OT: Treatment of Women In Hardware Stores (Yes, this is a Rant)

[dacjohns]

Quote:
Around here most, if not all, stores will help you get things onto your vehicle, but won't fasten them down. Unfortunately, it means that someone as sometime had sued the company (scratched paint, item fell off, item broke, something like that) and the company had to pay out to fix it. If their employees don't attach the item to the car, they're not liable for any damage the item may cause. It's a consequence of living in a litigious society.

I was going to say pretty much the same thing.

The problem in this instance is their attitude. They could have not smirked and could have explained why. If they didn't know why then there is a managment problem there.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Quote:
Around here most, if not all, stores will help you get things onto your vehicle, but won't fasten them down. Unfortunately, it means that someone as sometime had sued the company (scratched paint, item fell off, item broke, something like that) and the company had to pay out to fix it. If their employees don't attach the item to the car, they're not liable for any damage the item may cause. It's a consequence of living in a litigious society.

I was going to say pretty much the same thing.

The problem in this instance is their attitude. They could have not smirked and could have explained why. If they didn't know why then there is a managment problem there.

When I was working at the evil Menards they told us we were not allowed to tie anything down due to insurance. Of course they could care less if you worked 55 hours or more a week for them without insurance (never offered it

) and lots of other things. I quit when the totally messed up a simple transfer when we moved and was told I would keep the exact position I had at the brand new store I was moving to and put me in a lower part-time spot when I was in a full-time spot as the head of the pets in my other store which I had loved.

Esp. after I had to miss 2 days of work because I was snowed in moving (the highways were shut down so I had no choice seemed like a good excuse to me and it was 100% true) and they told me if I did not have a doctor's excuse I would be fired when I came back. LOL So we finally made it back to our new house and then I called on Christmas Eve (I was to work 8 hours that day) and said "Merry Christmas, I quit." I should of had insurance as a full-time employee, should have never been harassed by a boss in one job I held there (He was always saying stuff like we don't hire women to work here they are stupid and lazy and). I was a great worker never missing work and always coming in on my day off if they called and said they needed me. When everyone else started quiting at my old store they moved me to full-time. When I complained about my one boss and his treatment of women I was moved from the department into a department I loved (pets) and turned that whole dept. around and made it from a dirty non-sales area of the store into a clean area with tons of sales. I hated to move but the way the IA store treated me I'm surprised I stayed there as long as I did.

 

[2 Beauts]

The insurance thing is correct. The way I always got around it was by telling the customer about the insurance issue, then telling them I could ASSIST (wink,wink) them in tying it down, but on the last knot, they were on their own.

 

[Davaroo]

Interesting story. Nicely rendered.

I've had the same thing happen to me and I am, most decidedly, NOT female. AND I know what Im doing for the most part when it comes to building. I know what I need and what Im asking for when I go.

Long story short Ive had the same thing happen. Mine was counter tops. They had the saw, they acted stupid and unwilling to help, when I MYSELF could have set up and made the cut in a matter of minutes. I took my business elsewhere.

IMHO its about service, or a lack thereof. Plain and simple. These big box outlets are just that - outlets. They are self serve retail, for the most part.

They are not all bad, and they have some good people who not only know what they are doing, but are helpful. Yet, it is dodgy sometimes getting decent service.

So, I'd suggest you contact a manager next time - if there is a next time. When I get such flack or dense obfuscation as you did, I simply say, "Let me talk to your manager." That alone often gets a different reponse. If the manager toes the same line, I say,
"Thanks for your time, I'll be leaving now. Please give me a customer satisfaction card."
You can also use the internet to lodge your complaint. I use both.

These places are not always receptive to the neophyte, thats for sure. They should be, but they are not always. So it goes. There are other places to spend your money.

I'd call this a good rant.

 

[my first peepers]

I went to a chain, Curtis Lumber that we have in our area, with my husband to get lumber for the coop. We got to our turn at the register and the guy automatically looked straight at my husband and asked how he was doing even though I was the one standing directly in front of him! When I started ordering the lumber he got all flustered! My husband was embarrassed that I did not respond to the "How are you?" but I had to point out to him that it was most decidedly not directed at me!

 

[MandyH]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves in life. I can do just about anything I need to do and my husband is glad because he has some help when we put a roof on the house, had to replace the septic line, built the hatching house, built the chicken coops etc.... In fact, if we are in the middle of something and he's forgotten a part or something, he sends me after it because he knows I can handle it. He KNOWS this kind of thing infuriates me and there was one time when he had to grab me by my back belt loop to keep me from killing the man who was helping us with the floor covering. He said when my voice started quivering, that he knew that little man was fixing to be dead.

 

[USMCSGT]

Not trying to break up your hen party(Pun intended).
They do this to the guys also. Look at you like your stupid, you know they have sold things in the past but now you can't find it, and when you ask someone they have never heard of it, and never carried it. My MIL works for Lowe's , I hate going onto the store. You just have to remember, they are just their for a check on Friday.
Go to a small hardware store, and support the local business man. It won't take long and they will remember you when you come in. Most won't be able to cut your wood for you, but you will get treated a lot better.

 

[chickens4jojo]

Sorry about your unpleasant experience.

I found that if I take my 18 year old son with me to a "hardware/lumber" type store, I will find out all kinds of information I NEVER would find out by myself as a woman!! Even if my son does not ask the question and/or I have not even explained the problem to my son yet, the person will usually only explain and talk to my son~~it is rather frustrating to say the least.

How strange~~we woman have a lot of "Purse Power." You would think most of those places would know that by now.

 

[michigan chick]

My Home Depot is going out off business. Ge I wounder why. And for Menard I refer to it as high school head quarters. I know walking in that I am not going to find a person with knowledge of how to do what they are saying we can do on are own.

 

[steven11788]

agree with going to a local store, and have a relationship with owner, and yea im not home=improvement savy, as a guy i find it funny when me and my mom are at lowes, as said like above, the emplyee, talks to me, like i know about plumbing....