Thread regarding Lowe's Cos. layoffs

The business model for Pro is set to fail due to the fact that Lowe's sees ProSales Associates now as DIYer/Semi-Pros/Contractors/Customer Service Issues/Overrides/Coverage for other departments and cashiers. Just short of sending the ProTeam on deliverers which has happened when dealing with large orders or truck loads has created a chaotic and high pressure scenario to basically fill multiple jobs and tasks. I can almost say with certainty that due to Lowe's hiring and promotion methods the sadistic behavior toward the department is due to lack of comprehension, if any Joe/Sue can walk into your store and instantly become a manager that's a fundamental issue with the corporation's inability to proper place the right resources in position for a successful operation. There are companies who you must prove your lot with before being promoted and they actually test your knowledge instead of the good ol' boy system. When you operate on cronyism you get incompetence as an output.

From experience most management teams see ProSales as an enemy force within the building that has scheduling they want. I've actually witnessed an Admin Manger who used intimidation tactics and psychological games to manipulate the associates(Specialists & CSA) in the department. Human behavior is wicked when people see you have work/life balance and they don't. I can honestly say I've witnessed a whole management team undermine the Pro department because of emotional impulses. They literally pulled all support for the team, would not discuss future sales goals, how to increase CC apps, Proservice website, Lowes prepared credit card and other essential metrics that ensure the successful penetration and budget goals to be considered a healthy department.

Let alone mix in the phone sale policy which HD has already evolved past wit their text system, Lowes doesn't even have a standard sheet to fill out critical information that if allowed to get into a malicious persons hands could cause all kind of trouble for the company. The inability to simple e-mail a receipt without going back to the stone ages is also a red flag to any successful businessman/businesswoman. It's 2019....... Where literally most of the world transactions are digital and Lowe's can't fulfill to simple functionality of emailing receipts for convenience. I'm very unapologetic but if a man/woman of means that have created a successful company, no way in hell I'm letting Lowe's operational flaws into my business ecosystem.

Truly, if you wanted to run a somewhat fraudulent company, Lowe's has all the vulnerabilities to operate it. LIttle to no oversight even with the new managers, they couldn't really find their way out a box if there was an illuminated exit sign. Essentially it isn't their fault, what kind of training did they receive. Hell if we can send manager to Vegas every year for a damn c---tail party at least set up training for your most valuable non-management position within the building.

I had a contractor break it down to me and I was astonished how he seen through it. He said we have a whole bunch of id--ts that are in corporate who have degrees and never actually worked in the field and just run numbers through outdated computer systems. LOL.

I even watched the townhall with pro contractors and a representative from Loews. Kid looked lost as hell and was just reading off scripted responses. The Pros in the town hall literally were saying the same thing as everybody else was saying in the stores both customers and shoppers alike. Lowe's is an incompetent company that overcharges people and uses predatory managerial tactics to undermined its staff. I'd also say that as of right now its to big to actually fail but the lack of comprehension is starting to catch up with them. Changing CEO's was just a diversion tactic, they've only moved forward with attacking the workforce for their ill advised apprehensions of companies that they closed the next year LOL!!!!!

I would advocate that people stand up to them in a union like movement or just simple leave.... These people are airheads with high salaries and have to maintain sipping the kool-aid to maintain their families and lifestyles.

Is this the triumphant return of P--p Toast?

If a contractor is that steeped with H.D. or another company for that long, chances are they are happy there. But what about new businesses, customers, and undecided contractors? Theres loads of market space out there, but even THOSE Lowe's have botched from the start.

Lowes has not addressed the needs of contractors at all. I am a Pro Specialist, and take pride in helping contractors however, we are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays, 2 days every week contractors do not need any help. Hell, we are even allocated elsewhere in the store like lumber, and cashier. On weekends, we never work at the Pro desk at all.

The schedule is not designed for contractors, its posturing to make it look as if Pro is staffed to "serve the needs of the contractors" but its all lies. We cannot call contractors on weekends, most are closed. Vendors are all closed. So we cant even get prices or help, or even process orders.

We cannot even make good on promises, such as deliveries. We schedule deliveries properly, pull and stage bunks, only to have XPO or our deliveries screw it all up. And the contractors (just like last Monday) storm to us at the desk yelling when we did everything 100% right and even sent emails and voicemails as reminders. Lowes has not addressed the XPO nightmare, and bottom line is, we cannot do simple deliveries which does not serve contractors.

More issues are simple operations. A customer wants to open CC, and no one store knows how. Our register has been broken for 6 months! The ASM in charge tells us "too bad". Can you imagine?

The Pro supervisor has no knowledge of anything Pro, let alone working with his own hands in any field. BUT, he tells us what to do, even though has no knowledge himself of PBM, penetration rates, CC apps, or anything.

Fundamentally, Lowes is not set up for contractors and dont care to. They do not listen to us, or these issues which Ive gone to corporate about. The entire Pro system is broken ,and set us up to fail. We do our best with no resources, and its a losing battle.

So many employees have left or fired, many contractors dont get that personal touch, and can never reach anyone or get help.

Lowes should be ashamed of themselves. I know I am, and will leave Lowes at 1st opportunity. Everyone in my store is looking to leave,

I would agree with everything you said except long lines. There has to be customers in Lowes to get long lines.

But Lowes is making investments like painting parking spots under the canopy and a pro department supervisor. This is surley a game changer lol! Lowes would have atleast stood a fighting chance by keeping their in house flat bed deliveries. Tough to sell people on credit if they don't want to deal with your third party limitations. Its bad enough that our regulars have to "learn" to be a lowes customer.

Lowes can only play the shell game so long! Ding, Dong, Done!

Agree. We had a new customer who, after months of hard sales work, decided to buy from us. Submitted their credit app and got approved for 94k. Sales was 137k. Resubmitted with explanation. Approved for 102k. They went back to current vendor and apologized to us for the wasted time.