Thank you Lowe’s for screwing over your loyal PSE’s! If you are currently a PSE whose store made the cut- GET OUT NOW!!!! Please go
Find another job- this company really does s— and continually p–ps on the people bringing in the money and then rewards the leeches (Market/District bozo’s) that do not bring in a dime only costing a huge waste of payroll.
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The work amounts to 80 hours a week, not including cleaning up prior IMS backlogs at 2 stores, expense account reporting, and responding to multiple e mails from managers, expiditors, installers and store associates. This is a position which makes one live to work.
When corporate heads care more about profit margin than fair employee compensation and human resource development, you have a Sears result.
I agree with the $350K and $650K termination referenced above. I too have heard this from those "in the know." I couldn't say "when", but I guess we just saw the first round being executed. Remember, they have opened a whole new division - "CQ Exteriors". This is remote selling at it's finest. lol. 11 years Lowes has tried to figure out this program, and it's worse than when they started. Ask anyone who was there.
For the top rep who took an $80K cut - good for you. I did the same. Best decision ever.
Yep. I got cut for no reason. I was once o e of the top guys in the region. I left for a couple of years ago but came back and was there for 4 weeks when I got the call. Never ran a lead. I am now their competition with a smaller company with a 2 week lead time on complete renovations and many of the same categories. It is funny to scroll down and see the resentment from the skilless floor associates toward skilled salesmen.
I started as PSE in Indiana at the inception of the program. They told us “make it your own, a business within a business.” They took money from millwork specialist commissions after they told them it would split. I smoothed that over as best I could and soldiered on. They payed them $35.00 for every lead that sold. I closed at 80% and they were ok. They took commissions from all salespeople in every department except PSE, and I had to sit in the meeting where they told them that. At that time they also took the $35 lead spiff. I started as hourly and got 2% commission on anything with over ten % profit. I had to return to store to clock in and out and sometimes didn’t make it back until after 9 pm after starting at 7:30am. I made a living. Then they cut our base pay by 20% and made us salary and expected 45 to 50 hours would do it. At that time they made or commissions 7% if minimum margins were met. The minimum margins went from ten to over 36% for Windows and varied for all project types. If you sold a margin and customer got deserved military discount you got no commissions. 5% off Lowe’s card off. No commissions. Refund for customer complaint , no commissions. Then they took away our assistance in the store and moved install sales to a phone bank center in indy. Then they cut installers and made one per category per store. Then they raised prices on all products we sold and started the never ending 15% off sales on Windows. No commissions. I was well thought of. 1st to sell over a million in my market. 23% profit. One of five sent to Pella to help in a kaizen event to improve the program. ( all I got for that was a week of no commissions and a $60 airport parking bill they would not pay.) I made a good living based on 45 to 50 hours a week. Problem is I worked closer to 80 or 85 a week. Vacations cost commissions. Micro management is a huge problem. If you give the right people the freedom to succeed they will. Lowe’s is going to fail. Leave while you can. It’s bad. “Retire rich” used to be the motto. No more.
@6ks that is not true. Exterior Door labor is less than $400. If they purchase a $600+ door then it will be over a $1000 total.
Retail boys and girls, Lowe's is a different animal then your granddaddy's Lowe's. Technology,e commerce, don't need much of the on floor people with not enough knowledge..,can Google them selfes. Good luck God speed!
I was told it costs a cstomet over 1k labor to put a f-ING exterior door in through Lowes. Not including the storm door. What a joke. And a 4 month wait time. Sad.
If Specialists are paid a bonus based on Sales Per Hour, but 5 hours a week are spent on a “lead table”....shouldn’t those hours be deducted from the average? Can someone please explain why Specialists have to generate leads for a PSE who gets the commission? Why isn’t the PSE generating their own leads, especially in the off season? Window sales might help department sales for Millwork, or contribute to the store sales for the “Winning Together”, but they don’t do anything for a Flooring, Appliance or Windows and Walls Specialist’s departments. Lowe’s needs a marketing program to solicit the leads. Either go all in, or get the hell out of this program all together.
Yeah, the Specialists get thrown a bone based on a Sales Per Hour, but are pulled out of their department for an hour to work the “lead table”(which turns out to be a door greeter directing old bags to the light bulbs). If Lowe’s did it right, they would have phone marketing to set up leads and appointments. The so-called “PSE Co-Ordinator” is a useless bipolar twit.
They’re basically telling us to put in leads don’t matter if they qualify or not we just have to get the leads mobile homes rentals doesn’t matter just get the leads .I’m sorry in advance for all the time that this is going to waste for a really nice guy
Our PSI made over $100k and was very good at her job. Too bad the installers stunk. Our PSE is also very good and the installers stink. See a theme? No idea what the PSE makes but it is probably more than the store manager.
What's going on?
Saw this one coming. More transformation to a McDonalds/Walmart-style workforce where part-timers are the overwhelming majority and dumbing down of the positions in the stores continues.
PSE at my store made 200k last year. 150k commish and 50 k base. Not bad for a retail sales position in a down economy. Lots of bad feelings amongst the rank and file and I suspect management over this type of compensation which is much higher than the store manager. Its only a matter of time before this position is totally eliminated.
They still use that...Rock Star, funny 15 yrs ago that was the phrase. Seen many of those come and go...... funny Rock Star!
So, I’m a former PSE as of yesterday. I am doubtful that the PSE down the road from me that will now be covering my store will be able to make the cut this year - covering 2 stores is NOT easy. Instead of investing in advertising and support for the program, Corp. makes cuts like this. Not smart.
I was a Lowe’s Pse from 2009-2019...one of the top in Company...do I miss the pay...yes. Do I now value the time with my kids that can not be replaced and a company that largely values it employees...yes. I took a 80k plus pay cut to leave and can say I am much happier. Much respect to my former Pse friends...I still have many in the company..some among the very top in company still. It’s a tough job with big rewards...I expect Marvin will either eliminate or make near impossible at some point.
Don’t get rid of the position, just hire internal candidates that know the product and systems to sell it. Get rid of the district sales/install managers that walk around bragging they hired an external “rock star”, but turns out to be a drunk or d–g addict that sleeps all day and is a no show on appointments. Also quit making specialists work the lead table, while the PSE is out playing golf.
I hope PSE goes away, very poor program. Just give more responsibility to the specialists in the dept, which could sell the projects! The dept already has to follow up, pull and process most of the sale anyways
To put it simply, they have restructured to that dollar amount and will term someone they haven't even put into place yet. To top it all off, there is now an "under/over" rule. If your jobs retails at more or less than $150 of what you contracted, you cannot adjust to take care of the customer, you have to have the best them pay more and sign an addendum. In addition if you charge more (i.e. to keep their beloved 25÷ margin) then you have to give it back to the customer. Remember when LP said sell as high as you want just not below margin? My guess is there is a big fat lawsuit coming to shut down pse all together just like psi. Get out while you can.
Honestly, just sounds like an angry rant. In any position if you sell and follow policy you will have a job.
Some are good PSE’s. Some never should have walked through the door. I don’t understand how they can get rid of the position and not the under performing PSE? Quit hiring external candidates that sold health club memberships, used cars or insurance.
This post is just one guy just angry ranting. No facts or info. Move on...
The PSE position has been terminated for stores that finished $350K or less in 2020. For stores that finish with $650K or less in 2021, will also lose their PSE.
Please explain? Have not heard anything about changes in our area!