I have always thought Home Depot could be a fine place to take someone on a first date, provided neither person had any interest in a second date. It would be revealing. You could learn a great deal about a person in the aisle with the toilet seats. Some people become practical there. Some become philosophical. Some pretend not to see the padded ones. This is valuable information. You go in for a light bulb. This is how it always starts. A light bulb is innocent. A light bulb suggests maturity, responsibility, a small errand performed by a person whose life is under control. But I always feel slightly fraudulent in Home Depot, as if at any moment an employee will ask me to identify a flange and I will be escorted out past the riding mowers. The people around me seem to belong there. They move with confidence, carrying ten-foot lengths of Schedule 40 PVC, half-inch EMT conduit, pressure-treated two-by-sixes, boxes of Tapcon screws, five-gallon buckets of joint compound, and coils of PEX tubing with the calm authority of people who know what all of those things are for. I carry a light bulb I removed from home like evidence. I hold it up to the rows of soft white, daylight, dimmable, non-dimmable, A19, E26, 800-lumen possibilities, hoping one of them will recognize it as family. Then you pass the cabinet hardware and suddenly remember that every drawer pull in your kitchen was chosen by someone with no affection for you. You wander into paint and realize your walls are not beige, but sad. You look at faucets and begin to think your bathroom has been lying to you. The store has a way of exposing the limits of your adulthood. You may pay taxes, own furniture, and have opinions about insurance, but then you stand in front of wall anchors and realize you have been pretending for years. There are anchors for drywall, plaster, brick, concrete, hollow doors, and situations described only by weight limits and quiet menace. The genius of the San Mateo Home Depot is that it does not shame you. It simply presents evidence. Here are better hinges. Here are shelves that imply you might one day fold towels properly. Here are storage bins that suggest your closets could stop being legal incidents. The store is not selling lumber and grout and extension cords. It is selling the possibility that your house, and therefore perhaps your life, could be adjusted. I love it. I love the smell of cut wood and fertilizer. I love the paint samples with names that sound like retired racehorses. I love the garden section, where I briefly become a person who grows basil instead of buying it in a plastic coffin at the grocery store. Home Depot in San Mateo is wonderful in the way useful places are wonderful: unglamorous, forgiving, and full of people who can turn your vague description of "the little plastic thing under the sink" into an actual object you can take home. read more

Went in to return a few items, including a rug that I ordered online. The rug came with some spots that appeared to be a manufacturing defect. Called home depot customer service number and was told that I can just bring the rug back into the store, where a full refund would be issued along with a credit of some sort for the inconvenience. Brought the rug in and Courtney over at the return department saw the notes associated with my order, unfortunately it was not noted as to how much the credit would be. Courtney could have just given me the run around and not help me try get the credit that I was told over the phone. She went out of her way to ask her fellow peers and call customer support to get the credit that I was told over the phone. A thank you Courtney, Joseph and Olivia (store manager) for stepping in and going above and beyond to make sure that I'm a happy customer. It's individual such as these that makes a difference in customer service and what's sadly lacking in businesses and industries all across the board. They are role models and examples of what customer service should be! read more

This has got to be one of the worst Home Depot's around. It's inventory is always wrong. It shows stuff in stock, That's not there. If you order delivery, they substitute items that are not what you ordered without telling you rather than canceling the order. I've had three incorrect orders delivered in the last three weeks. And they don't care they just kind of shrug their shoulders. read more

I went into this Home Depot ready to spend a few thousand dollars on recessed lighting housings, trims, and switches for a remodel. We knew we needed some guidance to make sure we were buying the right stuff, so we asked for help in the electrical department and were told someone would be with us shortly. We ended up waiting about 15-20 minutes, which honestly was fine. We were patient and totally willing to wait since this was a pretty big purchase and we wanted to get it right. While we were waiting, the only people who actually tried to help were employees from other departments who were doing their best to step in. When someone from electrical finally showed up, though, the vibe was completely different. It felt like we were interrupting their day rather than asking for help as customers ready to buy a lot of product. Whether they were having a bad day or just didn't care, there was basically zero interest in actually helping us figure out what we needed. We explained we were there to buy a large amount of lighting and just wanted to make sure we left with the correct materials, and still got little more than a point down the aisle. I was also told there's a newer manager who's only been there a month or two, and based on this experience it feels like the electrical department might have some disengaged or frustrated staff right now. The contrast between employees from other departments trying to help and the lack of effort from electrical was pretty noticeable. We were ready to spend real money and were willing to wait, but the lack of basic service was a major turnoff. We ended up leaving without buying anything and will probably take this purchase to a lighting supply store or another location where someone actually wants to help. ***Updated*** After Home Depot San Mateo thought it fit to respond. Yes, I got it resolved by going to a DIFFERENT Home Depot that wasn't San Mateo. read more

The Home Depot - This was 1 of 3 carts of housing, LED lights, smart switches, dimmers, no thanks to San Mateo HD. - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

Shout out to Tony who helped me process my returns with ease, positivity, and courteousness. Made my painful situation painless. He found my receipt and was able to process my refund after an Apple pay debacle. I learned that redownloading my apple pay credit card lead to a whole different card number which is good for security but bad if you are trying to refund a purchase. Thankfully I came to the exact store and Tony found my receipt and issued my refund. Thank you Tony for your help! read more

This Home Depot location has a steady stream of customers, but it's not too bad. There's various food places around it and tons of parking. I've gone here a couple of times to purchase random things, and you have to be a little proactive about getting help if you need it. Recently went to rent equipment to clean a car interior (portable spot and detailer) and the process was pretty smooth. They don't really tell you how to use anything, so you have to figure everything out yourself. We didn't realize we needed to buy our own cleaning solution, so we just used a random cleaner from home. Basically, we just went up to the counter, rang the service bell, asked for an extractor or something to clean a car interior with, and he said yep this is the thing you probably need, wrote us the invoice... and we were like, uh yeah so how do you use this? Then he just said to put liquid in and there you go. Haha. Be sure to note how long you will rent for, as you can go by the hour or day. They also offer limited discounted used equipment for sale. read more

The Home Depot - tool and equipment rental - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is probably the most outrageous experience I've ever had at Home Depot. I strongly suspect I was racially discriminated against. At the lumber door checkout, I was told I wasn't in line simply because I wasn't standing exactly in the center line between the two cashiers. They told me to go get in line and then let someone who arrived after me check out first. I was the only Asian person in the entire line. When I was standing there, there was no one behind me at all. I had already been waiting there in line for at least five minutes. Then they acted as if I didn't even exist and allowed the person behind me to pay. When I said I was in line, they insisted I wasn't because I wasn't standing exactly in the middle -- so it "didn't count." But the thing is, other people were also standing slightly to the left or right. No one was perfectly centered. There were no floor markings or guide lines indicating where to stand. read more

The Home Depot - The yellow mark shows where I was standing. - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

Stopped in to pick up some materials for a project my son is working on and took the opportunity to shop for a new washer and dryer. Our current washer stopped draining, our dryer is on its last leg (it's been repaired at least four times in the six years we've owned it) and both are out of warranty. We've been front load people for some time, but decided that we wanted a top loader this time around. Home Depot has a good selection and they carry brands that others don't. We've previously bought out major appliances at Best Buy. The model I wanted wasn't available at Best Buy, so we decided to buy from Home Depot. Cat was amazing. She was patient with all of our questions and went out of her way to look stuff up that she didn't have readily available. In the end, I made the purchase because of her. But...and here's the funny thing. I had to run to another part of the store while she was waiting on a supervisor to approve something in the order. When I returned, Cat had gone on break and she was being covered by Daniel. Daniel needs a lot of additional training. He didn't know Home Depot benefit features and he struggled (and eventually failed) to get the point of sale card reader to actually process my payment device. At one point he told me I needed to use a different card when the reader had yet to actually read my card in the first place. Keep in mind, I'm a confident person who knew there was no problem with my payment method. In fact, the card I used had a zero balance on it the day I made the purchase. But, his approach would have had lessor confident people feeling like they were the problem...when he was. In the end, I had to go to the front of the store to complete the purchase. While it was slightly annoying, it wasn't too tough to do. In the end, I enjoyed making the purchase and would highly recommend Cat if you are in the market for a new appliance. She'll get you the information you need to make the right decision. read more

Rented a van with 3/4 tank of gas and returned it with 3/4. The guy tried to tell me that the tank wasn't 3/4 full (see picture). Had to go back and fill it up completely just so I didn't get charged their ridiculous gas rates. Guy at rental counter needs an attitude adjustment. read more

The Home Depot - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

Soo... I am currently going through a phase of working on a lot of projects, mostly in the garden, but also around the house or the car, and buy a lot of stuff here. Selection-wise, it's good, although for some items I ended up buying online instead (at times based on staff recommendation). I cannot really see a pattern in what they carry and what not - it's not department-specific. Price-wise, I believe they're competitive - in specific cases much cheaper than online. As for the service, well... I have had staffers saving my behind through their advice and tips (namely one gentleman who very proactively helped me manage a toilet plumbing emergency)... all the way to staffers who actually turned around and walked away from me in order not to have to deal with a customer at that specific point in their lifes. Some staffers are very knowledgeable - others, not so much. Overall, I am okay with it - I managed to get most projects done pretty much the way I had planned them. Solid 4 stars read more

Love having a Home Depot this big in San Mateo--the size and selection are super valuable. Finding someone to help can be hit-or-miss, but overall it's still a very good experience for me. read more

The Home Depot - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

They close the "pro" checkout and make you use the self checkout with a camera and screen right in your face. It's the most idiotic and ridiculous ant theft/ loss prevention installation. It's particularly annoying when one store is making you check out this way and no others do. Take one of the four people standing at self checkout and put them on a register NO BODY LIKES A SCREEN 6"-8" FROM THERE FACE! read more

Nobody hates their customers quite the way Home Depot does, and I feel reasonably assured the feeling is more than mutual. This may be the worst Home Depot in the Bay Area, if not the world. They just absolutely do not care at all. Here's a very typical experience from today: I needed a small garden cart and three bags of citrus soil. I checked their web site: great, both are in stock, and there are plenty of them. The web site even has the locations. Perfect. But this is the San Mateo Home Depot, so I know to take this information with a grain of salt. I pull up to the Garden Center at just after 5 PM, still broad daylight (it's summer as I write this), and the gates to the Garden Center are closed and locked. Fine, I'll get some extra steps in by walking a quarter mile back to the main entrance and then back to the Garden Center inside the store. Everywhere inside the Garden Center is absolutely INUNDATED with LOUD LOUD LOUD and very OBNOXIOUS, TERRIBLE music. Like who even would listen to this garbage? It's all songs nobody has ever heard before and they're all awful, and did I mention they're EXTREMELY LOUD? Are they TRYING to get people to run away and not to buy anything? Because this is a good way to do it. (But again, Home Depot HATES their customers, so there's a certain kind of logic to it.) I walk to the aisle where the small garden carts are supposed to be kept. Not only are they not at the location where they're supposed to be, the location doesn't even *exist*. Mind you, it took me a while even to get to it, because I had to navigate my way around empty boxes, pallets, and other carts filled with just random crap lying around blocking the walkways. Typical. I look around for someone who works here who can help me find this thing, as supposedly there are 4 of them. Nope. Nobody works here. There's not a single worker in the Garden Center, nor any that I can find even on that quarter of the entire store. So I go back outside and get a cart; at least I can get my citrus soil. I grab my soil, load it into my cart, and then of course I get to go check out my own cart, because not only can Home Depot not pay for anyone to help customers inside the store, they can't be bothered to pay for someone to check you out either. Did prices go down at all when they got rid of all their staff? No. I ended up ordering the garden cart I wanted for next-day delivery, for which Home Depot charges me an additional $3. So I'm paying them because their inventory online is a lie. The bottom line is Home Depot hates their customers, this store especially so, and they do not care if you have a good experience, can find what you're looking for, or how much of your time they waste. Definitely avoid the San Mateo Home Depot, and if you absolutely MUST go to a Home Depot, you're better off driving down to the San Carlos location where at least they put forth some minimal effort. read more

Decent price, work was explained and the whys. Was able to choose my water heater through Home Depot. Service was good. Permit pulled and now waiting to hear from the city. If everything passes I would increase the star rating up one more. read more

I ordered an over the range microwave replacement. The service experience was unsatisfactory. They say there is a 4 hour delivery window but they dont provide as promised. The installers did not install the microwave and damaged the venting while yanking out the old microwave. then, they said they could not do the install since the hood was broken. Then, they took the old microwave and left. Would not help me move the new microwave out of the center of the kitchen. they left in such a hurry they did not eve take their stool. Do not use their installers for microwaves. read more

This feedback is specifically for Herman who helped me. He was patient, went above and beyond to not only find the item I needed but also explained the difference between the two items and tried to find the package with the least amount than the bigger pack so I didn't have to pay extra of what I needed. Great customer service. read more

Service is hit and miss, usually miss and missed big. If the website says it's in stock and on aisle XYZ, that means it won't be there. There is a total disconnect between what they say online and what is on the shelf for you to physically grab. When you are able to find someone to help, you should buy a lottery ticket that day. The Gods shine on you with good fortune. When they do find the missing product, it's still wrapped up on a pallet in the warehouse in back, and they will stock it on the shelves when they get around to it. At least they have parking. read more

The Home Depot - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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If I could give zero stars I would. Came here to rent a rug doctor to shampoo my carpets. First machine was broken. Drove back second machine also broken. Staff was not helpful at all. Will never be back! read more

Tried to get the Milwaukee m18 saw with two 8in blades for $219 as advertised, but was told the deal was over despite it saying "new deal". The employee over by the product told me it would show up as advertised and was very nice. The employees by the register were the opposite. The first immediately referred me to someone else who didn't even understand what was going on. Asked me who told me it would work I pointed out who and he immediately started telling me deal was over. I had the deal for the stores inventory already on my phone, yet he still said no even when I said asked about buying it off my phone and then having them give it to me. This isn't my first experience with Home Depot employees not honoring prices listed. If another store sold as much Milwaukee products I'd be shopping elsewhere. read more

I had a great experience working with Joe the kitchen designer at the San Mateo store. He helped me create a new cabinet design for my laundry room using colored kitchen cabinets. Joe was creative in coming up with cost saving design ideas to work around existing electrical so I did not have to incur costly fees to move electrical that was in the way of the cabinet design. He was also very patient with my many design changes. He was a helpful mediator when issues arose with the contractor I engaged through Home Depot. Overall my project turned out great and Joe deserves all the credit! read more

In January, I met my colleagues at our storage unit in Foster City, and we rode together to the Home Depot in nearby San Mateo to purchase some racks to better organize all of the stuff our organization has accumulated over the years. As soon as we arrived, I went to find the restroom. To my surprise and great disappointment, I saw an employee not wash his hands when leaving the restroom. Disgusted, I went to notify customer care, but they were busy with other customers. It seemed like they were assisting people who were picking up items - I guess there is not a separate department for that. On top of that, I was not impressed with the condition of the racks we purchased and assembled when we got back to the storage unit. I took a photo that shows the dirt/grease smudges on the metal racks. Another one shows a wrapped part that only one of the boxes contained. Was it in there by mistake, or was it missing from the other box? Home Depot can and should do a lot better. read more

Abe is a knowledgeable and kind person - he knows the store well and took me to the product after I went up and down isles and could not find the quarter inch plastic rivets for the patio chair strapping. Abe is a great asset to Home Depot and should make you proud that he chose to work for Home Depot. Thanks Abe!! read more

The Home Depot - Home Depot exit foster city - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

I made the questionable decision to try to bring home 2 sheets of plywood in my Buick Enclave SUV. Angel is a "lot associate" who helped me wrangle them into my car. He was a complete DREAM, or rather an angel, and was super friendly and helpful as we tried to maximize the interior inches and eventually tied down the hatchback with twine. I have never felt so helped. This guy MADE MY NIGHT. Thank you, Angel!! read more

The Home Depot - Plywood sheets in the back of my SUV before we tied it in - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

Its a Home Depot. They are all so similar - this one is exactly what you would expect. Big garden section. Well stocked. Not too busy. Looks to be in a safe neighborhood with little who - ha. Police up front as I left. One lady in the garden section was strolling around. I'm sure she was looking for plants for her zen garden. Contractors as expected. Usually metal stakes are in the garden section - but at this store the fencing was inside near the concrete. Somebody in the garden area was quick to point me inside toward the right direction. Today was warm all over the bay - but not so much here or San Bruno. I think overall Lowes is a better shopping experience - prices seem so similar - but somehow the competition is a little more user friendly. read more

The Home Depot - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The Home Depot's onsite management and customer service team generally provide excellent service, especially when assisting with purchases like wood and plants. However, service consistency can sometimes be an issue. It may be challenging to locate staff on the floor for assistance, but when available, team members are friendly and knowledgeable. It's a busy location. (rented carpet cleaner, purchased window treatments and plants, precut wood) read more

This place despite their selection is very underwhelming. Unless you know EXACTLY what you need and WHERE to find it in the store, you are in for, well, the opposite of a treat. There is barely any personnel in the store able to help you. If you need wood cut, bring a chair, you'll be there for a while. If you have questions about i.e some plumbing parts, good luck finding someone. I am most definitely not blaming the folks working there .. the store is ridiculously understaffed and the folks working there (if you get a hold of someone) are nice and try their best. As a company though, HD is more interested in cutting cost than providing customer service. And this has finally driven me away for good! read more

Shout out to Mr. Andrew for the excellent service. Andrew has great knowledge of locksmithing and helped us while we were waiting for the key copy. Great attitudes! read more

This review is for the rental center, rented a van on Thursday at 2:50 pm and dropped off at 8:53 am. The entire process from reserving the van online the night before was pretty smooth. To reserve, pay a $150 deposit and pick up at designated time. Once arriving at the rental center, they did the paperwork, checked ID and vehicle insurance and showed the van and went over any damage. Then was on the road. They do want you to get gas at any Foster City station and bring the receipt. There's a Arco about a mile away on Delaware to go to. Drop of was easy. The deposit amount goes towards the rental fee and any remainder will be refunded. Would use again for transporting. read more

What a headache - Be warned, pass on this I wish I would have purchased from a different location and purchased a different product. The quality is ok to low and assembly will take longer then what the box says. They shipped the wrong sofa and in order to get the right one, I had to return the product. That means all the work I did was wasted. I was told by Home Depot that Hampton Bay would reach out to me... they did not. I had to talk to 4 agents at Home Depot before I was given this only options. Ended up buying elsewhere. Sad. read more

The Home Depot - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I brought some fluorescent bulbs for proper disposal because right now they are listed on San Mateo County Health site as a current drop off location for florescent bulbs 8 foot or less. I walked and saw a manager and asked her where to drop these off. She said Recology. I was shocked because every other Home Depot I've been to accepts them, not to mention they are listed as a drop off location. She said "we don't have a place for those." Well, lady, they shouldn't have a place for you either. As I walked to check out a forklift driver drove by and he was complaining out loud about how nobody wants to do work that needed to be done, giving further insight on the work culture at this location. I miss Orchard Supply. I blame California, minimum wage is way too high. They probably can't afford to get quality people in there. Reference link: https://www.smchealth.org/post/where-recycle-fluorescent-lights read more

Terrible on line ordering poor stock control. No one cares , what happened HOMEDEPOT? Use to be good now your hit or miss store ,, driving us veterans to shop smaller venues like Ace or Osh read more

Got to Home Depot I ordered 10 bags of bark and I had no idea how heavy they were so I had to switch to a delivery and Honorio and Crystal in the order department were so kind and they set up a delivery for me for just a couple days from now at no additional cost, give them five stars give them a promotion and a pay raise read more

Came in to do two simple tasks. Return a set of hand tools, and actually purchase a bigger set. Should've been 10 minutes in and out. Spent thirty minutes in the return line, two gentleman before me were already standing there and a little upset and impatient. Figured that it couldn't be that bad (mistake number one). Only one associate was working with another customer attempting to do some special order return. He called a manager and they both proceeded to address the customer. Meanwhile the line is now complete out the entrance doors, and one lady had her cart lock up because the line was so stagnant. People behind me were also getting grumpy and frustrated. Now, I spent almost five years as a front end manager working retail at another large retail corporation. So I know how tough it is on associates and dealing with people. Whenever a customer had an issue, and leadership was called to resolve, we had it engrained in us to keep the flow going. There is no handoff or sense of urgency from either associate or manager in this instance. No thought of, "man, I've been with this customer for almost half an hour, I should probably get a move on and help other people now that there are two of us." Finally complete the return. Go to the handtools, fall in another line and complete my purchase via self checkout. I proceed to walk back through the store towards returns to check out some flowers for wife at home, decide to pass and leave. I get stopped by an undercover worker who asks to see receipt. Seriously? There's a ton of other people walking in and out of this store with a bunch of items, well over the price of my $30 set. Mind you this is in front of the now massive return line, leading out the door. Way to racially profile someone with darker complexion and curly hair. Oh. And the original customer that held up the return line in the first place, is still there... talking to the same original associate and manager. At least they finally called one other person to help out the other nice folks in line. read more

They charge $50 for carpet floor measurements and the trap is even if you have paid $50, they will over measure your floor. My measurement is 40% than the actual size. When I called and ask that why, the guy got pissed off and says it is normal overhead. It ok for you to charge me a more expensive installation fee, but please be a honest business read more

I had Bay Fireside Pros out for a chimney inspection, and they were excellent from start to finish. They recommended a crown resurface and installed a new chimney cap on the spot. Super professional and efficient, highly recommend if you need any inspection work in the Bay Area! read more

Terrible service. I was requesting assistance from anyone that was capable of getting a storage bin. Two women ignores continued to chat about their "fine co worker" one long hair gentleman responded, "oh I'm on two/tour" just walked away. Could you be any lazier? Couldn't possibly just find someone? Absolutely pathetic. Eventually a man dude did help me, and I thanked him. However, it shouldn't have taken this long just for one storage bin. read more

Well back to one star from two. You just can't get an employee to open the locked cage. Even used the app to get an employee. If I didn't have a gift certificate I wouldn't be here. I guess Amazon will be my go to read more

Music in garden center is unbearable to be around. Today at 9:30 a..m. one person is in garden center. Staff said it has been quiet all week (no customers), and that they have to listen to the horrible music also. We customers have complained about this for years. I will not shop in garden center, even though they have beautiful plants. Thank heavens there is not the music problem in the store, only the garden center. Why hasn't this been turned off and let people browse and spend their money in peace an quiet. read more

Wondering why this location is super low on there reviews!! Every time I visit this place I found everything. Customer service it's great. Any way definitely 5 stars read more

SALVATORE AND ANDY FROM THE PAINT DESK!! They helped me out with fixing my color, it went all smooth!! They were very helpful and lenient when I told them the problem and they fixed it immediately. Just great customer service overall :)!! THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN!! 10000/10 service read more