Monday, September 15, 2008

You Can Do It. We Can Help?

Today, my mom and I went to Home Depot to purchase a new, larger capacity washer and dryer and a second refrigerator for the garage. She and Jeff had scoped it all out Saturday, and I called to ask if they had the electric carts so I could take it easy and wouldn't have to walk very far. They did. So, feeling fine this morning, and committed to staying off my feet as much as possible (I'm not on bed rest, but there's that whole stamina issue), we drove to Home Depot.

A very helpful sales associate went to get me an electric cart. The first one was dead, despite the fact that it was plugged in, but the second one worked. I got on and off we went. Well, sort of. Let's just say that in a foot race held TODAY, I could have beaten anyone driving this electric cart.

After a brief stop in the paint department, we headed for the appliances at the back of the store. It was there that my cart gave a couple mighty gasps and died. Completely. Dead battery.

Isn't is a little embarrassing that Home Depot can't keep its electric carts working? Aren't they in the business of fixing stuff? I wanted to tell the associate who came to my aid, "Batteries are on aisle 9."

Instead, I hoisted myself off the electric cart and transferred myself to a comfy looking rolling office chair in the appliance department. Meanwhile two sales guys came and lifted the dead electric cart onto one of those big pallet carts and wheeled it back to its "charging station" and said they'd bring me one of their wheelchairs.

But they couldn't find any of their wheelchairs.

Perhaps the wheels came off and they were all in the back room waiting for a do-it-yourselfer to put the wheels back on?

Now I must apologize that we don't have video of this, because it was laugh-out-loud funny, but that left me scooting around the appliance section on a rolling chair, with my mom behind me helping to steer. Occasionally I'd get up and walk a bit, but mostly it was me, the laughing Buddha, on a rolling chair, shopping for a washer and dryer and a refrigerator. I thought Home Depot should have thrown in an extra 10% off just for that!

When we walked out, all the way from the BACK OF THE STORE, we said something about no electric cart and no wheelchair, and another sales associate said she knew where the wheelchairs were, but by then it was too late. I'd already scooted around the entire appliance department on a rolling office chair, and our car was right outside the door.

So thanks Home Depot. I CAN do it, but as for your help...you might want to work on that.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh my gosh! That's SO not okay! I'd write a letter (a nice one, but strongly worded) to the manager to let them know about this. What a terrible inconvenience!

(I hope you at least successfully purchased your new appliances!)

No bed rest aside, I'm just so impressed you have even this tiny bit of stamina - you are my hero. I think I lost all my stamina around week 17 or so.

I'm thinking of you every day and can't wait to see those beautiful babies!

Pam said...

Okay, the visual of that just cracked me up. You are such a trooper. It's great that your sense of humor is still intact.

Christy AKA Trippin' Mama said...

I'm really sorry we didn't get video. I'm sure it would be worth money.

I did buy my appliances, and they happened to give me a customer survey to complete online. So I shared my story about having to shop from the rolling office chair. If I don't get some kind of response, I'll call and speak with someone or, contact the store manager as Karen suggests.

The main problem I had was that I needed to NOT laugh or I'd have had to wheel that silly chair another mile to the bathroom!