Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 17
Location: earth
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 4:52 am Post subject: Sunday Shoppers | |
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Is it just me or is Sundays the worst day to work. At my store I call the Sunday shoppers the Wal-Mart shoppers. Our store gets hit hard with those people who like to take every item off the shelf and get the one in the back and leave the other 40 sitting in the floor... It is like this each Sunday... I was cussed out 3 time my first hour today. These people have waited all summer to buy a grill because they wanted them to go on SALE.
They come in and bitch because that grill is the same price it was in July and that they have been wating for the SALE that I some how did not make happen. Then they would find out that we were out of that grill they have been waiting on all summer or they would get mad because they could NOT get it put together while they shopped. I would get "what and I susposed to do I have 20 people coming over in an HOUR for a cook out and I dont want the display I want one in a box put together NOW" Then they go and ask for a manager and tell that you were rude for not have the SALE and not stopping what you are doing all alone in your dpt. and put their grill together. Like the manager is going to close the whole store and help them. MONDAYS: Its the old old people who have act like it 1957 and they have no clue as what they need. I had one old bat telling me she had got some bug killer from us last week that was in a paint can and you paint it on with a brush. It took over an hour and 7 employees telling her we had and have never had such an item. |
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Joined: 07 Jul 2003
Posts: 110
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 3:25 pm Post subject: | |
| I couldn't help but comment on this one......how funny is it that people ALWAYS swear that they just bought something at our store last week, and you just KNOW that we have never carried it? And then you get multiple employees and a manager involved etc, and the customer FINALLY says, oh well maybe I bought it at Walmart (or where ever) | |
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 41
Location: out west
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 4:08 pm Post subject: | |
| I know what you mean seasonalguy. It seems that the older people get the dumber they become! I've worked several depts. in the store and every dept. has it's share of idiot customers. It's like they can't hear or understand what you say. My favorite is ETA's. I can't tell you how many times I've had some nut case come in and tell me he's here to pick up his door or windows(whatever) because it is 14 days later and I told him it would be in. When I explain to him for the 2nd time that it was an "ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL" and like I explained the first time, it could come in in 14 days but that often doesn't happen! Then the sh-t hits the fan. I've got my door tore out and a carpenter waiting around to put it in,what am I going to do now? Well first, get a flipping clue, my 10 year old grandson is smart enough to know not to tear something apart unless you have the replacement in hand! But it's off to the manager who proceeds to give the door away, pay for the non-exsistant carpenter and more than likely give the idiot a gift card for his stupidity! It seems to me that millworks and cabinets are the 2 depts. that draw the most common-sense challenged customers. I just keep telling myself "it's only a job, it's only a job"! Common sense isn't as common as it used to be! | |
Joined: 19 Aug 2003
Posts: 15
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2003 9:49 pm Post subject: | |
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For me, it seems to be Mondays...always a big load of freight on the floor. I got in to open, and low and behold....9 pallets of freight in the back isle in front of millwork for me. I keep reminding them to get the night crew staffed because of the trickle down effect it has, but to no avail. I broke down the pallets into 17 shopping carts and palced them strategically in the department so they could get put up.
Unfortunately, there was nobody in millwork until 10am, and I had nobody else in hardware until noon. Then the rush hit, and as I sat there doing rekeys on 18 packages of double cylinder deadbolts, one of the mgrs came up and wanted me to get the isle cleaned up that the carts were on.....HELLO!!!! Never did get a break until lunch, and I calmly went out to my car, and had a couple of smokes to calm the nerves. When it was all said and done, there were still about 14 carts of freight left for the closer to put up, and we were swamped when I left. I am sure it will still be there in the morning for me to deal with again. I see an exit interview coming soon unless they address their staffing shortfalls. |
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Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Posts: 50
| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:08 pm Post subject: | |
| Are all Lowes the same? I read the same thing from other stores that we all endure at this store - is this the way it is in every store? There must be at least one store that is well staffed, well run. Is there? What would be the good of transferring if they are all run with no staff, and with all the other basic problems. There seems to be no hope of getting Management to actually SCHEDULE for the heavier customer traffic, to STAY on the salesfloor on busy days, to actually KNOW how sales are performed. | |
Joined: 22 Aug 2003
Posts: 9
| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:55 pm Post subject: | |
| I can honestly say I use to work at one of those good stores. It was in NC and did over a mil a week. The store (at the time) was run by a female manager who was tough, but was fair and always had time to listen to the employees. There were full time loaders and coverage in every dept. Most of the people who started there over 7 years ago are still there. Unfortunately I had to transfer for family reasons 3 yrs ago. Didn't realize how good we had it till I got to my new store and heard my first code 50 after 4 years. | |
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 20
Location: anywhere , America
| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 5:12 pm Post subject: managers need to use logic | |||
Action is correct. Is there no hope of a manager who thinks for himself and not by the "corporate Book"? Study the numbers and reports for patterns. Are there certain days of the month that are more busy? Are there days of the week that are slower? Are there community events coming up? I have a friend in a store that is in a town with a large well-known college that generates millions of out of state dollars. Entire hotels are built only to handle the crowds for 6 home football games a year. That revenue carries them the rest of the year ( they require 2 nights stay for football weekends, and include a substantial increase in rates.They are booked solid thru next year). Why does their Lowe's manager not know what date the college allows students to start moving into their dorms? Lots of money could be brought in if you have the product in stock. Increase supplies of certain items. Get the college calendar. Know when sports events are and schedule accordingly. These people have nothing to do after the games, yet are staying overnight. Plan events and in-store sales during those times. Increase your staff after 4:00. Learn the on-campus students events and plan ahead ( this college has boat races every spring with boats made by the students. Lowe's needs to stock up on duct tape, foam board, pvc pipes, and plastic rolls ). Do you know when school breaks are? Are there conventions or summer camps in your community? Where ARE these managers when the store is busy? How many jump on the front line, or on a forklift? How many can special-order a door without trying three different departments for someone cross-trained? Stop pretending you are on your phone to avoid customers. If someone calls off, try to re-arrainge the schedule. See if someone would like to come in early. If someone quits, adjust the posted schedule. Don't just say "oh well, Sally's not here anymore, so there's no one in paint next Wednesday". Plan your slower sales days for paperwork such as audits and inventories, or changing end caps. Plan your higher sales days with extra help. First of the month usually busy? Schedule thick. Come on, It's just common sense. They should try using it sometime and not wait for corporate to tell them to do it. |
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Joined: 23 Aug 2003
Posts: 19
Location: Central Florida
| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 10:55 pm Post subject: | |
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Tuffgal,
What a nice post. I for one would love to see a post like that in Lowe's monthly paper. Maybe it would get some people thinking hard. Most people read the paper while they are eating lunch. We keep them in our breakroom. 
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 20
Location: anywhere , America
| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 2:47 pm Post subject: | |
| Thanks for the support, Oncewas. If only the managers would think outside the box for a change. They need to use their heads and consider their own store's needs. Corporate needs to give the individual stores some room for adapting to their own surroundings. Let them alter the "corporate scheduling" as needed. Increase the payroll budget if the store is struggling or gets complaints of no salespeople or cashiers to help. It will benefit all in the longrun. It's all the little branches that make the giant tree so majestic......... | |
Joined: 07 Aug 2003
Posts: 50
| Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 4:20 pm Post subject: | |
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Tuffgal: You are correct correct correct -we aren't just bitching about wussy comfort issues here - its about BUSINESS. Lowes can be so much better through alert marketing: going after customers, instead of waiting for them to come to us.
We can do better if we have the staffing WHEN and WHERE IT IS NEEDED. This is a basic business practice that seems sadly overlooked by our managers - and by that I mean not just the ZMs, but also Dept. managers. Dept. mangers have to step up to the plate and work on improving the workplace, instead of letting it just go. We can't be passive. This can be dangerous - a lot of ZMs and SMs hate getting suggestions, they see it as subordinates getting uppity or rebellious. We just want to work on a winning team, and to quit getting our asses kicked because of lousy decisions (or lack of decisions) by the coaching staff. Too many of them, their heads aren't in the game. So what do we do? I believe we have to expect MORE from our managers, that we have to ask them to do more. We have to show that we are committed to improving performance, and e that our suggestions are valuable. We have to expect of managers what they ask of us: work SMART, and HARD, and quit slacking. Most employees of Lowes arel pretty serious about their jobs- we want Lowes to succeed, to be profitable, and NOT slide into being bad operations. We have to ask - we can't assume things will happen all on their own. |
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Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 30
Location: #606 Dothan, AL
| Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2003 5:40 am Post subject: | |
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Our store does over a mil a week for the last 5 years I have worked there.
Seasonal Guy, the Dept manager should make sure that enough grills are assembled so that those SUNDAY shoppers get what they want then and there, thats the way we did it when I worked in Seasonal. After 5 years I have learned how to work the bad customers and they leave feeling like idiots for trying to intimidate me and leave with what they want(and more lol) Each day is a challenge but I love every second of it. Store 606 rules!!! lol Jonesy |
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Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 17
| Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 11:56 pm Post subject: home improvement | |
| homeimprovement are the most supid fucks there are | |
Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 17
| Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 11:57 pm Post subject: none | |
| i ment the customers not the employees | |