Lowes wants us to pay up front for the entire estimate of a kitchen remodel. We understand contractors take deposits but is it normal to pay entire amount up front? Is this the difference between a retail chain contractor and an independent contractor?

Has anyone here experienced or is currently experiencing working for Lowe’s as a virtual kitchen designer? I’m also curious to know what customers think and how it has or hasn’t worked for them.

I got hired on a couple months ago, and have been dealing with a lot. Most of the people I started with worked inside the store as a designer and decided to do it virtually, so they already have all the product knowledge and know the basic Lowe’s processes. I haven’t worked with the company, and have gotten little to no training, but am expected to immediately start selling the product to customers. I have talked to my supervisor about it, and it all comes back on me and how I should be doing my own research in my own time. Time that I honestly don’t have…

I feel so swamped with the endless amounts of follow ups, revisions, pricing, initial customer meetings, calendar organizing, designs, and so much more. We aren’t allowed to work overtime or off the clock, but most nights I have to clock out and keep working because I get in trouble if I have overdue tasks or if I miss a promo sale for a customer. I usually do end up falling behind in something anyway, and right now it’s customer follow ups.

I’ve never ghosted customers before, but I have since starting here because they send you so many that you just can’t keep up sometimes. If the customers don’t show a tiny bit of interest in wanting to move forward, then you just have to keep moving onto the next it seems, and I have never worked like that. I take great pride in making sure that people get a quality design, and are getting quality product and customer service. Regardless of whether people choose my company or not. But without knowing what the fuck I’m even selling to them, not even getting the time to work on their design for 20 minutes, or even just knowing the next steps to move forward, it just makes for a really bad experience. For me and the customer.

The reason I’m reaching out through here is because I’ve asked so many people that I work with, and I feel like there is something I’m missing or not being told honestly. There are people who do sell a shit ton of product, and make their $80,000 goal for the month so I know it can be done. They build customer relationships and are able to present incredible designs. But I don’t know if I just need to give it more time, more patience, more dedication or what. I’m getting discouraged the more I get told by the people who watch and grade my meetings that I don’t know enough and am not meeting expectations. How am I supposed to do that when I don’t know hardly anything? I’ve asked so many times for help, but everyone else is too busy to hold your hand, and you can’t find the information or help on your own. So I’ve just been faking it till I make it, and that feels so dirty and wrong.

Long story short, I just need to know what I should be doing differently, or if there even is hope in trying to be the great designer and project manager I once was. I’m open to any tips, pointers, do’s and don’t’s, anything before I lose my mind and give up. Just wanna make this work. :,)