I want to preface this review by stating that I have over 25 years experience in retail management and customer service so I understand fully the rigors of large big box store and interfacing with customers on a daily basis.
I was pretty appalled at my recent shopping experience there and because of what occurred I won't shop there again. Prior to this I liked this store a lot and shopped there often. Its clean and well organized. Generally the staff is helpful and not pushy and they have great discounts on plants in the garden department.
I went in to buy 4 eye screws for a shelf I had at home. My sale totaled a little over 5 bucks for the 4 screws. I paid for them inside the store and specifically asked the cashier to put the receipt in the bag where it would be visible as I next was going to the garden department to check out some plants on my way out. it was a small bag and the receipt was hanging out of it not to mention the bags they use at Lowe's are translucent and you can see through them fairly well.
I picked out 3 plants in the garden department and went to the counter to pay. I placed the bag of the screws on the counter as I went to get cash out of my purse. The receipt was hanging out on the top of the bag and you could also see it through the side of the bag. I was really taken aback when the cashier asked to see my receipt for the stuff in the bag. I cancelled my purchase and went to the front to ask for a manager.
He explained that it was store policy for the cashiers in the garden department to ask for receipts for items not purchased in the garden department. I've made 25 or more purchases the same way... first in the store then out to the garden department to get some plants.. and NOT ONCE has anyone EVER asked to see my receipts. My own experience in managing a big box store that's owned by the same company as Lowe's tells me that this is NOT their policy and the policy is to ask for a receipt for a large un-bagged item that is hand carried by the customer such as a garden hose or a carpet or lumber etc. The fact that the bag was on the counter with the receipt hanging out of it and clearly visible should have been more than enough for this cashier. I can only venture to guess that she had a desire to exert petty authority and this is how she did it. I've seen this before and had the unhappy experience of managing the same type of employees and had to counsel and re train them. Nobody wants their shopping experience to include a shake down and I certainly felt it was way out of line.
I got a call from one of the store managers the following day after complaining to the corporate office and I felt his response was lack luster. While he valued my input as a consumer he sure didn't do anything to win me back as a customer. If this had come across my desk as a manager I would have asked that customer to come into the store and offer them a $10 gift card to show how much I wanted them back. I'm not looking for handouts but I spend money at Lowe's every month. In protecting those 5 dollars worth of eye screws they lost hundreds in future sales. A 10 buck gift card could have won that back. its simple math.
I'm back to shopping at Home Depot now and that is where I'll stay. The prices are lower overall and they seem to value the customer a great deal more.