(1): "Sorry, we just don't have enough hours in the budget." CRAP. These are salaried managers, they can do pretty much whatever they want to. Every manager has a HUGE number of hours they can use you for; it falls under business needs and is actually written off on taxes as operating over head.
(2): "Sorry, Seth, I can't give you that extra day off for your friend's funeral; he wasn't immediate family, and besides, I have no one else to cover your area." CRAP. Denying it on the first ground is a heartless, chicken sht ploy managers are taught to say. Claiming on the second is pure bull: There is ALWAYS some one else to pull to cover an area, even if they aren't skilled and only half-ass the job. Retailers really aren't concerned with skill, they want S A L E S.
(3): "I'm sorry Crystal, we can't let you transfer from checking to stocking; we have no one else to cover you." CRAP. This just means management doesn't want the burden of interviewing and hiring some one new; next time you hear that, say "PRETEND I DIED. One way or the other, I'm getting out of this position." Seriously---I've seen that work.
(4): "I'm sorry we're so under staffed, and we as the -----team feel your pain, but SALES ARE DOWN."
Oh, we ALL know this is bull sht. We're all there every week end, or enough of them, and we see the endless streams of customers buying tons of groceries. We see the trucks coming in, we stock the freight, we empty the compactors twice a day. But here's what's better:
I've sat in on employee meetings and uttered those "sales are down" words. It's based from a print out that compares sales/profits/ losses from a given day to the year before. At a glance, it seems legit....but it's CRAP. It's really based on what H.O. projections have been expected from management, and not what we really get. Put another way? Wish in one hand, poop in another; see which one fills up faster.
These are just some of the things; there are many, many others.
"I'll find a solution for that issue". Never finds solution.
"You can't have these days off, it's not allowed". Calls union, it's allowed.
"We didn't know you wanted to be compinsated extra for doing a higher position's duties"/ "That position we told you we would pay you extra for? Yeah, it all of the sudden doesn't exsist."
"We can schedule you for an hour long meeting on your day off". Metting get's cancelled because nobody would attend.
"Do you know how to do this?" Yeah, I've worked here for 10 years and have been doing it every day since.... Thanks for noticing??
"Can you do this for me?" Totally not related to my job. "Can you do this for me, also?" Not related to my job either, mind if I get the tasks done in my department first, let alone the first random "project" you gave me?
"You get a gift card for your random goal we set". Never sees gift card.
"We understand you did extra work under the pretense that we would pay you a premium, but now 4 months later that it has been brought to our attention that you don't want to move up past that position we wouldn't select you anyways"......."can you still send out all of the orders and do all the assistant stuff, but we will just stop calling you it by that title?" Apparently they pay based off aspirations and not work being completed.
Key Retailing is built off of and based on solid scientific research, as is ELMS. If we do things by the book, the results will be mind blowing and will propel us further past the competition.
--I'm covering my ass by parroting the company line. Do as I say or I will replace you.
__________________
My views don't reflect those of anyone, not even me. I may not have even made this statement. It's all lies, all of it!
Key Retailing is built off of and based on solid scientific research, as is ELMS. If we do things by the book, the results will be mind blowing and will propel us further past the competition.
--I'm covering my ass by parroting the company line. Do as I say or I will replace you.
But it only works if the store is staffed by robots.
"A customer today complained about (insert random issue that I've decided to nag you about this week for no good reason), even though no one has ever said anything in all the other 8 years you've been here." For instance, tucking in your shirts. No one does it in my department. We all wear aprons so it's not like the customer sees anyway. But then one day the assistant head deli got it into his head that THIS was going to be his nitpick for the week (he always has to have one) and then convienently enough, a customer complained about an untucked shirt. Uh huh.
i once was told that i had a customer complaint because i did't wear a bra i told the manager when you make the guys with bigger boobs than me to wear on i will too equal rights is equal rights besides my eyes are up not on my chest
i once was told that i had a customer complaint because i did't wear a bra i told the manager when you make the guys with bigger boobs than me to wear on i will too equal rights is equal rights besides my eyes are up not on my chest
Hmmmm.....What store are you in? When are you on duty? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA~~~~~
Love the answer I got when I questioned the produce Wave 5 moron that came in a year or so back to look over everything. "Has any of these carts or any of this new stuff been tested to see if it makes any difference?" His answer..."You get paid to do what they say, you like getting a check right?"
Haven't used those shetty new carts once since and i have the department perfect before lunch. They can fire me, HEB pays way more.
I caught a manager telling me and other people "there has been complaints about your attitude" with no details as to what the complaint was or who made it...I guess he thought he was clever to use intimidation tactics on his employees...so make sure if you're ever told that you ask for clarification so you can improve your work performance...
"I know it has been rough, but I have been watching you and you are handling things great." I was two hours late and had just walked into the building.
"That isn't dangerous." Straddle stacker that used to spontaneously lift the fork. Improperly repaired power jack that naturally tilted off to one side when using it.
"We are understaffed but we just need to hire a few more people." No, we need more hours, not more part-timers getting 16 or less hours a week followed by a department wide hour drop for all part timers.
"You have done this before." No, you wish I have done this before.
"You need to pull carts faster." It is [insert exceptionally busy holiday time], and we are far busier than one person can cover.
__________________
The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent the positions, strategies or opinions of The Kroger Co. family of stores.
i once was told that i had a customer complaint because i did't wear a bra i told the manager when you make the guys with bigger boobs than me to wear on i will too equal rights is equal rights besides my eyes are up not on my chest
lmfoa! yea i love it when they say crap like "everybody in your department has complained about you!" to use such extremes as EVERYBODY when really it is just one or two persons.
__________________
I am no longer part of the oppressed, evil workforce of Kroger! Can you say "Hallelujah"
