It was announced today Millwork Specialist are being phased out and we need to be a "Team Player " and give all our sales (bonus chances) to the PSE .We are now just lead generators and CSA in the future .
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I am a sales specialist in millworks and we get monthly bonuses and we get paid $20 per closed qualified lead we send to the PSE/IHC.. not sure what yall are talking about that specialist seem to still be going strong.
However.. I can see them eventually converting specialists to lead generators and CSA only.
today was announced CABINET SPECIALIST are gone district 1223
Found out today that only one Specialist in Appliances and the cabinet specialists remain. Appliance Specialist will have to learn Cabinet sales. Other Appliance Specialist gone to CSA in another department. No details about pay or schedule.
As long as Home Depot Has Specialist Still we will have them. Marvin is doing what worked next door and all its doing is changing the way we all view lowes. I for one cant keep a Co worker im a Millwork Specialist. Ive been through 3 sense i been here and ive only been with lowes a year. Honestly I haven't made the 1200 bonus but shingle orders and appliances has kept money in my pocket as long as the PSE is Selling. If they arent selling i get the 300 max payout and honestly once i reach the Double my sales per hour i stop if i know im not going to make anymore money then i turn to the department and zone and sh-t for a week.
I'd like some level of verification before getting too excited over this. If it was a large-scale announcement, lines of communication would have been lit up. Even on a smaller scale, say one test district, you'd think Reddit and Facebook would have been aflame with posts.
That said, I'm with the other replies in firmly agreeing that specialists will ultimately be phased out.
The shift from bath installs to SFI remodels ki---d the plumbing specialists, and efforts are incoming to subvert the skill-sets of other specialists. Moving windows and doors entirely to PSE seems logical (given the Lowe's corporate mindset), while there have been moves to shift kitchen cabinet design to a loose quote in store followed by online consultation. I imagine flooring will run under a similar model. As for appliances, Lowe's is trying to drive those specific customers online, so appliance specialists will be gone soon enough, as well.
Have heard nothing about this
The long term plan is to do away with all specialists--with perhaps the cabinet design specialist as the lone exception--and funnel all SOS/specialty sales/leads to either a PSE or an off-site/remote central quote specialist . The business model now is to have order-takers and stockers that are low paid and part-time only in the aisles. The company wants to squeeze as much cost as they can out of the stores and that is done by reducing payroll expense. The days of wanting employees that are professional, salesmanship-oriented, and with trade experience and paying them accordingly are over. Unless you are willing to go into management, there is virtually no way to build a career with benefits with this company anymore.
It would make more sense that they would do it after they have gone away from m20, and Central Quoting handles the install quotes. Not quite there yet, but it’s coming.
I used to be an employee and feel bad for you all for the loss of what used to be.
I vividly remember customers asking a CSA a question and have those CSAs search for a specialist like me to answer the question. Then the CSA would walk away while I answered the question. They didn’t care about learning because their pay was not tied to sales in any meaningful way. Sounds like it is getting worse now.
False. The Millwork Specialists have not been told that they are being “phased out”.
Haven’t heard a thing. I’m a Millwork Specialist, and I would not be surprised. Nothing surprises me anymore.
Where/When/ And who made the announcement i haven't. Heard anything?
You'll notice when a specialist quits or leaves, they'll replace them with a full time csa!
Probably better off. Our PSE gets it all anyway...we sell storm door installs (big deal)! At least we'd have the winning together bonus again..it's nearly impossible to bonus with the SPH program when the PSE gets all our stuff!
All sales floor specialists will eventually go away. Yet more movement toward a part-time workforce throughout the stores. Only full-timers will eventually be management, mst, and receiving.