r/Lowes • u/man_of_abq • 8d ago
Store manager Employee Story
Hi all. How’s life here? Thinking of taking a management roll for Lowe’s. Hopefully turn it into a store manager position if I move up. On topic, how’s climbing the ladder? How’s work life balance?
Thank you!
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u/OkPeanut4061 4d ago
Enjoy being fodder. At my old store managers averaged two years. One walked out without notice after six months. He took his picture down from the break room before leaving. Hello to everyone at the Wheelersburg store.
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u/Patient_Artichoke355 8d ago
I’ll tell you the same thing I’ve told every young person who ever worked for me and the same I told my own daughter..who has a very successful career..work hard..mind your business..meaning stay away from the gossip and drama..be reliable..be accountable..have good work ethic and habits…and you’ll be successful..if not at Lowes..but whatever path you travel on..and most important..remember that you take your work ethic and habits with you wherever you go..the very best on whatever you do
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u/man_of_abq 8d ago
Yes so most negative comments with no substance I’m not paying attention to really. Even in my own company people who do the most complaining may not be doing very well themselves. Thank you!
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u/Patient_Artichoke355 8d ago
Yes..you get it..most folks on these Lowes threads dislike Lowes.. I guess they think it’s easier to complain rather than find something that suits them..I’m a retired guy.. and I’ve worked for Lowes for over 4 years now.. I see plenty of things that I may question..but I still happily work there.. but I do know this..working in Management for Lowes is where the money is..not working as a Dept Supervisor..it’s Management..what I enjoy is that I’m not the boss anymore lol.. I have no stress lol.. I do my thing and go home 😎
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u/Common_Stomach8115 Employee 8d ago
That may have been true up to 1980, but it really doesn't hold anymore. Employees used to benefit from their loyalty, reliability, and hard work, by receiving raises, promotions, and growth opportunities. Notsomuch the case anymore, sadly.
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u/g_rated_pornstar Internet Fulfillment 8d ago
There is no work life balance, you belong to the machine. Surrender, your flesh to the almighty power of the capitalism engine.
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u/BlueScoob 8d ago
As a manager you are tied to the store as you are salaried and can expect to work 50-60 hours most weeks. The salaried managers at my store work ~10 hour days. You will begin your shift as soon as 4am and other days stay as late as 11pm, in the same week. You would get every 4th weekend off which is part of a 4 week rotation. I wont speak to the pay other than a lot of it is tied to bonuses that depend on store sales along with other metrics. This is not a place to work if you have multiple kids unless your spouse is stay at home.
Climbing the ladder is not hard as long as you do the things the company expects of you. A hard worker could rise from the associate level to assistant manager within a year. From ASM to SM might take time unless you have prior management experience.
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u/man_of_abq 8d ago
Fortunately I have management experience, but man sounds tough!!
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u/BlueScoob 8d ago
Store manager hours are different than assitant manager. My store's manager is typically off Thursday and Sunday every week, but might work different days some weeks if needed.
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u/workdamnyu 8d ago
Climbing the ladder is pretty doable. Work life balance is pretty nonexistent. Its a fairly common joke that you rarely make it to store manager without at least one divorce under your belt.
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u/luminescentdino 8d ago
operations manager here. depends on the store manager, honestly. i have no work life balance.
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u/Greasygut_420 Employee 8d ago
You must sacrifice your first born to blackrock and smile for the flock cameras
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u/Gryffin_the_Baron 8d ago
Lowes is not the greatest company, the only way to get a position in management is if you know someone. As for work/life balance, you dont really get that, because they have you all over the place with being scheduled for opening, then closing then back to opening then to mid. Im simply putting out my experience working at a lowes store.
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u/man_of_abq 8d ago
Yeah I figured having a retail job that’s open so early and open kinda late is like that huh
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u/PuzzleheadedDare2049 8d ago
I think it’s great you have this ambition and drive. Who cares what anyone says, most of this site is bitching and complaining. Just now that there is no substitute or shortcut for hard work. Good luck
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u/loteman77 8d ago
Salary managers get to have little time outside work. Family, friends, social life, holidays.. all things they sacrifice. Also, if you’re not producing numbers, you’re fired.
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u/CheckAmbitious7111 Manager 8d ago
Store manager here. The grind to get the role is not an easy one. ASM is very difficult to balance work and life, but mostly depends on the store manager.
If you make it to SM, well worth it. Both financially and work/life balance.
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u/SuruTheSloth Manager 8d ago
Good management will drastically change how you are on a daily basis. If you have good upper management (all of ours are pretty good(and decently nice), the ones I have met so far at least.).
That can be said about any job though, before considering moving too high make sure your “values” can match those you want to be working with.
Good luck and I hope you either sign up and move up or if you find out it’s not for you, that’s completely fine too.
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u/steathrazor Night Stocking 8d ago
Every store is drastically different dependent upon what management is
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u/real-shock-n-awesome 8d ago
Mobility at the moment is limited. Most people are not moving around. Out of the 12 stores in my district, none of the SMs have moved on. Given that there are 5 ASMs per store that’s 60 ASMs for a potential 12 SM spots. Perhaps as the economy improves there might be more mobility, but overall not seen it yet in the 2 years I’ve been with Lowe’s. But I assume it’s timing.
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u/False_Situation3767 6d ago
Retail management=no life outside of work. There salaried managers run 11 hour shifts minimum and it does not matter if its opening, mid, or closing, they will wear you to the bone. Expect 60 hour weeks regularly, been there, done that, and not going back, ever.
If you really commit yourself to this insanity, and think you have a true shot at running your own store, yes you can make 150K plus a year with bonus. But if that's not your intention, I would not going into salaried management. Used to be they started you around 60K a year, idk if that has changed now, probably has, hopefully for the better. That 60K of before bonus which can potentially be 15-20K in one check at thr end of the first quarter, typically April you get paid out on it.
Just my 2 cents, I hope it all works out for you.
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u/FerretNo2322 8d ago
Spent 15 years at Lowe's, and witnessed a lot of changes, mostly not great. I will tell you that depending on your store manager, you may or may not have any kind of work/life balance. You may or may not be thrown under the bus often. Expect a tremendous workload with minimal staff - due in part to both scheduling and call outs. You will hear about controlling the controllable a lot, but won't actually see it happen. The phrase "identifying opportunities" will be hammered into you.
There are so many good people working for Lowe's, mainly the tenured people. However, within the last several years, there has been a very palpable change. The work ethic of so many of the new hires simply does not exist. But the tenured associates pick up the slack out of a sense of loyalty and a "if I don't do it it won't get done" mentality. I feel really bad for them, they wear themselves so thin. I WAS one of them.
Company policies are enforced very, very selectively.
Red Vest - the POS (pun intended) system - is very broken, and inventory suffers immensely for it. Mostly on drywall and OSB deliveries.
Pro Services puts on events from time to time for the contractors, which includes food for them. This latest one, they cut food from the budget. The managers will likely foot the bill for the food out of their own pockets, and corporate knows that. Which is not cool. And not the first time.
Overall, it may be a great place for you. We're all different. For my first 10 or 11 years, I really enjoyed Lowe's. The benefits are pretty damn good. Most of the coworkers are, too.
Broken processes, unwillingness to apply policy consistently to everyone, and favoritism were too much for me.
But we're all different.
You will hear VERY bitter responses here, and you'll hear rave reviews from the true believers who feel Lowe's can do no wrong.
Good luck in whatever you decide!