Hey Home Depot, do you ever have employee meetings?

I am a Lowe's shopper. Not especially because I'm a huge fan of Jimmie Johnson but mostly because I get 5% off everything I purchase with my Lowe's credit card. Sometimes that is a big help. Besides, I've come to know many of the staff at the Lowe's I frequent and they are all nice folks. All except that guy who works the key desk. But that's another story.

This concerns my visit yesterday to Home Depot. The ONLY reason I was there was because I needed a pair of tin snips to cut some tin and was in a hurry. Home Depot is much closer to me than either of the Lowe's stores so I figured, run in, pick up the tin snips, and run out. When I walked in the door I was intercepted by a nice young man, 19, maybe 20, who asked if he could help. I told him what I was looking for and he took me right to a wall full of tin snips (cutters). The last time I bought tin snips (which I've misplaced somehow) there were like two choices. This time there was a wall of instruments of every configuration. The young man was knowledgeable and directed me to exactly what I needed when I told him what I was cutting.

On the way to check out, we passed a table where there was a stuffed monkey sitting in a chair. I jokingly told the kid that was a nice tribute to Matt Kenseth. He asked me who Matt Kenseth was and I told him that Matt drove the Home Depot car in NASCAR. The kid then asked me, totally serious, what is a NASCAR? I couldn't resist asking him where he was from and he said right here in Columbia. He seriously did not know what NASCAR is/was,. and seemed to not really care at all.

So, Home Depot Management, with all the money you spend on that orange Toyota, can't you even clue your employees in on what NASCAR is and who drives your car. Everyone I've met in Lowe's always wants to talk about JJ because, as usual, I'm wearing a shirt or a cap that tips them off I'm into racing. Seems Home Depot is wasting their money and I find that really funny. I started to stop in Dollar General on the way home to see if I had better luck there with the Kenseth deal but have been in there several times I would think the employees would be ready to talk racing at the drop of my Love Chevy Cap.

Just thought I would share this with you folks. NASCAR is all about marketing and to the demographic in which this kid falls. Are they getting anywhere? You be the Judge.

Tim.. you ran into one dumbass kid.. don't judge corporate communications being that weak..... ... Attendance is up, it's good to see good things happening... Stock Market, Housing, Live Sports crowds..... As Some say " Life's Good " ...

That description of the kid is putting it midly. I started to ask if he had ever heard of Danica Patrick, but I was in a hurry and didn't want to take time to explain that one to him. But it does baffle me that a kid could work in the store where there are pictures of the number 20 around in several places and he not even know what NASCAR is. I assure you he was absolutely serious.

Tim,

I worked as Credit Manager at a Lowe's Store in Charlotte from 2001-2006. The store ranked #1 in the USA in number of approved personal & commercial credit applications, as well as commercial credit (contractor) sales.

I was named to the Corporate Store Business Process Improvement Team (SBPIT) that met at corporate HQ in Mooresville, NC to attempt to brainstorm ideas to improve Lowe's shopping experience for customers.

Relying on my experience promoting and marketing sponsors as part of a NASCAR program, I offered some suggestions, beginning with explaining why their previous efforts at Lowe's sponsoring modified events at N. Wilkesboro, and cars at Junior Johnson's and RCR had failed so miserably. They weren't interested. Their only interest was what color scheme to use on the Jimmie Johnson race car. Trust me, their marketing and their communications folks at Lowe's didn't know their petunia from a hole in the ground when it came to using the race sponsorship.

Just like Home Depot, most of the employees at my South Charlotte Lowe's store didn't have a clue about the bundle of money the company was dropping in NASCAR. The store employees weren't involved.

I will give Home Depot some credit for how they leveraged their Tony Stewart sponsorship in the early days. A very good friend of mine, Carol Schumacher, was Vice President of Public Relations for Home Depot in Atlanta when they began racing and my opinion was that she did a much better job than the beginning efforts at Lowe's. She had experience running the Gillette Atra NASCAR program as well as the KFC associate sponsorships of DW and Neil Bonnett at Junior Johnson's. She left Home Depot to become Vice President of Financial Communications for Wal-Mart some years back. She is married to former CMS PR head, Ford Racing PR man and RJR Winston NASCAR Media liasion, Bob Kelly - so she had a little more insight about NASCAR racing perhaps than the Lowe's folks. The day she left Home Depot for Wal-Mart seemed to coincide with Home Depot's drop on the racing radar in my opinion.

I don't think either Lowe's or Home Depot ever achieved what they might have with their racing sponsorships, though. Strictly a personal opinion.

When sliced bread was there, he made HD appearances to employee meetings. Maybe the employees were just burned out on the whole (no-winnin-race car driver) thing. If Matt keeps winning, they'll perk right up.

In all fairness, I think many folks - employees and others - could be confused by Kenseth's new sponsorship package. I'm kind of stunned with how little has been mentioned about how Home Depot as a brand has all but disappeared from the 20. The car still runs an orange HD bumper when the primary is Dollar General. Otherwise, the car is now red with HD's private label of Husky tools. After years of seeing an orange HD car on the track, some may not even be aware that Husky and the red scheme is still tied to HD.

Jimmie Johnson runs Lowe's Kobalt brand from time to time. But more often than not, the company has chosen to primarily brand the 48 as a Lowe's car. Its kind of interesting how HD finally backed away from doing the same.

I like Lowes better too. While you had a good experience, the Home Depot in Myrtle Beach doesn't have helpful folks so I would not have been surprised at all if that had happened here. I would say that they need customer service help - BUT - They usually have the big cut out of the drivers.