The Lowe's Report: Outstanding Customer Service...

I don't really care one way or another about which Home Center I shop at - Lowe's or Home Depot, because for the most part, they carry the same stuff, the employees are interchangeable as far as expertise on product line, and the prices are roughly the same. I love the fact that when one opens, the other is usually going to open up within a few blocks. This keeps them both on their toes and that is good for all of us.

But, my wife was insistent that I pass along this bit of really good customer service she received at Lowe's in Alamo Ranch, so, as Monk might say, "Here is what happened".

Last Saturday, we went to Lowe's and purchased over $250.00 worth of stuff. Most of it was garden related items - things like plants and grass seed and things that are pretty much not something you can easily return.

For example, it is a fairly good bet that even if I had the bag, I could not go out into the yard with tweezers and pick up all of the grass seed that we threw out into the dirt. Hell, the birds easily ate a quarter of it already. And even though technically, I could dig up the plants and shrubs we bought, it would take a lot to motivate me to do that.

So on Sunday, we went back to Lowe's to purchase a few more things when the lady at the register mentioned the coupon cards that came in the Sunday paper. I think one was for $10 off on a $50 purchase and another was for $25 off on a $250 purchase. I immediately said nothing of our purchase the day earlier for fear that my wife would have me out in the back yard with tweezers and a shovel. But she, on the other hand, looked at the cashier and said, "You have got to be shittin' me."

So, long story short, today, my wife grabbed up the receipt and the coupon card from the paper and went back to Lowe's, prepared to do battle with all levels of management if need be. I promise, you'd best be going to lunch about now, when she is determined.

Instead, upon hearing the circumstances, the lady in the returns department did a full refund on all the items - in spite of the fact that all the grass seed and the plants and potting soil and bushes and such were still in my back yard. And then she re-rang them up to make them qualify for the coupon.

Oh, and get this. Because the price on several of the items had gone on sell since we purchased them, they refunded the difference in price of those items. In the end, when everything was rung back up at the new lower prices, the total was less than the $250 which would qualify for the $25.00 off. So, my wife had the cashier add in four more Bougainvilleas (at the lower price) to get back up to $250, and thus, get the $25.00 off.

Bottom Line: They easily could have said something crappy like, bring in all the items - track down the birds and make them regurgitate the seeds - and really make it difficult, but instead, the representative, Ms. Jeri, simply made the whole experience something worth passing along.

So there you have it. Kudos to Lowe's in Alamo Ranch. Your great customer service will have us coming back.