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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 8:14:24 PM
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PrincessDonna
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And...I worked there two separate times (18-19 and 22-24.5) and loved working there. I worked unloading trucks, as a cashier, customer service, and layaway. I never felt like cattle. My managers cared about me as a person. The store manager bought my kids Christmas presents herself when she found out Brian had been out of work over a year and unemployment had run out (YES, he was looking very hard!). I loved the discount. I loved dealing with MOST of the customers. I would work there again. I still have a lot of friends who do.
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He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.
~Psalm 145:19-20~
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 8:18:01 PM
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Roberta_
Posts: 7430
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When I first started working there, I loved it. However, the company changed.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 8:31:30 PM
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Consecrated2God
Posts: 5159
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Different stores are different. I never worked at Walmart, but I worked for a different chain company and loved one store and hated another.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 9:29:43 PM
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Roberta_
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But they are all ran by the same company.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 9:29:57 PM
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Johnny_
Posts: 395
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From: California
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quote:
ORIGINAL: PrincessDonna
And...I worked there two separate times (18-19 and 22-24.5) and loved working there. I worked unloading trucks, as a cashier, customer service, and layaway. I never felt like cattle. My managers cared about me as a person. The store manager bought my kids Christmas presents herself when she found out Brian had been out of work over a year and unemployment had run out (YES, he was looking very hard!). I loved the discount. I loved dealing with MOST of the customers. I would work there again. I still have a lot of friends who do. .
Did you see the documentary on Walmart last night by MSNBC? Well, the CEO Lee Scott said "we always hire our store managers from within the company." He went on to say that all their store managers and district managers started off as cashiers and regular associates at Walmart before getting promoted. Is this true or was Lee Scott trying to save face? If it is true, then I think that is a honorable thing to do.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 10:26:00 PM
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PrincessDonna
Posts: 10218
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From: Cow country, Upstate NY
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I'm not sure, but I know all the managers I knew had first worked the floor or the front end at one point. For how long, I don't know. I know my store would absolutely not hire a CSM off the street. Transfer from another store, yes, but off the street, no.
Around here, Walmart is a good, steady job. Many people won't qualify or afford their benefits, but that isn't unlike most other jobs here. Most people that work retail or service jobs have Family Health Plus through NY state. Right or wrong, it's the way it is.
Walmart is not putting people out of business in my community. It brought jobs for many and affordable shopping for all. We also don't have them on top of each other...the one I worked at is 25-30 minutes away, and two others are 45 minutes away, opposite directions.
_____________________________
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him;
He hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.
~Psalm 145:19-20~
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 10:50:58 PM
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Johnny_
Posts: 395
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From: California
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quote:
ORIGINAL: PrincessDonna
Walmart is not putting people out of business in my community. It brought jobs for many and affordable shopping for all.
I absolutely agree. The Walmart/Sams Club that I shop at is located in La Habra which is in the suburb of Los Angeles. It is fairly new because it was built 3 years ago in an undeveloped land. There were some public protests prior to Walmart/Sams Club coming in because some people thought Walmart would ruin small businesses in the surrounding area. On the contrary, the shopping mall directly adjacent to Walmart is flourishing and they even built more small businesses around Walmart because of the increase in traffic.
< Message edited by Johnny_ -- 11/17/2008 11:01:03 PM >
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/17/2008 11:46:14 PM
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Rufas2000
Posts: 1331
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quote:
Did you see the documentary on Walmart last night by MSNBC? Well, the CEO Lee Scott said "we always hire our store managers from within the company." He went on to say that all their store managers and district managers started off as cashiers and regular associates at Walmart before getting promoted. Is this true or was Lee Scott trying to save face? If it is true, then I think that is a honorable thing to do.
I saw it. Keep in mind that documentary is at least a few years old. It was also produced by CNBC, though you may well have seen it on MSNBC (same company). I think that might make a difference to some about the veracity of the documentary. It is in my mind an excellent even handed look at Walmart, both good and bad. I agree on the hiring from within policy though I see the potential for mischief (hiring for a few weeks then becoming manager).
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Different stores are different. I never worked at Walmart, but I worked for a different chain company and loved one store and hated another.
Excellent point. Common sense says that no matter how much control a company tries to have, the store level management is still going to have a big impact on the work environment.
quote:
The store manager bought my kids Christmas presents herself when she found out Brian had been out of work over a year and unemployment had run out (YES, he was looking very hard!).
Sounds like your manager was a wonderful person. Other than that Walmart hired her it doesn't say much about them as a company but more about her as a person. And an excellent example of the above quote.
My take as a shopper and a somewhat informed person (never employed by them) about this I think Walmart could be a better corporate citizen and take better care of their employees. I don't think they are any worse than their competitors (aside from CostCo, who I've read takes excellent care of their workers but that may have changed).
I have no problem shopping there for bagged, canned, boxed or frozen food. I even bought their ground sirloin hamburger, love it and haven't died or got sick yet. I buy CDs (unedited only, I will not buy edited CDs, shame on Walmart) and DVDs (which are not edited, smell the hypocrisy) and small electronics. I might get a TV or DVD player there but probably not a computer and never sound equipment for serious listening. Their electronics are no great shakes aside from the TVs and various peripherials.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/18/2008 9:30:18 AM
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Consecrated2God
Posts: 5159
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From: Formerly Jesus Land
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quote:
Common sense says that no matter how much control a company tries to have, the store level management is still going to have a big impact on the work environment.
Absolutely. Local management is what is going to make working at any store a good or bad experience.
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Bonky
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/18/2008 9:44:58 AM
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stamper_ben
Posts: 10376
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From: Lone Star State
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Consecrated2God
quote:
Common sense says that no matter how much control a company tries to have, the store level management is still going to have a big impact on the work environment.
Absolutely. Local management is what is going to make working at any store a good or bad experience.
Working or shopping.
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We will be known as His by the love we show one another.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/18/2008 10:30:40 AM
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StephK
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From: Southwest Louisiana
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The quarterly earnings came out yesterday and Walmart did well once again while Target had a 24% loss. The reason is Walmart focused on groceries and low prices while Target focused on cheap trendy clothes and home decor. When times are tough, people don't purchase the fru fru. They do purchase food and other basic needs. I believe the main reason that Walmart does well is that they are better at forecasting future trends.
CONSUMERS AVOID CLOTHES, HOME DECOR
While Target made a name for itself selling cheap but trendy designer clothes and home decor, its business has faltered in the last year as shoppers shift spending in favor of basics, like food and toiletries.
That trend has hurt Target, where discretionary merchandise like clothes and furniture account for roughly 40 percent of sales, and helped larger rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
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Stephanie
The heart of the wise inclines to the right but the heart of the fool to the left.
Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is. ~ Ecc. 10:2-3
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/26/2008 6:48:52 PM
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Roberta_
Posts: 7430
Joined: 9/28/2007
From: East Bay Area
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Rufas2000
quote:
Different stores are different. I never worked at Walmart, but I worked for a different chain company and loved one store and hated another.
Excellent point. Common sense says that no matter how much control a company tries to have, the store level management is still going to have a big impact on the work environment.
I worked for two different ones in two different towns.
quote:
The store manager bought my kids Christmas presents herself when she found out Brian had been out of work over a year and unemployment had run out (YES, he was looking very hard!).
quote:
Sounds like your manager was a wonderful person. Other than that Walmart hired her it doesn't say much about them as a company but more about her as a person. And an excellent example of the above quote.
Sadly, she could get fired for that today. Even if she did that for everyone who worked in her store, she could get fired for it.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/26/2008 8:50:53 PM
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Johnny_
Posts: 395
Joined: 11/26/2006
From: California
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Is anyone planning to go shopping on Black Friday? I am going to stay home, I don't like to go out on holidays because it gets too crowded. All those doorbuster deals isn't going to lure me out of my house.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/26/2008 9:28:22 PM
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iluvatar
Posts: 2023
Joined: 4/12/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Johnny_
Is anyone planning to go shopping on Black Friday? I am going to stay home, I don't like to go out on holidays because it gets too crowded. All those doorbuster deals isn't going to lure me out of my house.
No. And If I owned a store, I wouldn't support it, either. I'd pick a different day to have a sale and make an ad campaign bagging on all the hysteria that day and promote myself as the alternative.
-Dan.
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Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/26/2008 10:54:39 PM
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ManimalX
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quote:
ORIGINAL: stellaluna
I worked at Walmart for awhile and I liked it. I was eligible for benefits at 35 hours a week. And the employee discount is fab!
I second that. I worked for Wal-Mart for 3 years and it was a lot better than other retail jobs I had before that. I made more per hour than any other retailer I had worked at. I had better benefits than any other retailer I had worked at...
The problem is that the whiny anti-business class warfare type take one or two localized instances of something that wasn't handled correctly and try to apply it as a "universal" Wal Mart practice. When you have a company as big as Wal Mart with as many locations as Wal Mart and as many employees as Wal Mart, of COURSE there are going to be mismanagements, but for the most part Wal Mart runs a pretty decent ship.
If you don't like "Made In China", then tell people like ol' Senator Government to get their tentacles out of the way, stop making it easier to do business with China and more appealing to stay local. Drop all the stupid taxes and penalties on the big boys like Wal Mart and watch everyone benefit.
_____________________________
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." - 2nd Peter 3:10
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/26/2008 11:18:17 PM
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blessedinnyc
Posts: 2019
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
The problem is that the whiny anti-business class warfare type take one or two localized instances of something that wasn't handled correctly and try to apply it as a "universal" Wal Mart practice. When you have a company as big as Wal Mart with as many locations as Wal Mart and as many employees as Wal Mart, of COURSE there are going to be mismanagements, but for the most part Wal Mart runs a pretty decent ship.
If that is the case, why the opposition to unionization at those few locations?
quote:
If you don't like "Made In China", then tell people like ol' Senator Government to get their tentacles out of the way, stop making it easier to do business with China and more appealing to stay local. Drop all the stupid taxes and penalties on the big boys like Wal Mart and watch everyone benefit.
The problem is that we don't have free trade with China. China has run a mercantilist trade policy and it needs to stop. Free trade really only works when countries don't manipulate their currency.
As a programmer, I am OK trading with India. I know that in a fair competition, my marginal productivity is competitive with Indian programmers making $12K/year. I received an American education (which adds more value than many people think- it is harder to measure creativity and other soft skills than knowledge of Calculus) and have a different skill set. And then there are a lot of folks who graduated from IIT and working in India who make a whole lot more than me. Everyone benefits from free trade when countries play fair.
China, on the other hand, manipulates its currency and goes out of its way to discourage consumption and hold down wages. If China's trade partners got together and made it stop doing this, we'd probably see a lot fewer Chinese-made goods in Wal-Mart and we'd probably see local stores become more price-competitive. If Barack Obama wants to prove he's a free-market capitalist, he needs to go after China's unfair trade practices.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/27/2008 11:44:07 AM
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ManimalX
Posts: 1269
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quote:
ORIGINAL: blessedinnyc
quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
The problem is that the whiny anti-business class warfare type take one or two localized instances of something that wasn't handled correctly and try to apply it as a "universal" Wal Mart practice. When you have a company as big as Wal Mart with as many locations as Wal Mart and as many employees as Wal Mart, of COURSE there are going to be mismanagements, but for the most part Wal Mart runs a pretty decent ship.
If that is the case, why the opposition to unionization at those few locations?
Because unions are the devil? 
Seriously though, why is your qualification for a company running a decent ship hinge on if they unionize or not? Believe it or not, there are a LOT of people who despise the union and their thug bosses. I was always glad that Wal Mart kept the unions out when I worked for them. It was funny, because the union lackeys would wander around the store I worked in from time to time trying to secretly get signatures, and universally got a "drop off a cliff" from my co-workers. After we were done laughing, we would notify the store manager who would escort the unionizer out.
quote:
If you don't like "Made In China", then tell people like ol' Senator Government to get their tentacles out of the way, stop making it easier to do business with China and more appealing to stay local. Drop all the stupid taxes and penalties on the big boys like Wal Mart and watch everyone benefit.
The problem is that we don't have free trade with China. China has run a mercantilist trade policy and it needs to stop. Free trade really only works when countries don't manipulate their currency.
It would be easy to encourage large corps like Wal Mart to start buying and manufacturing in the USA if the government would do away with the excessive taxes, penalties, and fees that drives up local prices. This of course will never happen because the greedy congress would lose too much.
quote:
If Barack Obama wants to prove he's a free-market capitalist, he needs to go after China's unfair trade practices.
Which of course won't happen because "Obama" and "free-market capitalist" is a complete oxymoron. Obama is a big government socialist, and every indication so far is that his policies will reflect this.
_____________________________
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." - 2nd Peter 3:10
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/27/2008 12:09:07 PM
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rcjames
Posts: 5800
Joined: 7/15/2005
From: Oklahoma
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quote:
ORIGINAL: blessedinnyc
China, on the other hand, manipulates its currency and goes out of its way to discourage consumption and hold down wages. If China's trade partners got together and made it stop doing this, we'd probably see a lot fewer Chinese-made goods in Wal-Mart and we'd probably see local stores become more price-competitive. If Barack Obama wants to prove he's a free-market capitalist, he needs to go after China's unfair trade practices.
Well here's your sign; if you don't like doing business With China, then don't buy products make in China. But don't try to force your perferrence on all others.
That goes for Union promoting folks as well; if you want to support Unions, then only shop at stores that are unionized; don't try to force your preferrence on all other.
As for me I appreciate Wal-mart, have never worked there, but I do know that they have a waiting list of folks who do. So it cannot be all that bad.
Thanks
RC
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Just a country Preacher's humble opinion
Read the first chapter of my latest book here;
http://www.deliveranceofsara.com
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/28/2008 1:44:27 AM
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zamdad
Posts: 1755
Joined: 4/8/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: rlj
quote:
Seriously though, why is your qualification for a company running a decent ship hinge on if they unionize or not? Believe it or not, there are a LOT of people who despise the union and their thug bosses.
There are lots of people who are quite happy at their jobs that aren't unionized and I am one of them. The big problem I have with unions is it automatically puts the workers against the management and it's a little difficult fulfilling my job of working for my employer as if for the Lord and then turning around and going on strike, having my dues be used to pay for arbitration for some wino who doesn't want to come to work or shows up drunk or costs the company money etc.
Count me as another one. I am a government employee in a field that is generally unionized. The unions I have worked in have stifled initiative. As was pointed out above, they pit the management agaisnt the workers.
While working as a CO in a prison, I created some forms on the computer during a long, boring midnight shift. My supervisor liked what I did and asked me to create one that he was working on. I did and it was submitted up the chain where it became an official form. Shortly after I learned that the form became an official document, the union steward pulled me aside and told me that creating forms was not in my job description. He told me that the expection of me as a CO was to sit at my station and play solitaire all night. He then told me that if I wanted to keep my job I should not be doing things outside my job description. Funny thing is, if i would have stayed, I would have become his boss.
I don't care for the division between management and labor that unions create. My motto is "people first, mission always."
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The two hardest things to handle: failure and success.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 11/30/2008 5:43:15 PM
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iluvatar
Posts: 2023
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
It would be easy to encourage large corps like Wal Mart to start buying and manufacturing in the USA if the government would do away with the excessive taxes, penalties, and fees that drives up local prices. This of course will never happen because the greedy congress would lose too much.
And if those pesky American workers would stop expecting to get paid a decent wage by their employers.
-Dan.
_____________________________
Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 12/2/2008 7:42:49 PM
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ManimalX
Posts: 1269
Joined: 10/25/2005
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Are you refering specifically to Wal Mart, or just generalizing?
As for Wal Mart, when I worked there a few years ago I made $12/hour for an essentially entry level position, in an area where $12/hr is pretty good compared to cost of living. I think it is a bit higher now. 50 miles south of me in Denver, people doing my same job made about $2/hr more because cost of living was higher there. Wal Mart pays pretty dang good for a retailer. Are you going to work at Wal Mart and roll in a Hummer and live in a mansion? No, but you can have a pretty comfortable life if you aren't greedy.
_____________________________
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." - 2nd Peter 3:10
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 12/2/2008 8:50:00 PM
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Roberta_
Posts: 7430
Joined: 9/28/2007
From: East Bay Area
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
Are you referring specifically to Wal Mart, or just generalizing?
As for Wal Mart, when I worked there a few years ago I made $12/hour for an essentially entry level position, in an area where $12/hr is pretty good compared to cost of living. I think it is a bit higher now. 50 miles south of me in Denver, people doing my same job made about $2/hr more because cost of living was higher there. Wal Mart pays pretty dang good for a retailer. Are you going to work at Wal Mart and roll in a Hummer and live in a mansion? No, but you can have a pretty comfortable life if you aren't greedy.
WOW- those are high wages for WM! After over three years of near slavery, I was making $8.80/hour...... and since they got rid of my job (head of Layaway) if I wanted to keep working there, I was going to have to take a pay cut.
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RE: Wal-Mart is taking over - 12/2/2008 9:10:29 PM
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ManimalX
Posts: 1269
Joined: 10/25/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Roberta_
quote:
ORIGINAL: ManimalX
Are you referring specifically to Wal Mart, or just generalizing?
As for Wal Mart, when I worked there a few years ago I made $12/hour for an essentially entry level position, in an area where $12/hr is pretty good compared to cost of living. I think it is a bit higher now. 50 miles south of me in Denver, people doing my same job made about $2/hr more because cost of living was higher there. Wal Mart pays pretty dang good for a retailer. Are you going to work at Wal Mart and roll in a Hummer and live in a mansion? No, but you can have a pretty comfortable life if you aren't greedy.
WOW- those are high wages for WM! After over three years of near slavery, I was making $8.80/hour...... and since they got rid of my job (head of Layaway) if I wanted to keep working there, I was going to have to take a pay cut.
Well, I worked nights so I was paid a nighttime differential of.... $2/hr I think?
_____________________________
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." - 2nd Peter 3:10
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