I recently had a GREAT customer service experience that I have to share with all of you! I'm the first one to complain when I have a bad experience (like with Sears or Comcast), and I want to be sure and share the good ones too.
A few weeks ago I was in the market for a new lawn mower (my 17-year-old Craftsman has been on its last leg for years now). I did my research with Consumer Reports and decided that Toro was the way to go (great blend between cost and performance.) I had it narrowed down to a few models, and off we went to Home Depot to see what they had.
It took us awhile to hunt down the department manager there, but once we did he was able to answer our questions. He did a decent job -- not adding anything extra we might want/need to know, but certainly taking the time to answer everything we had questions about. Finally we decided on a model and he helped me load it (in the box) on a cart. I pushed it to the checkout, waited a bit for a self-serve line to open, paid for it, took it to my car and loaded it in. When I got home, I took it out of the box and set it up (not a big deal -- maybe 30 minutes to do.)
But something wasn't right with the mower. First, it sucked gas like a hog. I had to fill it up TWICE to do my lawn (which my old lawnmower would do in less than one filling.) Second, it didn't go backwards very well. The self-propelled wheels were supposed to disengage after I stopped pushing it forward, but they never did. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with the mower. So after two mowings (I wanted to be sure there was a problem with it -- and there was), I was done with it.
We called Home Depot to make sure they would take it back and they said they would since we'd purchased it less than 30 days ago. When we got to the store, they did what they said -- they took it back -- so kudos to them. They offered us a replacement, but we said we wanted to think about our next step a bit more.
The next day I did some more research and found that 1) there were a lot more models of Toros than what Consumer Reports had listed and 2) there was an authorized Toro dealer (or whatever they called their "repair center" partners) close to where we shop (just a mile east -- somewhere we usually don't go.) It was a True Value hardware store. So I downloaded a Toro brochure detailing all their models and off we went to True Value.
When we arrived, a young sales associate was in the mower area. He had a decent amount of knowledge about the products (about the same as the guy from Home Depot), but it was clear that by this time I knew more than he did. Then the owner of the store showed up on the scene (the store had been in his family for something like 50 years). This guy knew everything about every mower they had (and they had a huge selection of Toros.) He answered all my questions in complete detail and volunteered extra information that I wanted to know but didn't even know to ask. He spent 30+ minutes or so with us, taking us through the pros and cons of each mower. He also noted that his prices were the same as the ones at Home Depot (a fact I confirmed later online -- he did have good prices compared to HD and to other stores.)
I thanked him for his time and told him my wife and I would talk it over and decide what to do. He gave me his name and phone number and said if I wanted to get a mower from them to call him in advance and he'd have it ready for me when I showed up -- as long as I gave him 20 minutes or so notice.
Over the next couple of days we decided which model we wanted (it was actually a higher-end, more expensive model than what we got at Home Depot -- a model HD didn't carry.) I called the owner and told him I'd like to buy the item and would pick it up the next day and he said it would be ready for me.
When I showed up the next day, the mower was at the front of the store with my name on it. It was fully assembled (the owner said "we don't sell anything in a box") and full of both oil and gas. The paperwork was complete and I simply handed them my credit card and the transaction was done. When completed, he took me through a few things that were unique to my machine, then he went out to my car with me and helped me load it up. I felt very well taken care of and decided that when I needed some other hardware items, I would shop there.
A few days later, I got a message from the True Value store at home. The owner told me that the day after I purchased my mower that Toro had declared a $40 rebate on the item. He said he wouldn't feel right if I didn't get the rebate since it was so close to the announcement, so if I'd stop in with my registration card, he'd make it right. I stopped by a few days later, saw the owner, and he rung me up. I left with $40 in cash!
Now, do you think Home Depot would have done that? No way. In addition, they didn't spend the time, have the knowledge, and have the selection that the True Value owner did (though they both had the same prices). Since then I've been telling everyone I know about this great True Value store that I love. And I'm determined to shop there when I need something. Sure it's a bit out of my way, but for service like that, I'm willing to drive the extra distance.
A few weeks ago I was in the market for a new lawn mower (my 17-year-old Craftsman has been on its last leg for years now). I did my research with Consumer Reports and decided that Toro was the way to go (great blend between cost and performance.) I had it narrowed down to a few models, and off we went to Home Depot to see what they had.
It took us awhile to hunt down the department manager there, but once we did he was able to answer our questions. He did a decent job -- not adding anything extra we might want/need to know, but certainly taking the time to answer everything we had questions about. Finally we decided on a model and he helped me load it (in the box) on a cart. I pushed it to the checkout, waited a bit for a self-serve line to open, paid for it, took it to my car and loaded it in. When I got home, I took it out of the box and set it up (not a big deal -- maybe 30 minutes to do.)
But something wasn't right with the mower. First, it sucked gas like a hog. I had to fill it up TWICE to do my lawn (which my old lawnmower would do in less than one filling.) Second, it didn't go backwards very well. The self-propelled wheels were supposed to disengage after I stopped pushing it forward, but they never did. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with the mower. So after two mowings (I wanted to be sure there was a problem with it -- and there was), I was done with it.
We called Home Depot to make sure they would take it back and they said they would since we'd purchased it less than 30 days ago. When we got to the store, they did what they said -- they took it back -- so kudos to them. They offered us a replacement, but we said we wanted to think about our next step a bit more.
The next day I did some more research and found that 1) there were a lot more models of Toros than what Consumer Reports had listed and 2) there was an authorized Toro dealer (or whatever they called their "repair center" partners) close to where we shop (just a mile east -- somewhere we usually don't go.) It was a True Value hardware store. So I downloaded a Toro brochure detailing all their models and off we went to True Value.
When we arrived, a young sales associate was in the mower area. He had a decent amount of knowledge about the products (about the same as the guy from Home Depot), but it was clear that by this time I knew more than he did. Then the owner of the store showed up on the scene (the store had been in his family for something like 50 years). This guy knew everything about every mower they had (and they had a huge selection of Toros.) He answered all my questions in complete detail and volunteered extra information that I wanted to know but didn't even know to ask. He spent 30+ minutes or so with us, taking us through the pros and cons of each mower. He also noted that his prices were the same as the ones at Home Depot (a fact I confirmed later online -- he did have good prices compared to HD and to other stores.)
I thanked him for his time and told him my wife and I would talk it over and decide what to do. He gave me his name and phone number and said if I wanted to get a mower from them to call him in advance and he'd have it ready for me when I showed up -- as long as I gave him 20 minutes or so notice.
Over the next couple of days we decided which model we wanted (it was actually a higher-end, more expensive model than what we got at Home Depot -- a model HD didn't carry.) I called the owner and told him I'd like to buy the item and would pick it up the next day and he said it would be ready for me.
When I showed up the next day, the mower was at the front of the store with my name on it. It was fully assembled (the owner said "we don't sell anything in a box") and full of both oil and gas. The paperwork was complete and I simply handed them my credit card and the transaction was done. When completed, he took me through a few things that were unique to my machine, then he went out to my car with me and helped me load it up. I felt very well taken care of and decided that when I needed some other hardware items, I would shop there.
A few days later, I got a message from the True Value store at home. The owner told me that the day after I purchased my mower that Toro had declared a $40 rebate on the item. He said he wouldn't feel right if I didn't get the rebate since it was so close to the announcement, so if I'd stop in with my registration card, he'd make it right. I stopped by a few days later, saw the owner, and he rung me up. I left with $40 in cash!
Now, do you think Home Depot would have done that? No way. In addition, they didn't spend the time, have the knowledge, and have the selection that the True Value owner did (though they both had the same prices). Since then I've been telling everyone I know about this great True Value store that I love. And I'm determined to shop there when I need something. Sure it's a bit out of my way, but for service like that, I'm willing to drive the extra distance.
FMF,
After the gas, oil, and rebate, how did the price of the lawn mower compare to those at Home Depot?
This is a good lesson that the chain stores are not always the cheapest and definitely not the best in customer service.
Posted by: Anthony | June 08, 2010 at 08:26 AM
Anthony --
Home Depot didn't have the model I eventually went with, but the final price was well below what I could find as "good" deals while searching online.
Posted by: FMF | June 08, 2010 at 08:33 AM
There's a True Value close to where I live. I always go in there when I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, or for something quick. Unfortunately they just can't match on price most times for larger items, so as much as it pains me, I often end up at HD or Lowes. Still, I try to stop by the True Value or the Ace Hardware as often as I can.
Posted by: Money Beagle | June 08, 2010 at 08:51 AM
TV obviously did a great job, but don't be too hard on HD. They didn't exceed expectations, but they did meet them. They don't try to compete on service, and they accepted the mower back without argument.
Posted by: Mark | June 08, 2010 at 10:19 AM
The sad part of the story is, if Home Depot had offered the same mower for $10 (or even $5) less, you would've bought it there instead.
Posted by: Pop | June 08, 2010 at 10:22 AM
The people at our local hardware store are very helpful as well. They will tell you about mouse traps, led lighting, anything you need to learn more about, and even fix your broken lamp for less than $10 (really just the cost of parts). Love that!
I do like Home Depot for their large lumber and garden depts., though, and we have had very good experiences w/them.
Posted by: Holly | June 08, 2010 at 10:27 AM
This is why I never buy anything with an engine at a place that doesn't have a repair facility. Not only was it full of gas and oil, but I bet that it had also been started and run through it's paces, to make sure everything worked and was adjusted properly.
Yes, it costs more. But I think I save more by being careful with ongoing expenses and not buying junk I don't need. If I buy lunch meat and toilet paper on sale, don't have all the cable channels, and don't have a giant DVD collection, I can afford to get the big stuff from a knowledgeable, full-service dealer. Their knowledge and advice has value as far as I'm concerned, and I happily pay for it.
Of course that doesn't mean I won't try and save money by waiting for a sale, buying during the "wrong" season, buying last year's model, or buying the one with the big scratch. I just don't try and save it by buying at a discount store.
Posted by: DCS | June 08, 2010 at 10:32 AM
I understand using a place due to good service. I drive by at least 10 mechanics on the way to the one I actually use simply because my mechanic is always straight with me and is very open about the prices and other options. Even if I could have gotten my car fixed cheaper the two times it broke, I trust my mechanic more.
I don't think we have a True Value in our area, but I shop almost anywhere before going to Lowe's or Home Depot since the ones in our area are filled with unhelpful reps.
Posted by: Budgeting in the Fun Stuff | June 08, 2010 at 11:39 AM
It is great when price is equal (or lower) and service is great. I recently had my mechanic do a major service on my Jeep. I had selected my mechanic a year ago based on the local area magazine naming them best in customer service and had been happy with the choice. The major service was estimated to cost $650. After recieving the quote (and never having had this service done on my Jeep previously) I called around to check the price. I could not find an estimate close to what my mechanic offered (the closest was $700 from a nearby Jeep dealer.) I got a great service at a great price. It seems great service does not have to come a premium price.
As several other posters have mentioned though, when the good service comes at a premium, it becomes harder to justify the purchase.
Posted by: Arimack | June 08, 2010 at 12:37 PM
This story is all too common. When it comes to my lawn maintenance equipment. I will always, always go to a local dealer. You will never get the same level of customer support and you are also buying a better product. The small premium I pay for buying at the local dealer is quickly erased by the superior service and the fact the equipment will easily last me a decade or more with some pretty serious use.
Also, if you double check the product numbers between Home Depot and the local Toro dealer, they are not the same. Home Depot contracts with Toro to produce a model that they sell in their stores. The model is not the same as what you would buy at your local dealer and is generally cheaper in materials and quality. Plus, it lacks the fantastic customer experience you will receive at the local dealer.
Posted by: Justin | June 08, 2010 at 12:40 PM
It just goes to show you how great the mom & pop stores in your area can be. I love to support local business that provide good customer service rather than shopping at the larger 'discount' type stores.
Glad to hear that you had a great experience, I only hope more people will find themselves with the same quality of service.
Posted by: Kate | June 08, 2010 at 12:59 PM
I'd love to have a good HW store like that True Value here. Unfortunately Home Depot & Lowe's ran all the other hardware stores in my town out of business. Closest True Value is 20 miles away. Our Home Depot & Lowes are OK but not great. Prices seem fair but service is a bit shakey. Plus they seem to carry few 'parts' for DIY and mostly complete products. For example I can find 20 different sink faucets but they have comparably little selection of washers, springs, screws etc.
Posted by: jim | June 08, 2010 at 01:00 PM
Price of an item is only one thing to consider in making a purchase decision. There is a value in the knowledge one gets from a seller. What value do you place on that?
What value is added by having the machine gassed/oiled up and the pointers received?
I will gladly pay extra for that knowledge!
I will shop at the Ace/Truevalue/Locally owned Hardware store many times before going to a Big Box. I find what I need for unique jobs and the knowledge that I am selecting the correct product.
Last summer I took on a large job/tasks, out of town, working on a relative's house. Using the locally Owned Hardware store, not only did I get the correct products at good prices, but received professional tips in using them. It save me an immense amount of time and the work done was of professional quality. Overall I actually spent less, when time, gas and cost of products were tallied. I had reason to frequent the store 6 months later and they still remember me. That is worth something to me.
Posted by: Marc | June 08, 2010 at 06:44 PM
"Now, do you think Home Depot would have done that?"
Depends on your Home Depot. I've worked for Home Depot, and some of the managers and workers WOULD have done just that, and even more. I've gone to great lengths to offer excellent customer service when I was working at Home Depot, and so have some of my colleagues. And some of the colleagues were just there to make money and couldn't care less about customer service. I suspect it's the same at pretty much every retail store. You'll always have your bad apples. But I do know for a fact that all Home Depots stress excellent customer service in their classes, and strive to give customers the very best service possible.
Posted by: BD | June 08, 2010 at 07:43 PM
it looks like you forgot to add "... and then I woke up to the sound of a mower in a nearby lawn..."
Posted by: Param | June 09, 2010 at 12:03 AM