I literally get sick now when I put on my vest everyday. I am ashamed, and constantly have to apologize to customers on behalf of my coworkers, managers, and Lowe's even when I have done my part perfectly.
There used to be a time when the vest went on, I was like, ok! Lets do this! Who needs help?
Now, all that positive energy has been tapped by corporate. I look around at my other employees (the few left) and their eyes too have gone dark, and they walk around like the living dead. No jump, no happiness, nothing positive at all to say, with no hope, and bleak outlook.
Our leaders, from Marvin, all the way down the supervisors, have all failed us. No one EVER speaks up against bad policy, bad ideas, or even unethical treatment to subordinates or others. Everyone is too busy lying, covering up, making excuses, and selling out their brothers to save their own necks, or for some make-believe feather in the cap. Moreso, its because one of their friends put them in a position of power not based on merit or competence, but on favor. Or as a mole, or person to report back to, or to be used to get rid of employees "they" deem trouble. Simultaneously, Marvin and his podcasts state the opposite. How they want the right people, transparency, etc. But heres something you should never forget:
"What one preaches, is most likely what that person needs to learn."
Its usually the case, when some so-called leader is spewing about something, hes the most guilty of it and hes doing the opposite in action.
The red vest is a symbol now for all these failures, and if you have never spoken up, or decided to turn a blind eye or look the other way, you now feel it harder than most. Thats if you have any morality left, which in the case of the corporate people, they sold out long ago. They are all pigs. All the way to their cores.
The red vest is a badge of dishonor, of failure. No matter how good you work and serve customers, Marvin and Lowe's has made it impossible to do so all the way through. You sell something, then it never gets delivered. You promise a customer, then your manager messes it all up. Sold an install? Well, CPO has never called the customer nor answered any of their calls or emails for months.
Then the competent employees who CAN fix something, sell something, or process something properly arent at the desk to do so. They are downstocking Xmas lights in August! Or leaf blowing the parking lot, or on register ringing like a zombie becuase the high paid ASM cant schedule properly.
The vest is red, because Marvin has made Lowes hell, and wants us all as his little devils to do his bidding.