Home Depot now gives contractors a big hand
In his 15 years in the remodeling business, Kirk Smith has seen more than his share of the Home Depot logo.
The Marietta remodeler says he and his workers hit Home Depot every day — sometimes two or three times a day — to load up the truck and talk shop with the sales crew behind the pro desk.
Lately, there has been a new routine. Home Depot is coming to him.
“I see this guy every couple of weeks — he’s here to check up on things and see if the store is taking care of me,” Smith said Thursday, motioning to a Home Depot sales manager who popped in on a kitchen remodeling job.
“Kirk’s the kind of contractor that wants to be left alone for the most part, but still, my job is to make sure he’s getting what he needs,” said Joey Gilkey, contractor services manager for Atlanta-based Home Depot.
Gilkey, a former general contractor himself, is part of a new breed of Home Depot managers who cruise job sites instead of store aisles, calling on customers much like a traditional salesman would. Gilkey says he manages about 30 such accounts a month.
“I used to be in the store every day, but now most of my time is spent out in the field with contractors,” Gilkey said.
It’s a major new twist in Home Depot’s strategy to woo its professional consumer base. Under new CEO Frank Blake, Home Depot is throwing more muscle into contractor services in an effort to make up for hit-or-miss efforts in the past.
“For a long time, it was just lip service,” Smith said, with the squeal of drills and saws in the background. “The corporate people always said they were going after us, but they never really did. It seems like there’s more of a commitment now.”
And none too soon. Read the Rest.
Written by larrylarr on September 8th, 2007 with
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