An interesting 3 page article on how Walmart is using technology instead of people (managers) to make decisions. Because they need to save money. This is starting to catch up with the company. I don't have a fascination with Walmart, lol, it's just that they write more about Walmart.
To me this is interesting because ever since I worked at McDonalds I've been theorizing about this same subject-why do corporations not realize that treating their employees like dirt hurts the company? Particular employees can really be a value to a company but the attitude of most Corp. is that all employees are easily replaceable. They're always trying to make an extra buck in ways that hurt the customer. Yes, they're in it to make money, but they go to ridiculous lengths to acomplish this. One of the most popular (that I've seen, anyway) is to reduce the number of employees on the shifts. Not because they're not as busy, but because they want to pull more work out of already challenged employees. This hurts the employees who become tired and sometimes grouchy with the customers, and of course it hurts the customers who must wait much longer for service and as a result of overworked employees often get poorer service to boot. I know from working in the Deli that many customers, particularly the elderly ones, like to chat with the employees, during and after thier order is filled. They like to come and see the same people each time. But when you're always that busy you don't have time to talk anymore and a customer trying to talk with you often becomes an annoyance because you have too much to do and not enough time to do it.
In my experience, when they reduce employees they also start new rules regarding things like not talking. Less talking means more work, right? Especially in a stupid job where the pay and skill is low and you don't have perks, little things like the friendships you form while working are the reasons you keep employees. It makes an otherwise boring job worthwhile. Then they usually yell at you for not smiling more. (I'm gonna smile now that I can't talk to employees or customers and I have more work to do and less help doing it?)
I think I'm gonna end this post for now. I could go on quite a bit more on this subject. I'll just say that I think it pays to treat your employees and customers well. I think today corporations try to do as absolutly little as they can. They've become incredibly greedy, focusing all the wealth a company makes at the very top of the ladder (CEOs and such) and the employees doing the hard labor are the one making pennies. It says much about our society that this is perfectly accepted behavior, doesn't it?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
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8 comments:
That's something I have never been able to understand....it has been proven over & over again that when companies respect their workers and treat them well, the companies profits soar. But most companies have a narrow, negative mindset...
The solution? Forget the big corporations. Work for mom and pop shops, or nonprofits. If everyone who used to work at walmart or mcD's came to clean water action or working america, or whatever, imagine how society would change. Exciting.
The problem is that Mom and Pop places usually don't have the hours you want or the flexibility. And they certainly can't afford to pay much either. And not everyone is cut out for door to door confrontations. Actually I think the biggest problem would just be that Mom and Pop shops are being driven out of business by all the big corporations (Did you ever see the movie, You've Got Mail-that shows a big book company ruining the business of a small bookstore). There's no other jobs to turn to. It's hard to bring back the specialty shops when the corp. have so much cheaper prices (quality too but that's another story)-we're making low wages at the corporations so we can't afford not to shop at them!!
I like your optimistic attitude though Claire.
The BIG coprs are all about money not the person who works there. I know this first hand from where Chuck was working. Sherwin Williams is the biggest pain company in the USA and they treat their employess like dirt if they don't comform to their way of thinking and doing.
Their aren't too many mom and pop businesses out there anymore.
All people worry about is making top dollar, but there is more to life than money. And people need to realize that God can take things away from you just like he has given it to you. God is the way, not us!
The BIG corps are all about money not the person who works there. I know this first hand from where Chuck was working. Sherwin Williams is the biggest paint company in the USA and they treat their employess like dirt if they don't conform to their way of thinking and doing.
Their aren't too many mom and pop businesses out there anymore.
All people worry about is making top dollar, but there is more to life than money. And people need to realize that God can take things away from you just like he has given it to you. God is the way, not us!
I think that small family businesses are the ones doing the most hiring today. And their the ones who wow! are terrible to work for. Because they have no standard but their own. They can show favoritism, don't give raises/or small raises if any, don't have to progress reports on employees like at my last job, things that in big businesses have an organized way of doing things (can't think how I want to word it right now). Anyway, I'm not thrilled at the idea of working for another family owned business again.
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