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Lumberyard Etiquette

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12K views 46 replies 44 participants last post by  PineInTheAsh 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
So I just got home from work. I'm a little ticked. I work at Menards part time (Menards is a midwest lumber/hardware store). I work out in the lumber yard. Today I worked the aisles where all the construction grade 2Xs are kept and plywoods and OSB's…etc. Part of my job is to keep the stacks looking nice and neat and stocked up. Towards the end of the night I had everything cleaned up and stocked and straightened when one last customer came through while I was away from my aisle. I came back to a complete disaster. While sorting through the 2×4x8s that he wanted, he decided to throw the "bad" ones off to the side on the floor - i'm talking like 30 of them, thrown everywhere. He then proceeded to the 10ft pile and 12ft pile, making a mess out of both of those. When I got to the aisle, he had moved on to the Plywood, where he was throwing the "bad" sheets off the back of the stack behind everything!! I asked him if he needed help as he threw another one back, and told him politely not to throw them back there. He proceeded to tell me I'm worthless because I work in a lumberyard and that its my job to pick up after him (I work part time at Menards to pay for school - which by the way I'm going for my doctorate in Chiropractic). So my plead is this, fellow lumberjocks - PLEASE have some lumberyard etiquette - "If you're going to sort, be a sport (ie. pick up after yourself!!)." Also don't think just because someone works out in a lumber yard, he's below you….you never know which one might be your doctor some day!!!! THANKS FOR READING, I feel a little better now! goodnight
 
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#3 ·
Every place gets asshat customers, I loved my last boss when I used to work at Kmart, his policy was that you bend over backwards for customers, and god help any employee that didn't go out of their way to make people happy, but you come into his store with one of those holier than thou attitudes, he would kick you out…AFTER humiliating you in the middle of the sales floor. Man had a rare talent.

Good times, good times.
 
#4 ·
I used to work in a Lowe's store part time in their tool department. People would do the same thing all the time. Open up power tool cases, open sealed package, throw leather goods all over and leave stuff in the tool department from all different parts of the store. It was frustrating but I guess it was part of the job to pick up after them. I guess in your case I would have called the manager let him deal with the fool if he elected to. Now as far as showing you disrespect that is another thing. When I had a A-hole customer I usually just walked away. I figured if they ever complained I would tell the manager that I do not have to put up with that bull-s. Hang in there buddy!

God Bless
tom
 
#5 ·
Dakremer I feel your pain. I think if you look at most stores as you shop, you will see the havoc caused by the general public. Ignorance and lack of concern for those around us it fast becoming the norm.

I think you handled this, much better then I would have.
 
#6 ·
oh so frustrating - but a good story to remind people to put their wood back.
Everyone, everywhere, deserves respect. There is no job that is lesser or better than any other.
Not to take away from your story, but hopefully add to it, while at Emergency the other day with my Mom I told the cleaning lady that I appreciated all the work she did to keep the area disinfected as much as possible. Her response was: her shoulders dropped, a big smile lit up her face and she said, "I try my best". (And I'm sure that she tried even harder after that little bit of appreciation.
 
#7 ·
Dakremer - that guy was an idiot, at the least. I'm sure you have far more customers unlike him than like him. Good luck with your education, very impressive! Your situation is temporary, his is not, he's probably always going to be an idiot. Keep the faith, maybe someday he'll show up at your office…....well hell, at least your can dream!!!!!

One more thing, and I'm assuming that's your picture in your gallery, that young lady in the picture with you, well she's just beautiful! Can you even imagine what the lady in his picture looks like?
 
#8 ·
Rude, obnoxious, people are that way all the time. Its the crude showing through. If you have seen some of the strips that keep showing of people shopping at Walmart it demonstrates how inconsiderate people can be of others who might want to shop.
 
#9 ·
I would never do that. I stack, find what I want, and restack. The obvious way to be kind to others. I have seen what you are talking about and as a customer to another customer, I have told some "Hey man. stack that stuff back the way you found it'" It has pi-ed a few off but they did restack the pile.
 
#10 ·
Unfortunately this happens quite a bit! Usually it doesn't get to me - it's just part of the job. But when its 10 degrees out, with a wind, and I've been outside all day - it gets to you :) People at Menards always complain that they don't get awesome service, and there needs to be more help, yada yada yada - but if I didnt have to spend so much time picking up after everyone….I could help more people!! Thanks for the comments!! Hopefully will be posting my first real woodworking project soon (a humidor for my brother for christmas)!!
 
#12 ·
Yeah, I agree with you, people can be real jerks, especially around the holidays. Especially during the Menard BIG sales going on. I line in MN and have seen it at our local store. There is no excuse for a lack human dignity, and manners. A freind used to tell me this all the time " Don't let the Bastards grind you down". Hang in there, most people are good and have respect for others. Good luck to you in school.
 
#14 ·
Been there , done that…twenty+ years of lumber yard work and every once in a while you have to deal with total morons that have NO respect for the yard help. I'd help anyone that needed to find their "perfect" pieces of wood and most would restack the rest with me after making their selections. If I knew my customer was in a rush to get to the job site , I would restack things by myself , knowing that I had actually helped them and that they would be back again…"job security" I guess .
People have gotten so bad in some areas , the lumber yards don't allow them into their yards .The customers place their orders and the stock is taken from the tops of the piles (as is, meeting code ) and that is what the customers get….no more selection…..People like your moron make you appreciate your good customers even more…....I have to quote one of my former co-workers here. No matter what happened in the lumberyard , he would always say that "it's only a movie" , we would laugh and go on with our days : )
Best wishes on your future job…I couldn't live without my Chiropractor !!
 
#16 ·
I've never gone to the big box and taken the junk from their stacks of `premium' grade 2X4s (and the like) and thrown the bad ones on the floor looking for something that's decent enough to use BUT I guarantee you: I've wanted to.
I've never been to Menards but at Lowe's and Home Depot, I'm always amazed at the Crap they call premium.
So, while I understand your post, I gotta ask:
Are the "bad" ones really good or are they crap which shouldn't be in the stacks to begin with?
If the answer is YES, then even though the customer was out of line, y''all are wrong too.
If the answer is NO, y'all should ban that customer from your lumber yard.
 
#18 ·
wow that's terrible! I guess those hobbiest type people are like that though. I don't think I ever saw a professional contractor act like that. I notice this type of behavior alot at the big box stores since it's a serve yourself place and caters to DIYers.
 
#19 ·
All of our Menards here are that way, there are a small handful of employees tending to probably a million square feet of inventory. I wonder if somebody would do that in the store if they knew somebody was watching.

If you can't afford to leave a tip, you can't afford to go out to eat. If you don't have the time to put things back where you got them, you probably don't have time to go shopping. I get this at work a lot, my general response is "do I get between you and your fry station and make your life hell?" (apologies to the fast food employees out there, since I've done it I'm allowed to joke about it :) )
 
#22 ·
Dakremer,

As was already mentioned, this fellow's karma will eventually catch up tto him.

One day, in the not too distant future, he'll be sorting through the stacks and leaving piles of what he considers unusable lumber in the aisles for some poor schmuck to clean up because it's well beneath his own stature to do so. He'll pull out a piece of crap 2×6 and turn so that he can drop it in the aisle.

He hears the pop, feels the stabbing pain, and falls to the ground wreathing in pain. As the ambulance takes him away, the store manager can hear him screaming that he'll sue! Of course, Menards will try to settle the issue without fanfare and agrees to pay for his visit to the emergency room as well as his further follow ups and therapy in the hopes of keeping a customer.

The tentpeg will pull out a copy of the yellow pages (he's incapable of using a computer and "ain't got no internet") and finds himself a chiropracter.

Yup, that's right. He's spotted a new chiropracter in town and figures (or in his case, "figgers") that this new guy won't charge much cause he's looking for new patients. One "Dr Dakremer".

Yeah, karma. Ain't it grand?!

In the meanwhile, don't let the bastards wear you down!

Merry Christmas!
 
#23 ·
I just hate dealing with people like that. I worked a similar job for a lumberyard here in TX while I was in college… I hated dealing with customers like that, and their aftermath….

I have noticed the overly self confident fools out there tend to not know what they are doing, and end up hurting themselves in the long run. I have a sneaky feeling poetic justice is getting ready to bite that fool in the backside.
 
#24 ·
Dakremer: I well understand your feelings in dealing with that customer - I live outside of Philadelphia, PA and whenever I go out shopping with my wife (rare) my usual comment on viewing other shoppers behavior is 'we live among pigs'. No disrespect meant to any farm animal here, however common civility is hard to find these days. Worse yet is the man's attitude about your choice of a job. I don't care if you are a brain surgeon or a 'sanitary engineer' - you work, you contribute, you deserve respect.

Watch Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs and hope that bozo does not darken your aisle again!
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Some people just need an "adjustment" and I'm not talking about spinal.

Maybe the guy just needed to kick someone or something around because he's having a bad life, thus rotten the attitude. In that note one could politely comment: "Gee, I'm really sorry you're not pleased with the merchandise and that you're not having a good time in this life, but you don't have to show it."

Smile, then leave . . . quickly.

And I LOVE my chriropractic care givers!
 
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