Update: I received a very nice, very apologetic phone call from the store manager and I suggested a few things that he agreed with wholeheartedly. It was a good conversation and I felt bad for the dude. Apparently, he has been assigned to this store to change the culture, and has only been there since January.

I haven’t decided if I will go back to Home Depot or not. As much as I appreciated the effort, customer service problems with managers is inexcusable. I can forgive the ignorant part time worker, but the salary employee should know better.

I went to store 4656 tonight to return some weed block fabric I did not need. When I arrived, there was a man and his child in line waiting for the one return lane to clear. The woman in the lane was returning tile, a cart load of tile, which apparently was purchased on multiple credit cards. The man ahead of me left after a couple minutes as apparently he had been waiting a while already. I took up the next position in line and after 10 minutes I gave up and decided to head out to the car that held my waiting family.

I was almost to the car when an associate called for me to come back in as there was another return lane. She stated I seemed irritated when I left, I told her I was fine that I just had to get back to the family. The service desk return lane (didn’t have a light on while I was waiting and still didn’t) had another customer and the woman at the register snapped something about me having to go wait at the other lane. I explained to her that I was called back in to go to this lane and she said I would have to wait. I explained to her my family was in the car and that is why I left the first time and I would return later and then never return.

I appreciated the first associates concern that I be taken care of, although it would have been nice if I was engaged while waiting. She did her best knowing I had been waiting a long time and left the store and I can’t fault her although it would have been good if she made sure I could be helped when I came back in! I didn’t appreciate at all the way I was treated by the customer service associate once I returned.

I was fine with coming back later, I have worked retail, I know how busy it can get, I just had to leave to take care of my family that was waiting for me in the car. What I am not fine with is the apparent lack of communication between the associates and being treated as if it was my idea to come to the other return lane. Even if it was my idea, there is no excuse to treat a loyal customer like they are an inconvenience to your day.

I have spent many hours and dollars at this store, but there is a Lowe’s just down the road and I will not return to Home Depot once I am done with my return. I have had problems with a manager at the return desk at Lowe’s as well so perhaps I just bring out the worst in people, but I know I did nothing to warrant this tonight.

All that needed to happen was for one of the four associates that passed me by while waiting to acknowledge me. That would have made all the difference and garnered a much better result than trying to do so after I left.