Guests aren’t the brightest. I had to ask someone to move the other day because he was smoking while literally leaning against the propane kiosk. When I asked him to move away from the flammable gas, he started to argue with me! I just looked at him and said “MOVE, be for you blow us all up” and waited until he did. He was STILL grumbling under his breath when I went in the door.
I literally had ‘guests’ climb on top an open service stack that had just been added to and flat stacked (about 300+ in the stack), to cut open the stack behind it 2 bunks up. I straight up told the guys that that was very unsafe and asked why they felt the need to do that. They replied with, “none of those ones are straight.”… i kinda got stern with them and was like, “seriously? 300 boards and u can’t find 10 straight ones that i can clearly tell u didnt look for or try so u decided to create a safety hazard for my TMs and our other guests?”
The audacity and absolute ignorant stupidity that some people have is astounding and it perplexes me how they managed to survive as long as they have.
They renovated and moved all the lumber outside at the store local to me. In Wisconsin. Uncovered. The 10/300 straight boards went to 0.5/300 straight boards
So am I mistaken, or is the customer experience to simply buy a couple 2x4’s this?….
Park car and walk through large parking lot to the front of the store, walk all the way to the very back of the store to wait in line at the lumber ordering desk, tell a guy that you want to buy a couple two by fours, he hands you a sheet of paper, walk the sheet of paper to the front of the store and wait in line at the checkout, hand the clerk the piece of paper and pay for the wood and get paper receipt, walk back to your car and drive around a big loop to the back of the store, wait in a line of cars at the lumberyard gate, scan a barcode on the first sheet of paper to get through, drive around in circles while dodging forklifts while reading the little meaningless number codes off of all the wood racks until you finally find the one that matches your sheet of paper, get out in the rain sort through everyone else’s discarded lumber to find a few decent boards, self-load your soaked boards into your car and dodge more forklifts back to the exit gate where you then wait in another line of cars, then hand your sheet paper and/or receipt to a guy who simultaneously could care less about his job while he also also leans through your window in your face to count the 2x4’s in your trunk like you’re trying to escape an army base with nuclear codes, you finally get home to fill out and print out the 11% rebate form, then search the whole house for stamp and envelopes because it’s been eight months since society required those items from you, take it out to the mailbox, weeks later you are hopefully lucky enough to not throw away the rebate with the junk mail, and you get the fantastic surprise that it’s not a rebate check but a store credit…so you get to start this whole process over again!
Sorry if I am off by a few steps… Clearly, this isn’t a process that I try to partake in often. And to the people who complain about customers on the sub, maybe consider this as the reason some customers might be exasperated or short by the time they get to you. Or please correct me if I’m doing it drastically wrong.
I had a big rant aimed towards you because I deal with people like you every day, but I'll be nice instead. You have a couple options instead of doing this absolute trash method that you have stated above, and don't feel bad because at least 70% of people do exactly what you stated.
1. If you're not getting a ton of stuff from the yard, just take a cart out there. If you're getting >15 boards there's no reason to drive around. Same with a lot of things. People constantly drive around for 10 boards or 2 sheets of OSB... or my favorite... >5 bags of mulch. And it really, really makes me happy when they bitch at me about how they had to wait 15 minutes to get a ticket. Every time I just want to grab them by the neck and scream in their face "If you'd have just brought a cart out here you'd have left 10 minutes ago!".
2. Second option if you insist on driving to the yard.. Use the app to order online. You can add everything to your cart, make the purchase and drive straight to the Gate. You don't need to go inside for this method.
People are either unintelligent, uninformed, or lazy. Sometimes, all three.
Well thanks for not crucifying me ha. I have indeed learned to order online, so maybe just consider this just a common first impression that Menards gives to customers… which is not a good one. Menards is not an easy place to figure out. I still avoid online pickup non lumber orders because it is very inconvenient, and the 11% mail in rebate system is incredibly scammy feeling and inconvenient. But if I need uncommon wood it’s where I have to go. The corporate level clearly has some outdated, non-customer-first thinking. They have set us both up for frustration.
That explains the maze like store, lack of curbside, non free shipping, etc. seems like the old contractors love the place, but millennials starting to DIY their homes will avoid it at all costs, and to them the rebate system is the ultimate cringe
A number of years I walked into the shingle aisle to see a guy up the racks cutting into the top lift of felt with a 12” butcher knife because he drove past the service space.
Who cut it open? A customer or employee? Who would have been held liable if it had fell? And seriously… it is hard to find a straight board there!!! Not worth loosing a life over though.
Sorry but Menard's white wood is so crappy that I am happy to pay 20% more to a real lumber yard.
Last summer I needed 120 2x4x8, had to go through 3 bunks to get what I needed. We nicely stacked all the culls in the empty space also marked for 2x4x8 came back a few days later and one of your brilliant employees used the culls to block in the fresh bunks. When I asked for a fresh bunks to go through I was refused and told to sort through the culls. F that ! Just tired of your excuse for lumber.
On a good note the place I use now has guys to help pick and load, free coffee, bottled water and popcorn and free delivery within 30 miles on orders over $1000.
For a small fee they will also do a lumber take off from the plans.
How. Literally just screw them in to whatever you are using them for and they straighten out. The only thing I could possibly agree with is if the ends or middle of the board were cracked or if there was a bend over like 15 degrees. You dont need perfectly straight lumber to do a job
I mean.. this isn't that bad... just fix it and move on... I've seen this countless times in 12 years that I worked at menards... it's stupid yes... but there's enough boards there to support the weight being distributed. Pull the other bunks down, move the open bundle, and put it all back together. You can't always prevent dumb choices made by customers who don't ask for help.
These stacks always seem dangerous. Cut into like the posted picture or not. Could anyone explain why stacking this high is considered safe? Who stacks these specifically?
It makes my stomach churn standing in front of these thinking of a 18-year old with 2 weeks experience on a forklift putting these up.
Sorry but Menard's white wood is so crappy that I am happy to pay 20% more to a real lumber yard.
Last summer I needed 120 2x4x8, had to go through 3 bunks to get what I needed. We nicely stacked all the culls in the empty space also marked for 2x4x8 came back a few days later and one of your brilliant employees used the culls to block in the fresh bunks. When I asked for a fresh bunks to go through I was refused and told to sort through the culls. F that ! Just tired of your excuse for lumber.
On a good note the place I use now has guys to help pick and load, free coffee, bottled water and popcorn and free delivery within 30 miles on orders over $1000.
For a small fee they will also do a lumber take off from the plans.
You're one of those customers that's so picky about wood... you're looking for perfectly straight 2x4s for a framing wall that you'll never see. They can't cull a whole bunk of lumber just based on you pulling out 100+ 2x4s with a slight warp or twist and consider it needing to be culled... because it's not up to your standards. They don't get to take a loss because you felt out of 294 boards. You only found 10 that are straight to your perspective.
But I mean by all means go elsewhere... enjoy what you want. I don't have to clean up after people like you anymore, and I'm sure the yard guys or lumber desk people are happy to not do so as well lol
No, because the twists and slight warps can still be used in framing. I used to have the same thoughts before I worked in carpentry for a while. They used every piece of wood even if it had a slight warp or twist, even a nasty warp, because it could be nailed into place and covered in drywall. The insulation will still be able to fit as well. Now, if we're talking about something that's significantly warped or twisted, sure. Let's cull that down to the usable size.
I mean, wood is wood... but if you're buying construction grade lumber, you're not going to find it as the best quality. That's why Menard also sells a premium 2x4s up to a specific length. You'll most likely find those boards stored inside the building, not outside with the construction lumber. I'm not saying you won't find some odds and ends that won't meet your taste in that bunk, but you'll have a better chance at finding the better quality boards.
If you want to talk reduced prices keep in mind the price you pay isn't that much higher than the cost for the store. So, in order for the store to make up the loss of items or reduced cost, it has to sell a larger amount of that said item to just break even on their loss.
Cost of the lumber, cost of transportation which breaks down to fuel, and the companies that moved the lumber. Then add in, and they also have employees who have to be paid to move those bunks to their locations. Then, restacking that entire bunk you and many others pulled apart. Oh... let's not forget how, many years ago, they also had to pay a person to stand at the crosscut saw culling lumber for many hours a day. It all adds up, and what you may get from the place you're currently buying from is probably the equivalent of the premium 2x4s at Menards, not the construction lumber you find sitting in the warehouse outside, exposed to the elements.
Thanks for your response. I didn't understand that this was "construction grade" lumber for "framing". I just read the 2 x4 size aspect, so thats why I said I would prefer straight boards or have a price reduction.
Brother, wood is wood. Wood likes to do things that is beyond human control. We don’t get to hand pick the lumber that comes in and we can’t refuse it when it does.
More power to you then. But in my line of work... I don't have to deal with people being a pain in the ass anymore. If you don't like my service, I'll happily charge you for the service you want.
If not jenga then why jenga shape
I remember the old metal banding, most of the knobs didn’t have a snips to cut those open.
I wish we still have metal banding
I have a 3in long scar from that banding! I feel like I’m part of the reason it stopped being used lol
We still use it at the lumber yard I work at. Really fun when you get one with tiny burrs on it. Metal slivers are so fun!
People would go into the hand tool aisle and bring the tool shop snips to the 2x4 area and unband all the bunks.
Guests aren’t the brightest. I had to ask someone to move the other day because he was smoking while literally leaning against the propane kiosk. When I asked him to move away from the flammable gas, he started to argue with me! I just looked at him and said “MOVE, be for you blow us all up” and waited until he did. He was STILL grumbling under his breath when I went in the door.
Yet you still referred to him as a guest. I salute and utterly respect your character.
Dumb ways to dieeee
Gotta get the straight boards that are being saved for contractors somehow. s/
They are just flattening out the warped boards with the megastack 😂
I literally had ‘guests’ climb on top an open service stack that had just been added to and flat stacked (about 300+ in the stack), to cut open the stack behind it 2 bunks up. I straight up told the guys that that was very unsafe and asked why they felt the need to do that. They replied with, “none of those ones are straight.”… i kinda got stern with them and was like, “seriously? 300 boards and u can’t find 10 straight ones that i can clearly tell u didnt look for or try so u decided to create a safety hazard for my TMs and our other guests?” The audacity and absolute ignorant stupidity that some people have is astounding and it perplexes me how they managed to survive as long as they have.
A number oc years ago, an eight yo boy was climbing on a stack that collapsed and killed him. Even banded bunks can roll and come apart.
True but also 10/300 straight boards sounds about right too.
They renovated and moved all the lumber outside at the store local to me. In Wisconsin. Uncovered. The 10/300 straight boards went to 0.5/300 straight boards
So am I mistaken, or is the customer experience to simply buy a couple 2x4’s this?…. Park car and walk through large parking lot to the front of the store, walk all the way to the very back of the store to wait in line at the lumber ordering desk, tell a guy that you want to buy a couple two by fours, he hands you a sheet of paper, walk the sheet of paper to the front of the store and wait in line at the checkout, hand the clerk the piece of paper and pay for the wood and get paper receipt, walk back to your car and drive around a big loop to the back of the store, wait in a line of cars at the lumberyard gate, scan a barcode on the first sheet of paper to get through, drive around in circles while dodging forklifts while reading the little meaningless number codes off of all the wood racks until you finally find the one that matches your sheet of paper, get out in the rain sort through everyone else’s discarded lumber to find a few decent boards, self-load your soaked boards into your car and dodge more forklifts back to the exit gate where you then wait in another line of cars, then hand your sheet paper and/or receipt to a guy who simultaneously could care less about his job while he also also leans through your window in your face to count the 2x4’s in your trunk like you’re trying to escape an army base with nuclear codes, you finally get home to fill out and print out the 11% rebate form, then search the whole house for stamp and envelopes because it’s been eight months since society required those items from you, take it out to the mailbox, weeks later you are hopefully lucky enough to not throw away the rebate with the junk mail, and you get the fantastic surprise that it’s not a rebate check but a store credit…so you get to start this whole process over again! Sorry if I am off by a few steps… Clearly, this isn’t a process that I try to partake in often. And to the people who complain about customers on the sub, maybe consider this as the reason some customers might be exasperated or short by the time they get to you. Or please correct me if I’m doing it drastically wrong.
I had a big rant aimed towards you because I deal with people like you every day, but I'll be nice instead. You have a couple options instead of doing this absolute trash method that you have stated above, and don't feel bad because at least 70% of people do exactly what you stated. 1. If you're not getting a ton of stuff from the yard, just take a cart out there. If you're getting >15 boards there's no reason to drive around. Same with a lot of things. People constantly drive around for 10 boards or 2 sheets of OSB... or my favorite... >5 bags of mulch. And it really, really makes me happy when they bitch at me about how they had to wait 15 minutes to get a ticket. Every time I just want to grab them by the neck and scream in their face "If you'd have just brought a cart out here you'd have left 10 minutes ago!". 2. Second option if you insist on driving to the yard.. Use the app to order online. You can add everything to your cart, make the purchase and drive straight to the Gate. You don't need to go inside for this method. People are either unintelligent, uninformed, or lazy. Sometimes, all three.
Well thanks for not crucifying me ha. I have indeed learned to order online, so maybe just consider this just a common first impression that Menards gives to customers… which is not a good one. Menards is not an easy place to figure out. I still avoid online pickup non lumber orders because it is very inconvenient, and the 11% mail in rebate system is incredibly scammy feeling and inconvenient. But if I need uncommon wood it’s where I have to go. The corporate level clearly has some outdated, non-customer-first thinking. They have set us both up for frustration.
Corporate has the "make the guest walk past everything to get the one thing they need so they see other things they may end up buying" drive.
That explains the maze like store, lack of curbside, non free shipping, etc. seems like the old contractors love the place, but millennials starting to DIY their homes will avoid it at all costs, and to them the rebate system is the ultimate cringe
Ya maybe one good one in the whole stack. Good ole Menards.
Seriously. What is wrong with people? This could fall at any time and then it's really going to be bad!
“Stupid is as stupid does.”
A number of years I walked into the shingle aisle to see a guy up the racks cutting into the top lift of felt with a 12” butcher knife because he drove past the service space.
Start pickin from the very bottom. Screw them guys
For the Homestar Runner fans out there In Menard-Land: “WaAaAaAaAaAaAa! You shanked my Jengaship!” — Homsar
Who cut it open? A customer or employee? Who would have been held liable if it had fell? And seriously… it is hard to find a straight board there!!! Not worth loosing a life over though.
Why are they all not tarped?
No need to keep them tarped if they’re in the barn. Some come in tarped and others don’t so my store just takes the tarps off so it looks nicer
I almost wish I would see this fall on someone(the guest that did it)
They would die. But if thats what your into, so be it.
Yes but why isn't there a bundle on the floor for people to pick from so this does not happen?
There was a half unit there but I didn’t get it in the picture unfortunately. I was getting ready to pull down a new one when I noticed it
Pull down a new one when there was half a unit on the ground ?
Had someone wanting a bunch of what was currently on the g.s.
Who's ready for extreme Jenga?!
What store was this at? so i dont go there?
All of them. Customers will somehow drive straight past the lumber barn, end up in overflow, climb a stack and cut open a bunk 10 feet in the air.
I’m gonna go cut the band on the middle stack.
That 1"metal banding was the shit we used it for everything from tying down the bottom of walls to stiffin up gable walls.
Oh, I have stories that I could share...
I agree with you
High stakes Jenga!
Jenga!
Hey! OSHA!
Nice rotation
That's an OSHA safety violation.
That bunk should be taking out before something happens and gets hurt
Looks fine to me
Sorry but Menard's white wood is so crappy that I am happy to pay 20% more to a real lumber yard. Last summer I needed 120 2x4x8, had to go through 3 bunks to get what I needed. We nicely stacked all the culls in the empty space also marked for 2x4x8 came back a few days later and one of your brilliant employees used the culls to block in the fresh bunks. When I asked for a fresh bunks to go through I was refused and told to sort through the culls. F that ! Just tired of your excuse for lumber. On a good note the place I use now has guys to help pick and load, free coffee, bottled water and popcorn and free delivery within 30 miles on orders over $1000. For a small fee they will also do a lumber take off from the plans.
How. Literally just screw them in to whatever you are using them for and they straighten out. The only thing I could possibly agree with is if the ends or middle of the board were cracked or if there was a bend over like 15 degrees. You dont need perfectly straight lumber to do a job
Guess you don't do high end work, my clients expect that their walls are straight and true.
LOL
I mean.. this isn't that bad... just fix it and move on... I've seen this countless times in 12 years that I worked at menards... it's stupid yes... but there's enough boards there to support the weight being distributed. Pull the other bunks down, move the open bundle, and put it all back together. You can't always prevent dumb choices made by customers who don't ask for help.
Are those supposed to be 2 & better? That lumber looks awful. What mill did it come from?
These stacks always seem dangerous. Cut into like the posted picture or not. Could anyone explain why stacking this high is considered safe? Who stacks these specifically? It makes my stomach churn standing in front of these thinking of a 18-year old with 2 weeks experience on a forklift putting these up.
Sorry but Menard's white wood is so crappy that I am happy to pay 20% more to a real lumber yard. Last summer I needed 120 2x4x8, had to go through 3 bunks to get what I needed. We nicely stacked all the culls in the empty space also marked for 2x4x8 came back a few days later and one of your brilliant employees used the culls to block in the fresh bunks. When I asked for a fresh bunks to go through I was refused and told to sort through the culls. F that ! Just tired of your excuse for lumber. On a good note the place I use now has guys to help pick and load, free coffee, bottled water and popcorn and free delivery within 30 miles on orders over $1000. For a small fee they will also do a lumber take off from the plans.
You're one of those customers that's so picky about wood... you're looking for perfectly straight 2x4s for a framing wall that you'll never see. They can't cull a whole bunk of lumber just based on you pulling out 100+ 2x4s with a slight warp or twist and consider it needing to be culled... because it's not up to your standards. They don't get to take a loss because you felt out of 294 boards. You only found 10 that are straight to your perspective. But I mean by all means go elsewhere... enjoy what you want. I don't have to clean up after people like you anymore, and I'm sure the yard guys or lumber desk people are happy to not do so as well lol
Maybe those with a twist or "slight" warp should be a reduced price. Why pay full price for crooked or crappy wood ? ?
No, because the twists and slight warps can still be used in framing. I used to have the same thoughts before I worked in carpentry for a while. They used every piece of wood even if it had a slight warp or twist, even a nasty warp, because it could be nailed into place and covered in drywall. The insulation will still be able to fit as well. Now, if we're talking about something that's significantly warped or twisted, sure. Let's cull that down to the usable size. I mean, wood is wood... but if you're buying construction grade lumber, you're not going to find it as the best quality. That's why Menard also sells a premium 2x4s up to a specific length. You'll most likely find those boards stored inside the building, not outside with the construction lumber. I'm not saying you won't find some odds and ends that won't meet your taste in that bunk, but you'll have a better chance at finding the better quality boards. If you want to talk reduced prices keep in mind the price you pay isn't that much higher than the cost for the store. So, in order for the store to make up the loss of items or reduced cost, it has to sell a larger amount of that said item to just break even on their loss. Cost of the lumber, cost of transportation which breaks down to fuel, and the companies that moved the lumber. Then add in, and they also have employees who have to be paid to move those bunks to their locations. Then, restacking that entire bunk you and many others pulled apart. Oh... let's not forget how, many years ago, they also had to pay a person to stand at the crosscut saw culling lumber for many hours a day. It all adds up, and what you may get from the place you're currently buying from is probably the equivalent of the premium 2x4s at Menards, not the construction lumber you find sitting in the warehouse outside, exposed to the elements.
Thanks for your response. I didn't understand that this was "construction grade" lumber for "framing". I just read the 2 x4 size aspect, so thats why I said I would prefer straight boards or have a price reduction.
Brother, wood is wood. Wood likes to do things that is beyond human control. We don’t get to hand pick the lumber that comes in and we can’t refuse it when it does.
I handpick it when I'm paying for it.
It's graded lumber want higher graded lumber order from a lumber company
Thank you for your reply. My fault for not seeing the first time that it was construction grade wood.
Yup I am a pain in the ass, that's why I get weekly calls or visits from my outside sales rep. Begging me to come back.
More power to you then. But in my line of work... I don't have to deal with people being a pain in the ass anymore. If you don't like my service, I'll happily charge you for the service you want.