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.