Home Depot and Lowe's give 10% discount to military vets and active service personnel. That's great, and shows appreciation and support of those who wear and have worn the uniforms of those who keep our country free.
Both stores require proof that you are a veteran, which is understandable. It gets a little awkward carrying a copy of your DD214 around with you so you can get your discount. I figured that I would take my DD214 to the local VA hospital in Oteen, and ask for a VA id card, which is acceptable proof for the discount. I walked in, with DD214 in hand and said, I am a Vietnam vet. I served 4 years active duty in the USAF. Here is a copy of my DD214. Please issue me an id card that verifies my veterinary status. Their reply was to hand me a stack of paperwork over an inch thick so I could be registered with them. I told them, "You don't understand. I don't want to REGISTER, I simply want an id card to prove that I am a veteran, so I can get my 10% discount. Here's my DD214 to prove my status." They replied, "No, YOU don't understand. If you don't REGISTER by filling out that paperwork, we cannot issue you an id card." There was stuff in those forms about my wife, her SS number, financial status, and on and on... I left in frustration.
A few months later I learned that the NC Dept of Motor Vehicles. will allow you to voluntarily add the word "VETERAN" on your driver's license if you show them a copy of your DD214. I went in to the closest DMV office that issues Driver's licenses, showed them my DD214, and asked to have my DL identify me as a "VETERAN." The guy looked at my DD214, asked me for $10.00 and told me to have a seat so he could take my picture for a new copy of my DL. About two weeks later, a new copy of my DL arrived from Raleigh with the word, "VETERAN" in blue letters on both the front and back. Now, when I ask for the military discount, I just show them my DL, and have not had any trouble getting it. We even have a local pizza restaurant that gives Military vets 10% off their bill. Sweet!
Last night, we were in the Home Depot in Hendersonville, and I was speaking to a department manager. Somehow, the topic of military discount came up, and he advised me that according to "Corporate" headquarters, the military discount is ONLY for ACTIVE military, or RETIRED military with 20 or more years service. He said sometimes they "bend the rules" locally, because other stores are more lenient in their policy. I asked him, "So you think that my service is not worthy of the discount? I reminded him that my year in Vietnam was just as dangerous as any currently serving member of the military." I told him that if Home Depot didn't think that my service in Vietnam was worth their military discount, I'd cut up my Home Depot credit card, send it to "Corporate" headquarters, with a note telling them to put this where the sun don't shine, and I'd be more than happy to take my business to the OTHER guys who value the service of ALL military vets, presently serving, or who have served at ANY time in the past, for ANY length of time.
What's the general opinion here?
Both stores require proof that you are a veteran, which is understandable. It gets a little awkward carrying a copy of your DD214 around with you so you can get your discount. I figured that I would take my DD214 to the local VA hospital in Oteen, and ask for a VA id card, which is acceptable proof for the discount. I walked in, with DD214 in hand and said, I am a Vietnam vet. I served 4 years active duty in the USAF. Here is a copy of my DD214. Please issue me an id card that verifies my veterinary status. Their reply was to hand me a stack of paperwork over an inch thick so I could be registered with them. I told them, "You don't understand. I don't want to REGISTER, I simply want an id card to prove that I am a veteran, so I can get my 10% discount. Here's my DD214 to prove my status." They replied, "No, YOU don't understand. If you don't REGISTER by filling out that paperwork, we cannot issue you an id card." There was stuff in those forms about my wife, her SS number, financial status, and on and on... I left in frustration.
A few months later I learned that the NC Dept of Motor Vehicles. will allow you to voluntarily add the word "VETERAN" on your driver's license if you show them a copy of your DD214. I went in to the closest DMV office that issues Driver's licenses, showed them my DD214, and asked to have my DL identify me as a "VETERAN." The guy looked at my DD214, asked me for $10.00 and told me to have a seat so he could take my picture for a new copy of my DL. About two weeks later, a new copy of my DL arrived from Raleigh with the word, "VETERAN" in blue letters on both the front and back. Now, when I ask for the military discount, I just show them my DL, and have not had any trouble getting it. We even have a local pizza restaurant that gives Military vets 10% off their bill. Sweet!
Last night, we were in the Home Depot in Hendersonville, and I was speaking to a department manager. Somehow, the topic of military discount came up, and he advised me that according to "Corporate" headquarters, the military discount is ONLY for ACTIVE military, or RETIRED military with 20 or more years service. He said sometimes they "bend the rules" locally, because other stores are more lenient in their policy. I asked him, "So you think that my service is not worthy of the discount? I reminded him that my year in Vietnam was just as dangerous as any currently serving member of the military." I told him that if Home Depot didn't think that my service in Vietnam was worth their military discount, I'd cut up my Home Depot credit card, send it to "Corporate" headquarters, with a note telling them to put this where the sun don't shine, and I'd be more than happy to take my business to the OTHER guys who value the service of ALL military vets, presently serving, or who have served at ANY time in the past, for ANY length of time.
What's the general opinion here?
