You get what you pay for ...I think?

[celtic]

On Sat. I will be involved with a Habitat for Humanity type project. I made a material list and submitted it to the "procurement dept.". Today I recieved an email from my contact at the project...I can not believe the advice that Home Depot gave him:

"Home Depot did not have a 1/2"
mud ring. They suggested a 1/2' piece of flat metal bent in the shape of a
single gang box. "

OMG....I can understand not having a particular part, but the "solution" defies logic!
Imagine the average Joe Homeowner going in there for some other basic part and recieving advice similar to this.
I predict a huge surge in the amount of work for ECs in the future single-handedly "initiated" by these big box stores.

 

[BruceH]

Re: You get what you pay for ...I think?

I'm not surprised. True story. Bout 3 weeks ago I was there and I overheard a conversation between 2 employees. One was a new recruit being trained by the other. I didn't hear the question from the new recruit but I heard the reply, it was " Oh, no big deal, I'm stumped all the time. Just wait until it gets busy and you got people asking you all these technical question and you have no idea, you just have to make up something that sounds good and tell them that, that's what I do, you're gonna have to learn some imagination" God help us!

 

[southernboys]

Re: You get what you pay for ...I think?

how about the idiot that tried to make a customer buy pvc pipe and thhn wire to feed a jacusi in his house. I pulled the customer aside and told him just to run romex. or the idiot that when I asked him where his romex was he asked me indoor or outdoor I had to tell him 3 times it was indoor. If I need uf cable Ill ask for it

 

[George Stolz]

Re: You get what you pay for ...I think?

It tickles me when I walk in wearing a Square-D baseball cap, an electrical company t-shirt, looking at electrical tools, and hear the employee struggling, giving out difficult advice for something easy to do. I've seldom been asked any technical questions in a hardware store.

 

[charlie b]

Re: You get what you pay for ...I think?

I think you should consider yourself lucky.

 

[apauling]

Re: You get what you pay for ...I think?

Several years ago,I had been in bigo type stores and hardware stores where poor advice was given, and I interupted saying that I was an electrician. After finding out what the person was up to, and determining at least by inference that it was not hazardous in and of itself, that it was not my concern whether he was pulling a permit (not being the permit police or an inspector), I would explain how it was typically done and with what material. I would add that if the person felt uncomfortable, I could do it and gave them a business card.

I also encountered people attempting illegal and hazardous work and said that if they wanted it done correctly and legally (permit), as it was more difficult than their level of experience, I would be glad to provide them with an estimate and gave them a card.

Although this did not always work out, work did come my way, and I felt better that the possible dangers were pointed out, and that they then were no longer ignorant of the dangers, choosing to go down that road anyway.

It was also evident that the employees were greatly relieved not to have to make stuff up. I also came across old guys who were several cycles out of code upgrades and what they were saying, while safe for previous code cycles, was no longer to code.

Sometimes just best to stay out of it. I'm still learning that one.

paul