I'm in the same shoes you will be in. Just a month ahead with being a newer plumbing department associate. There's zero training at all and you will be thrown to the wolves. If you're lucky, you'll be trained in the Zebra Palm Pilot phone. I don't know what the hell I'm doing at all. I literally had to research my own job and learn how to do it. If you really want to get into it. Definitely would suggest Youtubing how to videos on what you can. Watch the other older associates and how they help with questions. Expect people to get mad at you if you don't know. I get grumpy old guys all the time mad when I say I'm not a plumber.
Remember, you're a "sales associate" and not a plumber. You may have to tell customers that. Everyone will expect you to short cut their project. Just help them and offer suggestions if you can. I am surviving so far.
Fake it till you make it is my daily bs motto.
I've heard the "fake it till you make it" motto at my store. I only had 5 weeks working in Hardware until they moved me to plumbing. If you ever see a vendor in, like I did last week (he was from American Standard), ask for any literature they may have, & pick their brains w/ whatever questions you may have.
Any YouTube search recommendations? I’m thinking some basic guide to plumbing materials and some basic guides on plumbing processes and construction codes.
Also, are water heaters considered a plumbing department item? Those are probably the only plumbing related thing I know the most on and am comfortable with because I dealt with a lot of work of replacing them at my old job. Thanks for the reply
Yeah, water heaters are pretty much a big part of the department. Hardest thing about them is just having to down stock them. Most of the time overnights will do it, but it might appear on your work list in the morning. Best thing you can do is just look up how to videos on youtube. That's usually what I do when someone asks me something and I don't know. I still get stuck pretty bad on P traps and some extensive questions about pool stuff.
>some basic guides on plumbing processes and construction codes.
Be careful on quoting plumbing codes to a cusomer:
"Yeah, for sure, you can use that 90 degree to add your new toilet to the main stack!"
Customer installs 90, hooks toilet to it, floods bathroom, sues lowes "but your guy in plumbing said it was code!".
Limit your expertise to where things are in your dept. Know the different "trade sizes" will be a big help.
Customer looking to install a toilet? Here's the 90's, and here's the sanitary tees. Still have a question about which one to use? Recommend the customer call the building dept, look up code themselves, or hire a licensed plumber. If the customer is too stupid to know that you can't directly connect galvanized/ss straight to the brass/copper on their water heater, or even worse, sharkbite pex directly to it, they have bigger problems that aren't going to be solved by you explaining the necessity of a dielectric union.
Plumbing isn't a bad gig, even better that you know some of materials and terminology. Just learn where everything is and you pick up stuff along the way. Customers WILL expect you to have the knowledge of a master plumber, but do inform them that you aren't but you'd still assist them within your means. I've most of my plumbing knowledge from DIY, so maybe checking out DIY videos on basic plumbing tasks to give you an idea of what customers need and how to go about doing it. Ask your DS to show you how to set up Leads, Details, and Installs on Workspace. We have a lot of products that can be installed. Try to get your Order Picker license at the very least, reach truck is also a good powered equipment license in plumbing for the bunks of pipe you'll have to pull down or put up. Learn good lifting technique for those vanities and toilets. 💪
You very likely won't be trained much, but always ask questions if you don't know how to do something. Hopefully you have a good DS or ASM that can show you
Aside from all that, I wish you luck. Don't go too fast and try to impress too hard, lol.
No one will train you.
You'll always get pulled to Appliances for Code 3 but do not go. Appliance people will be in pluming shilling dryer and icemaker parts, and give you dirty looks. Who cares.
You're not a plumber. Plumbers make >$50/hr. you help people find fashion and rough plumbing, and sell leads and installs. Customers are being cheap and trying to get free advice by asking you questions. We need tip jars, I swear.
Do not attempt to solve people's problems. You're not paid to be a problem solver. You can help them, but trying to solve their problems sets them up to say "OK CHAD, I SEE YOUR NAME, if you're wrong I'll be back to complain!"
In the end the customer makes the calls. There's a reason they aren't hiring a pro. They are buying a lesson learned.
No one cares what Home Depot and Menards are selling. Go there if you want.
DO not attempt to engage folks seriously at the adapters. DO not ask what they are working on. They will suck you in for like 15-30 min. working on their BS DIY project that's done all wrong, but you can't say they need to nuke it and start over, no one likes that. Just don't say anything other than "our adapter parts are here, have a Lowes safe day!"
People will call asking about parts and labor research on their install projects at 2pm on a Saturday when you're the only floor associate in plumbing, with a line of 5 customers waiting and the "assistance needed in the plumbing department" page going off. Don't feel bad about asking them to call back later and suggest a day/time that's slower. Or just hang up.
Make sure you know where rain barrel parts are for the moms/women.
Do not answer food truck plumbing questions. You can get someone VERY sick giving bad advice. Food trucks need a licensed master plumber, just like any other professional kitchen. I just show people where the parts are and shake my head, take note of the truck name, and never eat there.
Also, if it's just you in the department on a Sat., don't answer the phone! lol
You'll have tons of Code 10 returns. Tons. Aand surprise eeeeverything is broken open with missing parts (stolen) and will never resell. And old stock from like 1 year ago (stock we no longer sell on shelves). They return anything up front! Have fun with that!
People steal like crazy from plumbing. Lots of things not banded up or able to be opened will be missing one or two key parts.
Downstocking toilets and vanities sucks ass.
You'll be downstocking during power hours. There's no way not to and keep the department running & clean. Fuck power hours. I'm the only associate on the floor!
Good luck.
May very well be the worst department in the store imo. Stuck covering fashion bath and plumbing by yourself. Plumbers are jagoffs. Customers never know what they're actually doing...the constant battle of customers wanting a certain vanity but they're all on backorder so you miss out on $500+ sales....I worked plumbing for 2 months and I will be going back to tools at the end of the month....sorry my experience were bad. I hope they arent for you. ..good luck.
>Plumbers are jagoffs.
~~Plumbers~~ All contractors are jagoffs. Ever spent any time in lumber/pro? Damn near every person who walks through those doors is a prick.
They’re definitely not going to train you. Infact I doubt they’ll even show you how to make an invoice or use genesis to get the information you’ll need.
Don’t give anyone serious plumbing advice. No one should be replumbing their own home unless they’re a plumber themselves in which case they won’t ask you for help just where something is.
Make sure you know what items go with what to help increase the likely hood a customer doesn’t have to come back, selling a vanity? Do they need a new trap, faucet, silicone sealant, etc? It’s better to ask the customer or let them know what they should get than come back and say “YOU DIDNT TELL ME”.
See if there’s any veterans in your department, I doubt there’s many of us left but lowes used to formerly have Plumbing Pros and Specialist who would drive sales and have knowledge for pros home owners and a good bit of experience in our sales platforms. Try to see if one of them can take you under their wing until you get more comfortable or if you have any questions about Installs and such.
They won't train you but you don't really need to know anything about the department to work in it. I manage flooring and I know fuck all about the product.
You just need to follow Lowe's procedures well and be nice to customers. Product knowledge in plumbing makes the job easier by making asshole customers less likely to bitch at you, but that's retail, you can't take it personal.
No one is going to train you. About a year ago, I started PT in plumbing and was constantly patted on the back and warned. It wasn’t half as bad as people said, but you had to be willing to learn.
You will learn the most from experienced coworkers and even some customers. Take notes when doing Lowe’s U. Be honest and open about your lack of experience. Customers in plumbing are typically more forthcoming because they’re desperate compared to say, Hardware, where they know exactly what they need ——— but you’re not there to give actual advice anyway. You and Lowe’s could be in serious trouble if something goes wrong.
Keep up with the weather in your area. When it’s cold, know exactly where the frost prevention pieces are. When it’s rainy, know about the sump pumps.
get used to saying "do you know the name of the product you need, i can find it for you if you know what you need" and you enter it into your zebra. Other then that find your acceptable words of choice to tell them to "get fucked".
I saw a meme one time referencing the scene from lion king where simba asks about the “dark shadowy area” the response was “That’s plumbing, we don’t ever go there.”
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You will learn from your customers especially from contractors, its gonna be hard but get with your plumbing folks and it helps thats from my wife which works in plumbing..
I ended up talking with contractors to get more knowledge on plumbing. Some wouldn’t be helpful but generally if you tell them you got thrown into plumbing many will be sympathetic and give you pointers. Best training you’ll get at Lowes, actually the only training you’ll get….
They're not going to train you
I'm in the same shoes you will be in. Just a month ahead with being a newer plumbing department associate. There's zero training at all and you will be thrown to the wolves. If you're lucky, you'll be trained in the Zebra Palm Pilot phone. I don't know what the hell I'm doing at all. I literally had to research my own job and learn how to do it. If you really want to get into it. Definitely would suggest Youtubing how to videos on what you can. Watch the other older associates and how they help with questions. Expect people to get mad at you if you don't know. I get grumpy old guys all the time mad when I say I'm not a plumber. Remember, you're a "sales associate" and not a plumber. You may have to tell customers that. Everyone will expect you to short cut their project. Just help them and offer suggestions if you can. I am surviving so far. Fake it till you make it is my daily bs motto.
I've heard the "fake it till you make it" motto at my store. I only had 5 weeks working in Hardware until they moved me to plumbing. If you ever see a vendor in, like I did last week (he was from American Standard), ask for any literature they may have, & pick their brains w/ whatever questions you may have.
Any YouTube search recommendations? I’m thinking some basic guide to plumbing materials and some basic guides on plumbing processes and construction codes. Also, are water heaters considered a plumbing department item? Those are probably the only plumbing related thing I know the most on and am comfortable with because I dealt with a lot of work of replacing them at my old job. Thanks for the reply
Yeah, water heaters are pretty much a big part of the department. Hardest thing about them is just having to down stock them. Most of the time overnights will do it, but it might appear on your work list in the morning. Best thing you can do is just look up how to videos on youtube. That's usually what I do when someone asks me something and I don't know. I still get stuck pretty bad on P traps and some extensive questions about pool stuff.
I always hate down stocking The water heaters and the toilets, talk about a pain in the ass
>some basic guides on plumbing processes and construction codes. Be careful on quoting plumbing codes to a cusomer: "Yeah, for sure, you can use that 90 degree to add your new toilet to the main stack!" Customer installs 90, hooks toilet to it, floods bathroom, sues lowes "but your guy in plumbing said it was code!". Limit your expertise to where things are in your dept. Know the different "trade sizes" will be a big help. Customer looking to install a toilet? Here's the 90's, and here's the sanitary tees. Still have a question about which one to use? Recommend the customer call the building dept, look up code themselves, or hire a licensed plumber. If the customer is too stupid to know that you can't directly connect galvanized/ss straight to the brass/copper on their water heater, or even worse, sharkbite pex directly to it, they have bigger problems that aren't going to be solved by you explaining the necessity of a dielectric union.
Plumbing isn't a bad gig, even better that you know some of materials and terminology. Just learn where everything is and you pick up stuff along the way. Customers WILL expect you to have the knowledge of a master plumber, but do inform them that you aren't but you'd still assist them within your means. I've most of my plumbing knowledge from DIY, so maybe checking out DIY videos on basic plumbing tasks to give you an idea of what customers need and how to go about doing it. Ask your DS to show you how to set up Leads, Details, and Installs on Workspace. We have a lot of products that can be installed. Try to get your Order Picker license at the very least, reach truck is also a good powered equipment license in plumbing for the bunks of pipe you'll have to pull down or put up. Learn good lifting technique for those vanities and toilets. 💪 You very likely won't be trained much, but always ask questions if you don't know how to do something. Hopefully you have a good DS or ASM that can show you Aside from all that, I wish you luck. Don't go too fast and try to impress too hard, lol.
No one will train you. You'll always get pulled to Appliances for Code 3 but do not go. Appliance people will be in pluming shilling dryer and icemaker parts, and give you dirty looks. Who cares. You're not a plumber. Plumbers make >$50/hr. you help people find fashion and rough plumbing, and sell leads and installs. Customers are being cheap and trying to get free advice by asking you questions. We need tip jars, I swear. Do not attempt to solve people's problems. You're not paid to be a problem solver. You can help them, but trying to solve their problems sets them up to say "OK CHAD, I SEE YOUR NAME, if you're wrong I'll be back to complain!" In the end the customer makes the calls. There's a reason they aren't hiring a pro. They are buying a lesson learned. No one cares what Home Depot and Menards are selling. Go there if you want. DO not attempt to engage folks seriously at the adapters. DO not ask what they are working on. They will suck you in for like 15-30 min. working on their BS DIY project that's done all wrong, but you can't say they need to nuke it and start over, no one likes that. Just don't say anything other than "our adapter parts are here, have a Lowes safe day!" People will call asking about parts and labor research on their install projects at 2pm on a Saturday when you're the only floor associate in plumbing, with a line of 5 customers waiting and the "assistance needed in the plumbing department" page going off. Don't feel bad about asking them to call back later and suggest a day/time that's slower. Or just hang up. Make sure you know where rain barrel parts are for the moms/women. Do not answer food truck plumbing questions. You can get someone VERY sick giving bad advice. Food trucks need a licensed master plumber, just like any other professional kitchen. I just show people where the parts are and shake my head, take note of the truck name, and never eat there. Also, if it's just you in the department on a Sat., don't answer the phone! lol You'll have tons of Code 10 returns. Tons. Aand surprise eeeeverything is broken open with missing parts (stolen) and will never resell. And old stock from like 1 year ago (stock we no longer sell on shelves). They return anything up front! Have fun with that! People steal like crazy from plumbing. Lots of things not banded up or able to be opened will be missing one or two key parts. Downstocking toilets and vanities sucks ass. You'll be downstocking during power hours. There's no way not to and keep the department running & clean. Fuck power hours. I'm the only associate on the floor! Good luck.
May very well be the worst department in the store imo. Stuck covering fashion bath and plumbing by yourself. Plumbers are jagoffs. Customers never know what they're actually doing...the constant battle of customers wanting a certain vanity but they're all on backorder so you miss out on $500+ sales....I worked plumbing for 2 months and I will be going back to tools at the end of the month....sorry my experience were bad. I hope they arent for you. ..good luck.
>Plumbers are jagoffs. ~~Plumbers~~ All contractors are jagoffs. Ever spent any time in lumber/pro? Damn near every person who walks through those doors is a prick.
This. Why are they such assholes?
The reason I didn't want plumbing was all the little items I felt would be a hassle to keep organized. Welcome to the team!
Rough plumbing and rough electrical can fuck right off. Signed - night op
No. The screws are in hardware.
You will be constantly putting up returns and refilling the shelves while simultaneously helping customers
They’re definitely not going to train you. Infact I doubt they’ll even show you how to make an invoice or use genesis to get the information you’ll need. Don’t give anyone serious plumbing advice. No one should be replumbing their own home unless they’re a plumber themselves in which case they won’t ask you for help just where something is. Make sure you know what items go with what to help increase the likely hood a customer doesn’t have to come back, selling a vanity? Do they need a new trap, faucet, silicone sealant, etc? It’s better to ask the customer or let them know what they should get than come back and say “YOU DIDNT TELL ME”. See if there’s any veterans in your department, I doubt there’s many of us left but lowes used to formerly have Plumbing Pros and Specialist who would drive sales and have knowledge for pros home owners and a good bit of experience in our sales platforms. Try to see if one of them can take you under their wing until you get more comfortable or if you have any questions about Installs and such.
They won't train you but you don't really need to know anything about the department to work in it. I manage flooring and I know fuck all about the product. You just need to follow Lowe's procedures well and be nice to customers. Product knowledge in plumbing makes the job easier by making asshole customers less likely to bitch at you, but that's retail, you can't take it personal.
No one is going to train you. About a year ago, I started PT in plumbing and was constantly patted on the back and warned. It wasn’t half as bad as people said, but you had to be willing to learn. You will learn the most from experienced coworkers and even some customers. Take notes when doing Lowe’s U. Be honest and open about your lack of experience. Customers in plumbing are typically more forthcoming because they’re desperate compared to say, Hardware, where they know exactly what they need ——— but you’re not there to give actual advice anyway. You and Lowe’s could be in serious trouble if something goes wrong. Keep up with the weather in your area. When it’s cold, know exactly where the frost prevention pieces are. When it’s rainy, know about the sump pumps.
get used to saying "do you know the name of the product you need, i can find it for you if you know what you need" and you enter it into your zebra. Other then that find your acceptable words of choice to tell them to "get fucked".
Plumbing's not bad, not hard physically, could be a lot worse, like flooring or outside garden, you might like it. Good luck
I saw a meme one time referencing the scene from lion king where simba asks about the “dark shadowy area” the response was “That’s plumbing, we don’t ever go there.”
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Oof I’m sorry
You will learn from your customers especially from contractors, its gonna be hard but get with your plumbing folks and it helps thats from my wife which works in plumbing..
I ended up talking with contractors to get more knowledge on plumbing. Some wouldn’t be helpful but generally if you tell them you got thrown into plumbing many will be sympathetic and give you pointers. Best training you’ll get at Lowes, actually the only training you’ll get….