As a longtime CAM, it’s the time of year where my customers start looking for Christmas goodies from their vendors. As usual, it becomes a bit of a competition between suppliers as the customers always throw in your face what your competitor did expecting you to one up them. I was told this morning by my CSM that there is zero money available for this and that cams were on their own if they wanted to do anything. With the change in pay and loss of a vehicle this year I can not afford any other expenses. What are other cams/stores doing. Is this nationwide or just regional? One of my peers said he’s just going to avoid customers until Christmas passes. Nice.
17 replies (most recent on top)
Joe went to a competitor a long time ago. Wake up Advance and read the writing on the wall... your company is history,
My cam is out delivering food today. He got approval to spend $500 from his boss yesterday at the last minute. I think we saved a few commercial customers and were having a nice employee lunch today. Thanks Nathan!
bah humbug! Nothing for Joe.
Heard my DM tell our cam on Saturday to do whatever he needed to do for his customers this upcoming week and they would figure out how to code it later. But the real question is, how is he going to get my cam to work this close to a holiday?
The DM for my group authorized $500 per store for customer appreciation goods. We bought meat and cheese trays for our larger accounts and $10 Starbucks gift cards for others. We set aside $100 for an employee lunch as well. Just do a cash paid out and call it something else.
Had another customer ask what we were giving out for the holidays. This is embarrassing. What made it worse is my cam told him to check with the store manager.
walked into one of my best shops today as they were eating pizza provided by NAPA. Guess that explains why I have not heard from them all day.
My DM says there is no money for handouts and to tell any customer that asks they get their holiday goodies in the form of a discount all year long. That's going to go over well!
My customers are asking what we are giving out for Christmas. What is everyone else doing?
If you’re not giving quality food to customers you will pay the price in sales. Trinkets and trash don’t cut it. Maybe TG has a line on Pepsi & Doritos?
Couple years ago only thing CAMS had in my area for a food handout at Christmas time was popcorn that looked like it was bagged in a hurry the night before in someones kitchen. The popcorn was sent to the store in divided boxes..so someone at corporate approved and paid for it. I remember when we had the budget for turkeys at Thanksgiving and Hams at Christmas... Somehow got from Turkeys and Hams to nasty stale popcorn. Yuck.
I was reprimanded this morning for taking a diamond customer to lunch AND that I needed to reimburse the company. BS!
My CSM in KS approves any expense I submit. Just took 2 large bbq feasts from Famous Dave’s to one of my customers shop. Stop whining and keep your customers happy.
Typical lying CSM saying all is well when it is not. Unethical prick!
There wasn’t a change in pay, just someone talking out his a-- trying to stir the pot. Probably not even a CAM.
Customers want food not trinkets. Are you new here?
What change of pay are you talking about? I am a CAM and have heard nothing about change in pay. I also heard we were getting Christmas cards and other AAP type merchandise mailed to us to hand out to the customers. I've been putting to the side other merchandise I can hand out for Christmas to the bigger customers.