8yr Depot guy needs answers.

Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 22

I have browsed these threads and found out that there are mixed feeling about the company. I've been with Depot for 8yrs and i don't think Lowes can throw anything at me that will scare me. I'm a kitchen designer/appliance sales and make $14.05 an hour. I would have to say thats crappy pay for what i do for as long as i've been there but thats my fault. We've had 3 employees leave our store to go work for Lowes plus we lose another next week and i just spoke to one of those ex-employees today at his store and he likes it very much. I'm thinking if they have the same bs at Lowes as they do Depot might as well get paid more. His reply was there is nowhere near the bs at his store than there was at Depot. The Lowes seems to be a much cleaner and more well run store than our Depot is and is always busy.
Is Appliances a specialty dept.? Does everyone work 48hrs a week? Are your bonuses really that good? Do Kitchen Designers get paid well and are they asked to hand load 20 bags of 50lb concrete? Physical labor does not scare me however being treated like the only woman on a pirate's ship does. It seems at our store the one that is on time every day and does thier job are the ones that gets yelled at and is always being watched. On the other hand the one that is always late, calls off every other Saturday, walks around with a cell phone to their ear is the one that gets their salad tossed when they want to quit.
I know a box is a box. But the Blue box in our area seems a lot cleaner and happier than my Orange box. This whole 48hrs+ per week has got me confused as well as the bonuses. Depot gets bonuses every 6 months IF you beat the goal. Thing is if that goal is beat then they add 3-5 million maybe more to the next goal so it is not achieved. However our bonus is only based on what you get paid and its around $600 for me but all i see is $382, thanks Uncle Sam.
I appreciate all the feedback, positive or negative. Like i said its not gonna scare me. If any Kitchen Designer on the East Coast replies please tell me how my pay rates with what Lowes offers. Thanks!

Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 Location: LOWESLAND

I'm not a SPECIALIST from LOWES. I'm a TEAM LEADER (which used to be an Assistant Department Manager). A lot of the newer HOME DEPOTS are turing into LOWES as far as brighter lights, better layouts, friendlier towards women (LOWES POLICY has always been geared to women). OUR kitchen Specialis (not plumbing) have a hard time. Yes they can design a kitchen. Yes they can sell it and if they are good, the customer will finalize it with that SPECIALIST. It is a dog eat dog world out there. You maybe off or on vacation and you have some slaker who is in trouble because they aren't producing, they take your customer under their number. They get the sale, the bonus. The money. LOWES pays bonuses per month. If your department beats budget, you'll share monthly. You will however receive monthly bonuses on SPIFFS and Special Orders.

Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 22

Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 4

I like to know where you work at $14 per hour, I get a lot less as a specialist. I use to work as a Jr product engineer for a furniture company and made allmost that and was down sized after 13 years. lowes was the only job I could find after being out of work for 2 years. I was a furniture designer and cad manager for the place I worked for to be replaced by new college grad and a ex-coworker that wreaked his truck after driving home drunk after a going away party for another worker he broke his back and now after over one year of training does my job from a wheel chair.
now I commute 45 miles each way and make less than I did out of high school. president bush thinks these jobs are good and insurance is ok I would swap jobs in a min.

Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 Location: LOWESLAND

Appliances come in 2 forms (HOURLY) usually a team leader (assistant department manager) SPECILIAST (40 hours plus variable overtime. I know there is subjects in here about Chinese Overtime) and Department Manager. GO FOR THE SPECILIAST. Yes you have and Assistant Store Manager that is called a Zone Manager only responsible for SALES.

Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 22

How much commision does Lowes pay the specialists?

Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 27

Listen, by far Lowes pays better, in other words you are payed on your own performance(Unlike DEPOT) you will be compansated on your own sales volume.... Example I work for HD now at store 2684 make 15.00 per HR make 32K prox a year (Contractor Services Desk) as a Flooring specialist I made 1600.00 per pay period plus commission and Bonus added up to Prox 1000.00 per week. If it is money your looking for and dont mind working a extra 8-10 hr a week Id switch to the Blue BOX

Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 8 Location: ohio

as far as commissions go it will depend on what you are hired in at. appliance specialist is one of the most sought after positions b/c aside from riding lawn mowers appliances is the only other department with spiffs on stock merchandise. appliances and kitchen cabinets are in the same zone but separate departments so you can certainly help out appliances at a kitchen designer but that won't be your main focus. special order commissions are actually a percentage of the sale as determined by the margin. i don't have the specific percentages here at home but they did resently increase by a quarter to half percent on most of the tiers. anywhere from 1-3.5 % i believe. i've got the information at work. so the more you discount a project to sell it the less commission you get. go for appliances.

big_poppa_pump

Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 22

Thanks for the replies all. You are really helping me to make the decision or not. It does look like appliances is the way to go. Being a kitchen designer has a lot more things to screw up other than ordering appliances. I'm pretty anal about my designs. Hardly ever do i make a mistake but when i make one its a couple hundred dollars. At Depot our appliances are delivered by GE which has a warehouse 70 miles south of us. Most of our deliveries are screw ups! We're supposed to install the new one and haul away the old appliance. Sometimes the GE guys will tell the customers they don't haul away the old one or make up an excuse not to install the new one. Sometimes they don't even show up! These delivery guys don't know Rice Krispies from rat shit. Does Lowes use their own delivery guys that works in that store? How exactly do they do the s/o appliance deliveries?

Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 8 Location: ohio

i think lowes has used outside contracters for deliveries in the past. i believe that all stores now have an actual delivery department. it is that way at my store. we've incorporated most of our appliance shipments into our regional distribution center shipments. so this should shorten our leadtime on special order items but then again i don't work in appliances to confirm that 100%. i know that unlike home depot we do stock our in-stock merchandise and guarantee next day delivery of our appliances. it makes it easier if you've got a reliable and motivated delivery team that can alleviate some of the problems that occur such as checking product for concealed damage before getting to the customers house and being proactive in letting customers know of delays. our store has come a long way in this area.

big_poppa_pump

Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 22

Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 27

Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 22

What made you go to Depot?[/quote] I got Fired from Lowes (Conflict with Store Manager at the Time) I just got hired back at Lowes Today.... Money Time $$$$$$$$$$$$[/quote]

Are you a specialist? What was the problem at Depot besides no help, management wanting you to do management jobs at Lot Associates pay or was it the 2% pay raise?
Oh yea, what is the average pay raise you guys get? When ever i see an employee walking or sitting funny i know they just had thier review. I'm guessing the same thing at Lowes since its another box.

Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 27