here's why home depot and i broke up.....
.....because a couple of you wanted to know, and i am finally able to rehash it w/o having a coronary.
here's the timeline...this all started 2 weeks ago today:
SUNDAY----we go to home depot and pick out a new sliding glass door. the next step is to have an installation professional come over to measure to be sure the door will fit-he will contact us.
MONDAY----the measuring is scheduled for tuesday morning
TUESDAY----the professional comes to measure, thinks it will end up being an additional $50 because it seems our current door is weird sized and he will need to remove a stud to make the new one fit. (!) the next step is to pay for the door.
WEDNESDAY-----joe goes to pay for the door on this way to work. the installation professional has not yet turned in our measurements.
THURSDAY-----joe tries again to pay for the door. he is there 30 minutes and cannot get anyone to come help him. finally he leaves because he is late for work.
THURSDAY NIGHT----we go out to dinner and decide to stop and try again to pay for the door. we wait in the door department and ring the bell and no one comes. we finally flag someone down in plumbing and he tells us we can pay at customer service. we go to customer service and the guy at the desk pulls up our account and says, 'uh oh. there is no information in here.' i say, 'what do you need? the number off the door? the price? i will go get it for you.' he looks slightly frantic as he clicks around the screen. i walk away and see that there is a raffle for an awesome LG front loading washer and dryer set. i pick up one of the entry form booklets and take it back to customer service and start filling out page after page. 'no. thats not it. all of this information has to be input by a member of the door and window department in order for us to ring you up.' 'ok, when will they be in again?' 'well dont hate me, but they dont work again until saturday at 1 pm.' 'ARE YOU KIDDING? YOU ONLY HAVE 1 PERSON WORKING IN THAT DEPARTMENT?' 'yes maam. im sorry.' joe says, 'well that sucks. ok. i guess we'll come back on saturday.' then i say, 'well be sure and make some notes in our file. because this is our 3rd trip up here to pay for the door. this is a little silly, dont you think?' the poor guy says, 'yes it is ridiculous actually. im really sorry.' on our way out i drop 13 entry forms into the raffle box.
FRIDAY AT WORK----i relay the saga to my work pals. they all agree this is out of control. my pal dean suggests i ask for a discount when i go in to pay on saturday. im crabby at work and decide instead of doing 2 hours of overtime, i am just going to go home and relax a little.
FRIDAY 5PM----in stead of driving directly home, i decide to swing by home depot since its on the way and talk to a manager. i go to customer service and wait. and wait. finally i speak with SANDRA and tell her my tale, she agrees to call a manager. i wait. finally LES comes over and i tell him my problem. he says, 'wow i can see why you're frustrated. i can take 10% off of that for you. and actually, i believe there may be someone here who doesnt work in doors and windows, but still knows how to run their software and can take care of this for you right now. just a minute, i'll call her.' then he says, 'she's actually at lunch but was supposed to be back 15 minutes ago. she should be here any minute. i know you are frustrated, so if you dont want to wait, i understand but i encourage you to do so.' i say, 'ok, well just so you know, 10% is nice, but 20 % would make me feel a lot better. i'll hang out for a few minutes and see if she shows up.'
FRIDAY 5:30PM----LINDA comes over to me and apologizes for the fiasco and tells me she can help me. i follow her to the other side of the store and stand there while she clicks and clicks and stares at the computer. then she says, 'i know who can help us! let me call TIM.' i roll my eyes and sit down on a stool. TIM comes over and LINDA tells him my pathetic story and he tries to pull up the door information. first they have to get our measurements pulled up and printed out. its not working. LINDA calls KIM and has her walk them thru the process over the phone. voila, it's printed, not once but like 6 times. then LINDA leaves and tells TIM to handle it. i am sitting there with a completely unreadable blank expression on my face almost laughing at how riduculouos this is. after a few more clicks, TIM says, 'ok, lets go back and see which door you've picked out.' we walk to doors and windows and i show him the one. he looks around and says, 'hmmmmmmm. im not sure we have this one in stock! let me go find MATT.' turns out MATT is with a customer but will help me when he's done. TIM says, 'that's MATT, do not let him out of your sight. he will get you fixed up once and for all! i promise!!!' i nod. and i wait. and wait. and wait. and flip thru books with pictures of doors and windows in them. and finally MATT comes to help me. i tell him which door i want and he says, 'ok, yep we have that right here. are you taking it home with you now?' i respond, 'no. i have no way of transporting that.' he pushes, 'well what kind of car do you have.' 'its an isuzu rodeo. this wont fit in there.' he says, 'ok. well that will be and additional $25 to deliver the door to your house.' i am shocked! 'what? you realize the door is being installed right?' 'yes maam, but our installation professionals are contracted, and they would have to make a special trip over here to pick the door up. thats why we charge the additional $25.' 'fine.' i say. i am defeated. 'now we need to pick out the trim.' 'what?' i say. 'well the measurements indicate they might have to cut a stud out of the wall for an additional $50 and so we will need to replace the trim around the door.' 'ok.' 'so what kind of trim do you have now?' 'i dont know. regular?' he takes me around the corner and down 2 aisles and shows me some white trim. 'is it like this?' 'no. ours is wood and stained.' 'well what color?' i look at several different colors. 'i dont know. didnt the measuring guy write any of this down?' 'no maam.' i pick up something and say, 'i guess it looks like this. at this point i dont even care. here. i'll take this.' he looks at me. and then i say, 'and make sure that $25 delivery charge is itemized!' then i wait while he types it all into the computer. then he hands me my paperwork and tells me to go back up to the front to pay.
FRIDAY 6:50 PM----i say to the person at the register, 'i need a manager.' they call LINDA. who doesnt look as happy this time. i tap the time on my cell phone. 'its 6:50. i came over here directly from work at 5 pm. this is ridiculous. the first manager i spoke to said he would give me 10% off and that is not enough after all this.' she looks at me like i am shit she is scraping off her shoe, 'well what do you want?' 'at least 20%.' she smirks, 'ok that will be $60.' i do fast math in my head. the total is over $600 and i know thats not right. 'thats not 20%!' 'we cant discount the labor because we use contractors. i can only take money off the door itself. so 20% is $60.' i turn to her and say, 'this started on sunday. we wanted the door installed tomorrow which will be saturday--clearly that wont happen. we came here because it is right down the street from our house. we could have gone to lowes but didnt want to deal with the traffic all around that area. so we came here. we have been TRYING to give you a lot of money. this is our 4th time trying to pay for this door. and i've been here 1 hour and 50 minutes and i have spoken with SANDRA, LES, YOU, TIM, and now MATT. that's 5 different people! this is unacceptable. and now i find out i will have to pay an additional $25 for delivery? what? are you kidding me?!' she hates me. 'fine. i 'll waive the $25 too. will that make you happy?' im tired. i cant believe this. im so mad i think i might cry. 'no it wont. but im sick of this. fine. $85 off!! let me pay and get out of here.'
i pay. im furious. i call joe on my way home and tell him. he blows up. 'thats bullshit!! im going over there on my way home for a refund. fuck that! she acted like you inconvenienced her! what a bitch! we are never shopping there again!!!'
and that was the end of it. full refund. and we wont ever shop there again.
and so now you know.
lowes has been wonderful. and they said there is no need to be cutting a stud out of the wall to fit a new door!! there is no delivery fee either! i paid for the door on friday-- $675, a little more expensive and we wont be getting $85 off for stupidity, but im happy to pay for the experience we've had. after we picked out the door, someone came to measure and once the measurements were turned in-they called me to tell me that at my convenience i could come and pay for the door!! yesterday they called to thank me (!) for paying for the door and said i should be calling me w/i 48 hours to set up the installation time! its been a breeze.
fyi--i didnt change anyone's name because i dont care.