March 2023 by John M.
We visit the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Home Depot multiple times a week, often within two hours of the store opening. Our expectations aren't high or unreasonable. Today, after negotiating closed or stock-cluttered isles, I walked up to the Contractor check-out, and the cashier seemed to be talking to herself. I said hello, but the cashier didn't respond, she just started scanning the items. As she ignored any interaction with me, it became evident from her side of the conversation that she was on a personal call via Bluetooth. When she finished scanning she pressed a few buttons on the register, remained staring at the screen, and talked to whoever was on the phone. I paid with no interaction from the cashier. As she handed me the receipt, I said thank you, and didn''t receive any response. In all, the cashier never made eye contact, never said a word to me, and did not respond even as a courtesy when I thanked her. However, she was able to carry-on a conversation with her personal phone call. The only reason I use Home Depot is that the nearby Tuscaloosa Lowe's is horribly disorganized. There is a Lowe's in North Port that is well-organized and has better customer service. Although it's 10 minutes further away, we are seriously considering making that our primary store or using Amazon Prime where there isn't an expectation of in-person contact.
