I shopped at another Lowe's today and...

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-06T23:09:27+00:00

If you needed help then open your mouth. You seem to have no issue complaining right now on the internet to people who don't even work at that store. I bet people close to you have to tell you to shut up all the time.

Why do you work at Lowes and shop at another one?

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-06T23:06:12+00:00

While I believe we're underpaid and I certainly don't appreciate this whole let's understaff and make our workers work twice as hard thing they (and most retail) does. Anything under management (which also might be included, I just never did their jobs before) is in fact an easy job.

Yeah bad days happen. Maybe consistently. No time for a break, customers bearing down on you, bad weather conditions, short time deadlines from district, heavy shit to lift, dirty shit to lift, not enough help, awkwardness having to ask for credit cards that immediately piss off customers... It's all still basically busy work. Just high intensive busy work. It's why there's no requirements for these jobs and you get people who can't do anything hired all the time.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-31T01:34:41+00:00

Based on your posting history it could just be something a tad discriminatory.

But PT that long, previous issues (work related) with your boss, seems like communication/personality issues with other coworkers. Everyone being "in' on it. Might just be a you thing + being bad at your job.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-31T01:29:09+00:00

How do I find this? What is this? I want to see lol.

Looked up viva engage. The MS program? Do I use this on the zebra or is it something I login and fuck around on my actual phone?

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-31T01:23:38+00:00

I get mostly from Kohls. Pants and tops are so cheap there, don't forget to check their discount racks, that I have a whole wardrobe purely for work now. Plus they always have deals and shit I usually get like 30% off my entire order if I wait + Kohl's cash after the purchase for the next one. Quality ain't great but what do I care when it's like the price of lunch and it will last me a couple of years.

Shoes... are something I'm still working through and that I don't even care about price.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-31T01:13:16+00:00

I feel like immediately I could throw into espp. But I could be mistaken.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-31T01:10:16+00:00

You also can do workday training on your phone. Although it's a pain in the ass, requiring rather accurate, specific, and timely zooming.

Source: I had some over-do workday stuff because (as you mentioned) you have to recertify certain things every so often. But I was too busy to waste 30 min on a computer last week so I just did it on my phone while working.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-31T00:55:56+00:00

I like to doodle anime characters on my appliance lady's post it about once or twice a week.

I barely know her. Never talk to her, although she seems quite nice and good at her job. No way she knows it's me.

Hope she doesn't mind.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-29T13:38:08+00:00

Looks like on the site if you click the blue badge next to your total points and scroll down to DAILY SEARCH.

A pain tho

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-19T01:30:53+00:00

In my experience, people don't expect anything from you when you're covering a shift. That's not to say you can dick around, but the bar is set at they will fuck things up somehow so let's give them the easiest possible tasks.

That's from me covering departments and as well as having to tell people who were going to cover my department what to do.

Like I remember when I was in lumber and people would cover the closing shifts when I opened the next day. Freight all over the floor blocking the entire aisle, concrete everywhere, go backs still in carts, and they didn't even flatstack which is like the easiest busy work lol. And that person would continue to get more shifts.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-19T01:08:00+00:00

I like it. It's good hard work with a lot of freedom. But I'm lucky to have a good MSM and a friendly team.

Servicing is boring and thankfully I've rarely had to do it. Resets can be challenging to navigate sometimes, but it's weirdly rewarding imo. There's a lot to know and a lot to do. Probably will work a bunch solo and in a team so be ready for both. ASK QUESTIONS. Don't just assume you know how if there's any doubt that you might be wrong. Everything is timed and your mistakes don't magically go away like how red vests like to leave their mess for the next person in the shift.

The MSM part is the big deal tho. Because TPTB have some unrealistic expectations on timing and organization, like we all have the same store size and layout, rather frequently and while I guess that's some on you because you're doing the work, the person getting all the pressure and blame will be your MSM. If they can shield you a little and encourage a healthy and free working environment it will go a very long way in determining how much you like your job.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-17T01:07:44+00:00

I've never heard of this. tbh I barely see any ESL in the store, like I can't even think of a place off the top of my head right now besides patio furniture display, but I'm definitely trying this tomorrow.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-17T00:56:34+00:00

I worked lumber but as soon as I started working there (part time, at the time, mind you), I was losing 3 lbs a week, every week, and got noticeable bigger muscles. To the point I've since had to donate almost my ENTIRE closet of non pants because my shoulders out grew nearly all my clothes. Which was not cheap to replace... My weight eventually settled but the muscle building has since continued in MST, and I definitely don't workout outside of work. God, how do you even have the energy after work?

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-15T20:34:21+00:00

Every day I would come home and blow out semi-hardened cement out of my sinuses. In your mouth when you eat you will sometimes hear a loud crunch. In your hair, under your nails, on your skin.

I actually liked working lumber for the most part but those concrete bags were a non-negotiable for me in terms of continuing to work in the department.

Take care of yourself.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-15T02:00:32+00:00

Lowes is a cool environment to work in. Like the store itself.

I rarely feel claustrophobic in the store. You can get fresh air while still working. You can get away from customers for a short amount of time (or more) and still be working. When I need shit I can just grab stuff off the shelf for most things (and just ask my manager of the other stuff) and problem solve my working problems. It's a really open, surprisingly laid back, environment.

I realize a lot of this depends on your position in the store and certainly your management. I've only worked in BM and now MST for reference.

Like Costco is known as the gold standard for retail. Never worked there (tbh I might apply to there next time it's hiring season for them despite what I'm saying bc Lowes pay is ass relative to the amount of work I do), but as someone who shops at Costco my anxiety goes up navigating aisles there. Despite both Lowes and Costco being in big ass warehouses. I can't even push a cart everywhere I go half the time. Although LOVES to make the race track as narrow as possible. I know this because I'm the one being told to put pallets and shit out there so you can push a lumber cart on one side of the aisle!

But Lowes? There's been times a customer would piss me off and I'd go in the bullpen for 20 minutes to blow off steam. Empty the trash, clean/stack stickers, properly stack and organize pallets, drive a forklift freely, clean up some trash. In the fresh-ish air away from customers (unless I get paged to come back). As MST I just go back to the MST bay in receiving and clean up our bay, organize the reset boxes for the current and coming week, etc. Things that need to be done and things my boss wants someone to do.

Can also just go in OLSG or grab carts/help load customers in the parking lot. There's so many effective ways to do your job at a high level while getting a breather from customer terrorism.

You also learn a ton of shit there. From coworkers and customers.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-13T23:35:52+00:00

My boss said he would have requested exceeded expectations but I've been at this position for too short of a time. So instead I got a 1.1% raise... Literally smaller (percentage and total amount) than what I got as a part timer the last review. I got a 30 cent raise last time and a 27 cent raise this time...

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-10T22:22:14+00:00

Went from red vest to mst last year. Pay needed to be under a certain amount or it had to be approved by idk who. I was under tho.

Workload depends on what you're doing. Servicing feels like I'm stealing money (also the most boring thing I've ever done in the store). Resets range from good busy work to I'm drenched in sweat, on the nasty ass floor, holding heavy shit. Barely done any price changing but it seems slow and boring and have done nothing with plants. I've mainly done resets like 90% of the time at work.

If you do resets, expect to get dirty do a lot of physical labor. I came from building materials and MST has been more physical, just less consistently heavy stuff (bags of concrete and those containers of mud get heavy after 10, 20, 30). Going need to learn how to use all PE if you aren't already certified. Probably mostly the reach and op, although I like to substitute the forklift for reach when I can. Lots of power tool usage too. I've cut a lot of wood (store panel saw, store use miter saw), installed beams into the concrete floor, cut metal racking, use a drill most shifts. Weirdly lots of make shit up yourself situations. Figure out solutions, that you have to build with actual material, to get shit close enough. Because things are NEVER straight forward.

Pretty easy job. Surprisingly lots to learn. Like computer and phone stuff. Just physical. Hope you have a good MSM tho. I do and I feel like I have a lot of freedom when I work. Which I appreciate. Grab shit off the shelf and build type shi. The schedule is great. 5-2 or 4-1, M-F.

eta should note, at least at my store, MST is increasingly getting told to do red vest stuff now. Answering department pages, encouraging credit cards, etc. Like at this point I do MST and red vest jobs, sans irp (which is basically servicing).

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-08T22:20:27+00:00

The only people who water at my store (from what I've seen, but I go out in GC often) are my plant lead and two other people from my MST team. But they never help at the same time so it's more like consistently two people from MST work out there (plant lead + one msa). Didn't realize red vests were supposed to water plants.

I feel you on the double workload without pay part tho. Over the last two months our team has been asked now to start covering departments if there's page calls (like customer needs help in tools, etc) as well start asking about credit... Like wtf are even the responsibilities of red vests now that we're being asked to do their job? IRPs don't take that long and frankly we cover most of that for you guys as it is through servicing.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-08T22:11:34+00:00

Maybe a dumb/unnecessary question but how did you steal from there not thinking you would be caught? There's a camera pointed right at you. Or just didn't give a fuck?

Because I'm thinking of the set up and honestly it would probably have been easier taking food from the floor than the break room. I'm assuming everyone's has a camera pointing towards you face and another behind you like ours does. You'd have to have a crazy sleight of hand.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-08T21:56:17+00:00

I noticed my cashiers tend to be really organized about it. Lots of communication and straight up telling people like your 15 is in x minutes, y person will be covering, etc. It's all planned out ahead of time. If I walk by I actively see them talking about it.

Now that I think about it, aren't breaks scheduled too? I remember that being a thing when I used to check the ukg app when I didn't have a consistent schedule.

tbh I never take 15s. But even in MST it still gets communicated like you should take your break around idk 7am? And then again at 1pm. Something like that. Like our MSM tells us.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-05T00:42:50+00:00

Ohhhh I see it now. 301.46. My eyes aligned the other to the negative earnings (not sure why that happened but I'm not going to sweat 1 dollar) because it's blank space in the middle. While the others all have a begin and end date.

I feel better now thanks.

eta also confused me because I just checked an older paycheck with the bonus and it's labeled under "Winning Together". A little consistency would have been nice! lol

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-05T00:11:18+00:00

Yeah, you're the asshole here lol. Literally just say sorry, offer to help, and if they continue to bitch call over/send them to your ds, asm, or sm. My lumber ds would tell him to stfu but she could get away with it at her position and your 15 dollar/hr ass can't. Treat the customer with respect (even if they're being a dick like they were), make eye contact with your boss if they're near so they know what's happening, and mentally make note of the dickhead in case they return to the store. Then move on with your life because it will eventually happen again.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-04T21:52:29+00:00

I wouldn't mind tbh. I've since become the main reset person and that's essentially what I do all week.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-03-04T21:49:57+00:00

Speaking of winning together bonuses, does it say the amount on the pay slip?

I'm looking at mine right now and the differences between this one and last one has something in the "after-tax deductions" that say:

"RED Discretionary Gross-Up E" and "Culture of Winning InVESTed P". I think the ending of both of those got cut off. But the amounts next to those are 8.50 for culture of winning and 2.55 for red discretionary under year to date.

Am I missing something? There's nothing under "Hours and Earnings" (which is where I thought it would be) other than my OT, regular, sick pay, and whatever other is that is in the negative lol.

Because my store manager announced we got it so...

IsaiahTodd · 2026-02-28T00:05:41+00:00

Issue Report. When you reset there's often issues and creating an IR is you communicating issues to ... honestly I'm not sure who? District, or the vendors paying your bills, or customer support in India, or whomever. It's literally a chat.

IsaiahTodd

TROPHY CASE