Not enough associates who care.

You were standing there when the other woman said she was next, yet
you just stood there and took it? Was she, in fact, really next? If
not, it is your responsibility to say, "Excuse me, but I thought you
said we were next?" If you are unable to stand up for yourself, you
should not be upset at the workers (who have to deal with people like
you and even more rude people) for 8 hours a day.

If you have had enough experience (and you have, now) you know that
seeking help at HD or Lowes is a competitive activity.

They aren't going to hire more help, so set that aside.

If you are one of several people seeking assistance, you need to
assess who was there before you, and keep a watchful eye on new
arrivals and the progress of those who are waiting and being helped.
The challenge is increased because the CSR is usually walking around
while helping the current customer.

If you care about being "cut in front of," you can't be passive or let
your attention wander. You may have to follow the CSR and current
customer to avoid the CSR getting swiped by one of the other people in
line or a new arrival.

There is actually an art to this. Once you get burnt, you learn your
lesson. Now you are educated!

Wow! I cant believe neither of you stood up to the line butt-er. I
certainly would have said "Excuse me, but we've been waiting longer"

I know the frustration behind not having enough employees around to
help. Unfortunately that is something that we get for wanting lower
prices.

i hate to break it to you, but they aren't going to hire more staff.
after all, why have two employees when you can have one do the job, is
the way corporate thinks. then, when the lone employee doesn't do a
good job, is the blame placed where it belongs, on corporate? no, it
is not. it is blamed on the hapless lone employee, the lone, hapless,
underpaid employee. management, for the most part, is just out to
make every dime they can off the backs of their employees for the
least amount of money with the least amount of staff. how do you
think all those ceo's got so rich? by the way, your boyfriend needs a
backbone and a set of lungs so he can speak up when he gets
overlooked.

How would you have taught your son wrong?? Honey.. in MY experience.
the customer is hardly ever right.. yanno why? People can't READ.

Just after Christmas, I went to a Home Depot located in Des MOines
Iowa just off University on Clive. I could not find an associate to
help me and had to approach one (who turned out to be a supervisor) I
asked her if she could help me with a question. She replied quickly
and rather rudely "What do you want!" I was taken a bit aback and
said "Never-mind, then". She said "No, no.. what do you want?" I
siad "Lady I can go to Wal-Mart and be treated like this - I don't
need this sort of treatment." She stated how tired she was and that
she was busy, but never sorry or that was wrong, let's start over -
NOP! It was kiss my butt if you don't like it. This is the trend in
Iowa and it is getting really old. How do people keep their jobs in
Iowa acting like this? In fgact - how do they get to be a supervisor
by acting this way???? In Iowa, I have found that this "take it or
leave it" attitude is as old as the hills and has permeated this state
for years.
All I want to do these days is get what I need without fighting to
be served. It seems i have to be really over-polite and sugary and
fake in order to coerce the associates, servers and low-wage earning
clerks of Iowa to help me and take my money. It is like this - as an
Iowa, we have to go several extra steps - 1. We must convince the
workers we are worthy to be served 2) we have to be cheery or else
suffer backlash 3) we are never right and must accept the worker in
whatever shape they appear b4 us

peace

"It seems i have to be really over-polite and sugary and fake in order
to coerce the associates, servers and low-wage earning clerks of Iowa
to help me and take my money. "

I wonder why they don't like customers. This statement shows a lot
about who you are and the lack of respect you have for other people.
Calling them "low-wage" tells me that you are labeling and judging
them. You deserve to be crapped on by every "low-wage" worker for the
rest of your life and then 1 additional day.

I'm from Iowa, although I've lived in Minnesota for 13 years now. I
go to Iowa frequently, as my family is there, and I've lived in Des
Moines and worked in West Des Moines. I've not encountered anything
like what you described, either in Iowa or in Minnesota. I also am in
stores in Iowa over the holidays more so than Minnesota, so I'm there
when the employees are tired. They've been fine every time.

If you keep having the same kind of experiences, then the common
denominator is you, my friend.

In fact, my friends who've moved to the coasts often tell me that they
could get me a job at the drop of the hat, as Midwesterners are the
preferred employees, because in general, they have a stronger work
ethic, have a better attitude, etc. (I suspect that has gone down in
recent years, but it's all relative.)

You have a very patient fiancee who dosen't speak up when someone
butts in front of him. You're lucky to have found him.

The associate likely lost track or forgot who was next, or something
similarly innocent. That your fiancee didn't display a backbone isn't
the store's fault!

*I understand being a manager of a store that the customer is always
right but this is not supposed to apply when you know they are in the
wrong.*

Uh-huh, try saying that with a straight face, why don'cha? I'm so glad
I don't work retail any longer, though this letter is giving me some
nasty flashbacks of 'I'm always right even when I'm wrong' customer
moments.

You walked away and neither you nor your fiancee were willing to step
forward and say 'I was here first'. The clerks are not mind readers,
nor do they have perfect facial recognition and memorization software
that will allow them to remember 'Harriet spoke with me 5 minutes
before June walked into the store, therefore Harriet is next. I will
immediately search her out and help her, even though she wandered away
from my assigned area.'

You don't mention whether or not your fiancee was able to tell the
employee what you wanted. I know if I were left to "place hold" for
my husband at Home Depot I'd have no idea what to tell the employee
when our turn came! If he got to your fiancee, asked what was needed,
and your fiancee was unable to answer, he could hardly just stand
there and wait until you returned.

If, on the other hand, you returned before the employee even got to
you and your fiancee, you were fully capable of saying, "Excuse me,
but I was next." When there is no real line, store employees
may not know who is next, and expecting them to memorize the faces of
each person waiting may be too much to ask.

While I applaud you for not making a scene in an effort to teach your
son not to be rude, it seems that a lesson in speaking up for oneself
by simply asking to be served when it is your turn may have been even
better.

You were not standing there "all that time". You were off shopping in
other departments while your fiance held your place in line, so to
speak. However since she evidently did not know what you wanted the
employee took the next person and then the next after that.
Sorry but if you want to wait there that is fine, but to leave, go
shop in other departments and then have him wait until you return is
not to be expected.