How evil is WalMart?
Jill, this one is for you. Make sure you're nice and comfy, this could take a little bit. If anyone out there also has an evil WalMart story, please share it!
The Wal-Mart woes all started 7 years ago with my first "real" job. Yes, that's right, working for WalMart was my first full time job. In those days I worked the closing shift in the infant and boys section. At the end of the summer I moved out of state and transferred to another store. I still worked the closing shift, but this time as a cashier. Later I moved back to the sales floor, I became the phone operator and fitting room person. At this point I moved again, across the state and was unable to transfer again.
Oh, but it doesn't end there! Nope, not at all.
The experience I gained working with WalMart landed me a spiffy job of Menswear manager at none other than K-Mart. Well, one thing led to another and after 9 months I applied at WalMart. This time, because of my experience at K-Mart (isn't it funny how that works?) I was given more money with WalMart! So, I started as a stocker. I reported for duty at 5am and got off at 2pm, crazy, but I loved it at the time. This store is where I spent the bulk of my time and actually got the bulk of my retail experience.
I stared as a stocker for softlines and a back-up cashier. I "served time" in the shoe department, domestics, lawn and garden, seasonal, the smoke shop, the TLE (cashier) and finally, fabrics and crafts. I'm sure you've all seen a WalMart store that has been in the process of remodeling. I've been one of the worker bees. Thrice. I also helped setup a new store. I had worked in more areas of the store than most members of managers ever do.
This brings me to the reasons why I think WalMart is evil.
I mentioned above that I worked setup for a new WalMart store. Well, when that store opened and I went back to my "home store" there was a Department manager position that was up for grabs. I was definetly interested! I applied for the slot, along with 3 or 4 other people. I interviewed and found out later that I didn't get the position. No biggie, right? Wrong. The manager of the store told me the following...
"Pets is a hard department. There's a lot of heavy lifting involved and I'm just not sure that's where you want to be. You don't want to have to mess with that every day."
Nice, eh? Anyone who knows me wouldn't buy that! I love to lift, it's a widely known fact. I'm also 5'11'' and NOT petite. I could handle the lifting and shifting and all the other things that came along with the job. What I find interesting about this situation is the guy they hired for the job. He was in his late 60's and somewhat resembled Mr. Rogers, he got an a pee-on assistant to do all his lifting for him.
Do you see my first frustration? Me, capable of the job. Old guy, not so much. Old guy gets the job. That's reason #1.
I'll make reason #2 much shorter. A while later another Department manager position came open and I also applied for it. Now, it's policy that if you apply for a position, you at least get an interview. Well, I didn't hear anything and didn't hear anything and didn't hear anything. I went to my manager to see when I'd hear something and got the run around. A few days later I hear from someone that the new department manager will be starting in a few weeks! Company policy didn't happen. There was no interviewing of Gail for Fabrics and Crafts and managers that lied about it.
There are TONS and TONS of other little reasons why I think WalMart is evil, but these are a few of the big reasons. I'm shutting up though, this post is already way too long. Maybe later I'll post about why I think WalMart is evil from a consumer point of view.
The Wal-Mart woes all started 7 years ago with my first "real" job. Yes, that's right, working for WalMart was my first full time job. In those days I worked the closing shift in the infant and boys section. At the end of the summer I moved out of state and transferred to another store. I still worked the closing shift, but this time as a cashier. Later I moved back to the sales floor, I became the phone operator and fitting room person. At this point I moved again, across the state and was unable to transfer again.
Oh, but it doesn't end there! Nope, not at all.
The experience I gained working with WalMart landed me a spiffy job of Menswear manager at none other than K-Mart. Well, one thing led to another and after 9 months I applied at WalMart. This time, because of my experience at K-Mart (isn't it funny how that works?) I was given more money with WalMart! So, I started as a stocker. I reported for duty at 5am and got off at 2pm, crazy, but I loved it at the time. This store is where I spent the bulk of my time and actually got the bulk of my retail experience.
I stared as a stocker for softlines and a back-up cashier. I "served time" in the shoe department, domestics, lawn and garden, seasonal, the smoke shop, the TLE (cashier) and finally, fabrics and crafts. I'm sure you've all seen a WalMart store that has been in the process of remodeling. I've been one of the worker bees. Thrice. I also helped setup a new store. I had worked in more areas of the store than most members of managers ever do.
This brings me to the reasons why I think WalMart is evil.
I mentioned above that I worked setup for a new WalMart store. Well, when that store opened and I went back to my "home store" there was a Department manager position that was up for grabs. I was definetly interested! I applied for the slot, along with 3 or 4 other people. I interviewed and found out later that I didn't get the position. No biggie, right? Wrong. The manager of the store told me the following...
"Pets is a hard department. There's a lot of heavy lifting involved and I'm just not sure that's where you want to be. You don't want to have to mess with that every day."
Nice, eh? Anyone who knows me wouldn't buy that! I love to lift, it's a widely known fact. I'm also 5'11'' and NOT petite. I could handle the lifting and shifting and all the other things that came along with the job. What I find interesting about this situation is the guy they hired for the job. He was in his late 60's and somewhat resembled Mr. Rogers, he got an a pee-on assistant to do all his lifting for him.
Do you see my first frustration? Me, capable of the job. Old guy, not so much. Old guy gets the job. That's reason #1.
I'll make reason #2 much shorter. A while later another Department manager position came open and I also applied for it. Now, it's policy that if you apply for a position, you at least get an interview. Well, I didn't hear anything and didn't hear anything and didn't hear anything. I went to my manager to see when I'd hear something and got the run around. A few days later I hear from someone that the new department manager will be starting in a few weeks! Company policy didn't happen. There was no interviewing of Gail for Fabrics and Crafts and managers that lied about it.
There are TONS and TONS of other little reasons why I think WalMart is evil, but these are a few of the big reasons. I'm shutting up though, this post is already way too long. Maybe later I'll post about why I think WalMart is evil from a consumer point of view.
posted by Gail at 9:10 PM
2 Comments:
I'll bet this was therapeutic for you to write. :)
You know, I think the bigger a corporation is, the more messed up it is. That kind of crap goes on all the time and it really stinks. It devalues the employee and creates a working atmosphere that is unsatisfying and downright frustrating.
I'm going to send Eric over here to read this; it might give him fodder for an entry on his blog.
I'll bet WalMart is equally screwed up on the corporate end!
Ugh. I don't want to know these things. I love shopping at WalMart.
One of my BIGGEST frustrations as a consumer at WalMart is the fact that there are 30 check-out lanes and never more than 3 or 4 are open. Why put them in if you're not going to staff them?? Even at Christmas time there aren't enough lanes open.
And our WalMart is currently undergoing remodeling (which is funny; the store is only about 4 years old). They have moved so many things around that I don't feel "at home" there right now...gad, I hate that! :P
One thing I do like is that they've got a U-scan, so I usually just check myself out now instead of waiting in the long lines.
I had no idea that your retail experience was so extensive!! I worked in women's fashion and jewelry for a while at Montgomery Ward. I always liked working with money -- not sure what that says about me. LOL
So...I guess you never, never shop at WalMart, huh? ;)
Waiting eagerly for the bad news on the consumer end!!
I've heard lots of negative things about Wal-Mart...we recently watched a show about the company on tv. Plus I have a friend who has made it her personal goal to get everyone she knows to stop shopping there(she's a bit over zealous!). I never was a big Wal-Mart fan, but now that it is the only "close" store, I find myself running there often. And to be honest, the prices can't be beat. But when I heard how they treat their employees and their vendors, I feel guilty shopping there!
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