Lowe’s is hiring 500 employees for its Albuquerque call center between now and October, expanding its local customer-service staff by 83 percent, the company announced Wednesday.
It’s part of a 1,700-person hiring surge nationally, with positions to be added at the other call centers in Wilkesboro, N.C., and Indianapolis.
In Albuquerque, the openings are for full-time, permanent employees who will help customers process orders, schedule repairs and ask questions about specific products.
Sarah Lively, a corporate spokeswoman, said in an email that pay will vary based on position, and standard benefits will be offered. Among the benefits is the company’s new “Give-Back Program,” which pays full-time employees for doing eight hours of community service annually, she said.
The home-improvement chain earlier this year laid off thousands of employees nationwide because of a new “store model.” Lively said the layoffs cut one or two assistant store manager positions at each of its stores. Albuquerque has four Lowe’s outlets.
The changes come as the company tries to shift some of its focus to its online arm, requiring more customer support representatives, Lively said.
Lowe’s employs over 1,000 people at its Albuquerque locations, including 600 at the support center on Jefferson and Osuna.
“It’s very exciting,” site director Mark Mills said in a phone interview. “The new employees will work at our current location. There isn’t any new construction planned… and our current management staff is in a good position to handle the increase.”
More information is available here. A high school or equivalency diploma is required, and one year of customer service experience is preferred.
“We are looking for career-minded individuals who love customer service,” said Mills.
