That's not my experience. I ask someone where a really strange item is, and they'll tell me the exact aisle, exact shelf, and exact bin. All from memory in 2.5 nanoseconds.
Depends on where I am at the time. If I'm in Austin (City) and I ask someone where a really strange item is, I see their eyes glaze over, then they pull out their phone and proceed to check the store's website.
When I'm in Wyoming and I ask someone where a really strange item is, they ask me what I'm trying to accomplish. Then they proceed to give me a master class in the subject matter as well as a full parts list
I tried that once. I literally showed him a picture. His response was to ask me what I was working on and then when I explained. He was like "oh you should do this instead and pointed me towards something that wouldn't work for what I was trying to do at all. Then he argued with me about it. I was like... man just show me where this fucking item is I don't give a shit about your opinions I know what I'm doing. He had no idea and I had to go find it myself.
Depends if you get the old man or one of the kids, the kids just pull out their phone and look it up in the same app is used only to find that it’s wrong since there is no aisle 57E. Old man will know where it actually is and even explain how to use it well if I want
Matters which Home Depot and what hours. If you go during slow time. Some old person who is doing this as a retirement gig will tell you what you really need etc., but I’ve also experienced not being able to get someone while it’s busy and having the department-specific person MIA. Many parts are missing even if the website says they are in stock because people steel them. I had an employee tell me that the didn’t sell the individual plumbing part that I needed, but winked and nudged that I should buy a kit that had it and return it without that piece. He was like, either that or essentially steal the part out of the box when no one was looking. That’s your ghetto Home Depot. In the more upscale town Home Depot, they are better stocked and less busy, so generally more helpful.