So the VPASM waited at the door for the closing managers to arrive today. And apparently the meeting was ugly.
Stressors keep mounting up. What are they thinking? Accosting people as they walk in? I give it 3 weeks with this new guy and more SMs walk out.
we need to stop being such a promotional department store...no wonder the Macy's brand has gone so downhill. Need to just do a Friends and Family, VIP, and ODS all ONCE per season. Cut out all the pre-sale besides for F and F and VIP. Good thing we spent whatever we spent on the brand videos that were never run on TV, only for Youtube.....thinking they can appeal to Millennials like myself when in reality none of us go on YouTube to find brand videos...
As an SM you no longer walk your floor and do the black box walk and make adjustments abd drive sales. You no longer interact with your DM regarding product needs and floor placement, only pre sale. You no longer build a team within your department and drive sales. You brow beat your associates about credits and ridiculous pre sale goals.
I'm so sick of the daily email from my DM oozing passive aggressive disdain about pre sell results. pre sell is an absolute inconvenience to the customer, although they play the game they hate it. In most situations picking up a pre-sale does not result in an additional transaction the day of pick up.
Lets go on sale during friends and family presale with 100's of specials!!!
Friends and family, VIP xcetera are all watered down because we do them so often there is nothing special about them and the customer knows it. ...
By the way everyone do not trade sales LOL which is the complete essence of presale
So true. I'm an associate and have always said no to doing anything higher. The SMs are getting questioned regarding their action plans for presale (mind you, I've done a huge amount with what little I have left in store!) and the SMs are coming to us desperate for an assurance or some results! I've said over and over again, "I presell when people are coming in looking for things I'm all out of!" I order the items for them which should count for something because I'm not letting them leave empty handed and I'm closing the sale! But the people above them only want to hear about presell! Customers are tired of that! We do it way too much. F&F or VIP is enough because they are high discounts and far apart! But I just saw a sheet talking about a fundraising wardrobe presell involving buying a $3 pass right after this! Customers are getting tired of this! I had one say to me yesterday that this is why she hates us! There's always a gimmick! She just wants to buy and walk out. I don't blame our customers! Us employees and the customers are constantly getting screwed with!
It's an awful place to work. As an associate on the floor who used to be management, I'm watching these poor SMs take on more and more crap that isn't in their job description. VPSMs treating SMs like dirt, yelling and pressuring for presales that cannot take place--no boots on the ground. Less product on the floor. More disappointed customers.
It's a disaster. SMs are pressured to the point of wanting to run like hell out the door. Associates are paid less than those at Target. And all executives want is loyalty and results. Here's an idea...show people they're valued. Actually talk to them. Do your job and solve problems and fix inequities.
This is a death spiral. I can't wait to find the right position to relieve myself of this misery.
I can tell you as an SM, you are correct.... the stressors are growing rapidly with no end in sight. We are "right-sizing" the store AGAIN! So more Associates are being moved to departments they do not want to work in... more pressure for presales from customers that are not in the store.. reviews with embarrassing pay increases..... very discouraging.