We've been dealing with Lowes for the big stuff, and while they have decent products, and good prices, getting the stuff actually to your door intact seems to be just beyond their reach. we are on our 3rd stove delivery. not THIS particular delivery, after the last stove delivery went bust with a damaged appliance, I called the manager and re-raised the roof (not the 1st time on this project) so he agreed to bring me a stove to use while they actually figure out how to get an undamaged one to me. Wait until they get my bill for all of the dinners we had to order out and the time we have both spent waiting for them to bring damaged appliances to us.
True customer service is becoming a lost art. A lot of companies these days think customer service means just having people available. They forget about actually having the ability and training to service customers.
+1 also, I'm in the last group of baby boomers, admittedly one of the largest demographic groups in history in USA, and I'm going to retire in a couple more years (I Hope!) and i'm seeing a shortage of manpower, qualified or not, to fill positions as will be, probably already is, a shortage of labor since we didn't procreate as proficiently as our parents. couple that with the new atmosphere of bringing manufacturing back to the US and the problem compounds.
I saw a big change especially in NY when they quit hiring qualified workers and started training in house, unions blocked and not supported, and a very lax work ethic. I sat in an interview with a kid in a tee shirt and pants falling off his hips. I told him to go home and come back when he looked presentable. my engineer chewed my ass out and said I would probably hear from HR. I did and when I claimed it was a safety issue especially when he'd be working for me they dropped it. the kid never came back.
I think, as a group, we failed overall to produce a decent round of worker bees. I'm sure some of us made our kids go out and get a job when they were in their teens, but most parents I were involved with let the kids stay home until they were in their 20's with no expectation of gainful employment. My kids all had jobs when they were 14, and all 3 of them not only gainfully employed, but hold good and influential jobs now. what I see is the kids who were given this ethic, will be the leaders and will have to figure out what to do with the ones who are still having trouble tying their shoes by themselves.
while this may sound and actually be troubling in the short term (10-20 years) if we are truly as adaptable as everyone makes us out to be, the newer generation will figure out a way to redirect and change things to fit the new order. can't help the eternal optimism.
