READ THIS NEXT: The One Thing You Should Never Buy at Lowe’s, Shopping Experts Warn. Just because Lowe’s employees work at a home improvement store doesn’t mean they’re home improvement experts. When you ask them for specific advice, they may not (read: probably won’t) know the answer. “You wouldn’t go to a grocery store and ask the employees how to cook pasta,” says user lusankya18 in a telling Reddit thread. “Don’t ask us every single way you can use the product—we have about the same amount of training as any other big box store.” Reddit user Foxworthy88 adds, “Stop expecting me to know how many bags of insulation you need for an attic you don’t know the dimensions of. I’m a 19-year-old guy just trying to get money for college.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb You’ve probably noticed that your local Lowe’s opens early. Like, really early. It turns out, that’s not because your average Joe shops for building supplies at before dawn. “The company opens as early as it does to allow the pros to shop,” says Reddit user warmpudgy. “If you come in at 6 am expecting someone to design your kitchen or explain to you how to wire an outlet, you’re gonna have a bad time.” Visit the store a little later and there will be many more employees to assist you. READ THIS NEXT: 7 Secrets Walmart Employees Want You to Know. At some stores, it’s possible to ask an employee to check the back for extra inventory. Well, not at Lowe’s. “It used to be that stores kept a large quantity of inventory of their entire store in the back, but Lowe’s and Home Depot aren’t like that,” says Reddit user AimMoreBetter. “We don’t keep anything but appliances, grills, and special orders back there.” A different Reddit user whose account has since been deleted confirms that “the back” is mostly filled with appliances and grills. Lowe’s doesn’t hire anyone to answer the phone full-time. “The associates who answer the phone are also, for some reason, the associates who process returns, help fulfill internet orders, and otherwise fix a wide variety of transactions for customers who are here in the store glaring at them,” says Reddit user brownburr42. “Your phone call, Karen, is not going to be answered while your sister, also named Karen, is in the store whinging about the return policy.” Cut the person who answers the phone some slack and remain patient. For more shopping advice delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. There may be some cases where you need to discuss something with a store manager. When that’s the case, ask nicely. “If you want to speak to a manager, be polite about it,” says brownburr42. “We know which managers care and don’t care, which ones will reach a good solution for you and which ones will call you [out].” The more nicely you ask, the more likely you’ll be connected with a helpful manager. If there is one slight Lowe’s employees have heard time and time again, it’s “I’ll just take my business to Home Depot.” Reddit user Foxworthy88 put it simply: “I do not care if you’re going to Home Depot. I get paid the same either way.” Other employees add that saying this is a lose-lose. For one, you sound rude. And two, it’s not likely to get you anything. “What do you expect when you say that?” asks Reddit user throw-awaybb. “Begging, pleading, please don’t go, 50 percent off?” Not going to happen. READ THIS NEXT: Ex-Goodwill Employee Sends This New Warning to Shoppers.
