Home improvement clinics: Home Depot and Lowe's

Many of us have seen the commercials but have you ever wondered what those free home improvement clinics are like? You know, the ones that places like Home Depot and Lowe's regularly hold? I wondered, so I decided to check them out.

If you haven't been to Lowe's clinics, don't worry. You're not likely to learn all that much more than you could using a good book or watching a demonstration on TV, because they're not hands-on; they're demonstrations. Also, you have to listen to a lot of product promotion in the process. The benefit over books and TV is that you get to ask questions.

Home Depot's clinics, on the other hand (at least the one I went to), actually lets you try stuff out, which always makes a difference to me.

You can watch somebody else do something, think it's easy, and then when you try it, well, it may or may not be as easy as it looks--usually the latter. Trying something yourself, even if for a minute or two, can help you get the "feel" for whatever it is you're trying to do. Then, like anything else, you can refine your technique with practice.

Backing up a bit, what I thought might be interesting is to attend a how-to clinic on the same topic at both Home Depot and Lowe's, as a comparison study--and to learn as much as I could about the subject. I opted for installing tile. Straightforward tiling is well within the reach of a DIYer, everyone seems to agree on that. So, this seemed like a good one to take on. Although I love and collect antique tiles, a full scale tile installation job is not something I'd taken on before. One reason is that, until fairly recently, I didn't know it was a "can do." Now I know, so off I went to each clinic.

As a business woman myself, I place a lot of importance on customer service and being able to deliver on your promises--whether I'm on the giving or receiving end of the deal. So, when I arrived at Lowe's and the Customer Service desk wasn't really sure there was a tiling clinic and then pointed me in the direction of where they "thought" it would be, they lost points. Ditto for Home Depot, by the way. In the case of Lowe's, I was sent to the correct location. In the case of Home Depot, I was not and missed the very beginning of the clinic while I tried to find someone who had any clue of where the clinic was being held. To his credit, and the credit of other attendees who were in agreement, the person giving the clinic reviewed the little bit I missed.

Next on my list of importances is timeliness. The Lowe's clinic started twenty minutes late. They were not prepared and had to scrounge for materials (e.g., a board to apply the tile to) at the last minute. Also, the person giving the demonstration didn't start gathering his materials (tile, adhesive, grout, trowel, etc.) until well after the clinic "should" have started. The Home Depot clinic started right on time.

Then it was down to business. The person giving the Lowe's demonstration, though very young, clearly was well trained and actually had done a lot of tiling. His "technique" was very precise and effortless and the result was very fine. He willingly answered questions and his answers were clear but not complete because it was obvious they weren't going to teach what I call the "hard stuff," such as cutting the tile. His suggestion was to bring in marked tile for them to cut at the store, for "such and such" price per cut. Hmmmm. Well, that is one option but I was looking to know how to do that whole thing.

By the way, I was the only one in attendance, except for a male shopper who happened by mid-stream and stopped to check things out. This was a bit weird but offered an opportunity for personalized attention--or could have. It actually was pretty rote, and remote.

I left the Lowe's clinic feeling I knew a bit more than when I started, but not "empowered." I didn't get to try anything, even sticking a piece of tile in some goop, and I knew nothing more about cutting tile than what I'd picked up by peeking through doorways when my bathroom and kitchen were tiled. I really wanted to know more, about cutting especially.

The guy doing the demonstration at Home Depot was clearly much more into working with people and making them feel, like Home Depot's slogan says, "You can do it; we can help." Sounds corny, but it turned out to be true in this case. He too was young, but not as refined in his "technique." But you know what? It still looked great when he was done and that I did find "empowering," because I learned you don't have to be a master to get a good result, if the job is not too complex. Also empowering was his encouragement to us to try it ourselves. It is doable, and kind of fun, at least in a small area!

Then came my questions about making cuts. The Home Depot guy also suggested the "bring your marked tile in and we'll cut it" solution, but when I pressed about doing it myself, he didn't hedge. He showed us all kinds of hand tools for cutting AND the ominous "wet saw," which turned out was not so ominous afterall. It was beyond the scope of this clinic to use saws and I didn't expect to get into that hands-on (imagining the liability nightmare alone). But his whole way and style with it, as with the rest of the clinic, came with such ease, accessibility and encouragement, I believed him when he said the sawing was doable too. He even let me feel the turned-off saw blade so I could feel for myself that these blades are not as sharp as, say, a circular saw blade is. He didn't make me feel stupid or overly paranoid for asking about this equipment. He treated it like a natural and reasonable question.

The Home Depot clinic also was not as pushing of the products as the Lowe's clinic was. The Home Depot guy did show us all kinds of stuff, pertinent to our questions and the demonstration, but it never felt like that was the purpose of the clinic, even if it probably was. In the case of the Lowe's clinic, it was very clear that selling was THE motive for doing it.

So, can I say I learned something from these clinics? Yes, but the Home Depot clinic won by a long shot on almost every measure except for the store's directing me in the right location for the event, a measure on which Lowe's did better but seemingly as a matter of luck vs. truly knowing. Was this representative of all Home Depot and Lowe's clinics? I have no idea but it was an interesting "random" sampling. Also interesting, Lowe's asks you to sign up for their clinics ahead of time. Home Depot does not. Given Lowe's has foreknowledge of people's signing up, you'd think they could be prepared and on time, even if, I suspect, they get a lot of "no shows." Home Depot had no such requirement, had no idea who, if anyone, would show up, and the dude was on time--with bells on!

Learning "in the field" on a real job site or a close approximation (e.g., personal "tutoring" from a skilled tradesperson) has always served me best. More on that another time. But it's not always possible to learn that way. So, if you don't have that option, you can learn things from these clinics--more from some than others. Would I try one again? Maybe, even if only for an opportunity to ask questions.

In the end, I think whatever gives you the confidence to find out you can do more than you think you can is worth the time invested. And hey, whatever their shortcomings, these clinics are free afterall!