Poor treatment in Home Depot - Page 2

[mamallama]

That's what I was trying to convey--that it sounds more like a customer service issue and not so much a breastfeeding issue. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

[mamallama]

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[Irishmommy]

Why did you ask if you could nurse?

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

Why did you ask if you could nurse?

I don't think she asked if she could nurse, but where she could sit down to nurse.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

I usually nurse ds in my ergo and have found that when I'm nursing at Home Depot
I can finally get some to help me. Everyone ignores me until they see a boob.

I think you should write to the particular store. It propabably was miscommunication, but what better way to fix miscommunication than MORE COMMUNICATION!

[Azuluna]

I am a former employee, and my husband is an 8 year Home Depot associate. We have *nothing* good to say about this company. In our experience, the people that are usually in charge are the last people you'd want to talk to about anything, nevermind something related to customer service, which is a joke at best. PM me and I can probably get you some numbers to call - it would be helpful to have the store number, which is printed at the top of every receipt.

Shop at Lowe's, or somewhere local. I am really sorry you had to deal with those people

[Mearaina]

Originally Posted by mamallama

I nurse at Home Depot all the time. They have awesome furniture & the store is full of little ledges and those portable steps and stuff. I've never had the first issue there.

I bet the employees thought you were asking for a special place to nurse--like a private room or something. Of course they're not going to provide you with that.

Honestly, I would chalk it up to poor communication and let it go.

My words to her were " Is there a chair anywhere? I just need a place to sit. Anywhere is fine. Just a seat to nurse the baby."

I didn't even think it would be an issue or I wouldn't have said what I was going to do with the chair.

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

I would talk to the manager first because it isn't Home Depot's policy. I use to work there. It isn't really a nursing friendly area by the nature of design/business. It is a warehouse. There isn't a lot of benches around for many reasons one big one is cost. They would get demolished by the reach trucks and fork lifts. Talking to the manager he will be better able to talk to the employees plus give you a discount on the next purchase. I would also write a letter to corporate but from working there you were dealing with ignorant people not corporate ignorance.

Many stores don't have chairs scattered about. I don't understand why this would be expected at a hardware store?.

Different sections of the ware house has different types of customers. The lumber department people are in and out. The only were people "hang out" is places were their is chairs. People don't hang out in plumbing and buy more. They do take time to look at carpets, decors, et. You need to remember they need aisle open for equipment to move in an out of. YOU ARE IN A WAREHOUSE that is why there is no curiosty benches. Plus sitting anyware isn't always safe in that enviorment.

DO NOT SIT ON THE EQUIPMENT TO nurse. They could need that piece of equipment. You can also cause OSHA issues.

I would next time just ask for were there is a chair. Why does anyone need to know what you are doing? People take it as for asking permission to do something.

When I was there a few years ago they DID have chairs and benches around. That is why I expected them to be there. And the floor was cold and cement. And I keep dislocating my ribs and can't nurse walking around.

Originally Posted by Rhiannon Feimorgan

I don't think she asked if she could nurse, but where she could sit down to nurse.

Yes. I simply was speaking, not realizing I should keep my purpose a secret. " I need a chair to sit to nurse the baby" isn't asking for permission.


I do think it was poor customer service and not so much nursing, but it was poor customer service related to nursing. I mean, if it would have been a totally nursing issue I would have raised the roof the next day. I am just not sure what direction to go except to complain to the store manager.

[Demeter9]

Home Depot is taking on a more and more child and family unfriendly tone over the last little while.

I have to agree though that you just shouldn't ask. People take any asking as a sign that their input is acceptable.

Perhaps Home Depot doesn't LIKE having female family customers anymore? It is a demographic they find to be just too much work? Bad business decision for sure, since women with children tend to be the driving force behind renovations and similar decisions.....but hey, who am I to question the profit lessening decisions??

[wantingagirl2b#4]

's to you mama. Sorry this should have never happened! I hope this will help someone else by you writting letters to headquarters etc.

[goodheartedmama]

I will suggest getting a really good wrap or ring sling. If I sat down every time I nursed DD, I would never get anywhere! Nursing in a sling of some sort is always the easiest for me! That way you can walk and nurse at the same time, no need to rely on finding seats wherever you go.

Regardless, you should not have been treated like that and you should complain.

[yarngoddess]

While I am a huge fan of Babywearing, I hate to say that in this situation she WANTED to sit, and should have been given that darn chair that they were standing near. This is a classic case of Hoitey Toitey (sp? sound it out :0) )

I agree that you left, didn't purcahse anything. I think you SHOULD raise holy you know what. I would contact my local LLL, write to the manager, the ceo, the president of the company, the local news paper- you name it WHOM EVER will listen. There are women out there that would take this Personally! They don't have the drive or know how to stand up and say "HEY you can't treat me like that! How dare you!"

Part of being a strong smart mother is knowing when to stand up and say what you have to say to get the results. Our society needs an education, and the only way it's going to be educated is by Parents like us that stand up and do what's right and what hard! Please don't let this go- please at least write a few letters. Even if you get through to 1 person, or make one person aware then you have done your job.

BTW- I'm so sorry that you had to deal with this garbage. There was no excuse for that kind of treatment, and I send you a bunch of virtual hugs! Now, go do something about it! Don't let them make another Woman, Mother, or Parent feel like they made you feel.

[Nitenites]

Originally Posted by MommytoTwo

Wow I am sorry to hear you were treated so badly. I would definitely send a letter. I nursed DS at a home depot - I sat in a chair in the patio furniture section and no one said anything.

: I did that very thing just a few days ago.

[PenelopeJune]

I nursed in a Home Depot just the other day. I sat in the cutest little gazebo setup with a bench underneath. (it was indoors.)

The funniest thing. A male employee saw me sitting there, came over as if to ask me if I needed anything, but when he saw I was nursing he made this little open-close-open-close mouthed face and turned and went the other way quickly.

However, I agree that their customer service sucks in general. Usually I can't get ANYONE to help me when I need something, not even if DH is with me. I'm not surprised they couldn't help you find a bench to nurse on, they usually can't help me find a hammer.

[Momily]

I wasn't there and didn't hear the tone of voice or see the body language, but why didn't you just sit in the chair? I have to say that if I was at work (say at the front desk, where there are several chairs sitting out in the open) and someone asked me for a chair to breastfeed in, I'd assume they wanted someplace private, because otherwise why would they be asking? I'd then be very apologetic, because the way our school is set up the only "private" spaces besides the bathrooms are generally full of people working with chldren (all of our offices), and I can't imagine asking the speech therapist to cancel a session so someone could have privacy for breast feeding.

[ThreeBeans]

As a general rule, don't ask

If the baby needs to nurse, nurse. While convenient to have a chair to sit down in, it isn't necessary.

I agree this is more about crappy communication than nursing.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by PenelopeJune

I nursed in a Home Depot just the other day. I sat in the cutest little gazebo setup with a bench underneath. (it was indoors.)

I've nursed on the patio furniture. Yesterday dd (20mo) was sitting on a stack of fertilizer bags nursing. If necessary I would sit on a riding lawn mower.

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by Refried Beans

As a general rule, don't ask

If the baby needs to nurse, nurse. While convenient to have a chair to sit down in, it isn't necessary.

Except in her case, she said it was.

[velcromom]

That's horrible. I've spent hours upon hours nursing in HD while dh shopped for our remodel. I just nursed dd in the patio section last weekend, under a fabulous canvas gazebo.

Do take this to the management, what they did was wrong.

In the future and for all other nursing moms, no matter where you are:

I understand why you might feel inclined to ask for a chair, but poorly trained employees just do not know how to handle it and end up creating a mess. Don't ask, just nurse. There is going to be a chair or bench in the patio section all year round, head out there and grab a comfy seat!

[lovingmommyhood]

Originally Posted by mamallama

I nurse at Home Depot all the time. They have awesome furniture & the store is full of little ledges and those portable steps and stuff. I've never had the first issue there.

I bet the employees thought you were asking for a special place to nurse--like a private room or something. Of course they're not going to provide you with that.

Honestly, I would chalk it up to poor communication and let it go.

ITA. It sounded to me like they were confused about what you were asking.