My last posting - Be careful!

Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 76

Well, it has definitely been addicting writing all of you on here, however, I must say my goodbyes.

I also wanted to warn most of you who do enjoy your career with Lowes. Lowe's Corporate Lawyers had made mention of this site and of www.lowesredapron.com on a very recent conference call. Then they sent out the "don't talk about Lowe's email".

Freedom of speech and all that...but just be careful if this is how you choose to spend your past-time.

For me, this will be my last post as not to be fearful of my career with Lowe's. I would encourage everyone who enjoys their career to find a better hobby.

Godspeed.

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 214

Joined: 31 Jul 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Long Island, NY

Hey you arrogant corporate drones. This is the feeble way you try to shut down free speech, by veiled threats. This is the USA, where last I checked we had a liitle thing called the US Constitution protecting freedom of expression.

Absolutely, it is not allowable to disclose company secrets. The fact that your boss is a jerk or you disagree with the way the company is run is not a trade secret. So, I can criticize the US President without fear of reprisal but I am supposed to be afraid of the big bad corporation??!!

Don't forget Mr. Big Shot manager that while most States are 'at will' employers that can terminate you at any time the reverse is true. I can walk out on you the employer anytime I see fit and quit my job, find a better one or go into business for myself.

It's callous people like you who currently run these mega-messes that should worry. If us 'little' people boycott companies like Lowes, do you think you are immune and will still have a job. As soon as that stock tumbles they will be cutting costs(YOU).

I've seen the Rickles, Channels, Pergaments come and go. Do you think Lowes is somehow invincible? If Lowes has and keeps that attitude then they will end up on the scrap heap with those other companies and you may just be working as a cashier for the next 'Lowes'.

I do not work for Lowes but if I did I would not be afraid of the likes of you or your lawyers. If this post upsets you people at Lowes too darn bad. Sue me, I'll be glad to give you my full name and address.

Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 7

even if i come on here and cuss out everyone in my store they cant do anything FREEDOM OF SPEECH is right i can say what i want about the only thing left we are truly free to do dont tell anyone who you are come on here vent about your day at work talk about all the sorry lazy people u work with screw them they cant to jack.

Joined: 11 Jul 2003 Posts: 157

The smartest thing any corporation president could do is to ENCOURAGE the use of boards like this and then actually read them. The information and morale and issues/problems mentioned are unfiltered and unvarnished. Unlike the corporate visits when a regional is coming to the store and a week of payroll is used in three days to make everything look pretty.

A report at corporate HQ may tell the bosses that employee turnover is on the increase but a board like this will like them know WHY and quickly. Cashiers quitting because that get scheduled less than 12 hrs a week. Ten year associates walking because they can't take trying to cover two departments by their lonesome day after day.

If I'm running a company I want to know what is really happening on the sales floor and in the break room. An excel spreadsheet that tell me that the sales of lefthanded hammers is down 2.7% is not going to help me be a better manager. A thread on a blog that questions the sanity of anybody who actually thinks lefthanded hammers are a good product to sale just might help me. When there is a newspaper in the break room, is everybody wanting the Sports section or is it Help Wanted pages.

I could go on but you get the idea. I hope someone from corporate will also.

Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Right here

You have made a good point freeceller. Users shouldn't have to worry about repercussion if they complain tactfully. Use it as constructive critism instead of blatant hatred towards the company.

Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 214

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 445

the company is pretty weak at this point. Sales are down, volume is down, profit is down. Given how unionization is growing in the walmarts of canada I doubt they'll expand much there anymore...mexico is off until the end of 2009.

Lowes caught a falling knife. You don't get caught up in a boom and try to follow it. Disney tried that in Paris and failed.

The midwestern stores are doing fine but that's about it. If it didn't book it's ok.

The company can't silence people because websites can be hosted anywhere. Let's say a site starts in china and states things...well lowes isn't in china and USA law only applies in the USA.

Heck Lowe's is a clothing store in Austrailia...maybe they'll sue them too.

Joined: 07 Feb 2008 Posts: 210

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

Where I work, Lowes has removed all employee names off of lockers, mailboxes only have i.e., John D instead of John Doe, and name tags are the same. HR says it is for identity protection. Senior employees say it is to keep Unions from finding out name of employees and contacting them outside the store. Has other Lowes stores done the same? Opinions please.

Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 82 Location: Georgia

No

Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 54

We've never had names on our lockers, and the mailboxes are the same as our name tags,full first name, last name initial.

Joined: 07 Feb 2008 Posts: 210

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 445

Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 12

Well, I'm not at all worried about losing my job because of what I may or may not choose to write on any internet site. Just like the best defense against a libel charge is the truth, as long as that's what I post ... tough.
It's too bad we lose more than the accepted business norm of 10% shrink to sales in our stores. In my store, it's closer to 35% but that's because we have an LP who nearly wets her pants at the prospect of stopping a thief regardless of the fact that she has all the elements needed to do so without fear of losing her job.
Giving back hundreds and thousands of dollars back on bogus returns without receipts is another hemorrhage point. Hell, we've had them so bold as to walk into the store, pick up a $400 sump pump, walk it to returns and demand their money back. And we gave it to him ....
Then there's the customers who return SOS items after they've been opened, inspected and documented as being received with no damage whatsoever coming back in damaged/mangled/broken condition and then allowing them to order another one just like it after they screwed it up!
Impress me with lawyers who work for the stock holders and the company's bottom line by enforcing return policies, calling the police on thieves and prosecuting them, and maybe even checking our "good faith" receiving practices to find out where all our freight is really going.
Heck, if that's not enough to do, they could even look into the pre-selection hiring practices that occur in every store, district and region where the "chosen" candidate is given the nod before a position is ever posted ....
Ain't truth a bitch?

Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 7

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

Yes, it is true. A zone manager give me the address of this board. He "patrols" it regularly to see what is going on in other Lowes stores and his. I am sure other Lowes employees of the salaried level do the same from different stores. As for corporate watching the board, I have no proof, but it would be a good tool for them to use. Conceal your identity well.

Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 143 Location: Region 1

Lowe's cannot silence you, as long as you do not post anything in any forum that can identify you. Post wisely and just conceal your identify well.

Don't be foolish enough to think that freedom of speech exists without some caveats. Freedom of speech only applies as it relates to GOVERNMENT suppression of our right to speak freely. It doesn't apply to our employer or anywhere else. Think that's wrong? Just identify yourself in this forum and then post something derogatory about Lowe's. Think Lowe's then doesn't have a right to fire you? Better think again. They do, and they probably will.

Just join some internet forum and post something derogative about a neighbor or ex- that tends to embarrass or humiliate him/her, whether it's true or not (having an affair, cheated on you, has herpes, got fired for being drunk, etc.). Freedom of speech you say? Better hope you're not on the bad end of that lawsuit.

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 445

"Don't be foolish enough to think that freedom of speech exists without some caveats. Freedom of speech only applies as it relates to GOVERNMENT suppression of our right to speak freely. It doesn't apply to our employer or anywhere else. Think that's wrong? Just identify yourself in this forum and then post something derogatory about Lowe's. Think Lowe's then doesn't have a right to fire you? Better think again. They do, and they probably will."

Well I've said both good and bad back when the rw site was around. If you think lowes can monitor the whole internet...well they can't. Plenty of people use sites like myspace and facebook (although the ages and quality of the pages vary) lowes doesn't have the time to monitor each and every little thing. they can try but considering staffing and their technology it's doubtful at best.

"Just join some internet forum and post something derogative about a neighbor or ex- that tends to embarrass or humiliate him/her, whether it's true or not (having an affair, cheated on you, has herpes, got fired for being drunk, etc.). Freedom of speech you say? Better hope you're not on the bad end of that lawsuit."

Well there's a difference when it's clearly directed at one person but still. A corporation is different as there's really no physical being to bring into court.

I know a site that when the dot com bust was happening people would start posting internal memos. OK and they'd have a dead pool as to what companies were going to die out first. Ford threatened to sue him because he wrote "Ford where trying to find a job is job number one" (making fun of "where quality is job number one")

companies aren't as big or as powerful as they once were. Heck on cnbc the other day the head of mcdonalds was on and was asked point blank how come they don't make decent french fries?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOVXh4xM-Ww

Jim Cramer screamed that the federal reserve and Ben Bernankie have NO IDEA what they are doing

here's one that has the president getting called out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEZB4taSEoA

Most items from companies can leak...there's nothing they can do about this. see wikileaks.org

Take a look at every single stock site and if it has a message board. Do you honestly think companies will try to date mine half this stuff? probably not

Lowes isn't that powerful. Technically anyone can be fired for anything. But on the same note the company can get fired too. How? If a business license is revoked they can't operate. A fire code violation can close a store indefinatly. A labor violation can cost significant cash.

I can walk into most retailers and find at least one state regulation not in compliance. This can cost at least 10K per store.

Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 143 Location: Region 1

"Well I've said both good and bad back when the rw site was around. If you think lowes can monitor the whole internet...well they can't. Plenty of people use sites like myspace and facebook (although the ages and quality of the pages vary) lowes doesn't have the time to monitor each and every little thing. they can try but considering staffing and their technology it's doubtful at best."

True, Lowe's can't monitor everything that's posted everywhere on the net, but all it takes is for one misplaced comment to be noticed by one overly-zealous member of Lowe's management team and then the fun might begin. And I do think they have begun to more closely monitor a couple of forums, this being one of them.

"Well there's a difference when it's clearly directed at one person but still. A corporation is different as there's really no physical being to bring into court."

One of the reasons individuals do incorporate or form LLC's is to protect their individual assets. Corporations are sued every day and brought into court (Exxon/Valdez/Prince William Sound incident), usually represented by counsel. Individuals of a corporation are generally not liable (except in the case of willful misconduct), but "the corporation" itself is often held liable.

"companies aren't as big or as powerful as they once were. Heck on cnbc the other day the head of mcdonalds was on and was asked point blank how come they don't make decent french fries?"

That just seems like a generalized statement of opinion. It might have been a little different if the question had been, "why don't you make decent french fries any more. I've heard it's because McDonald's cooks them in oil flavored with urine. Is that true?"

"Jim Cramer screamed that the federal reserve and Ben Bernankie have NO IDEA what they are doing"

Public figures are held to a different standard insofar as criticizing them in public is concerned. You can criticize public figures pretty much all you want as long as you don't slander their reputation. Incidentally, as much as I dislike Cramer, he was right on this.

"Most items from companies can leak...there's nothing they can do about this. see wikileaks.org"

That might be true as long as you're not a current employee. However, if you leak proprietary information, in a public or private forum, you can and probably will be terminated. For instance, supposed I printed out the vitals one Monday morning and gave them to a buddy of mine who was a manager at HD, and my SM found out about it. I think I could get canned over that...and justifiably so.

Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 7

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 445

There's a fair number of forums around.

Sometimes they can be hidden. Monster.com changed their system...for awhile there was potentially hundreads if not thousands of hidden message boards they simply took a link off but the URL's were still valid.

Obviously if there's only say less than a dozen or so people that know something and it finds its way on the net that's one thing.

If someone wants to know the vitals on stores just walk into the morning meetings and hear how much they did...heck lowes stores only received paper shreadders when?

Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 143 Location: Region 1

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 445

I understand but the other thing is lowes and hd and others are all publically traded companies. As long as you own one share (which frankly doesn't cost that much) then you legally have the right to know the finances of the place. Menards would be the largest competitor that is private...although I've heard they do things way way out of line (telling management to go to competitors to find prices to match while on lunch for example)

If lowes was private then they could easily guard this stuff without a problem.

Heck imagine if lowes and hd were private and tried to hide how bad the market is....

Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 7

Thanks for the responses. I will follow your advice while posting here and "that other site" which we are not allowed to mention by name. Surprised

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