Purely anecdotal, but I found Lowe's generally had much better customer service. But maybe it's just where I live

RankingMember 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

Yeah I think it'll be location dependent. FWIW I've got both by me and they're equally terrible as far as the availability and knowledge of their employees. Lowes edges out Home Depot a tiny bit for me simply because I've never been accosted by a sanctioned in-store roaming sales person for solar or siding at Lowes (yet!).

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antonymoose 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

I get hit up for gutter guards every trip at my Lowe’s. I have a stationary woman hawking Generac and HVAC installs at my Home Depot.

I’d agree though, it’s department dependent. The electrical at my HD is an unorganized mess, but their plumbing section is world-class. Lowe’s is oddly flip-flopped. To Lowe’s great credit, their staff has those little tablets with inventory locations on them including all the top-shelf and end cap locations the website doesn’t show. Those usually save my trip, HD doesn’t seem to have an equivalent.

	▲	bombcar 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		HD has it, but it lies, and is horribly inaccurate.

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wnevets 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> Yeah I think it'll be location dependent

I've found it to be very datetime dependent. I walking the aisles on a late Sunday night recently and the only time I saw an employee was at the self checkout before I left.

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tclancy 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That was true for a long time, but before that, Home Depot's customer service was terrific too. I think that's a cost that gets cut by a focus on shareholder value. Local hardware stores are still going to be better, with the caveat it may take a decade before they smile when you walk in.

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sh34r 2 days ago | parent [-]

> with the caveat it may take a decade before they smile when you walk in.

That’s damn good customer service right there, if you ask me. The fake-chipper act makes me want to dive into a wood chipper…

	▲	ssl-3 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		I used to frequent a wonderful Ace Hardware with some regularity. The old lady that always seemed to be behind the register eventually started greeting me by name when I walked in. (I don't recall ever giving her my name; maybe she remembered seeing on a credit card or something.) After the pleasantries (which didn't seem fake at all), one of the greybeards present would appoint themselves as my personal shopper. I'd go down my list of demands that was only vaguely sorted by department: "One M8x1.25x80mm all-thread stainless Philips screw, a 16x20 furnace filter, a box of #8x3/4 sheet metal screws, and uh... what do you have for can openers?" And then we'd make a lap or two of the store to get these things, and I'd pay and GTFO. It was great.

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sh34r 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Purely anecdotal as well but it really feels like a quantity over quality thing between the two. It takes significantly longer to find someone in orange, but they’re as helpful as I can reasonably expect. Whereas Lowe’s employees tend to be both useless and annoying.

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michaelcampbell 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Very location dependent. Within the same metro area in one place we lived Lowes was better; in another less than 20 miles away, HD is.

But for actual help and humanity (if you can afford the price and the more limited selection), Ace is consistently better near where I am.

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datavirtue 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Same here in Cincinnati. Lowe's is far better than Home Depot. Everyone at HD clearly hates their job. Probably not their fault.