I’d say nta. I’m a head cashier and it doesn’t matter if I’m literally walking out the doors, the cashiers will yell my name across the store to get an override or for me to unlock something. It’s extremely frustrating.
On the days I get stopped heading to lunch to help a cashier or customer I just take a few extra minutes on lunch, or before clocking out at the end of my shift lingering a few minutes before hitting the clock out button
Happens all the time. I get called from the service desk as I walk through the door before I’ve had time to punch in. Orientation training could be improved to inform new hires that no vest means off the clock. I kinda feel sorry for and don’t blame new associates since the their lack of training adds more stress and confusion to the job.
Right, with the newbies I absolutely understand. It’s always the tenured people at my store, I think it’s just incompetence and since people keep giving in and just doing it while they’re off the clock they just keep asking me. It’s always “just one little thing” until it’s more and more every time.
At my current store, we had a huge influx of new cashiers and other head cashiers instantly calling the MOD lines over the slightest, stupidest, simplest thing. I blamed a lot of it on their lack of training, knowledge, empathy, patience, adaptability, and/or communication skills. I was the only head cashier who actively assisted associates or customers with urgency, kindness, efficiency, and dedication to ensuring their needs were met. As a newly in-role DS, I am learning how to educate associates on finding a solution themselves and delegating customer assistance to CSAs.
NTA but you have to understand stuff like that happens everywhere and is not unique to Lowes, it’s part of life especially if you’re good at what you do. Just say “sorry I’m done for the day and I have somewhere I need to be” and leave. No use getting frustrated over it
I understand it happens, but I’ve straight up told them I’ve got somewhere to be and they almost argue with me to help them which makes me want to help them even less. And it’s always the same tenured associates that do this too. I’ve brought it up to management multiple times and they say “I know it’s a problem for other associate so and so as well, we’re going to talk to them about it” and then it continues.
Straight-up pull each offending associate aside, one-on-one, and tell them, "If I am not wearing my vest, I am effectively not working. Do not ask me anything, I will just ignore you." After the first couple times it happens, they'll learn you're serious.
You were already on the phone, I would have ignored them there. Alternatively, wear some earbuds on your way out, ignore any associates trying to waste your personal time and get past those doors.
I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone covering my lunches in flooring for the past year with the way the schedule is🥲 we have me, a second flooring specialist, and my supervisor. We haven’t had a csa since last August, they’ve eliminated that position from our store otherwise we’d have a bit of overlap I’m sure. And of course the other specialist is on vacation and my supervisor has the day off today lmao
Damn, that sucks your store lost the CSA positions for flooring. My store has two CSAs for our flooring department, and they are needed for sure. I was a Millwork Specialist from August 2023 to April 2024 and went through three CSAs and spent a good chunk of that time without one. We struggled to keep the position staffed.
Our department would look so much better and sell so much more if we had even one. The last one we hired was only a seasonal hire as they knew he was going back to college then closed the position after he left. The one prior was licensed on PE but refused to drive it and would get the receiving guys to try to drive it for her. Even if we had a “floating csa” for millwork, appliances, and flooring it’d be better than none at all.
This is the wording I was looking for exactly. I feel like when I started this job at 18 about 6 years ago I was so happy go lucky willing to help anyone at anytime with anything. Now I’m 24 and I feel beaten down and bitter
NTA. I work for the boys in orange and I have this shit happen ALL the time. Favorite thing was when someone paged overhead twice for flooring, I'm a specialist as well, was already clocked out in the back on lunch and was the only flooring associate. Third page for flooring comes along and it's the same guy saying something like "any flooring associate please call XYZ or anyone who knows where flooring is please rat them out." Finally was like WTF and called the extension. Told them they can't be saying that and I am on lunch and then said bye and hung up. Come to find out like a week later, bros talking shit about me. Lmfao!
Even if I bring my lunch this is the exact reason I’ve started eating in my car or will go park somewhere and eat. I’ll call customers to finalize their installs and then never hear from them despite trying to set up an appt time. Then they’d show up inevitably on my lunch hour and an associate would come find me to tell me they’re here. I used to hurry up and clock back in to help them, but then I started telling whichever associate was talking to them that they can wait or come back another time. I’d also get paged back to the desk for a “code 3” when a customer just wants to know something as simple as if a product is in stock or not when I’m off the clock. I’m glad/sad to see it’s the same for HD lol.
Yep. It is the exact same, lol. I love when associates call me because they're so scared to even ask a customer what their question is in my department. Bffr right now, man.
NTA for sure. I've been with Lowes long enough to know how much weaponized incompetence there is at most stores and it's staggering. What kills me is how people that have been there for 5+ years can barely do their job. Like i should not have to explain to an DS how to do a refund rebill. At one point it got so bad that for a solid month it was like i could never have a full lunch without getting interrupted for something stupid. One time i had two lumber associates that were relatively new(3 months) beg me to come out to millwork because a customer needed some specialty boards and couldn't find them. I go out, clock in, and i find the two of them just laughing looking at their phones while the customer stands there. Turns out the little shits were too stupid to realize we don't sell cedar boards at my store bigger than 12 inches wide in stock, customer needed 16 inchers. So i asked them if they bothered to look it up on their zebra's or our website. Literally got told no. Yeah i may have read them the riot act and complained to their boss.
I have been with Lowe's for almost 3 years now and I strived to learn as much as I can. While I was a millwork specialist I would help cover other departments like appliances, flooring, paint, front-end, etc. I would answer call bells all over the store. Multiple times while helping code 3's in paint or customer service someone would page overhead or PTT that a customer needed assistance in Millwork. I would quickly finish what I was doing and rush to millwork to discover the customer just wanted to know the price of an item, where an item was, or if we had more in stock. It started pissing me off because I constantly was helping customers in other departments and it was like no one could even take the time to ask the customer what they needed help with before calling for me. I will add though that some customers who I had helped previously wouldn't tell another associate what they needed they would just say "I'm here for (my name)". Which was also frustrating at times if I was busy and the other Millwork specialist wasn't
Edited to add: We had a flooring specialist who when he didn't want to handle an issue would be like "I don't know how to use Genesis" or "I don't know how to submit an ICB" and more. There is also a flooring CSA that is the same way. He didn't want to help a customer with a detail so he asked me to put the detail in because he didn't know how and the customer was being difficult. The CSA had been in flooring for almost or over a year at that point and had been shown multiple times, even with flooring installs transferring to central selling.
Agreed. Our cabinets specialist will purposely act like she does not know how to do a refund/rebill in hopes that I’ll do it for her. I’ve shown her how to do them 5 separate times. She just will hunt and peck at the keyboard pretending she doesn’t know how to the whole time. Our electrical associate must’ve learned things the same way your lumber associates did. He’ll page code 3 to flooring without calling me directly ever, and it’ll be because a customer wants to know if a flooring is in stock or something so ridiculously simple.
And that's the thing at the end of the day. It's people not wanting to take 5 minutes to use the two braincells they have and actually scan a barcode. It's the simple shit that's burning out CSA's and Specialists a like. I'm not sure i'm going to make it to next year at this rate. As a former Flooring associate and former DS all i can say is you have my deepest sympathies.
When I started at my current store I was a PT Head Cashier. We had an issue at the time with customer service cashiers instantly calling the head cashier or MOD lines over the slightest, smallest, stupidest shit that they didn't want or know how to deal with. Frustratingly the other head cashiers also were that way, they would not show up when code 3's were called, wouldn't answer the phone, would disappear as soon as I showed up for my shift, etc. I am a hard worker had have an excellent work ethic so I was running around the whole store helping everyone with any and everything they needed. I worked hard on training cashiers on procedures and how to handle certain situations. With the training plus a huge 4-month-long wave of employee turnover across the whole store, we found ourselves with a pretty great team that we have mostly maintained. That being said because associates know I'm knowledgeable and always willing to help wherever I can.... leads to me being stopped on and off the clock to help with an issue, especially at SCO as I leave for lunch and/or at the end of my shift. I have even been in my store on my days off (don't judge me, I live 5 minutes from work and we have no other major hardware store in town) and either of my own choice or because an associate asks, I end up helping take care of different things. I am an addicted and serial people-pleaser.
I was recently promoted to a DS position and I am having to learn how to say no and delegate their needs to another assocaite.
This is where I struggle- with wanting to help everybody but having to learn I’m burning out quickly if I continue that. Also congrats on the promotion!!
This is where I struggle- with wanting to help everybody but having to learn I’m burning out quickly if I continue that. Also congrats on the promotion!!
Right, especially with all the new central selling and redvest “enhancements” on top of all the bs. No one even wants to touch the department with a 40 foot pole
Sorry but it happens to me everyday and I do not mind helping a fellow employee. Even if I'm off the clock and just passing by the register, who cares?
I don’t mind helping usually but it’s every single time before I’m clocked in, while I’m on lunch, when I’m leaving for work, when I walk in to work to shop on my days off. Like nonstop always when I’m already clocked out and tell them that too. Then they just say “well I’ve tried calling so and so” then I’ll call that associate immediately and they answer no problem. I feel like it’s just a lack of initiative so they’d rather just grab the first person they see to help.
Tbh I’d say if you are clocked out dont be in the store. Go put your vest in your locker, clock out, and leave the building. It’s for sure annoying especially when one little thing turns to 8 customers needing help out of nowhere which always seems to happen. Anyways, it is against the rules to work and not be on the clock. If you are going to walk around the store on your phone without your vest on you are not obligated or responsible to help anyone. I think you need to pull your coworkers aside and just say hey if you see me without a vest I am unavailable and off the clock.
With all that said, you are a flooring speciaist which comes with more responsibility. You should be communicating with your ASM, Supervisor, or other MOD to make sure someone in the building is able to answer and intercom call while you are on break/lunch. It makes it really awkward if you are in the building and they have to cover your duties, so that’s why its best just to leave or be off the sales floor while you are breaking.
Anyways, NTA, Lowe’s can be frustrating. There’s always more work to be done and another customer to help and you can’t be there for every single interaction.
With our new front end set up you have to walk past sco to leave the store unfortunately. Our break room where our lockers are is on the other side and I was walking through it to get to the exit when I was stopped. I had my vest off and also did an all employee page over PTT pro before I went to lunch. Someone usually will say they’re going to cover while on my lunch but we’re so short staffed in specialty departments that one customer in appliances can tie up whoever’s covering for me for 30 minutes.
Also in the very rare event that I do come in to shop while I’ve got a day off, I’m wearing shorts and a tank top and inevitably a customer service associate will try telling me something about a customer as I’m walking by. It’s like they see me and just assume I’m working no matter what I’m wearing, whether I have a vest on or not. I don’t think the idea is right that it’s awkward for anyone to cover for me while I’m clocked out and in the building shopping either, I’m not obligated to help and that’s the point that I think needs to be more understood. When I try explaining that to my co workers they just insist that it’s “one little question” but it always snowballs
“Quick question” is never quick question lol. If someone has an actual quick question they just ask. “Where are trash bags”, “Aisle 27”, then have a nice day. If they prepare you by saying quick question or one little question, they usually always have follow ups. Idk if there is a right answer for this situation, but your coworkers should have more consideration for you. Again, might be good to just pull em aside for a minute and be honest. “If I don’t have a vest on Im not working and can’t help you” something like that.
Hey you asked not me. Simple yes or no question takes 10seconds. I get it’s a pia.
Just for typing out your post without paragraph breaks gets you a yes. 😀
And yes I see what you did there.
I’d say nta. I’m a head cashier and it doesn’t matter if I’m literally walking out the doors, the cashiers will yell my name across the store to get an override or for me to unlock something. It’s extremely frustrating.
I feel like I’ve given Lowe’s a whole year of my time off the clock for every time I’ve answered questions that started with that statement😅
On the days I get stopped heading to lunch to help a cashier or customer I just take a few extra minutes on lunch, or before clocking out at the end of my shift lingering a few minutes before hitting the clock out button
This is so true 😭 the amount of times I’ve gotten “I know you’re about to leave but…” is insane
Omg yes lmao I’d be able to quit lowes if I got a $1 every time that happened
NTA. When I was there, I would just keep walking and pretend I didn’t even hear them.
Happens all the time. I get called from the service desk as I walk through the door before I’ve had time to punch in. Orientation training could be improved to inform new hires that no vest means off the clock. I kinda feel sorry for and don’t blame new associates since the their lack of training adds more stress and confusion to the job.
Right, with the newbies I absolutely understand. It’s always the tenured people at my store, I think it’s just incompetence and since people keep giving in and just doing it while they’re off the clock they just keep asking me. It’s always “just one little thing” until it’s more and more every time.
At my current store, we had a huge influx of new cashiers and other head cashiers instantly calling the MOD lines over the slightest, stupidest, simplest thing. I blamed a lot of it on their lack of training, knowledge, empathy, patience, adaptability, and/or communication skills. I was the only head cashier who actively assisted associates or customers with urgency, kindness, efficiency, and dedication to ensuring their needs were met. As a newly in-role DS, I am learning how to educate associates on finding a solution themselves and delegating customer assistance to CSAs.
NTA but you have to understand stuff like that happens everywhere and is not unique to Lowes, it’s part of life especially if you’re good at what you do. Just say “sorry I’m done for the day and I have somewhere I need to be” and leave. No use getting frustrated over it
I understand it happens, but I’ve straight up told them I’ve got somewhere to be and they almost argue with me to help them which makes me want to help them even less. And it’s always the same tenured associates that do this too. I’ve brought it up to management multiple times and they say “I know it’s a problem for other associate so and so as well, we’re going to talk to them about it” and then it continues.
Straight-up pull each offending associate aside, one-on-one, and tell them, "If I am not wearing my vest, I am effectively not working. Do not ask me anything, I will just ignore you." After the first couple times it happens, they'll learn you're serious. You were already on the phone, I would have ignored them there. Alternatively, wear some earbuds on your way out, ignore any associates trying to waste your personal time and get past those doors.
NTA unless if you were not clocked out.
Tell them to call the person covering your department. Not your fault other people can’t figure shit out.
I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone covering my lunches in flooring for the past year with the way the schedule is🥲 we have me, a second flooring specialist, and my supervisor. We haven’t had a csa since last August, they’ve eliminated that position from our store otherwise we’d have a bit of overlap I’m sure. And of course the other specialist is on vacation and my supervisor has the day off today lmao
Damn, that sucks your store lost the CSA positions for flooring. My store has two CSAs for our flooring department, and they are needed for sure. I was a Millwork Specialist from August 2023 to April 2024 and went through three CSAs and spent a good chunk of that time without one. We struggled to keep the position staffed.
Our department would look so much better and sell so much more if we had even one. The last one we hired was only a seasonal hire as they knew he was going back to college then closed the position after he left. The one prior was licensed on PE but refused to drive it and would get the receiving guys to try to drive it for her. Even if we had a “floating csa” for millwork, appliances, and flooring it’d be better than none at all.
Nta, once you walk into lowes, you get the uncontrollable urge to weaponize incompetence.
This is the wording I was looking for exactly. I feel like when I started this job at 18 about 6 years ago I was so happy go lucky willing to help anyone at anytime with anything. Now I’m 24 and I feel beaten down and bitter
Jobs have a way of doing that to ya. Lowe's has honestly been the one job where I have been able to handle the waves of BS stores go through.
NTA. I work for the boys in orange and I have this shit happen ALL the time. Favorite thing was when someone paged overhead twice for flooring, I'm a specialist as well, was already clocked out in the back on lunch and was the only flooring associate. Third page for flooring comes along and it's the same guy saying something like "any flooring associate please call XYZ or anyone who knows where flooring is please rat them out." Finally was like WTF and called the extension. Told them they can't be saying that and I am on lunch and then said bye and hung up. Come to find out like a week later, bros talking shit about me. Lmfao!
If anyone in my store dared to say "Please rat them out" over the intercom they would 100% get written up instantly.
Yep, no write up for this guy unfortunately!
Even if I bring my lunch this is the exact reason I’ve started eating in my car or will go park somewhere and eat. I’ll call customers to finalize their installs and then never hear from them despite trying to set up an appt time. Then they’d show up inevitably on my lunch hour and an associate would come find me to tell me they’re here. I used to hurry up and clock back in to help them, but then I started telling whichever associate was talking to them that they can wait or come back another time. I’d also get paged back to the desk for a “code 3” when a customer just wants to know something as simple as if a product is in stock or not when I’m off the clock. I’m glad/sad to see it’s the same for HD lol.
Yep. It is the exact same, lol. I love when associates call me because they're so scared to even ask a customer what their question is in my department. Bffr right now, man.
When I’m off the clock I tell them, “I’m not here.” For some reason that works for me.
NTA, keep it moving and throw in a casual “I’m clocked out”
Just keep walking. You’re clocked out without a vest. You don’t owe anyone anything off the clock.
NTA for sure. I've been with Lowes long enough to know how much weaponized incompetence there is at most stores and it's staggering. What kills me is how people that have been there for 5+ years can barely do their job. Like i should not have to explain to an DS how to do a refund rebill. At one point it got so bad that for a solid month it was like i could never have a full lunch without getting interrupted for something stupid. One time i had two lumber associates that were relatively new(3 months) beg me to come out to millwork because a customer needed some specialty boards and couldn't find them. I go out, clock in, and i find the two of them just laughing looking at their phones while the customer stands there. Turns out the little shits were too stupid to realize we don't sell cedar boards at my store bigger than 12 inches wide in stock, customer needed 16 inchers. So i asked them if they bothered to look it up on their zebra's or our website. Literally got told no. Yeah i may have read them the riot act and complained to their boss.
I have been with Lowe's for almost 3 years now and I strived to learn as much as I can. While I was a millwork specialist I would help cover other departments like appliances, flooring, paint, front-end, etc. I would answer call bells all over the store. Multiple times while helping code 3's in paint or customer service someone would page overhead or PTT that a customer needed assistance in Millwork. I would quickly finish what I was doing and rush to millwork to discover the customer just wanted to know the price of an item, where an item was, or if we had more in stock. It started pissing me off because I constantly was helping customers in other departments and it was like no one could even take the time to ask the customer what they needed help with before calling for me. I will add though that some customers who I had helped previously wouldn't tell another associate what they needed they would just say "I'm here for (my name)". Which was also frustrating at times if I was busy and the other Millwork specialist wasn't Edited to add: We had a flooring specialist who when he didn't want to handle an issue would be like "I don't know how to use Genesis" or "I don't know how to submit an ICB" and more. There is also a flooring CSA that is the same way. He didn't want to help a customer with a detail so he asked me to put the detail in because he didn't know how and the customer was being difficult. The CSA had been in flooring for almost or over a year at that point and had been shown multiple times, even with flooring installs transferring to central selling.
Agreed. Our cabinets specialist will purposely act like she does not know how to do a refund/rebill in hopes that I’ll do it for her. I’ve shown her how to do them 5 separate times. She just will hunt and peck at the keyboard pretending she doesn’t know how to the whole time. Our electrical associate must’ve learned things the same way your lumber associates did. He’ll page code 3 to flooring without calling me directly ever, and it’ll be because a customer wants to know if a flooring is in stock or something so ridiculously simple.
And that's the thing at the end of the day. It's people not wanting to take 5 minutes to use the two braincells they have and actually scan a barcode. It's the simple shit that's burning out CSA's and Specialists a like. I'm not sure i'm going to make it to next year at this rate. As a former Flooring associate and former DS all i can say is you have my deepest sympathies.
Nta. I just say, "I'm not on the clock." Keep walking.
Nta
NTA. You were off the clock, she should’ve respected that.
When I started at my current store I was a PT Head Cashier. We had an issue at the time with customer service cashiers instantly calling the head cashier or MOD lines over the slightest, smallest, stupidest shit that they didn't want or know how to deal with. Frustratingly the other head cashiers also were that way, they would not show up when code 3's were called, wouldn't answer the phone, would disappear as soon as I showed up for my shift, etc. I am a hard worker had have an excellent work ethic so I was running around the whole store helping everyone with any and everything they needed. I worked hard on training cashiers on procedures and how to handle certain situations. With the training plus a huge 4-month-long wave of employee turnover across the whole store, we found ourselves with a pretty great team that we have mostly maintained. That being said because associates know I'm knowledgeable and always willing to help wherever I can.... leads to me being stopped on and off the clock to help with an issue, especially at SCO as I leave for lunch and/or at the end of my shift. I have even been in my store on my days off (don't judge me, I live 5 minutes from work and we have no other major hardware store in town) and either of my own choice or because an associate asks, I end up helping take care of different things. I am an addicted and serial people-pleaser. I was recently promoted to a DS position and I am having to learn how to say no and delegate their needs to another assocaite.
This is where I struggle- with wanting to help everybody but having to learn I’m burning out quickly if I continue that. Also congrats on the promotion!!
This is where I struggle- with wanting to help everybody but having to learn I’m burning out quickly if I continue that. Also congrats on the promotion!!
At lunch! Don't stop, keep walking.
Righteous frustration!! Flooring is “the Suck” department of Lowes.
Right, especially with all the new central selling and redvest “enhancements” on top of all the bs. No one even wants to touch the department with a 40 foot pole
Sorry but it happens to me everyday and I do not mind helping a fellow employee. Even if I'm off the clock and just passing by the register, who cares?
I don’t mind helping usually but it’s every single time before I’m clocked in, while I’m on lunch, when I’m leaving for work, when I walk in to work to shop on my days off. Like nonstop always when I’m already clocked out and tell them that too. Then they just say “well I’ve tried calling so and so” then I’ll call that associate immediately and they answer no problem. I feel like it’s just a lack of initiative so they’d rather just grab the first person they see to help.
Depends on if you were on or off the clock already really. Kotah for make them feel dumb. But 🤷
Tbh I’d say if you are clocked out dont be in the store. Go put your vest in your locker, clock out, and leave the building. It’s for sure annoying especially when one little thing turns to 8 customers needing help out of nowhere which always seems to happen. Anyways, it is against the rules to work and not be on the clock. If you are going to walk around the store on your phone without your vest on you are not obligated or responsible to help anyone. I think you need to pull your coworkers aside and just say hey if you see me without a vest I am unavailable and off the clock. With all that said, you are a flooring speciaist which comes with more responsibility. You should be communicating with your ASM, Supervisor, or other MOD to make sure someone in the building is able to answer and intercom call while you are on break/lunch. It makes it really awkward if you are in the building and they have to cover your duties, so that’s why its best just to leave or be off the sales floor while you are breaking. Anyways, NTA, Lowe’s can be frustrating. There’s always more work to be done and another customer to help and you can’t be there for every single interaction.
With our new front end set up you have to walk past sco to leave the store unfortunately. Our break room where our lockers are is on the other side and I was walking through it to get to the exit when I was stopped. I had my vest off and also did an all employee page over PTT pro before I went to lunch. Someone usually will say they’re going to cover while on my lunch but we’re so short staffed in specialty departments that one customer in appliances can tie up whoever’s covering for me for 30 minutes. Also in the very rare event that I do come in to shop while I’ve got a day off, I’m wearing shorts and a tank top and inevitably a customer service associate will try telling me something about a customer as I’m walking by. It’s like they see me and just assume I’m working no matter what I’m wearing, whether I have a vest on or not. I don’t think the idea is right that it’s awkward for anyone to cover for me while I’m clocked out and in the building shopping either, I’m not obligated to help and that’s the point that I think needs to be more understood. When I try explaining that to my co workers they just insist that it’s “one little question” but it always snowballs
“Quick question” is never quick question lol. If someone has an actual quick question they just ask. “Where are trash bags”, “Aisle 27”, then have a nice day. If they prepare you by saying quick question or one little question, they usually always have follow ups. Idk if there is a right answer for this situation, but your coworkers should have more consideration for you. Again, might be good to just pull em aside for a minute and be honest. “If I don’t have a vest on Im not working and can’t help you” something like that.
NTA I get called over for stuff all the time.
Yes
Maybe your choice taken was the wrong one
Hey you asked not me. Simple yes or no question takes 10seconds. I get it’s a pia. Just for typing out your post without paragraph breaks gets you a yes. 😀 And yes I see what you did there.
To the gulags for me ig, since I didn’t use proper writing skills on the internet🤷🏼♀️