What You Wish You Had Said

Today's blog is pretty straightforward. Looking back, was there ever a situation that you wish you had said something differently? Many times, the perfect response to a comment or situation does not present itself until hours or even days after the time has passed to say it. I think of a time when I was helping a lady with no legs and only one arm do her shopping. She was in a motorized cart that Walmart provides. Another customer with more-shall we say-girth?-complained because there wasn't a cart for her to use. I simply apologized for her inconvenience and continued to help the other customer. What I wish I had said was "Ma'am, I am sorry that the cruel fates have left you addicted to the four boxes of Twinkies and the case of Mountain Dew in your cart. I only hope that it doesn't sever three of your limbs the way it did this lady!" Of course the only words that she would have understood would have been Twinkies and Mountain Dew, but I would have felt better. Another example of this would be when a horrible third shift assistant joined the overnight crew of Pedro's. This person was more interested in flinging her hair and flirting with the support manager than she was in getting any real work done. On any given night,Katrina could be found walking the floor with her support managers, and casually looking over the merchandise and commenting on working associates or items that were for sale. Pedro told me that he was informed by this Katrina that the walkie-talkie he had been using at work for the past five years was unauthorized and would not be allowed any longer. I am certain that it had nothing to do with the conversations that were over heard between the support manager and her. I am also certain that any "meetings" that they had in the TLE stock room were strictly work related. Pedro wishes he had said "Listen Kate, I know that you have a pressing engagement with the support manager. But frankly, I am too busy answering the calls that you cannot answer while you are having sex with the associate, to worry about much of anything else." So short as this blog may be today, send me a message with the situation you have dealt with and what you wish you had said. I promise, even in my post-Turkey intoxication, I'll print the best ones. And you can thank me later.

Lap Dog Toadies

The title of today's post comes from an expression used by one of the coolest Walmart associates I have ever had the privilege to know. Erin is an older lady who used to be quite pleasant, I am sure. But the years of working at the courtesy desk took their toll on her. Too many years of listening to con artists try to return stereo boxes filled with bricks and other assorted crooked dealings have seemed to have stripped Erin of her faith in her fellow man. Or woman. While standing behind the courtesy desk, Erin has has a lot of time to observe her fellow associates. The one group that she saves the most scorn for is the group that never seems to have any work that is more important that kissing the butt of whoever they perceive to be in charge. And this group can switch puckers in mid sentence if they have to. Which brings me to the question-why would you demean yourself like that? Were you genetically enhanced to remove all self respect from your self? Or do you honestly think that this is how people move ahead in their jobs? Even the answer to the question fills me with pity. There are many other names for a lap dog toady. Some of the printable ones include :butt kisser, brown noser, and suck up. But they all have the same characteristics, don't they? They seem to be born with that sixth sense of ferreting out the person in charge and wheedling over there to them. It used to be a good time to watch a switch in management so that you could watch all the toadies bickering and jockeying for position. Watching that is better than stamp collecting any day. In my opinion,Walmart should have a special class for management that teaches them how to suss out these toadies and keep that at a distance. They might gain the respect of the associates who are actually working, and perhaps get rid of a few that aren't. But enough of the daydreams. This is another subject that I don't have an answer for. I am open to any (printable) suggestions for what to do about them. I'll be more than happy to pass on any ideas that work. And then everyone can just thank me later.

What Exactly are These People Paid for Anyway?

If you've ever worked for that great big bundle of retail wonderfulness for any length of time, there is a good chance that while you were, they had a hiring freeze. A hiring freeze is just what it sounds like- for a time Walmart will not hire any one. Well.... almost,not hire any one. If a good friend of a manager gets in a jam, they have been known to bend a few rules. But right before the end of a fiscal quarter, or right before a huge company expense is expected, or sometimes, if the manager is trying to make sure his or her bonus is big enough, they will institute a hiring freeze. If you are silly enough to think that this means that the company has enough people to run the store, and they just aren't hiring any more, put away your crack pipe. What this means, is that Walmart doesn't care if they are under-staffed. No one is getting hired until they can do it without dipping into bonus money. For the average associate, the bonus doesn't mean anything. They'll never see the corporate bonus- they'll be lucky to find the manager who even admits this bonus exists. But for the average associate, they are going to be pulled in five directions at once as they try to cover all the work that is expected of them. Just because there aren't enough people doesn't mean that the freight is going to slow down, silly boy. It only means that you better get your butt in gear to get it all put away before it's time to clock out and go home. You also better be limbered up because you are going to have to cover at least three departments for customer calls, straightening shelves(zoning) and working freight. I guess you should just keep telling yourself that it will be worth it when the bonuses are passed out. Riiiiiight. But not to get too far off point, if a store has this many hiring freezes, what exactly does the personnel department do? I know they have many important papers to shuffle as they look too busy to come out on the sales floor and help with a crunch, but when there is a hiring freeze, what exactly can they be doing to fill their 8 hour days? They aren't interviewing people to work for the company,they aren't submitting paperwork for new hires, in fact the paperwork for regular associates has got to be a routine that they can finish with their eyes closed. So why is the personnel department eating up all those payroll hours when there aren't any new associates to process? And while I am asking questions- why doesn't personnel work when the associates work-that is to say the majority of the associates. If you have a set schedule of evening hours, or weekends, the personnel associates might be an urban legend for all the times that you'll see them. Why don't they have the personnel there when the associates need them to be there- say some evening hours and weekends? Why should an associate have to take time out of the rest of their life and come into the store because the personnel people work banker's hours? But enough of that rant. Good luck trying to get it fixed. Anna told me that she's been asking that in grass roots meetings, and now survey opinion polls, for four years. She's still waiting on an answer. I suggested she ask Bentonville directly. If they ever answer her, I'll let you know what they said. And you can thank me later.

If In Doubt-Terminate

I've spoken many times before about people who have gotten a raw deal from that big Happy Retailer we all know and love. Here is someone I haven't mentioned yet. When I heard what happened to him, I shook my head in disbelief. It seems that Joe worked for that bundle of retail heaven- Walmart- for almost eight years. He had started in grocery and quickly worked his way into being a department manager. He took a chronically under performing dairy department, and had the area making a profit for the first time in years. To understand what that means, realize that most of the time, if the dairy department is breaking even, most stores are happy. Between price matches, wic, food stamps and many other reasons, the dairy department is not a huge money maker. Why do you think most stores keep it in the back of the building? It is so that you pass all the other things that you didn't realize you needed until you passed them on your crusade to the back of the store for milk. Most people have to have milk, that's a fact of life. But if the store keeps it up front and handy, how are you suppose to realize that you also need batteries, chocolate cookies, and probably cold medicine? So there you go. At any rate, back to Joe. Joe was not only making money with his department, he was also saving Walmart with their P&L. (To the uninitiated, P&L is profit and loss ) To quit speaking retail, that means that Joe was able to make money in the department and also, and more importantly, he was able to not lose money in the area by rotating his stock, keeping the dates current and not losing track of product. But enough of Retail 101. In a nut shell, Joe was doing a phenomenal job in his area. If only he had agreed to do the comanager at the time, he might still be stocking milk and rotating yogurt. But Joe had a girlfriend, a conscious, and a sense of right and wrong. So Joe said no, and the next thing he knew- he had to go. Walmart wasn't sure what to do about the problem, so they took care of it in the way that works best for them-Joe was terminated. Not for doing a great job-no. Joe was demoted from running the department, transferred, then harangued until he was terminated. If Joe was one minute late in clocking out for lunch, he was given a verbal warning. Before he knew what was happening, Joe was given a decision day(Walmart speak for a day off with pay to decide if you want to keep working for them) then on the very next opportunity, Joe was an ex-employee. But don't look to see that little story told in a commercial any time soon. Joe has a job now. Actually, Joe has three jobs now. They cover his bills, feed his family, and give him the luxury of knowing that he was right, and Walmart was wrong. He'd like to have the luxury of only working one job, but he's hopeful that in spite of recent elections, the economy will turn around soon. When it does, he hopes to quit at least one of his other jobs. And when I told him that I couldn't wait to write about his story, he said he would thank me later.

So You Say You Want to be Promoted?

I had a conversation with Donny over the weekend. It seems that he has decided that he wants to join the management team of a certain retailer that we don't need to mention by name. Donny has been with the company for about 18 months and thinks he has what it takes to join the salaried ranks. He also wants to move up, he could see himself as a store manager one day. So, Donny made his feelings known. At each of the last two evaluations that he received, he expressed a desire to move up in the company. How was that request met? For starters, even though Donny has made sure he is cross trained in virtually every department, he only received a "meets" on his last evaluation. His Assistant Manager told him that she was strongly urged not to give out "exceeds" due to budget restraints. When he asked if that would affect his desire to move up with the company, he was told no- it has no bearing on that whatsoever. Guess what? It does have a bearing on the chances of going into the management program and those chances are much smaller now because of his mediocre evaluation. So what can he do about it? In the words of the assistant manager with whom he spoke about it-jack squat. It seems that the assistant clued him in on a few things that he was unaware of. First of all, he did not realize that many of the tasks he performs on any given day are suppose to be done by someone else. Someone who is salaried and makes more money than him. Second, many of the things that he has been asked to do-and done- are so out of his job description as to be laughable. And the third reason he was told that he will not see the comfortable chair side of the management program is because he is too good to be replaced! Not too good to give an exceeds to, but he never misses work, never hesitates to go somewhere else in the store, and never needs more than minimal supervision. If Walmart could clone this guy, they'd be shipping him out of DC's any day now. So Donnie is in a quandary. If he keeps doing this well, perhaps they will finally reward him for all of his hard work. On the other hand, if he keeps making it this easy for his assistant manager, why would they ever want him to go? And anyone who has ever put on a blue vest knows that the easiest thing for the assistant manager is always the right answer. What should he do? I don't have a good answer for him. If the job market is better in his area of the world than it is in the rest of ours, I would think that he should start looking around. Otherwise, he better cross his fingers that a TARGET store comes into the area. He can take his knowledge and work ethic there and perhaps be appreciated. If that happens, I'm thinking that he'll thank me later.

Are Unions the Answer??

If I'm in the mood to start an argument in my family, I only need one word, really: Union. There, I said it, so you may want to duck when my family starts reading this blog. I don't really have any strong feelings for a union or against a union, I've never been a member of one and I don't know that I am missing out on anything. I've read that they make a lot of promises, but I don't know how many of those promises have been kept. I remember my step-Father, one of the greatest men I have ever known, and the union that he was in. That union kept voting for the overtime that was mandated, and one of the greatest men I have ever known ended up working himself to death. My Dad thought that unions were the only way to go. He proudly participated in his union until his forced medical retirement. Unfortunately, the only thing that I ever saw either of these two unions do was send a beautiful arrangement to the funerals of two good men. They were nice flowers, to be sure, but all things considered, I would rather have those two wonderful men back. Now the biggest boogie man that Walmart has in their arsenal is the dreaded union. Whenever the talk starts to head around to a possible union invasion, you can hear the butts of management get tighter than a snare drum. I am not kidding. With a couple of drumsticks, you could line up management and have one of those drum wars that I used to love to listen to when I was younger. But is a union the answer? I don't know. I know that Walmart is not shy about closing a store that has a union in it. What can a union do for you? Can they get better insurance for you or could they just ask for better insurance? I've written before about my opinion on answering the insurance problem, so if you want that, look back through the older posts and you'll find it. Can they get more hours for you? Or would you have to work more hours to cover your union dues? Again, I don't know. Let me be clear when I say that I have never been a member of a union. I have family that is or was in a union, and the results are somewhat mixed. One of the center pieces for Walmart's anti-union rhetoric is the pat piece "Our associates don't need anyone to speak for them, they do a very good job of speaking for themselves!" That sounds nice, doesn't it? I mean-there is Walmart giving recognition and praise to their hard working associates. Or are they simply blowing smoke up the butt of those very associates so that they don't want to organize? I know that union membership is down from its heydays when they did real good with miners and such. I know that if they were able to unionize Walmart and it's huge legions of employees, the coffers would be overflowing in most unions again. But what good could they actually do for the associates? If they ask for more money for the associates and Walmart says no-then what? A strike? Now what are you suppose to do for money? And what about the other benefits? Can a union guarantee that you will get better benefits than you have now? Can they guarantee you anything? For the kind of money that union fees add up to, I would like to have some rock hard guarantees in writing. Again, this is one of the few blogs I've written without a definite opinion to state. For myself, I don't know that a union could do any more for a Walmart associate than simply asking for what you want yourself. If you have a definite opinion, please feel free to let me know. I could be convinced either way. I cannot stress enough that my mind is not made up on this. My mind is made up that Walmart has got to find a way to treat their associates better and stop taking advantage of shadowy laws and statutes. If I had been able to sue Walmart when the illegal immigrants that they hired through an agency mixed bleach and ammonia and almost killed me, I might be able to afford some of the other things I would like to have instead of the medicine that I have got to have so I can continue to enjoy breathing. The constant little cough that I have wouldn't aggravate the people that I care about, and I might be able to do more things with my boys without having to suck on an inhaler every couple of hours. I wouldn't have nosebleeds every few hours, and I wouldn't have to keep checking my nostrils to make sure that I don't have blood running down my face. I would have never scared any of my sons with a bloody face that I didn't realize that I had, and I wouldn't have had to hide my face to make sure that I didn't scare him any more. I wouldn't have scars on my vocal cords that sometimes make my voice lower than the "fun girls" on an old episode of Andy Griffith. Or Suzanne Pleshette. So if you have the answer to the union question, please let me know. I would love to hear it, and I would thank you later.

Manager Trainee Program

Walmart is very proud of the fact that they promote so many of their managers from within the company.They make sure to mention it at every opportunity they can. They have it on posters in the back halls, signs in the offices, it's even in the break rooms. It looks great on paper. But take a closer look. If you walk through any of the stores and take a look at the hard workers there, in a few years they will still be there. Who are these people that are in the management program? Many, many of them are associates who are in college and join the happy Walmart program while in school. A few are regular associates who want to go further with the company. They are in training to be salaried managers and are pampered and cossetted as such. They do not have a real clue what it is like to work in a store in real circumstances, and they never will. Every moment of their well constructed day is overseen by another member of the Walmart management team. At no time are they ever left unattended or unobserved. From the time that they start, until the time that they go home,they are supervised and babysat. Perhaps there is a better way to train them. Here is another idea: any person who wishes to be a manager in the happiest retail heaven on earth should be required to work for two years in a store. Not as a designated management trainee, but as an associate. Making the money that an associate makes, and understanding what happens when your hours are cut or you have three hours of work, and two hours to finish it.Put them on the new program that accounts for every minute of your time, but doesn't factor in any time for customer service. These trainees shouldn't be singled out for any special treatment in those two years, just given work opportunities in every single department. Meet with them every week to see how they are progressing, perhaps even explain the reasons for some of the things that they are doing. Explain the reasons that management requires hours to be cut at times, but that the workload remains constant. At the end of their two year training period, there should not be a job that they cannot do. I would think that cutting keys, mixing paint, selling a fishing or hunting license, cutting fabric, or fixing a battery in a watch would be just another day at the office, so to speak. And hopefully, after two years of getting by on Walmart pay, they should have a huge empathy for any worker who clocks in everyday for the company. But I am sure that this is never going to happen.It would make way too much sense, wouldn't it? I've had many managers brag that they started out as a lowly cart pusher in the store. This may be, but somewhere along the line, they lost their way. At some point in the process of receiving( and lying about the existence of) huge bonuses- lowly associates have been dehumanized into cattle that simply do the grunt work. They have a grass roots meeting every year, try bringing this up. Let me know how that flies,okay? Don't be offended if I don't hold my breath though. If it actually works, you can thank me later.

When This Blog Hits One Thousand

The subject today required me to do a little stretching before I started patting myself on the back. You see, the goal that I had set for myself was to see if I could catch the attention of anyone with my opinions. When I began this, it never occurred to me to have a counter on it to keep track of visitors. First, I was curious. After that, I was amazed. Of course I have a few friends to thank for their word of very big mouth, but still, Thank You to everyone who has bothered to take a few minutes and read this. Now that I am finished with the schmoozing part of my blog, let's move on. Something surprisingly useful came from a recent visit to that anti Walmart site. I found a link to a program that is coming out about how the recent election of B.O. was helped quite a bit by the mainstream media. I know, I know, you are as shocked as me, right? I mean how could anyone misconstrue the non-stop barrage of endless criticisms and nitpicking as anything but good old fashioned satire? And let's not forget that first amendment right to twist the truth in the name of comedy. But the smear job that was done on Sarah Palin and John McCain was sickening. And after watching a piece I found on the Internet at the site http://www.howobamagotelected.com/ I was dumbfounded. I have never seen so many people who are hopelessly ignorant of not just the issues, but life in general that have agreed to appear with out having their faces altered in some way. Holy crap, I kept thinking of the term useful idiots. If you go to the video, you will see a parade of them. It gives you a scary glimpse in to just how powerful the media is now. Too many people believe that if they see or hear something over and over on television, that it must be true. Sort of like the Jedi Mind Trick that Eddie Murphy used to joke about. You can also find a bit on youtube of a radio program that interviewed people about why they liked B.O. The catch is, they attributed John McCain's ideas to B.O. The ignorant sheep that heard the ideas loved every one of them as long as they thought that the ideas were attributed to B.O. Yikes! The scary part is that we are stuck with the incompetent jackass and his whopping 142 days of experience for a while unless he does us all a favor and gets himself impeached. Given the stellar group of his known associates that shouldn't be too difficult, even for him. Of course, that means his wife will have to go back to being embarrassed by being an American again, but they loved her on that estrogen no IQ fest that they call The View. Maybe she can be on that program for a while. They keep rotating out the crazy seat on that one, anyway. I don't really care what either of them do so long as they get to it very quickly. Pray for our Country for the next two years. We are going to need it. You'll see. And if they're answered? Just thank me later.

Walmart Blows Revisited

Okay, I'll admit it. From time to time, when I want to feel better about myself, I still take a look through Walmart Blows.com. I know, I know, it's a lot like slowing down to watch them rinse the blood off the road, but when you want to feel better about yourself, there is nothing better. It even makes a crappy day surrounded by idiots go a little faster. Especially when you read the thing over longer periods of time. I'm not suggesting that you go there every day-Good Lord no, what kind of loser does that? What I am saying is that if you need to feel better about your situation,no matter how bleak that may be, take a look at some of the whiners that frequent this site. Make special note of the headlining losers who either moderate this thing or suck up to those who do. If someone has posted more than say...300 times in a year or two, am I wrong in thinking that they need a life? No, I am not. If you really want to stir them up, ask questions. Those deputy dawgs will have you outed for a corporate spy so quickly, you won't have time to spell paranoid loser. But enough of that. Thanksgiving is closing in on us and it made me think of some of the things that I am thankful for. I'll state the obvious one first: I have three boys that are the light of my life. When things are at their worst, I still have three reasons to get up every morning. But I am lucky that way. Perhaps the people who inhabit this site have nothing else in their lives? Maybe this is the best thing that they have going for them. If that is the case, my scorn and derision have shifted into pity. What a pathetic waste of time. But back to the things I am thankful for. I have a very good friend who is going through a rough patch in his life. But he still manages to scour the Internet so that he can tell me blond jokes I've never heard before. I suppose it's all in what you make of it. So if you are working for that retail slice of heaven, hang in there- at least you have a job, right? And if other news, political or personal have you down, just try to keep your head up. Better times are coming. You'll see. And then you can thank me later.

The Walmart F Word-Favoritism or Hope Still Stinks

I have often railed against the inadequacies of hope. I believe my exact words are "hope sucks." I still feel that way, and yet here I am, like a plain girl waiting by the phone on a Friday night. It could happen. And that is the part that just makes me furious. I just hate the up in the air, not knowing feeling. I suppose I could be an Eeyore sort of person, but why would you bother to get up in the mornings? I think the thing that I would most like to see is a sense of justice in the world. Maybe a sense that there really is a Divine Power and that this Power might be on my side. In a way that is a sort of favoritism, isn't it? And believe it or not, this was originally going to be about you-know-where and their endless displays of favoritism. But I started thinking about favoritism and that evolved into hope. That dreaded four letter word. I think the problem is that if you get disappointed enough, you start to be afraid of hope. As if just the audacity of such a thing is going to open you up to big disappointments. Who knows? I am still trying to figure out why this ended up being a blog about hope instead of the favoritism often displayed at a certain retail giant who shall remain nameless. Maybe it's about hope because of Melanie H. Now Melanie sent me a wickedly funny email about her store in Tennessee. It seems that Miss Melanie was up for a promotion to department manager, or whatever it is that they call them now, and believed that she had an excellent chance of getting the job. But she was completely unaware that another associate had gotten in the habit of chatting up one of the co-managers during smoking breaks, and other times. Guess who got the gig? Was it A) the associate who has been in the same department for the last three years, learning everything that there is to know about her area, and often taking on more responsibility so that she would have a realistic idea of what was expected of her? Or do you think it was B) the new guy who had a knack for always being up the butt of the co-manager no matter where she was. Come on people-I've quizzed you before. I shouldn't even have to tell any one who has ever worn a blue/red/green/tan vest the answer to this one. But just for fun (and for any newbies who may be reading my stuff for the first time) the answer is B. Melanie is so disgusted that she wants to transfer out of the department but has been asked to wait until the new department whatever- they- call- them- now- is ready to stand on his own two feet. I think the word I am looking for is chutzpah. Melanie feels like a used condom, and I can't say that I blame her. With the job market as tight as it is, she feels stuck, but the first chance that she gets, she is going to bolt. Can you blame her? She wants to work for a company that actually wants to promote the best person for the job, not the brownest nose. I hope she finds something quickly. If she does, I'll let you know. If it's a great new job with the unlimited possibilities that used to be Walmart, I'll also let you know where that mythical place is. Either way, you'll thank me later.

Crooked is as Crooked Does

I have to give credit to one of my favorite movies for today's title. I read the book by Winston Groom, and I think that the people who wrote the screen play did one heck of a job with the material that they had at hand. But enough of good movies. I had an interesting email from a Walmart associate who took offense with the way that I described the happiest bunch of retailers in the whole wide world. It would seem that anonymous (who emails me quite often, by the way) had his/her (?) tail in a twist because I was explaining the problem that another e-mailer (this one not anonymous, but shy) was having getting any help while they were trying to shop. I went on to explain that I have done the very job that I was complaining about. I know how frustrating it is to have an idiot customer with a ridiculous complaint. But when Walmart was still signing my checks, I had to take it. Now that I am free at last ,free at last, thank God almighty free at last-I feel I can criticize because as the saying goes-been there;Done that. But enough of my resume. There was a time when Walmart had an amazing base of loyalty. It was not that long ago when they were voted one of the "most admired companies" by I think Fortune 500. But something has happened, and not for the betterment of Walmart, it's associates, or it's customers. What happened? Well, it's pretty simple to put your finger on that. What seems to have happened is that Walmart has quit giving a crap about anything except their bottom line. All of the things that made it such an outstanding company is quickly getting shuttled off to the sidelines in a sacrifice to the almighty bottom line. Associates who have devoted a large part of their lives have been forced out the door. Why? Because it's more cost effective (read cheaper) for Walmart to replace an associate who is earning $17.00 dollars an hour with someone who is going to start at $6.50. And that associate who is starting off won't have 4 weeks of paid vacation coming to them. That new associate also won't be grandfathered in to double time on Sundays,either. Not too shabby for a company who is trying to save a few million in payroll, is it? Walmart used to be a great place to have a career. Now, any one who has had the intoxication of orientation wear off, can tell you that the ideas and scruples that used to be in place are no longer there. Not that very long ago, there was a memo floated around that was reputed to be from a higher up in the Walmart food chain. This higher up had released a memo explaining that if Walmart did away with the majority of their associates who had been with the company for more than 8 years, the savings that Walmart would enjoy would be astronomical (my word) actually in the words of the memo- "in the millions." Disclaimers were quickly released poo-pooing (again, my word) the validity of the memo, but fast forward a few years, and what is this I see? The floor littered with long term associates who have been cast aside like a used tissue. In my opinion this is crooked. Crooked and wrong. How much did Lee Scott get in bonuses last year? How much did the other higher ups receive? And before we forget, the perks that the regular old members of management receive are pretty sweet also. Maybe not golden parachutes- but still a lot better than the empty knapsacks that the hourly associates are given when they are cast asunder. What can be done? That part is hard to say. The media has been complaining and or defending Walmart for so long that most people are numb to the problems. But if something isn't done about this soon, many hard working people are going to have their world's turned upside down when they are terminated from the jobs that they have had for so long. Call someone and complain. Elected officials, newspapers, 1.800.WALMART, someone. If enough people turn the light of public scrutiny on this problem, maybe they will be forced to stop. And if someone you care about gets to save their job, you just might thank me later.

This Just IN

Are you no longer working for that Great Big Ball of Retail Fun known as Walmart? Did your employment end through no fault of your own? Have you tried to file for your unemployment benefits? Are you holding your breath? If you answered yes to that last one, for goodness sake-stop!! You will be passed out or brain damaged long before this battle is over. For cost cutting reasons, the biggest retail giant in the world likes to fight every claim for unemployment benefits tooth and nail. They even have associates whose job is to go to court to fight these claims for them. That must be a job that makes you feel great at the end of the day, isn't it? I am certain that there are those people who are simply trying to milk the system for their extra time off with pay,however, I cannot believe the percentage of claims that Walmart fights is all because of lazy folks who don't really want to work. I find that it stretches the imagination to think that every person who files for unemployment is simply trying to get one over on Walmart. But I imagine that that is how they got to be the retail behemoth that they are, don't you? I guess taking care of the customers and the associates and making a profit just wasn't doable. So who got cut out of the loop-so to speak? Well, at first glance, it would appear that the associates are the one to get it. But how long before that trickles down to affect the customers? Will the customer get taken care of if the turnover rate in a store is so high that associates aren't in their jobs for any length of time? Will it affect sales (eventually) if customers aren't satisfied with the service that they are given? In a nut shell:yes. How can any industry expect to stay in business and treat the customer or it's employees so shabbily? The answer is that they can't. Sam Walton said to take care of the customer the way that you would want to be taken care of. It would seem that the folks in Bentonville may have forgotten this pearl of wisdom from the founder. If they want to send me an email, I'd be glad to send them a refresher course on Sam Walton's philosophies. I might even loan them a copy of a book or two. If they would take the time to reread them, I'll just bet that they would thank me later.

Walmart and Kmart- Such a Sense of Deja Vu

I spoke yesterday about the end of discount cards to associates until they are with the company for at least ninety days. That should work out well for the company and the money that they will save by not giving temporary hires access to one of the only good things about working at Walmart. It put me in mind of another former retail giant and some of the mistakes that they made. Back in the day, Kmart was the king of discount retail. It took over many chains-like Grants and others and formed them into one giant retail behemoth. But unfortunately for them-that is Kmart-they got lazy. And they also got sloppy.Fast forward some years and lo and behold-who is that filing for bankruptcy protection? Why it looks like that would be Kmart. Yes, Kmart. And who was that pounding the stake in the heart of the former retail giant? Again it looks like that could be Walmart. So what the heck happened? Part of the downfall can be contributed to Sam Walton dying. Not his fault, to be sure, I have no doubt that are a million things he would have rather done. Then Helen Walton died and any first generation concern that was invested in the company took a quick goodbye. So now what do we have? We have Lee Scott and company-good people perhaps- but not people who are invested in the company the way that Mr. Sam and Miss Helen were. To them Walmart is a paycheck it would seem, and the people who spend their lives clocking in every day are just the peons who make it happen. But that is just it. The people who clock in every day are the people who make it happen for the company every day. I have yet to see someone walk through those sliding doors looking for the corporate leader who can show them where the towels are. But, every day a customer walks through the doors of Walmart, looking for someone to help them find the things that they need. And when they don't find it? They walk right back out those doors and go to a store that does want to help them find what they are looking for. It might be a small time local store, or it could be another corporate giant like Target. Either way, Walmart has lost a sale, and if that customer likes the way that they are treated at the other store,then they have lost a customer. It gives me such a sense of deja vu, and I am so surprised that no one in Bentonville seems to be seeing the same things that I am. I wonder, will they see it before it is too late? Maybe if they do, they can give a heads up to the heads of the government that we have been inflicted with, thank you media and ACORN. But, then again, I could be dead wrong. It's happened before. I don't have any advice on what to say that will jump start Walmart into leaving the path they seem set on. If you do have any ideas for that, send them to Bentonville. I don't think that they will start listening to the grass roots results any time soon, but you never know, it could happen. And if it does, I'll bet Bentonville will thank me later.

Good Bye Discount Cards or The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves

I have such a sense of deja vu when I hear that Walmart is doing away with their discount cards- at least until you reach your 90 day anniversary. That should save the company a ton of money from temporary associates and Holiday help. I have to wonder- will they still be eligible for the Christmas party gifts and other assorted crap that the Happy Heaven of Retail provides? Will the associates who haven't been with the company for more than 90 days be given a certificate for an extra 10% off one item? Oh wait- that would be just 10% off one item since they don't get the original ten wouldn't it? Here comes a startling guess. I am going to amaze Karnac with my bold prediction that Walmart will have a huge decrease in big ticket items purchased by associates this Christmas, as all of the temporary hires and the new hires won't have a 20% incentive to purchase that new video game system, or television, or (insert big ticket item here). It seems a little like cutting off your nose to spite your face, but then what do I know? My common sense-o-meter seems to be spinning like a drunken sailor. One of the things that truly sets off the common sense-o-meter is the question as to why Walmart would be cutting hours from so many associates' schedules now when the Christmas blitz (or black Friday as it is known in a few stores) is only a couple of weeks away. What are they thinking? Are they thinking? My guess would be no. That puts me in mind of recent political events. (That was one smooth segue-no?) I have never been an economics major but I have studied history for more than a few years. Anyone who has read this blog from the beginning knows that I am a news junkie. So when people talk about charging more taxes to wealthy Americans and successful companies-it begs the question: Are you stupid? Critics like to complain about the Ronald Reagan trickle down economics theory, but you can't deny that it worked. With only a small blip that the left-wing hysterical media screamed about as if it were the end of days-Ronald Reagan presided over some of the best economic times that this country has ever seen. We had $.59 cent gasoline and the economy was humming. He took care of the ne'er do wells that sought to harm our amazing country and he made people proud to be Americans again. And after the Jimmy Carter debacle, he made it so that we as a country could stand tall in the eyes of the world again. God Bless Ronald Reagan. But now we seem to have the anti-Reagan in B.O. Does he honestly believe that taxing wealthy people is going to stop with the tax on them? If he doesn't believe in trickle down prosperity, he is in for a rude awakening with trickle down declines. That would be when wealthy people feel poor. They don't seem to care for that sensation and it causes them to stop buying things and save their money until they feel wealthy again. One of the biggest problems with that is the things that they are buying are the things that the other ninety five percent of us are making our living by selling or creating. If the wealthy are too cheap to buy a new set of golf clubs-then you guessed it-the guy or girl making the golf clubs is going to get laid off. And the person waiting tables at the restaurant is going to see a huge decline in tips when the well off quit eating out as much. Do you follow what I am saying? Is it fair? I couldn't tell you that. The wealthy people who have the money are just as entitled to their money as I would be if I were smart enough and or lucky enough to earn/inherit it. Do I envy them? Does a frog bump his butt when he hops? But am I in favor of some huge wealth redistribution? We covered that in my ninth grade civics class. It's called socialism. As Ferris Bueller said once, "I don't believe in any -ism." I especially don't believe in socialism. Or socialists. Even if ACORN did help get one elected. But back to the ever popular subject at hand. Ask a manager at a Walmart what the logic is behind removing one of the best perks for temporary and new hires. When you don't like the non-answer that the manager spins for you-try 1.800.WALMART. Ask a suit in Bentonville, maybe you'll get a better answer. And if you do, maybe you'll thank me later.

Cheap Crap from China

When did we stop manufacturing things in this country? Do you recall any of the old commercials for Walmart that used to brag about all the things on the shelf that were Made in America? Do you remember any of the commercials that Walmart used to make that bragged about the companies that were rescued from bankruptcy by Walmart purchasing their products? Have you looked for any lately? If you do, I hope that you have better luck than I did last night. I couldn't sleep. A storm had blown up and I wanted to get out of the house for a while, you know how that is. So being in a small town, I went to the only thing that is open at 2:30 a.m. The associates were stocking the shelves, and I mostly tried to stay out of the way. There is nothing worse than dodging customers all night while trying to put things on the shelf. Especially if you are being timed on how quickly you put those things on the shelf. Speaking of the new "timing" policy that Walmart has instated-what happens if a customer needs help with something? Are you supposed to ignore the customer who needs cut fabric because it will throw off your count? Or are you suppose to take care of the customer and get yelled at( or even coached-which is the way that Walmart yells at you) for not getting the merchandise on the shelf in time? It makes me wonder what the new priority is for that retail giant with a heart. At any rate-what ever the product is that you are putting on the shelf-odds are that it was not made in this country. I hate NAFTA. One of the few things that I agreed with wholehearted was the derision that H. Ross Perot heaped on this particular treaty. I would love to hear from someone that could tell me what exactly it is that we get from any of the "trade partners" that we couldn't make better right here. In the town that I live in, the biggest company that actually makes anything is the one that makes cardboard boxes. What a huge benefit to the global economy that is! Never mind the televisions, electronic equipment or even a simple old widget-we are standing proud behind the boxes that we make. Presumably to package all the crap that we get from other countries. But I am straying away from the point that I was trying to make. I know that the Walmart buyers are busy every day finding the things that I am supposed to be unable to live without. But I wish once, just once, they could take a look at some of the things that are manufactured right here in our country- not shipped south or north by NAFTA, but honest to God made right here in this country and buy those things to sell from Walmart. Not that long ago Walmart considered stepping into the banking market. Instead of doing that, why doesn't Walmart begin a fund that could bankroll some of these smaller companies that need help to start out and create a lot of jobs right here! I know B.O. has all these tax credits and welfare flimflam that will create more government jobs but I was thinking that it would be really cool if we could create some real jobs that didn't require even more government interference. Then, Walmart could proudly stock those things to sell, people would buy them, and wham mo- you are looking at the finest things that capitalism has to offer. It's just a thought, but I am sure the potentially millions of people with the newly created good jobs would thank me later.

That Was Fast

Sam Walton died on April 6, 1992. How quickly would you say his company went to heck in a handbasket? Was it when his son was killed? Or maybe you think it was when his wife died. Perhaps when Lee Scott took over? Whatever the date that you pick, you cannot deny that this is not the company that Sam Walton spun out of whole cloth. It's not even recognizable, is it? When Sam Walton was alive- the open door was a real and valuable tool. Now it just seems to be run by tools. If you are looking for an answer to your problem, or even your concern, you may want to just keep looking. Because you are not going to find it here. It saddens me that something could die out in less than a generation. There was a time when the Walton name and the Walmart franchise was the fastest thing on the block. Sam Walton took a few rinky-dink stores and turned the enterprise into a huge corporation that employs more people than many small governments have on the payroll. But what happened? Where did the whole thing go horribly astray? I don't have an answer for that, but I would also like to know when some other things took a turn for the worse. When did this country get so far out of whack that hiring a socialist seemed like the best choice? Was Ronald Reagan that long ago that suddenly this loser seems like the best possible candidate for the job? Maybe we need a "none of the above" option on a ballot, so that we can just start the process over with a new batch of candidates. I think it should be considered. Seriously. And while we are at it, is there any chance that we can have a better process of screening some of these people? Maybe the pay is too low. There has to be something that can attract a better class of applicants. Ask your representatives about the "none of the above option." Seriously. You'll thank me later.

Take Care of the Customer?

Have you shopped at a Walmart lately? Did you feel like you were taken care of? Or just taken? After all, that is one of the founder- Sam Walton's- cornerstone beliefs. I have left there on more than one occasion, not so much feeling as though I had been taken care of, as hoping that Walmart was wearing a condom while they screwed me over. I know that sounds a little harsh, but considering what Walmart has done to so many customers and associates it is accurate. Nothing compares to the latest thing that Walmart does in some states. If you don't have a receipt, and you try to exchange something for the exact same thing- Walmart charges you sales tax on top of the sales tax that you have already paid! Are they thinking that somehow the cashier slipped up and didn't charge them the first time? Or are they thinking that here is a slick way to make a few dollars for nothing on every exchange transaction? Consider how many exchanges that Walmart does in any given state on any given day. Now imagine how much tax free money they stand to make on every return that doesn't have a receipt. Holy cow, can you say Mother Lode? And while we are discussing lodes, how much of that goes to the store managers in the form of some new bonus or other? I can understand why so many people are sacrificing their marriages and families on the altar of Walmart. I just don't know if it is worth it. The extra money is nice, to be sure, but what price do you pay for the twelve hour shifts and the missed opportunities with your family? But I digress. This post was supposed to be about taking care of the customer-or the lack thereof. In addition to paying double taxes on items that you exchange without a receipt- which would make the taxes in the 10 to 16 percent range in most states- what are they going to do at Christmas? Let's say that Grandma got you a fantastic new video game for the Holiday, but unfortunately, Uncle Leo got you the exact same really fantastic game. You don't need two of them do you? But if you try to return one of the fantastic games at the company that truly cares- on a forty dollar video game, the store is going to clear at least two extra dollars for every return. It should rack up to about twenty thousand extra dollars of money for nothing, over the whole exchange season post-Christmas. That's a nice bonus in almost any neighborhood, isn't it? I guess the thing to do is make sure you ask for the gift receipts this year, and whatever you do-don't lose the receipt! You'll thank me later.

Strive For Excellence?

Any poor sap who has spent more than five minutes working for Walmart can probably tell you the cornerstones of Mr. Sam's Beliefs. Say them with me : Respect for the Individual, Customer First, and Strive for Excellence. Don't you just feel warm all over, now? I have not one doubt in my mind that when Sam Walton first spouted those words, he meant every bit of it. How do you think he would feel now? I'm going to guess- not so good. Every time that I walk into a Walmart or Sam's Club, I have to believe that this is not what Sam had in mind. I've been in the back rooms, I've seen the posters with some of Mister Sam's more memorable quotes. Don't forget, I've sipped the kool-aid. But about the time that the drink wore off, I started to notice something. It was a real do as I say, not as I do sort of thing. If a customer came in with a product that they had obviously stolen and wanted a return, I would ask management to please come to the courtesy desk for customer assistance. Management, not wanting to interrupt her 14th cigarette break, would simply bellow to take care of the customer. Many times I have watched foolish sums of money go out the door because a manager couldn't or wouldn't come to the front of the store. Mr. Sam would be so proud, no? And even better than the no shows on the front end, were the conversations between a manager and an associate. A favorite memory is being overrun on the front end,two CSMs and lights flashing every where for my help. Two members of management were leaning on one of the empty registers and calling me on the radio from five feet away to tell me about a flashing light that was right beside them. I hope he didn't strain anything while he was leaning. The stories of useless management are only matched by the stories of useless associates who were working harder at not working than any project they were given. It's not their fault, I suppose. No one explained that there was going to be work involved in the hiring process, perhaps. Or, maybe they have been there so long that they feel they are not required to work as much as the other associates. Annie sent me an e-mail to tell me about her experience when she went in to see personnel while on a leave of absence. She had brought her new baby in to show off and in the process, all register trained floor help was requested on the front end. To the uninitiated, that means we are swamped up here and need your help. One of the two women who was fawning over the new baby quickly called the front end. "Have you called floor help?" she asked. "How about fabrics and crafts?" Have you tried sporting goods?" "How about the back room?" The one thing Annie remembers most is that the office associate spent more time trying to get out of work than she did doing anything. What would it have hurt to quit talking, get out of the chair, and go pitch in? Maybe some customers would have gotten taken care of a little faster. Maybe the lines at the registers would have moved a little faster. Maybe, just maybe, she would have had to do her job. I believe that in a retail establishment, the customer is king(or queen as the case may be.) I am pretty sure that it is all those people who come in to buy things that make it possible for Walmart to in turn pay salaries. So maybe, just maybe, the world's happiest retail giant should look into hiring people that actually want to do the job instead of keeping their thumbs in a warm place. Just a thought. And maybe, again, just maybe, they should consider having some of those back office hard workers come in on the weekend so that they can pitch in when the store is actually busy. I doubt anyone in Bentonville is paying attention to this. I'm still waiting on a response about an earlier problem. But it would be swell if they bothered to send me an email. I could explain many of the problems that they are having and the simple solutions that seem to be alluding them. I'll even bet that they would thank me later.

Respect for the Individual?

As any poor soul who has experienced a Walmart orientation can tell you, one of the first bits that they drill into you is the cornerstone beliefs of Sam Walton. The first one of those cornerstones is RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL. That sounds fantastic when you look at it, doesn't it? If one didn't know any better, they would be inclined to believe that Walmart is a company that truly, deeply cares, not just for the customer, but for the associates, as well. As they say, it sounds good on paper, doesn't it? I had an interesting conversation with Jenny, a former Walmart customer who needed an electric cart to get around the store. Jenny was told that she"would just have to wait" and would get one when they had another one to give her. The problem with that, Jenny only has one leg. For her to shop at all requires an electric cart; to maneuver through the super center on her own would be exhausting. So Jenny left the supercenter in question and shopped a different chain store. At this store, they not only gave her the cart she needed, but a floor worker actually walked to aisles with her to reach the things that she couldn't! There's a phrase for that kind of service, I think it might even be respect for the individual, what do you think? In posts past I have spoken about the problems at various Walmarts. None of them compare to something as blatant as this. A person who had a physical handicap should not be made to feel less important, in my opinion. That person definitely should not be made to feel like a second class customer,ever. I don't understand how customer service can break down to the point that something like this could even happen, but then what do I know? I wouldn't be surprised if Jenny isn't a whole lot happier with her grocery store now. I've said this before, but I'll keep repeating it, I suppose. Think about what the price really is on that deal you just got from the world's biggest retailer. The price might be higher than you realize. You'll thank me later.

Did He Just Say That???

After listening to many major media outlets defend the L.A. Times I am forced to recall some other over heard conversations. Granted, the other conversations weren't from a potential world leader but they were still important to me at the time. The things that BO is reported to have said have skipped right past embarrassing into full blown Oh no, You Didn't!! By telling me that a transcript was released and then refusing to give me that transcript again reminds me of when my son offered me a bite of cheesecake, then ate the whole thing while I slept. When I asked him why he didn't save me any, he told me that he had offered me a bite, but I had refused it. So if the L.A. Times was truly interested in having the truth come out instead of-oh say- hiding a potentially career ending gaffe, then they would have released the tape and transcript faster that you can set sail on the Monkey Business. The fact that Katie Couric and her ilk aren't still screaming from the rafters, leads me to believe that they might have been in on the fix. Integrity can't be manufactured. When you see that on a T-shirt, remember that you read it here first. Integrity is something that you have, and display at every opportunity or else it is something that you try to fake when the cameras get too close. Guess which category BO falls in? But back to those overheard conversations. A former CSM named Annette told me about a day when she was on the front end. Her store manager at the time was a bit of a hot head and prone to shooting his mouth off when he thought that he could bully you. As Annette was bringing change to a cashier, this exchange came over her walkie in full hearing of the many customers that were waiting. "Can someone tell me where the f*** my G**d*** walkie is so I don't have to keep using this piece of **** from the cash office?!" After turning her walkie down, Annette immediately apologized to all of the customers who were within earshot of this unprofessional tirade and went back to the podium. A few moments later, a call for her came over the walkie. When she called the extension requested, she was reprimanded for having her radio too loud! When she explained that she didn't have her radio any louder than normal, she was hung up on. Nice, isn't it? It was one of the motivations for leaving Walmart all together a few years ago, and one of the reasons that she doesn't even shop there now, no matter how low the prices may be. She doesn't want to run in to that bore, and I can understand why she feels that way. Consider integrity. Think about what makes a person honorable and trustworthy. Demand to see it not only in yourself, but in the people around you, even and especially our elected officials. You might just thank me later.

Double the Taxes but the Same Old Crap

I had a stupid thought cross my mind today, but honestly, I couldn't help it. With the help of ACORN and their multiple registrations of the same person, this country is in line to swear in the worst thing since the tie of Carter-Clinton. I have been reading all of the great plans that BO has for this country and all of these tax credits that he has offered. The one thing that keeps screaming through my mind is how does this idiot plan to pay for all of this??? I'm sure that his oft mentioned buddy-Warren Buffett has coached him on all of the ins and outs of flim-flamming the American public in what sounds to me like a classic game of three card Monty. Under this card we have tax credits for everyone making less than this much money(I can't put a figure here because his keeps changing.)And under this card we have everyone getting money back-even if they didn't pay in(what I was raised to believe is called welfare)And under the third card, we have the skyrocketing national debt, the fearlessness of some crackpot regime that is waiting to call BO's bluff, and the fawning national press who has no problem with a major news out let sitting on potentially vital information. How can someone get a tax refund, or credit, or whatever you want to spin it into when they have paid no money in?How is it fair that someone who has paid no money in will get a nice fat check back?And more importantly, how on God's green earth does this Marxist think we are going to pay for it all? Joe the Plumber is never going to get ahead at this rate is he?How can anyone think that this is not going to bankrupt the country?For that matter, how did anyone overlook the myriad of crooked people that BO hangs out with and not think that he is the worst thing since Carter/Clinton? At least the only real crooked person that Jimmy Carter hung out with was his brother. And Clinton may have had to settle out of court, but he was acquitted in his impeachment. The list of potential felons and ne'er do wells that BO chums around with could fill a book. How is BO supposed to look a Police Officer in the face and tell him he supports the work that he does knowing that one of his best pals tried to kill some of those fellow officers? Was he supporting them when his buddy the known terrorist Bill Ayers was plotting to kill them with bombs? And as for BO's claim that he was a child when this happened, he may have been a child when Bill first started trying to kill people, but he was a grown man when Mr. Ayers said that they didn't do enough in reference to the bombs they planted and lives that they destroyed.For that matter, how old was BO when his terrorist buddy said he understood the motivations of the people behind September 11th? And while we are on the subject of buddies- does BO have one at the Department of Immigration? I'll bet he does, and that that buddy will come in real handy when it's time to deport BO's Aunt that has been here in this country illegally for quite a while. I wonder how many times ACORN registered her to vote? It's said that charity begins at home. How about legal immigration? Shouldn't that begin at home also,BO? Well? I'll be listening closely to the answers he provides. A lot closer than BO was, I'm sure ,as his religious adviser of over twenty years filled the air with his hate filled anti-American rants. I hope BO listens better when my national security is at stake, but I'm not counting on it. I'm sure that some people will disagree, and please feel free to, at least until BO makes that as difficult as he has said he will make gun ownership.Marxism, anyone? All this talk of constitutional rights suppression has reminded me of something.I got a curious email today from a Walmart customer in Connecticut. It seems that she purchased the wrong color sheets and wanted to exchange them. She looked all around and could not find the receipt that she needed but went back to the store with the sheets and a copy of her credit card statement. To her fury, when all she wanted was an even exchange of sheets, she had to pay the sales tax twice. It was less than four dollars, but that is not the point, she explained to me. " I feel as though Walmart just charged me four dollars to exchange the wrong color sheets! Who gets to keep the extra $3.87 that I just paid? Do they have to pay taxes on that or is it just free money?" It would seem that she is not the only customer to complain about this. The state of Connecticut issued a classic non answer and said that they are aware that some people are unhappy. You think? So what do you think that adds up to in a day for Walmart? I'm going to guess thirty thousand dollars a week, and stand by that until someone tells me different. How would you like to make thirty thousand dollars a week and not have to pay taxes on it? That would be a pretty sweet deal, in my book. Or any book for that matter. Hasn't the government brought down crime families for less? I will be taking bets on how long Walmart is allowed to continue their double tax plan for the next week. It only costs 10 cents to buy a date in the pool and the winner gets to keep the money. But remember, you are not the biggest company in the world, so make sure you pay your taxes on it. You'll thank me later.

Read Mr.Sam's Book or -I don't Think This is What He had In Mind

Have you ever read a book by Sam Walton called Made In America? It explains Sam Walton in pretty straightforward terms, without a lot of hero worship. It doesn't paint him as the great Satan, nor does it make him seem like the retail messiah some would have you believe. He does talk a lot about the things that shaped his opinions, and why he did some of the things that he did. Many of the benefits that Walmart is famed for-their discount card, the help they give associates, the opportunity to buy stock through payroll deductions actually started out as suggestions from his wife. Some of the other parts of the book are pretty dry, unless you are the ultimate suck up or you have to write a term paper. Either way, it brings me to the question that has been plaguing me for weeks. Is this what Sam Walton had in mind? If he were able to take a walk through any number of stores that I can think of, and get close enough to a real associate to speak with him or her, would he like what he heard? I think not. Granted, I've never had a conversation with him, but yesterday I spoke to a lady that has. When Sherrie worked at the Walmart in Kendallville, Indiana, she was given an opportunity to speak with Sam Walton and to hear some of the things that he had to say firsthand. She found him very straightforward and approachable. He listened to everything that she had to say and did it without that glazed eye approach that so many members of the Walmart management team favor. He answered her question and then thanked her for bringing it to his attention. If you run into a throwback from the Sam Walton days, you may yet have a manager who thanks you for asking the question; but I doubt they mean it the way Sam Walton seemed to have meant it. Sam Walton believed in profit sharing with his managers. He thought that if he was good to them, they, in turn, would spread that around and share it with the associates. That was then. The spinning noise that you hear is Sam Walton rolling in his grave at the corporate greed that has manifested itself in his company. My Mother once told me that she believes any family owned company goes to hell when the founding generation passes. She is right on the money with the Walton's,isn't she? I don't think Helen Walton had grass on her grave before Walmart started implementing so many of the cost cutting practices that they use now. Managers still have a pretty sweet deal. They get a nice bonus that the average associate can only dream of. Watch them sometime if you work in a store. Have you noticed a time of the year when suddenly all the salaried members are making some big ticket purchases? A new boat, maybe, or they decide to build on to their home. The best part is when an assistant manager tells you with a perfectly straight face that the only bonus they get is the bonus you get. They must be better shoppers than I am. I can never seem to stretch my five hundred dollars that far. An even bigger farce is the new incentive program that Walmart has implemented. If you sip the koolaid, you will hear them tell you that your bonus could be as much as sixteen hundred dollars! And as soon as it is, trust me, they will find a way to knock it back down to five hundred dollars. Trust me on this. Another lady that works for the biggest hearted company in the whole wide world went on to tell me how her store tracked their bonuses. As the time drew near for the final reckoning, the figure went way down from the twelve hundred dollars that had been promised to just over seven hundred dollars. But the good thing was, all the salaried managers got brand new walkies to use, and the store manager redecorated his office! I just don't remember that part in Sam Walton's book. Maybe I should reread it? I suppose any bonus is better than a kick in the butt, especially in these economic times, but like I titled this piece, I don't think that's what Sam Walton had in mind. Read the book, you'll see what I mean. And I bet you just might thank me later.

Media 1, Democracy ZERO

I have said in blogs past that I am a media junkie. It started when I watched Bill Clinton get away with perjury and sexual harassment. I fell in love with watching pseudo-feminists explain that even if he did do it, it was still okay because he had done so much for the feminist cause in general. That made me wonder, how much more would he have had to do to get away with an actual murder in the eyes of these "feminists"?No offense, Mr. Kennedy. Then I listened to Jesse Jackson explain that he was the Clinton's spiritual counselor, and he believed in the good in Bill Clinton's heart. (Given the announcement of Reverend Jesse Jackson's illegitimate daughter, I have to wonder-who rubbed off on whom?)But I digress. The media has gone to great lengths to explain to me why I should or should not feel a certain way. I was told over and over that adultery is no big deal in Europe, and they could not understand the American obsession with it. I've never understood the European disregard for hygene, so we'll call that one a draw. But now the media has decided who the president should be, and God bless them, they suppressed enough information until they got their wish. Can you imagine if a conservative newspaper had information about ties between the NRA and John McCain, would they have sat on the information because of an agreement? The LA TIMES and the rest of that bunch would have been screaming from the top of the hills and suing anyone they could think of to break the story. (It wasn't that long ago when a certain bunch of media types made up a story, complete with phony email, if you recall.But I guess the reason they are holding off now is because they learned their lesson, right?Right.) But when this Los Angeles paper decided to sit on the story, it caused nary a whiff of outrage, did it? Where were the legal filings, screaming for information, where was the disbelief, the outrage, the scorn? I can tell you where they were- they were dead silent, hoping that the whole thing would blow over in a matter of hours. And lucky for them, another dog was wagged, and the collective national attention went elsewhere. So now that we know an election can be bought,what's next? It kind of makes anything the world's happiest corporation manages to do seem like no big deal. Terminate people because it's cheaper to replace them with new hires? Big deal, we've got an election to fix. Almost kill someone with fumes created by illegal workers with no training? So what-did you see the voter turn out that we had this year? Are they intimidating people into working off the clock? How can that matter with groups like ACORN helping honest, hardworking, repressed Americans register to vote 78 times apiece. At least. If you're looking for the truth,you might want to consider a radical thought. Turn off the television(or cancel your satelite/cable subscription), stop buying the newspaper that is filled with stories from an "honest" and "unbiased" bunch of folks like the associated press and listen to the radio for your news. Think about it. If every conservative thinking person decided to turn off and tune out of the liberal spin, that would save a huge amount of money for you, and totally hamstring the liberal media. How can they influence people who won't pay to listen to their blather anymore? It would be somewhat akin to shopping at your local hardware store and small town grocer for your family's needs, wouldn't it? Consider this: tuning out and shopping elsewhere might just be the answer for the next couple of years. Think about it, you'll thank me later.

Make Sure You Don't Hurt His Feelings....

September 11, 2001 was one of the worst days that I can recall. I remember my Mother asking me if I had turned on the television yet, and then telling me to hang up and do it. I was expecting to see some horrible accident or even something about someone that we knew. Instead, I saw a ton of billowing smoke, broken glass, and ash so thick it looked like a dusting of snow. I quickly went over to my Mother's house and we both watched in disbelief as the commentators showed the same horrors, over and over. One of the things that I dislike about 24 hour news is their penchant for repeating the same stories every thirty minutes. But this was a nightmare that did not seem to have an end. Later, when they broke the story of those heroes that fought back, it just made it even more heart breaking. An email that I received seems to make it even worse, if that is possible. On the same day when millions of people were risking(and losing) their own lives to save someone else's, Cassie was a CSM at a medium sized super center in the mid west. When she arrived at work that day, she was told that there was a CSM meeting at three o'clock. She rushed through all of the other things that she had to do to start her day, and at three promptly, she went into the back office for the meeting. Everyone was in a daze over the events. Customers were asked to leave all parcels and large bags at the courtesy desk for security reasons. A few did not want to, but for the most part, everyone understood and was cooperative. Then the meeting started. The associate who was in charge of community relations began the meeting with a long face. She explained that she was sure that everyone was aware of the terrible tragedy that had just happened and she wanted to make sure that no one said or did anything that would be offensive to the assistant manager who was a Muslim. That's right, you heard it the first time! Make sure that the Muslim manager didn't hear anything that he could construe as offensive, and direct all of the cashiers to be extra careful about what they said to each other, and to the customers! At first, I thought that Cassie was making a bad joke, but then I remembered who I was dealing with, and I knew that this is exactly something that Walmart would do. Trust the company that cares to turn one of the worst national tragedies into a festival of political correctness! At the time, Cassie just nodded her head along with the rest of them. It wasn't until later that she became angry over the way the whole thing was handled. Who was Walmart to tell her how to feel after something like that, and why would they be more concerned about the feeling of one person over everyone else there? I have said this many times before, but there are times when Walmart does something that surprises even me. Just when I am pretty sure that they can't top themselves, they do. I suppose I could have saved this particular conversation for next September, but it didn't seem like it would wait. Cassie doesn't work for Walmart any more. She had her fill about a year after this incident, but the way that conversation made her angry has stayed with her all these years. When she found this blog and read some of it, she thought I might be interested in some of this story, and she was right. She couldn't tell me if this was one person at the store who was assuming too much or if this was a company sanctioned talk, but either way, I understand why Cassie is still irritated about it seven years later. Watch the managers at your Walmart. Are they politically correct to a fault, or worse? Consider how they handle things like this and see if it's something you can stomach. You'll thank me later.

3rd Shift, or the Red-Headed Step Child

I have spoken with dozens of people who work for Walmart on third shift. Not surprisingly, they either love it or they hate it completely. Of the ones who love it, the thing they seem to love the most is the lack of customers. I can understand that. I have had to deal with the customer who was angry because they were charged 33 cents for something that was 3 for one dollar. I have had to pull out the piece of paper and actually do the math for them. But customers not withstanding, third shift is expected to do ALL of the things that didn't get accomplished during the day with the multiple code purples,(That's a store wide meeting for all associates who can get away-to the uninitiated)and general lack of ambition. From an earlier post, you may run into someone going to a Bar-B-Que or have other pressing matters at hand. But now that Walmart has this policy of holding you to task for every minute that you take to work the freight, what are you supposed to do about those pesky customers that insist on coming in to the store any way? If you stop to help them, you are going to be behind on your count for the night. And what if you are one of three people in the store who knows how to mix paint on third shift? Well, in a nutshell, you are screwed. But don't despair, I'm certain that there is a helpful support manager ready and willing to pick up the slack, right? Not according to Tina, an associate who spent a lot of time complaining about her support manager team. In this particular store, the two support managers spent five hours of every night walking around the store. Not working, mind you, or even following the Walmart policy of being out on the floor for customers and associates to approach. No, these two jewels were just walking around, looking at merchandise and having a big old time. One of the two jewels has been fired. It seems he found more money making illegal drugs, but his replacement is even less prepared to work than he was. He was replaced with a long term associate who is grandfathered in to many of the wonderful benefits that Walmart used to offer. She gets double time for working Sundays, not just an extra dollar. She also has an amazing knack of finding the least amount of work that needs to be done in an area, and staying there. Her compatriot is very popular with the management team, and goes out of her way to stay that way. All of this is just office politics, to be sure, but it puts a huge amount of pressure on the people who need this job for all those silly things, like food and shelter. I'm a bit of a night owl myself. I've always preferred staying up to getting up, but it seems to me, that there are 16 other hours for Walmart associates to get their work done. If you can find out why they push it all off on third shift, you just might thank me later.

Our Money and Your Life

I have said when I started this blog that I am absolutely amazed at what Walmart is able to get away with. I spoke to a very nice lady who is a people greeter. Her Husband is retired and as I have said in the past, she works to keep insurance for them. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? But when she had to go on a Leave of Absence to correct some leg problems that she has, Walmart in a fit of generosity told her that if she was unable to return after the leave of absence was over, then she was out of a job. Never mind that she was a loyal employee and had stopped merchandise from walking out the door on at least 7 different occasions, she was fired for not coming back in time. That is one big hearted company, isn't it? Another associate who asked to just be called Breezy, had a similar story. It seems that Breezy had been an associate for the company that cares for ten years. She hurt her knee in a riding accident and had to be on leave for twelve weeks. At the end of the twelve weeks, her knee had not recovered from the surgery to her doctor's satisfaction, and he would not release her. That was not a problem for Walmart, though. You guessed it- after 520 weeks of never missing a day of work, she was terminated for not coming back from leave in the prescribed amount of time. How can they look them selves in the face when they are brushing their teeth? A few years ago, a memo circulated around different sites that claimed to be from a company bigwig. The memo spelled out how much Walmart would save if it began a practice of shedding its associates that had been with the company for more than five years. The company quickly poo-poohed the idea, and said that it was just an ugly rumor. Riiiiight. Well, here it is a few years later, and would you look at that? So many long time associates are out the door and are not being replaced. That is some lucky break for Walmart. Especially when you consider that the average 8 year associate is making at least fifteen dollars an hour, and they are replaced with a $7.50 new hire. That works out well for the benefits department, also. Some of these new associates aren't going to qualify for insurance or any of the expensive benefits for quite a while. How much does that save the company that cares? Think about it when you are getting ready to start Christmas shopping. That cheap set of aftershave might have a higher price than you think. You'll thank me later.

So Who Does This Guy Know?

Once upon a time there was a Walmart in a smallish Midwestern town. And in this Walmart was a very creepy gentleman with a history of inappropriate comments to women. Not only did he have a history of creepy comments to other associates, but on three separate times he had been spoken to about sexual harassment of these very same women. Did A)Walmart fire this sexual harasser? Or B) Did they even reprimand him? Perhaps C)Was he terminated on Walmart's zero tolerance policy for such activities? Or D) Is he still working for the same company, doing the same things, over and over? Actually, this is a trick question. The answer is E) he was transferred to a different job and given a bump in pay. Now he works in a very stress free environment on third shift, doing almost nothing in a job that was tailor made and created for him. It's a wonderful company, isn't it? It is a wonderful feeling knowing that registered pedophiles*, and sexual harassers don't need to worry about job security . In all fairness, the pedophile has since left the store that he was employed in, but I think that has more to do with his ex wife than anything Walmart did. How does this happen? I can understand the concept of job security, and giving people another chance, but someone please tell me, how is it possible that a person with this kind of track record can continue to do the same things over and over? I am sure that it has nothing to do with the attorney I am told he brought in to his open door meeting. I am sure that it also has nothing to do with the deep pockets that his family has in this area. And I'm also sure that the three women who left Walmart because they were tired of the constant requests for dates, dinners, and sexual favors fron this lout never saw an ounce of justice from the company that is so proud of their zero tolerance policy. So if someone is sexually harrassing you at work, make sure you find out if they have any connections with the company. You'll thank me later. *earlier post

Why Don't They Practice What They Preach?

If you work for Walmart, do you have the company insurance? Does it stink, or what? Have you noticed the options that you have are getting smaller and smaller, while the price is on the left side of ridiculous? Have you ever sat there in dread, knowing that the meeting was coming up where they were going to tell you what your options were(take it or leave it) and about the fantastic wonderful new insurance programs that were coming? Walmart insurance reminds me of an old expression that I've heard tossed around a few times. It's like polishing a turd. The policies that they offer are so over priced, and the ones that aren't overpriced are insurance in name only. Why hasn't Walmart ever considered this: In every town where there is a Walmart located, there are at least one hundred employees who are going to need insurance because they don't have it or can't get it from their spouse's job. Why doesn't Walmart shop that pool of at least one hundred potential clients around to the local insurance companies? I have to believe that there are at least seven different small companies that would love the chance of bidding on a group policy for the one hundred or so associates in any given store. And the options that each individual company could give to the associates would more than outdo any thing that they can come up with in Bentonville. Plus, it would pump a lot of revenue into the local economy. Isn't that something that Walmart always takes a public relations hit for? So you would have all these local businesses with a vested interest in Walmart, and you would have local associates getting a better deal on insurance, plus, they would have a local place to take care of any problems that they had with their policies. Can someone please tell me the down side to it? I expect the folks in Bentonville who process the claims would have a problem, but a company that large could easily assimilate those associates into other jobs, couldn't they? Besides, anyone who has ever had to file a claim on their crappy Walmart policy knows that Blue Cross and Blue Shield who quickly tell you they only administer the policy, isn't a big loss if they were done away with. How much do they charge to do that anyway? I can only imagine what that adds to the price of the policy that isn't very good in the first place, can you? So mull it over and bring it up at the next grass roots meeting. (For the uninitiated, that's when Walmart pulls out a big PR coup and "listens" to the suggestions from the associates.) You know you'll thank me later.