We travel two and a half hours back and forth between a home in Columbus and another near Marietta, Ohio. My initial reaction to this store was delight at the variety of items they had available in a rural area. A woman near the front of the store asked us for what we were looking and sent us directly to the plumbing area for the pump fittings and hose we needed to replace our cistern setup over the weekend. As we perused the proper aisle, we were approached by a male employee, Lynn, asking if we needed help.
I do not normally accept help from salespersons, as in most stores they have no more expertise than the customer. however, my boyfriend could not find the specific fitting size for which he was looking, so he accepted the help. When the gentleman approached the hose reels and we asked about the PSI rating on the 1 1/4 inch hose, he pointed to the signage for the one inch hose above it. I had initially looked at the wrong signage as well and pointed out to him that the price and PSI rating did not correspond with the hose about which we were asking.
Lynn had strong opinions about brass versus nylon fittings and the clear reinforced hose versus the black, less expensive hose. We entertained his explanations and asked about electrical accessories and an outdoor outlet set up to more easily locate them. Instead of allowing us to examine the shelf tags and the purchase options, the salesman placed the store-brand items in our hands hastily.
Irritated by his pushy attempts to upsell us, I left to use the restroom, and when I returned, Lynn had already cut three foot of the hose for which we had asked and had all of the suggested items waiting at the checkout counter for us. We explained that we could borrow the concrete drill bit he selected for us from a neighbor, that we could use the electrical connections from a previous pump, and that we would prefer an outlet box with a light to indicate if the well was receiving power.
After driving nearly an hour home, when we returned to our task, we discovered that Lynn had cut the one inch hose that he had incorrectly referred to the first time I pointed this out, despite our receipt charging us for the one and a quarter inch hose price. We were unable to use the hose, and called your store to explain what happened, as they would be closed by the time we could return.
Lynn argued that he cut the correct size hose for us, and the only solution he suggested was that we drive the hour to return to your store for replacement. Since I had a job interview first thing in the morning in Marysville, Ohio, it was imperative that we get our running water before dark so that I could shower. So we had to make another nearly hour-long trip into Marietta to obtain the (correct) supplies from Lowe's.
This interaction has reinforced for me that I do not want the help of any sales person at a hardware store. I expect the staff to understand the shelf labeling system as well as pay immaculate attention to detail, especially in an area where customers might drive 30 minutes or more to pick up supplies.
My boyfriend was quite upset with the waste of our time, our gas, and waiting until nearly 9 at night to eat dinner on a Sunday. I feel your staff needs to be less defensive, learn to say they are genuinely sorry, and listen more to help the customer, and not the store's bottom line. read more