Lowe's

My friend and I are both writing because we believe we know why the sales dropped for Lowe's in the 4th quarter of 2006 11.5%...IT IS BECAUSE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS!!! We have gone in numerous times to place orders for items to be installed in our home. Either no one is available or no one knows what they are doing. The few people you do find to ask questions are more often than not rude and patronizing. I myself placed an order for a countertop. The sales person lied to me saying Lowe's would charge $300 to install, but he would do it for only $100. I was not comfortable with that and chose to still go through Lowe's. Come to find out the installation fee was only $150 and the guy got so mad I did not go with him, he botched my order. He put in my telephone numbers completely wrong, which I feel was on purpose. When I complained to a supervisor, they made it clear they could care less. They took my number and after 3 weeks someone finally came and took measurements. They were nice and professional. Of course, they did not work for Lowe's. I was told to go to Lowe's a few days later and the measurements would be in. I waited 3 days and when I went no one could find my information. A supervisor told me someone would get back to me...I'm still waiting. After another month, I went in riled and ready to demand my money back. Shockingly (and I am being sarcastic when I say that) no one cared. I was telling my story to the person at the return counter and the entire time she was not looking at me, spoke to other people and occassionally threw a "I'm listening" over her shoulder at me. She even had the nerve to criticize another customer to me. Not the 1st time that has happened to me at Lowe's. She called the customer, who I found quite friendly, impatient. I retored, customers would be more patient if the store offered competent service. In the end, my money was returned. Lowe's took the loss on the cost of the measurements and another business was happy to take my money and completed the work professionally, efficiently and curteously. I will never again go to Lowe's for any service to my home. It may be a convenient store packed with a variety of items and services, but it is not worth the hassle. I would rather go to another place where there service is good and to top it off cheaper. My friend's worse experience was when she went to the windows department to order shutters. When she went in the 1st time there were a lot of people waiting for service. There was no one. She went to the front and was told 2 people were working there that day. When she returned and after another 15 minutes, still no one arrived. She had them page for someone and still nothing. A saleperson from another department came and told everyone no one was working that department after they had been waiting for 30 minutes and had been up to the front twice. She went home and returned 2 days later. That day the lady there was cutting some blinds and refused to assist me until she was done. She was taking a long time. Another customer, hit the button for service and she yelled at me that doing that would not get me service any sooner. At that point, after putting her in her place. I went and got my money back. Again, no one cared. Our opinion...why bother with this place. It is a pointless waste of time.