[drkshdw]

Is there such a thing?

The Lowes thread and talk of Ace Hardware got me thinking of why I refuse to shop at my local Ace Hardware. They provide customers with what I consider 'too much' customer service.

The last time I was in there was to get a quart of Stihl chain oil for my chainsaw. Walked in and was immediately greeted with 'what can I help you find today?'. Not a problem but I can see the Stihl aisle within view and about 20 steps in front of me. I know what I need and where it is. I tell the guy that. Take a few more steps past the dollar bins and hear the guy radio back to someone saying 'guy in the red shirt needs Stihl chain oil'. Get to the aisle where a woman is holding the bottle of chain oil. Before she gives it to me she gives me 20 questions about my chainsaw, when it was last serviced, what kind of chain I have on it, when it was last sharpened, who services my saw, how old the saw is, if I would be interested in trading it in for a new one, etc. You are making it very well known you work on commission. I get that but nothing turns me off more than being hounded. Hate it. Give me the chain oil and let me go.

But that wasn't the end of it. After she finally figured out that I was not interested in giving her my chainsaws life history and was not interested in anything else, she let me go on my way. But then I thought, since I already braved the guy at the door, I would go towards the back of the store and look at clearance stuff. They have a whole area in the back corner where they sell opened box stuff and broken stuff, torn open bags of bird seed and crap. No big deal. I make my way back there and am greeted not by one, not two, not 3, not 4 or 5 or even 6, 7 or 8 but 9...NINE employees greeting me from behind aisle corners like they are cats waiting to pounce on a mouse running by asking 'what can I help you find today?' as I walk by. It's easy to say 'I'm good' when someone asks you 'can I help you find anything today?' but these people were trained to ask non yes/no questions.

I'm sorry but NINE employees asking me what they can get for me in the span of maybe 15 aisles is asinine. Why do you even have that many people working? The store is tiny. There are more people working there than in an entire WalMart.

That was the last time I stepped inside that store. I refuse to go there again. But they aren't the only ones, just the worst one. PetSmart is getting to be just as bad. Pretty sure most people that step into a PetSmart is there for the same bag of food their pet has eaten for years. There's no reason to hound people. It's a turn off. In fact I choose stores where I know no one will ask me what I need because I can do it myself. I feel like pulling a Stuart from MadTV ('let me doooo ittttttttttttt') every time someone asks me if they 'can help'.

Does anyone else believe in such a thing as 'too much' customer service? Or hate it as much as I do? I know I can't be the only one.