Home Depot vs Rona?

[tallmonster]

Which is better?

All I can see is Rona gives Air Miles, and their fastener section is less quality than Home Depot's. Home Depot has more Staff usually.

I am doing some reno work and have to buy sevral K$ of material.

 

[kz65]

isn't Rona Canadian owned? if so then spend your $'s supporting them.
screw Home Depot - Damm US companies

 

[Greekster]

By the way, I went to Home Depot yesterday and asked if there was any way to construct a nice backdoor entrance. But my phrasing wasn't very clear, and my question wasn't fully understood, so I got a semi-clear answer as a result. But the answer was definitely not a no. To me this is good news. I won't be giving up on HD any time soon

 

[Roger Melon]

The thing to keep in mind is that Home Depot is big. It's just so massive. That's the place to go if you're after over-size items. Yes, it can take a long time to get what you want, but in the end you'll get what you're after if you make certain you have the right tool for the job and just hammer away.

Greekster, the staff at Home Depot often don't understand what a customer wants initially, but I think if you're persistent you'll find they will bend over backwards for you.

 

[sailorsix]

If you're looking for advice go to a home hardware. Home depot may have more staff walking around bur they are no longer the ex-pros who had knowledge. I may as well be a Home Depot staffer for all I know.

 

[Greekster]

I've actually purchased quite a lot at Home Depot and actually made a bad exchange a couple of weeks ago. But I believe if I just continue to invest my time and make a lot of effort, I can make use of my purchases and complete the project within 3 to 4 weeks. I'm actually going to work more carefully than ever, starting tonight where I will use my fingers and get things to fit into place.

 

[Roger Melon]

Greekster, I just wish I could say that the people who work at Home Depot stand behind their work. Frankly it often seems that the customer needs to be the one standing behind the Home Depot employee to get anything done at all.

 

[5andman]

I agree, support a Canadian company first (Reno, Home Hardware) ...even better, support a mom & pop hardware store.

 

[Greekster]

Come to think of it, Home Depot's #1 priority should be customer satisfaction. I got to get this message across somehow, and should be delivering my message by the end of the month.

 

[Greekster]

I agree, support a Canadian company first (Reno, Home Hardware) ...even better, support a mom & pop hardware store.

Trust me. I've decided to be more firm and not support any mom & pop hardware store any more. If Home Depot wants my business, then HD has to focus more and me and my customer needs.

 

[calloway]

I use both stores... depends on what I'm looking for.

 

[Dawgger]

Rona.I find it is easier to get assistance at Rona,Staff is knowledgable and much more helpful.When we designed our deck I took my plans to 5 different stores,Rona was the only place that had suggestions to improve on my ideas and actually helped cut the cost down. Price wise all stores were in the same range on my original plan.

 

[james t kirk]

I think either is fine.

The beauty of it is that they do carry different lines.

For example Rona carries better tile thin set than Home Depot. I have been doing some tiling work of late and needed non polymere modified WHITE thin set.

The goof at HD said no such thing existed. I called the guys who make the Ditra underlayment and asked them and they said it did exist and was made by a company called MPAI, or something like that. Low and behold Rona carried it.

Also, RONA carried a really high quality kitchen vent that HD only had this crappy plastic kind.

It does pay to check out both.

 

[Big Michael]

Trust me. I've decided to be more firm and not support any mom & pop hardware store any more. If Home Depot wants my business, then HD has to focus more and me and my customer needs.

Mom and Pop hardware is great and required in the long run. But we are often guided by the short-term fix. As a result HD will focus on your immediate needs hoping that it becomes long-term. But as I said, in the long-term, if you are so inclined, you can't forget that Mom and Pops exist. But you can't get caught sneaking in or out the back door at HD, be precise and and certainly ready when the situation presents itself.

 

[tboy]

Well, I've been seriously shopping for supplies for a couple or three years now and I SO hate rona....that store seriously sucks ass.

Here's why I say it:
1) I needed to replace some 18v dewalt batteries. I couldn't find them in their tool dept. So I looked for help. Asked 4 staff wandering around, "not my dept"...so I went to the pro desk. They paged someone to the tool corral...10 minutes, no one. Went back, 10 more minutes, Guy shows up, they are HIDDEN on the upper rack BEHIND their floppy signs...how much were they? $120.00 each (you can get 2 at homo depot for $149.00)
2) Needed a 1/2" flush cutting router bit with top AND bottom bearings. They had one, $39.00 but ok, pricey but they have it...guy handed me the EMPTY package which was behind the one on display in the showcase....then went about locking it up...so I say to him: hey, this package is nice, but what about the bit??? OOPS
3) Because I don't take my table saw to site, and find it just easier on the back to get the store to rough cut the 4 x 8 sheets. 9 times out of 10 I only wait a couple of minutes at homo depot...I have YET to have the patience to get something cut at Rona....30 minutes is TOO long to wait....
4) Lumber: for the most part, Homo Depot has always had what I needed and in sufficient quantity. Some of the rona's i've been in they stock it in a separate warehouse that you have to drive into. Initially, this isn't a bad idea, but when it's freezing cold out, and they don't heat this extra warehouse,

BTW: I avoid them both like the plague on weekends when joe homeowner doesn't know what the fuck he's doing clogs up the parking lot, aisles, and checkouts. Hey doesn't anyone read the signs that say "contractor parking"????

BTW2: I'm on a first name basis with some of the people at my local homo depot and the one close to the site I'm at now....

OOPS, forgot to add: the local mom and pop home hardwares NEVER have what I want so I don't even go anymore...the only one I frequent that is reasonable is New Canadians on DuPont...and for cheap good quality hardwood I go to central fairbank (though they don't have the selection of products that homo depot has)

 

[teejer]

Definitely Rona in my opinion. Mainly because, every time I go there, the staff are friendly and knowledgable and helpful. I think that means a lot these days and they should be commended for it. Home Depot is ok - good products and stuff - but they can't touch Rona when it comes to customer service.

 

[bethy]

i haven't been to Rona that much, so no comment.

but home depots are lack of staff for sure, last time i went there around 8 pm looking for acetone for my car. god damit, i couldn't find any staff there. literally nobody was there to ask. it seems like home depot has only 10 staffs working their ass off. and 9 of them are working at the "return" and cash register.

They just dont know what customers need. I bet they have full staff during the day when we're all working. i mean, it is stupid. They should have full staff during the off work hour or weekend, because that the time most customers go to SHOP, not 9am to 5 pm.

 

[Capital Amatuer]

Definitely Rona... Cdn owned, Airmiles, helpful staff, quality products. BMR is good as well, helpful staff, good products, competitive prices. Home Depot is useless, terrible staff, US owned, inferior quality products, not worth big project investments. I must say Home Depot is convenient, more Home Depots than Canadian Tires, almost !

 

[biog]

I'm more of a mom and pop fan myself but will go to Rona if I have to. Home Hardware's are usually good and they have Aeroplan now.

 

[tboy]

Well, we'll see how Lowe's is when they get here.....and they're coming.....