Saturday, June 30, 2007

Inside Scoop From a Store Manager: "Humans are nothing more than a wet napkin for Wal-Mart to use and toss."

I was a salaried manager for Wal-Mart for seven years. I sacrificed time, my life, my safety and my health for this sacrilege. Wal-Mart cares NOTHING about the human lives that stock their shelves and ring the sales. I worked as many as 80 hours a week plus driving 1 hour either way to and from work never working less than 50 hours a week.

I saw hourly's who cared about their work and their job get railroaded by store managers or co-managers because they spoke up about wrongs that were being committed. The "open door policy" they preach is a joke. They use that to make the average assoc. think there's no need for a union.

It's the "OUT THE DOOR" policy.

I wrote an open door letter to the Regional Vice President of my area with the words specifically in bold that said "Not to be read by anyone other than the person to whom this is addressed" . I get a phone call from the Regional Personnel director.. not the person it was addressed to. .

Then I had a meeting with the Market Personnel Manager, and she had a copy of the letter I sent, all pages including the back page with the statement on it. I knew at that point that even though everything that I spoke about in the letter was a true problem with in the store I worked at and that my concern was for the hourly assoc. in that store, none of it mattered and I had signed my own termination papers by writing the letter. I spoke of ethics issues (known theft by employees and store manager doing NOTHING about it, doctoring #'s to make profits look better ect. )

Unethical treatment of hourly assoc. by salaried managers (verbal abuse,railroading ect.) Poor store management as a whole. (some managers like myself that had 99 of 230 hourly assoc. with 10 other managers who had little or nothing) I had the following areas to run by myself, Cashiers, Customer Service Managers, People Greeters, Stock Man, Accounting, Personnel, Customer Service Desk, GM ICS, Grocery ICS, Unloaders, Women's Wear, Men's Wear, Girls Wear, Lingerie, Boys Wear, Accessories, Jewelry, Fitting Room, Shoes, Claims, UPC, Invoicing, DSD and Directs. That is more than half of the store on ONE manager.

I wrote my letter in Jan. and they continued to pile more and more on me. I was working 80+ hours a week doing everything I could to make things work well and to do the best that I could at my job for my hourly assoc.

They fired the store manager in June (or rather they gave her the option to quit) I knew that my time was limited from there on out.. They waited for me to get them through 4th of July weekend and on the 7th of July they fired me. No real reason given, No previous coaching, above standard evals, they didn't have to give a reason I'm in a right to work state, I didn't sign my green sheet and I left peacefully. I knew from the moment that I was called by the Reg. Personnel Mgr. my time was limited.

I was a loud mouth that was willing to speak about their "secrets" but I was strong and knowledgeable so they would use me until they got a new store manager in there.(myself and another asst. ran the store for two weeks while the Co was on vacation )

I know that it was a blessing (my blood pressure went down and I'm much healthier not working and driving so much) I wish the average person would understand that what happened to me and the others that post on here is not "the one in a million" it's the NORM.

Humans are nothing more than a wet napkin for Wal-Mart to use and toss. When you show them you are unwilling to take things lying down and use your voice and morals they push you hoping you'll break and go away. Wal-Mart is like all other corporations with one thing different.

They have sold the general public on the LIE that they actually give a crap about the people that work for them. No one else has used that as a claim to fame, Wal-Mart has banked on this lie and made much money from it.

I know that there are good stores out there but far and above the Home Office direction to always DO MORE WITH LESS and working understaffed all the times is what is normal. The public in general can't see things for what they are every story like mine needs to be taken as a whole and seen for the big picture that it paints. I worthless greedy underhanded disrespecting sweatshop corporation.

Thank you for letting me say my piece. Be Blessed and Be safe...

Saturday, June 23, 2007

What Wal-Mart Is Made Of

LETTER SENT TO WAL-MART:

"I just had an absolutely disgusting experience at your Northampton, MA store. Due to construction the men's bathroom is unavailable and been temporarily replaced by a portable toilet in front of the store.

Apparently your company is too incompetent and/or cheap to make sure this toilet is kept clean and emptied regularly, as the toilet was overflowing into the parking lot, with a continuous stream of effluent running across the path of customers coming and going on a hot sunny day.

People were actively tracking this mess into your store.

I had to load my family back into the car and move to a different parking spot just to be able to enter the store for an important purchase, so my 3 young children would not have to walk through urine and feces just to shop Walmart.

Comments made to employees, including one manager, were met with responses like "that's the kind of company this is." I tended to agree already, as you are clearly unwilling to invest $ in such basic upkeep as repairing broken carts (virtually every shopping one there squeaks, clunks or rattles in some way, and are ALWAYS put away without the slightest effort to clean out any junk left behind by previous customers).

Also, how hard is it to replace the checkout belt dividers when they are lost, so my order is not confused with other customers'--which has happened to me more than once?

At any rate, I have called the Board of Health about your nauseating toilet situation and encouraged them to shut down your cesspool of a store and fine you heavily for your negligence.

I will never patronize any of your locations again (Target is a far better corporate citizen and a much more pleasant shopping experience--for prices at most 1% higher), and I plan to tell everyone I think will hear just how apathetic you obviously are about the conditions your customers face in your store."

Thursday, June 14, 2007

I, hereby tender my resignation from Wal-Mart

I, XXXX XXXXX, hereby tender my resignation from Wal-Mart.

Some parting thoughts:

I started working at Wal-Mart in the mid-80s because I thought it was a respectable, value-based company that would provide stable long-term employment. Over the course of eight years—and seven different stores—it became clear that the company’s focus was not, in fact, on customer service and respect for its employees.

In a capitalist, consumer-based society, any for-profit business’s main objective is to achieve a marginal financial gain each year. I believe Sam Walton was achieving this goal, as well as maintaining a high level of respect for his customers and employees. It has become increasingly clear, since Sam Walton’s death, that Wal-Mart is solely focused on high profit margins and market domination.

Many companies tend to practice this approach—both eyes on the bottom line, and neither on the very people who are making those successes happen. This practice, which inevitably oppresses employees, will ultimately result in the demise of these companies.

This lack of respect also results in the hiring and promoting of unqualified, inadequate managers.

Any associate with good values and a conscience can see that this practice has become more prevalent in recent years, obviously for the sake of company growth and profitability. This fact creates animosity within lower-level associates toward both management teams and the company as a whole.

On several occasions, I was encouraged by managers to pursue entry into the management training program. A reasonable individual would not pursue such a career for a company that has such little respect for its employees. Managers are trained to manage product, not individuals, thus creating an inadequate and ineffective business atmosphere. Because of this practice, customer service at Wal-Mart has become deplorable.

Society in general is seeing this because such a great number of people have worked and shopped at Wal-Mart. A prime example of this truth is in the number of times the company has been sued in recent years; the lawsuits haven’t piled up because of the company’s sheer size but because of its neglect of its own employees, and thus, its customers.

The benefits that a company offers should reflect the degree of success it has had. In Wal-Mart’s case, they do not and never have. It’s obvious that the company is shifting its profits toward expansion—particularly in areas where markets are already saturated by Wal-Mart stores—rather than to the development of employees and customer relations.

Appointed CEO Lee Scott has repeatedly stated that the reason for this expansion is to keep Wal-Mart’s stock price rising—to benefit its investors. I know for a fact that’s just one way to provide revenue for investors. This can be accomplished in other ways: Reinvest a greater portion of profits into improvements in training programs, equipment, and employee benefits packages. These changes would result in more satisfied employees, happier customers, and a global perception of Wal-Mart as a respectable company.

I believe that Sam Walton’s values were more geared toward the employee; since his passing, the company’s direction has shifted more toward higher profit at any cost. I believe this approach does produce great profits—though they’ll be brief—because it strays from Sam’s original business directive: to provide lower-income families with good products at a reasonable price, while providing a satisfying, rewarding work experience for his employees.

The Walton company’s current regime is building a fragile success upon this fact: Wal-Mart sells, at a low price, disposable products to a throwaway society. I believe Sam would be impressed with the company’s sheer size and growth over the years, but would be disgusted by the company’s ignorance of its own founding principles.

Wal-Mart was founded on good business values and a focus on customer service. Now success is measured by a pure profit-to-growth ratio, without valuing its customers’—or its employees’—role in the modern business environment.

Upon request, I can provide numerous examples of the negligence and ignorance of Wal-Mart management. Each year I hoped that this trend would turn around, but it only grew worse.

During my tenure at Wal-Mart, I’ve met two assistant managers—neither in this store—that were worthy of the title Assistant Manager. These two individuals had both people and product management skills which were not, I know for fact, derived from the Wal-Mart training curriculum. They possessed these skills naturally, as very few people do.

The thing that I’m most upset about is that I’ve wasted eight years working for this horrible company.

My employment with Wal-Mart gave me a negative mindset and resulted in lower self-worth, a lack of respect for individuals, and depression. That’s why I’m greatly pleased with myself for ending this horrible chapter of my life.

My prediction and hope is that, within the next decade, Wal-Mart will begin to lose stock value and investors will realize that the company is on a steady decline from its once high level of greatness and respect, much like the inevitable fall of Rome.

Although I feel this way, I’d like to offer an opportunity to Wal-Mart’s board of directors: For the price of my travel and lodging expenses, which I know they can afford, I’d deliver a few lectures at the Arkansas office—at no additional cost—on how the company can maintain its profitability while being respectful of its employees. However, I know this offer will not be accepted, because closed, greed-focused minds would never appreciate positive, progressive thoughts on modern business techniques.

Sincerely,


XXXX XXXXX
Former Wal-Mart employee
XXX-XXX-XXXX

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Walmart Makes Employee Fill Out Forms While Squirting Out Blood

Here are some of the issues I have had in the 2 years I worked for wallyworld:

Was not trained in any of the positions I worked, then punished for not doing them correctly. I begged and pleaded with managers that told me they would help to actually do so, and they turned me away.

I have been cussed at, called names, been talking down to, degraded, and had produce tables knocked over in the floor by a co manager having some sort of mental episode, and nothing was ever done to him, despite me going through all the steps of the open door policy.

The open door policy is a joke, which I have tried to use in the past. I have since just given up on it, as the managers involved just seem to turn the issue around on you, and get you in trouble for being harassed by someone else.

One manager tells you to do something, then another writes you up for what the other manager said to do.

I was told by management that as department manager, I was required to work 7 days a week, 18 hours a day if necessary. I actually did this for awhile, until I felt that I was going to go crazy. Then I did for a while longer. I would literally go home crying every day from stress. It got to the point of me wanting to commit suicide before I stepped down.

An assistant manager gave me his password and username because he was incapable of using them himself. I was forced to do orders, finalize them, and do his paper work, because he threatened to fire me if I didn’t. when I went to him for help, he told me if he had to answer my questions, he didn’t need me.

I had a small accident at work involving a knife. Once I had my finger SEWED BACK ON I was made to come back and work the rest of the shift, with my finger barely hanging together. But that’s not all. When I first had the accident (where I severed my finger) they made me sit down and fill out paperwork for over an hour about taking drug tests, the whole thing was my fault, blah blah blah. I was squirting blood all over myself and they had me filling out paperwork!!!!!

Out of 17 managers or so, I can only think of about…..2 that have not flat out assaulted me either verbablly or other. I’m seriously thinking about sueing the living crap out of either the company or the specific managers who are in offense. Peace!!!!