Lowe's Customer Service Letter

Dear Lowe’s,

Just thought I’d drop you a line to let you know some things about your store. Yesterday I went shopping in your Morgantown WV Lowe’s on Tuesday 6-22-10 around 2-3 pm and really I have to say I’m exceptionally disappointed in the level of your customer service in the last couple of years. When my mom worked for your company in 1999 in another state, she was always told that you never ever tell the customer NO, that you always try to find a solution to their problem even if you have to special order it.

So with that in my mind I went to your Morgantown Lowe’s and looked for a solution to my problem… My sliding glass door in my house needs a security bar to help keep my children from wandering out onto my deck and into my pool. So I’m exceptionally motivated to find a working solution. My door is on one side 27” wide with the door shut. I went to the hardware section of the store where 3-4 employees were grouped and asked one to help me. At which point I was walked over to the children’s safety section (with outlet covers and kiddie gates) and after a cursory glance was told “nope we don’t have anything like that, sorry” and he walked away!

After picking my jaw up off the floor and spending the next 5 min fuming about piss poor customer service I walked LITTERALY 2 feet down and across the aisle was the bars that the kid had just said wasn’t available. HUH? So it wasn’t for a 27” door they started at 28” but he didn’t EVEN OFFER them to me.

So we continued to the rest of our shopping list and headed into plumbing for something to help my toilet to stop wobbling. We wander around plumbing for quite a few minutes and not one offer of help. Eventually I go stand by the desk in plumbing and the guy is talking to a sales rep from a company. OK so I go and wait, and wait and wait. Finally the employee walks away leaving both the sales rep and I standing there! After the sales rep leaves I stand there a couple of more min thinking he’s going to be coming back… NOPE his phone at the desk starts ringing and ringing and ringing… and after listening to that for about 4 min I leave that department. Unhappy and unlucky again!

Now I head to your garden department. I wander around while my husband and my 2 yr old go potty and spot some spa chemicals. At this point I’m looking for a 1” chemical floater for my hot tub. I was offered help from a very nice lady and found what I needed and more within seconds. She walks away to help more customers. YEA

When my husband returns we remember that we need a new safety gate for the top of my deck stairs. Buoyed by the decent customer service that we’ve received in lawn and garden I wander over to a lady watering plants. Without even removing her sunglasses I was informed that they “probably don’t have anything like that, but if they did it would be in aisle 4.” So I wander over to aisle 4 at which point my ever-observant 5yr old states “but mom!! We were just HERE!” And we were, this was the same aisle that I received your stellar companies advice on my sliding glass door. There were no hard mounted gates and none rated for safe outdoor use.

At the checkout I realize how far the mighty Lowe’s has fallen since my mom worked for the company. I wasn’t even asked if I found every thing ok. The employees (and management) were up front talking about another customer who had a complaint and mentioned IN FRONT OF OTHER CUSTOMERS (namely my family and about 3-4 other customers) “well he stared at your badge for a long time, and he must not have been too unhappy” Which tells me that this is not an uncommon occurrence.

So I have to say as a fair warning… I’m going to send you this letter. I’m also going to be posting it on my blog and my facebook page. I’m exceptionally disappointed in your apathy toward your customers nowadays. I might go in there to get what I need, but only if I can’t get it somewhere else first.