Blog

For the greater part of two years I’ve worked as a salesman in a national chain hardware store. I’ve seen countless people come in and wonder around aimlessly from department to department, looking around for hours before walking out frustrated and unfulfilled. From an employee’s perspective, here’s a few general, easy steps you can take to save yourself time and stress.

1. Read the box. Half of the questions I answer at work I can literally read from the back of the box. Manufacturers can’t pack the whole instruction manual on the back of the package, but generally they are pretty good describing what the product should and shouldn’t be used for.

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. My job as a salesman includes walking up to you and asking if you need any help. Once I ask though, the ball is in your field. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they sound stupid in your head. As previously stated, a lot of obvious questions can be answered from reading the packaging on the product. But if you don’t know exactly what you need, or aren’t sure about where something is, don’t be shy about finding out. I’m paid by the hour after all.

3. Carry pen and paper. Especially if you’re comparison shopping, this will save you more time and gas then you can imagine. Write down the brand, price, model number, SKU number, and anything else that helps you. If the product has any distinctive features that set it apart from its competitors, write that down too. It’s a lot easier to make a decision when you have the information in your hand, rather then trying to remember if the faucet back at Lowes was really the same thing as the one at Home Depot.

4. Shop Specifically. If you are remodeling your kitchen, don’t try to decide on the flooring, appliances, paint, counter tops, cabinets, sink, and fixtures all in one trip. Break it down. If you focus on one project at a time you are more likely to get everything for the project in one trip, and less likely to get overwhelmed by the task at hand.

There are some instances (like your contractor telling you he needs a lot of stuff by a certain time) where you have to shop for a large list of items. Refer back to step 3: Write stuff down, get organized, take it item by item until you’re happy with what you bought.

5. Educate yourself. If this list was ranked according to importance, this would be at the top. The more you know about what you’re buying, the happier you’ll be. If you have an idea of what to look for in quality, you’ll be a lot less susceptible to being sold a item that looks good in the box and on the price tag, but will give you trouble down the road. Read some Consumer Reports, do some Google searches, call your contractor. Do what it takes to inform yourself. I guarantee you will feel better about your purchase knowing that you got the best your money could buy.