The senior managers now give us veiled threats about firing us if we don't meet our club card goals. They do this at every meeting. They keep telling us that we got such and such number this time last year. Yeah, we did, then the company "restructured" and we're running a skeleton crew. A very unhappy skeleton crew. I know they said last in, first out. It seems that the opposite happened. The full timers, and people who had been there the longest went. Also, I'm shocked that no one has brought up the tractors, sorry "Wildlife Land Management Equipment", and what role they played in all this, if any. Our store has close to 100 sitting in the parking lot, taking up spaces because we can't get rid of them. We have more waiting to be built too.
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the voc format has changed online.. where once there was a space for 'is there an outfitter you want to recognize', now it is gone. just a space for comments. so yeah, it is not worth putting forth the effort to be recognized since they don't remind the customers online to give us 'shout outs'. and what happens when a store opens within 2 hours of your store, or even closer, and you find yourselves fighting for customers? makes no sense at all any more.. we are becoming just another run-of-the-mill box store..
The store gm's get credit when the payroll is down, credit cards up and VOC high. They know how to "fix" the VOC number, which is why the numbers stay up as the lines at the registers get longer. Credit cards provide 1/3rd of company profit, so club is key to keeping your job. To keep payroll down, take out the people that have been there there longest and hire seasonal. Sad.
I am no longer asking for VOCs. I know I give great service and I have been a VOC leader for a long time but I always mentioned it to a customer if I spent and hour and a half with them. Now if they ask if there is some way they can recognize the job I did for them I tell them their thanks is enough. On the other hand if someone complains that the department does not have enough staff I tell them the company has been cutting hours for months. I think the store has become a front for the credit card business.