Disappointment

In a previous post, I mentioned that the Outdoor Power Equipment Specialist at Lowe's was no longer with us and his job had been posted.  I knew that this was a full time position and would include benefits.  I was hoping that this job would have slightly better hours and more pay.

Although I had already figured out that my husband and I could not both work jobs with no-traditional hours and that our best bet as a family would be for my husband to take the job on the table, I was still considering all of our options.  And frankly, I also could have used the ego boost of feeling like I was valued.

I stopped by Lowe's and poked my head into the HR office.  I asked about the position and was told that they would not determine what pay would be offered until after the person was selected and their qualifications were assessed.  OK, I understand that but she would not (or could not) even give me a salary range.  I have heard through the grapevine that the previous person was making either $13 or $15 per hour – which would be quite a jump from what I am making now (but quite a fall from a year ago).

I asked her what the hours would be and I got a vague, rambling verse about how it is retail hours, opening and closing etc.  Well, I had noticed that the predecessor never got stuck there for the dreaded 9PM – 10PM stocking hour so I was hoping to hear that the hours were better than I currently have.

But, overall, what was most disappointing was the lack of enthusiasm I got from her.  She seemed to be putting more effort into dissuading me rather than recruiting me.  And it is not as if she was discouraging a 90 day employee (Lowe’s usually does not let you apply for full tie until you have been there 6 moths).  She never mentioned that.  Also, although there is a good chance he was pulling my leg, Frank, from the Weekend Team (like me) told me that she had approached him about applying for the job.

I am running circles around Frank.  I will give it to him that he is an excellent salesman and has prior sales experience but he wither can’t or refuses to learn the computer system.  If you can’t put the sale in the computer, you can’t make the sale.

I recently discovered how to pull my numbers and here is the breakdown. Not including sales that I make but are rung up at the front register, I have made $10,000 in sales this month.  Two thousand of those were this past weekend alone.  This only includes sales that I have put into the computer.  That would be grills, lawnmowers and tractors.  And it doesn’t even include all of those.  I always have to put ‘delivery’ and ‘pick up later’ orders into the computer but I only put about half of my ‘carry with’ orders in.

The guy who had the full time job had a sales goal of $19,000 a month.  I am only part time and I hit $10K.

I think that if I had hit up my store manager (my immediate supervisor), he probably would have given me the ego stroke that I was looking for but it was suggested that I talk to HR about the position so that is what I did.  I am going to let the whole topic go because we have basically decided as a family that I should wait for a 9-5 position but I still say it would have been nice to have been wanted.