An incident at an un-named big box home improvement store

OK, I will readily admit I really dislike big box stores including but not limited to Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, and more and more often the jumbo grocery stores.

I was at Home Depot the other day looking for a way to replace a wall sconce lamp with an outlet.  Standing in the electrical area fiddling with odds and ends of electrical stuff I was witness to some really really bad customer service.

Another guy was looking buy some bulk wiring.  There was one person helping customers in the entire section, and several people looking for help, me included.  As I stood there, the guy, I’ll call Fred, came buy helping a woman looking for something.  As he left the area, another customer, I’ll call him guy 1, asked a quick question about wiring – is this number 1 or number 2 wiring?  Ok, this was interrupting Fred and his talking to the woman, but it would have been an easy thing to just say, I’ll be there in a minute, or that’s number 1, or something like that. But no, instead, Fred stops, looks back and says I’m busy now, and starts to walk away, then turns back and says what do you want me to do, jump the customer I have to deal withy you? And then he continues his rant at having been interrupted, and stomps away.  The customer who asked the question looked at me and said, what was that about?  The customer then comments about wanting to complain about bad customer service to the manager.  

A few minutes later Fred comes back into the isle, looks at me, and asks me if I have been helped.  I say to him, I think this other guy needs help, I am just looking.  Well, Fred walks away again.  Guy 1 looks at me and says what’s that about?  A few minutes later Fred again walks into the isle and says to Guy 1, what do you want?  Guy 1 asks for 25 feet of wire.  As Fred starts to measure out the wire, he starts into Guy 1:  What’s your problem, huh?  You have a problem with me, you’re gonna file a complaint about me?  The customer Guy 1 looks at him and says, “hey look, I’m just trying to get some wire, you’re giving me a hard time about it.”  Fred again says “so you’re gonna file a complaint about me?”

At this point, it looks like things might get a bit physical.  Another customer, Guy 2 and I look at each other and roll our eyes.  Just then another Home Depot guy walks up, I’ll call him Carl, looks at me, and asks if I need anything.  Again, I point to Guy 2 and say, “I am just looking, but I think he needs something and was here before me.”  

Fred is still ranting and the customer he is working with is getting madder and madder.  Fred calls over to Carl and says, go get a manager.  At this point, I am getting mad at Fred, and afraid that Fred is gonna take a swing at the customer he is dealing with.  

Carl goes to get another Home Depot guy, I’ll name Chris.  Chris walks in and asks, what’s problem.  Guy 1 starts to say that Fred is being a jerk and rude about helping him.  Chris says “whoa, let’s all calm down.  Let’s get everyone what they need, and make sure every is happy”  Guy 1 looks over at Fred and says “all I want is some wire, and this guy is giving me a hard time about it.  Chris asks back, are you getting what you need?  Guy 1 says, yeah, but I need a few more things.  At this point Fred is still ranting about how long he has worked that day, and how pissed he is that Guy 1 interrupted him with the woman customer.  Chris looks at him and says “go on break”. Fred then walks away.  Guy 1 says to Chris, I need some more wire.

Ok, so let me ask a few questions.  What was that all about anyway?

Would it make any difference to the story if I don’t mention race at all?

Would does it make a difference if I say Guy 1 is black, guy 2 is Hispanic, and I am white?  Does it make a difference if I say all three Home Depot guys were white?

How much of the problem was racially motivated, or just really bad customer service, or the over reaction of an over worked employee?

I personally think that Fred was over reacting and the entire incident was racially motivated.  I did step in and mention to Chris that I thought Guy 1 was right, and Fred was being rude and a jerk.  I still feel bad that I didn’t do more.  I am not sure what I could have done other then complain to a manager.

Interestingly enough, I for some reason got the impression that Fred and Guy 1 knew each other which seemed really strange.

•  thoughts and reasonings

  I thought it was a racist incident.  I think I should have filed a complaint.

  by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:17:12 PM PDT

  •  try cutomerssuck.com

    http://www.customerssuck.com/

    where people in customer service go to complain about how the employees treat them.  Sounds like you have had an experience with clerks suck.  The racial composition of those involved may have had an influence as does gender and age.  Women have a hard time being waited on in hardware stores and young people usually have a hard time being waited on anywhere.  My guess is if you picked up antagonism, it was really there.

    I also think you should be glad the clerk didn't follow the customer out to the parking lot and shoot him dead, as recently happened near Myrtle Beach SC .http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/156745.html

    by murrayewv on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:49:13 PM PDT

  •  I would say it was racially motivated.

    Racist is a very powerful word, and should be used very carefully. At the same time, race almost aways has something to do with it.

    by gailwax on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:50:58 PM PDT

  •  I will add this in about my take on racism

    I am a dad to an asian daughter.  I do see racially motivated things happen to her all the time.  I hear racist comments all the time.  I am sensitive to this because of her.  

    by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:11:43 PM PDT

    •  Parent to kids of a different 'color'

      We adopted a boy from Vietnam in 1968. We are white and there were three white siblings. LOTS of stories I could tell about having a Vietnamese child in those days! He has had many experiences of DWB (driving while brown). But then he also decided once to work in a Marble quarry alongside a whole lot of Vietnam vets, some rather still bitter and PTSD. They loved him and nicknamed him "Swede"

      The Vietnamese daughter we adopted faced a lot less racism. Apparently it is 'better' to be an Asian girl in our culture than an Asian man.

      All grown up now and the 'cafe au latte' grandchildren are so beautiful you would ache to see them! It is all worth it!

      But to respond to the diary. I think we should confront, even gently, ALL examples of racism we encounter if we can possibly spare the time to do it.  It makes the world a better place.

      by oakroyd on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:30:44 PM PDT

  •  Well, what I got from this whole episode

    is that you don't know how to spell "aisle".

    Bwaa!!

    /dick

    by Dem In VA on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:50:26 PM PDT

    •  It takes a pretty

      uncreative mind to spell a word only one way.

      :)

      right, write, rite, wright?

      by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:53:28 PM PDT

•  I can only say that Home Depot

  has driven me into several outbursts because of their rotten customer service.  We made the mistake of having carpeting installed;  the carpet was fine but the customer service leading up to it was a nightmare.  Then a few years later we got laminate flooring went in and it was horrible trying to get a straight answer on money, quotes etc.  Again, the product was fine but we got overcharged (I think).  They never have enough people;  their help is scattershot.  Thank god a Lowe's jsut opened up.

  by chicago minx on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:25:31 PM PDT

  •  I have made several complaints

    inlcuding a 16 page letter to thier previous CEO.  Hopefully they are going to get their act together and start providing some customer service.

    I still perfer going to local ace hardware for most things I need.

    by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:37:11 PM PDT

    •  Waste of your time to complain, HD is the Borg

      .... they manage to stay in business quite nicely without providing customer service.
      They treat women customers like lepers for things that need a forklift to access or load.
      I go to the local smaller hardware stores as much as possible, or Lowe's. I was estatic to see a Lowes recently open not too far from a HD in the town I tend to shop in, across from a really good farm store. Just praying the farm store and the Lowes can co exist, because then the HD would have to have some customer service to survive, and this is the one HD where a few times I've had to use them I wasn't such a leper.  

      by AmericanRiverCanyon on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:15:50 PM PDT

      •  There was some press about what the former CEO

        did to the employees a couple of months back. Basically, he decided that he'd pay as little as possible, which led to overworked, underqualified and really unhappy employees. Not unlike Circuit City's recent announcement of the plan to let go all the experienced people because they made more than $10.50 or so an hour.

        by VetGrl on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:38:20 PM PDT

      •  I totally agree on the leper treatment.

        Have to say Home Depot is nicer to me than the local lumber place, Proud Of Its 75 Year History, where I am completely invisible and apparently, inaudible.  I can be first in line at the counter and if the clerk knows a couple of the contractors in line behind me he will pull them off and get their orders before waiting on me.  Haven't been in there for a couple years now.  And I know enough about hardware, lumber and remodelling to work there.

        Thank goodness our local True Value hardware/feed store is hanging in there while the box stores close in.  Most of the veteran employees, the ones who know where the farm gate wheels and onion sets and stainless grommets are, are women.

        by skwimmer on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:49:54 PM PDT

•  If you want cheap prices,

  expect shitty customer service.

  That is the "big box" business model.

  Racism? Who knows.

  by ord avg guy on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:33:18 PM PDT

•  I prefer Lowes too

  I'm an old fart, but I would have stepped in to tell the Chris manager guy what Fred said and did - in defense of Guy 1.  We gotta stand up for one another against the bullys of the world.

  by moose67 on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:33:28 PM PDT

  •  Lowe's is no better with customer service

    I was waiting near the end of an incredibly long check-out line at the garden center of one of the local Lowes as the poor lonely cashier called for extra help time and time again with no one showing up. I had time to politely turn to the person next to me and ask them if they would be so kind as to save my place in line. I then walked out to the parking lot and retreived my cell phone. I walked back to the garden center, thanked the person for saving my place, and got back in line. I then place a 411 call to be connected to the Lowes I was currently stuck in. After being connected and chugging through all the automated prompts the store has when you call, I finally got to the store operator and asked for a manager. After a minute or two the manager came on the line. All the people in line around me were watching and waiting to hear what I would say. I very politely but sternly explained to him that I was stranded in line within his own store, the poor cashier is getting no response on the PA, I had to time go to my car and get my phone, my fellow shoppers were about to riot, etc... and the line has barely moved! Needless to say, a very earnest message immediately came over the PA and within about one minute the manager himself came out and opened up a register.

    Sometimes you have to be creative. At Home Depot, I just remind them when they suck that there's now a Lowes just around the corner and I have options!

    Politely confront rudeness whenever and wherever you see it. Don't be a passive bystander. If I were in the situation you found yourself in with Fred and Guy 1, I would have walked to the end of the aisle where it crosses one of the bigger aises, preferably toward the front, and said in a very loud voice,

    "Excuse Me, Excuse me! HEY!! Can we get some help around here?!! Poor Fred's about to lose it over here!!!"

    Sometimes you have to be a squeaky wheel.

    And Fred sounds like he'd be a dick to just about anybody.

    by jayden on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:29:57 PM PDT

    •  Brilliant!

      by phrogge prince on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 08:26:55 PM PDT

    •  It's always nice

      to let the person who was trying so hard to wait on everyone know that you appreciate their efforts, too, even if they couldn't do anything.

      by tryptamine on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 08:47:34 PM PDT

•  Fred is a dick.

  Melanin concentrations have given Fred excuses for being a dick in the past.  If we were all purple polka-dotted, Fred would find something new to be a dick about.

  But, strictly speaking, yes, this was racist.

  by Crashing Vor on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:33:29 PM PDT

  •  thanks, Vor

    I think this is a damn good explanation of how racism works.
    If you are a dick, you'll get a pass for being a dick to people of color.
    Doesn't mean you're not a dick.
    Doesn't mean you're never a dick to white folks.
    Doesn't mean black Guy 1 may not be a dick, too.  But he doesn't get the same dick privileges on white folks.

    by sayitaintso on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:21:52 PM PDT

•  asdf

  When you hire people at a low wage and treat them like dirt you end up with the situation we are in regarding services.  High turnover, low moral and bad customer service.  The people making all the money are at the top and the trickle down just doesn't happen.  People are frustrated, angry and feel put upon.  Race may have something to do with it, but I bet Fred just hates his job and is looking for any reason to let off steam.  He should be fired, of course, but they will just hire some other Fred to take his place.

  by BDA in VA on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:34:45 PM PDT

  •  Yeah probably so

    I did hear him complain about not having a break that day.

    by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:38:15 PM PDT

  •  yup.

    That about sums it up. Low wages+poor supervision+understaffing=bad customer service.  I'm not even sure I would blame Fred.  The only reason these places can stay in business is that they shut down all the stores who had employees who knew what they were doing.

    by tc59 on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:50:15 PM PDT

•  From the story, as told, I didn't get

  racist.  Fred and customer #1 may have had some history in retail world.  It sounds like an ugly situation but, sales people are very low paid for the amount of work they are expected to do.  I don't excuse Fred's poor customer service but, racism is kind of a leap.

  by Friend of the court on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:35:50 PM PDT

•  Maybe racist but regardless it's a common example

  of Home Depot's endemic and absolutely abysmal customer service. I refuse to patronize them any longer...drive an extra ten minutes to go to Lowe's.

  by VolvoDrivingLiberal on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:40:45 PM PDT

  •  The Jonesboro Home Depot is especially

    awful.  I wrote about it a few entries below.  The one on Scott Blvd in Decatur isn't as bad, but still they have 10 customers to every one employee (who always seemed overworked and frustrated).

    by pkbarbiedoll on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:02:19 PM PDT

  •  same here...

    I refuse to shop at Home Depot. Partly, because I can never find what I need and the customer service sucks.

    Based on the description of the events, I would hazard a guess that this is a bit of racism with a touch of sexism. "Fred" was upset that he was interrupted while working with a female customer, then proceeded to offer to help a white customer before the black customer who "interrupted" him and was clearly first.

    by Darrell J Gahm on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:07:13 PM PDT

•  I think it was just bad customer service..

  ...not necessarily racially motivated. However, I must admit that I had to draw up a mini-sketch to keep track who was who.

  by justalittlebitcrazy on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:42:27 PM PDT

•  Having worked at HD and Lowe's

  you're get the same crappy service for the most part in both at some point or other.

  They both used to care about their employees and now they don't. They both tend to understaff and over expect because it is retail and they can get away with it.

  I hate retail.

  by Chaoslillith on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:44:55 PM PDT

•  Nah HD has gone downhill fast

  I go to Lowe's now

  by Da Rock on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:47:08 PM PDT

  •  I considered getting a roofing estimate from them

    then I started reading reviews and blogs about their contracting business.  The feedback I read about major contracting through HD was appalling.  Sure, customers will gripe early and often when given the opportunity, but not usually 85% to 90% of them!  

    by skwimmer on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:54:10 PM PDT

•  Based on neighbor's experience with HD

  this past weekend I would NEVER shop there.  And it's a brand new store so it should be spiffy.

  She just had the crappiest customer service and received the most horrid product from them and it took more than four times the anticipated time to assemble after going back because they loaded two 1 of 3 boxes and no 2 of 3 box into her car.

  I prefer Lowe's or even Menards, but the best bet is your local friendly hardware store for most items.

  by Mlle L on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:47:51 PM PDT

•  Maybe Fred was just having a really bad day

  in a generally shitty life. Maybe Guy 1  comes in the store a lot and has been a jerk before. Maybe it was racism. Companies that treat their employees like shit don't get high quality employees, but people continue to shop there cuz they can save a few dollars.  

  by mariachi mama on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:51:03 PM PDT

•  I spent 30 years managing big box stores; and

  customer service isn't what it was even 5 or 7 years ago.  
  Downsizing; central checkouts; younger, less experienced staff, etc.

  That being said, first thing is ALWAYS bring a complaint to a supervisor or the store manager---truly, stores DO want to take care of the customer.
  Secondly, if this guy Fred hadn't had a break, then management is at fault and not him; though he should have been more polite to the customer--then called for assistance. Of course, assistance may not have been available.  

  Bottom line is that corporations have weened service down to such a fine line; 3 extra customers in a ten minute period can really wreck almost anyone.
  It's now the real world--corporate profit rules; and there is no going back.

  Solution--support your local Mom-Pop store; if they are still there.

  by Phil S 33 on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:52:01 PM PDT

•  "Sometimes it helps to rip into

  the occasional customer."

  

  by LithiumCola on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:55:15 PM PDT

  •  Wish I could rec that 10 times!

    Excellent.

    by mariachi mama on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:01:07 PM PDT

•  why look for racism

  when the real problem there is that Home Depot did not staff appropriately.   maybe Fred was a little racist, but god, the guy had what 4 customers at once?

  Every time I go to HD I rarely ever see an employee.  I waited 25 minutes for someone to load bags of compost in my truck.  I was so frustrated by the time someone finally came over.. I took it out on him, he understood and said it would be best to contact the home office.  Whatever.  

  Corporations have ruined this country.  

  by pkbarbiedoll on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 05:59:43 PM PDT

  •  Why do you shop there?

    Seriously, aren't there any local options?

    by mariachi mama on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:02:14 PM PDT

    •  There is

      There is a real mom & pop, independent hardware & seed store south of town.  Most of our gardening supplies came from there.  The home depot is a few miles from home, and the indy store is 40 miles away.  So, I'm kind of stuck.  

      by pkbarbiedoll on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:07:32 PM PDT

  •  I wasn't looking for racism

    I thought it was odd that the clerks kept asking me if I needed help before the two other guys.  Add that to the one clerk getting real pissed because "guy 1" asked him a question.

    by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:10:01 PM PDT

    •  Maybe Fred was hitting on the woman

      customer and Guy 1's interruption let her get away. Delusions being what they are, that could have set him off, too. That does not explain why the other two employees asked you first, unless you were closest to the end of the aisle and they came to you first or something. Fred's behavior might be easier to explain than the other two clerks. Are there any people of color working at that store?

      by carolita on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:15:58 PM PDT

      •  I was between the two other customers

        there are other people of color that work there, but non in that section that day.  Most of the people of color work in building materials or basic stocking type jobs, or the women work at the register - the one that they have open anyway.

        by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:25:16 PM PDT

•  Customer service

  varies from service provider to service provider .

  I worked a sales counter with a guy who did not know the product and would yell at customers when he didn't know the answers to questions . It was painfull to see . Funny thing was he was an ok guy except when dealing with customers .

  At a local kragen auto parts store , I look for one guy , he knows how to deal with any question , a real good guy .

  At the harbor masters office , I try to only deal with
  one young lady . She is real good at her job .

  by indycam on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:01:51 PM PDT

•  Shop Local

  when you can, otherwise, the money goes to people living in some other city. I live 50 miles from a Lowes, so we only go there when we are going to be in town anyway. Does it cost more to go to True Value? Yes, but I know the people there, and their wages are paid by me and others from the area who shop there.

  by Dems2004 on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:18:11 PM PDT

•  This sounds like poor customer service to me

  One employee in the section makes for a fairly grouchy employee. Add in a customer who pushes just the right buttons, maybe unintentionally, and it can become an explosive situation. This sounds a lot like what may happen at Circuit City with their reduction in staff. It also seems wherever I see a HD, I see a CC right next door. Birds of a feather, maybe.

  by corwin on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:19:10 PM PDT

•  I'm a white guy and....

  I'm six feet tall, clean shaven, well grommed, and very conventional in appearance.  I get-brace yourself for this now-lousy customer service all the time.  From employees of both genders and all different races.  

  Racist is a very strong term to throw around and, further, I don't think that you can credibly make that claim based off of one incident.  Maybe the Home Depot employee was having a shitty day.  Maybe he's actually an asshole to everyone.  Or maybe he is a racist, who  knows.  But making that accusation against someone based off of one observation and where race wasn't an obvious factor is, imo, very dangerous and perhaps even the height of arrogance on your part.

  by MjrMjr on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:21:42 PM PDT

  •  Would you know the subtle

    racism if you saw it?

    Racism is all around us.  I don't know if this was racist, and that is why I asked the question.  

    I do see racism all the time, in my job, at stores like this, with my daughter (asian).

    And yes racism is a powerful charge.  Arrogant, no, questioning, yes.

    by jimraff on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:27:42 PM PDT

    •  Racist is a dangerous word

      Us questioning and second guessing this guy on the internet is of relatively little to no significance at all.  But IRL, it's a label that can cost someone their reputation and their job.  A complaint is/was warranted, for sure.  Let his boss and let the store management examine his employment record and determine for themselves if he's a racist.  As the ones who observe him and receive feedback on his actions from customers who patronize their store, the store management is probably in a better position to make an accurate assessment on this guy's racial motivations than you are based on observing him perform exactly once.

      I don't think it's fair or justified to call someone's character into question based off of the incident that you observed.  

      by MjrMjr on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:37:59 PM PDT

•  It's hard to tell

  if race played a roll in it. It is a bit telling that they kept asking you, as the only white customer, if you needed help first. There is no excuse for Fred's behavior whether it was racially motivated or not. But there is also no reason that retail employees are treated as badly as they are. I have 2 family members who work at Home Depot and both agree that customer service sucks there, but that it is not usually the fault of the employees. They are way understaffed, even though occasionally there will be little to do in certain departments. This is due to the fact that in areas such as flooring, blinds and cabinets there may be one employee working the section. And it has taken my niece well over an hour on many occasions when a customer is choosing a product, ordering (which entails things like color, size, quantity, ect.) to help just one customer. So if somebody else needs help even with a quick question, there is no one with adequate knowledge of the product available to help. She does do her best to help other customers at the same time, but it's kind of a rock and a hard place type of thing. There are customers who will be gracious about it and others who are complete jerks. Dealing with the public usually sucks and those people who do are way under-valued.
  But Fred still ought to be fired....

  by jennybravo on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 06:31:58 PM PDT

•  yeah, probably

  Yeah, the incident probably was racially-motivated. I don't mean to apologize for the behavior of such employees, but like other posters in this thread, I think it's worthwhile to recognize that the big-box business model treats employees and customers alike like sh*t to keep prices down. I'd call it the Wal-Mart effect or something similar.

  As somewhat of a tangent, I had a bizarre experience at a Target about three months ago. Target is the only major discount store within 10 miles of my house and has notoriously bad customer service at that particular location. It was about 9:00 at night, and only three cash registers were open. After standing in line for about 20 minutes, one of the three cashiers decided to close and curtly told customers in her lane "I'm closed" over their protests.

  In a fit of exasperation, I leaned over from from the next lane and said something to the effect of, "why would you close your lane when you have at least 10 waiting customers and no one else to serve them?" She turned around at me and replied, "how dare you talk to me that way, you son-of-a-bitch." At that point, I lost my cool (an extremely rare event) and started yelling that I wanted to see her manager. (In retrospect, the situation had uncomfortable racial overtones since I was an upper-class white male shopping at a Target in a gentrifying neighborhood staffed largely by racial minorities from the neighborhood).

  I returned with the manager 10 minutes later and was surprised to find the cashier sobbing. Apparently after I left, an elderly black woman standing behind me in line had physically thrown something at the cashier and stormed out as well. I finally came to my senses and realized three things: (1) even though the cashier's language choice was in poor form, she was exposed to hostile customers on a regular basis and was bound to snap sooner or later, (2) it was ultimately the manager's fault for not putting enough cashiers out on the floor, and (3) big box stores perpetuate economic injustices. I accepted the employee's apology and told the manager that I had nothing further to complain about.

  by pine on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:02:19 PM PDT

•  modern life

  While it might be racist, I don't think we can say 100% for sure this is racist just because a white customer service clerk gets ticked off at a black customer.  It sounds like Fred has some anger issues he has to deal with, and is possibly overworked and maybe under some personal stress we are not aware of.
  It is possible he is suffering from undiagnosed depression or bipolar disorder.

  It is also possible Fred was just having a bad day.  Retail customer service is a very stressful job, and often people with "good" jobs are not cognizant of the stress these people deal with.

  Also, there is a lot more to communication than just verbal.  Maybe Customer Number 1 expressed his voice in an impatient, condescending or irritable way.  Fred was trying to help another customer.  I do agree it would have been much nicer for Fred to simply say "Its number 1 wire, but I'll be right with you when I'm finished with this customer, sorry we're so busy."

  The nonverbal body language and language tone we don't know about.  Its also possible Fred just hates his job, and resents going to work.  In this case, its unfortunate he is taking it out on customers.  It is also possible Fred is just a big jerk.  

  Anyway, this is modern America, with unbridled materialism, consumerism, and capitalism gone amok, with everyone in a hurry and not having the patience to wait more than a few seconds.  Its too bad that Fred is not given more help, and maybe if the big box store was not so focused on wringing out the last cent of profit out of their customers and employees they might hire a few more clerks so Fred and others have a less stressful job and everyone will be happier.

  by North Country Dem on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:06:41 PM PDT

•  Can you say "Union"?

  As in, organize a union?  As in concerted, collective activity so that clerk's get appropriate breaks, so there's a grievance procedure?

  Where are the Industrial Workers of the World when the big box stores need them?  Oh.  They're organizing Starbucks.  HD and Lowe's are next (I hope)>

  by davidseth on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 07:47:46 PM PDT

•  Home Depot employees suck balls

  Okay, I have friends who work at HD and they only quasi-suck balls, but I had a horrible experience on Saturday too.  And yeah, if my little girl wasn't with me, I would have ripped the head of the guy helping me.

  by fabooj on Mon Jun 25, 2007 at 09:00:24 PM PDT