Lowe's

I went in to purchase exterior primer and paint. Saw a sign taped to a pole advertising Olympic Zissner 1-2-3 Primer (paint) on sale till June 1st. There was no one behind the paint counter. Two guys were stocking shelves in the middle aisle behind the paint pen. I asked for their help. They didn't know anything about paint.
They went to the next aisle and got someone. A girl - Jaime [sp] slowly walked around the corner and with an annoyed look on her face (as if I was disturbing her) asked what I wanted. I asked about the Olympic paint that was on sale. She said the sale had expired. I pointed to the sign on the pole across the pen and told her it stated it was on sale till June 1st. She sneered at me then slowly walked inside the paint pen toward the sign on the other side. I pushed my basket around to meet her. When I got there, she began reading aloud to me as if I was a 3 year old. She said it was for stain - not paint. I read aloud the part about the $20 off 5 gallons of Zissner 1-2-3 Primer, and asked "Isn't that paint?" She barked, yes. I said."That's what I need." She turned, without saying a word and walked out of the pen. I pushed my basket back around to the other side where she was standing in front of the primer. She pointed to the floor. I asked if it was latex, because the label read "water based". She once again replied, in her annoyed voice, “Latex is water base" – as if this is something the average consumer should know. I tried to lift the 5 gallon container, but it was too heavy. I said I should probably get a blue cart because I needed another 5 gallons of tinted paint. She ignored me and put the primer in my basket. Looking down at the floor she asked, “What else do you want?” I asked which brand was the best quality. She said Valspar. I gave her a paint chip and asked her to mix 5 gallons of the color on the chip. She once again turned without saying a word, walked into the pen and stood in front of the computer. She had her back to me. While I was waiting, Michael walked into the paint pen and was standing at the register to Jaime's left, talking to another customer at the opposite end of the counter. After a few minutes, still with her back to me, Jaime muttered something that sounded like "what shade do you want?" I replied, "Peaceful Night", the name on the color chip I had given her. She half-turned and in a loud voice said "sheen, what sheen do you want?" I had no idea what she was talking about. When I didn't answer, she turned, and glaring at me, yelled Sheen! I told her, I didn’t know what she was talking about. She angrily said satin, flat, gloss... By this time I was feeling very uncomfortable and didn't appreciate her disrespectful attitude, so I told her if she had a problem helping me I would wait for someone else. She then put her hand on her hip, cocked her head and shouted at me that she didn't have a problem – I did! At that point, Michael looked at her, stepped between us and told Jaime he would help me. She ignored him and started yelling at me. I responded and as our voices got louder, Jordan came around the corner, walked up to Jaime, and told her he would help me. She just kept yelling at me and I kept responding.

Many other customers in the aisles and at the registers were straining to see what was happening. Both Michael and Jordan tried to calm her down, talk to her and get her to leave the paint pen. She just kept yelling at me. Finally, Jordan said something to her and as she stomped out she said, "I'm not going to lose my job over her."

By this time I was considerably shaken and upset. Michael was apologizing for her deplorable behavior. I told him I had workers waiting at my house for the paint. I was trying my best to get the right stuff and was looking to the "experts" to give me some guidance and customer service. Isn't that what's printed on the back of all of the Lowe's smocks - in capital letters?
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Michael went to get a manager. I explained to the manager what had happened. He had Jordan mix the paint while Michael helped me with other items. In hindsight, I should have just left and taken my business to Home Depot. Which is what I will be doing from now on. I've spent at least $30, 000 over the past 10 years at Lowe's renovating 3 houses, but I won't be back and you can be sure I will spread the word to everyone I know about my mistreatment. I will also be selling all my Lowe's stock and advising my colleagues to do the same.

You may proudly be advertising that you have "earned" the J.D. Powers award for customer service, but if my encounter today is any indication of how your employees are trained and performance rewarded you may not have that award next year.

In today's tenuous economic climate and with jobs difficult to come by I'm amazed you would employ a person with such an ill-mannered, bad attitude.1581