HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

On Mon, 8 Nov 2010 16:27:18 -0800 (PST), Ivan Vegvary
wrote:

HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern.

Next time, you'll know to take the tool in with you when buying blades
if they're not HF brand.


I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

The main method of plastic package removal is to use a set of utility
scissors.

They cut through it like cheese while leaving a returnable pack if the
contents are bogus. Now you know.

--
Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
-- Margaret Lee Runbeck

You did not use it? Take it back. They told the maker to put it in
hard to open plastic packaging.

On 11/08/2010 07:27 PM, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.


Can you be more specific? I've used Dremel blades on my HF tool with no
problem.

On Nov 9, 7:02*am, "HeyBub" wrote:

Can you be more specific? I've used Dremel blades on my HF tool with no
problem.

IIRC, there were two different head patterns on the HF models. I seem
to remember reading that on another site.

But now there is just one. I don't know which one is which fits the
Dremel blades, the old or new pattern.

After looking at the price of the Dremel blades and not seeing any
discernible difference in quality of stamping or welding, I will
gladly pay 50% less for the HF blades. They seem to last pretty well.

Robert

wrote:

On Nov 9, 7:02 am, "HeyBub" wrote:

Can you be more specific? I've used Dremel blades on my HF tool with no
problem.

IIRC, there were two different head patterns on the HF models. I seem
to remember reading that on another site.

But now there is just one. I don't know which one is which fits the
Dremel blades, the old or new pattern.

After looking at the price of the Dremel blades and not seeing any
discernible difference in quality of stamping or welding, I will
gladly pay 50% less for the HF blades. They seem to last pretty well.

Robert
My old HF Multi Tool uses the Dremel and Bosch blades sold at HD. What has
been discussed here in the past is the new HF tools changed their head
design which sucks because their attachments and blades suck, if you can
even get them. Seems they don't always stock them. My old HF Multi is going
strong so think I'll keep it and use the better blades that fit at HD.
--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

Man. 2010.1 Spring
KDE4.4
2.6.33.5-desktop-2mnb

Can you be more specific? I've used Dremel blades on my HF tool with no
problem.

The Dremel blade has a large mounting hole in the center that is the
same diameter as the HF. However the outer circle of 'locating holes'
are on a smaller radius. I solved the problem by taking a tiny file
and elongating the locating holes until they become slots. Only did 3
holes 90° apart because the Dremel blade is not a full circle. Works
fine, however no better - no worse then the HF blade. Just more
expensive and smaller.

Ivan Vegvary

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

Yes - you can take it back to home depot, regardless of the condition of the
packaging.

--

-Mike-

Do you put HONDA wheels on your Ford truck also ????? DUH !!
Jerry


http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutc...oodWorkingPage

Brings to mind the 82mm mortar the Soviets used in WW2. Everyone else
standardized on 81mm. Being a smoothbore and only moderately accurate
weapon, if necessary captured 81mm rounds could be used in the Russian
mortar, but the 82mm Russian rounds would not fit in the 81mm tubes.



--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (H L Mencken)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...
Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

Yes - you can take it back to home depot, regardless of the condition of
the packaging.

--

-Mike-




Some of them around here you could take it back regardless of the condition
of the product. )

--
If your name is No, I voted for you - more than once ...

On Nov 8, 7:27*pm, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. *BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. *Different hole
pattern. *I'm out $ 10. *Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

Home Depot will take it back. You may need get a manager and tell him
"I do all my shopping here and have for years because you always deal
fairly with me when I had a problem. Here I simply purchased the wrong
thing and have no earthly need for it at it doesn't fit my tool."

They may, now, charge a ten (10%) percent re-stock fee - look at your
receipt - it tells you.

Push. Squeaky wheels gret the grease.

A few years back my wife and I looked at a Rubbermaid 7 x 7 shed with
a big sign declaring it was $347 or so. After checking Lowes down the
road (theirs was nearer six hundred) we returned to the order desk and
tried to buy it. They said they had no 7x7 shed at that price. After
checking, they asked if I had see the five hundred plus sticker on the
shelf, above.

We replied, "We saw nothing on a shelf, we walked inside it."

Long story short, I got it for the mis-marked price less ten-percent
for putting it on my new HD card. Ah, grease.

On 11/10/10 2:33 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:41:04 -0800 (PST), Hoosierpopi
wrote:


Push. Squeaky wheels gret the grease.


Quacking ducks get shot!


You just take it in and return it. You don't have to kiss anyone's ass
or make a fuss. Walk up to the return counter and say, "I'd like to
return this."

If they ask you if you used it, it's not to give you a hard time about
returning it, it's so they know whether to put it back on the shelf or
on the clearance rack.

You don't even need a receipt. If the UPC scans in their system, they
will refund your money on a gift card at the lowest price it sold for in
the last 90 days.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

I know the feeling. Bought some Chevy parts a while back and you can imagine
how POed I was when they wouldn't fit my Ford.

"Ivan Vegvary" wrote in message
...
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

Hoosierpopi wrote:


Home Depot will take it back. You may need get a manager and tell him
"I do all my shopping here and have for years because you always deal
fairly with me when I had a problem. Here I simply purchased the wrong
thing and have no earthly need for it at it doesn't fit my tool."


Much easier than that. Just take it in and tell them you want to return it.
Read the big sign right up over the returns counter.

They may, now, charge a ten (10%) percent re-stock fee - look at your
receipt - it tells you.


HD company policy is not to charge a returns (restock) fee.

Push. Squeaky wheels gret the grease.

A few years back my wife and I looked at a Rubbermaid 7 x 7 shed with
a big sign declaring it was $347 or so. After checking Lowes down the
road (theirs was nearer six hundred) we returned to the order desk and
tried to buy it. They said they had no 7x7 shed at that price. After
checking, they asked if I had see the five hundred plus sticker on the
shelf, above.

We replied, "We saw nothing on a shelf, we walked inside it."

Long story short, I got it for the mis-marked price less ten-percent
for putting it on my new HD card. Ah, grease.

That's standard practice for mismarked items as long as it is clear that the
item was really mismarked and not a case of the wrong signage having been
moved in front of a product. Usually it's easy to tell the difference
because the signage has the sku number right on it. Not really a matter of
squeaky wheel/grease though - just standard business practice.

--

-Mike-

-MIKE- wrote:
On 11/10/10 2:33 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:41:04 -0800 (PST), Hoosierpopi
wrote:


Push. Squeaky wheels gret the grease.


Quacking ducks get shot!


You just take it in and return it. You don't have to kiss anyone's ass
or make a fuss. Walk up to the return counter and say, "I'd like to
return this."

If they ask you if you used it, it's not to give you a hard time about
returning it, it's so they know whether to put it back on the shelf or
on the clearance rack.

....or to send it out for reconditioning, return-to-vendor, etc., depending
on what the product is and what the reported problem (if any) is.



You don't even need a receipt. If the UPC scans in their system, they
will refund your money on a gift card at the lowest price it sold for
in the last 90 days.

I believe it's 180 days.

--

-Mike-

Mike Marlow wrote:


You don't even need a receipt. If the UPC scans in their system, they
will refund your money on a gift card at the lowest price it sold for
in the last 90 days.

I believe it's 180 days.

Dunno 'bout that. I returned something to Lowe's about a week after I bought
it.

The gave me back more money than I paid!

When this was called to their attention, the clerk shrugged, said the
computer was named "Oracle," and that it was only a dollar-something.

The action DID inspire me to buy a bunch of unneeded stuff, though.

Mike Marlow wrote:

Hoosierpopi wrote:


Home Depot will take it back. You may need get a manager and tell him
"I do all my shopping here and have for years because you always deal
fairly with me when I had a problem. Here I simply purchased the wrong
thing and have no earthly need for it at it doesn't fit my tool."


Much easier than that. Just take it in and tell them you want to return
it. Read the big sign right up over the returns counter.

They may, now, charge a ten (10%) percent re-stock fee - look at your
receipt - it tells you.


HD company policy is not to charge a returns (restock) fee.

Push. Squeaky wheels gret the grease.

A few years back my wife and I looked at a Rubbermaid 7 x 7 shed with
a big sign declaring it was $347 or so. After checking Lowes down the
road (theirs was nearer six hundred) we returned to the order desk and
tried to buy it. They said they had no 7x7 shed at that price. After
checking, they asked if I had see the five hundred plus sticker on the
shelf, above.

We replied, "We saw nothing on a shelf, we walked inside it."

Long story short, I got it for the mis-marked price less ten-percent
for putting it on my new HD card. Ah, grease.

That's standard practice for mismarked items as long as it is clear that
the item was really mismarked and not a case of the wrong signage having
been
moved in front of a product. Usually it's easy to tell the difference
because the signage has the sku number right on it. Not really a matter
of squeaky wheel/grease though - just standard business practice.


Just the other day I went through the self check out line at HD and bought a
few items. When I realized I bought the wrong item I checked the receipt and
I was charged twice for it. When I went to return it and explain that
somehow I was charged for two of the same item but only received the one
they gave me money back on both. They trusted that I was telling the truth.
And the woman said I know you're in here all the time and don't think you
would try to burn us for 10.00. Next time I won't be in such a hurry not to
check the totals at check out. But it always seems I'm in a hurry when at
HD.

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

Man. 2010.1 Spring
KDE4.4
2.6.33.5-desktop-2mnb

Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. Different hole
pattern. I'm out $ 10. Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary


I have seen somewhere an adapter to fit different blades to a
multifunction tool but I can not remember where.

In article ,
says...

Mike Marlow wrote:

Hoosierpopi wrote:


Home Depot will take it back. You may need get a manager and tell him
"I do all my shopping here and have for years because you always deal
fairly with me when I had a problem. Here I simply purchased the wrong
thing and have no earthly need for it at it doesn't fit my tool."


Much easier than that. Just take it in and tell them you want to return
it. Read the big sign right up over the returns counter.

They may, now, charge a ten (10%) percent re-stock fee - look at your
receipt - it tells you.


HD company policy is not to charge a returns (restock) fee.

Push. Squeaky wheels gret the grease.

A few years back my wife and I looked at a Rubbermaid 7 x 7 shed with
a big sign declaring it was $347 or so. After checking Lowes down the
road (theirs was nearer six hundred) we returned to the order desk and
tried to buy it. They said they had no 7x7 shed at that price. After
checking, they asked if I had see the five hundred plus sticker on the
shelf, above.

We replied, "We saw nothing on a shelf, we walked inside it."

Long story short, I got it for the mis-marked price less ten-percent
for putting it on my new HD card. Ah, grease.

That's standard practice for mismarked items as long as it is clear that
the item was really mismarked and not a case of the wrong signage having
been
moved in front of a product. Usually it's easy to tell the difference
because the signage has the sku number right on it. Not really a matter
of squeaky wheel/grease though - just standard business practice.


Just the other day I went through the self check out line at HD and bought a
few items. When I realized I bought the wrong item I checked the receipt and
I was charged twice for it. When I went to return it and explain that
somehow I was charged for two of the same item but only received the one
they gave me money back on both. They trusted that I was telling the truth.
And the woman said I know you're in here all the time and don't think you
would try to burn us for 10.00. Next time I won't be in such a hurry not to
check the totals at check out. But it always seems I'm in a hurry when at
HD.

Got some bolts at the local hardware store (the one where there's
usually a large cat sleeping on the scale next to the register) and they
didn't come up on the computer. They asked me how much they cost, I
told 'em "I think they were 9.99", they charged me that and we were
done. Next time I was in I checked--they were 9.95--I'm not gonna
trouble them for the four cents.

Bit different from Home Despot where I got some plywood once and had to
go back and copy down the SKU because it wasn't marked on the plywood
and nobody could figure out how to look for "plywood" in the computer.
Note--the store with the cat doesn't have plywood.

On Nov 8, 6:27*pm, Ivan Vegvary wrote:
HF MF (Oscillating multifunction tool) works great as mentioned in a
previous post. *BUT, went out and bought a Dremel half moon cutter to
try the difference, and the tools do not interchange. *Different hole
pattern. *I'm out $ 10. *Don't know if I can take it back (Home Depot)
since I totally destroyed the plastic packaging upon trying to open
it.
Be careful out there.

Ivan Vegvary

I have never had HD refuse a return. We are rural and the nearest
store is 30 miles away. It is not unusual to buy on the high side of
our estimate quantity and return unneeded if necessary. I have also
returned items in open plastic packages without questions. But, I
open them carefully by popping the edges or slicing an edge,
especially if there is doubt if usability.

Regarding %$#% plastic packaging. The *******s who design that stuff
should be required to spend their after-life eternity opening their
products.......While impaled!

RonB

HeyBub wrote:
Mike Marlow wrote:


You don't even need a receipt. If the UPC scans in their system,
they will refund your money on a gift card at the lowest price it
sold for in the last 90 days.

I believe it's 180 days.

Dunno 'bout that. I returned something to Lowe's about a week after I
bought it.

The gave me back more money than I paid!

When this was called to their attention, the clerk shrugged, said the
computer was named "Oracle," and that it was only a dollar-something.

Yeahbut that's Lowes. HD uses SAP, not Oracle. Don't really know what
Lowe's policy is but HD's policy is to refund (as stated in the included
text...) at the lowest price of the last XX days.


The action DID inspire me to buy a bunch of unneeded stuff, though.

You bet!

--

-Mike-

RonB wrote:


I have never had HD refuse a return. We are rural and the nearest
store is 30 miles away. It is not unusual to buy on the high side of
our estimate quantity and return unneeded if necessary. I have also
returned items in open plastic packages without questions. But, I
open them carefully by popping the edges or slicing an edge,
especially if there is doubt if usability.

Regarding %$#% plastic packaging. The *******s who design that stuff
should be required to spend their after-life eternity opening their
products.......While impaled!

RonB

Agreed, specially when most of us are all thumbs!

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"

Man. 2010.1 Spring
KDE4.4
2.6.33.5-desktop-2mnb

On Nov 12, 8:46*am, RonB wrote:

I have never had HD refuse a return. *

Around here it varies store to store. Most don't care if I have a
ticket or not to return unused material from a project if they can
simply credit my commercial account.

Some stores want a receipt and they carefully examine the goods being
returned while giving me "the eye".

I think it has a lot to do with their monthly reports on returned
goods from store to store.

Robert

J. Clarke wrote:


Got some bolts at the local hardware store (the one where there's
usually a large cat sleeping on the scale next to the register) and
they didn't come up on the computer. They asked me how much they
cost, I told 'em "I think they were 9.99", they charged me that and
we were done. Next time I was in I checked--they were 9.95--I'm not
gonna trouble them for the four cents.

Bit different from Home Despot where I got some plywood once and had
to go back and copy down the SKU because it wasn't marked on the
plywood and nobody could figure out how to look for "plywood" in the
computer. Note--the store with the cat doesn't have plywood.

Usually HD will call an Associate to check a price. Of course, sometimes
they are tied up with a customer and can't, so if you're in a hurry, you
might go check your own. Some items can be looked up right at the cashier
station, some can't. I'll bet one could cite experiences where this same
kind of "self service" happens in the places where the cat is lying on the
counter, as well. That said - who cares if the place with the cat does not
have plywood - as long as you don't need plywood...

--

-Mike-

wrote:
On Nov 12, 8:46 am, RonB wrote:

I have never had HD refuse a return.

Around here it varies store to store. Most don't care if I have a
ticket or not to return unused material from a project if they can
simply credit my commercial account.

Some stores want a receipt and they carefully examine the goods being
returned while giving me "the eye".

I think it has a lot to do with their monthly reports on returned
goods from store to store.

Robert

All you need to do is ask the Returns cashier, or the manager about the HD
Customer First policy. It's very clear on this matter.

--

-Mike-

On Nov 12, 12:15*pm, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

All you need to do is ask the Returns cashier, or the manager about the HD
Customer First policy. *It's very clear on this matter.

In the end, I have never had them refuse a return.

My commercial contact over there told me why they are so cautious and
unforgiving sometimes.

He described lawnmower that were purchased by landscaping guys, used
like hell for a 3 - 4 weeks after we have heavy rains (grass growth),
then returned after running 10 hours a day for a month. (All caught
up).

Barbecue pits that were filthy and almost rusted through from heavy
use and lack of care.

ONE bag nearly empty 20# bag of charcoal (from a TWO pack1) that was
returned because the charcoal "didn't burn right". Of course they
wanted full credit for both bags when they returned a couple of
pounds.

The best? This was in effect when he started there ten years ago.

In January, Christmas trees were returned because they turned brown.
In some cases money was returned, and with no receipt store credit was
issued.

At the time he started, he told me they even mistakenly took back
other store's goods when they were marked at the factory with an
SKU#. He told me that it happened when they had certain products that
were not exclusive to HD, and neither was their factory packaging.
Having lunch with the store manager at an open house, he confirmed
it! Ouch!

Of course for a long time now they all have their own bar code tags
and systems closed tagging/pricing systems.

Over the course of time all of these store with their liberal return
policies have been bitten pretty hard. It certainly isn't confined to
the hardware stores. It's really no different than the woman that
goes to an upscale store to get a very expensive dress for the
holidays, then return it as unsatisfactory in January.

Robert

"Rich" wrote in message
...
Just the other day I went through the self check out line at HD and bought
a
few items.

Now that they have convinced you to do their job for them, their next move
will be to convince people to just come in, give them their money and leave.

CW wrote:
"Rich" wrote in message
...
Just the other day I went through the self check out line at HD and
bought a
few items.

Now that they have convinced you to do their job for them, their next
move will be to convince people to just come in, give them their
money and leave.

Initially, I hated self checkout - for the same reason you suggest. Now -
I'd rather check myself out most of the time.

--

-Mike-

On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:33:23 -0800, "CW"
wrote:


"Rich" wrote in message
...
Just the other day I went through the self check out line at HD and bought
a
few items.

Now that they have convinced you to do their job for them, their next move
will be to convince people to just come in, give them their money and leave.

I --== MUCH ==-- prefer to go through a self-checkout line because
I'm a helluva lot faster than the idiot in front of me who needs 11
price checks, can't find his coupons or ads for the sale prices he
thought he saw, starts to write his check the minute AFTER the checker
had rung up all 173 of his items, bought the wrong item for the sale,
wants to add several items he didn't find--through the checker, etc.

I make sure to look that every item I purchase has a usable SKU label,
and that's a whole lot quicker than some checker trying to get the guy
who's supposed to be in Hardware to check a price for her.

I was in Lowes the other day and found 2 self-checks open while there
were at least 5 people in each of the 4 checkered lines. It took me 2
minutes to sail through, including checking that the machine rang up
the correct price on everything.

YMMV


--
To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.
-- J. K. Rowling

On 11/13/2010 4:45 PM, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:33:23 -0800,
wrote:


wrote in message
...
Just the other day I went through the self check out line at HD and bought
a
few items.

Now that they have convinced you to do their job for them, their next move
will be to convince people to just come in, give them their money and leave.

I --== MUCH ==-- prefer to go through a self-checkout line because
I'm a helluva lot faster than the idiot in front of me who needs 11
price checks, can't find his coupons or ads for the sale prices he
thought he saw, starts to write his check the minute AFTER the checker
had rung up all 173 of his items, bought the wrong item for the sale,
wants to add several items he didn't find--through the checker, etc.

I make sure to look that every item I purchase has a usable SKU label,
and that's a whole lot quicker than some checker trying to get the guy
who's supposed to be in Hardware to check a price for her.

I was in Lowes the other day and found 2 self-checks open while there
were at least 5 people in each of the 4 checkered lines. It took me 2
minutes to sail through, including checking that the machine rang up
the correct price on everything.

YMMV

If you want something done right...

--
"Even if your wife is happy but you're unhappy, you're still happier
than you'd be if you were happy and your wife was unhappy." - Red Green
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:45:30 -0800, Larry Jaques wrote:

I --== MUCH ==-- prefer to go through a self-checkout line because I'm
a helluva lot faster than the idiot in front of me who needs 11 price
checks, can't find his coupons or ads for the sale prices he thought he
saw, starts to write his check the minute AFTER the checker had rung up
all 173 of his items, bought the wrong item for the sale, wants to add
several items he didn't find--through the checker, etc.

I agree. But I usually go to the checkout stand nonetheless because I
consider self-checkout just another attempt to eliminate jobs and push
those expenses to the consumer.

Our library has a self checkout option. I don't use it either. Of
course there are far fewer problems with idiot customers at the
library :-).

I do use the self check-in at the library, but only because they give no
choice.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:37:11 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:45:30 -0800, Larry Jaques wrote:

I --== MUCH ==-- prefer to go through a self-checkout line because I'm
a helluva lot faster than the idiot in front of me who needs 11 price
checks, can't find his coupons or ads for the sale prices he thought he
saw, starts to write his check the minute AFTER the checker had rung up
all 173 of his items, bought the wrong item for the sale, wants to add
several items he didn't find--through the checker, etc.

I agree. But I usually go to the checkout stand nonetheless because I
consider self-checkout just another attempt to eliminate jobs and push
those expenses to the consumer.

No, it's probably a combination of an attempt to speed things up due
to customer demand, consumer pressure to cut prices, and logic.

Self-check scanners probably cost half the price of a union worker's
wages and they can work 24/7 without overtime, vacation, sick days,
gripes, poor customer interaction, health insurance, etc.

I use the self-checkout at the supermarket exclusively, and have for
the 4 years they've been available here. I love 'em! They're quick
and easy to use, with far shorter (or no) lines to wait behind.


Our library has a self checkout option. I don't use it either. Of
course there are far fewer problems with idiot customers at the
library :-).

I use self-checkout only if they aren't holding some books for me. I
'shop' online and then pick 'em up when they've got a stack for me.
Due to our limited library hours, lines are long every day they're
open and for most hours they're open, so I try to make it there -as-
they open in the mornings or afternoons.


I do use the self check-in at the library, but only because they give no
choice.

We leave our books on the check-in counter and they handle it.

--
To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.
-- J. K. Rowling

On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 15:14:01 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:37:11 +0000 (UTC), Larry Blanchard
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:45:30 -0800, Larry Jaques wrote:

I --== MUCH ==-- prefer to go through a self-checkout line because I'm
a helluva lot faster than the idiot in front of me who needs 11 price
checks, can't find his coupons or ads for the sale prices he thought he
saw, starts to write his check the minute AFTER the checker had rung up
all 173 of his items, bought the wrong item for the sale, wants to add
several items he didn't find--through the checker, etc.

I agree. But I usually go to the checkout stand nonetheless because I
consider self-checkout just another attempt to eliminate jobs and push
those expenses to the consumer.

No, it's probably a combination of an attempt to speed things up due
to customer demand, consumer pressure to cut prices, and logic.

Self-check scanners probably cost half the price of a union worker's
wages and they can work 24/7 without overtime, vacation, sick days,
gripes, poor customer interaction, health insurance, etc.

....and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure. The Lowes
just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're all that's open at
the HD across the street).

I use the self-checkout at the supermarket exclusively, and have for
the 4 years they've been available here. I love 'em! They're quick
and easy to use, with far shorter (or no) lines to wait behind.

Except for produce, they're great.

snip

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:


...and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure. The
Lowes just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're all
that's open at the HD across the street).


That would be surprising. Home Depots Customer First focus includes manning
cash registers with real live cashiers. Hard to believe a Home Depot store
would have only self service checkouts open.

--

-Mike-

On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:27:14 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

wrote:


...and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure. The
Lowes just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're all
that's open at the HD across the street).


That would be surprising. Home Depots Customer First focus includes manning
cash registers with real live cashiers. Hard to believe a Home Depot store
would have only self service checkouts open.

The cashier that's taking care of the four self-checkout machines will do the
checkout. Sometimes she's so bored she almost demands to do the work. There
is usually another register for contractors but often the light is on and no
one is home. The HD here isn't my favorite.

On Nov 14, 8:27 pm, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:
wrote:

...and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure. The
Lowes just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're all
that's open at the HD across the street).

That would be surprising. Home Depots Customer First focus includes manning
cash registers with real live cashiers. Hard to believe a Home Depot store
would have only self service checkouts open.

Mike, you know each HD store is different, right? Regardless of
training, teaching, corporate mandates, required behavior response to
customer training, company guidelines, awareness initiatives,
handbooks, seminar training, rules, policies, and all the other
efforts made to standardize the stores... they are all different.
Every store has its personality, more so than any chain store I have
ever seen.

I drive well out of my way to go to my favorite HD. It has better
trained people, a friendlier atmosphere, and in a crunch they are more
helpful than their sister stores. But it has a lousy commercial
department, so when I need to order something to pick up, I go to
another one altogether. Neither of these have upscale door hardware,
so when I am changing out a front door, I go to yet another one.
Everyone around here knows that the two stores that keep their paint
matching (and color dispensers) calibrated correctly, and it isn't the
stores that sell the most paint, either. And with only the basics as
standardized store merchandise, I have learned to go to the correct HD
for the items I seek. I just look at them as totally different stores
now, and I am fine with their inconsistencies.

Some are good, some are not so good. All are different, and even the
regional management team around here knows it. The regional guys used
to call contractors from time to time to see what we thought of their
efforts with commercial sales, and after having lunch with a couple of
them they realize a lot more of what goes on in the store than I ever
thought.

At the late hours of the evening I have gone to checkout, and NO ONE
is around at the registers (2 different stores). From time to time I
have to find someone to pay! One night a cashier assured me though,
that he was on his game. He told me that if I had tried to leave with
the merchandise, the merchandise alarm would have been triggered. He
was enormously proud of himself.

Just sayin', Mike. I know you are intimate knowledge of the inner
workings of HD, but policies don't make it so.

Robert

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:27:14 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:


...and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure.
The Lowes just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're
all that's open at the HD across the street).


That would be surprising. Home Depots Customer First focus includes
manning cash registers with real live cashiers. Hard to believe a
Home Depot store would have only self service checkouts open.

The cashier that's taking care of the four self-checkout machines
will do the checkout. Sometimes she's so bored she almost demands to
do the work. There is usually another register for contractors but
often the light is on and no one is home. The HD here isn't my
favorite.

That makes more sense. It's common enough to find only one live checkout
open during slow periods of a day. You can be assured that if there is a
register open with money in the til, there is a cashier there. The
contractor register is not for contractors really - it's for anyone. Just
carries that name because, well, because...

--

-Mike-

wrote:
On Nov 14, 8:27 pm, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:
wrote:

...and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure.
The Lowes just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're
all that's open at the HD across the street).

That would be surprising. Home Depots Customer First focus includes
manning cash registers with real live cashiers. Hard to believe a
Home Depot store would have only self service checkouts open.

Mike, you know each HD store is different, right? Regardless of
training, teaching, corporate mandates, required behavior response to
customer training, company guidelines, awareness initiatives,
handbooks, seminar training, rules, policies, and all the other
efforts made to standardize the stores... they are all different.
Every store has its personality, more so than any chain store I have
ever seen.


Just sayin', Mike. I know you are intimate knowledge of the inner
workings of HD, but policies don't make it so.


Oh yeah - I'm fully aware of that. That's why I only said it would be
surprising, rather than outright challenging the assertion. That's one of
the bigger mandates that the mid-line guys are measured by and tend to
enforce. As you pointed out - there are differences at a lot of levels,
between stores - even in a locale, but somethings are generally very
standard across a chain. In particular - having a cashier tends to be one
of those. You do afterall, have to have a place for people to bring all
those big things that won't fit on a self service scanner...

All of the stores will put cashiers out on the floor doing things like
facing shelves, etc. during really slow periods. But there will always be
at least one cashier open at all times - generally at contractor's, just
because you can't scan everything at self service. If business picks up -
they just haul those cashiers back from the floor and open another til. In
theory...

--

-Mike-

On Sun, 14 Nov 2010 21:27:14 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:

wrote:


...and they're all shut down at the WallyWorld here. Go figure. The
Lowes just installed them and that's all I use anymore (they're all
that's open at the HD across the street).


That would be surprising. Home Depots Customer First focus includes manning
cash registers with real live cashiers. Hard to believe a Home Depot store
would have only self service checkouts open.

Try the one in Marion, IL that is all they have open.

Mark