What is the CEO of Home Depot Thinking?

I have come to dislike Home Depot.

Unfortunately it is my only choice in east FLL unless I truck 15 minutes east to Lowe's. The little guys just don't carry a large enough selection either.

When I go into Home Depot, I am shocked at how bad their inventory control is and the dumb self service checkout. The other day I went in to get sprinkler parts (what should be a common in South Florida since we need year round). They had no 1/2" risers in plastic. How do you run out of such common items?

A few weeks ago I was buying PVC connectors. The $0.24 part rang up as $34.98. The check out girl did not bat an eyelash and threw it in the bag. I said something and she looked at me a bit dumbfounded. I finally told her just to remove it because I was not about to wait for a price check (it would be quicker to drive to Lowe's).

One of the big problems is that their inventory control system and order entry (checkout) systems are not linked. They do not know how much stock they have left based on sales - someone has to inventory it.

The self service checkouts are also a joke as well. I rarely get through without assistance. Pricing / bar code issues and the crazy sensor on the bag stand that thinks you put an extra item in without scanning it.

I have talked to employees in the stores who have confirmed some of these things. They are also unhappy with changes with new pay structures, shift schedules, and other cost cutting measures. I realize the economy is not great, but when you do these things you wind up discouraging your customers and driving them elsewhere.

The current CEO is trying to return Home Depot to its glory days when it was run by the founders. Being penny wise and pound foolish might make you profitable today, but not in the long term. They should look at their customer service and inventory control if they really want to get back there.