Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Posts: 4
Location: I live at Lowe's
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:49 am Post subject: Downsizing | |
I am one of those dreaded department managers that most of you complain about all the time  , but, I'll be honest in my store, the department managers handle the most bull. We are one of those low volume stores that down sized it's department manager load by 30%. I run flooring, appliances and cabinets. I only have specialists working for me. And I really can't bother them with work lists or freight issues because they need to SELL, SELL, SELL. I finished the ASMTP this year and I can't wait to become a Zone Manager so I can relax a little more!!!
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Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 17
Location: earth
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 4:13 am Post subject: | |
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At my store all of the department managers work very hard with little or no help from the zone managers..
I would not want to be a deptartment manager because I know what mine makes. He is the lowest paid person in the dept... I work 40 hrs, he works 50+ a week and gets paid less.. |
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Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Posts: 50
| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:00 pm Post subject: | |
| manager: I hope you retain your work ethic if/when you get promoted - we don't need any more dead weight ZMs. We need MANAGERS who will manage. There will be less ZMs in the near future, anyway, so that should be interesting. Maybe Lowes will layoff a bunch of the nonperformers, or the ZMs fo whom nobody wants to work. Stay involved with your departments, and please help people do their jobs. | |
Joined: 22 Aug 2003
Posts: 9
| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:04 pm Post subject: | |
| I agree with you seasonalguy. I am a dept mgr over multiple areas. I have a zone mgr who comes over and says "lets take care of this" with the intention to help, then the phone rings, he leaves, and never comes back until he's going home to see if anything has been done. I was making more money as a specialist 2 yrs ago then I am now. Maybe it's time to step down if something ever opens up. | |
Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Posts: 4
Location: I live at Lowe's
| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 2:19 am Post subject: | |
| I truly intend on making a change. I WANT my people to visit the training room weekly. I want to be in each department for a couple of hours each day. I want to raise moral. As a department manager I see my ZM's and I see that the only time they spend time in the departments is when a walk is coming, and even then, they choose the department they feel the most comfortible with and leave the rest alone. I really don't want to be influenced by the one's that sit in an office most of the day reading emails and talking to each other on their spectra links. | |
Joined: 26 Aug 2003
Posts: 29
| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 12:30 pm Post subject: | |
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i have to wonder how long have you been a dept manager ???
you sound so idealistic...i hope that you are able to make a change ..but this is lowes and really unless you have a magicwand ... good luck to you |
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Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Posts: 50
| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 4:38 pm Post subject: | |
| If you've got some good Specialists, manager, let them do their jobs - support them, and look out for them - don't let anyone mess with your troops. They will do the same for you. You will also have to do a lot more BS when you become a zone - that phone....daily problems that have to be addressed. Keep cheerful, and positive, and honest with you staff. Be the kind of manager that you would want to work for. That's not idealism - thats basic human interaction. You'll do fine. | |
Joined: 02 Aug 2003
Posts: 4
Location: AL
| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 9:12 pm Post subject: | |
Speaking of human interaction. I have been with Lowes for 5 mos. I was "seasonal" (you don't figure that one out till it's too late) until I complained enough to get "full time" and I have always worked 40 hr. weeks. My dept. has let go several people (BM) and it is VERY stressful as no one communicates and the DM knows how to address but not to listen, and you are always wrong. If we had a meeting we could address ALL the problems which make our customer service POOR, I can't imagine a store with worse CS. No one listens because they know what you will say and they know what needs to be done (DMs and up) but they wouldn't be able to defend themselves if they admitted to how terrible the mgmt is, and then they would have to change and hire more people and put more into the store. Hey, I think I might be going out on a limb here, but maybe they would reap more cha-ching by doing so? 
And that's not all. . . |
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Joined: 26 Aug 2003
Posts: 29
| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 3:59 am Post subject: | |
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action really hit the nail on the head so to speak ...
that is very good advice ..he seems to know what he is talking about ..take care of the people that can take care of you ... |
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Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 30
Location: #606 Dothan, AL
| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2003 5:51 am Post subject: | |
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I am the Department Manager over Electrical at Store 606 in Dothan, Alabama. I started there as a loader for Appliances in 1998. So I started from the bottom. I worked my ass off as a loader and I work my ass off there as a Department Manager. I have a great team in Electrical and I appreciate each and every one of them. They are my backbone, and I work right along side of them(after clipboards and cyclecounts lol)
Its just like our store manager, he is not a "hired off the street manager" he started at the bottom like me and he asks each and every customer if they are finding what they need. I respect himbigtime! I am not a DM that walks around on the phone all the time barking out orders, I am right there with my employees working and getting dirty just like they do. I treat my employees like my family, I am always worried about them Jonesy |
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