The Home Depot

I’ve been to so many Home Depots that I’ve become accustomed to the fact that there aren’t many knowledgeable folks working at these stores. Well intentioned, but not able to help on anything very important.
Shrewsbury is an exception to this. Their hiring manager has done a terrific job at getting some pretty great people who worked in the trades to assist folks in this store. I was looking for a builder grade sliding door and the manager of this department was very knowledgeable about applications and specs that would match what I was looking for. Up to and including header sizing for the exterior wall.
Additionally, I’d like to call out a fellow named Kent in the lumber department who took extra time to make sure I had a great experience. He insisted on helping me load quite a few sheets of heavy furniture grade plywood, which I appreciated as most HD employees will ask begrudgingly to help, then walk away at the slightest apprehension. Kent then asked what project I’d be using the plywood for and asked if I’d like the plywood ripped down to size for easier loading and less work later on as they have a nice saw there able to do so. He then went on to rip down nearly 10 sheets of furniture grade plywood perfectly to size which saved me hours at my shop doing it myself. I can’t say how much I appreciated this and it reminded me of the old days working with small hometown lumber supply companies that have gone by the wayside.
I’d recommend anyone to this particular store as it’s worth driving out of your way to go here. I hope this review can improve what I see to be a misnomer in how it currently stands.

Great customer service. Nice and friendly staff who are eager to assist you with your home improvement needs, questions and concerns.

Updating my previous review regarding contractors being problematic when arranged through this branch of Home Depot:
Subsequently when I went in to complain, the person handling this was ‘never on shift’ and while someone arranged a replacement visit — they arranged the visit at my old address and the contractor called and canceled me to say he wouldn’t work that far north. I visited again to express my dissatisfaction and guess what? The person I had been dealing with was not there. Frankly now, my dealings with Home Depot have reached an abrupt end as far as I am concerned. This has been such a colossal repetition of incompetence over something very simple that I am shocked. To further compound this travesty of ineptitude I just received a gift card letter from Home Depot, except it turns out that what I thought was a well intentioned apology by way of compensation was actually from a marketing company using Home Depot branding and details to try to get a ‘free’ in home demo of a product. If Home Depot passed on my details I will be very angry indeed — of course, I suspect I will not get an honest answer in response. I feel as though I have wasted a vast amount of time for zero results because there is no investment in customer care or interest in follow-​up. Let me be abundantly clear — the service of those handling contracting work in this store is comedic in it’s inability to perform customer service in the most basic forms and bereft of even fundamental customer facing values or job competence.