Lowes replacing (some) workers with robots

[Engineer]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/not-s...ut-robotic-shopping-assiciates-150411173.html

The true test for businesses will be how customers respond to being helped by a robot, and how it impacts the bottom line, says Task. “If you’re an employer and you look at this OSHbot, which apparently costs $50,000, you're saying a minimum-wage worker plus benefits is maybe going to cost me $25,000 to $30,000-a-year, but this robot is never going to take a sick day, is never going to want to go on vacation…”

and it will never buy a darn thing in the Lowes store either.

Offshore everything that can be offshored and replace the remaining McService jobs with robots. So at some point, who is going to be left with enough money to buy any of the stuff?

I guess we all get to live at home off the government. If that's the case and you can't beat them, join them. Bring it on.

and for the benefits comment, lol. A min. wage worker will cost about $15,000 if working full time and MOST of those people don't get a dime in benefits. I suppose it costs more for a few areas that have already raised minimum wage.

 

[Fern]

-snip-

and for the benefits comment, lol. A min. wage worker will cost about $15,000 if working full time and MOST of those people don't get a dime in benefits. I suppose it costs more for a few areas that have already raised minimum wage.

How do they get out of Obamacare?

Fern

 

[michal1980]

I think we should raise the min wage much much higher. Lets bring on the robots.

 

[theeedude]

You have to stay on the right side of the automation divide if you want to have a job.
You aren't going to outrun automation by working for less or giving up benefits.

 

[WackyDan]

First of all, most Lowes employees are not min wage employees. That isn't saying that they make $15 an hour, but most positions start above minimum.

These bots will add consistency to the customer experience and yes, never get sick or offer scheduling issues. I imagine the goal isn't to replace employees, but supplement them and offer a high degree of customer service... It doesn't mean they are replacing jobs with bots, but it doesn't mean they be adding humans either.

 

[postmortemIA]

it is a walking tablet, not sure why it costs 50K.

first impression: they are awkward, extra reason to avoid lowe's.

 

[Engineer]

I imagine the goal isn't to replace employees

Buwhahahahahahahahahahahahaah!

Are you serious? That's always the goal.

 

[werepossum]

First of all, most Lowes employees are not min wage employees. That isn't saying that they make $15 an hour, but most positions start above minimum.

These bots will add consistency to the customer experience and yes, never get sick or offer scheduling issues. I imagine the goal isn't to replace employees, but supplement them and offer a high degree of customer service... It doesn't mean they are replacing jobs with bots, but it doesn't mean they be adding humans either.

Well, the goal ain't to replace the Coke machines . . .

Lowes is one of the few remaining stores where one can find knowledgeable, helpful employees, so I'm not at all surprised that management is searching for a way to fix that.

 

[Zorkorist]

You have to stay on the right side of the automation divide if you want to have a job.
You aren't going to outrun automation by working for less or giving up benefits.

This is what the Detroit Union Workers said.

-John

 

[MrCassdin]

The true test for businesses will be how customers respond to being helped by a robot, and how it impacts the bottom line, says Task. “If you’re an employer and you look at this OSHbot, which apparently costs $50,000, you're saying a minimum-wage worker plus benefits is maybe going to cost me $25,000 to $30,000-a-year, but this robot is never going to take a sick day, is never going to want to go on vacation…”

Spoken by a true moron who has no fucking idea what he is talking about.

 

[KB]

Since most of the time my only question to lowes employees is "where is item X?", then a robot or even a simple tablet and an app can solve this problem. For anything like advice there better still be humans. If these robots follow me around and bug me though I will not shop at lowes.

 

[Oldgamer]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/not-s...ut-robotic-shopping-assiciates-150411173.html



and it will never buy a darn thing in the Lowes store either.

Offshore everything that can be offshored and replace the remaining McService jobs with robots. So at some point, who is going to be left with enough money to buy any of the stuff?

I guess we all get to live at home off the government. If that's the case and you can't beat them, join them. Bring it on.

and for the benefits comment, lol. A min. wage worker will cost about $15,000 if working full time and MOST of those people don't get a dime in benefits. I suppose it costs more for a few areas that have already raised minimum wage.

In the end though that Robot will cost them business and the maintenance on it will probably put their costs well over what a basic paid worker would have cost them. That is just my prediction.. lol

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Boom!!!! Confetti

 

[PokerGuy]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/not-s...ut-robotic-shopping-assiciates-150411173.html

and it will never buy a darn thing in the Lowes store either.

Offshore everything that can be offshored and replace the remaining McService jobs with robots. So at some point, who is going to be left with enough money to buy any of the stuff?

I guess we all get to live at home off the government. If that's the case and you can't beat them, join them. Bring it on.

and for the benefits comment, lol. A min. wage worker will cost about $15,000 if working full time and MOST of those people don't get a dime in benefits. I suppose it costs more for a few areas that have already raised minimum wage.

So you're against automation of processes? Are you against using technology to make any process more efficient or just this particular one? If mcdonalds figures out a way to have customers easily and efficiently order for themselves on a screen instead of paying someone min wage to do it, should they refrain from doing so? Are you going to complain that robots do most of the work in building cars?

Whether use of such robots enhance or detract from the customer experience remains to be seen (hence the company is testing it out), but there's nothing wrong with trying to reduce expenses through automation.

In many (most?) cases, as a business, your employees are your biggest asset. They are the face of the organization and have a big impact on the customer experience. That doesn't mean you don't always continue to seek out ways to reduce expenses. You'd better believe your competitors are seeking out ways to reduce expenses and beat you.....

 

[WackyDan]

Well, the goal ain't to replace the Coke machines . . .

Lowes is one of the few remaining stores where one can find knowledgeable, helpful employees, so I'm not at all surprised that management is searching for a way to fix that.

The problem is when you go during peak hours and you simply need direction to something in the store... You can only staff a reasonable amount of employees for that portion of the shift so a bot or two would help take care of the low brain power stuff... telling people what aisle number they need to look in or escorting them to the aisle and section of inventory based on RFID or something. I don't need a Lowes human for that. I need a Lowes human that has knowledge about a piece or part... And I'd like to have more access to them when I need it... Which means if the bot can prevent them from taking 5 minutes to escort a customer to the hardware aisle, I might get my question asked sooner.

 

[spacejamz]

and yet if Best Buy offered a robot to help customers out, I would bet that nearly everyone here would be jumping for joy....

 

[PokerGuy]

In the end though that Robot will cost them business and the maintenance on it will probably put their costs well over what a basic paid worker would have cost them. That is just my prediction.. lol

... and if you are correct, then they will figure that out and change course again. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[PokerGuy]

Lowes is one of the few remaining stores where one can find knowledgeable, helpful employees, so I'm not at all surprised that management is searching for a way to fix that.

It all depends what how they'd use the robots. Having a knowledgeable person there at lowes adds great value for me as a customer. You don't need to have a knowledgeable person there for all customer needs though, if I just need to know where to find something, a machine will do perfectly well. As long as when I need someone with more knowledge it's easy to find one, I'll be happy.

 

[bshole]

Since most of the time my only question to lowes employees is "where is item X?", then a robot or even a simple tablet and an app can solve this problem. For anything like advice there better still be humans. If these robots follow me around and bug me though I will not shop at lowes.

I am thinking of sexually harassing one of the robots. I could totally get away with it. I just hope Nehalem doesn't beat me to it.

 

[CPA]

Well, the goal ain't to replace the Coke machines . . .

Lowes is one of the few remaining stores where one can find knowledgeable, helpful employees, so I'm not at all surprised that management is searching for a way to fix that.

Uh, which Lowe's do you go to? Mine, the only helpful, somewhat knowledgeable employee is the guy in the plumbing department. Any other area, I'm lucky to find someone, and forget about the flooring department, that guy is straight up rude.

 

[realibrad]

Interesting. An Engineer who is anti automation. Funny how we should be for efficiency up until the point where a person might lose a job. We totally need to get rid of all modern inventions, and go back to the stone age. Imagine all the people who would be employed if we had to build shit by hand.

 

[OutHouse]

Lowes is one of the few remaining stores where one can find knowledgeable, helpful employees,

lol not the one in my town. they did at first when it opened but now the employees are no different than getting help in the hardware section of Target, just different colored shirts.

 

[Subyman]

Robot needs maturity coverage IMO.

 

[smackababy]

lol not the one in my town. they did at first when it opened but now the employees are no different than getting help in the hardware section of Target, just different colored shirts.

This. If the robot is 1% more helpful than the morons at my local Lowes, I'd be happy to pay 1% more on everything in the store.

 

[xBiffx]

Buwhahahahahahahahahahahahaah!

Are you serious? That's always the goal.

We've had this argument before. No, it simply isn't always the goal. You should know better.

So now Lowes has to hire people to support these robots. People most certainly making more than the cashier or floor sales associate the robot may have replaced. Don't see how it leading to less people working or less money in the economy for that matter.