College Shopping Center — Local services in Bakersfield

I'm 70 years young.. and sometimes I need a little help. I went to Lowes in college center Bakersfield CA. to buy a microwave because mine was no longer working. While I was checking prices I was constantly looking for anyone in a red apron. 2 passed the aisle I was on (all alone) but even though I waved to them they just kept going. I went over a couple of aisles and found someone helping someone else... and just quietly asked him if he could call someone from the appliance dept. He nodded yes. So I went back to the microwave aisle and waited another 10 minutes... Still no one came. I decided to leave and just give a dirty look to any red aprons I saw. Suddenly I found about 8 or 10 of them in a group... having a nice conversation. (Later I was told it was a training of some kind.) Finally a nice young man came to help me. He told me he was the "appliance specialist". I have to admit he knew his stuff and sold me the microwave of my dreams. Unfortunately, it was too heavy for me to try and put it in my car. I waited another 7 or 8 min to get someone to put it into my car... 3 or 4 guys with red aprons were just standing there... From behind them came a young woman who managed to get it in my car. I love Lowe's prices but some of their...

I remember when this was a swanky shopping center. There was a JC Penny's, Dunlop's Department Store, Crocker Bank, a grocer and I think a discount store, Woolworths, if I remember correctly. Those were the halcyon days. Then they kept building in the southwest of town. The Penny's moved their operations to the Valley Plaza Mall. Eventually the shopping center became nothing but a collection of dilapidated buildings. It became the center of a massive remodeling project that stalled. When Lowe's showed up they razed it to the ground and started over. As a shopping center it fails compared to what it once was. As a Lowe's, they could have made the parking easier to get a truck...

Lowe's is always a good experience. Friendly staff, when you can find one. But I think this is always a problem in these types of stores. Store is clean. Seems to be well stocked. Many of the staff have been there for many years. They also hire retired persons. Which is good, because they have the experience in many fields. Where many of the younger staff just don't have that Life experiences in they lives yet. A growing problem in this...