Lowes & Home Depot, you may have a point

but I am not sure that people are lazy. They may find it very difficult to understand technical material or home improvement projects and expect that Lowes or Home Depot associates have a monopoly of knowledge on some matters.

As a home owner and publisher of this site, I agree with you that customers have to do their homework. But I think they deserve help from Lowes and Home Depot associates to make those dreams come true. If the stores can't provide it, then they should change their advertisements and not make representations to that effect.

Maybe it's times for HD and Lowes to start exploring other ways to help customers. For example, why couldn't Lowes or Home Depot put on a seminar in the store on planning a budget kitchen or remodeling a bathroom. Get 20 souls who are interested in this. Explain the process, get the materials all in one place and explain that they will have to buy 30 items to redo their bathroom (I made up the number). Then take sales orders. Hell, I'll put on the seminar for nominal fee. Call me.

Sure people will want discounts. Hasn't Lowes and Home Depot heard of Tru Value, CVS, or food stores like CVS? All of those stores issue bonus cards and customers get their discounts that way. It's automatic and people feel like their loyalty is rewarded.