Lowe’s Missoula Shopping Guide: An Informed Visitor’s Perspective

Why You Should Visit

• Exceptional Individual Staff Experiences: You’ll find incredibly helpful and dedicated employees. One shopper raved about Dillon’s exceptional assistance, providing a 10/10 experience. Another highlighted the patience and professionalism of multiple staff members during a complex return process, even amid computer issues. A delivery team, Luis and Elvin, received praise for their helpfulness and politeness.
• Competitive Pricing (Occasionally): While some items are cheaper on Amazon, there are instances where prices are competitive, even significantly lower. One reviewer found Rockwool 60% cheaper at this location compared to another, after traveling 15 hours. The store does offer appliances, including dishwashers, ranges, microwaves and washing machines.
• Convenient Location (for certain shoppers): While the location is described as the only one within a 4-hour drive for some, it remains their go-to store, suggesting convenience for a significant portion of the customer base.
• Good Stock (Sometimes): While stock inconsistencies are mentioned, the store does carry a wide variety of items, including unistrut (though phone confirmation is challenging, as seen below).

Why You Might Consider Alternatives

• Unreliable Phone Support: Be aware that contacting the store by phone is extremely difficult. Multiple reviewers reported prolonged wait times (over 30 minutes) without ever reaching an employee. This severely impacts the ability to check stock before visiting.
• Online Stock Inaccuracy: You can expect significant discrepancies between online stock availability and in-store reality. Repeatedly, shoppers found items listed online as available were actually out of stock, requiring trips to other locations or even significantly longer travel for needed materials. This is especially crucial for large projects like home building.
• Inconsistent In-Store Service and Support: The experience appears significantly inconsistent, with reports of helpful staff juxtaposed with exceptionally rude or unhelpful staff, particularly in the doors/windows department. Expect significant delays if needing a flatbed cart.
• Installation Issues: The appliance and carpet installation processes present serious risks. Numerous instances describe incorrect carpet color installations (with inadequate compensation), appliance delivery failures (with significant inconvenience and minimal recourse) and installation rescheduling without communication. One instance involved a no-show for an appliance installation leading to a 3-4 week delay for the dishwasher.
• High-Value Purchases Pose Risks: Considering the issues with stock, returns, and installation, shoppers should carefully weigh potential problems before purchasing expensive items such as appliances or carpet. The store’s response to problems with high cost items is cited as insufficient.