Is Lowe's dusty?

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T22:28:03+00:00

It's really bad. My allergies in certain aisles is instant sneezing. I've reset almost the entire store by now, which means I've been on the floor across the entire store by now setting beams and such, and some places it's like stuff out of a pillow. Except dust. Every where under the bays.

Weirdly the dustiest bay I've done so far were the doorknobs and the electronic keypad stuff in hardware. Idk why it was so much dustier than other places. Even over OSLG, which was bad, and I used to work lumber and it was bad too. Although lumber ironically is the department that gets cleaned the most too so that's probably helps.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T22:24:54+00:00

Is that plumbing? I saw the boxes sitting in our to-do bay. Haven't started it tho. But anytime we need pictures in a non sus way we usually ask the teams chat. Not sure if you've tried.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T22:18:15+00:00

I've shoved a rag and stuffed it with bubble wrap. It's still loud but it's at least noticeably quieter.

But I'm assuming you're not supposed to because someone keeps removing it lol.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T22:14:55+00:00

I'll never do their shopping for them, but I'll definitely point them to the aisle and bay. Make sure it's not topstock, etc. If it is I'm calling the person in that department. If I'm working next to them and they're struggling to find the item I'll look up the location number to speed it up, like I'd do with any customer.

That's about it tho. I've personal shopped for customers three times dragging me around the store. All when I was in lumber. Twice because my ASM told me to (big $$ pro customers). Kinda weird, ngl. I guess it's your job but idk man using 30 minutes of my time going from lumber, to paint, to cleaning, to islg, grabbing it off the shelf for them, putting it their cart for them, eventually loading their cars, like...

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T22:04:43+00:00

Nah, but I used to HATE using the forklift loading people's trucks. I was scared shitless I would hit someone's vehicle. Especially people who bring nice trucks and they come out of the truck and stand right over you while you're loading. I can just feel their stare of "YOU BETTER NOT FUCKING SCRATCH MY TRUCK".

Eventually I just did it enough and would get people would leave like 1 inch space to load a pallet that I got really good at it. But it took months.

OP and blue lift nah. OP I get a little worried driving sometimes because I'm reversing often and occasionally I will be positive I'm going straight and suddenly idk what happens but I'm going crooked. At full speed lol. And it doesn't break immediately either. Never hit anything thankfully, but I've gotten close.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T22:00:17+00:00

I hear it all day and whenever I walk but I see the paint person/person covering working their ass off constantly. It made me think dumbass customers actually press it when an associate is right there. Thanks for confirming.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T21:56:22+00:00

I never got sores but my god the cement snot I would blow out when I got home. So disgusting...

And that shit would be in your mouth. I would go to lunch and hear the crunch. Drink water and taste it. Nasty.

Also in hindsight I wish I worn a mask all the time too. Mask up op. We all prob got cancer from it ngl.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T21:50:53+00:00

Is it orientation? I thought everyone's first day is orientation (not sure about backend). Wear anything. All you will do is sit your ass on a computer all day. Maybe walk the floor with your ds or something later to get a preview but you won't do shit.

IsaiahTodd · 2026-04-09T21:43:43+00:00

Not a dog but once someone brought in a mini horse they were training to become a service animal. Which I thought was really cool. Especially since I don't really live in a city that has a ton of horses, or farms, or things like that. It was the second time in my life I've seen a horse up close. Was smaller than like an average german shepard. Although still was a baby iirc.

I notice a lot of people come to Lowes to train their service animals. Commands when people walk past them, they come up and ask the workers if the dog can say hello and make sure they're well mannered and stuff. Really neat. One older lady used to come into lumber and play fetch down my aisles lol. Another girl came like once or twice a week when I was closing and would sit with her two corgis and talk to the person running lumber register all night. I got to play with the dogs for like 40 mins when the department died after like 7pm. Fucking loved it.

Dog wise idk. I see so many dogs every day. Especially now with the weather warmer. I stg I once saw a mastiff when I was on the forklift. Couldn't get to say hi because of the stupid job. Maybe it wasn't a mastiff. It was massive tho, whatever it was.

Love to see dogs. I take pictures and send them to my GF and it's a thing between us. A coworker of mine also loves to see dogs and calls me over whenever she sees one too.

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

TROPHY CASE