As an associate at Belk hearing this from management, I can tell you that Belk no longer cares about the customer in the store, They are diverting everything into online shopping, because that is the only thing keeping them alive. So expect even longer lines, fewer registers open, and even fewer associates that can help you. Associates, expect to be driven and worked like slaves even more to reach unrealistic order picking goals and cancel rates, Belk doesn't care if the store is busy. It's meet the online picking goals or else. And that's it. Oh and hours are still cut. So you have to hit your goals with these hours. Or else.
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I don't think any of us should really be surprised because belk does not acknowledge whats going on on the floor. Because that way they can treat us like trash. But believe me hr and corporate know exactly whats going on. Their only focus is the investors and how much money they can pull in. That's always been a given. They fill everybodys heads with a bunch of bull and most people don't have a lot of the choices. So when so it comes down to it they will throw the customers by the wayside just like they did the associates.
If the customer was important, then Belk would service them properly, no matter if they are shopping in the store or online or curbside. One associate working on each side of the store with no break, or help, closed fitting rooms (because Belk can’t afford to pay a LP associate) but using the covid excuse, filthy restrooms, allowing marginalized low income customers to berate employees, allowing managers to do the absolute minimum work but hound employees about credit, email, recovery, and keeping the executives and HR far far away from stores and blind to store issues shows that belk does not give two sh–s no only about employees but also about the customer and the image of the company. Chew on that.
Did your manager actually say Belk no longer cares about their customer, or did he/she say the focus is full fillment where the demand is currently? Our on line full fillment is busy, and I expect it to get busier this fall where COVID19 collides with flu. It’s easier to accept assignment; frustration understandable if previously assigned one department, (no matter the specialty; sales, Ops, Visual). The end game is sales posted. The customer is the very most important, whether in store, on-line, or full fillment. Doubt your manager would say otherwise.
Hard to accept focus on STH and not in our previous every day responsibilities. Belk is not the only one in this position; COVID19 has systematically advanced us to the anticipated 10 year future way of business. Quite a shock if you imagine the technological advance in the past ten years. Retail is not the only sector effected. School systems, (elementary to college), manufacturing plants, medical systems, even state employees are shifting to “one way,” and cross training.
Correct … on all points.
Everything about Belk is so bizarre now, staffing, scheduling for associates, managers that dont work nights and weekends (in RETAIL!!), favoritism, racism, lack of hours, no merchandise, a smaller and smaller customer base, filthy stores, "one belk" bait and switch making employees do all different jobs, no reviews for last year, pay cuts, insurance/benefit cuts, corporate layoffs, store level layoffs, a revolving door of management and executives, a very distant HR team, s-xual harassment issues, hostile work enviornment, you name it...