Lowe's Military Discount

[CobyRupert]

All the vets working at my local Lowes are wearing camouflage vests so you can see who they are.

But if they're camouflaged, how do you see them?

....maybe this is why I can never find anybody at Lowes to ask for help. I always thought they ran away when they see me coming, but they're probably just standing really still right in front of me!

 

[Sigarms]

I don't really care about lowes or any other "military discount" a business offers. I look at service first as long as they aren't bending me over for it.

No different than a VIP card gas stations offers IMO.

As a consumer, we see "military veteran 10% discount" and go WOW!. The business offering the discount doesn't differentiate what the frick (and to whom) they're giving a discount to an why... it just works per the numbers... Heck, even some HVAC manufacturers are offering discounts to former military, LEO, firefighters and teachers.

That said, I'm proud to say that I've been involved with some home builds that have given a house to our military service members at NO CHARGE due to the service of their country, and these people could use it. The irony is this last statement brings up another topic per philosophical debate on who "deserves" anything.

 

[Thall303]

But if they're camouflaged, how do you see them?

....maybe this is why I can never find anybody at Lowes to ask for help. I always thought they ran away when they see me coming, but they're probably just standing really still right in front of me!

At our local Lowe’s, most of the help is too old and slow to get away.....at Home Depot they are younger and faster and you might think no one works there!

 

[Gunny]

The two Lowe's stores I shop at require that you be registered in "My Lowes" as a veteran, they stopped taking IDs as proof of service quite awhile ago.
I had to take a copy of my DD 214 to customer service, took just a few minutes. Now they just scan my card and the discount is figured automatically.

But my guess is that if I loaned my Lowes card to someone else, they would be able to use it as well, since they only time they ask for personal ID is when I'm paying with a credit card.

 

[Oldoak]

Much different at the Lowes in my area. When I go there, it is very rare when passing a store clerk that the don't ask "Can I help you?". Now in my Home Depot store, with few exceptions, they act like they don't even see you.

What I dislike about both stores is that very few checkout registers are open accept for the self checkout ones. Now there is where everyone using a self checkout register should receive some sort of discount, even in the grocery stores.

 

[DHD]

My wife and I were at Home Depot yesterday and only one register with a person was open,
and it was at the opposite end of the store, way down by the lumber section.
We then went to Lowes and at least 3 registers with a person were opened, middle section of the store, much more convenient.

 

[3Ts]

What I dislike about both stores is that very few checkout registers are open accept for the self checkout ones.

Cost of labor has risen to the point of not being able to staff all the registers. Some places are "experimenting" with a Minimum living wage and/or $15/ hour wage. Getting customers to do a self-check-out saves a lot of money and helps keep prices down.

Same thing is happening here with fast food stores. McDonald's here has order kiosks and you don't interact with a person until they bring the food to the table and even that is very minimal. I expect that to change eventually and you'll have to go to the counter to get it.

 

[Sigarms]

Cost of labor has risen to the point of not being able to staff all the registers. Some places are "experimenting" with a Minimum living wage and/or $15/ hour wage. Getting customers to do a self-check-out saves a lot of money and helps keep prices down.

Same thing is happening here with fast food stores. McDonald's here has order kiosks and you don't interact with a person until they bring the food to the table and even that is very minimal. I expect that to change eventually and you'll have to go to the counter to get it.

Went a local True Value hardware store when I was up in Pa trying to get my dads house ready to sell. Closest "big box" store was 25 minutes from me, this local hardware store was 8 minutes max drive.

Went there 3 time when I needed something for my dads house (hose, broom and duct tape). I even needed boxes to pack things up and they let me have the run to their warehouse on the boxes they we're getting rid of.

The reality is large box stores can be beat with not to bad pricing and GREAT service. This one hardware store had it figured out IMO.

Price
Service
Availabilty

Pick two of the above because as a business, you can't offer all 3 and stay in buiness.

For a local place where I can go and people know my name and I can get answers, I'll take service and avialabilty all day long (my local hardware store in NC where I got my mower last fall also had nuts I needed for some of my guns LOL).

 

[downsizingnow48]

I've had the same experience. I generally go to the closest Ace Hardware rather than a more distant Lowe's. The Ace store always has 4-5 staff ready to help. They know what you are talking about and they know exactly where to find what you need. I am always impressed with their support.

 

[PILOON]

Curious, do Lowe's honor vets in Canada?
for that matter what Canadian chains do honor vets.