The Bottom Line

To all of you “Wal-Mart” groupies that worship everything this company does, please click on the above article and read it THROUGHLY. This is one of, possibly the best, straightforward pieces on how WM really is. Thanks to WMW for posting it.

OK Gupta, I read it.  There is no proof of anything.  It is just a wild eyed opinion.  No even close to an objective article.

I have no doubt that Walmart is going green to help the bottom line or even to gain a better image.  Regardless, it is a good thing.  Good going Walmart.

Regardless of why they’re doing it, it’s still good.  I don’t care if they put on sinister capes and laugh maniacally in a secret room while they’re coming up with their plans, at least it has a positive effect.

Hope you all realize that “greeters” in the front of stores are really there to discourage people from leaving without paying for the stores merchandise.

Greeters are friendly looking security people.

Don’t let retailers pretend they are anything but.

You mean greeters are there to help prevent theft.  I am never going in a Wal-Mart again!  How dare they try to discourage theft.

I always thought that Wal-Mart was just paying them to say hello to customers coming in the store.  I cant believe Wal-Mart actualy benefits from their presence.  Unbelievable!  Great detective work JM.

Paul & Generic,

Yes, it is good that this “ customer friendly” behemoth is making changes. It will save 2 cents off toilet paper and enable Generic to receive that raise that has been long overdue.

Gupta-

What is the primary goal of any business?

Isn’t it possible that acting in one’s own interest sometimes generates positive effects for others?

JM-

Would you prefer an armed guard at each door?

Gupta 1, even though your remark was probably meant to be a cute little insult, I AM long overdue for a raise (which doesn’t include the crappy one that I just got).

Someone, that was MY point, at least.  Even if the intentions are selfish, they still might have positive results.  This same argument is also how I feel about people saying that Wal-Mart Watch is only out to serve the greed of the unions.  So what?  Even if this is the case, it still has positive effects (that is, if you see the right to unionize actually being implemented as a positive thing).

gupa, if you are so unhappy like you sond why not
find another job?

Manager, did you mean to address that question to Generic?  I don’t think that Gupta 1 works there, but I do.  Anyway, if it was directed towards me, then thanks for the revolutionary idea!  I never thought about that.  If only someone had said that to me sooner....

By the way, Manager, sorry to hear that you’re a manager.  I feel bad for you and I’m not being sarcastic.

Generic, You are such a victim.  I cant believe you would still work for Wal-Mart after expressing your hatred.  You must not be very marketable.  I would believe that after reading many of your post.

“Manager”
I have my own company, and have never been a “mart” employee, thank God…

“Someone”
The reason that WM is making these changes is because they want to get a class of customer in their store that they never catered to before i.e. organic foods, “hip” people etc.
I will bet you if the current group of people and their purchases were still growing enough to keep Wall Street happy, you would not see these iniatives being enacted. Yes, these moves can benefit society, BUT, if these moves would not benefit the behemoth, they WOULD NOT do them. WM love is to their stockholders and Wall-Street, not necessarily to a tree loving organic individual ONLY if it helps WM. This, dear “someone” is how life is, and has been for ages.

Gupta-

What’s your point? I’m not attempting to ascribe virtue to Wal-Mart. No one is confusing the company’s executives with Mother Teresa. You WMWers should be happy that some good is coming out of its actions rather than looking for ways to dismiss it. Doing so only exposes your blind anti-Wal-Mart sentiment.

Incidentally, are your decisions for your company motivated by a desire to make a profit?

“Someone”

Yes, we are motivated by profit. ETHICAL profit. There is a huge difference between the two.

Big T, you’re absolutely right.  How did you know?  I went to get one of the thousands of jobs that were better than my present one that were out there and I was told that I wasn’t marketable.  I asked for the reason why, and I was told that my posts on Wal-Mart Watch explained everything (that and because they showed that I was an evil union-loving pinko).  I then decided that trying to change or do anything better in the future was worthless because I was such a victim.  If I only knew how to be marketable, my problems would be solved.  However, I should actually love my job, because, according to people like you, Big T, Wal-Mart isn’t actually that bad of a place to work, and if it is, me and the other workers deserve it, because if we didn’t like it, we just wouldn’t work there, we’d have one of the other nonexistant jobs, or be Doctors or millionaires, and we shouldn’t be allowed to criticize it, either, just shut up and grin and bare it.  Wait, does this response to your comment mean that I’m not marketable?  Gee, being so unmarketable and all, how did I ever get any jobs?

Someone and Big T
You’re welcome.  It is important for the majority to know the truth.  Yes retailers want you to think that the company cares so much about you as a person, that they will flip the bill to have someone give you a smile and a hello. Yet they are really concerned about making sure merchandise doesn’t go out the front. It probably would be better to call the “greeter” a “security greeter”. Mind you that would show honesty and transparency which is not our favorite retailers way of doing business.

What’s up boys. Gen, I cannot believe after almost six months of conversing with you you STILL work at the company you believe owes you more. If WM was your girlfriend, would you still be trying to work things out? Come on, give some illegal immigrants (undocumented workers, whatever) a chance at a shot and get a CAREER. Bud, you know me and know I am not insulting your integrity, but enough is enough.

Acquire the people skills and the know-how and get a career. If there are no good jobs available, move. Its like telling Ethopians to move to where food can grow and stop putting your hand out for more, more, more (gimme).

Have a good Memorial Day Weekend and support those troops.

People are leaving Wal-Mart. If you have up to a 50% turnover rate every year, then it is not a valued place to work.

SOONER JJ, YOU FORGOT SOMETHING:

Isn’t it usual and customary for someone with your political views to follow “support those troops” with “God Bless America?”

Gupta-

“Yes, we are motivated by profit. ETHICAL profit. There is a huge difference between the two.”

Ethical profit? What in the blazes is that? Are you trying to say your aim is not an economic profit? Since when do normal profits suffice in the business world?

JM-

Even the average Wal-Mart shopper should have the intelligence to realize that the greeters are there to watch what goes out. Now if I could only get my greeters to understand that before I leave…

Screwed-

Allow me to oblige: Support those troops and God bless America.

That really doesn’t sound right. I know. It’s missing a pretentious, “Have a blessed day.”

For the record:
They are [the companies] employee’s, they are not associates. (Only fellow workers are associates with each other).

They are enterance security. Part of the greeting is to increase a loss prevention image.

c’mon. who cares if wal-mart “cleans up” for their bottom line? as long as they clean up, it’s good. as far as the wages of the masses, when was the last time you ran into a wal-mart store employee who DESERVED more than a minimum wage?

If i was a Store Manager of a wal mart, at least i could aford a house..

Apparently realistic man decides who “deserves” to live a sh---y existence and who doesn’t because he clearly isn’t a member of “the masses”.  Oh well, at least he actually believes in a minimum wage.

Generic,

Realistic man didnt decide that, he is saying that everyone decides that for themself.  People are individuals and so are their responsibilities.  If someone doesnt like the pay for cart pushers, then get a better job.  I know that take a lot of work but thats why better jobs pay more money.

Big T (post 6/01)
What you frequently post is not a fair analysis—take the cart pusher (generally young boys) who starts at a minimum wage (pay class one) and does a superb job, will he be rewarded with a merit raise?  In 99% of the cases he will not
get the raise and has to wait about one year (yes I know about the 90 day evaluation).  Then he leaves.

WalMart has to learn to reward good workers and pay them
accordingly so they don’t leave.  Big T I have read most of
your posts and you are too influenced by WM and your
position with them.  They are far from perfect and that is why there is so much negativity.