How Lowe's earned Home Depot a customer yesterday. How is Customer Service where you live?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (237291)
Walnut Creek, California
February 23, 2026 10:37am CST
I just finished up another pair of coasters. I have been on a bit of an "arts and crafts" roll lately. I also finished up a can of red mahogany stain, my default stain for making dark coasters out of light spruce sound hole cutouts.
One of my guitar students brought me a $25 Lowe's gift card as a Christmas present. Lowe's and Home depot are the two big "home improvement/hardware" stores around here. I decided to use the gift card to purchase some red mahogany stain. A small tin should cost around $9.00.
I usually use Home Depot, as there is one near my house. But a penny saved is a penny earned.
I called the nearest Lowe's to get directions. The bot "AI Helper" did not give me the options I needed to get directions to the store, which is located near a complicated and confusing intersection of several freeways and surface streets.
After about three minutes, I was able to get through to "speak to a live representative."
The phone rang. And rang. After another three minutes, I heard that fast busy signal that means "You've been hung up on, Sucker."
I will get my red mahogany stain after breakfast. At Home Depot.
Is Customer Service better than this where you live?
14 people like this
11 responses
@MarieCoyle (57742)
•
23 Feb
Honestly, customer service is pretty much non-existent in the big box stores like this one. And if you decide to call, good luck!
Do you ever use an app on your phone for directions? Not hard to do, and if you don't have a navigation system in your truck, you can look it up, make sure it talks you through it as you drive, totally hands off. I hope you got the stain you wanted.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (57742)
•
24 Feb
@TheHorse
Before I had a navigation system, I used my phone if I was going somewhere unfamiliar. Never had any problems. Weird.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (173126)
• United States
23 Feb
Nope. Most stores use AI to answer their phones now so you either get a confusing answer or it hangs up as soon as it answers the phone.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (173126)
• United States
23 Feb
@TheHorse 
What? They aren't supposed to use "hold" when you call 911!
I hope everything is okay with you.
What? They aren't supposed to use "hold" when you call 911!
I hope everything is okay with you.1 person likes this
@TheHorse (237291)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Feb
@DaddyEvil Heh. I am alive and well. I just woke up from a really nice dream. It's afternoon for you. I'll be heading back to bed soon.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (39948)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 Feb
I have had good and bad customer service through the years with different stores.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (237291)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Feb
@LeaPea2417 Maybe some of their workers are on strike. I am not sure.
1 person likes this
Good idea to re-gift the card if you are not interested in using it.
@Plethos (13718)
• United States
23 Feb
- it's a california thing with 911. Horribly mismanaged and under funded.
Lowes, I once worked there temporarily. We don't get much training, you get thrown into the fire and learn as you go.
I also hate the Ai bot handling the phone lines and web site chat . I also truly hate the Ai used to take your order in a drive through. I don't have the patience for them.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (30691)
•
24 Feb
Is Customer Service better than this where you live?
No
It's not good here in the main.
The other day in a shop the person at the till said 27 59
I said 27 59 what?
They said, you need to pay 27 59
I told him, you need to say please, and then you need to say thank you
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (168717)
• United States
24 Feb
Neither is close to us. When we moved ten years ago we got better service and deals from Lowe's so we have stuck with them. None of it is great, though.
@wolfgirl569 (133747)
• Marion, Ohio
23 Feb
I hate those automated answering things.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (96821)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Feb
Very nice coasters, That was a great gift card. Save it till you really need something,
@JudyEv (378899)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb
Mostly customer service is good in our shops. Maybe they know who butters their bread, so to speak.
@LindaOHio (220023)
• United States
24 Feb
Customer service sucks just about anywhere these days. I usually shop at Lowe's though. They've been pretty good to me.
