Marvin Ellison,
I am writing you from a store in the lower NY area, region 7. Your "push" for Pro sales is being followed 0% here, and all your recent roll-outs are not being implemented. The Pro Department in my store is a sacrificial lamb, for the needs and wants of all other store needs, and whim of any manager at the moment. Fact.
Today, our paint coverage (1 man) was pulled to pull the days deliveries. The Pro Loader was also, taken from the canopy to pull flat bed deliveries, as the driver waited. This is a daily occurrence.
When the loader isnt outside (80% of every day), Specialist then cover and load. Then no one is at the Pro desk.
You have created Romper Room sir, and a perpetual game of round robin where we all run around like mo--ns, covering everyone else's jobs, never doing our own.
Your Pro Specialists work the Pro desk, 0% per week, and I've watched them now for 6 days, tasked away from PRO 100%. This is typical, and has been going on for years, and nothing has changed despite your directives. At least two huge Pro account CEO's have filed complaints this week because they could not get service, and the service they did receive was horrible. All these issues have been reported, and nothing has been addressed, fixed, or even discussed. Its business as usual. When employees bring up issues that arise, managers threaten, make excuses, lie, and cover the up. Corporate shows up for "walks", announced! The store knows when they are coming, then all managers and employees work at 3 am to have the store looking neat. Its a sham, and if corporate really wanted to see what was happening they would show up unannounced. But you never do, and the cronies who arise that have created this mess, complain to us about it and blame us. Your corporate empty suits walk around, dictating, and disliking everything. They never ask employees anything and you have made it crystal clear, you do not care to. Our district manager knows exactly what is going on, creating it all, then pretends its not happening. The store manager and DM have both stated all these problems are because corporate refuses to budget for staff. Is this true?
The Pro CSA has worked here for 8 months, and has been taught nothing, and been used every day for IRP'S and lumber along with all three specialists. He cannot process a simple invoice, or do the most basic tasks. So specialists have no support. The cashier is pulled constantly as is the loader. All pro staff is used elsewhere, every day, 100% of the time. There literally is NO PRO DEPT in my store.
One Pro Specialist was recently hired with 0 experience. Zero prior sales experience, and zero Lowes experience. He is not being trained, yet left to cover the Pro desk alone. He and the pro supervisor fight daily, and its a weird, hostile, toxic workplace. These incidents also, have been reported to Human Resources.
Yesterday, a neighboring store showed up unannounced for an ICB. The employee was a Pro Specialist from that store, using the Lowe's Load n Go. Looks like the pro staff there too, does everything but Pro sales. The Pro Supervisor (no experience at Pro) made the PSS's stop what they were doing (doesnt matter anyway, they were working lumber at the time) and immediately take care of the ICB. Sacrificing our own sales, for nonsense. Speaking of ICB's, I field 15 calls a week from other stores asking for ICBS yet our store has 0. Then pro guys have to pull and sdtage huge ICB orders.
There are no cashiers, and the ones we get in lumber are 82 years old, and move as such. We have constant lines, backed up down aisles, with screaming customers. The registers are antiquated junk, and broken. The drawer doesnt open on cash transactions often, and the ASM in charge says, "deal with it!"
Pro Specialists get staffed on Saturdays and Sundays not to work Pro at all (no vendors or contractors working) but to work in lumber and as CSA.
We could go on and on, and on. But why bother? We have properly followed chains of commands, and reported all these issues and more to everyone. No one cares, and I'm sure you don't either.
Its all posturing, nonsense, unprofessional, and kindergarten nonsense. Pro sales go through, the Specialists pull, bunk. and stage the deliveries, and the delivery never goes anyway. Then, managres transfer these irate customers back to pro. When they have done everything right! Your entire store is broken sir, and there is no system in place that works.
Our store has NO lumber staff. One FT employee who comes and go as he pleases, and chooses what he will work on. The PT'ers call out constantly, and when they do show up are so poorly directed that they work so inefficiently that nothing ever gets done, then pro specialists must fix it all. Pro Specialists unload all the trucks, and this week alone I saw them unload the Empire Truck, concrete, Whitewood, and sheetrock. Then bring it all inside and put it up.
After all this, the specialists are then sent emails saying their performance is lackluster, why they didnt get cc apps, or sales. Or just more, and more, and more demands on top of the ridiculous work load.
Are you hearing any of this Mr Ellison? I didnt think so. Ive been interviewing outside Lowe's along w/ every other employee there I speak to.
Its clear you dont give af, nor do any of those in charge.