WOW, there maybe someone at Home Depot who can actually help you

For the thousands of honest people like me, who just dread walking into Home Depot to get the items for that do it your self project (which falls apart two days later). There might be hope. Home Depot is rolling out a new store concept. This concept will be more accessible and consultative with customers’ interior design projects. The two new design centers are located in Charlotte, NC and Concord, CA.

“When a customer wants to spend money on a new bathroom, he can absolutely go to any of our 2,200 stores and do that, but the [core] store isn’t conditioned to handle 20 people all doing the same massive project,” says Jason Feldman, senior director of merchandising for Home Depot. “We can provide that experience in these stores.” Whether the project is a complete rip-and-replace of a bathroom or kitchen, or simply a closet reorganization, the Design Centers are trying to capture business with a model that emphasizes look, feel, and style.

I actually think this just might be a step in the right direction, as Home Depot’s reputation has been damaged by their challenged customer service. The trick now is to really listen to the customer experience in this new format and then incorporate it into the larger Home Depot stores. Anything short of this might just keep the customer experience at the current less than stellar level.

Do you think this new concept will help Home Depot?

www.freshcustomerservice.com

Will candy sales save Blockbuster?

Blockbuster Inc.’s third-quarter loss widened as the movie-rental company lost a half million online customers and absorbed costs for layoffs and store closings. Blockbuster reported a quarterly loss of $37.8 million. Massive layoffs and store closings are in the cards for Blockbuster.

Blockbuster is also trying to shift more of its business to selling movies, posters, candy and other items instead of relying so heavily on DVD rentals, which have been flat or declining. But the chain won’t try to undercut other retailers on prices.

I think if Blockbuster is to survive they must reinvent their image by delivering a fresh customer service experience. I would say a fair number of people still associate Blockbuster with excessive lay fees, out of stocks and complicated agreements that must be signed.

Until these areas are fixed it will be difficult to regain the king of block status back or make gains against Netflix and Wal-Mart online.