Why do people hate walmart so much?

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Paul, I recall hearing a news snippet about Costco's CEO as an example of those taking moderate sums for corporate work. I couldn't find a link though.

But the employees are notably happier at Costco ... I don't know what it is but it's distinctly different from local Walmart or Superstore—or even Safeway. [/QB]

Groucho, I wasn't complaining about Costco! I've heard the same thing, that their upper-level management is well but *reasonably* paid in comparison to those of so many other giant companies these days. My grumping was about the business types quoted in the original article, who are apparently complaining they're not getting enough feed in their troughs.

I wish we had a Costco here in NO -- I'd be glad to check it out.

Oh, and Kanling, I did complain to the so-called manager (read: glorified floor supervisor) at Walmart that morning about the slow checkout. Her half-hearted defense was, "Well, if our clerks don't show up on time . . .", followed by a shrug. (This town gets more Third-World every day.) I suspect the lazy buggers Walmart hired just didn't feel like getting up that morning.

My response was: "Fire 'em and get new ones! And why aren't *you,* Miz Supervisor, filling in on a checkout lane?"

She had no answer for that.

-- Paul W.
 
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Originally posted by kanling:

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there were only two checkouts open

Probably they need to pay more to attract workers.

(Oh, wait, sorry... that would disprove the argument that workers don't have a choice to work elsewhere.)


They may have a choice to work elsewhere . . . but if none of those jobs pays a living wage either, that's hardly a choice.
 
GM, I didn't see you as the type to go postal.
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I saw last week that Walmart is being sued (again) for selling fake purses of some designer persuasion.
They are a rotten company.
Making billions off of elderly slave-labor.
The stores are gross.
They kill off smaller businesses.

If they were gone tomorrow, it wouldn't be fast enough for me.
 
99% of Wal-mart haters have never worked there or don't know much about it. Wal-mart pays better and has better benefits then most similar jobs. You think Wal-mart's benefits are bad, how about the Mom and Pop shops? Nonexistent.

Of course Wal-mart has the most of every bad thing, they're the biggest. Of course they sell foreign made goods, so does every other large store. Of course they negotiate with suppliers for lower prices, so does everyone else.

People hate them because they are the biggest, just like Exxon-Mobil, GM, ect.

P.S. I do most of my shopping at Target, which I think is a better run company(although I still shop at Wal-mart)
 
Wal Mart is good for talking long healthy walks, first from the parking lot to the store, then inside the huge store looking for stuff, then back to your car.
 
I dont like wal mart very much... I go there for oil, but it is ALWAYS a hassle.

Historically their oil selection was decent, and the prices good. This was the only reason why I went.

When you show up, the parking lot is always full. Not that I ever park close; I always park near the back of the lot to kep my doors free of dents. however, to simply get to the far end of the lot is a major chore, since every lazy, slow person and their brother is blocking the way.

I go in the store, and there is junk everywhere. The aisles are dingy in some way - even HD is lit better, though wal mart is a brand new store. Every lazy slow person that wasnt out in the lot is in there, blocking the aisles, talking, or generally putting about. There are young kids that are in the way, if the big butt folks arent.

When I finally navigate through the junk all over, the kids, the slow folks, etc., I get to something that Im looking for. 75% of the time it is on the shelf, but Im usually there the other 25%. If Im lucky, I find what I need. When I go to the oil aisle, I look at the M1 and HDEOs. Usually the HDEO is well stocked, but the M1 is very hit or miss. If I see big jugs of M1, I take them to purchase.

After navigating the aisles to get to the checkout, I finally arrive. All of the lines, including the self checkout lines are either closed or filled with 5-10 people. So much for Wal Mart claiming that if more than 3 people are ina line, theyll open another. Ive yet to see that. So, I wait, and I wait, and I wait. I end up checking out.

After navigating out the door, past the tool that has to put an orange stripe on my reciept with a marker, I get out to my car. I then have to drive around all the slow folks, loose shopping carts, etc. to get to the exit and get free.

It is SO much less of a hassle to go to most any other store.

The hassle, and necessity of dealing with a million idiots is the reason I cant stand shopping there. The checkout folks are fine enough, and sometimes (rarely) the front managers are helpful if sked something. They have yet to stock more of the oils that I like because Ive requested them.

The hassle has historically been worth the price savings for oil and similar general auto stuff (MMO, siphons, funnels, etc). But it has become less and less, while the stores (and I visit 4 different ones) get worse and worse, more and more crowded, and more and more disorganized.

Thats why I dont care for wal mart.

JMH
 
I personally have no problems what so ever with Walmart. I go in and buy what I may need, whether it be made in China, Canada or the Virgin Islands I dont give a squat. As far as the old guy who says hello to me when I walk in, his earnings are his business, just as my earnings are my business. If I wasnt happy with the wages that I make I would move on. I also dont feel that Wal-Mart is forcing anyone to work for them, blatantly or not. If the only job you are qualified for is Wal-Mart than you are destined to make 7 bucks or under an hour. I know that Burger King, Popeyes, and other fast food chains that pay way less. I have never heard someone who works at Wal-Mart complain about their job either, the ones who had problems had common sense and got out of there. When I buy something from Wal-Mart, I do it with the understanding that it will not last forever, as I do when I buy something anywhere else. Most of the stuff I purchased from Wal-Mart lasted far longer than I expected. I hear people complain about there batteries, in a no choice situation I bought an Everstart Maxx, not having much faith in it at first cause of what everyone said. The darn thing has now lasted longer than any Die Hard I have ever owned, for 20% less and a longer warrenty. All in all I am sort of neutral on the Wal-Mart situation. I go there and buy what I need, I am not treated with disrespect so I am happy. The rest is just details, I have too much other crap to worry about besides someone elses salary.
 
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Originally posted by T-Keith:
99% of Wal-mart haters have never worked there or don't know much about it. Wal-mart pays better and has better benefits then most similar jobs. You think Wal-mart's benefits are bad, how about the Mom and Pop shops? Nonexistent.


what percentage of their employed mass actually gets enough hours to be elligible for benefits? Id veture to guess that a large majority are only allowed a few hours under the 'elligible' level, so that Walmart does not have to pay.

Not that Walmart is inany stretch the only ones that do this... heck, our school district does this!

And well said, 97f150! I agree with you...

JMH
 
Walmart is a fine place. That's why so many people go there. I don't go there a lot. The crowds are usually too big. However, I do like saving money. So, if the price is right, I'll take a trip to Walmart.
 
Our Walmart is 24 hour in a small town, so going off-hours is a breeze. Where else in this tiny-town can I find seasoned tofu, diet root beer, Delo 400, other cheap stuff all in one place at pretty cheap prices. If I ran around town for all this stuff, it's take all day and cost 40% more. I can go at 11pm too. As far as mom & pops and Main street, they were in decline before Walmart came in. Seriously, don't over-think it. Walmart makes life easier and less expensive.
 
Walmart has plenty of workers to keep the checkout lines open. The problem lies with management, specifically front end managers who are constantly under pressure from co-managers and the store manager to keep payroll down, thus increasing the bottom line. Also, contrary to what I have seen in the papers concerning overtime, I know better. Walmart will send employees home at 39.99 hrs. I personally know of workers who have gotten in trouble for 40.02. Yes, 1 minute of overtime.

How many of you know that the base salary for an assistant manager is around $44K? A co-manager is a little more. The store manager gets about $60K base. The benefit here is the end of year bonus. If the store does well, the store manager may get $120K in BONUS! The Co's get around $40K and the Asst's get the pickings. Well, actually the store employees get the pickings. Maybe $300 bucks. The kicker is, if the store doesn't do well, you get nothing. Asst's get screwed because if they were to be transfered from a "good" store to a "bad" store right before bonus time, they get nothing.

Also, remember that these stores shrink out somewhere in the neighborhood of $500K to sometimes over $1 million dollars a year. That is loss folks, either due to shoplifting, internal paperwork mistakes, and what have you. The tolerance level goes down every year too. A couple bad years in a row, and as a store manager, you're toast. You get demoted or fired.
 
quote:

Originally posted by JHZR2:

quote:

Originally posted by T-Keith:
99% of Wal-mart haters have never worked there or don't know much about it. Wal-mart pays better and has better benefits then most similar jobs. You think Wal-mart's benefits are bad, how about the Mom and Pop shops? Nonexistent.


what percentage of their employed mass actually gets enough hours to be elligible for benefits? Id veture to guess that a large majority are only allowed a few hours under the 'elligible' level, so that Walmart does not have to pay.

Not that Walmart is inany stretch the only ones that do this... heck, our school district does this!

And well said, 97f150! I agree with you...

JMH


Wal-mart is the only place I've worked that only required 32 hours to get benefits, most places require 40. Pretty much every one worked enough hours except the people who didn't want it. I have no clue where that Wal-mart myth started. Perhaps a store had a crooked manager.
dunno.gif
 
quote:

Originally posted by T-Keith:
99% of Wal-mart haters have never worked there or don't know much about it. Wal-mart pays better and has better benefits then most similar jobs. You think Wal-mart's benefits are bad, how about the Mom and Pop shops? Nonexistent.

Of course Wal-mart has the most of every bad thing, they're the biggest. Of course they sell foreign made goods, so does every other large store. Of course they negotiate with suppliers for lower prices, so does everyone else.

People hate them because they are the biggest, just like Exxon-Mobil, GM, ect.

P.S. I do most of my shopping at Target, which I think is a better run company(although I still shop at Wal-mart)


People who who hate Walmart need to live in a small town without a nearby Walmart for a while and learn to enjoy paying $6 for a small tube of RTV or $4 for a package of light bulbs. While there they should talk to some people who work for all the warm and fuzzy mom and pops. These locally owned stores mostly pay no better and offer no better benefits than Wally. Most of them in fact are even worse. The only guy making a decent living is the owner.

Those local store owners will give you the "buy local" slogan all day long while they purchase everything they can from the cheapest place they can find no matter where that is. So much for "keeping the money in the local economy."

What they really mean is that I should keep spending my money locally so they'll have more to spend elsewhere...

I agree with you on Target too.
cheers.gif
An item at Target that's 20% more $$ than at Wally is typically 4X better quality...
 
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