Posted on 02/21/2010 11:45:36 AM PST by Captain Peter Blood
About six months ago Wal-Mart instituted a new reorganization at the store level and I would like to know in this space of time what your shopping experience at Wal-Mart has been.
Before the reorganization there seemed to be enough help to service the customers, keep the floor stocked and take care of the store. Since the reorganization it seems the opposite is true.
Six months ago the store management structure was changed along with hiring and staffing procedures.
Wal-Mart now has a store manager, at least two shift managers, they supposedly handle all day to day operations; Several assistant managers, a new position called Zone Merchandise Supervisor, and the Department Managers.
The Zone Merchandise Supervisors are in charge of what is known as pads, those are large areas of the store such as Apparel, Entertainment, Grocery and Hard Lines. These people took over several of the functions that the assistant managers had except they are paid hourly. They supervise the Department managers and merchandise their areas. A lot of responsibility for basically a two dollar an hour raise.
All hiring is done through a district hiring office, there is no hiring allowed at the individual store anymore. Wal-Marts plan is for most all stores to be 70% part time workers and 30% full time. All hiring needs for a store have to be in the form of a requisition to the district hiring office, especially if it is for a full time position.
All hiring and staffing needs are based on the allotted hours for a particular department and more importantly how many pieces of merchandise are sold on an hourly and day to day basis. These figures are updated on a monthly and quarterly basis.
The implementation of this plan though has lead to staffing shortages and an inability for management, especially the Zone Merchandise Supervisors to be able to do their jobs as originally outlined.
The following is a typical day in Wal-Mart Store management routines:
At around 7:00 AM the Store Manager tours the store with the day Shift Manager where they take notes of what needs to be done.
At 8:00 AM there is a management staff meeting where various notes are given out to the assistant managers for their areas.
At 8:30 AM the assistant managers meet with their area Zone Merchandise Supervisor to give them the notes they got and the ZMS divvies those notes out to the area Department Managers to get done usually by the close of business that day.
Next up is, starting at 9:00 AM the Shift Manager, and a assistant manager along with an area ZMS do a more detailed tour of an area where more notes are generated that will be given to a specific Department manager to do in a specific time frame.
These type of tours go on all day to catch every ZMS’ area to tour at least one department.
Then at approximately 2:30 p.m. and again at 4:00 p.m. ZMS’s and then assistants meet with senior store management to see how many notes were completed for the day.
So you see the new structure is about giving out tour notes, things that need to be addressed or done in departments , Zones of the store and, a lot of meetings.
One of Sam Walton’s most famous quotes for Associates was that,” We’ll take care of the associates and they will take care of the customers”. I am not sure I believe that is true anymore.
What have your shopping experiences been in Wal-Mart these last several months? Have you found things about the same or have you found customer service lacking? Are the front check- out lanes always crowded with not enough cashiers?
I would like to hear feedback on this in order to gauge what is going on in other parts of the country.
Target ROCKS!
I can quickly tell how Wal-Mart is going to do in the future by looking at their “IL ratio” in upper management.
Simply put, the “IL ratio” is how many Ivy League graduates there are in upper management compared to graduates of other colleges and universities. If say 5% of upper management are Ivy League, then the expectation should be that the corporation should expect a 5% decline in its profit margin and customer satisfaction each year. It is close to a proportional ratio.
This is the reason that many corporations refuse to hire Ivy League graduates, and why some refer to them as “corporate cancer”.
I don’t go to Wal-Mart as much any more because I have been getting our supplies from a place that’s kinda like a food co-op. I did go to Wal-Mart yesterday and didn’t notice anything different than any other time than I have been. This is a nicer Wal-Mart in a nicer area. I wasn’t looking for anything either though. I do miss the food samples in Sam’s, but understand a company has got to do what a company has got to do.
I have noticed an up tick in the GV label. I thought maybe it was because the label had changed in style, but it’s probably because it’s being promoted more. Some things I don’t mind buying GV. Just an FYI though—stay away from GV Mayo!
Never had a problem at the WalMart near me in southern NH. The cashiers are always cheerful, and the store is always stocked and clean. Even had a dept. mgr call me when an item I was looking for came in!
The service is much worse in department stores such as Macy’s.
:)
Let's see--
Milk
Bread
Butter
Ammo
We've done the same thing though :)
I always fill up at Sam’s unless I’m forced to do it elsewhere. Paid $2.32/gal yesterday—other stations in the area are $2.48+/-.
Little assistance? You actually see people working there that aren’t walking from the front of the store to the breakroom? Wow!
I’ve seen no change in our local Wal-Mart. It appears adequately staffed, lines are about the same as they have been. The only place I have ever requested assistance is in Electronics and Auto Parts. They seem to be about the same.
My wife hasn’t noticed any appreciable changes either.
One place where they are really going out of their way to treat the customer right is Chick-Fil-A. Maybe they’ve always done this, but they really seem to be going above and beyond at a new store that has opened up locally. They all tell you “My pleasure.” Employees will come to your table and ask you if you need anything. I really enjoy going there when we have even if it is a tad pricey.
Your blowing smoke. The service in the local walmart has been the same. Go somewhere else to peddle your anti-Walmart propaganda.
I am glad some one still shops there besides me, Positive: Low Prices, I often have trouble finding things, and I can always find help. Negatives: WM seems to move merchandize around in the store. I also shop sams, Hard to keep from spending more than Budget, No local Costco.
Bottom line, Our small town WM’s are great.
Our Sam’s is on the other side of town so not really any savings for me to drive over there for gas. The WalMart near me and the large chain grocery store a block away have gas price wars so it works out.
Oh yeah, and check to see if 20 gage slug ammo has come in yet ...
:)
I am generally satisfied with the SuperCenter nearest me. Sometimes I shop at 6 AM, when there are tons of people restocking (in groceries, at least) so you can ask where something is if you want.
When I go during the busy hours, there always seems to be a person standing opposite the checkouts, observing things. I don’t know who they are, but they seem friendly.
To me it seems at peak hours that if the cashier lines are busy, the self checkout is not too bad, and vice versa. I’m not sure it’s any better or worse than a year ago.
I don’t know what their security procedures are like, but I was not too happy at another SC during Christmas season when I had been through the grocery section and went into the Christmas department to look for a simple string of lights that they did not have, but had some guy follow me and stare and speak into a walkie-talkie. He was dressed differently and obviously thought I was a shoplifter, maybe because I had put a bottle of liquor in my basket and was wearing a heavy coat. I have not been back there.
I go in two or three times a year. I stock up on toiletries that cost 1/2 of what Walgreens charges item for item. As long as I don’t get run over by those roaming in the motorized carts I’m happy.
Looks like too many chiefs and not enough Indians. But seriously, it does seem that they are getting people checked out faster than they used to. I just hate that they have dropped so many of the items they used to stock. People have explained it away that evidently the items they dropped were poor sellers but the local store managers have debunked that theory. They say that the items dropped were very good sellers. They had to make room for wider aisles. But I have noticed one thing. Walmart is obsessed with the Green Movement and lowfat crap.
When I go to Walmart its just to walk around, its like reality TV without the commercials.
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