Why Even Have A Store?

Ok folks, I am sure some will find this stupid but it’s MY soapbox.

So, how long has it been since YOU shopped for major appliances, like stove, fridge, washer or dryer? Me?  It has been about 12-13 years. Even then, I think we purchased what was available because we had just moved into our new house and the 12-13 year old washer died suddenly. We weren’t (aren’t) very picky when it comes to MOST things, but we do research and try to get a deal.

Fast forward 12-13 years and that washer has now died. Sooooo, we begin our search. We know we want a front load and stackable. I know, I know, a lot of negatives BUT our small laundry room and 3 big Huskies that eat in there dictate the need to make room. So, we begin researching. We narrow our search based on type, price and brand. We find one model we like but have to see it in person. Website says it is in stock so we go on the journey.

Around 7:00pm we arrive at our local LOWES.  We find the one we saw online. Now, to make sure we have covered our bases, and while waiting on someone to show up in the department, we wander around. We begin to compare features and brands. We notice for just a few dollars more we can get a newer model, oh, and it comes in something other than white (which I prefer, low on list of requirements). So, we study the new found model, we see an “in stock” note written on paperwork. Ok, good. We settle on that, our mind is made up. We wait. Finally, an associate is available. We ask about having model in stock, he proceeds to check. Nope, “the floor model IS the one in stock”, he goes to computer and says, “we last sold one in October so we have not replenished our stock”.

Folks, that right there is just WRONG!! I am wanting to SCREAM ‘false advertising’!! But, what good would it do? They all hide behind the disclaimer of “our website is not 100% accurate”.

So, we ask if he can call another store. He tries. While looking online, (you know, that “website that isn’t 100% accurate”). He says they show one in stock. Unfortunately, the store isn’t answering. He hangs up and says that he can order from distribution center and get it to us later in the week. We don’t want to wait a week, we want it now. So off we go to the store that wouldn’t answer the phone, that has one in stock.

We opted to try another chain store since we were forced to make the trip to Lexington. So, at 7:48 we begin the 20+/- minute drive. We arrive and immediately find the same model only a $1 more. We wait for the associate. She is sharing tall tells of short people falling head first into top loaders and unable to get out alive. Ok? Really? Is that how you sell things? Thankfully, we won’t be hearing that story as we are focused on front loaders. Finally, she turns her focus to us. We ask ONE simple question, “wondering if you have that model in stock (pointing over towards the machine)”. She quickly informs us, “no, we don’t keep any of our machines in stock”.

Ok folks, I admit, I was VERY near the edge at this point. I couldn’t believe what I heard. Why in the HELL do you have a store, if you are not keeping anything in stock? This would be like going to grocery store and only samples on shelves, everything ordered and sent to you. WAIT, isn’t that what Amazon does? No wonder Amazon is taking over. The box stores don’t NEED to exist!

I digress.

So, we abruptly leave and we are fussing the entire time. We find our way through the maze of product on shelves confused and frustrated.

We arrive at our second LOWES store. We make our way to washers/dryers and find the models we are considering. We wait. Another couple was ahead scheduling delivery. This was a good sign, as long as it wasn’t the one we were after, which would be our luck.

He finally asks us what he can do for us and we ask about said machine. He checks his trusty little gadget and says, “one in stock, but wait…he isn’t sure. So, he goes to the back to “put his hands on it””. Meanwhile, we are looking at one so there is atleast ONE in the store. About 7:45, we are informed that the one in stock is “returned and damaged.” He offers to order one, but “the distribution center only delivers to their store on Tuesday and Thursday, so it will be next week at some point”. We respond, “if that is the case we can just go order from our local store and wait”.

We leave! Frustrated, angry, perplexed and disgusted.

We still don’t have a solution to our washer dilemma, so we return home to search.

Our second search reveals one in stock in another store about 30miles away. So, calling the next morning is our only recourse.

The next morning yields success though with a few hurdles. Decision is made to order online and be done. So, order is placed, via LOWES website, from Frankfort store. We now have a washer on the way.

WAIT a minute!

Another hurdle…the confirmation indicates that the order was transferred to the Lexington store. WHERE THE ONLY ONE IN INVENTORY WAS RETURNED AND DAMAGED. Though we are told repeatedly that “website is not 100% accurate”, a quick check shows there no longer to be stock in Lexington. Seems we are being issued the “returned and damaged” one from the store we were at last night, that the guy all but refused to sell us anyway. A call has to be made. This time to the fulfillment store, Lexington.

The situation is explained quickly.  The employee says “she has no way to change the order to get the one from Frankfort.”  She offers to cancel the order so we can physically go to Frankfort and pick that one up. Quickly, she realizes it wasn’t a pickup, it was a delivery.  So we inquire about the logic pointing out that we would have to wait for a refund, then we would have to drive over and place the order in the store. If we were going to do that we could have just ordered from our local store.  She says that because we are delivery, we aren’t charged yet. Wrong! Money is already out of the account. So she offers to call the IT department and see if they have a solution.

Calling the IT department?

Another example of passing the buck. It is fairly simple folks, the call that needs to be made is from Lexington to Frankfort asking that they transfer the only good machine in stock (within a 40 mile radius) to us….but what do we know, we are just a customer? We don’t run a box store with inaccurate websites. So, we wait for that call after IT is consulted.

Meanwhile, we talk amongst ourselves about the problems with “box” stores.

• How the customer is no longer right.
• How we could order from Amazon and get it faster.
• How customers are lied to or mislead every day.
• How the lack of common sense yields frustrated customers.
• How box stores trap us into their ways, even though there are better ways to fulfill customer demands.

Another look at the email chain indicates that plans were to deliver this damaged washer to us tomorrow. Had we not gone the traditional way of shopping and learned that the one in inventory at Lexington store was damaged, we wouldn’t have known until it arrived. Assuming that no one would have noticed it in the store, prior to delivery, we would have been faced with a challenge upon arrival. We wouldn’t have known it wasn’t the one from Frankfort, had we not followed the website changes taking place, even though they claim to be less than 100% accurate.

Where are we at this point. We have paid for a product for which we have no clue when it will arrive.

Folks! This is how our “great nation” is destroying itself…one small incident at a time.

HOME DEPOT, you need to shut down the appliance department. Not worth it if you don’t keep stock anyway.

LOWES, you should close the appliance departments at ALL of your locations. Keep a third party involved in the display models so some of us customers who like to put our hands on product can come see it. Change your order process to online, direct from distribution centers. No need to make the customer select a store if all you are going to do is bounce around behind the scenes and choose where customers get their products. No need to advertise “in stock” if you don’t keep accurate inventory or inventory at all.