Wednesday, February 12, 2014

A Wal-Mart manager tells why Wal-Mart sucks

Summary: Walmart pays its managers bonuses based on how much fat they can trim from hours and payroll, and how much juice they can squeeze from employees on part-time shifts.

ConclusionWal-Mart is designed to be a terrible place to work, and shop. They're just betting you're too poor, or live too far away from another store, to opt for an alternative.

This manager's final advice intrigued me:

I just want to add that if you really can't afford to shop anywhere but Wal-Mart, buy as much stuff on clearance as possible when you do have to shop there. All of our clearance items are sold at a loss to the store. If you buy more clearance items, we lose profit. And it helps the associates suffer less at work, because sorting clearance items is a pain in the ass. That is all!

UPDATE (13.02.2014): You should also check out this article from a couple days ago, "Walmart's Labor Practices Backfire," about how some stock analysts are downgrading Walmart because of its understaffing, among other problems.

UPDATE (14.02.2014): Another reason why Walmart sucks: it has been linked to cities with higher crime. Said the study's co-author David Pyrooz: 
"Counties with more social capital -- citizens able and willing to speak up about the best interests of the community -- tend to have lower crime rates. Counties with more crime may have less social capital and, therefore, less ability to prevent Walmart from building."

By Hamilton Nolan
February 11, 2014 | Gawker

14 comments:

Unknown said...

All TRUE! I work there, hope to get a better job soon!

Anonymous said...

I work at Wal-Mart have been there 17 years. They are doing a reconstructing program which is cutting lots of hours and positions. I have been cut 20 hours a month. Is this my thank you for being dedicated. This is a very sad and tragic time for a lot of people at my store. Many have children to provide for. They went to this new pto program and made it sound so good." you will be able to spend time with your family", when you put the time in it gets rejected. During this whole hours cut positions gone, the managers have been heartless, and scarce because they don't want to deal with you. One week they had a list of people that worked over their scheduled hours they were telling people they had to cut more than they actually had to. I heard a customer in passing one day say" what's wrong with this help." wow if she only knew what happened to us.I usually roll with the flow but my life has changed substantially. It would be different if this was a small company. Went to aldi's the other day, company officers present, spoke to the help shook their hands, spoke to me. Our own managers don't even speak to us in passing. If you approach our store manager as I did one day, the look on his face was like why are you speaking to me, that's what the other managers are for. Wal-Mart used to be a great fun place to work, sad to see it plummet so quickly, after all, I helped build it.

Jay Tell said...

Thanks for commenting! So nice to hear from the horse's mouth, so to speak. I hope things improve, for your sake. Hang in there.

Unknown said...

Walmart are slave drivers more work less pay you don't get it do they give you an ass chewing like a coaching when I get done taking vacation off I'm looking for another job 5 years I had enough

Anonymous said...

Walmart Lies and cheats to employees and customers, don't buy, shop, or work there again and be on the walmart boycotting team because of all the types of managers they hire to treat others like poop.

Unknown said...

I worked at a Wal-Mart in smithfield, NC, and it was the worst experience ever. The management are basically Nazis. The store manager, Jacob, is the biggest dick you'd ever meet. I'm surprised he doesn't get punched in the face everyday for the way he treats people.
Actually all the managers are dicks.
FUCK WALMART.

Anonymous said...

If you dumb it down you can do fine at Wal-Mart. I did it for 5 and a half years!

Unknown said...

I worked at Walmart in Ephrata, Wa. in 2004, for 1 day less than a month. I was hired to work in sporting goods. After my first 2 weeks, with no employee login, and being left by myself daily, I finally had to hack into the system to use the cash register, I got a "promotion" as the manager called it; to being a cart pusher. After the end of my third week at Walmart, as I was pushing many carts, the manager came out and told me company policy is 6 cart maximum! I explained that being the only cart pusher scheduled, and there, how long it will take to get the parking lot cleared. The manager then told me I could not take any breaks until the lot was cleared. The following week, same manager came to tell me I wasn't allowed to take my lunch break anymore unless the parking lot was completely shopping cart free. This is where I handed her my name badge, before walking away. I had 3 messages on my answering machine when I got home an hour after quitting, the regional manager left messages, begging me to come back. I returned his call, and agreed to continue working for Walmart, with a raise. He agreed, so I demanded 27.50/hr. He had an issue with paying me that amount, so I told him that if he expected me to put up with management, he would be giving me that raise. He failed to agree to my terms, so I hung up the phone. 5 months later, I received a letter in the mail from Seattle, Washington informing me that the Ephrata Walmart had aclass action lawsuit against them for refusing employees their breaks. I didn't respond, I'm just happy I'm not an employee at Walmart.

Anonymous said...

Walmart is proud to announce a new high intensity training program. SHIT Rest assured we will give you all the SHIT you can take. Our management is especially trained in constant SHIT dispersion. All of our management has been indoctrinated with the best methods of SHIT dispensing to the point that they are ALL FULL OF shit.

Anonymous said...

Wife worked for this a-hole company for 21 yrs and mentioned she was thinking of retiring. Bitch manager calls her in the office and asked why she was on the clock a few minutes after her scheduled quitting time. She explained she was assigned to answer the phones but the next person scheduled would not be in for 30 min. Wife told her this would leave 30 min. before anyone was available to answer store phones so she stayed over to take calls. Bitch tells her that it's not her concern and accused her of "stealing hours" and fired her. So if you work for this outfit, don't concern yourself for the customer benefit, just say the hell with them and go home. And if planning on retiring or quitting, say nothing or they will find something to fire you for.

Unknown said...

Did a 2 hour orientation and knew I couldn't work there! Told manager "Im not a GD slave" and walked away" hope they go out of business

Unknown said...

I hope employees trash the stores. SHUT IT DOWN!

Unknown said...

What a rinky dink organization! NO WAY am I working there. Bunch of ignorant fools.

Unknown said...

I'm surprised every employee doesn't Sue the bastards!