Staples will continue to squeeze every penny out of the stores until they keep losing sales and eventually are closed. The only growth Staples is seeing right now is Online ales and thats because they are screwing their stores over so bad that customer service sucks and basically all positions, management and associates are just selling their jobs away every time they walk a customer to the kiosk. You can't win in Staples. I am giving my notice.
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I am in total agreement on being set up for failure. I am displaced from a recent store closing. Our YTD score card for 2014 held a Platinum CSAT,CopySat and TSAT, 101% to budget total sales(even with a 2 month notice of closing and unable to get product or render ET services), and an overall rank of 698 in the company. Not too shabby finishing in the top half of the company after being open only 4 years.However, the operating profit tanked, big time. Not enough store sales to generate a profit (tier 4) but our online sales were well over budget. Was this possibly due to the poor location (Office Depot literally seen from the receiving door)? Or maybe because we were the "only" Staples around and so far from the busiest sections of town. This made us the only location for online returns from a radius of 50+ miles. It was a poor location decision made 4 years ago when they needed to drop in another store just to satisfy stockholders. And no matter what we did, it would have never been enough. I know in my heart we gave it our best and were all so sad to see it close. I can see this happening to more and more Tier 4 stores as the push for online continues. Do yourselves a favor and start begging those customers that return their online purchases to your store to come in and order from the store to save your sales. It's the only way that the tier 4's will stand a chance with the online push. If you don't, the higher beings will see no need to keep you open and you will be closing your store before you know it! Good luck to all of you that are still employed. Enjoy it while you can.
We all see, live and are affected by what is happening. But what can we do besides run. Investing 14 years in a company and being 60 years old isn't a great time to be venturing out into the world looking for new employment no matter how qualified you are. BTW I am very qualified. The new district manager has come to town and dared all his GM's to be the store he makes an example of by not toeing the line with the stores allotted time restraints. The GM's have passed the buck and dared the employees not to be the one breaking 25 hours a week part time or 37 1/2 full time. Of course 45 for SM's.
Then the command of keeping all the programs in place and at expected numbers or above or suffer the consequences. I was blatantly told by my new GM that I would lose my job before he would. What a wonderful work environment ;-(
Hours cut, less employees or no employees on the floor for 4 hour gaps and the management / supervisors expected to fill the gaps and run the store. Do the words CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS mean anything ? Loads are taking 4 - 5 days to process. Store standards are falling way behind. Tech customers waiting 20 - 30 minutes for service because there is only one tech to do intakes, repairs, sell, do freight, planograms, and sign changes. Are we noticing a pattern yet.
All we hear is no exceptions ! All must be completed or else your gone........ Really ? I haven't acquired my super powers yet. Have you ? Do the words HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT mean anything to you.. That's how I feel. I really hope someone from Staples corporate who has a conscience is reading this forum. This is the NO BULLSHIT TRUTH of what is like in your stores.. We want to do our jobs and we want to be successful and be proud of what we do. You need to give us the time and resources to make happen.
I was once visited early in my career by the President and founder of Staples. He introduced himself to me and after some small talk he asked me a question. What can Staples do for you ? I held out my hands and said " Give me some more of these " He said give me more sales and I will give you more hands. I replied NO SIR, You give me more hands and I will give you more sales........ The Classic Stand Off........ by, I Wrote This
They are absolutely setting stores up to fail. Even in stores that are doing well, they are intentionally driving good staff out by maximizing stress and minimizing hourly pay and weekly payroll. When that does not work they plan Corp. visits and have these clowns rip the store apart over any little thing they can find.. Then the write-ups and PIPS start over inconsequential issues. The more you make the bigger target you have on your back. They want all long term and/or decently paid people GONE. Manager or associate, it does not matter.
Yup they dont care about us. Theyre setting stores up for failure