Home Depot vs. Dill's

I've been thinking about this post for a long time. Before we bought the house, I'd never been to a Home Depot or any kind of home superstore. But I always thought that Home Depot was the kind of place where a guy could go and automatically feel at home. I had this idea that Home Depot was like a universal Cheers, and when you walked in, not only would they know your name, but you would just fit. And I so wanted to fit in there. I assumed I'd walk in and immediately be able to put up dry wall, handle a clogged drain and know things about lumber. The reality was quite different.

When Lindsey and I walked into our first Home Depot, we made it about 20 feet into the store, looked at each other with equal parts horror and fear, and left.

Not a great start. But we needed stuff for the house, and Home Depot is the only game in town (or so I thought at the time). So I went back. I convinced myself that a store with the motto "You can do it, we can help" can't be THAT hard to navigate. It took me about 20 minutes to walk up and down every aisle, and ask a few questions along the way. I have an idea for a new Home Depot motto: "You can do it and we really don't care how things turn out. In fact, just get what you need and leave as quickly as possible."

Home Depot is just not a place for a novice homeowner. It's a place for contractors, professional builders and homeowners who really know what they are doing.

The experience at Home Depot forced me to drive around and look for a different option. And boy did I find one. It's called Dill's Best Hardware, a locally-owned hardware and lumber shop. Yes, the prices are about 10% more than Home Depot's, but the guys there are so helpful.

It's funny, the staff at Home Depot are clean cut, all wear bright orange aprons and look very friendly, but they're just not that helpful. The guys at Dill's are dirty (in that I-just-built-a-shed kinda dirty) and seem to wear pretty much whatever they want.

I have to admit, the first time I went in there I was sure they'd immediately peg me as a weekender and ignore me. I could not have been more wrong. For each item I needed, they explained how to use it correctly and they showed me multiple options based on price, steering me towards the right purchase, not the most expensive (turns out the $40 electric screwdriver is just as effective as the $125 version). And they actually talked me though each project.

I never thought I'd be this guy, but now I make excuses to go to Dill's. It's where everybody knows my name.

Posted by Evan