By Bill

Feb 27, 2008 12:21 AM | Link to this

Remember "Builders Square" they didn't make it because the tried to be everything to everybody. The orig. HD in Doraville had building supplies, tools and knowledgeable skilled tradesmen who were getting rich working at HD. HD's business model now closely resembles Builders Square(they failed). A mix of building supplies/HH Gregg/Outdoor Furniture/Party City/Walmart Garden Center/Wolfman Furniture. All being sold by unmotivated teenagers. They're doomed and someone will come along when they start closing locations and do it exactly how they did in the beginning in their own stores and be successful again. They have lost Their direction.

By Carlos

Feb 26, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this

Ever since the greedy management took all of the big bonuses and the fat cat got the huge exit bonus I, nor my family have committed to never going inside of a HD.

By Pat

Feb 26, 2008 6:54 PM | Link to this

They make it impossible for me to shop there. Employees seem to hide when they see a customer coming! I try to shop there because it's close, but if I need any help or advice with my purchase I must go to Lowes.

By TERRI

Feb 26, 2008 6:24 PM | Link to this

Well THD earn $671 miilion profit, what else do they want. They could spend more money on the wages of the employees than just put the money in the bank or CEO's pocket. They furthmore can utilize the money and remove all those anti-American spanish signs as well. If the people cannot read English, I hope they did not drive to Home Depote. And if they drove to Home Depote then they do not need those spanish signs at the HD, those signs are a BIG EYE SORE!!!!!!
HD will most likey insource illiegals immigrants in order to boost there profits, they already have signs that implicate such practice and they are not in English!!!
Lastly why they complain about $671 million in profit, I wish I own a business and it earn a $671 Million profit. They made this profit because they made it on the poverty level salaries that they pay their staff. You are right that they need to pay more even for people who work in trades such as electrican, plumbing etc.
Thay also have such high profits because they outsource their buying of products from China etc and not promoting American manufacturing jobs. Since they cause manufacturing to go offshore they are now reaping of what they have sown, lower our standard of living so does or spending.

By Karen

Feb 26, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this

Home Depot needs to train their employees about the products and teach them customer service skills. Every time I go into a Home Depot, no one will help me so I end up going to Lowe's, getting help and making my purchase.

By rid0617

Feb 26, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this

I don't want to hear anything about labor costs until they do something about the CEO millions of dollars a year along with the millions of dollar golden parachute they get just for leaving. A lot of customer service could have been paid for what those folks get. In the meantime I still refuse to shop there.

By Sharon

Feb 26, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this

Home Depot has declined in every way over the last decade. Customer service is a joke and the way they write out the staffing schedules is from the dark ages. There are times when there is only one person working in Inside Garden because HD doesn't think they need to staff that department in the winter mos. Problem is, Inside Garden is where all the seasonal stuff is merchandised. That's also when all the re-sets happen for the holiday's and one person cannot physically help everyone. During active spring and fall months, the staff isn't increased more than one part time person. Topping off the decline is also the fact that HD got rid of experienced staff like plumbers, electricians, garden specialists, etc to hire cheap workers without any knowlege of the products sold. The new workers cannot even answer a simple question related to the area I am shopping in. It is so sad to see such a Giant in the industry failing. The economy isn't the only thing that has ruined Home Depot. The management hasn't thought of the customer or staff for over eight years.

By Margaret Aurand

Feb 26, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this

When I shop at Home Depot, I find kids, who, when I say that they are out of something I wanted to buy and they might pass that along to management, say "I don't care about this place, they don't pay nuthin," and "men" who flee when they see that an old lady who has bought 10 bags of sand needs to load her car. Those are the people who need to go down the road.

By dave

Feb 26, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

Don,

Sure.. labor costs the company but getting rid of smart talented people is not the answer. That in turn does not help your company. It might give wall street a smile but not your customers in the long run!!

By Don

Feb 26, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this

Uh... ok Ed. Spoken just like someone who doesn't know anything about business. Labor costs are almost always the highest expense by far in a company. Home Depot is no different.

If you were looking to trim expenses from your personal budget if your income fell would you not look to the single largest expense you have first and see if you could cut from it? No need to answer of course.

Try starting your own business and see how life really works. Its not as easy to make payroll for "security minded people" every week like you may think. Its a little stressful. Even for larger companyies since the employees are generally siphoning 45-60% of gross....