I know more than you

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Danno77

Minister of Fire
Oct 27, 2008
5,008
Hamilton, IL
Watching an episode of "Parks and Recreation" from a couple of weeks ago.
Character is walking down an isle at Lowes and an employee says "Can I help you?" and the character replies "I know more than you" and then just walks away.

Don't know why, but just struck me as LMFAO ROFL kinda funny. Not your normal chuckle. It's funny cause it's true...
 
Danno77 said:
Watching an episode of "Parks and Recreation" from a couple of weeks ago.
Character is walking down an isle at Lowes and an employee says "Can I help you?" and the character replies "I know more than you" and then just walks away.

Don't know why, but just struck me as LMFAO ROFL kinda funny. Not your normal chuckle. It's funny cause it's true...

:lol: That is good Danno. How true is that. I would say that over 50% of the people that work at those stores know where the stuff is, but have never actually installed or worked with the stuff themselves. Most mean well, but really need some experience out in the real world of construction home improvement. That is good. :coolsmile:
 
:lol: I just had a disagreement with a guy who was telling me wrong information, and I know almost nothing.
 
Good one.
Hits the funny bone, from multiple experiences !! :lol:
 
~*~Kathleen~*~ said:
:lol: I just had a disagreement with a guy who was telling me wrong information, and I know almost nothing.

That is funny too. Hey, cool little guys you got fighting there.
 
lol, that show is awesome

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burnt03 said:
lol, that show is awesome

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Awesome! Did somebody already put that out there, or did you just make that?
 
Fine by me as long as they can tell me where the item I need is.
I don't go to the hardware store for help. If I need that it's time to ask friends or hire a contractor. I don't know why people would think because the lumber guy is selling 2x8s that he would know how to properly frame up a deck.


Gasifier said:
:lol: That is good Danno. How true is that. I would say that over 50% of the people that work at those stores know where the stuff is, but have never actually installed or worked with the stuff themselves. Most mean well, but really need some experience out in the real world of construction home improvement. That is good. :coolsmile:
 
Fine by me as long as they can tell me where the item I need is.
I don’t go to the hardware store for help. If I need that it’s time to ask friends or hire a contractor. I don’t know why people would think because the lumber guy is selling 2x8s that he would know how to properly frame up a deck.


I hear what your saying Nate. But what about someone who is going to a store and has not done a particular job or worked with a particular thing they are looking for? They want to learn and do it themselves. There are so many new products out there. Now, if you just have someone who can tell you where the item is, and no one who knows how to use it you are in a tough spot to learn anything. Some can communicate with the many different sources out there and figure things out for themselves pretty quick. Others, not so much.

For those who do a lot of there own work, there is a lot of stuff out there and not enough time to learn it all. So it can help if someone can give you some valuable information and save you some time. It use to be that you could go to a hardware or building supply store and they had people in each department. Those people were put in those departments because that was their area of expertise and you could get some good advice. That is happening less now a days. Oh well, then you just have to suck it up and figure it out for yourself. That can take you some more time. Something I seem have less and less of these days. :) Have a good one man. How are the fires burning for ya? Down to 30 last night. Been warm here. Little heat demand.
 
Gasifier said:
Fine by me as long as they can tell me where the item I need is.
I don’t go to the hardware store for help. If I need that it’s time to ask friends or hire a contractor. I don’t know why people would think because the lumber guy is selling 2x8s that he would know how to properly frame up a deck.


I hear what your saying Nate. But what about someone who is going to a store and has not done a particular job or worked with a particular thing they are looking for? They want to learn and do it themselves. There are so many new products out there. Now, if you just have someone who can tell you where the item is, and no one who knows how to use it you are in a tough spot to learn anything. Some can communicate with the many different sources out there and figure things out for themselves pretty quick. Others, not so much.

For those who do a lot of there own work, there is a lot of stuff out there and not enough time to learn it all. So it can help if someone can give you some valuable information and save you some time. It use to be that you could go to a hardware or building supply store and they had people in each department. Those people were put in those departments because that was their area of expertise and you could get some good advice. That is happening less now a days. Oh well, then you just have to suck it up and figure it out for yourself. That can take you some more time. Something I seem have less and less of these days. :) Have a good one man. How are the fires burning for ya? Down to 30 last night. Been warm here. Little heat demand.

Only problem with that, is most people who possess these skills, are looking for work in the field. Where they will make much more money.

There are skilled people that still work for places like HD and Lowes. But there getting fewer and father between.

My local store (Farm and Home Hardware) has several people that really know there stuff. There prices are a little higher, but supporting a Family ran business and helping the local economy are important factors nowadays. That and if you do need help, they are always willing to assist in any way possible. The one guy is a woodburner, so we always strike a conversation up...
 
Danno77 said:
Watching an episode of "Parks and Recreation" from a couple of weeks ago.
Character is walking down an isle at Lowes and an employee says "Can I help you?" and the character replies "I know more than you" and then just walks away.

Don't know why, but just struck me as LMFAO ROFL kinda funny. Not your normal chuckle. It's funny cause it's true...

LMAO I've done that before.Worked in the commercial building trades for 27 yrs now,I've seen pretty much everything.Remember when I started out Sutherlands Lumber & Payless Cashway Lumber were the main presence here.4 stores in metro area,the last one closed just before the first big Menards opened up in 1997,and over 5 yrs before Home Depot & Lowe's came to the area.

I remember back in late '80's going into Sutherland's one day looking for 3/8" birch dowels for a furniture project.Asked some kid in the lobby what aisle they're located in - he replied "What are those?" I said "Never mind,I'll find them myself. :roll: "
 
When the box stores first opened close to me they had some really experienced people working in there. Now there are only younger college kids working that only seem to know when its break, lunch and quiting time. Me and my father went to lowes one day to look for some electrical supplies and asked a young woman where to find something...she just said ummmm and started pointing around and my father said.. "Hell come with us and when we find it we will both know where its at!" Got a good laugh out of that one...
 
When we first moved here in 1985 Hechinger's was the place for all the stuff Lowe's and HD have now. If you ever stumbled across an employee they acted like you offended the hell out of them by asking where something was located. But you could always find them. In the break room in the back.

After the bankruptcy was filed the liquidation sale began. When I went to buy some things at the sale the checkout line was long. For twenty minutes in the line I had to listen to the cashier go on and on non-stop about how the original owner's son drove the place out of business. When I finally got to the register she started the whole thing over again. I paid her and then said "Lady, John Hechinger didn't drive this place out of business. You did.". And left.
 
DexterDay said:
Gasifier said:
I hear what your saying Nate. But what about someone who is going to a store and has not done a particular job or worked with a particular thing they are looking for? They want to learn and do it themselves. There are so many new products out there. Now, if you just have someone who can tell you where the item is, and no one who knows how to use it you are in a tough spot to learn anything. Some can communicate with the many different sources out there and figure things out for themselves pretty quick. Others, not so much.

For those who do a lot of there own work, there is a lot of stuff out there and not enough time to learn it all. So it can help if someone can give you some valuable information and save you some time.

Only problem with that, is most people who possess these skills, are looking for work in the field. Where they will make much more money.

This is my perspective from a not-very-experienced-or-knowledgeable homeowner who's trying to learn things as I go along. I realize that you folks who know a lot about maintenance and repair and construction will have a different p.o.v., but here's the flip side of the coin:
Even if they can't tell you all about how to do a job, it's nice if you can find someone who can tell you what parts you'll need to do it. I don't greet people at HD with "I know more than you." I say, "I can do it. You can help," and they laugh.

I don't know how to plumb in a pressure tank. In another week or so, I will know a lot more, but that information will probably not be required of me again in the foreseeable future. My house is about 25 years old, and a lot of little things are showing their age and need fixing, so I tackle what I can, but it's not my field of expertise. I've learned a lot from the folks working in these stores.

Some of the fields in which they possess skills chew up the workers and spit them out. A lot of the folks around here in the box stores are people who can't swing a hammer any more , but the mind is still sharp. I figure if I buy a $2 part and get $10 in advice in how to install it, I've been well-treated. I don't imagine that they are well-paid, but I can at least acknowledge their expertise and willingness to help me find answers if they don't have them. I can also say please and thank you, instead of "I know more than you do" .
 
I don't know how to do lots of stuff but I somehow figure it out by doing.

I had never built anything before and last fall I put up a 16x20 "shed". Other than a broken back it came out pretty darn nice. haha.
 
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