The plot of the blueberry dilemma is still...a plot!

OK, it's going to be too fricken' cold for me to garden save for cutting down the remainder of my toMAHto plants, raspberries, and harvesting a few stragglie basil and oregano. It's been a rough year for Chicago w/weather; brutal hot summer, now freezing cold autumn. I used to swear up and down Chicago only has two seasons:

Winter and construction.

Alas, I digress.

This is the most recent occurances that went down w/Home Depot and their store on Western and 47th in Chicago. Granted, it's a busy business as my husband worked at an HD back in the day but to put aside customer service or just ignore it is plain rude and ridiculously unprofessional. Yeah, it's retail. It's still a profession. If you don't want to work in an industry that deals w/the public and has to help said public even with the most inane questions and requests...

...go do phone sex at home by yourself.

Here's the email I sent to the wonderful nursery manager and to HD's corporate rep. I felt she should know a bit of what does down w/that store and why we go out of our way driving for over half an hour to get good customer service.



"Hi Bret:

Thanks again for all your help. FYI, this is why we initially dealt w/the Chicago Ridge Store instead of the Western/47th St. Store regardless of the fact it's a few minutes from our house:

When you initially emailed me about the blueberries (IE, they're at the garden center) we were all sick with strep so I left a message with the store manager at customer service telling them when we'd come. I left a call back number and I never heard from them again. When we arrived today..

1st. (reason why we don't come to this HD store) after I inquired w/the garden center re: the plants they directed me to customer service as the cashier there had no idea what I was talking about and only did "pick ups."

2nd. I asked for either the store or garden manager who was called; then I waited....and waited. About half an hour for someone to show up. I noticed a few people popping up behind the service counter yet no one said anything to either me or ask if I was helped nor did the clerks let whomever was supposed to help me to help me. I've never met the managers much less any workers here, I have no idea what he/she looks like. I finally asked, "did you forget about me?" and the service clerks realized I was still there and informed a young man who was milling around behind the girls for a few minutes. Granted, it probably IS up to me to speak up and perhaps I should have done so sooner, however, for a department manager and customer service rep who knows I'm waiting for service from said manager didn't say a word to the garden manager. And I retract that remark..it is NOT up to me to keep asking for help; the girls behind the counter knew I was waiting for the garden manager and not one of them said "here's a customer waiting to speak to you re:....whatever." I was not acknowledged whatsoever until I finally spoke up.

3rd. The garden manager had absolutely no idea of what was going on re: the blueberries (IE: there was nothing put on hold for anyone in the past month much less two weeks ago.), then I called you, Bret. That really stinks as you're a busy guy I'm sure and the last thing you need to mess about with is an unruly customer who wants her berries replaced from the toxic ones she purchased back in spring.

I don't know about Home Depot's customer service rules and regulations but in my opinion w/my many years in retail, being an occasional secret shopper, running a blog and running various doctor's office; you don't leave people waiting uninformed.

Jose, the garden manager has my information and said he'll contact me tomorrow if and when the berries come in. It's going to be interesting to see what unfolds.

Again, Bret; I cannot thank you for your great support in this matter. It's so hard to get good much less great customer service.

Sincerely,
AnaMarie"

OK, still waiting for my berries and looks like momma will be gardening this weekend. I don't mind. I've done gardening when it was this cold but just the springtime.

And here's stupid me! Still not quite over the strep we were all afflicted with and slightly "high" off the cold meds I've been taking for two weeks, I forgot to write down the name of the rep @ the HD I spoke to re: this matter.

What did I hope to achieve w/this? Well, we WERE given the wrong plants so me getting new ones is a step in the right direction. We've received a toxic plant which grows to resemble both a Huckleberry or a small round blueberry. When I planted all three of my plants there was absolutely NOTHING in the ginormous hole me and the kids dug up. Just plant feeding dirt, eggshells and lots of coffee grounds.

I'm so glad I pulled those plants out before my toddler, my autistic son and my dogs ate from them...as they tend to do that since pretty much everything in our yard is edible save the furniture and mulch....

...and mom and dad when they grill

I was hoping HD would do a quick research in regard to this as I sincerely hope no one else received the wrong plants from their local Home Depot. That's what I really hoped to have achieved by this plot.

I'm not being a "whistle blower;" I just don't want to die nor my family.