Home Depot Horror Stories

Home Depot Horror Stories

Stories updated 2005 two new stories

www.retailworker.com/node/15606

http://www.hill-kleerup.org/blog/mtarchive/008871.html
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4/10 - Employee hours
1/17/2000 Waste
9/6 - Home Depot blows
8/27 - Home Depot Still Sucks
7/2/99 - No 4th of July off for Air Force personel!
6/9/99 - HD kills perfectly good tree
From an ex-employee
Sad Story from Home Depot employee
Home Depot's new policy revealed - GREENWASH!
Put mom-'n'-pop stores out of business
Job interview with Home Depot
Carts full of useable items are thrown away
Neighboring Birds are Poisoned
employee's were let go

From: noname wife
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2000 11:29 PM
To: info@arcweb.org
Subject: Employee hours

Maybe you can help me. I am the spouse of a Home
Depot Assistant Manager. The store this person works
at converted to working 24 hours. Home Depot expects
my spouse to work varying shifts that span the entire
24 hour day in just under two to three months.

Specifically, my spouse will work 11 hour shifts that
vary from working days to mids to nights in a rotation
of only two months or so.

This is a very distressing situation for our family,
not to mention the health and productivity of my
spouse. I find it very hard to fathom that a company
the size of HD would not know of the destructive
nature this type of schedule plays on their own
productivity - meaning that their own managers are
always sleep deprived and not thinking with their most
productive minds. Not to mention the stress they have
to deal with when trying to sleep during the day when
their spouses and children are home. Have you ever
tried to keep a 4 month old from crying because you
didn't want to wake your spouse up? My question is
this, "Can Home Depot use it's human resourses
appropriately by hiring a single "night-time" manager
to work the overnight shifts?"

Please post this as an open forum for any response
from other spouses, and even experts in the medical
and psychological fields that can provide empirical
proof that this type of schedule is destructive to the
human condition. Fuck the bottom line of Home
Depot!!! I want my loving and happy home life back!!!!!

Subject: waste
From: wolfrun
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000 9:18 AM
To: info@arcweb.org
I can't say much because of my situation. I was just fired from HD because I asked for 2 items going into the dunpster - I was told I could have them, but true to form everyone recanted their permission after the fact. Those items consisted of 2 strips of plexiglass and 6 eight inch strips of shelving the customer didn't want. More plastic to the landfill. Well here is the rest of it! Everyday I see more and more wood, be it oak,mahogany, pine,etc going into our dumpster. They won't give it to poor people. They don's allow associates to buy cabinets displays. They would rather throw it away. Home Dpot may do some good in other vains, but their waste is beyond all imagination. HD is not all it is cracked up to be. The public has no idea of the brutality that goes on in a HD Store - both personel wise and waste wise. This is an issue I've complained of so many times to try and find ways to use our leftovers. I just simply put myself in more jeopardy everytime I made a suggestion or complained of the waste.

Subject: Home Depot blows
To: <info@arcweb.org
Sent: Monday, September 06, 1999 8:06 PM

I used to work for Home Depot about 2 years ago, and one day decided to up
and leave. I stuggled as a cashier to gain respect from the "managers"
day in and day out. my supervisor, who ended up getting caught in fraud on
the job, used to schedule me while i was in school, even though repeatedly she
was told when i could work. The managers were very unprofessional.
Also, the stores are run by male pigs. There are virtually no women
managers and sexual harrassment is rampant. Ive witnessed horrific
treatment to women and minorities daily. One time I was on a product knowledge
walk, and the manager who was giving it kept following this black customer,
because he said " there was no need for a black kid to want to buy a trash
bucket, they tend to steal you know". My boyfriend just left home depot also,
because of the racist comments by employees and managers who tend to bleed
orange. but one of the worst memories i have as a home depot employee was
having to do the stupid home depot cheer during a store meeting. they humiliated
me making me feel like a cheerleader for home depot. if anyone is
considering working for HD, look elsewhere!!!!!

Home Depot Still Sucks
To: <info@arcweb.org
Sent: Friday, August 27, 1999 9:08 AM
Subject: Home Depot Still Sucks

Congrats on your recent victory over Home Depot's selling of wood products
which come from old growth forests. I urge you however, to continue your
fight against this corporate menace. There are numerous reasons why Home
Depot STILL SUCKS. Please keep your website alive and well so I, as well
as other disgruntled consumers, can vent. Shoddy service and products are
still a concern and I'd hate to see this $30B supplier get off the hook so easily!

Besides.....2002? Bull! Ask any store manager and they will have to tell
you that their inventory turns AT LEAST four times a year. Why will you
have to wait two years to get satisfaction? Ending your efforts now will only
allow Home Depot to go back on their word because they will perceive that
the public not longer cares!!!

Good riddance to Home Depot...I'm never going back!!!

Brian L

No 4th of July off for Air Force personel!
To: info@arcweb.org
Sent: Friday, July 02, 1999 4:21 AM

This isn't a horror story, but it is a reality. I work for Home Depot(part time) and am no way writing this to protect them, Lord knows they make millions, but are too cheap to close the store for an important day as THE 4th OF JULY! I am also a government employee(Air Force) and I tried to get the day off, not so I could party it up but to honor the many vets and those who gave me the freedom to be here, and if it wasn't for me needing the part time job SO BAD, I would have quit! ON THE SPOT!!!! So try remember most that work at Home Depot are just wanting to support a family or make a living, they do pay quite well. But most importantly I along with others I work with don't agree with the Depots way of handling business
but with such a big business we don't get much say, so just go easy on the "little people" its the upper management that makes the decisions!

Kinda like being a pawn in a game of chess! But for now I have to deal with it, but I wish I didn't! any comments or ideas email me at southpawz33@yahoo.com try to keep it decent PLEASE, remember I just want to make a living!
thanks Mike

From: David H.
To: info@arcweb.org
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 1999 11:41 AM

I went to Home Depot in April to see their "Gardening Experts". I was
looking for a tree to plant in my front yard. I was sold a "flowering
crabapple tree" under the premise that it was some kind of a "hybrid
ornamental tree that would not bear fruit". I planted the tree and
nursed it for 2 months. Soon, crabapples began to appear. I
specifically did not want a fruit bearing tree, and called Home Depot to
explain my situation. I was told to essentially kill the tree and cut
it back to a stump so I could bring it in for a refund. I explained
that it was a perfectly healthy tree, just not what I was looking for.
I managed to uproot the tree, and bring it in intact. Next, I was sent
to the customer service desk. I received my refund and the tree was
placed behind the counter with all the perfectly good returned hardware.
I suggested the tree be moved to the gardening center because it was
healthy, and was told not to bother because they will just throw it in
the dumpster later. I was disgusted. Not only did Home Depot sell me a
tree under false pretenses, but when I returned it healthier than it had
been when I bought it, they would just throw it out. They had the nerve
to tell me this. Can't this tree or any other useful returns be donated
somewhere? I spoke to one of their so-called "experts" for advice on a
tree that would suit my needs, and was given bad information. HOME
DEPOT SUCKS!
Dave H., Long Island, New York

To: <arcla@envirolink.org>
Sent: Friday, June 04, 1999 12:42 PM
Subject: Home Depot in General

I am writing to you to let you know that 1) I support your protest against
the use of old growth forests by Home Depot, 2) Home Depot is known to
kill the birds trapped in the store because the managers do not want to be
woken up in the middle of the night by the alarm system, and 3) You will
receive tons of flak from employees of HD who are extremely excited about their
employee stock purchase options, and hate to see bad publicity about their
company.

I was extremely upset, however, to see that the people who are showing
"support" for Home Depot could not use valid arguments to make their
point, but instead seemed hostile and small-minded. Everyone is entitled to
their opinion about this issue, but we should all listen to both sides of the
coin. Yes, Home Depot has provided good jobs for many people. Yes, they give to
the community. Yes, they are in general a GOOD COMPANY. But, they do
practice some company work habits that if changed could benefit everyone.

The issue of old growth lumber could easily be solved by Home Depot
boycotting the suppliers, but the costs would reflect in their sales.
This would affect many people in the company from the Lot Boy to the CEO.
A good idea would be for Home Depot to be the leader in intiating a
program to stop the sale of Old Growth, at least in this country, and use it as a
marketing/sales tool to make themselves look good. Just an idea...

Now that I've rambled on for a while, I will tell you that: yes I am an
ex-employee, but not a bitter one. Home Depot is a good retail operation,
it treats it's employees well and passes along great savings to the
consumer. However, they need to look inward at some of their work ethics
and re-evaluate how they want to be viewed by the general public.
Thank you for your time.
Jojo

From: Gil G
To: arcla@envirolink.org <arcla@envirolink.org>
Date: Monday, March 29, 1999 4:19 PM
Subject: Home Depot does suck!

I guess I don't have any particular horror story to relate about HD and
I don't know enough about the old-growth wood issue to comment on it. I
just find shopping at Home Depot a very unpleasant experience.

Furthermore, I don't like huge hardware stores that put mom-'n'-pop
stores out of business. There was a great little hardware store in my
neighborhood which is now closed thanks to the likes of Home Depot.

Personally, I like to call them "Home Despot".
Great site, BTW. Saw it in an article in the Washington Post this week.
Keep up the fight!
Cheers,
Gil

From: Colin C
To: arcla@envirolink.org <arcla@envirolink.org>
Date: Tuesday, March 09, 1999 8:33 PM
Subject: Homedepotsucks

I had the opportunity to hike areas of Old Growth Forest on Vancouver
Island recently. Our friend MacMillan-Bloedel is the main harvester in
the area, although I am not sure they sell wood to Home Depot. A few
years ago I had a job interview with Home Depot for a basic entry
position. Besides being forced to wait 20 minutes for my interview (I
had another interview as well that day), I had to chase my interviewer
around the store until we finally sat down to talk. During the interview
we were interrupted by staff of the store who remained in the room while
questions were being asked. After the usual 20 minute "one on one", I
was given a math test. Kind of insulting to somone who is in
University. I wrote it all the same though, but then I was given what
amounted to be a test of my values. I was asked several subjective
questions with multiple choice answers. This allowed no space for me to
explain my reasoning. After the whole ordeal was over I was told I
would recieve a phone call would recieve a phone call, which I never did
recieve. At that point I decided to boycott Home "Despot". The
knowledge that they use old growth timber from what are truly the most
precious forests in North America just adds fuel to the fire. Anyhow,
that is my Home Depot horror story.

Subject: Home Depot Horror Story
Date:Mon, 15 Feb 1999 02:33:26 EST
From: Borismcbin
To: homedepot@companyethics.com

I have shopped at the Home Depot for a number of years and have been a
satisfied customer. However, after becoming aquainted with a friend who works
an a local Home Deopt, I will take my business elsewhere. My friend, I'll
call him "Bob" was employed at one of the local Home Depot Stores. He said
that part of his responsibility is to run the compactor dumpster; a huge
machine designed to compact garbage. He told me that nearly every day he had
to throw things into this machine that were perfectly good. Whenever a
customer returns an item that is either opened or slightly damaged; it is
thrown away. By slightly damaged, this could be a small scratch on a cabinet,
or a small dent in a bath tub. Other examples included a 200 piece tool set
with one piece "missing" . All of the tools were thrown away even through
they were new and never used!! Six or seven shopping carts full of useable
items are thrown away like this every day!
I believe strongly that once these products are manufactured (considering
the adverse environmental damage that occurs during manufacture) they shoud be
put to use; either sold at a discount or given to charities such as Habitat
for Humanity. After hearing this; I went down to the Home Depot and spoke
with the manager. He said that what I heard was true and that it was store
policy. When I asked why these items were not sold at a discount, he said
that the store receives credit from the manufacturer and would lose money if
it reduced the price. When I asked why the items were not donated to charity,
he said that was not done due to the risk of those receiving the items taking
them back to the store for credit or refunds.
All of that sounds like a lot of corporate nonsense to me. I am sure the
mom and pop hardware stores that Home Depot aggressively killed during its
take-over of the market did not practice such wasteful tactics.

Boris McCubbin
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Neighboring Birds are Poisoned

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Subject: Starting to believe!
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 09:32:24 -0800
From: "Bryan D. Mc Nally"
To: HomeDepotSucks.com
I was a Home Depot Employee 2 days ago and roughly a week before Christmas with no warning what so ever Myself and 12 other employee's were let go. They said that they could not afford to keep us yet not even 3 weeks earlier they hired alot of new employee's. this process is what they call RIFTING. I was a good employee on time and could work any shift, I guess there really are scrooges out there! julbrykat

steve
at homedepot sucks