The Difference

I went doggie door shopping last night, and the difference in Home Improvement store Employees was like night and day.

At the first store an employee, who was assisting another customer (a doctor I know from the VA), asked if I needed assistance and offered to come back after the doctor had been helped. I agreed and browsed while I waited.

Finally, it was my turn.  As I was being helped a third customer interrupted to ask where the lock boxes were located. Three times the employee patiently pointed him in the direction and told the customer the location:  "Isle 3 with the dead bolt locks." I thought that was the perfect place for them, but the customer wasn't having it.

"No," he said  condesendingly, "You don't understand, it's a box like Realators put on the door of a house, and the house key is locked inside the box."

I'm thinking to myself, duh...with the deadbolts is the perfect place for it--they essentually serve the same purpose:  keeping the home secured, while allowing access to those with the right to gain access.
 
After the third attempt to convince the customer the lock boxes were in fact displayed with the deadbolts on isle 3,  the employee left me to assist the dense brainiac (I wanted so badly to go watch).

The employee returned,  completed my education on measuring for a new steel door with a doggie door,  gave me a handout with the information, as well as an estimate of the cost, and a verbal on how long it would take them to order what I wanted--because, of course, I didn't want anything they had in stock.

Then I went to the other store.

Where I was ignored.

At least until I cornered an employee assisting someone else--who it turned out was another employee--either that or they don't have an issue with customers moving and using those tall staircase ladders with safety railings on both sides of the staircase. Since that would be a huge safety or liability issue, I'm sticking with my guess that the customer was in fact an off duty, apronless employee. Not only did the on duty employee wearing an apron not show me any doggie doors,  he refused to quote me any prices--because I didn't have exact measurements.

"So you can't even give me a ballpark estimate?" I even showed him the paper from the other store, thinking he could at least say something like: Our basic steel doors start at $250. Plus $60 for the doggie door flap.  Plus incidentals. We can also install for another $200.  So maybe $600. Depending on the door you choose.  Or he could have said, we have a door like this, but our door is priced at...and then tell me the reasons their door is better than the first store.

But that's not what he said.

"No. I can't give you any prices without the exact measurements."  (even though the first store could at least guess)  He didn't even point me in the direction of the outside doors, so I could  see if I liked any of them. And he sure didn't fire up the computer to show me the ordering options.

So I guess every person who shops at the second store is a contractor, with exact measurements in hand, who also knows the store inventory, and exactly what door they want, and  that it is within their price range.

Well, I'm different.  

I'm an information gatherer. I research options. I read reviews to see problems others have experienced and how they dealt with those problems. Then, when I'm reasonably sure of what I want, and know I can afford it, I make my purchase.

I only have one more local place to check out before I decide, but I can already tell you I won't be purchasing anything from the second place.

The difference: the attitude and helpfulness--or  lack-thereof, of the two employees.

The second employee was a most unhelpful guy.

The first employee was a helpful and knowledgeable blonde.  She was awesome!

#GirlPower