Before the department managers were let go we had leadership in the departments providing direction and guidance. Now we are directionless and everyone is doing their own thing. There's a lot of standing around talking and not much work is being done.
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I think you'll find most stores the same. New location same issues. My store is all about rumors of what employee is sleeping with who. It's all high school crap. Instead of running a business.
DM to CSA5 to Sales Specialist, and after a $4.00 hr pay cut the management team thinks I should just do the duties that I did as a DM. Know way I'm doing that. Wished I would have stayed a CSA5. Take my money and act like that is bigger BS then the Service Manager interview process. Lowe's is a dumpster fire and most don't give a shi+.
of those of us left, who the heck has time to stand around doing nothing? I over 2, 3, and sometimes 4 departments when I open. Our store isn't staffed at all. only a handful of us left.
There is no accountability any more and everyone knows it. They know they can get paid to do nothing and do. The CSA 5's know this and use it to their advantage knowing they are temp employees. Most won't stay. I am an a CSA 5 and I lost all care once the change. Why should I? What will it get me?? Too many years put in only to be screwed over.
As I ate dinner at Lowe's tonight one of the lumber associates was in the break room, out of sight of the door, leaning against the wall making travel reservations for his upcoming vacation. Our ASM for the evening spent his time in the office, didn't see him until he let us out after the store closed. Our service manager spent the evening in OSLG, their former department. They have the store manager convinced that OSLG is going to earn SSEI for the store.
The kid in appliances, who used to work at HH Gregg, spent the evening chatting up his girlfriend a cashier. The flooring associate was working with customers in home decor because the home decor associate recently left for another (better) job. There was no one in millwork, electrical, or ISLG. Plumbing associate covered both plumbing and ISLG. Paint associate covered both paint and electrical (he used to work in electrical).
Head cashier covered return desk for a dinner break and called over customers when a code 3 happened. Paint associate helped as well, he is one of the few floor associates that knows the 1.4 register functions. There was one cashier per area and a head cashier. OSLG cashier worked 11 to 8 and was the only cashier out there today. She went home at 8.
After the store closed we all helped put out the sales signage and tidied up the best we could with the time that remained. This is a typical day at my store.
As a prior DM (now CSA 5) - I see a lot of failures in this - major one being what you have listed here. Worklists aren't being given weekly, there is no direct supervision within a department so associates walk around on their cell phones all day. I have associates on Snapchat, instagram, FaceTime, on the phone. You name it, doesn't surprise me anymore. I've made comments "you know if this was a job where the manager was around you all day you wouldn't be doing that" etc - but no one cares now because there is no direct authority keeping track within the departments now...
Our store had a lot of that before the department manager's were restructured, so nothing changed. People still directionless and standing around.