Sparse employees in shops

[Engineer]

Self-service stores were also a new thing at one point in time, rather than having an employee retrieve the item for you. Now they expect customers to walk all over the place, getting the things they want for themselves.

I guess there's a reason employee wages are stagnant (for over a decade) while profits and earnings are at an all time high. It's always 'more efficient' when someone else does the work for you and you get paid the same.

At some point, the companies start stating that there are 'sparse customers' or 'sparse spending' in the stores. Ask Wal-Mart about the 5 (6?) straight quarters of declining same store sales and ask them "Why is that?".

 

[phucheneh]

Carts: I'd just prefer to have some manner of automated Tazer turrets for people who don't at least put the carts back into the corrals in the parking lot. Some people are just that goddamn lazy that they can't even walk 50 feet to put the cart into one of them. (What does amuse me is that there are some people who have parked very close to the store, and will then walk farther to put the cart into a parking lot corral, rather than take it the shorter distance into the store's entrance. But, I'm hardcore efficient, bro. That's why I have >38k posts here.)

Leaving carts in the parking lot should be punishable by death.

And you're right, stores are fucking awful about collecting that shit anymore. I swear I've been to grocery stores where there are a hundred goddamned carts strewn about the parking lot. Uncivilized fucks.

 

[Engineer]

Leaving carts in the parking lot should be punishable by death.

And you're right, stores are fucking awful about collecting that shit anymore. I swear I've been to grocery stores where there are a hundred goddamned carts strewn about the parking lot. Uncivilized fucks.

The stores are cutting staff and that means cart collectors too. Want a cart, get it your damn self, you worthless, unappreciative customer!

 

[DrDoug]

The stores are cutting staff and that means cart collectors too. Want a cart, get it your damn self, you worthless, unappreciative customer!

Exactly. Many of the same people who bitch about the poor or nonexistent customer service at big stores are the same people who are against raising the minimum wage for those overworked, overloaded and underpaid workers. These people come in and expect prompt, courteous service and bitch at the wrong people when they don't find it. At the store my wife works at there are whole departments where the top wage is minimum, that's it. Want more? Then you better hope a position opens up in one of the other departments where you can make a few pittance more.

If you get pissed about the service at a store and want to let someone who matters know about it, don't rag on anyone at the store. Call the headquarters and bitch at them because that is where the decisions are made that make your shopping experience a shitty one. Too lazy to do that and want to bitch to the store manager? Go ahead, nothing will be done. Nothing will be done if you call their headquarters either but at least you would be yelling at the people who fucked everything up.

If you really need to shop go to a place where they pay attention to the number of customers waiting in a checkout line and open more lines quickly when needed, go to a Kroger (or Kroger affiliate) store. They are more than happy to take your money, just don't expect anyone out on the floor to help you though. They have been cross trained to check people out so you are on your own since they can spend hours as cashier even though that is not their department.

Taking your money is the most important thing to Kroger, everything else is secondary.

 

[lxskllr]

The stores are cutting staff and that means cart collectors too. Want a cart, get it your damn self, you worthless, unappreciative customer!

Or put 25¢ on deposit like you do at Aldi. More stores should go to that model. I take a cart from the lot in with me, then leave it at the depot so my net negative affect on the store/employees is zero.

 

[Eug]

if you bothered to read your link, it says there's nothing wrong with walmart's ice cream bar, and even puts forward that they're lower in fat and potentially healthier than the competition.

the slower melting is caused by the inclusion of various gums.

The low fat high gum ice "creams" generally taste horrible.

 

[lxskllr]

The low fat high gum frozen dessert generally taste horrible.

ftfy

 

[unokitty]

Four points.

One
Most people won't pay for service.

For example, almost all the boutique computer stores, except Apple, are out of business. People pump the employees for info, then buy online because 'its cheaper.' Retail store goes out of business.

Current retail model reduces service to a commodity. Then, rewards stores that have the least of it.

Want retail service, pay Apple's price.

Two
From a corporate perspective, employee's salaries are a liability.

For more profit, reduce liabilities.

Three
Borders are open now.

Don't want to work for minimum wage. No problem, there are tens of thousands of adolescents on their way from Central America... And Silicon Valley just increased their campaign contributions so that they can hire more H1Bs...

Four
If you're in the middle class, say good by to service.

Go ahead and say good by to the middle class as well...

Uno

 

[Red Squirrel]

lol, did you even read that article? I love Walmart threads, you get some of the biggest knee-jerkers around in them. My Walmart is awesome, btw. Yeah, not too many cashiers available, they're busy restocking since I CAN CHECK OUT MY OWN ITEMS YOU LAZY BASTARDS, thank you.

Wait, some walmarts have self checkouts? That would be so awesome. Well, for customers. I have a mixed feeling on them because they do take away jobs.

We live in a time where even low wage jobs are hard to come by, it's actually pretty scary. I think it will hit a point where everybody will be self employed. People who have farms will sell crops, people who have heavy equipment will go help farmers, people who have knowledge in XYZ will go help people who need those services etc... Basically like the old days.

 

[Engineer]

Four points.

One
Most people won't pay for service.

For example, almost all the boutique computer stores, except Apple, are out of business. People pump the employees for info, then buy online because 'its cheaper.' Retail store goes out of business.

Current retail model reduces service to a commodity. Then, rewards stores that have the least of it.

Want retail service, pay Apple's price.

Two
From a corporate perspective, employee's salaries are a liability.

For more profit, reduce liabilities.

Three
Borders are open now.

Don't want to work for minimum wage. No problem, there are tens of thousands of adolescents on their way from Central America... And Silicon Valley just increased their campaign contributions so that they can hire more H1Bs...

Four
If you're in the middle class, say good by to service.

Go ahead and say good by to the middle class as well...

Uno

All of this, especially the bolded part.

 

[OverVolt]

I don't get the people apologizing for the bad service they receive. Its like you got hit in the head by a pallet that fell off a poorly stocked and poorly made shelf and it made you stupid.

I already go to target over wal-mart because they have proper cashier staffing and I can't wait 30 minutes to buy what I want after spending 30 minutes picking it out. If a company can afford to buyback shares, they can afford proper staffing. Or if they can afford to open 2,000 more stores, you get the idea. They just want blood from a stone at their own detriment.

Walmarts board of directors must be about as intelligent as their cashiers because they just cry the whole economy must be bad because their sales are bad - no I'm sure there are thousands more like me who won't put up with the understaffed cashiers and under-stocked shelves. I don't have time to go to walmart and what I need isn't stocked and what they have that I do need takes 30 minutes to buy. I'm not apologizing for walmarts bad service. I'm not a moron like some of you apparently. I walk my little two feet over to target. Voila problem solved. And while we are at it... a 6oz package of something at walmart is an 8oz package at target because I assume target isn't trying to squeeze blood from a stone when negotiating with their suppliers like walmart does.

 

[Engineer]

Walmarts board of directors must be about as intelligent as their cashiers because they just cry the whole economy must be bad because their sales are bad

Maybe, for their core customers, the economy is just bad?

 

[MongGrel]

I had to double check the the post date. Op, you're just noticing this now? And, thanks goes out to the resident. "Literal" ATOT ninnies who thinks the op was about specific stores.

+1

But now Walmart is losing sales as their customers, many who now have shitty or no jobs, run out of money. Now they're begging companies to bring back manufacturing so that their core base of customers can get better paying jobs and buy more. Reaping what you sow.

+2

And pretty much a large amount that has all ready been posted I guess.

 

[OverVolt]

Well I do think the economy is bad but you'd expect more people to leave wegmans, giant, and trader joes for walmart and target... so meh.

I don't think they have a case, walmart just hit a point where they are trying to save money where there is none to be saved. At their own detriment. Lots of companies are doing this and I avoid them. I don't think many of them will survive a decade.

I already know falling wages + bigger loans on houses, cars, tuition, more CC lending = LOLs.

 

[Engineer]

Well I do think the economy is bad but you'd expect more people to leave wegmans, giant, and trader joes for walmart and target... so meh.

I don't think they have a case, walmart just hit a point where they are trying to save money where there is none to be saved. At their own detriment. Lots of companies are doing this and I avoid them. I don't think many of them will survive a decade.

I already know falling wages + bigger loans on houses, cars, tuition, more CC lending = LOLs.

Like Uno said above...I don't know if the middle class in the US will survive.

As for loans and bigger stuff, how else could those that make stuff get people to buy it once they shipped the better paying jobs out? Ah, give them loans and, even though they are losing in the wage department, they can pay just enough to service the debt as well as interest payments. Worked well....until it didn't.

 

[phucheneh]

Wait, some walmarts have self checkouts?

The huge Walmart by me has always had them. I think it was built somewhere around 10-15 years ago, maybe?

...the self-checkouts were closed off after like year one or two. Probably gone now; unsure. But they just sat blocked off for a LONG time.

stuff

As usual, I concur 100% with what this man has to say.

 

[Engineer]

The huge Walmart by me has always had them. I think it was built somewhere around 10-15 years ago, maybe?

...the self-checkouts were closed off after like year one or two. Probably gone now; unsure. But they just sat blocked off for a LONG time.



As usual, I concur 100% with what this man has to say.

The self checkouts at Walmart always seem to be broken. The ones at Meijers and Kroger (especially Kroger) seem to always work and work well (again, Kroger ones never seem to fail). The "Super Kroger" here in Lexington has 4 large self checkouts and 6 smaller self checkouts and has one cashier running them all.

 

[OverVolt]

I'm gonna be taking an unconventional way to be middle class... it should work out.

 

[Engineer]

I'm gonna be taking an unconventional way to be middle class... it should work out.

Does it involve a gun and a ski mask?

 

[lxskllr]

Self checkouts irritate me. There's an employee there watching(that could be checking), and I seem to always score the special item that doesn't self check properly, and requires the person that should have been checking in the first place to come over and fix things. Give me the item that doesn't check correctly free, and I might consider doing your job for you. Otherwise, fuck you. I'm going to a person, and if you consistently don't have enough people, I'll quit patronizing your store.

 

[phucheneh]

The self checkouts at Walmart always seem to be broken. The ones at Meijers and Kroger (especially Kroger) seem to always work and work well (again, Kroger ones never seem to fail). The "Super Kroger" here in Lexington has 4 large self checkouts and 6 smaller self checkouts and has one cashier running them all.

Are you sure they're 'broken?' Even if the employees claim it, I would be dubious. Sounds like they just want to avoid coming out and saying 'okay, you thieving fucks can't be trusted!'

...of course, there are plenty of anti-theft measures in self-checkouts. Those are usually the biggest problem...scales not registering small items, or stuff too big to place in the bagging area, ect. What's quite comical is that it's WAY easier to steal from a human cashier at a Walmart.

Any kind of item that stacks....congrats, take as many as you want; they'll only scan one. Or what's even sillier- not even bothering to inspect containers. I remember being in Walmart a while ago, making one of those 'I need lots of random cheap items and want to accomplish it efficiently' kind of runs. Needed more socks and underwear. Random cheap around the house items. One of them was a new trash can. Like, the tall kitchen kind. I used it as a bin to throw like $70 worth of stuff in, filling it about halfway. I pulled items out and sat them on the little conveyor, out of sight of the cashier. When they were done scanning, I had to say 'this too' and lift up the $5 receptacle to be scanned. They didn't open the lid. Didn't touch it at all. Just scanned it.

Such a pity; I could've gotten so much free stuff. And if someone wants to say that's morally wrong...well, fuck you. They choose to make their store a shithole, and it costs them money. They enable theft; the honest people are the ones left to foot the bill. I say we should all steal from Walmart.

If they completely dissolved their 'loss prevention' department and simply used those funds to employ a staff of adequate size with adequate compensation, I bet they would still make net gains in profit.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Honestly, America will not be having a middle class a few decades down the line. This is called the effect of the global economy. Just accept it and adapt to it.

The rich will stay in America. And so will the poor who will be more like slaves.

And the middle class, the manufacturing class would have moved to other parts of the world and become middle class over there, in third world countries that is.

So either start a business and become a part of the 1% or you'll end up at the bottom. This is the harsh truth.

And sooner or later every first world country will face this issue.

On the other hand in third world countries the prices are rising as well and so are salaries. So you'll end up making as much money that they make in China or India. They will pay more for your products and you'll pay more for anything that requires labor. Products will be cheaper for Americans. Services will be cheaper for the third world. Products except what is made down the alley that is. Anything that comes from another country, I meant to say.

So it is pretty fair when you stop being selfish and start thinking of the world as one

 

[phucheneh]

Self checkouts irritate me. There's an employee there watching(that could be checking), and I seem to always score the special item that doesn't self check properly, and requires the person that should have been checking in the first place to come over and fix things. Give me the item that doesn't check correctly free, and I might consider doing your job for you. Otherwise, fuck you. I'm going to a person, and if you consistently don't have enough people, I'll quit patronizing your store.

How does one person running one register get you out of the store faster than one person watching over four DIY registers?

Yeah, it's frustrating when the 'watcher' is totally incompetent and/or negligent...but they can be just as useless at being a dedicated cashier. Self checkout gives you a chance.

Some stores seem to be going the way of doing most transactions through self checkout. Example: I've noticed it at Home Depot. If there's no business, the person watching the lanes will just ring you up. But as they get busier, they back off and just supervise. Recently, it would appear they are also in charge of reciepts- they no longer print at the kiosk. So they are also a receipt-checker. Same old story- get the most use out of the least number of people. At least they're being more successful with it than Walmart.

 

[OverVolt]

Does it involve a gun and a ski mask?

Lol... no. Most people are screwed though. To a degree it really is 'Merica and they have only themselves to blame. Voted Obama in twice you don't need to know anything more than that. I'd vote 3rd party in a heartbeat as I knew it wouldn't matter if Obama or Mitt won, the economy was going to circle the drain either way.

I wish people would snap out of it and realize what is happening to them but I don't think they know any better or will ever learn. The previous generation failed to pass on the right ideas. I had boomer parents, but most kids my age had older Gen X parents. The ones who were lucky to have a dad type of families. Who got to roam free and play as many videogames as they liked and steal as much alcohol as they wanted from their bro-cool parents.

Now THOSE people are having kids. Total disaster. So I would guess that 80% or so of the people out there are going to learn the hard way.

 

[Engineer]

Are you sure they're 'broken?'

Don't know. Walmart's self checkouts have a stack light (RED / GREEN) light on them (at least here). Usually, the red light is on at several of them and the checkout screen isn't displayed. Kroger and Meijer don't have the 2 color stack lights. Again, I've had the best luck with Kroger's self checkout lanes.

I did have a Meijer one crash on me a few years ago right in mid order. I had to unload my cart and scan every item over again and then re-bag the stuff. Really pissed me off.