If I could give zero stars, I would. I came into this Lowe's fully intending to purchase carpet and installation for one of my properties. I also have flooring that needs to be done at another property, and I was deciding between Lowe's and Home Depot. After my interaction with an employee named Adam, Lowe's has lost at least a few thousand dollars of my business, potentially more.
From the beginning, Adam was incredibly dismissive. I explained what I was looking for and asked reasonable questions about the flooring and estimate, and rather than engaging with me normally, he repeatedly stared at me blankly, as if my questions were stupid. If that wasn't what he intended to communicate through his body language, he should be aware of how negatively this behaviour comes across socially. Staring blankly at a customer after they ask a question, rather than engaging with or answering them, is not a positive or professional way to communicate.
When he began putting together an estimate, I noticed that the numbers were significantly different from the estimate shown online and asked him why. Instead of simply explaining the discrepancy, he looked at me and asked, "Are you okay?" in an extremely disrespectful and patronizing manner. I responded, "Are you?" and asked to speak with a manager.
He then told me that he was answering my questions, "just not the way you want me to," despite the fact that I was asking for clarification precisely because my questions were not actually being answered. When I requested the manager, he sarcastically said, "I'm calling the manager. Is that helpful enough for you?" I told him that he actually had not been helpful at all, at which point he simply walked away and left me standing there without telling me whether a manager was coming. I ultimately had to find another employee and ask them to call a manager for me.
The interaction also had extremely misogynistic undertones in my opinion. The combination of the condescension, dismissiveness, patronizing "Are you okay?" response when I questioned the estimate, and general manner in which he spoke to me left me feeling that I was not being treated with basic professional respect.
The assistant store manager who eventually spoke with me was very nice, listened to what happened, apologized, and told me he would address it with Adam. I genuinely appreciated how he handled the situation. Unfortunately, by that point the damage had already been done, and I will be taking these flooring projects elsewhere.
Lowe's needs to emphasize basic social and customer-service skills with its employees. Customers should be able to ask questions about purchases costing thousands of dollars without being mocked, patronized, or treated as though they are an inconvenience. And even if a customer were being difficult--which I was not--an employee responding with sarcasm and disrespect is incredibly unprofessional and an excellent way to lose business.
In this case, that is exactly what happened. read more