Home Depot Training Show

1978 – 2000 The Founders

• Bernie Marcus & Arthur Blank

• Entrepreneurial Spirit

• Chief Mentoring Officer’s

2000 – 2007 The General

• Robert Nardelli

• Formalized Training & E-Learning

2007 – present The Lawyer

• Frank Blake

• Cultural Revival

• PK Training

• A GE Culture at Home Depot

#1 Product Authority for Home

Improvement

Disciplined Capital Allocation Driving Productivity and

Efficiency

Passionate about Customer

Service

Find a customer; find a product.

Inquire. Ask open-ended, probing questions.

Respect. Be polite, professional & positive.

Solve their problems & projects.

Thank the customer.

Associate Certification Program

• Customer Service

• Product Knowledge

• Special Services

• In-Store, In-Aisle with Supervisor

A Sustainable Competitive Advantage?

A big problem…

Two suggestions:

TRANSPORTABILITY!

Leverage firm-specific processes

Be very fast!