I just got word that there is no longer a cabinet specialist position at my store and three other San Antonio TX stores. They are following Home Depot in that lower volume stores will use a kiosk where customers can get a design by a remote designer. This is effective July 30 2021. We were offered positions as specialist in other departments and are told we get to keep our pay.
8 replies (most recent on top)
Why would anyone buy from a place that doesn't have someone to sit down with and work out all the details of their expensive kitchen remodel. This sounds like a huge mistake ready to happen. I guess the like throwing a ton of money at fixing mistakes.
I'm sure there are a few good ones out there, but most--not all-- cabinet specialists that I worked with over the years really didn't do much other than occasionally help stock the cabinet/countertop aisle and sit on their backsides most of the time, paging over the intercom for other employees to either come to the appliance or flooring desks. And when customers do come by for design assistance, they are never there. With most people now opting for small, independent businesses that offer a more customized experience with the kitchen/bath design experience, this is probably an area where the company is actually shedding some dead weight.
Marvin ain't no Ozymandius. He's not even Ozzy Osborne. He has not done a notable thing in his career except be in the right place at the right time (see Covid- fueled sales increase). His plaque on the rotting corpse of Lowes will not read "look upon my great works..." ; but rather, "Later sukkas."
"Going away" reminds me of the term "Ethic Cleansing".
Any stores in the Houston area affected
This is the beginning of the end for sales specialists. I predict 5 yrs from now ALL specialists will be gone. They only want stockers/clerks/cashiers. Just another way to take cost out of the stores.
Confirmed. But for some reason they opted to eliminate one of the appliance specialist positions instead of one of the cabinet ones. It doesn't really matter since we are down to just one specialist as it is.. I don't know what the 2 old timers in kitchens are going to do since they are both 60+ and aren't in the best of shape. I can see this rolling out in all stores eventually and ultimately all sales positions going away.
“Look upon my works ye mighty…and despair!”