Richard Detrich’s Boquete, Panama Weblog

Home Depot is one of the things I’ve missed most since moving to Panama. I’m the only guy in Boquete with a “Home Depot: My Toy Store” bumper sticker on my pick up truck! So, while in Seattle one of the things I was most looking forward to was visiting Home Depot. I had to pick up a saw blade unavailable in Panama and hoped to find some dahlias and glad bulbs. So I visited the Seattle store on Delridge Way. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!

The first thing I noticed, especially since I was pushing a baby stroller, is that 20% of the aisles were blocked! No wheelchair could have gotten through in an emergency or to shop and people had to climb over or go around. Merchandise was strewn around. The display of bulbs was ripped though, most packages were torn, missing stuff, or in the wrong bins. Paint cans had obviously dumped onto the floor in the paint department. Now I know it was Monday, but unless Seattle had a weekend earthquake or tornado, not even the sloppiest of customers could account for the mess!

The second thing I noticed was the almost complete absence of orange aprons! I walked through 4 departments looking for anybody and found only one guy up to his elbows in paint. The front desk found me someone to help me with my saw blade and he told me he had another customer, then had his break, but if I wanted to hang around for 20 minutes he would try and get back! The electronic part finder gizmo didn’t work, so I spent 30 minutes rummaging through saw blades, all in the wrong bins, trying to find, hopefully what I need. This was not the Home Depot I remembered! What always set Home Depot apart was helpful, knowledgeable staff with experience.

The one bright spot was the appliance section where there were real people who were real helpful. They seemed to be the only staff in the store!

Checking out was equally frustrating. I fondly remembered the long lines . . . here there were just automated check outs . . . which didn’t work. The two people manning the area were deep in conversation totally ignoring my pleas for help. A supervisor looking like a prison guard stood staring into space. When I asked her if anyone was working she told me, “We’re ALL working. What is your problem?” She found an underling who kicked the machine a few times and got it to work. He at least was apologetic and friendly. Then . . . naturally . . . as I was walking through the exit doors all kinds of red lights, and horns and sirens started blaring. I just ignored it all and calmly walked my car, commenting to another customer, “Man, am I glad I dumped my Home Depot stock!”