Oddly Enough, It Could Use Improvement-Home Depot--(The Manly w/o)
Written: Jun 16 '03
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I must admit, when I think of manly, I think of Home Depot, thus when I was invited to participate in the Manly write-off hosted by Joubert and hawgwyld, it popped right to mind.
Why manly you ask? Well it's my favorite man's (my husbands) favorite place in the whole world,so what else really could I write about. If it goes in your house, fixes things, smashes things, or generally makes noise, you're likely to find it at Home Depot. Of course if you're like me and attached to someone who can't get out of Home Depot with just one thing, you may want to do what I do to avoid a trip in there. Order online. Yes, the UPS man hates me after lugging my giant boxes of seed, mulch, and fertilizer, but my wallet is happy, happy. Anything to thwart my manly-man's ever growing garage o'gadgets!
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Surfing at Home Depot-
The home page at Home Depot is filled with choices and links to just about anything home you need. The site literally overfloweth with information you might need. It's a great place to do some planning for an upcoming project. The top of the page has tabs to take you to the following departments:
Gift Cards
EXPO
Installation Services
Credit Center
Project Index
Store Locator
Most of those sections are fairly self explanatory, but a few were a mystery to me. The EXPO is cool. It's a portal to an entirely separate site. This site is all about decorating, and accessorizing. They sell some furniture, fixtures and the like. I can assure you I'll be back to do some damage there soon. The Installation Services is a loaded guide to anything installation. They show you local contractors, in-home installation, how-to classes at your local Home Depot and so on.
Everything they offer is what you might expect and then some. The Credit Center allows you to apply for a card, but then you can also manage your account and see your balance and so on. Handy, handy like a good home improvement site should be.
Shopping at Home Depot-
Also on the home page are links to the main shopping departments of Home Depot lining the side of the page. The main departments are as follows:
Building Materials
Cleaning Supplies
Decor
Electrical
Flooring
Garden Center
Gifts
Hardware
Heating and Cooling
Kitchen & Bath
Lighting & Fans
Paint
Plumbing
Storage
Tools
Windows & Doors
The first thing you'll notice when you try to utilize a shopping link, is that you'll need to input your zip code to show what's available at your local store. What this translates to is that there's no central stock and some merchandise isn't available, so selection may be limited.
I found that for what I was looking for, the Home Depot had every conceivable option for gardening soils, mixes, and fertilizers so it was a moot point.
~Product Detailing is more than adequate. Spec's are given, suggestions for use, and installation tips are all right there as well as warranty information.
~Page Loads are a bit slow, and honestly it's probably because the site is so large, but the time-outs were frequent and frustrating.
~Selection is varied, and Home Depot alerts shoppers that a "wider selection is available in stores."
~Purchasing is fairly easy as shopping online goes, and after you select a quantity you can keep shopping or check out. If checking out you can create an account or set up a new one with the basic information. I like being able to save my account for future visits and time saving.
~Payment can be made via Mastercard, Visa, Discover, AMEX, Home Depot cards and gift cards.
~Shipment is only done via UPS Ground. It's not quick delivery, but the costs are reasonable. Home Depot charges $4.91 per order for the first 15 pounds and 43 cents for each additional pound. My last order was hefty and the shipping cost was minimal really.
~Delivery was very prompt, though not speedy. Home Depot sent notification of shipment with a UPS link for tracking when the order shipped.
All in all, very reasonable prices, massive information available and a decent selection make Home Depot a place I'll be back too.
So What Could Use Improving?
Honestly there's a few things keeping what would be a 5-star experience a solid average one. The lack of central ordering and stock is a minor pain, but the lack of shipping beyond the lower 48 states may be a drawback. The fact that only UPS ground is the only shipping option is a bit of a drawback too. The real problem for me is the constant battle with the site to just work. The page loads and time-outs were more numerous than I can count, and I can't honestly think of another merchant that's been this bad in my encounters. I'd also like to see account information improved. While trying to research my order history, all they had stored was the date and order number, not what I ordered or the costs. Also absent was an order confirmation after placing the order. Sure, they sent a shipping notice, but I like my i's dotted and my t's crossed and a big site like Home Depot should and could do it better.
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If you feel the need for a testosterone surge, surf on over and check out the other contributions honoring two of the "manliest" men I know at:
http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/mypageontheweb/page9.html
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? gardening supplies
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