So, lemme give you the set-up...br /br /Earlier today (before I got into work), one of the electronics associates sold a lady a SILVER Playstation 2. About...oh...an hour and a half after I came in, I head up to the service desk check on a pre-paid cellphone return and give it the yay or nay (they asked for me by name, so thats not an issue). Do my thang, joke with the girls at the desk, all fun is to be had.br /br /The conversation after the hahas was as follows:br /SD: Oh, be thankful youre not up here for the PS2 return.br /Me: Why? Should I stay?br /SD: No, we need Geoff (Department Manager) for this one.br /Me: Why? Im not good enough? :P (eh...sorry about the smilie. Best way I can think to portray the silliness in my tone)br /SD: Trust me...well need Geoff.br /br /So I go back and see Geoff storming up to the front. I catch the guy who sold the PS2 originally and asked why he was being Mr. Frumpty Pants again. He informs me about a PS2 return and promptly tells me that the woman is trying to return a BLACK PS2 with the receipt on the PS2 that she got today. br /br /I already know where this is going to head, so I ask him what the verdict on it is already. He informs me that Geoff (as well as several of the service desk girls who, while they dont know enough about the tech, know enough that a black PS2 does NOT get put into a silver PS2 box) have told this woman no and that shes starting to throw a grade AA hissyfit.br /br /Which explained the shouting from up front, but I digress.br /br /Skip ahead an hour and a break later, and our assistant comes back. I make the off-hand comment to her...When are we gonna get Geoff back?. Shes a cool manager, used to our humor, so she laughs nervously and explains that she abandoned him up there with the customer. I ask what happened with the return (since it had circled the departments three times already) and she told me that we were taking the PS2 back and giving the customer a gift card.br /br /I genuinely feel this is another case of taking the whole customer first thing too far, and just another step closer to our uniforms being replaced with doormats that read welcome to Wal-Mart and descriptions of the various private acts theyll be expecting us to perform on customers on demand. But thats just me; you should know my colorful views on things.br /br /So, what do you guys think about this whole nonsense? Was this good customer care or my managers just trying to be appeasers?

Heres a new change for the community: anons wont be able to post here anymore.br /br /For some of you out there who dont want to post with their regular LJ accounts, you have two options:br /br /1. create another account, orbr /br /2. send me a message (go into my profile and click on the link for sending a message) and I will post the message for youbr /br /For the members who do post with their accounts, I strongly suggest you to be aware of this internets Golden Rule--bdont feed the trolls/b! They will keep pestering you (you in general) if you get riled up and fire back.br /br /I am not to advocate for safe space (if you want safe space, go join span class=ljuser lj:user=vaginapagina style=white-space: nowrap;a href=http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/profileimg src=http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif alt=[info] width=16 height=16 style=vertical-align: bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px; //aa href=http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/bvaginapagina/b/a/span), but I also believe in fair game. I do encourage respect. I dont expect all smiles and rainbows in here, and some posts do warrant boomerang comments (like that post where one guy complained of being coached for not changing the end cap price sign when putting up higher-priced items). Also be aware that people will have differing opinions. I am not going to hold your hands, but I do expect you guys to keep your cool.br /br /I will delete some comments, freeze a few threads, but come on, be civilized. I wont take care of every single petty comment or catty comeback.br /br /Any questions?

Anyone hear of a new program starting about people haveing to scan their badges and they are timed to do certain projects, if the fail three time then you are fired? I am starting to get wind on this from some 3rd shifters at my store that they now are timed. I was just wondering if anyone else store was doing this or heard about it.

I want to apologize if Ive been a little angry lately.nbsp; I have 2 sons and 1 sister out of work right now so Im a little stressed about jobs right now.nbsp; Not an excuse, just a reason for my behavior lately.nbsp; But with Thanksgiving around the corner, Im trying to see everything that there is to be thankful for.nbsp; Yes, Im very thankful for my job and the security that Walmart gives me and my family.nbsp; I am thankful that I work in a store where everyone (ok, most everyone) cares about each other.nbsp; We have an associate who has cancer and has been sent home for whatever time he has left.nbsp; His wife also works with us.nbsp; Our associates have raised over $3000 for them in order for his wife to be able to stay home with him.nbsp; Walmart is a corporation but our stores are made up of real people who have shown over and over again what wonderful people they are.nbsp; We can complain about policies, bonuses, etc. but what really makes this a great place to work is the associates I work with.nbsp; And that includes all of you in this community that let me rant and rave when I need to.nbsp; So yes, I get upset when some of you complain, but I respect your right to do that and I am grateful that we have this forum to let it out.nbsp;

Whats the official Walmart policy on new-employee-training? Because they dont seem to have one. Something ibesides/i those incredibly forgettable CBLs? I mean, the new people get so overwhelmed and freaked out... and theres only so much we can do for them while still finishing our iown/i freight. So (and it happens again and again), after two weeks you never see them again. Its ridiculous.

Did any of you ever see that movie about Wal-Mart? iThe High Cost of Low Prices/i or something like that? It was free on my Starz Premium thing the other day, so I watched it while working on a painting for class and there was one thing I did notice, specifically:br /br /I was hired at Wal-Mart about two and a half months ago. When i went through orientation, there were a few points that were very heavily stressed by our training manager (who I adore because shes hilarious and fun). The points were:br /br /DO NOT WORK OFF THE CLOCK EVER. If you do, you must fill out a form or be disciplined. If yuo are asked to work off the clock without adjusting your time to reflect it, complain. Complain loudly and a lot. Cue OPEN DOOR POLICY.br /br /WAL-MART DOES NOT HATE UNIONS. Unions are just, uhm, not Wal-Marts thing and Wal-Mart does not support unions. But they dont hate them. Cue OPEN DOOR POLICY.br /br /WAL-MART IS NOT A FESTERING POOL OF POLLUTION: Wal-Mart is actually working hard at going green, etc.br /br /DO NOT WORK WITHOUT MEAL BREAKS: If you reach five hours without clocking out for a break, you will become a Meal Exception which leads to disciplinary actions being taken. br /br /WAL-MARTS ARE LOCAL, NOT JUST NATIONAL: If someone who works at Wal-Mart is hospitalized, diagnosed with cancer, etc. Wal-mart employees are encouraged to do bake sale drives, cookouts, and take donations to help with their medical care.br /br /What occured to me when I was watching the movie is that alot of the thing we were being told in orientation seemed like direct responses to the allegations of the movie... br /br /So I was wondering, did any of you see the movie? What did you think about it? For people whove been working at Wal-Mart for a long while, did you see anything change specifically around the time the movie came out?br /br /I dont know. Im home and kinda bored. Humor me.

WHOA, my fellow employees! Hold the lynching off for just a fewbr /more minutes!!!! You seemed to have missed my point all the waybr /around. Read my first few lines. I said this would be a big help br /to a lot of folks. The point I was TRYING to make was that I justbr /wish for once, in all my 18 years at Walmart, that they would dobr /something for their employees out of the goodness of their hearts,br /WITHOUT them getting anything in return for it. To APPRECIATE theirbr /hard working associates for just that reason. Let them do it yearbr /round if that is the case. Im sorry that I ruffled so many loyalbr /walmart feathers. After all, what is this site for if not to br /speak your mind? Maybe your store is wonderful. Maybe your storesbr /management treat you with the utmost respect. If they do, I envybr /you. I am tired of seeing people at my store so completely stressedbr /out at the end of the day and never once even getting so much asbr /a thank you or a pat on the back for all the hard work everyonebr /puts in. As I said, do it for the employees, just for them, withoutbr /anything in return. Enough said.

At about 1:30 Friday afternoon, I had just returned from my first break, when a couple of sets of lights turned off up front. Then our manager made the announcement, Due to circumstances beyond our control, we must evacuate the building. Please bring your purchases to the front checkouts and exit the building. Well, we all know what circumstances beyond our control means. Turns out that someone (allegedly an associate) had scrawled a couple of threats on the wall of the mens restroom which said a bomb would go off in the store on Friday. (He was arrested Sunday.) Apparently they werent too convinced there might be a bomb because management and three of us CSMs remained in the store, sorting out the carts customers had left behind. Many of the associates were hanging around the doors, smoking and chatting. I then got enlisted to answer the phone. When asked why we were closed, I had to tell people we had an electrical problem. Most people were OK with it, but some just couldnt believe that Walmart was CLOSED! We finally got back in the store around 6:00, and we were slammed with people the rest of the night.br /br /Have any of your stores had bomb threats? If so, has the person who made the threat been punished?

This afternoon a pregnant mother, (looked about 5 or 6 months along), and her daughter (about 3 years old) came in my infants dept. The daughter was riding a little bike with training wheels. As we employees were told, bikes are not to be ridden in the store, to dangerous. So we are asked to stop this when we see it.br /br /I ask them mom (yes politely) could she please not ride the bike but walk it. That it is for customer’s safety, we are not allowed the bikes to be ridden in the store. She then told me she was pregnant and wasn’t about to lift the bike or child into the shopping cart. I said I understand but we can’t have a bike being ridden on in the store. She starts to walk away with her kid still on the bike. I then say, as she walks way, this is for you and your child’s safety. I notice as she is rides her bike away there is still plastic wrap on the tire and is hanging off that is close to get caught in the spokes. I then go back to her saying if she is going to let her child ride the bike, please at least let me take the plastic off she won’t get hurt. She then in a loud voice tells me she gives up, and not buying the bike now, and takes her child off the bike and goes to the next isle. I return the bike to toys (the dept manager said she knew the bike would be back). I go back to my infant’s dept and find her looking at the furniture. She sees me come back and says that if the store doesn’t want children to ride the bikes there should be signs hanging there. I apologized and said I didn’t work over there and go over there so I didn’t know we didn’t have signs over there that stated this and we are told by management the bikes are not to be ridden in the store. She just shoots back to me “bitch”. I then move to the next isle over to try and forget this lady and get work done. Then I see her take the $90 toddle bed sets (which are like 50 pounds) and lift it in the shopping cart! (I would have helped her put it in the cart, but she did it so fast I didnt have time to walk over there) These weigh about 50lbs! I thought she couldn’t lift a 20 pound child or bike! I just walked away, there was nothing more to say or do regarding this lady. br /br /I just get so mad that I am doing what I can to maintain safety in my area of the store and I am the bitch for trying to protect a child.

I believe that the 10% off groceries instead of the one time 10% off one itembr /will help a lot of large families that work at Walmart. But there is also a lotbr /of young and single employees that will not be helped at all by this, along withbr /married couples who work there, they will only benefit by half. Everyonebr /is saying how much Walmart is helping our associates live better and save money.br /Yes, with this discount for a lot of people it is true. But ask yourself, why arebr /they doing this? They are not doing this for your benefit. That is just a coverbr /for them, for the media. They are doing this so they can come out at the end of br /the year as top retailer. They are actually trying to keep you away from the br /competition, spending your money at those other stores, to keep their own salesbr /up and be number ONE. Make you spend all your VERY HARD EARNED MONEY at Walmart.br /Make them look good. Are they still cutting your hours? Are they still cutting yourbr /help? Will this 10% take away all the frustrations and overload of work that you have? Will it make you be merrier this Christmas? If they were TRULY doing this for only the benefit of the employees, I think it would be great. But again, they are only thinking of the almighty dollar. I think Walmarts new slogan should be WORKbr /HARDER, EARN LESS!

a href=http://www.wptz.com/news/17988757/detail.htmlhttp://www.wptz.com/news/17988757/detail.html/abr /br /a href=http://www.pressrepublican.com/homepage/local_story_320224816.html?keyword=topstoryhttp://www.pressrepublican.com/homepage/local_story_320224816.html?keyword=topstory/abr /br /br /Backstory becuase you cat really tell fromt he news articles.nbsp; My store is in a plaza.nbsp; Its shaped liek a U, with Wendys on one side, a strip of stores, Sams Club and Wal Mart in the back, a second strip of stores, then the hotel capping off the other end.br /br /So, I was sceduled 1:30-10:30.nbsp; I showed up around 11:30 becuase I had some banking to do, then lunch with lonewolf, who was working 8-5.nbsp; As were eating lunch someone said there was a fire at the inn in front of our store.nbsp; A few minutes later were hearing that the employees at Wendys were helping direct traffic becuase it was crazy outside.nbsp; At 1:30 the store was normally busy for a saturday, but t died quickly.nbsp; There was a hour wait jsut to get IN the parking lot, and twice that getting out, then the fire dept. closed the parking lot.nbsp; Managment was telling people to try and make it in, but excusing every tardy and absence becuase in order to get to work they had to walk, and it was a health risk to walk becuase of the smoke.br /br /WEd lost water preasure, the fire dept was asking us to close because the smoke was jsut billowing towards the store, and every other place in the plaza was closed.nbsp; Managment said we couldt becuase home office said we werent allowed to close.nbsp; Those who made it in were working everywhere else.nbsp; Myself, a CSM, and a few other cashiers were setting up risers and helping with the candy/christmas asile, Electronics was pulling frieght, jewlery was working in stationary, and cashiers stuck at registers were pulling everything down and cleaning the shelves like weve never done before...it was jsut crazy.nbsp; The only customers in the store were employees stuck in the store or customers who wanted to wait out the insane wait to get out.br /br /Aparently managment didnt want up to close becuase were an emergancy center, so if people lost water or power becuase of the fire, we had to stay open to supply them with water and floashights or whatever....which would make sense...if ANYONE could get to the store.br /br /I ended up punching out for my lunch at 5, and leaving at 5:30 becuase I had a ride to go home, and they didnt know when the parking lot would be ope agian for cabs to pick up employees. br /br /The store stayed open.nbsp; CSMs said the parking lot was opened agian at 8, and we got a steady flow.

This has been getting on my last little nerve these past few weeks.br /Hunters...now, weve got a lot of them in the store.nbsp;nbsp; Not only working, but shopping there as well.nbsp; Inbsp;would like to know one thing, however.nbsp; br /If you know you will be going hunting sometime this year (or fishing) and you know, in order to do this, you need a hunting or fishing license...why are you getting it just as you are driving out to do said hunting or fishing?br /br /Why not get it on that last day off, or about the time the season opens?br /br /Either way, no, deer hunters and fisherpeople...I do NOT hear the deer or the fish calling your name.br /br /Excuse me now while I go page someone to come over and get your stupid license.br /br /(by the way...I have nothing agains hunters or people who fish.nbsp; Inbsp;dont due to pure sheer laziness on my part.nbsp; Besides, Id rather hunt with a camera...dressing and rendering or cleaning and scaling a fish...eww)

has anyone heard yet if they are getting a bonus for last quarter?

br /I like this community.nbsp;nbsp;I thought that Id share this letter I wrote to my former store a day after I walked out on the job.nbsp; Names have been omitted to prevent Wal-Mart from suing me:br /br /br /I am a former cashier from your store. I am sad to say that I feel that I have wasted the last 3 frac12; years there.divnbsp;/divdivOn November 14supth/sup, 2008, I was serving a customer at Register 11. Not only was she rude during the entire transaction, she claimed that we were trying to con her by not accepting her credit cards. After being rude to both me and a span class=yshortcutsCustomer Service Desk/span associate, the customer threw a carton of air freshener at me and used the ldquo;Frdquo; word when talking about me and span class=yshortcuts style=cursor: hand; border-bottom: #0066cc 1px dashedWal-Mart/span./divdivnbsp;/divdivI then reported her to twonbsp;CSMs, who wouldnrsquo;t help me with the situation. After they opened my drawer and the customer made a rude remark at me, something snapped in my head and I dropped the customerrsquo;s change and told her to leave./divdivnbsp;/divdivOne CSMnbsp;saw this and spoke on her walkie, asking fornbsp;an assistant managernbsp;to come talk to me. I toldnbsp;the csmnbsp;not to bothernbsp;the managernbsp;and that I was going home./divdivnbsp;/divdivOn the way back to the span class=yshortcutstime clock/span, I decided that I was quitting my job at Wal-Mart. I sawnbsp;another and told him. He didnrsquo;t seem the least bit concerned that I was leaving and even made a wise crack about filling out a green sheet and then asked for my discount card./divdivnbsp;/divdivI am enclosing my discount card and I promise you that I will not be shopping at Wal-Mart again. I have been disgusted over the attitudes of management there over the last several months and I hope that one day span class=yshortcutsAssociates/span are treated with the consideration and respect that they deserve./divdivnbsp;/divdivI have contacted a href=http://walmart.com/ target=_blankspan class=yshortcutsfont color=#003399WalMart.com/font/span/a and have asked to talk to someone at Corporate level about this situation./divdivnbsp;/divdivIt saddens me that everything ended this way. Irsquo;m afraid that if things continue the way that they are going at Wal-Mart, the company and your store will not have a future.br /nbsp;/div

Last night, I was sitting in management office, helping out with the making of our floor plan sheet. I guess all the store managers have to make a floor plan and number the 4-ways and endcaps and be able to write whats on each one etc. Im not sure if its JUST for Blitz season or if its a from here on out type thing.br /br /Anyway, Im sitting there and were figuring out the excel program and exactly how we want to get this project done when I noticed the stack of green sheets in front of me (Also known as the exit interview) So, I look at it closer just seeing what reasons for termination were on there.br /br /Under the Involuntary Termination (Eligible for rehire) section is where they put the option of bDeceased/bbr /br /br /Its good to know that if the afterlife sucks that bad.. I can always go back to work at Walmart.

We were told yesterday that we will not be getting the usual extra 10% coupon for 1 item this year, instead starting monday through New Years Day, we will get a 10% discount on all food, excluding tobacco amp; nbsp;liquor. Im real happy, that will save alot of money for us. maybe it will stay after New Years, that would be great. I also saw where as of 11/1/2008 associates dont get a discount card until they have worked 91 consecutive days. lovin that! That willl save alot of money too.

So, they desided to work on our water pipes since the front bathrooms are always backing up.nbsp; First couple of days I;m fine.nbsp; I was either working days with no construction, or working just as they got there and there wasnt much going on.nbsp; Today....oh gods.br /br /I was on 13, our tobacco lane.nbsp; They had the floor dug up between 9/10 and 11/12, so I had a large dirt hole right in front of me.nbsp; They started using a pick axe to do whatever, and my nose felt stuffy, no biggy.nbsp; Then I couldnt breath fro my nose, so I did a 248 action code....got no responce.nbsp; About ten minutes later I flash my light...I cant breath, eyes are watering so bad I cant see, my thoat was feeling grainy.nbsp; No responce.nbsp; I finally called out a CSM when she walked past and explained to her, I am allergic to dust.nbsp; Took her a minute to realize she had me working next to a giant dust bowl and she told me to take my break, go outside, and when I came back to get a dust mask if need be.br /br /I came back, a second csm told me to go to 13.nbsp; I;m standing quite a few feet away, breathing threw the sleeve of my sweatshirt, shaking my head.nbsp; Finally, brief conferance witht he first CSM, she put me at 16...so I;m a good 20 feet away from the construction.nbsp; No dust mask, becuase I was quot;far enough awayquot; not to breath it in, when we had a lady on 22, right next to the door, bitching about the dust in the air.br /br /Worked for about 15 minutes, listening to the lady on 18 saying quot;I;m pregnant...can I sue walmart if I miscarry?nbsp; I;m pregnant, theyre killing my babyquot; over and over again, my chest is getting tight, CSMs are no where to be seen, and I;m trying to tough it out untill 11:30 when I go home.nbsp; A girl from service desk walks over, says hi, I start talking to her, and she asked if I was asthmatic.nbsp; The moment I said yes, and that I dont have a rescue inhaller, she ran off.nbsp; A minute later the CSM who told me to go back to 13 came over, shut off my light, and said managment told me to go home, and the girl from service desk gave me a ride to make sure I got there safe since I dont drive and its a mile walk.br /br /I love it how, at differant times Ive had a migraine, vomiting, sprained ankle and couldnt stand on both feet, or lost my voice-all of which make is damn hard or impossible to cashier- and managment tells me to tough it out, or work in another area.nbsp; But someone else informs them Im allergic to dust, and asthmatic, and they tell me to go home right then and there.

people who have direct deposit: when does your check get direct deposited? (see, theres this game coming out at midnight on payday, and....)br /br /is it usually midnight and its been pushed back because of veterans day? or am i right when i think it wouldnt be fair to have some peoples money available earlier than others just because some people have direct deposit and itll probably be there around 8, when everyones checks are at the store?

The cases of retired Marine Engineer Paul Norman and EMS Helicopter Pilot Mike Cheek, who were banned from official union online forums, reflect the growing importance of the internet as a new space for member participation and the contrary efforts of union leaders to limit discussion to what they consider acceptable...

The CWA supports freedom from fear in representation elections. But what's going on in its internal union elections?