vise grip conspiracy theories?

[John Doe]

My new vise grips from Lowe's part number says 95SG.

The included grips are part numbers 10CR and 5WR, even though both have rubber grips which apparently is supposed to be the suffix "WR".

Searching Yahoo for Irwin 95SG produces zero results.

Apparently the correct part number is 82SG as it is on Lowe's web site.

That includes the same vise grips but apparently both use the suffix "WR"

I guess they just forgot or didn't have time to change the stamped part number on the big vise grip before packaging. Maybe they are getting rid of those through Lowe's.

I'm not complaining.

More trivia. Not that it matters, but how come when Lowe's asks over the PA system for help with customer assistance, they repeat the request in Spanish?

They do that here, they might not do that where you live.

[John Doe]

Upon further consideration.

Maybe the vice grip "WR" prefix means it includes a wire cutter style jaw base.

[Jim McLaughlin]

It ain't trivial. Its deadly serious.

Its because Loews has too many workers who can't speak English and are illegals.

The feds ought to bust both loews and their illegals.

But don't hold your breath.

[Tom G]

I never noticed that in the Lowe's in AZ, the 17 years I lived there or here, now in Illinois. I would imagine, however, it's for the benefit of their customers, not their employees. You've undoubtedly noticed more and more Latino customers in all stores, especially stores catering to lawn care professionals. If I were shopping in a store and heard an announcement in a language that I did not understand, I would be concerned that there might be a serious problem that required evacuation. Just a necessary courtesy these days. Before I retired from Sears, we had started announcing the end of day store closing in both English and Spanish. Otherwise, some of our customers just kept right on shopping.

Tom G.

[John Doe]

Maybe you have heard it, but maybe you never thought about it. Lots of things are spoken on store PA systems that most people probably never consciously hear or think about. One of the major grocery stores around here used subliminal messages. I have heard subliminals once, in that store. The messages were benign but clearly intended to be subliminal. One was "please don't sneeze".

I can see you making an argument that emergency messages would be broadcast in both languages. In this case, Lowe's probably wants to make their Hispanic customers feel good, to feel as though they are being waited on, or it might be a signal for summoning a customer service employee who speaks Spanish.

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[Pete C.]

It's simply a customer service thing. The english / spanish announcments aren't from live employees generally, they're from the little "press button for assistance" pre-recorded pager stations. In many parts of the country a lot of the customers primarily speak spanish and it's nice for them to hear in spanish that the button they pressed actually called for help. Presumably they use the same call units in all their stores. Not sure why they don't include french as well for the stores near the north border, would be kind of a NAFTA thing like all the product packaging in english/spanish/french.

Pete C.

[Andy Asberry]

Correct and the R indicates curved jaw.

--Andy Asberry recommends NewsGuy--

[John Doe]

That's correct, it's an automated message in this case.