*sigh*

The Home Depot
8334 Tamarack Village
Woodbury, MN 55125

Dear Store Manager and Kitchen Design Manager,

I visited your store last Saturday afternoon (10/29/05 1PM) to do some shopping for a house I just bought. My new house will require a great deal work of such as replacing all of the flooring, new paint, a new deck, a new fence and a kitchen that will have to be completely torn out and replaced.

In regards to your flooring, painting, and other departments I was pleased by your selection, service and pricing. However, the situation changed when I entered your kitchen area. I was politely greeted by an employee and he cheerfully suggested I visit with a kitchen designer and showed me the way.

The discussion with your kitchen designer was terribly un-helpful and frustrating. She had very few answers concerning prices, provided little guidance, and seemed intent on sending me away with a packet of brochures and little else. I had come into the process with very little knowledge of kitchen design, but I also came with a $10,000 budget. I was shocked that your designer took so little interest. I had brought some rudimentary measurements and I would have been very pleased to leave with just some help on what to consider, some design ideas, and possibly a few examples that would likely fit my situation. Ideally I would have liked to get a realistic understanding of what my $10,000 could purchase. Instead I got some brochures.

What disappoints me further is that there were no lines or large groups of other customers waiting to be serviced. There was no immediately visible pressure on this person’s time, but there was definitely the sense that she couldn’t be bothered.

I have gotten better service from used car dealers. While I have sometimes questioned their motives, just about every one of them at least took the time to give me a test drive. Whether it’s a $10,000 Buick or a $10,000 kitchen, I hope your kitchen designers take a hint from the used car folks and give your customers more attention.