John Oliver: Lowe’s Robot Won’t Keep Couples From Killing Each Other At Hardware Store

Last week, Lowe’s unveiled the test of a customer service robot at one of its Orchard Supply stores and we pointed out that it’s really just doing the job Lowe’s should be asking of its employees. What we were remiss in mentioning is the other important aspect of home-improvement store customer service — preventing married couples from murdering each other while shopping.

Thankfully, there’s Last Night with John Oliver, which noted that Lowe’s OshBot might not be able to sense those moments when a couple’s discussion of something as innocuous as paint color can unearth years of resentment and tension.

“If you really want to test your marriage, go buy home supplies together,” explains Oliver in the above clip. “Because Lowe’s is like a swinger’s party or a couple’s brunch — no one is leaving on speaking terms.”

So Oliver and his crew, with the help of the Director of the Pawnee City Dept. of Parks and Recreation, created a spec commercial for Lowe’s main competition, Home Depot, to highlight the all-important marriage- and life-saving skills of the customer service expert.