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bajajazz
Nomad
Posts: 386
Registered: 12-18-2006
Location: La Paz, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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Home Depot, La Paz
In the process of totally rehabbing one house and doing a lot of cosmetic work on another, I have been doing a lot of business with Home Depot in La
Paz and initially had a good opinion of their operation, even if their new staff wasn't all that familiar with their inventory.
That changed yesterday when I saw how management there is trying to run that huge store with a skeleton workforce that is totally inadequate to the
demands of the business.
At the commercial desk, there was only one person taking care of business.
At the commercial check out register there was no one.
Only two of the regular check out registers were staffed, with huge lines at both and every transaction seeming to take an inordinate length of time,
due most likely to the inexperience of the clerks.
When I was finally able to pay for my purchases I found the automatic factura printer was totally out of commission and to get a factura one had to
wait at the service desk to be helped by a single, solitary clerk who was overwhelmed with customers waiting to make exhanges and returns, as well as
many others like myself needing a factura for tax purposes. I was not willing to stand there for the half-hour it would've taken for the clerk to get
around to me so I left without a factura and I'll pay for that later.
Home Depot in La Paz doesn't seem to get it that when you have people on a payroll waiting for building supplies you can't just stand around waiting
for their staff to get it together. I understand that in the 'States Home Depot is getting their burros kicked by Lowes, and if what I experienced
yesterday is indicative of how it's going to be in the future I expect the same thing to happen here.
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chippy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1722
Registered: 2-2-2010
Member Is Offline
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Why would Home Depot be different in La Paz than anywhere in the states?
[Edited on 6-2-2010 by chippy]
[Edited on 6-3-2010 by chippy]
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Lowe's Home Improvement Center in the states is -killing- Home Depot over this very issue. In the states I go to Lowes.
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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I actually had the opposite experience a week ago at Home Depot, La Paz. Ordered a bunch of doors, toilets and other home building products for our
house under construction in Loreto. Was helped by a very attentive young man who knew what he was doing and was very efficient and helpful. He even
offered us a nice "quantity discount". Got an email from him yesterday saying that the items were all received and ready to pick up. Guess it shows
that one person's experience is one person's experience
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Ensenada HD is self-destructing also. The wood department is under-staffed and half the stuff is without prices. Not to far back, I had three beefy
employees watch me load a half dozen sheets of heavy plywood onto a cart and never asked to help me.
They sell pneumatic nail guns, but no nails.
Just when you think they have it together, they go back in time to their Pre-Columbian ways.
Very disappointing.
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Not to far back, I had three beefy employees watch me load a half dozen sheets of heavy plywood onto a cart and never asked to help me.
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They were probably frozen with amazement that anyone would actually buy that crap. 
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k-rico
Super Nomad
Posts: 2079
Registered: 7-10-2008
Location: Playas de Tijuana
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Not to far back, I had three beefy employees watch me load a half dozen sheets of heavy plywood onto a cart and never asked to help me.
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They were probably frozen with amazement that anyone would actually buy that crap. |
They do sell some LOUSY plywood at Mex Home Depots. You can count on it delaminating.
Where's the glue???
The luan/caoba for finish work is nice stuff tho. Are those two names for the same thing or is it different wood?
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
The luan/caoba for finish work is nice stuff tho. Are those two names for the same thing or is it different wood? |
Caoba translates to Mahogany and Luan is a type. Some say it's not a true Mahogany, but who cares. I don't build violins.
Down here, a substitute for Luan is Okoume. A junk grade African wood at that, but it cleans up about as well as Luan and resembles it a bit. Good
Okoume is expensive, but you wont have to deal with that here.
http://tinyurl.com/77yhg
[Edited on 6-2-2010 by DENNIS]
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Lauriboats
Senior Nomad
Posts: 563
Registered: 9-6-2006
Location: Mulege/Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
Mood: Loving life in Baja
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I was in Home Depot in La Paz about a month ago and almost every department had someone there asking me if I needed help, maybe it was the time of
day.
What we see depends mainly on what we look for.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajajazz
In the process of totally rehabbing one house and doing a lot of cosmetic work on another, I have been doing a lot of business with Home Depot in La
Paz and initially had a good opinion of their operation, even if their new staff wasn't all that familiar with their inventory.
That changed yesterday when I saw how management there is trying to run that huge store with a skeleton workforce that is totally inadequate to the
demands of the business.
At the commercial desk, there was only one person taking care of business.
At the commercial check out register there was no one.
Only two of the regular check out registers were staffed, with huge lines at both and every transaction seeming to take an inordinate length of time,
due most likely to the inexperience of the clerks.
When I was finally able to pay for my purchases I found the automatic factura printer was totally out of commission and to get a factura one had to
wait at the service desk to be helped by a single, solitary clerk who was overwhelmed with customers waiting to make exhanges and returns, as well as
many others like myself needing a factura for tax purposes. I was not willing to stand there for the half-hour it would've taken for the clerk to get
around to me so I left without a factura and I'll pay for that later.
Home Depot in La Paz doesn't seem to get it that when you have people on a payroll waiting for building supplies you can't just stand around waiting
for their staff to get it together. I understand that in the 'States Home Depot is getting their burros kicked by Lowes, and if what I experienced
yesterday is indicative of how it's going to be in the future I expect the same thing to happen here. |
In La Paz, theres a serious problem at finding decent workers for any business. Thus the reason why it is extremely tough to do business in town. Its
not about not wanting to spend more money for workers, its that there isnt any that are good.
Try to be more understanding of the situation, this is perhaps the most difficult town i have ever done business in as far as workers are concerned.
Paceños expect good money, light and easy work, no pressure, all the benefits, and are quick to sue for nothing. The result is that most companies do
not hire locals, so we are in short demand and it makes things very difficult.
Sometimes i get angry at some customers that are from out of town because they want top service, but are not willing to pay for it, because they think
that since this is Mexico, things have to be cheaper. Wrong! Expenses down here are actually higher than in Cabo and or Tijuana for example, and the
labor issue is a big problem.
Things will get better as the influx of foreigners (mexicans and americans) gets bigger, but for now, just understand that La Paz has been the
graveyard of many top companies, its not easy down here.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
and are quick to sue for nothing. |
I've often wondered...are there no penaltys for Frivolous Lawsuits?
http://www.the-injury-lawyer-directory.com/ridiculous_lawsui...
[Edited on 6-2-2010 by DENNIS]
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
and are quick to sue for nothing. |
I've often wondered...are there no penaltys for Frivolous Lawsuits? |
Only for the employer.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
Only for the employer. |
Man....this place is lawyer heaven.
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k-rico
Super Nomad
Posts: 2079
Registered: 7-10-2008
Location: Playas de Tijuana
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
The luan/caoba for finish work is nice stuff tho. Are those two names for the same thing or is it different wood? |
Caoba translates to Mahogany and Luan is a type. Some say it's not a true Mahogany, but who cares. I don't build violins.
Down here, a substitute for Luan is Okoume. A junk grade African wood at that, but it cleans up about as well as Luan and resembles it a bit. Good
Okoume is expensive, but you wont have to deal with that here.
http://tinyurl.com/77yhg
[Edited on 6-2-2010 by DENNIS] |
Thanks, I've built two kit boats (Glen-L kits) and both used Philippine mahogany (luan) for the frames, chine logs, sheer clamps, and lift strakes. I
was told it's actually a type of cedar. Nice wood, straight grain, no knots, takes fasteners well, bendable, and easily worked.
http://www.glen-l.com/ - boat plans and kits, makes for a great hobby.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Here's a nifty site for IDing wood:
http://www.woodfinder.com/woods/woodindex.php
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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i was just in home depot in calif
no assistance...i left
lowes...just as bad
i learned the trick in lowes
you just push a service button in the asiles and
the help comes over...there's rule 
they may not know anything but
at least they are there
i went to home depot in ensenada on sunday
the guy in the parking lot washed my truck
the girl in the garden dept assisted me
the guy in the light dept assited
the girl at the counter checkout was GREAT!!!
the guard assisted me with the factura machine
that place was fine...
what's with that "casino" next door?
anyone know?
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
what's with that "casino" next door?
anyone know? |
Under construction. It's owned by LF, Hank Rhon or his wife...something like that.
There's a smaller one in the Home Depot shopping center.
I guess gambling is here, kinda like Mordida. A little bite here..a little bite there. Once they,ve infected the whole country, they'll start making
a lot of noise.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Not to far back, I had three beefy employees watch me load a half dozen sheets of heavy plywood onto a cart and never asked to help me.
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They were probably frozen with amazement that anyone would actually buy that crap. |
They do sell some LOUSY plywood at Mex Home Depots. You can count on it delaminating.
Where's the glue???
The luan/caoba for finish work is nice stuff tho. Are those two names for the same thing or is it different wood? |
Lauan describes several species of shorea which is also sometimes called Philippine mahogany or merante, and is from Asia. Caoba is
mahogany which is swetenia and is native to central and south America and the Caribbean and is much superior to shorea.
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irenemm
Senior Nomad
Posts: 623
Registered: 7-16-2009
Location: vicente guerrero, baja
Member Is Offline
Mood: relaxed
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For a Country that is starting to rise up, The Casinos will be it's downfall.
just my though. Sorry to see them coming.
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
Member Is Offline
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Was in Home Depot in La Paz today. Everyone was helpful and there was alot of help inside the store. However, there was guy in the construction area
who was very rude for no reason. I notice that sometimes there are those who are predispositioned with a massive chip on there shoulder for no
apparent reason. He was one of those. If I had ever encountered an attitude like that in an Orange County, CA Home Depot, he would be in big trouble
and would probably lose his job. Not in Baja though!
There is a barrel-type barbecue I have had my eye on in Home Depot. It costs $2,500 pesos in HD in La Paz and $130 USD plus sales tax in OC. A Black
and Decker 7.2 amp weed whacker in La Paz is $1,505 in La Paz HD and $69 plus tax in OC. Now if the prices would be as low as in the USA...
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