In 2005 VZW Retail sales was a great job with high pay and great incentives, on top of great benefits. Today not-so much as technology has changed and so has the need for our stores, aka, today you open an iPhone, turn it on and downloads legacy data from iCloud. I read all the posts, mostly from retail or support personnel who who seem to take issue with so many things about Verizon. My post isn't to bash anyone here, but to also say that I have felt job security, have been treated fairly and have had a meaningful career by evolving my skills and remaining in areas that are highly valued and needed within our company. Having worked at other high tech firms, all are about the same. Don't kid yourself if you think Microsoft or Apple are any better....If one sharpens their skills and strives to learn, there are a ton of positions within Verizon that anyone can apply for. I have worked with many folks in Verizon who started in retail and today are directors and even past area Presidents. (Marney Walden) No matter what issue(s) some of you have with Han's, there were past presidents who cared far less about you then Hans does. He relaxed the dress codes, came up with retentive bonuses, has taken Verizon to be more public focused in areas of human rights, responsibility, etc. Like all CEO's he has had to make some tough choices in order to increase shareholder value. My wife works in retail and both customer service and retail can be rough. But she knows that Department stores are a dying breed so she isn't brooding over it but instead is seeing how she can leverage her skill and use them elsewhere. For anyone in CS or in a retail store, please, if you sense that changes are afoot, sharpen your skills by taking CCNA, Network Plus, Management classes, Green belt accreditation or something, but remember that we all create our own destinies. Verizon is one path and a very good, but there are also others if one is unhappy here. My two cents.
8 replies (most recent on top)
@1wpr+1cQV3wJa (I hope I spelled your name correctly) You seem like a bitter employee and I suspect you will carry the same attitude to the next job. Good luck with your career. Retail jobs are no longer careers. They are starting points to hopefully great things. In the old west area there were dozens of employees who began in retail in rose up. Where you start is not where you end up. Criticizing the message and not the messenger is more productive.
@1dyf+1cQV3wJa Corporate retail stores only account for 1/3 of all Verizon retail outlets out there. The other remaining 70% of stores are still on individualized commission plans. I agree there would have been a much greater impact if all stores did away with individual comp plans but 70% did not. Covid and the challenges it has brought has masked the losses coming out of the corporate locations because of the pay plan change .
Why is the company valuing the sales staff less when head count is down significantly?
I am not defending the company for changing pay plans. Its not helping share holders earn more money. It's loosing us more money than it's gaining indirectly.
Some reps have dedicated 10 years to this company just to have there pay plans re done on a whim..
If a company pays the front line more money does the front line make them a return on there investment and work harder and make bigger sales?
Is it indirectly loosing them more money by giving pay cuts to the sales people?
The idea that if you pay your employees so good that they work harder when your not looking doesn't apply to retail anymore just because people order online more now than ever?
We have already reduced head count to about half or more reps in every store. How come we can't give the reamining reps an aggressive pay plan to motivate?
When it has the potential to make the company more money by doing this. Why is nobody talking about this?
Funny how you knew Marni. Couldn't even spell her name. Yes working at MS and Apple are above and beyond Verizon. Do you have that experience of working there? Dont chime in with a BS post from employee relations at Vdub.
Most CEO' leave Verizon because they can make way more having their compensation tied to the stock's price at a Cisco or some other high tech firm. Merissa Meyer and Tim Armstrong both left with Golden Parachutes to the tune of 77 Million each. Han's is paid $22 million in compensation plus benefits. His role is to make decisions that impact Verizon's stock price and profitability the same way Steve Jobs did when I worked at Apple or Ken Derr did during my Chevron years. The board decided the CEO's compensation not Han's. You see like a smart person. Go start your own business and you can be the CEO and you can select your compensation. Or work your way up through Verizon like Marni did and become an area president. Hans is paid what the board deems he is worth or else he wouldn't be in the role. Never besmudge someone for what they have achieved! After all no one is forcing you to work at Verizon or is holding you back from thriving someplace else. Or from starting your own business where you can make the rules.
Nice post, thanks for the sanity in the message.
Like all CEO's he has had to make some tough choices in order to increase shareholder value.
Unfortunately, the only value he has increased is his own compensation. The stock has been stagnant for years. Oh yea, it's a dividend stock, not a growth stock. I forgot. 👎
I needed that. Thanks op!