anyone work for Lowe's or Home Depot?

[dh_ld]

Hi,

I am considering trying to get on a night stocking crew with Lowe's or Home Depot. I like working at night and being off during the day, and at the moment Lowe's seems best for me if the hours really are from 4:00AM-1:00PM. Can anyone tell me about what it pays, how they compare with Home Depot, or anything else you think should be taken into consideration? Maybe there are places that would be better to try to work? Can anyone suggest a better place to inquire about such things? I know about their websites, but want to learn about the things they don't tell you there as well as the things they do.

Thanks for any info or suggestions! David

[xrongor]

im going to tell you a short story that taught me a valuable lesson.

i wanted to get out of the high stress business of emergency computer support and went to a future shop thinking i could get a job there no problem. i ended up talking with the owner of the company. after spending

15 minutes talking about what i knew about electronics and computers, he told me the one thing i will never forget.

he told me he didnt give a rats ass what i knew about computers or electronics. he wanted to know what i knew about SELLING computers and electronics.

expect the same at lowes or home depot.

randy

[Charlie Self]

True. But what most retail management manages (sorry about that) to overlook is the fact that knowing about something makes selling it easier, supporting it much easier, and finding out what the customer needs even easier. Result: more sales and better sales support, which eventually results in even more sales. It is the "eventually" that seems to baffle today's managers, "Ya mean, not this week (month or month for the real long term planners)? Feggedaboutit. We can't afford to wait."

Charlie Self "It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore

[Lee Gordon]

Charlie ...

Well, yes and no. If you know a lot about what you are selling, and what you are selling is crap (and if you happen to have some scruples), that combination of circumstances can actually hinder the process. Perhaps that's why so many of the folks in those orange or blue aprons are as clueless as they seem. If they really knew about some of those the products on the shelves, when you asked them where to find something they might point you in the direction of the exit.

Lee

[Nate B]

"xrongor"

I'm not sure what your point is or how the heck you came to want to post what you did based on the question other than a sharp paternal need to offer trivial career advice. I'm pretty sure anyone capable of posting to Usenet can probably figure out how to stock a shelf.

To actually answer the question, I've never heard an employee complain about their job at Home Depot when I talk to them (seems like too often...). My tenent's boyfriend works there as well and seems happy and well paid for what he does. Lowe's, OTOH, doesn't seem to have the same faces around as long as Home Depot - at least at the ones near me. Just my somewhat uninterested and passive observations, though. Maybe apply to both and see what you find out for yourself.

- Nate

[Mark]

You speak of that which you know not.

Many of the people at HD (can't speak to Lowes specifically, but they would have to be market competitive to survive) are former tradesmen who are reasonably compensated for their knowledge of the trades.

I've personally spoken to two at a local HD (U.S.) that were willing to disclose their wage. One had retired from his trade, the other was moonlighting. The first was earning $16/hour, the second $13 (he was part time evenings, the easiest shift to staff for these stores).

That's a far cry from minimum wage.

[xrongor]

why are you so agressive nate? sheesh. if you werent in attack mode you may have learned something too.

randy

[Charlie Self]

Mark responds:

Some of the clerks may be at minimum, but I don't think many are. And those with woodworking or contracting experience tend to do better. Know a guy in Virginia who had retired as a contractor, moved to VA, built his house, his daughter's house, was bored spitless. HD opened up and he got a job doing demonstrations. 18 bucks an hour for about all the hours he wanted the work. He didn't really need the money, but he had gone through hydorponic gardening (commercially, small scale) and a couple other hobbies, so decided to keep busy.

Not exactly minimum wage. Not what he made as a contractor, either, but certainly better than $5.15. an hour.

Now, Walmart does pay that kind of low end bucks. Do we complain about the help there?

Charlie Self "It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore

[Mark & Juanita]

... snip

Walmart has help? :-)

[Patrick Fischer]

Hmm... 1 mile north is the Borg. 1 mile south is the ACE. Am I looking to buy a tool, bit, roll of duct tape or shower door?.. go North. Am I trying to find a slightly smaller thingy that will fit my existing thingy and still allow me to use the bigger thingy on Thursdays?..Go south.

[Charlie Self]

Better hope to get a job with the one that has an opening. If either one does in today's market.

Charlie Self "It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore

[Phisherman]

I've known people working for HD a long time and they enjoy it. You don't always get (nor should you expect) to always get a particular shift, nor a particular department. A person who stocks prolly should not expect more than $10 an hour, if that. Working at the headquarters, is very very different, and HD has won awards for "a good place to work." Personally, I'd prefer to work close to where I live to avoid the (wasted) commute time.

[Charlie Self]

Jerry Gilreath rants on:

Jaysus, mon. Take me to your leaders. If this group has leaders, I'll take anarchy.

Charlie Self "It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore

[Upscale]

I tend to agree with Gerry, although Home Depot may be the exception. I'm Canadian too and am familiar with the retail industry and the low wages that the front line workers get. As to the people that work at Home Depot in stores that I've gone to in Toronto, they appear to be typically more experienced and knowledgeable that your average employee. Haven't asked, but their outlook suggests that they're a little better compensated. They remind me a little of the employees at Lee Valley Tools who are *all* extremely experienced and knowledgeable. Don't know what they make either, but work attitude goes a long way to making the premise true.

[GARY]

$13? $16? What is your location? Here in Alabama I know nurses making less than that!

Gary

[Charlie Self]

Gary35619 states:

What kind of nurses? RNs and LPNs are on widely varying pay scales, and my recent experience tells me most nurses are LPNs, not RNs.

Charlie Self "It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." Millard Fillmore

[xrongor]

'anything else you think should be taken into consideration'

people are simply mentioning the 'anything else'

randy

[B a r r y]

Try a locally owned store.

I have this funny habit of finding part time jobs in the current hobby I'm in. In high school, I worked in a music store (instruments, not recorded), and at other times I've worked in radio control shops and bicycle shops. All of these jobs enabled me to buy my fun stuff at or near wholesale, and meet others with the same passions.

Every one of these stores had the owner(s) on premise, and all but one was considered to be the best in the area at what they did. Besides the involved owner, all of them shared the idea of hiring those who were known well to the shop, employees were never drawn from a stack of applications. The full timers at these places NEVER seem to leave, all of them are paid well and treated well.

I've enjoyed every minute working in these places, even if it's just "lackey" work like unloading a tractor trailer full of bicycles.

Barry

[B a r r y]

Come to the northeast. I have several nurse acquaintances that are almost to the point of being able to fill in their own numbers on the paycheck.

One of them works as a Cardiac Care nurse, assisting procedures like angioplasty, for a staffing company. He works 3-6 month temp assignments, takes 3 months off to fly his r/c planes, and moves on to another, nicely compensated, assignment.

Barry

[Scott Wilson]

Actually my wife was recently looking for a part time job, and Walmart paid about $1 more an hour than anywhere else. About $2 more than target and penneys...

-she passed on the walmart job anyway....