I spent 5 years at Sears on Long Island. We had mostly good, hard working staff, but management was mixed, ranging from store-destroying to excellent. Mostly nepotism and friends of friends based. We made money until someone decided to starve the store of stock and staff. We had a manager who was so cheap he wouldn't replace or fix a water fountain until a senior manager from the district noticed. A manager who left over $100k worth of stock for 1 department in the backroom for 6 months - then it had to be discarded. One day we were told the store would close so that EL's REIT could redevelop the property. Then, to our amazement, numerous truck loads of the stock we had been denied for months, stock that supposedly did not exist poured into the store. Funny, but for the first month, most of the stock brought in sold quickly at higher than regular prices.
For the last few years, you could see how Sears senior management had worked hard on destroying our store, closing stores that were doing well, making sure others could no longer do well so they too could close so the property could be sold. The crazy thing - there were plenty of people trying to make the stores do better, but hey - obviously greed is stronger. Greed and mediocrity.
One other thought - they pay was awful. Those of us with med coverage pretty much paid the full cost. As a full timer, most of my pay went for my insurance. And there was little opportunity to advance - it wasn't a meritocracy.
24
Yes....let's huddle....so comfy....The corporations are making you feel giddy while stabbing you in the back...
10
This article shows one more reason Capitalism is a failure.
10
If my retail job when I entered working life had involved this level of awareness and engagement, I would have had a valuable head start. Figuring out how to be strategically productive on my own, against low expectations from my employers, wasted years.
9
It's the insanity of late capitalism, everyone!
6
My understanding is that brick and mortar is still where the bulk of retail sales takes place. Right now everyone is down on retail but I think it will have a renaissance as there is no substitute for buying many things in person.
15
Boy is this sanitized. A nice free ad for old navy in the Times, they must be high-fiving at hq. I wonder if the reporter spent any time with the workers outside of earshot of their minders, I mean managers. Or just idled about in a store anonymously. The situation is rough for many of these people. Trying to make it on minimum wage in nyc is really only possible for the teens who live at home with a parent, for everyone else doing it, it’s one shut off notice or eviction letter after another. But that aspect is apparently not “newsworthy.” It is however the reality for millions of Americans who are told to be grateful that the economy is doing so well though they can’t pay their bills. The stress of it all is apparent in many old navy stores if one takes a few minutes to actually have a reasonable conversation with the workers. I guess the fancy apps and glitzy signs in the stores are of more importance. Go figure!
53
I have worked on both sides of retail - home office and in stores. Often there is a disconnect between the two. It usually involves lack of payroll hours and store efficiencies. We do a task early in the week, only to undo it later in that week. Retailers need to focus more on planning / allocation systems not on insignificant things like Facebook and Instagram. Many are still trying to figure out the new customer shopping behaviors.
A reminder for politicians running in 2020 - one in four US jobs is tied to retail. Some examples are ports, delivery services, paper, printing, ADP, Apple, etc. In November, 18,000 retail jobs were lost. I don’t recall Mr. Trump tweeting about retail subsidies. How do you plan on reaching out to the retail sector before the next election?
15
I suspect the average reader of the NYT has a far above average income. The truth is that stores are gone because half the population no longer makes enough money to sustain a middle class life style that the malls catered to. I'm 56, degreed and lived the last 20 years in rural Appalachia subsisting on jobs that paid $12 or less. I've not been able to afford to shop in malls for most of the last 20 years.
And although we moved to a city last year...my husband and I are still finding most jobs pay less than $20/hr with no benefits. We are at least both working and able to work more than 40 hours a week, but we could not have escaped our situation without family help. And what we are making is just getting us by, not helping us to get ahead.
People are not buying everything on line...they are just no buying much because they don't have the money. I doubt that nay analysis has been done to see if purchases have gone up as much as the population. I would bet it hasn't.
39
I wonder if some of the comments betray the generation gaps among readers. I can’t imagine waiting in line without impatience, but many young people I know would enjoy a trivia contest to pass the time. I commend Miss Tecotl on her energy and enthusiasm and predict she will be a terrific employee wherever she works.
22
I'll start with this- I'm 69. Recently purchased shoes at Aldo. The woman who helped me get my size used her phone to text the info to a guy in the back room, less than 20 feet away, to grab the box and bring it out to me. She said she never goes into the back room. I told her when I was in my first 2 years of collage I sold shoes at this same mall and that the real fun always happens in the back room. Everyone knows that.
39
There are certain things I would never buy online - like shoes.
But then I bought a pair I liked, and then turned around and bought two in the same size online in different colors.
Go figure.
6
I miss the “lay-away” days, where one pined for something, saved, paid off weekly installments, and then finally brought home the cherished item. Not having money to squander, every purchase was carefully thought through and the anticipation of waiting for it made it even more valued.
22
This is sick.
The productivity has gone up for years is almost all fields and pay has remained static for the same years.
One person doing the job of 5 people.
Shareholder value is destroying too much.
51
I enjoyed this article very much. While I do not believe dealing directly with the public, as these positions require, can be fun or even enjoyable every minute, it appears from this article that the young people at this store want to be there and doing what they are doing. That in and of itself is a huge improvement over most of my shopping experiences over the years. I also really like that Ms. Tecotl is pursuing a higher education. She is setting an excellent example for those she works with.
8
In the old days (all I'm qualified to speak of with authority) shopping in downtown NY was (questionably) enhanced by the fact that the sales help were often aspiring actors-slash-models who had no real job skills to speak of and didn't plan on acquiring any.
They routinely cut you off mid-sentence as they headed outside for a cigarette break and once the stub was ground out, they came back in and looked at you as if to wonder "Still here? What on earth for?"
Most of them were gorgeous boys and girls and a lot got payed on commission and made small fortunes. You put up with them because it was a New York thing and every now and then you could rail at them for their outrageous incompetence, which usually got you folded arms and a look of sarcasm which said "Tell me something I haven't heard before."
Nowadays I suppose such people are you-tubers and influencers. And the workers described here were living in the outer-boro's raising a family something their children will never be able to afford to do.
Progress? Yes or no? And for who?
6
with all respect to old navy (i do not shop there), which sounds like it's trying real hard to be a satisfactory shopping experience, most all of retail these days think its customer service is way better than it is. i did a lot of shopping in nov and dec (i am not traditionally a big shopper), a fair amount of which was slated to online, but not all of it. customer service largely remains dreadful. even at some of the "better' stores. online shopping is great if it goes well. it can be horrific if you need to do returns / exchanges.
5
I cringed at 'greateenth'.
13
You got that far?
15
Where was the app when I asked a Macy's Men's Dept. clerk if they sold any 100% cotton pants. She literally did not know what I meant, and showed herself to be annoyed at even being asked.
Once it was explained to her, she was unwilling to find out, leaving me to search every rack.
In answer, no they did no not stock any 100% cotton pants.
Shopping is a miserable experience in the US, usually only made more so by the staff and management.
17
@dodolurker if they are payed miserly wages where is the impetus to go all out for the customer?
21
The continuing employment, maybe? What kind of a question is that to ask?
8
@Don Clark
Funny how when it comes to "things" you get what you pay for...but no matter what you are paid "people" are expected to do their best.
At 56yo, with a degree, having lived the last 20 years in the sticks (know known as trump country) working at all these "low skill" jobs because there is nothing else...I can say I no longer care or put for my best effort. I still will not meet all my basic bills at the end of the month. When you know the company can pay far better but chooses not too - why bother?
147
I see you’re buying a t-shirt and 2 pairs of socks today. Can I interest you in applying for a line of credit which may have long lasting impact on your future ability to secure a loan?
34
Not to mention that in addition to our “I want and need it now” culture, these stores sell cheaply made clothing fabricated by exploited people in impoverished countries, much of it with plastic components that contribute to environmental degradation. It’s a brave new world indeed.
24
@Alyce Miller
Some how I doubt this clothing is "cheap" by the standard of half the USA that is living paycheck to paycheck. If it is more than $20 I can't buy it. I do most of my shopping at thrift stores.
10
@Alyce Miller I'm waiting for an article about why I cant find 100% cotton pants or jeans anymore - they all have rubberized plastic mixed to the fabric.
8
How does it affect us psychologically that we are able to virtually get anything we want, when we want it? Sadly, the retail scene has changed drastically the past the past 10 years or so, driven away by the web and a credit card. Thanks Amazon, etc. But can't blame retailers for trying to survive. To the Old Navy manager trying to motivate her employees, I suggest more "flair".
6
All the brick retail stores should band together and create an online 'library' as well as purchase web. The library can put items in reserve for try-on and/or prospective sale or pre-order should they not yet be on the shelf. The web allows shopping in 100 stores via well done categories. This way they can more than compete with Amazon. The web can even be searchable for items that are most 'green' , not produced in China or made in USA etc..
1
I have a feeling the advantage tech companies like Amazon excel at is because they would see the issue of 7 apps and work to streamline that information to 1 app.
4
Didn't they hire and pay actual human beings called "managers" who did the things the "apps" are doing now? And the clerks didn't have to hawk credit cards, but just had decent, human interactions with the customers, while it was the manager's job to keep the store running, monitor stock, and order size 3T the day before the sale, instead of shoving a customer to a self-serve kiosk? I think back in those days the stockholders and corporate owners had to take a few pennies less, and everyone enjoyed shopping much more.
14
@vandalfan that model can’t compete anymore. Amazon ate their lunch. Ms. Tecotl is a manager; she just uses these e-commerce tools to make the job more efficient. You can no longer run a large retail store that can stay in the black using the model you describe. That may only work for luxury, expensive products.
4
@Stefan
Poppycock. I know this is not a popular view, and I suspect the average reader of the NYT has a far above average income. The truth is that stores are gone because half the population no longer makes enough money to sustain a middle class life style that the malls catered to.
7
This story is so disheartening. Lets educate America about the gimmicks of suggestive selling. How about a program aimed at school children that teaches them to figure out what they want, how to buy it, and then leave it at that.
14
Sorry. Retail is just online selling in person now. You have to accept it...or open a new retail concept which fixes it. The best idea will come from the American West, I predict.
Design fail.
1
This is a good case study for a few retail brands. But it's hardly representative of retail as a whole. I wish brick and mortar retailers were rising to the opportunities in from of them. But for the majority, it's a hollow experience. Nothing you need is in stock. They force you to order online. There is very little help from employees, if you can find one. You can't ask a question because no one is knowledgeable. The in-store return lines are ridiculous and the customer service person is usually doing too distracted (all those apps I guess). These retailers deserve to go out of business. In Colorado, I contrast this with my experience at local (non big-box) outfitters for biking or kayaking. These people are experts. They know how to set you up with the right equipment. They are customer service oriented and provide great value over buying online depending on what you need.
10
@Devin G it’s the difference between selling an experience bike or kayak and a cheap shirt. Different businesses require different models. The whole point of these tools is to fix exactly what you don’t like. Retail salesperson not knowledge? Well her app will assist in helping locate what you need or getting it from the stockroom quickly. Long return lines? Well automated return kiosks will fix that. Etc...
4
This article reads like dystopian fiction. The influence of MBAs in how they are expected to do their work depressing.
20
And this is why Old Navy is expanding and other retail chains, like Bon Ton, are closing. People want the convenience of online shopping along with the intimacy of personal shopping, and if they cannot get both many will sacrifice the latter for the former.
Not long before the closing of Bon Ton, they installed their version of high tech. One console per store, the customer had to enter the item by name lookup (the store'e own item number was not an option) and it would tell you if the item was in stock in a particular size (sometimes). Kudos to Old Navy for innovative and enthusiastic people and systems.
9
I like shopping in real stores so I can see what I am buying and try it on. I don't expect the employees who work for minimum wage to smile all the time and act like they are on a sports team with those phony cheers. I expect them to ring up my purchases and if necessary check to see if they have a product and where it might be.
It is the consumer who is driving real stores out of business by shopping online. Buying clothing and shoes without trying them on is a big problem. Don't tell me to order different sizes and send them back. It is easier to get it right the first time. Unfortunately, the buy online attitude is what is making store owners treat their employees like over-worked servants. They are at their beck and call even when they are not at work, in case the store may need them. Most people wouldn't take a job like this if they could help it.
18
@S.L.
A lot pf what I buy isn't available in stores. I just ordered two sport coats from Yoox. I've made purchases from Farfetch, Blue & Cream, Mr. Porter, and Ssense. I've bought shoes from TheRealReal. None of those online stores have brick and mortar locations. Farfetch brings together inventory from a number of small boutiques in Europe.
I saw a couple of sport coats I like on the Saks website, but those specific sport coats were not available in the Brookfield Saks location.
Many of my purchases are from online "stores" that don't have brick and mortar locations (Yoox, Farfetch, Mr. Porter, Ssense, etc.).
1
How many unemployed coal miners or steel mill workers would be willing to master 7+ apps let alone go to community college to learn a new technology?
Not many but they bemoan the "freeloaders" who are welfare and SNAP recipients. They say it's now their turn for government "freebies."
Am I wrong?
18
"She checks the In Stock On Shelf app on her store-issued mobile device to see if there’s a 3T in the stockroom. There isn’t, so she opens the Order In Store app and arranges to ship it to the woman before Christmas."
There is hope yet for the 'service operations' in the 'online' world.
The 'online' world may yet prove to the 'backroom infrastructure' to the retail business.
Cheers.
4
"Huddle" is the worst business term I have ever heard. When I first heard it, I thought it was something ridiculous that was just made up by some moron where I work. Good grief.
But who buys clothing on the internet? Don't people want to try things on? I do not particularly like shopping, but when I have to, the assistance of sales "associates" (a term I also don't like) is invaluable. Even without aps and ear pieces.
54
@Nadia I buy clothing online. I even bought my wedding dress online! I haaaaate going to stores and trying things on. I would much rather try things on at home, and I return what I don't want to a store. Much less hassle than digging through piles of clothes, taking off shoes in dirty dressing rooms to try on jeans, I can try on new pants with different shirts I already own to see how it looks, etc. And many companies (Old Navy included, for many of their stores) don't carry my size in store - I'm anywhere from a 18-22 Plus depending on the brand. Can't have fatties walking around a store ruining the visuals of their target market.
24
@Nadia
Usually, I'm looking for something specific, and trying to find the best price. For example, I favor driving shoes in blue. I never shop just to shop. Recently, I bought a lime green polo to wear under a sport coat. I won't wear a polo with white or clear buttons under a sport coat. The buttons must be the same color as the shirt. I like slim fit jeans with a leg opening less than 14 inches wide.
I use a search engine called "shopstyle." It helps me search by product type (polo shirt or driving shoe) or by designer.
1
The first lesson I learned in retail (record store) was that some customers thought themselves "better" than me, and expected me to play my role by following them down the aisles as they tossed CDs into a basket they'd handed me. They must have been shocked when they turned around to find the basket on the floor, and me nowhere to be found. Treat others with respect, and you'll get the same.
22
I thought technology was supposed to free us? Instead it has tethered, working harder to accomplish simple tasks, and eliminating the human aspect of work. I went to a upscale sportswear store the other day to look for sweat pants. They didn't have the right size, so the clerk handed me her smartphone and told me to fill out the pages there and enter my payment information, etc. I could have done that at home much easier. And they wonder why retail stores are in decline. But much more important that that, no one is having any fun. I guess tech companies and corporations don't care about the people involved on either end, consumer or worker. They get their profits anyway.
14
The kind and quality of customer service talked about in this article is what one might expect from a boutique high-end store in Manhattan with the staff being commensurately compensated. It is a rare person that can deliver this level of customer service, energy and positivity for an entire shift while also being masterful at fit, style, listening, knowing the inventory and styles and where and how to serve the customers.
The reason I know is that my wife was one of those people and I met her 25 years ago when she hired me as the assistant manager of a clothing store. It turned out I was terrible at sales, but I had temporarily burned out in the therapy field sleeping under my desk for 60-80 hour a week. My sweetie could sell ice cubes to Eskimos. Women would come in looking for a pair of hose and leave with 3 suits and the company credit card (and a huge smile). It was amazing to watch and every woman she helped looked fantastic in their new outfits. My partner knew fit, style, matching each to individual shape and taste. She won several awards for “most sales” or “most credit cards” in the region twice.
But if I thought my field used up people and left them by the side of the road, it was nothing compared to Women’s clothing retail where women managers are tasked with getting ridiculous performance from minimum wage employees.
If you want or have highly talented staff, you need to reward them with commensurate pay, benefits, and loyalty that goes both ways.
.
26
I would add, simply for interest, a side note. In early college, I had 4 separate friends get caught in a pyramid scheme selling knives. You bought your first set, maybe sold a set to your parents, then bottomed out trying to cold call customers selling knifes at nearly $1,000 for a full set. After my boss saying yes to a date (I have terrible gaydar and thought she was straight), we would talk for hours.
At one point she told me she successfully sold these knives for 2 years, setting a regional best two years in a row. I was beyond flabbergasted. At that point, they offered a step up to start getting new employees to pony up for the original set instead of selling the knives directly. She was terrible at this part because she didn’t want to mislead these young people, given she was aware how difficult cold-calling was for most people. She did well because she genuinely believed in the product (and still does).
I eventually went into I.T. which, at least at that point, valued good people, quadrupling my salary in less than a year. My sweetie shifted from knives to computers and by the end of 2000, we were swimming in money.
That said, I have to thank women's clothing retail for the greatest gift I have ever received, finding my soulmate. She is the most amazing, hyper-intelligent, kindest, most driven, loving person I have ever met. We are now grandparents and very happy, with a bountiful life of quality and plenty - so thank you to women's clothing retail ;-)
.
7
@SMcStormy /oh yeah, a final note. Don't ever date your boss. We fought more in those first 6 months than we did the entire rest of the 25 years we have been together.
That said, during the 3 months we were dating before I left for I.T., my employee "evaluations" were a lot more fun..... (lol.)
.
6
All this expected of part time minimum wage employees who are often seasonal as well. Treated as cannon fodder by the employer and as faceless, soulless robots by impatient oftentimes downright rude customers. Reminds me of a sign I once read that said”You can’t scare me I have worked retail!” Happy Holidays and be kind to those workers who are trying to help you. And no they don’t want to here you could buy it online, they know that thanks.
25
Do "retail transaction enablers" get paid more than "salespeople"?
12
What is also left out in this report is that fancy designer clothes stores have a rule that even if the store is empty employees must never sit down and yeah! go to he shelves and clothes racks and look as if you are busy stocking them or sorting them,
I have heard this about doormen /doorwomen as well" do not sit down on the job"...Geez!
4
If you got time to lean, you got time to clean.
19
A couple of years ago I was traveling in Cambodia and went into a Uniqlo-style retail store. There were 3 young sales people huddled at the cash register talking and laughing. They kindly asked if they could help me find anything. I said I was just browsing and they said if I had any questions I should feel free to ask. They then resumed whatever conversation they were having. I found their work environment most refreshing. I remember when I worked retail jobs and my managers were obsessed with filling every working minute with some task, even if it was just for the sake of looking busy. I didn’t get it back then and I don’t get it now.
16
I will never forget the kind young employee who helped me at the Home Depot. My large dog had gotten old and could no longer easily get into the car. I tried buying the dog ramps but he would not use them as they were too slick. I explained all this to the Home Depot employee. He put together a dog step ramp with some spare carpeting and heavy duty plastic boxes. Worked like a charm and allowed me to keep my beloved dog somewhat longer. Can't get that from an app.
49
I was amazed to learn that Amazon and Kohl’s department store had made a deal...Amazon customers (not sure if only Amazon prime) can take Amazon products to Kohl’s, with either the printed return label or simply a code on a smartphone app. The beleaguered customer service clerk does the rest and the customer gets a 25 percent off Kohl’s coupon! Is this a profitable business model? I suppose Kohl’s expects the coupon to generate more sales.
1
Well yes....would you go into Kohl’s otherwise?
13
I’m amazed that such a logical idea amazed you. It’s not like you HAVE to go to Kohl’s to return Amazon products so what’s the problem? It’s called business, marketing, and keeping thousands of people employed. It’s not a political decision.
2
“Retail for the most part is not a place where they’re looking for salespeople,” he said. “They’re looking for retail transaction enablers.”
This has been true (and something I've often thought, but haven't managed to express it in such eloquent terms) for years.
Sometimes evolution takes time to catch up to changed realities. Retail is finally learning how to do its job for today's world, not the job that presented itself several decades ago. We should be glad.
Nothing new here but the efficiency. Chain stores have been calling nearby stores for decades to tell you who has it in stock. A couple of months go in Beruit I found the shoe I wanted but it was too expensive. The clerk called an outlet store and told me they had it in my size for half price. An $7 Uber and I saved $90.
2
Retail has been declining because the customer experience at retail keeps getting worse (while the online experience gets better). Pressure on salespeople and games won't help -- that does nothing for the consumer.
There are three things I always want to know about a clothing item: What size is it? How much does it cost? What it is made out of?
Why do stores have racks with one style and different sizes? I have no interest in clothing that doesn't fit. Instead, have a rack with one size and different styles.
Don't make me tag-hunt to find out what it costs and what the material is. If you have to do it on tags, always put the tag in the same place so I can find it easily.
10
Ok boomer. FYI the store doesn’t decide where the placement of tags are located, the manufacture does.
6
@Big Ron The point isn't who places tags, it's that neither the store nor the manufacturer is thinking about the experience of the customer. If the store isn't taking responsibility for the customer experience, it's not adding value.
4
@Big Ron Ageism is just as wrong as racism, sexism etc. Did calling him out for his age make you feel superior?
10
Human gamification to get other to buy unnecessarily. This is what it has come.
4
I appreciate an article whereby everyone who has the chance to read it, feels they must participate in responding to a similar incident the reader has found themself at some point.
Everyone knows a good "retail" story they can recall, in which they were offended, slighted, or just "gave up!"
Guess what?
The same is true for any retail associate. I have witnessed customers acting in ways never imagined, resulting in the thought, now I have seen everything, or, I cannot imagine behaving so rudely or aggressive towards anyone, let alone strangers.
Where does it say that all sensibilities are cast aside, upon entering a brick and mortar retailer. For those bordering on insanity, thank goodness for the online process. It is suggested those folks harboring unrelated hostilities, or other abberant behavior, please do not expect employees to cater to your every whim.
At $15 an hour, one can expect commensurate service, and always with a smile. However, I am also sure sales staff are at the mercy of large corporation policies and guidelines and have nothing to do with whether a size or item is currently in stock.
An insider might say the environment and the merchandise in the store rarely has anything to do with the customer or associate in mind.
If there is a satisfactory experience while shopping, the customer has indeed become fortunate, but is anything but guaranteed.
2
Remind me to avoid Old Navy at all cost.
It I wanted fun, I would go to an Amusement park.
6
@sjs Don't worry, this doesn't sound particularly fun.
3
Not a word in the article about what these workers are paid?
12
@MC1R
They are paid more than if they were unemployed ,is that not what most people need these jobs for?
3
@Carlyle T.
Are you sure of that ? Most are part time workers and receive no benefits, often tolerating just in time scheduling and long commutes.
9
@rsr
Short answer...yes I am sure of that.
13 bucks an hour is better then no 13 bucks an hour.
I did not mention benefits at all in my comment.
In my wife's hometown down South people working for 7 bucks an hour and who must drive to work in fast food operations ,still do that work.
In an ideal world everyone should make a living wage , that concept always must do with a person's needed expenses to get by.
1
U.S. consumers are total animals. They are trained from birth to be emotionally invested in owning "things." Woe betide the workers who have to steward this wild-eyed urgency as "shoppers" clutch the latest gadget to their chest in a futile attempt at love and acceptance.
I don't even celebrate these holidays anymore. Participating in the mandated insanity of "Christmas shopping" is so primitive. You can keep it, America.
27
@Honeybee , well, kids grow pretty fast and they need new jammies. What's a mom to do about that?
@karen Dear Jingle Jammy Karen, buy a t-shirt that's two sizes too big. Oh, the horror.
3
Sounds demoralizing and depressing.
15
And this is why I shop online.
4
Apocalypse, you say. I don’t think so. Not every evolutionary step is an apocalypse and not every mini-scandal deserves the ”-gate” suffix — the Watergate gift that keeps on giving.
Looks like over 30 years old need not apply.
9
@Karini The self respect one normally gleans over a certain degree of life experience would be totally at odds with the compulsory rah-rah huddle culture anyway.
5
Customers are such pains in the neck.
3
The real crux of this article? In less than 5 years the customers will have access to Old Navy's apps and the clerk will be out of a job. It's almost there now.
Who wants to deal with some clerk phone diddling or jabbering into a headset? Just sit at home and order online.
For that matter, who will need clothes in ten years? If you DO work outdoors, the company can provide uniforms. If you work indoors online from home, you don't' need clothes.
And judging by today's "styles" even Wall Streeters will be shlepping to work in pajamas.
Maybe she can become a "canner" ...(one who collects cans for deposit).
2
@Ignatz Company buying uniforms? Don't make me laugh. They will be mandatory purchases of full uniforms from the sole corporate outlet, before you start your first day, part time, no set schedule, no benefits.
4
Thankfully I’m retired
4
Imagine this guy feeling that way about every important issue we face. He doesn’t even need to be here anymore. He may be ready for Carousel.
2
As a retail worker myself, and working part time. I can relate so very much with this article. But it needed to address other aspects of retail.
I work in Big Box Home Improvement store. We have a smartphone, like in the story. Not only do we have at least 7 apps on our phone, we have at least as many DIFFERENT ones on the desktops we use. Each is unique and requires separate training. We NEED them all to do our jobs!!
In addition to being knowledgeable about our products, 50,000 in our store. We greet customers, provide help, advise, and offer special financing, as well as credit cards.
It’s stressful and we suffer constant abuse by customers. We are cussed at, yelled at, and whistled at like dogs. Women are sexually harassed nearly every day. But we have to maintain a calm demeanor.
All this for an average hourly wage of $13/hr. We’re given bonuses if, we as a store, meet financial goals. Which last quarter amounted to $109/employee. Our company is an 8 BILLION dollar company.
We receive a pittance Scrooge would have been proud of. Pressure, stress, and abuse for wages that can’t support a family today. Such is the life of a retail worker.
371
@Thomas P. So sorry. All I can say is that I appreciate you! I don’t like shopping online except to find the most obscure stuff. I want to see and feel the thing I’m going to buy. I think the pendulum will eventually swing back to brick and mortars, but for those can afford it. Economy class will all go online.
16
You should correct that to read “such is the life of a retail worker in the USA”. I’m guessing you don’t have employee healthcare but if you do it probably costs more per month than I pay in six months for me and my wife as I’m a federal employee. This is why I left the construction trades to become a federal employee. The benefits and retirement packages. Better than ANY in corporate America.
21
@John
Thanks for the advice Scrooge, but you missed the irony of Thomas's response. Which is, that the highly paid CxO's brilliant strategy for success seems to rely on expecting on a group of minimum wage employees to sell like a Harvard Business grad. Brick and mortar business isn't dying because of online shopping, it's dying because their CxOs are overpaid, delusional fools.
42
Are we supposed to feel sorry for these retail people because they are asked to use their brains, to master new techniques and to respond to the changing customers’ demand? It is, in fact, one of the most encouraging stories I have read in a long time. People turn what could be a soul-crushing boring job into a dynamic and challenging vocation - what could be better? But I fully expect the knee-jerk reaction from the “liberals” who miss the good old day of the USSR where the motto was: “You pretend to work, we pretend to pay you”. Meanwhile people like Ms. Tesxotl are moving on with their careers. I don’t normally shop in Old Navy but I would go there just to chat with her about human evolution.
33
@Mor Agree wholeheartedly. As a moderate "pro business" republican, every once in a while I come across an article that reminds me how my outlook differs from the typical more liberal NY Times reader (or reporter). So much education in a reader base, but so little sympathy for ordinary business and so much quickness to judge and side with "labor" and the "downtrodden" even where there is no real conflict.
What does it matter if a job requires 1 app or 7 apps on a phone device, or if (not too long ago) the same functions would have been handled by a store clerk pulling up a database on the store terminal (or even picking up the phone to call other nearby stores)? Are we supposed to think the number of apps on a store-provided device is evidence of worker abuse, or somehow link it to stories we've heard of warehouse workers being tracked and not being able to take bathroom breaks (it isn't the same thing at all).
And, the reality is that real estate is expensive and more efficient competition now exists, together with increasing minimum wages. So it is only natural that retail industry managers are seeking ways to increase productivity as a response to (1) increasing input (labor and real estate) costs, (2) greater data availability, both to them and to their competitors.
I also read this with a sense of encouragement as to the ingenuity that may help save some of our retail sector. But I knew that when I got to the comments the vast majority here would be negative.
9
@UWSer Huh? Let’s just have some appreciation for the $13/hr worker is all! Respect!
55
@Petey Huh to you as well. No disrespect or lack of appreciation on my part. Is it "more respectful" to require workers to use less productive tools (calling other stores on the phone instead of using a simple app that the whole company can use efficiently)?
Society has made a decision to permit only hiring workers at a wage of $13-15/hr or greater, so companies are simply acting rationally within that constraint to hire workers that can add value at that cost level and give them the productivity tools and training to help boost efficiency. This article simply illustrates that process occurring. Not sure what respect has to do with anything here -- your comment just seems to illustrate my point about NYT readers reflexively reading class warfare and conflict into situations where it doesn't exist.
5
I love love love that kaleidoscopic picture of The Team (what, no privileged whites?)! If I had a store or business (now retired) you can bet I'd hire a similar team of smart, multi-ethnic, motivated young people, and pay them well!
48
He said multi-ethnic. How does that exclude white people?
6
@Jaxtiques If you paid your employees "well" your competitors would out-compete you in the race-to-the-bottom (of wages paid).
4
I continued to read this story mostly to cheer on Daisy Tecotl. She reminds me of most of the far too overworked college students I teach, devoted to their studies while working high pressure, low paid, and demanding, often full time, jobs. The commentariat often enjoys giving us stories that decry this generation of college students for being too sensitive, to judgmental to something, and does so usually by drawing examples from highly selective and preposterously expensive colleges and universities. The vast majority of current college students are much more like Daisy Tecotl, these kids are alright, work harder than most of us can imagine, and they deserve a far better world than the one we're leaving for them.
54
@Andrew Shankman thanks for saying this Andrew. I love these kids-- so spirited and determined. I read a few comments deriding them for having fun. I have worked in companies where laughter was discouraged-- I for one think that life is to be enjoyed and I honor these kids for doing so. I wish all of them well, wherever life takes them.
12
I support the “INTERNET-TAX”. As more and more people buy online , our roads are clogged with trucks , mail rooms overflowing and all the pollution from delivery trucks are awful. Time to reverse course a little and use the additional money to fund infrastructure projects
16
You do realize that everyday a delivery truck goes on it’s route it eliminates hundreds of individual car trips don’t you?
2
@Big Ron , You are simply wrong. If going out shopping, a hypothetical two people get in a car and drive to maybe two to three destinations in a logical order. When their mission is accomplished, they return home and hand carry their packages into the house. That's the end of their impact on the environment. Not so with the contractors who mostly do Amazon or other deliveries. In a small neighborhood like mine-- with 48 homes-- one can see multiple UPS, amazon contractors, Fed Ex trucks-- going up and down the streets all day long. Multiply that out through a town of 28K and the disruption and road damage is very significant.
5
@karen The delivery truck is already driving down my street everyday, so it adds nothing for my order to be included. Also, the merchandise you buy in the store was delivered by a truck to.
1
Interesting article. In my experience, the Gap brands struggle..inconsistent inventory in stores, product quality control. As a result I tend to order online in multiple sizes and return what doesn't fit to the store. How can I order three pair of the exact same jeans and only one fits?
The successful mass retailers in the future will be those that make the online and bricks and mortar experiences seamless. Clearly the days of browsing at malls is done. (My college age kids look at me like I'm nuts when I describe how people used to shop.)
27
@LexDad I don't believe a word - your kids apparently did not experience the EASE and SPEED of being able to go to a mall, find what you want in one day (or less) and bring it home the same day.
How on earth is it easier to spend hours looking at clothes online, then have to wait for them to be shipped, then have to return what doesn't fit - and maybe return it all because none of it looks good???
The "old-fashion" way seems much easier to me.
10
This is not a sustainable, long-term model for the retailer, employees or customers. All these machinations/aggravations so a consumer can get cheap matching onesies they’ll wear once and send to a landfill? For the tiny moment of gratification that comes from the Instagram post?
Check yesterday’s story about the 30-year grocery cashier in France soon-to-be-replaced by self checkout. Brings to mind the elevator attendants of yesteryear. Standing there begging to be replaced in an economy where they add almost no value.
80
@Andy Deckman Actually, this IS the sustainable model. Before the internet, retail got a away for years with an ever-decreasing level of customer service. Because there were few viable alternatives, they got away with simply stocking products on hangers or shelves and the customers did the work. Retail provided quite little value-add. (That wasn't always the case - I remember a sales person at a Bloomie's in Long Island that recognized me when I shopped and knew exactly what I liked.)
Now physical retail has to really work for their revenues and be more than a warehouse. So they have to provide new levels of customer service and provide new services. They have to become more experiential. That's harder, but it's all for the good. Retail that can't do that (and many won't be able to) will fail.
Meanwhile, as physical retail closes and stores go empty, people will bemoan that loss - the same people who order constantly from Amazon and others. There was an article in the Times a few weeks ago about how many NYC apartment buildings have had to add storage and locker facilities to handle all the incoming packages - and this in a City where virtually everyone can walk to shopping. My building of 200 units gets 50 packages a day and there are hundreds of stores within a few blocks and three shopping malls within two miles. Imagine what happens to retail in suburbia where one has to drive.
6
Oh great. Just what I always wanted in a retail store. A trivia contest while I'm waiting on a slow moving checkout line. Remind me again why I do almost all my shopping online these days.
110
@Ken K. I feel sorry for people who are stuck in jobs that force them to engage in these manipulative pageants.
31
@Ken K.
You are the reason they engage in this behavior. They are losing customers to the internet.
6
I like brick and mortar stores because I am an odd size; a non-overweight middle aged male. My sizes always run out and are never replaced, never in the back room, not at any sister store. Most brands and even styles or years within brands vary by at least a size if they fit at all. It’s been this way for decades and has gotten worse. I see plenty of xl or xxl and small but never L or M after a week. I gather this is there business model but 10-15 apps doesn’t change the fact that they don’t have it in the rack, in the back, or even at a sister store. I could order online but most men’s clothes won’t fit me and packages get stolen all of the time. So, I buy less if I buy at all because it’s too much hassle.
40
@Ak
It's a disturbing commentary on modern life in America that a non-overweight person is an "odd size". I too have run into the problem of my size running out. Try to find a "small" at Costco -- good luck.
12
@Ak I hear you. I've had the same experience at Walmart. Can't find my size in men's T-shirts. Nonetheless, I like shopping in a store and seeing the merchandise rather than guessing from pictures on a website. The reason one can order three pairs of pants of the same size and have only one that fits has to do with where each was made and how the fabric was cut and sown together. I always compare sizes in stores because I know that a 44 or M-L won't be the same in all cases. So, I like to feel the material and check out the size before going to the cashier.
5
@Ak
I hear ya on this.
A silver lining is that the few items that are in these sizes often sit for so long they end up getting huge discounts on a clearance rack and sitting there quite a while so you do not have to constantly visit a store to find them.
Hopefully this is a bit of encouragement for New Years resolutions to cut out alcohol, meat and dairy...
2
How sad to see a simple retail business overwhelmed with faux-MBA confusing vernacular. The sales reps are told to "drive business results" as if a store is a car with a steering wheel. The staff have a tool that "shows the main focuses [sic] we have" as if there are dozens of "focuses" only some of which are "main." When did an objective become a focus?
Has the corporate world lost its ability to converse in plain and unambiguous language?
309
My guess is that you’ve never worked in the corporate world. People have been using and making fun of jargon since at least the 20s. In this case, however, objectives and focus refer to different things and they are not complicated to understand. Objectives (also known as goals) are outcomes. A focus is the area or action through which the employee attempts to achieve those outcomes.
14
@Insider They have always done that. I've worked in retails stores, banks, and universities. That sort of ridiculous newspeak is present in any industry. I'm sure it impresses the youngsters, though.
18
@Insider Language, in this context, is used to connote proximity to power. Tecotl is the high priestess who relays messages from the gods in corporate to the commoners.
27
I don’t shop at stores like Old Navy because my body is not a billboard. I’m not interested in advertising them by wearing clothes with their name emblazoned on them.
141
@Nob Turner Unless they pay you!
1
@Nob Turner Most Old Navy clothes are unbranded. You don't shop at stores like Old Navy because of your own weird preconceived notions of fashion.
17
@Nob Turner
I've always felt that if Tommy Hilfiger wants me to advertise his products, he can pay me to wear the T-shirt.
9
Retailing has traditionally been an "entry level" job. Unfortunately, with the brick and mortar store apocalypse, and the rise of the gig economy coupled with Big Data mining of consumer information, the front line employees have been forced to do more with less compensation. This young lady is matriculating FT at Hunter College and working another 60 hour a week job, yet we wonder why Gen Z & Millennials take longer to graduate from college on time. In addition, student debt exceeds consumer debt for the first time in our nation. Their anxiety is very high and this nation's unemployment rate is artificially low because many are working several part-time jobs just to keep up with inflation. Our youth deserve better! God bless Ms. Tecotl.
176
@SGC
It doesn't say she is attending school full time.
4
This smart girl is attending hunter college, which states that 75 percent of their graduates graduate debt-free. Appreciate her for the strong girl she is.
11
I've always said that there are two jobs everyone should have at some time in their lives: food service, and retail at Christmas. As a consumer, I've learned to be more patient with workers in those fields because of the experiences I had.
493
@Jay it's been 30 years since I did retail (I'm a teacher now) but I still start my Christmas shopping on the 4th of July and am finished by Thanksgiving.
41
@Jay: a deep thanks! I’ve worked in retail at several points in my life, and the experience gives one a much greater sense of perspective and empathy for people in this position, especially during the holidays. Cheers!
81
@Dawn Fosnaugh
Same. I would LOVE to shop in a mall to stick it to Amazon, but I swear I have a mild form of PTSD from the visceral reactions I have whenever I even drive by one at the holiday season.
I do shop locally - boutiques, locally owned stores, etc.
27
Would've been nice to see how much these people are being paid for the performance they are having to put on. I bet it's not enough.
19
@K The minimum wage is $13.50 /hour in NYC. They are making at least that.
I wanted to amend this: workers at GAP are making a minimum of $15.00/hour (that is the minimum wage for larger employees).
I wonder what the minimum wage is in your state.
1
@K The minimum wage is $13.50 /hour in NYC. They are making at least that.
@CA The minimum wage in my state is $8.25/an hour. I make almost double that but what I make goes a lot farther here than it does in NYC, I'm sure. I own a home for way less than what some of these people pay just in rent.
I am impressed with Ms Tecotl’s work ethic, drive and enthusiasm but after reading this I have even less of a desire to buy anything much less go an Old Navy store. The marketing strategies which are used are so sophisticated and insidious that it’s hard to stand back and see what’s really happening. We are voracious consumers and its destroying us. I fight back by wearing my old sneakers with a hole in the toe. I will patch them up so the cold air doesn’t blow through. No one can match those!
9
First-world "problems." Ho, hum.
Brick and mortar will continue to suffer as long as two things are a reality. 1) store associates are paid too little to care and most of the time have little or no training; and 2) failure to recognize retail trends and stock stores accordingly. We have all been in stores with three or more staff all huddled in a corner gossiping about the day and we all have witnessed first hand the frustration of not being able to find a size or product a store advertises.
2
Team Greatheenth, you guys are awesome! I'm looking for an Old Navy in ATX (Austin TX) just so I can high five them.
Ms. Tecotl, you and your parents are real Americans, thanks for being here. And for sharing your story.
14
I am a retired 66 year old that works part time at a Gap division. It’s much higher end than Old Navy and therefore the service to the customer is more intense. While the article has a negative connotation of working in sales in the 21st century I find all those apps incredibly helpful. With it I know whether I have a size in the back or at another store in the area or whether we ship it to her a no charge from our online inventory. I can check her out at any location in the store and email her the receipt. She’s happy (and returns to the store) and I’m happy she’s happy. If the author had written the article with a more positive slant readers would see how the sales process has progressed and is successful for the B&M store. It gives people jobs and careers. Not progressing? Ask Barney’s
35
@Kath Blanco Years ago, I shopped at Gap's Banana Republic for much of my work attire (their suit seperates were excellent). I had a personal shopper who knew my name, understood my tastes and sent occasional personal notes to my home. Sadly, that era at Banana ended rather abruptly and so did my loyalty to the brand.
I'm guessing you're at Athleta, the division Gap is still trying to make happen while playing catchup to Lululemon. Enjoy it while it lasts, because Gap can't seem to maintain focus these days. Remember Forth and Towne?
8
At least the company pays for the mobile device.
I have worked at far too many corporations in the US that required me to use my personally purchased phone and plan for work matters.
32
I'm glad to hear that Ms. Tecotl has a: "store-issued mobile device". I once worked for a company that required the installation of the company's Ap...on my phone. I asked the I-T guy how the thing knows if it's their phone or my phone, and he just shrugged his shoulders and said: "what difference does it make?"
Given the fact that my employer owns all of my intellectual property rights, what's to prevent them from grabbing all the data on my phone? Or my GPS location, or whatever, when I'm not on the clock? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No law and no technology would prevent that from happening.
I suspect that there are many retail employees in the same situation. And probably many who refused, and lost their job for it.
35
As I read the article, I somehow have this feeling that NYT implies that the workers are being asked to do much, wear too many hats. Maybe they are being asked of too much. But it sounds like a great team, with cheeriness that does not come across often in sales floor these days. I certainly hope they are paid with decent wages commensurate to their efforts.
Bottomline is, retail scene has changed significantly. Not only does the onslaught of e-commerce online draw away a lot of crowds, customer's preference and habits have changed dramatically too. They want convenience (online convenience, 24x7 browsing), they want low costs (order online, pickup/returns in store), they want swift service, they can do self-out just as readily.
And so, the traditional low-hanging fruits of just being a "salesperson" to man the cash register, is no more. Customers can probably do self-checkout faster than sales clerks can these days. Staff that know or can only do one thing, and one thing only, are not sufficient. (One of these days, robots can do the mono-tasks function way better than humans.) And so, folks have to be able to multi-task, they have to know their merchandise, their processes, they have to be ready to interact and assist customers better than machines in order to beat back advancement of robots. (Yes, Andrew Yang has a point.)
Staff of this generations grow up with their phones. They can work various operational aspects readily if you give them the tools (apps).
8
@tiddle
I think you may not appreciate the life of a modern retail sales associate. Low wages, just in time scheduling, relentless pressures to sell, and optimize every possible element while dealing with an ever increasing angry and inpatient clientele. This in a corporate culture which tends to blame poor sales on the least powerful and worst compensated employees rather than the oft ridiculous and poor choices made at the C-suite level.
8
@tiddle
Your buy-in to corporate thinking manages to miss the big picture, and this reporter leaves that unacknowledged as well. What's happening today is not about whether current workers have the skills and knowledge required, because most seem to.
What's happening is that owners/investors have learned they can demand the max while paying/staffing as though this were 1980. There is no goal of fair pay or benefits, only a business culture that exploits heightened tech and sales skills without compensating workers for their mastery of "metrics" and "greatness".
8
Welcome to 21st century technology. Corpirate retailers have learned there is no need to spend barrels of money creating robots. They need only develop a handful of apps and issue a cell phone to each employee. Presto! Instant robots.
12
Ms. Tecotl demonstrates a great work ethic and a lot of talent to get the job done!
28
This entire story reads like a nightmare to me. It's not the kind of world I want to live in at all.
A young person is paid a starvation wage to juggle six apps in order to appease spoiled shoppers who have been taught to demand instant gratification. The very words "matching Jingle Jammies" made me want to bang my head against a wall. Have we become so coddled and overindulged that this is considered normal?
The described pace at which Old Navy expects Ms. Tecotl and her team to run to make all this happen is unreasonable, especially considering the pay and the purpose.
And then the games? Tossing bags of jelly beans at grown adults who giddily respond to being treated like children by buying more stuff? Every bit of it feels like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to me. Willy Wonka was allegory, but this is real!
I honestly feel ashamed at what people allow, how they behave, and what's being done for the sake of feeding the economic artifice. This is terrible.
167
@Charles Charles, that is exactly how I feel. I, too, am horrified by modern retail and how employees are expected to "perform" (often literally), especially in contrast to how little they're paid, and how little their schedules are respected. I quit retail in 2013, but before that I had worked at the Apple store for 7 years and I never had a consistent schedule, could hardly ever get time off for holidays to see my family across the country, and I was paid peanuts. Oh, and I was expected to give it my all and to always be “on” – making minimum wage. Treating people this way is unacceptable, and it’s not a world I want to live in, either. Of course, many other countries are much worse, but no country should underpay and mistreat their employees. Great pay is a great incentive, try it.
39
@Charles
Have you ever worked retail during the holiday rush? I did 25 years ago, before apps or even computerized inventory at the store level. The pace and the games and the matching jammies are nothing new. The apps just make it easier to give the customer what they want. I could have sold many more "Top Gun" bomber jackets back in the day if I could have instantly found where they were in stock.
10
@Charles
Thanks Charles. I didn't know what made me feel immediately depressed- it was certainly this phrase:
"matching Jingle Jammies"
20
Why not forge ahead to the next level. Businesses would hire androids to sell and customers would hire androids the buy. The buyers transfer the purchase to delivery androids. At home the butler android places the package in the trash compactor, after which the recycling android hauls it off to be recycled... we’ll, actually incinerated by another android. It’s the circle of (human) life.
5
I was in a GAP right before Christmas, and really don't understand how the people who work there can stand it. There was one sales person for an entire floor - in a store at 6th Avenue and 49th Street - midtown Manhattan. I felt so sorry for her, I almost wanted to boycott the store, but then I thought if I did, she wouldn't have a job at all.
The working conditions should not be acceptable in a civil society. But unless people get out and organize for change, I feat that won't happen.
30
@Joe, You're asking the wrong question. What you should be wondering is, how many sales staff does the sales floor really need? If customers are all good (they can find their merchandise, checkout/returns are quick and easy), then why do you need all the sales people standing around, just to make you feel good?
TBH, I don't like sales people bothering with me. I like to browse in my own time and pace. I like self checkout (if they have it). If I can't find anything, I'll look at their online store (which usually has what I need). Then why do you still need another body there (just the idea of it, feels quaint)? I don't see why this has anything to do against a "civil society," as you call it.
The article makes a good point, which is that these staff all know multiple aspects of the operations, they wear many hats, and they switch around to work toward the same goal (move this-and-that merchandise, depending on inventory level). THAT is as it should be.
7
Very, very interesting article. There is a niche for savvy marketing executives, and people like the wonderful guys you mention. Amazon has done an amazing job, but it is not going to own 100% of all market categories it sells. Great!
1
I’ve read some of the other comments and I have a different take on the customer associates at Home Depot, et al. Most of these people are probably being trained minimally and being paid minimum wage but we, the customers, want concierge service from them.
I visit Home Depot frequently and I know that it is company policy to tell customers to download the app, not laziness on the part of the employees. And why is that? Because Home Depot wants to employ fewer employees, the same reason it has so many self-check-out counters. I refuse to use them.
We like to blame the first people we encounter because we don’t have to think then. But it’s not just the apps; it’s not wanting to pay workers a fair living wage; it’s looking down on what unions have done for the working class of this country; it’s not fighting for a better educational system for ALL children. All of the above benefits ALL of us. So get involved, if not for the right reason, then because you want your shopping experience at Home Depot to be like shopping at Saks.
93
@Elia - :)) Home Depot, what a fun place. Recently, I looked at their website for a product to see if it was even at the store before heading over. Yup, it gave the aisle number and even the bin number. Great. So, I headed over and guess what, no item where it was supposed to be. So, I started looking for someone with an apron and saw quite a way off the one gal in the store who seems to know what is going on and I chased her down. She took out her handy phone, looked it up, walked me over and voila, no item. We both looked way up into the rafters but no such item. So, she called someone from that department who came over and said, "oh, I haven't seen one of those on the shelf in a long time". This prompted the gal to ask if his inventory is usually off by 72 items since her phone said there were indeed, plenty around. After 20 minutes of the three of us looking, we finally found the box up high with the item but now we had to wait for the guy to go find a ladder and return. It only took me 30 minutes in the store for a $5 item.
At Lowes it is so bad that what I do now is order the item online and ask to pick it up at the store. If I go by their website, I get told to look for aisles that don't even exist in that store and the staff looks at me blankly when I say I'm looking for a grease pencil. The employees barely speak English let alone to the point of obscure words like grease pencil.
And no one ever seems to care if I stay or leave.
12
@Elia, I don't know about you, but I like self checkout. (I can do my own checkout faster than those sales clerks.) If I don't find the merchandise I'm looking for, I can almost always find what I need online. To me, retail means different things these days. It's no longer about just having some physical body around to "create jobs" or make anyone (like yourself) "feel good". The onslaught from e-commerce will continue and accelerate. Customers' habits, preference and demographitcs have changed significantly too. Physical stores need to find their raison d'etat, and this article provides some clues to that. Staff need to do/be far more than just manning the till. (Customers can probably find more info on the merchandise and inventory level from search online than staff do.) If humans have to add value to the process, they need to do something different, something more, something far about their operations than just a customer app can provide. THIS is how humans can evolve and survive this game.
2
@tiddle -- I prefer the store provide clerks for checkout. If I have to check out my own merchandise I should be given a discount!
4
The 18th St Old Navy used to be walking distance from my job. Before it was an Old Navy it was a Honda dealership with a great repair dept.
3
@Henry Old Navy part time clerk at $13.50 per hour, or and experienced mechanic making shop rates of $75 per hour. Which one can maintain our society?
2
Depends which has more volume-simple economics. You make things so simple in your comments, but they’re not. You could possibly be, though.
As a 58 yr old reentering the job market, my interviews usually consist of one question.
Are you familiar with using the open table app?
That’s about all the conversation there is.
It’s a digital world, only made for some.
8
@db2, Start with downloading the OpenTable app. It's not that hard to master. Don't sulk about things going digital. Embrace it. Otherwise, you might as well enjoy your retirement at your age.
6
@tiddle Thanks for the advice.
I’ve been there and done that.
It’s the experience of running it in a live setting they want. And, there isn’t much else most interviewers are interested in.
You may have run 4 wine bars at a time, no points.Profit, no points.Human interaction, no points. Etc. But a virtual reality that bows to ratings, well, now we’re talking.
6
I hope Old Navy pays these retail workers with the title Merchandising Manager a good wage for all their multi tasking and the people skills the job requires. This info was excluded from the article yet it an obvious question to ask. At a guess the answer would disappoint, but thats my cynicism surfacing.
29
@Leninzen Glassdoor reports an average wage of 35k for Old Navy Merchandising Managers.
2
@Leninzen, Agree. That said, jobs like this feels like a waystation, even for the lady noted in the article, who herself is studying in college for fields that are decidedly NOT in retail. In the bygone era, retail had been a good steppingstone for a lot of people in their march to social upward mobility. I can only hope that people find their next step up, otherwise $35k as an Old Navy Merchandising Manager is not a salary level that can sustain a living in NYC.
10
@Lisa Seems my cynicism is justified.
1
Without the disclosure of what these workers are paid, this article feels strangely incomplete. The brutal exploitation that was originally contained in manufacturing has now fully spread through the supply chain to workers in logistics and the sales floor. As data collection and predictive models grow more and more aggressive, the customer is already the final target and then this circle of pain will be complete.
32
It's the Amazon effect. Eventually Amazon will drive all or almost all of these B&M businesses into the ground. Then shopping will get really interesting. The current generation may come to think of these days as the golden age of shopping. Those of us of a certain age remember the real golden age of shopping.
8
Since I'm not usually in a rush, I like to shop. I hate standing in lines to pay, but I enjoy browsing in a story, bopping to the playlist that is always different from store to store. Yes, technology has given us online shopping and delivery, but unless the time and hassle you save is replaced with something better for you than just more money, I think the tech has made our lives worse.
12
@newyorkerva
I’ve consumed far less, just a fraction now of my pre-divorce life, in the last ten years but when I do want to buy something special to wear, I want to see it with my own eyes first, try it on, wander the racks for other options, and walk out assured that the transaction is complete and I’ll not need to return it.
16
After everything I've learned this year about fast fashion's terrible impact on the environment, the treatment of the workers who make the garments and the Instagram generation's non-stop consumption of clothing they refuse to be seen in more than once, it's difficult to root for the retail workers paid so little to push this future trash.
I'll pass on the $7 t-shirt, thanks.
32
@Randy Have you actually met anyone who refuses to be seen in a garment more than once?
5
This reminds me of my most recent trip to Home Depot. When I couldn’t find the item I saw on line in the store, I asked a couple of “customer service associates.” Both asked if I had the Home Depot app on my phone. When I told them no, they suggested I download it because I would then be able to locate the item on my own. Now THAT’S customer service, and one reason I avoid the store whenever possible.
When I told the staff person I thought assisting customers was part of her duties she gave me a puzzled look, took out her Home Depot device, and wanted to show me how to use the app.
I think these apps give retailers the ability to hire the fewest employees with the least experience, increasing profits as well as customer anger.
150
Part of the reason many items are less expensive at Home Depot and similar big box stores is they keep labor costs lower by hiring employees that do not have, and therefore are not paid more to deliver, extensive knowledge about the inventory in the store. If you need that, go somewhere local that hires experts and has to charge more for that expertise. You can't have both and it's not wise to expect such in a competitive marketplace where different sellers and buyers voluntarily chose to do business with each othef based on their differing capabilities and needs.
22
@Greg And the app will vacuum up as much information about you as it can so they can profile you to figure out how to sell more stuff to you and share it will all their other brands as well. That happened to me in a Target store when I was told by an associate I had to get their app to get a discount. I struggled through getting the app. When I told the cashier how hard it was they said, oh I could have just taken the discount at the register. I later that day discovered the app was tracking me around the store, step by step. I deleted it that night.
40
@Greg - I had a recent Home Depot experience. Turns out that their website said the item I was looking for was on aisle x, bin z but when I got to the store it was nowhere to be seen. So, I tracked down the one dependable floor person and asked for her help. She looked it up and couldn't find it either. So, she called the guy from that department. He came out and looked, then commented that he had not seen those for a long, long time and that would have been that except the gal asked him if his inventory is usually off by 72 items. It took the two of them close to 20 minutes to find the item in their own store and when they did, it was way up and required a ladder which took another 20 minutes to get.
Earlier this year, I went looking for a grease pencil. When I couldn't find one, I went to the service desk and asked the gal about them. She typed it into her computer and it came up blank and she had no idea what I was talking about. So, she asked the guy next to her what is the real word for grease pencil (thinking I did not know what I was looking for). He made a face then said, "that is what it is called". But, they could not find one in their store. I finally ordered one online through Lowes to pickup at their front desk. It took them half an hour to find it at the pickup desk when I got there.
16
Interesting story! I agree with many of the other comments: I think Ms. Tecotl will go far, in whatever job she pursues.
I also have a different perspective on the decline of the brick and mortar store: shopping malls became/are/simply too big. Developers have become greedy and supersized themselves out of business.
The main shopping mall in my area is 40 minutes away. Over the past 20 years it has morphed into a series of buildings size of a small town itself. There are connectors and annexes and free standing buildings in what was once ample parking. Now, traffic goes at a snail's pace. Not out of concern for pedestrians or looking for parking, but simply looking for the way out.
And many spaces in that huge complex stand empty or are occupied by temporary seasonal /short term tenants.
It isn't worth the headache to go.
18
I hope these workers get paid a decent wage for what they do. On the other hand, they are fortunate even if they ought to get paid more - I can't imagine anything worse than being an old-fashioned cash register worker, doing nothing and sitting glumly while waiting for a customer. When you get used to doing nothing, every little thing you have to do seems like a catastrophe. These employees are obviously having fun at work - it might not be for all personality types, but it seems to work for them.
Meanwhile, I just discovered I can buy a nice, warm winter coat from Old Navy for about $30. These employees may be doing fine, but somebody, somewhere isn't.
26
@TMJ
actually, just about everybody along the retail line is not doing fine.
7
My last visit to a brick and mortar store was a shopping nightmare. After a long search, with no assistance, I headed to the register in the housewares department where I was shopping to pay for my desired purchase.
The store employee at that register informed me that she could not help me because she was doing on-line orders. She directed me to another register half way across the store.
When I found the other register, I also found a very long line of customers waiting.
I could be home ordering this item on the computer while enjoying my glass of wine. I left the store.
As long as it is torture to shop at these stores, they will remain empty.
41
@Janet, THIS is why you need self-checkout !!!
2
@Janet have you ever wondered why shopping‘s become a nightmare? It‘s a bit like the chicken and egg question. What was first: Bad retailers, and as a result people started to buy more online? Or did the retailers become bad because they had to cut costs because their revenues went down because people started to shop online because it was cheaper? Think about it. It‘s your own fault that shopping‘s become a nightmare.
3
An app is just a computer program. Anyone who uses a computer probably uses seven apps every minute. What's the big deal?
14
@polymath
Its a big deal when your not making any money in your position and what manager is going to listen to a clerk tell them the computer program didn't work.
Get over yourself it is a big deal to treat customer personnel like they are nothing but servants every minute of the day.
Maybe you need to look in the mirror and think about how you treat people on a regular basis.
2
@polymath
The big deal is if I wanted to order the item electronically, I wouldn’t be standing in a brick and mortar store. Why must I use an app to buy a shirt that I like to try on before purchasing?
The big deal is if I want a human to help me, I don’t need and don’t want you shoving an app in my face. Expand your mind and discover that not everyone wants to or even likes to live in your app-driven world.
3
It's a big complicated business, but Mr. Newman gets the sense of working in a store like this right across. You meet the people, learn the job they have to do, see the physical environment. Really well done.
22
I've been noticing that in the stores where the "young folks shop" although I'm a regular customer at these stores and just about old enough to be their grandmother, that automatically searching for a size on their cell phone is the new thing now. I was on the hunt for some new jeans this past year and I've seen so many associates in various stores whip out their phone to see if your size is in the stockroom and if not they always point out that they can have it shipped to your home, no charge for the shipping. A few stores even set up a short checkout line and take care of the procedure on a store's app instead of a regular cash register. I think this is a good thing, faster, more accurate service.
17
This sounds like the NBC show "Superstore." I don't know if that's good or bad.
3
Not so long ago retail jobs used to be associated with interim jobs, but more and more they’ve become careers - after the Great Recession - with high demands and limited upward career trajectory and compensation. Just like the retail workers featured in this very informative article, most other workers these days juggle multiple things (apps / programs / inventory / customers or clients / requests) all day long.
As for the longer term outlook, how will retail continue to successfully evolve to meet increasing consumer demands (whims) given the sharp upward trend in online shopping? I don’t know, but I can also envision the increased use of AI and augmented reality to do more clothes shopping rather than going to an actual physical store. Not too far fetched given today’s existing and tomorrow’s planned technologies.
1
Thank you for working so hard. However I hope retail is it's own demise. Their GREED for immediate gratification is killing the Planet. Please don't buy new clothes. Wear what you have or go second hand.
35
Thanks for preaching at us, but at some point new things have to be purchased.
5
AS A SENIOR, I find it far more efficient to go online to compare what's on offer at local stores and for online purchase in order to decide where, when, how and what to purchase. Before the Internet, shlepping to a shopping mall and running around to 6 to 8 different stores to check out the merchandise and do comparison shopping could take a good chunk out of a day during the weekend or after work in an evening. Now I can scan the stocks of 5 or 6 different stores and online options in a few minutes, then make a decision and have the merchandise delivered free of charge. One thing the retailers haven't done yet is to show what's their sale and clearance stock consistently. Moving upstream, if vendors were able to input the clearance stock, for example, by scanning the bar code prior to placing items on the rack or shelf, they could efficiently list what was on clearance. What is missing for the the customer is the process of hunting for a bargain, if everything is tracked on the computer. I wonder how long it will be before I'm shopping for clearance items online!
4
@John Jones
Online clearance sales are already here.
I like buying some items on line, but for clothes and shoes, I have to go to the store and check them out; size 9 1/2 work boots from Red Wing are not the same as those from Wolverine. Pants and shirt sizes also vary from one manufacturer to another.
There are other examples, so I hope brick and mortar stores never die out.
7
Accordingly to me, working in the software industry as a designer, but this just stinks of sloppy design. There should be one app interconnecting all of these. She shouldn’t have to go from one app to another to get her work done. Never make your users back out and come back - design 101.
180
What you are describing is where the natural evolution of early stage single purpose software utilities usually leads. Eventually these apps will be integrated into a larger suite, with a simple / single UI on the front end and coordinated functionality in the backend. This has been true for nearly 50 years as new software goes thru the evolution of industrial to consumer level use. You are in the right job and should benefit when the time comes to unify these individual apps into a comprehensive platform.
6
@Question Everything You're not necessarily wrong, but maybe doing everything in one awful SAP monstrosity (as one would on the desktop in an enterprise context) doesn't work as well for for 20-something Old Navy retail associates as having distinct apps for distinct tasks (all of which query the same back-end system)? Flipping between apps isn't much different that tapping on a tab within the same app, and many users feel that "complicated" apps are hard to use because they "get lost" in them. Different users, different needs.
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@Question Everything ~
Yep.
Enter the piece. Not there?
Then click Order In Store.
Which opens a screen to enter the shipping and payment info.
Click Sold and the info goes to whatever follows up, and the ping goes to the manager.
While the size is complicated, the basic blocks seem to be a bit of FORTRAN to me.
A hard working young woman. She'll go far!
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@BL Yes. Someday she will be working two minimum wage jobs.
12
@BL Okay, Boomer.
All this for $12 -$15 an hour ! Shame on the customer who is so high maintenance. It's not Hermes ............for crying out loud !!
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@Dorene Tell it. I also pity the spouse who was stuck donning these matching "Jingle Jammies."
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@Dorene
I don’t see it’s the customer’s fault for the salary It’s a brutal business. For people shopping at old navy, those are their hard earned money as well. They are not the same rich people shopping at Hermès. They deserve respect as well.
5
What is the purpose of this article? Information on how a tech-enabled store operates? Sympathy? What?
I use roughly 12 apps on a daily basis in my office job; chat, email, collaboration, Excel, text editors, etc.
Our team speaks remotely each morning and it starts with “What are we doing today?”
I interact many times a day with customers, some of whom are not happy.
It’s called work. Be thankful you’re in an air-conditioned store and not working in a coal mine.
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@Paul I read this thinking, what is the point of this response? I'm a social worker, dealing with the public and utilizing multiple apps and computer software. I enjoyed the article. I like Old Navy and have always been curious about how all the electronics worked together. Why are they speaking into their fancy headphones? I live in DC where the Secret Service uses wired headphones but I was not used to seeing them in a store. If I find an article I don't like, I don't read it. It's called free will.
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@Paul
So the point of your post was to one-up the people profiled in the article? "Look at me, I use 12 apps! I win in the distraction and redundancy contest!"
I bet at least 3-5 of the (redundant) apps you use could be eliminated and you'd still get the same amount of work done. Not as much as you could without the other distractions. The modern workplace is swamped with distractions,that only serve to keep the upper levels of (redundant) management employed.
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@Paul
Yes, coal mines are so awful that none of the ex-miners want to re-educate as nurses because it's beneath them, and vote for Trump to bring back their dangerous, back-breaking labor!? I don't know!? Coal mining has some privacy and cool tools and you're outdoors (kind of), maybe they'd rather be coal mining? Sometimes things are awful and people like it anyway, like smoking and opioids.
Or maybe you're right, and they should be thankful, but I didn't see anyone complaining in article, just the headline was written that way probably by a bitter ex-teenager? I hated retail, I had a much better time mucking about with the plumbers in sewers and toilets. Honestly!
But anyway. The article is here, because, listen: it used to be a special time when you could walk into Old Navy and get a PBJ and a sugar donut. That's honestly gobsmacking! That's news to me!
Make Old Navy Great Again! Pop-up PBJ's for everyone, please! How much have we lost in this country and don't even realize?
28
There is no "retail apocalypse." It simply does not exist, except as a lazy meme. Retail sales in 2019 are the highest they have ever been in the history of the US...an arithmetic reality that can easily be independently verified. What is happening is a shift in consumer preferences in where and the manner in which consumers shop. Online sales are overtaking malls. Big box stores are overtaking department stores. It's not an apocalypse, it's an evolution of consumer preference and the use of technology and sophisticated supply chain logistics by newer sellers. Retailers that are slow to adopt are losing out, newer retailers are growing at phenomonal rates.
15
@Fred Rick I completely agree!! I hate that headline. I'm a fashion merchandising professor seeing fewer and fewer students majoring in this field because of this stupid headline. I always say to people, "Retail isn't going away, it's just changing, and the industry still needs professionals."
20
@Fred Rick The reality is the media wants there to be an apocolypse and wants there to be a recession. They want this because 1) they are jealous that so many finance and tech professionals are able to pay of their student loans (and reporters aren't) and 2) they think it will mean the end of the Trump presidency. The second might be true, but when Trump goes away so will a whole bunch of NY Times revenue, because so many people subscribe eithet to bash on Trump or troll the Trump bashers.
@Fred Rick The term retail apocalypse refers to brick and mortar stores.
2
One thing this article tells me for sure: Ms. Tecotl is an outstanding employee at age 24 and has a very bright future ahead. Best of luck to her.
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@Pat I had the same feeling. Ms. Tecotl deserves kudos for her energy, enthusiasm and the ability to work full time and be in college too. Having a 20 yr old who was juggling two part-time jobs and an an internship while in college full-time, I have enormous respect for the time-management skills needed.
51
Ms. Tecotl, you make me hopeful for our future!
12
@Pat
I will take one Ms. Tecotl over a dozen Trump scions and scionettes.
16
I am reminded of a scenario from my days of soliciting business from design professionals. Often, I would be asked to “Fed Ex” sample(s) to the just starting out designer, and absorb the expensive transaction cost.
About 2-3 weeks later, I would walk into their office to follow through, and discover the requested sample package sitting on a desk unopened-or worse- buried somewhere, still unopened.
My company eventually decided to start asking for the Fed Ex # of the firm before sending it out. The requests for this expensive service dropped significantly.
How many of us really need this oversold instant gratification?
Want to keep your options open? Want to ensure Amazon does not become your only choice? Then ask yourself the most important question: do i really need this so fast?
The first time you ask yourself is the toughest. It gets easier each succeeding time.And who knows: perhaps we as a society’ can forestall the inevitable chip in our brains whereby companies like Amazon anticipate what we want and send it to us before we even know we don’t want it at all, much less that quickly.
Things and money don’t bring happiness. Americans could stand to step back and learn that lesson. Perhaps our collective anger could then even be tamed.
37
It is important to understand that while Amazon is a retailer too, the far more important aspect of their business is the logistics platform they provide to other sellers, many of which are very small companies. Well over half of the volume of items sold via Amazon are from independent sellers who use the Amazon platform as a channel to market / distribute their goods to a gigantic potential audience they could never even hope to reach by themselves.
4
@Fred Rick
Amazon is not an enemy. But even using Amazon's technology, it still is possible to tamp down the sheep herding mentality Amazon prime and the delivery service it provides "essential" nature
Americans like to think of themselves as individualistic Until they;re not. Like here., My friend/neighbor/coworker has it so I must have it. Instead of stopping for a moment, and sayig, "do i really need/want this?"
Happiness is being grateful for what one has; more in the way of relationships and experiences than by the toys and posssssions one accumulates.
Thinking for oneself, being true to America's individualstic outlook, could be a healthy way to get out from under the groupthink that possession winning engenders.
Who knows? happiness might be just around the corner for people, if they'd only stop and think for a minute.
3
I’ve worked retail and it can be fun with a good manager and team. That’s what’s going on here. Yes, busy and multitasking. That’s called customer service. Go team.
18
The instant gratification is the part of humans tech has appealed to and exploited. The sad part is the fact that our consumer choices continue the search for cheaper vs quality.
11
Few American stores carry men’s sizes S or XS. Why should I keep showing up just to waste time and be frustrated? Shouldn’t I just order online from a few brands I know fit me?
22
@GR
Or go to the stores that carry your size. I have short wide feet. I know of three stores in my area that carry shoes in the size I need. I don't bother going anyplace else.
3
@GR try Bonobos....great sales too
@Ahf they were good, but stopped selling 100% cotton trousers. Now everything has a touch of stretch, which by 2:00pm is a touch of stench.
1
I’m exhausted and stressed just reading this. I can’t imagine what it’s like for the employees.
218
@Christopher Hoffman I feel you....
1
@Christopher Hoffman Yes, it made me never want to set foot in a store again.
Although I compare this store to Kohl's, where customers could drop dead in the aisles and never be found, there are so few salespeople.
1
While anyone with eyes can see that retail is declining, it still surprises me that even as more stores close, those still standing continue to decline. One element is that labor is worth less than it used to be, hence cost/price is a driving factor in purchase decisions. With next day delivery there is little motivation to go to the store. In time, the large box stores will transform into factories where 3D printers construct components assembled by robots that are then drone shipped to the customer. No humans involved.
2
A couple of thoughts:
1) I shop online. In my 70s and with a bad back--walking from store to store causes too much pain.
2) In doing my shopping online, I stick to brands I know--like Hanes or Fruit of the Loom, etc.
3) I thought the customer who wanted everyone in "Jingle Jammies" had a very first world over the top problem.
4) The Sales Associate went above and beyond for a sale of which she gets no commission.
58
@Mitzi Reinbold I just had the interesting experience of explaining that sales people used to earn commission and used to build relationships for that reason. I kind of miss that service but do most of my shopping online nowadays.
7
@Mitzi Reinbold Many stores used to have their Sales Associates earn commissions. As @Cassette mentioned, those associates breed loyalty where there was more likely to be repeat customers.
But, companies like Circuit City realized how much money they were loosing on paying commission, they stopped. Sales Associates were either fired, or many of them quit, replacing with minimum wage workers with little or no knowledge of their high-end electronics. Also heard that there was also more employee theft too at Circuit City once they let their Sales people go.
Point is, in the long run, it probably would have been best for them to just keep their Sales Associates, and instead was one of the driving factors that led to the company's bankruptcy.
10
I love Old Navy, and I often have shopped in this store. Great customer service despite the intense demands on staff. Only complaint: please turn down the volume on the music. Earsplitting for an older (well, 60 ) like me!
33
Old Navy succeeds in today's retail marketplace because it sells a relatively small array of items during any one season (small array for a clothing store that is). So it makes sense that the merchandise can be tracked online for a size or color because it is the Same Stuff across All of their stores. I worked minimum wage retail in large clothing chains in the 90s for years and it is obvious that old navy is unusually very quick about moving inventory out (via heavy discount) and not letting it sit around in a store. What these workers are doing is little different that what I did 25 years ago -- just using a tablet instead of an intra-store phoneline.
12
kudos to Old Navy for trying to reconfigure their business model and train their staff for new ideas and technologies. I'm sure job, while more demanding, is actually a lot more interesting.
as for people complaining about over burdening minimum wave staff -- this is nyc, the staff earns $15/hour.
the people in these comments want it all. they want better store experiences and higher wages but less demand on the staff. this is a trilema and you can only get 2
8
@AG
Okay, what wage does staff make in locations without a higher minimum wage?
2
@William
The federal minimum wage is 7.25 still, so it’s extremely possible a majority of retailers start off line level employees on this base hourly with no commission or bonuses.
I also work in retail and I’d like to throw my two cents in.
I work in a retail store that is the busiest and most profitable retail store in the entire world, double it’s #2.
It’s extremely extremely busy all the time, that’s an understatement actually.
I often find myself standing in one spot, just literally rotating my body to a never ending stream of customers pulling at my attention for 1,000+ needs that customer may have. 3-5 customers at a time, when one gets the answer or I redirect them, another files in, and I rotate to the right slightly.
Although I have plenty of coworkers to help out, there really is just never enough of us. We’re all busy, we’re all swamped. We have queues of 15-20 people waiting to be helped and that’s for 8 hours a day standing up all day. During the holidays there is very few downtime.
And yes there are 15+ apps for restocking and whatnot because if you put it all in one app I just don’t see that working out very well.
It’s exhausting, I’ve done it for a few years.
Yes I see the shift in the retail-apocalypse, and thankfully my retailer caught up to the technology boom and in store pickup guise many a moon ago, but I can’t help to think automation is coming for my head sooner than I’d like.
In conclusion, PLEASE BE NICE TO RETAIL WORKERS.
67
@AG
$31,200 a year doesn't get you very far in NYC...
6
I sometimes shop at Old Navy. I like their Pixie pants and occasionally find a top that suits me. But the increased sloppiness in stores has pushed me away. I’ve shopped at several locations in 5 states over the past few years and noticed an alarming pattern. Damaged merchandise is being left out, dust bunnies are all over the floors, changing rooms are messy (clothes often strewn on the floor), cosmetics and cologne products are picked over (often opened, spilled) in the checkout lines. It seems like this lack of cleanliness is not on the sales teams’ radars even if it could very well be harming their bottom line.
14
@Mary
Agreed. But, when would the sales associates have time to clean when they are busy using multiple apps to satisfy customers' every fleeting whim, second by second?
20
This is very interesting. I still prefer real stores where I can see all the merchandise, touch the items, try the clothes on, and not subject my eyes to more hours of screen time.
That being said, I dislike real stores that have a minimum number of sales people on the floor to help, so that I am left wandering in circles trying to find something.
And I like even less the trend of pushing customers to use machines in the store. If I wanted to use a machine, I'd stay home and use my own computer.
90
Way back, JCPenney fired me for not being a team player. I still think of that time with pride.
144
@Rea Tarr
I know. I've worked in places that insisted on the "rah-rah, let's go team" emotions (but not for long, I left all of them). I'm a pleasant person and I like to help people. But I am not grinning like a fool because some idiot of a manager thinks it will help sales. And if they say how we are all one big family, I want to gag. Its a job, you pay me and I do it to the best of my ability. Keep it simple.
33
Hey, way back I got fired from Best Buy for failing a secret shop. I look back on it with pride too.
5
As the employee experience becomes ever more deeply managed by automation, I'm reminded of Marshall Brain's short story 'Manna' in which everyone has an earpiece for Manna to instruct them step by tiny step for each task. It works so well that soon Manna is running everyone at all times, and society is no more.
37
@DisplayName I'm glad you posted that. That story was part of a conversation on my university's intranet discussion boards when it came out. I have been reminded of it many times over the year, more frequently lately, when I see workers as well as people on the street, wearing headphones of some sort. It creeps me out.
Funny, though, my partner used to always give me those simple step-by-step instructions when he needed me to do something for him. It's now a joke between us so that if he asks me to do something, I tilt my head with a blank expression on my face and ask him, "How do I do that?" And the step-by-step instructions follow!
9
I'm so sick of brick and mortar shops blaming the customer for their situation. For years we were practically ignored by these places as they hired cheap teenagers who's knowledge of customer service was non existent.
Now they're playing catch-up by using and abusing the staff. But they can't figure out why we prefer internet shopping? Maybe if they acted like they actually valued our business it would be better, but they don't.
101
@Colorado Reminds me of the taxi industry. In my town, the taxi cabs are gross, dirty, smelly-overall not very appealing. I would rather support the taxi industry, but when the car is driven by a grunting slob surrounded by all sorts of debris, I feel that maybe using Uber or Lift might be a more pleasant option.
17
Don’t think that the customers are blameless. In the 1980s I worked in what was, at the time, the chain that would eventually become GameStop (but pre-Nintendo: we sold computer software). We were knowledgeable about our products, and had computers in the store so the software could be tried. Customers would come in, try the products, pick our brains...
... then tell us they’d “think about it,” walk a few blocks, and buy the software at 47th Street Photo, where you got no help at all, but the prices were lower.
Customers want everything except to pay for what they want.
98
@Colorado
I'm not sure I follow your comments completely. There are plenty of long-time sales associates with extensive knowledge of their products, and wonderful relationship-building skills to boot. Probably more of them in the past than there are today, actually. I don't understand how customers were "ignored."
I worked in food service for 5 years and have worked in retail sales at various times, including again now, for a total of 5 years, at a higher-end clothing store. Not all, but many customers care only about the bottom-line price. They have no compunction about returning purchases multiple times, re-buying them in store or online, to save a few more dollars. They create tremendous amounts of work for sales associates to re-stock items (many of which have clearly been work and must be trashed - god forbid we refuse such returns and anger the customer!). They complain when sales aren't "good enough" for them, constantly asking if there are more discounts available. With fewer sales associates due to cut costs, why would those remaining waste more time on customers who are so disloyal? We know the ones who are simply taking advantage of our time and expertise to then go online to buy.
To be sure, much of this behavior is the inevitable result of the race-to-the-bottom mentality in this country, exacerbated by the cut-rate prices of Amazon. But the reality is that it absolutely IS the customer driving this. The incessant demand for more stuff, for less money.
28
Those are some Hugh expectations of people making minimum wage.
244
@Real Thoughts huge
5
@Real Thoughts You'd be amazed what minimum wager employees have to put up with. It's much harder work than management or professional employment.
24