Key Pad Doors.

That's understandable. The thing is probably unsightly with the door hanging open and appearance is often one of the deciding factors in selecting a home use product.

We once had a customer want to return a control panel -- six months after he installed it. We also occasionally get calls from people who bought a system but didn't get around to installing it for a year or two. I walk them through the installation and so on, but the warranty starts when the merchandise is delivered. Fortunately, most people understand that.

A little piece of duct tape will keep that sucker in place!

Just tell'em the duct tape is the "free" option.

I suppose I should have mentioned the Velcroe dots option.

Also, there is a certain class of consumer that has learned to "beef." Its a tactic where they act upset and affronted about whatever it is they don't like until somebody gives them something for free just to shut them up. When I realize that is what I am dealing with I just walk out without saying another word.

They also think it should be done for free!!!

Ok rant over.

Loosen the bottom mounting screws and put some shims under it so the door tends to be held closed by gravity.

tends to be held closed by gravity.

You could always mount it upside down as well. :-)

And tell him that's a "feature."

With your BBB record, I believe it.

And I'll bet you even issued an insurance "certificate" letter with their purchase...

Best answer of the whole thread :)

A friend of the family used to work for Home Depot and found they got an inordinate number of these types. Didn't help that Home Depot had a reputation for being pushovers for "beefing" customers (and sometimes non-customers). Anyone who wasn't happy with a particular level of service was given the next-most-senior person's number and encouraged to escalate their complaint... if they were persistent enough they'd almost always manage to escalate to a level that would simply get them what they wanted, whether it was a legitimate beef or not.

One example he cited was a guy who brought in a section of drain pipe from a sink, claiming that it was the wrong piece and he wanted to exchange it. Only problem was, it was obviously the ORIGINAL section of pipe (from the rust and accumulated crud) that had NOT been purchased at Home Depot (at least not anytime recently). The dolt made enough noise that eventually a regional representative authorized the store to replace it, just to shut the guy up.

I'm told that policy has changed in recent years... the customer is NOT always right.

Home Depot's business plan is to make the customer happy any way they can. I've had some nice experiences there over the years. While I was in Connecticut I bought a 3.5 HP snow thrower from them. It worked OK the first year but half-way through the second season it crapped out. I took it to the shop they recommended and got it serviced. It worked OK for about a month and something else failed. The following year (well past the warranty period) I had more trouble with it so I thought I'd call and ask if there were problems with that model.

The customer service person asked if I could bring the snow thrower in so I loaded it onto the 4Runner the next Saturday and drove over. A manager came out and looked at it, asked how many times it had been serviced and then slapped a tag on it. He wrote "LEMON" on the tag and invited me in to select a new machine.

I really didn't expect anything like that. I was hoping they'd maybe offer me a discount on a replacement or something. Anyway, this was already the beginning of winter and there were no 3.5 HP machines left. There were only a bunch of smaller machines and a couple of 8 HP models. They *gave* me an 8 HP thrower! I asked how much extra it would be and the guy said, "No charge."

Needless to say, I've shopped at Home Depot many times since. So far the only other thing I ever needed to return was a supposedly "squirrel proof" bird feeder that wasn't. Also a dish washer I bought from the Sarasota HD store once needed service and they sent a guy out promptly but that was well within the warranty.

He he he. Roll up your pants boys, its too late to save your shoes. :-)

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It is getting deep!

Judging by my own experience he may only exaggerating rather than completely confabulating this time.

About six years ago I returned a 6 gallon Rigid wet/dry vac that crapped out after less than hour of use. They didn't have any more of those and I ended up leaving with a 12 gallon one that also doubled as an electric blower (the motor comes off and you stick a nozzle on the exhaust - real cool). The cost difference was less than a hundred bucks. I still have it and it runs like a champ - plus I only half to empty it half as often. ;)

Not the same as switching a single stage thrower with dual stage that likely cost three times as much - several hundred dollars...

But it is possible that they upped him a step or two...

What really happened: bass pitched a bitch about them running out of rock salt so they upgraded him to a free snow shovel just to shut him up. :-)

I didn't exaggerate at all. They did exactly what I said.

No, it's not the same to you or me but apparently it is to them. Bear in mind that a few hundred dollars one way or the other means very little to a store that probably sells several million dollars a month. They seem to take the attitude (I'm assuming this hasn't changed though I don't really know) that making you satisfied is more important in the long run than taking a profit on one sale is in the short run. It's a lot like the difference between Bob Campbell and Jiminex. Bob will do whatever it takes to keep a good customer happy and try not to over-charge them in the process. Jiminex will gouge them for every nickel while doing the absolute minimum.

I'm sure that if there was a model closer to what I bought on the floor that's what they would have offered. The customer service manager (I think that's what he was; might have been an assistant store manager -- it's been over 8 years since) doesn't pay it out of pocket. He makes a decision on the spot that you've got a legitimate gripe and then does whatever it takes to make it up to you.

In a smaller, mom and pop hardware store this would not happen -- not because they don't care just as much, but because they can't absorb an $800 Loss. I don't recall the exact price but I'm sure it was at least that much. FTR, they didn't just eat the difference. The lemon was almost certainly trashed so the cost to them was whatever the wholesale price of that 8HP unit was. I suspect that had it been an $1,800 lawn tractor and the only available replacement was a $2,500 model the result would have been the same.

What I do know for certain is that they have a customer for life. In the intervening period I've bought several major appliances, lots of construction supplies and all kinds of power tools from them. I've also recommended them to lots of other people, including my folks who spent ~$20K on kitchen cabinets and $8K on tile from HD. I guess their business model is a good one. Hope they survive the Bush recession long enough for the Democrats to get back in power and straighten out the economy.

You know, the other day I nodded off too. Only I dreamt I was banging Pamala Anderson. Then my wife woke me up to tell me to put out the garbage cans. I guess it was better than dreaming about a snowthrower.

Of course you're a customer for life. They damned well put everybody else out of business. Where else can a nickel and dimer shop?

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Its amazing how you can dis Jiminex, kiss Home depots ass and blame Bush for an aleged recession all in one post. :-))))

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You know, the other day I nodded off too. Only I dreamt I was banging Pamala Anderson. Then my wife woke me up to tell me to put out the garbage cans. I guess it was better than dreaming about a snowthrower.

Of course you're a customer for life. They damned well put everybody else out of business. Where else can a nickel and dimer shop?

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Its amazing how you can dis Jiminex, kiss Home depots ass and blame Bush for an aleged recession all in one post. :-))))

he's just upset that Shillery got spanked in Iowa