaggerated sigh of high drama and says "I don't even know where to begin to look". (??!!). He walked over a few feet behind him and opened one side of a large metal cabinet and spent maybe 1 second there before turning away from it, leaving the door swung open and walked around to a back area, clearly inconvenienced. About 5 seconds after he disappeared into that area out of sight of the counter, another orange apron, "Bobby" approached and asked if I had been helped. I said yes, but maybe he could assist that clerk because he seemed to be having some troubles. At that exact moment, the first orange apron came out of the back area with a box and announced "You're lucky...someone put it on a shelf back there". I had pretty much been put off to my limit at that point, but still kept a civil tone when I replied "Yes, I'm so lucky the merchandise I paid for is here". His reply back was"You got your heater, I don't need an attitude", and after putting the box on the counter, waved me away with his hand.

I won't say what I imagined doing at that moment, because it'll be interpreted by some as me being an aggressor, but I'll say that by the time I made it back to my motorhome in the lot, a piece of an older filling from a molar was lodged all gritty between my cheek & gums. Oh...and never, ever was I asked for identification at any time...not even asked my name...so theoretically, my merchandise MIGHT have been picked up and carried away by someone other than ME.

WHY is Home Depot still in business?! This wasn't an isolated event...I run into it almost every time I'm forced to shop them in ANY city because they're the only source for an item I absolutely cannot buy elsewhere nearby or wait to be shipped from Amazon. Obviously, it's a top-down problem. Lowes, on the other hand (who seem geared towards non-contractors and have a customer-focused culture), never have given me anything near this type...

I'll start with the three men who helped us in the store today first. They are the reason I gave 3 stars. DJ the manager, outstanding customer service given. Yannie, outstanding customer service. I am so sorry I did not get the name of the 3rd employee that had outstanding customer service but he was with Yannie.

Now for the worse customer service person that waited on us today. Didn't get her name, but she was a young person maybe 20 and we were back in the store with her after 3 this afternoon. Jim is a Service Connected Veteran, and has the card showing this. He does not live in Cottonwood and rarely shops in Home Depot because he's found what he's wanted in other stores. But he was here at my home in Cottonwood so Home Depot is where we went. He spent about $107 today and when he pulled his Veterans card out to get his 10% discount, which he has done many times before in this store he was told he could not use it. He was told in a matter of fact way that the store would not let her take his card. She told us that we should have gone online to register as a Veteran so we could show her our phone that would have the QR code in it! She then stated matter of factly that we from February until now to have done this.

This girls belief system is what made her give the worse customer service I have experienced in a long time. Someone should let her know that what you think shows up on your face and when working with the public non judgemental thinking would go along way in not getting bad reviews and one's tone when speaking to someone makes a big difference. As for that online registering to have to do it yearly is ludicrous! Without customers Home Depot cannot survive. We are doing you a favor by shopping there, you are not...

Went out of my way to go to this Cottonwood location because online they listed several stepladders on clearance, height and weight capacity were exactly what I wanted. Two helpful employees showed me which ladders were on clearance. Took it to self checkout where it scanned at the NON clearance price that was $40 more. The employee at self checkout asked me to go back and take pics of the shelf tag, which I did. One wide angle showing that the ladder I wanted was on clearance and a close up of the shelf tag. Employee said that price was incorrect. I explained, politely, that it was advertised online and two other employees said this was the clearance item. I asked him to see if a manager could help and he said "no"! The shelf tag was incorrect and needed to be fixed (and apparently the entire homedepot website was incorrect also!). Ha! Best he could do was give me $20 off which is still $20 more than the actual clearance price. I left with my blood pressure elevated. I expressed my displeasure to the two employees who initially helped me who were in the parking lot. They offered to fix the problem but I had already decided I would never step foot in that store again. I called the manager and gave her some feedback on their one employee's lack of common sense & customer service. Found a step ladder at walmart just down the street with the exact same specs ($2 cheaper) and I'm picking it up this afternoon. My wife used to work at Homedepot and she has some stock in the company which I'm suggesting she sell.

I passed 3 competitor hardware stores on my way to this store. Now I know where not to go in the future. never...