So I've been working in Furniture sales for about a year now.  Just over.  Last year at one point I was demoted to "Stock Person" because according to the District Manager at the time, they were downsizing.  This of course was a lie as they immediately hired someone in my place.  She was fired approx. a month after that and I was forced to do the Stock Person job AND sales.  At a lower wage than the actual sales person, and without chance for commission.  Once my favorite manager was fired, the new manager worked to get me back on the floor (I still don't like him very much) I was promoted back to sales person with the condition that if I didn't make my monthly quotes I would be let go.  All stores had a bad month last, so I did not make $28,000.  No one in the store did.

I was approached by the new District Manager who stated that I needed to improve and this is how they are going to help me improve.  My sales have been improving, but once again we are having a very slow month.  I'm currently at $5,000 due to some returns last week that are going to be exchanged for more expensive items.  Today will put me at $10,000 at least, which is about the same amount as everyone else in the store (give or take $100)  Wednesday I came into work thinking everything was going well, that's when the Regional Manager showed up. (Former District, the dude that demoted me).  My Manager was also there even though it was his day off.

"You were moved back on the floor, under the premise that your sales would improve.  We have seen noted improvement and are happy you are willing to work to better yourself for the company.   However as per company decision, we must let you go.  Consider this your 2 weeks notice.  You must continue to work to the best of your ability the following two weeks until June 30th to receive your 2 weeks severance pay, following which you wll be payed out your 2 weeks vacation on your final paycheck."

WTF?!  First off I'm upset because it's not even the end of the month and they are basically saying I'm not "improving fast enough" when they can't really tell! Secondly if I want to be payed I have to waste time not looking for a  new job, but rather continue working somewhere I just got fired from!?!  Not to mention later that day he was having a SECOND interview with my replacement... goddammit she's pretty... I want to kill her! Why me? Why Now? Anyway I have to go to "work" so I'll talk to you all later.

I have been waiting for the hammer to fall on me, because of run-in with a customer.  But so far nothing.

Maybe it won't happen. 

Sorry for the sh*** way that it happened to you, but at least you will get 4 weeks pay at the end of the month.  And there is unemployment too, if Canada has it.

Maybe you can get a new one as a woman. 

Janet

Sorry to hear of your treatment.

QuoteWhy me? Why Now? Anyway I have to go to "work" so I'll talk to you all later.

Because the capitalistic system leaves no room for humans. The most work for the least cost . Since the population has increased without increased consumption every one will get less. Less means less consumption which fuels lower wages. Neat system but not sustainable.

Quote from: lisagurl on June 19, 2009, 11:57:44 AM
Sorry to hear of your treatment.

Because the capitalistic system leaves no room for humans. The most work for the least cost . Since the population has increased without increased consumption every one will get less. Less means less consumption which fuels lower wages. Neat system but not sustainable.

Are you saying that people who work hard, are paid accordingly and contribute to society are not humans? 

We all have a choice --- Adrianna currently sells furniture - her choice.  Her employer provides multiple choices in furniture - their choice.  The customer chooses to shop that furniture store their choice.  Their employer chose to go into business and hire, and pay a salary to their employees - their choice. 

Society as you are suggesting would be without choice.  One couch like it or not. One phone like it or not. One salary like it or not.  Dulls-ville  like it or not.  No choice for you as the government would choose for you what you need.

Sorry Adrianna you work hard to improve, and were consciously trying to make your goals and I think you are being taken advantage of.  But Lisagurl's comments make like no one should benefit because they work harder and I think that is just wrong.

Daisy

QuoteAre you saying that people who work hard, are paid accordingly and contribute to society are not humans?

Being a slave has been around for a long time. Working hard to benefit yourself, leaves the human part out. Working hard to benefit society is a lot more humane if of course you enjoy your labors. Working hard and not enjoying your labors is again being a slave.

Since when are slaves not people?

Quote from: Mister on June 19, 2009, 02:50:41 PM
Since when are slaves not people?

I think that what she's been trying to say is that the system itself makes no place for humans, only production and profit.

I could be wrong but that seemed to me to be where she was going with that.

N~

Best of luck to you Adrianna.

I hope everything works out for you. These truly are trying times economically speaking. Esp. for those in commissioned based sales.

If these are transition based issues, than I hope your next employeer is more enlightned.

Forbes list of "Most Admired Companies," is an intersting one. Companies who treat their employess as more than just a warm body are more highly regarded by their customers. Its also interesting to note that those companies are also among the most profitable. With stock prices that have remained more stable as oppossed to those that are less enlightened.

Treat people well and everybody profits, what a concept.

Mich'

Quote from: Nichole on June 19, 2009, 02:55:04 PM
I think that what she's been trying to say is that the system itself makes no place for humans, only production and profit.

I could be wrong but that seemed to me to be where she was going with that.

N~

Me too. I didn't get the impression that Lisagurl was saying some people are more human than others, or that we should have no choice.

My god I WISH it was a transitioning issue, then I could sue .  As it stands right now, since I'm "male" and the one being hired is female there is nothing I could do.  However were I female and the one being hired was male.... that's different.  Oh well what can ya do?  I love the people I work with (save for my manager) I'm going to miss them very much.

On a side note, this morning I was talking to my Assistant Manager (and friend) and he was kinda staring at me all funny like... finally he cut me off with "DUDE! Are you wearing eyeliner?!" ... Had the other two not been in the room it probably would have been the perfect time to come out... but since they were there... and I'm a pansy I blew it by saying "Um........ no?"  his reply was simply

"Because it really looks like it, go look at your self in the mirror!  and keep a close watch on your wife maybe she's doing your makeup in your sleep... 'I'll make him look pretty for work!'"

I just had a simple akward laugh and went to scrub out my eye balls... I hate being such a pansy.

Quote from: Adrianna on June 19, 2009, 06:25:21 PM
My god I WISH it was a transitioning issue, then I could sue .  As it stands right now, since I'm "male" and the one being hired is female there is nothing I could do.  However were I female and the one being hired was male.... that's different.  Oh well what can ya do?  I love the people I work with (save for my manager) I'm going to miss them very much.

On a side note, this morning I was talking to my Assistant Manager (and friend) and he was kinda staring at me all funny like... finally he cut me off with "DUDE! Are you wearing eyeliner?!" ... Had the other two not been in the room it probably would have been the perfect time to come out... but since they were there... and I'm a pansy I blew it by saying "Um........ no?"  his reply was simply

"Because it really looks like it, go look at your self in the mirror!  and keep a close watch on your wife maybe she's doing your makeup in your sleep... 'I'll make him look pretty for work!'"

I just had a simple akward laugh and went to scrub out my eye balls... I hate being such a pansy.

Before I came out I was wearing clear nail polish I thought no one would ever notice.

One day in a meeting, I'm gesturing with my hands to make a point then place my hands on the table.  My boss just stares at my nails.  Then he looks at me.  I turn about six shades of red and put my hands on my lap.

Nothing was ever verbalized but we both knew.

Since you are leaving there, then coming out is not really useful.  And conceivably could hurt any reference they may make for you when you apply for the next job.

Next time use eye makeup remover.  It'll pull eyeliner and mascara right off even the water proof kind.

I'm so sorry that you've been screwed this way.  I hope all the best for you!

-Sandy

The reason I said it would have been the perfect time if the other two were not there, was not because I was talking about coming out in the business place.  You see my Assistant Manager and I have become very close friends despite the 10 year difference in our ages.  I will have to come to him eventually since I plan on being friends with him for a long time

What business are we talking about here? I'd like to try and avoid that if I can.

Anyways, it seems like the entire organization is run by numbers and people don't matter. First they demote you, then fire your replacement, then put you back then fire you as well? Seriously, what's going on here? Hasn't it ever occurred to these so called "managers" that people with more experience and more time in the store itself will know the job better and have better sales overall?

At this point, it seems like getting fired was a blessing. They'd only continue screwing with you if you stayed.

I agree with you Kara, but I liked working there for the people I worked with.  Not for the company it's self (Structube).  It's a family owned business based in Montreal with approx. 22 stores, 9 of which are in Ontario.  The company has been open for 30 years, my particular location has only been open for 3.  About a month before I joined the company, 2 new stores were opened, one one each side of mine, about 15 min in either direction.  Naturally this would drastically reduce the amount of customers that would come to my store as they would stop at the other two locations since they are closer.  The owners however have not taken this into account when demanding our monthly budget which is usually somewhere around $192 000.00 and up.

Individually sales people (part-time and full-time) are expected to make atleast $28,000 a month.  We get paid $13/hr.  (Stock only got paid $10.00, I was lucky in the fact that I got back to the floor, a month before they eliminated stock position and fired every stock person.)  Managers and Assistant Managers (I'm not SUPPOSED to know this) get paid $19/hr and $16/hr, respectively and are required to make $34,000 a month.  After this qoute has been hit (which is impossible in our location [the down town stores do it though]) we get 3% commission on anything we make over that amount.

When I started with the company, the staffing was as follows:
Manager: Dorota (older Polish lady who treated me as her own child)
Assistant Manager: Denise (Older english lady, only knew her for about a week before she quit)
Full-Time Sales: ME! (lovable WOP/Limey mix girl in disguise lol)
Part-Time Sales: Sherise (bitchy African-american girl..)
Part-Time Sales: Alex (Lazy African-american male)
Part-Time Sales: Mike (Cool Canadian male, with a lot going for him)

Within the first two months, Denise left (she had already given two-weeks notice before I started), Alex was fired as he stopped showing up for work and lied about why.  Then Balbir (Weird/funny Idian dude! our first stock man) was hired, Sherise and Mike were let go (Head Office said they were paying out too much for the store to do so crappy) and David(Perky, feminine, married white man!) "came back" from our North York location to be our Assistant Manager.

Third month, Full-time sales Allwyn( Idian guy, from Dubai! Very forgetful, very funny) was hired.  With this time we were happiest! Sales for the store actually went OVER BUDGET, by the 4th month!

Fifth Month, John (District Manager) came into the store.  By "Order from Zandra (Regional Manager)" our store was to be "downsized"  I was given the option of being demoted, or let-go.  No harm meant against Balbir, I chose to take the $3 pay cut. Balbir was fired.  I was given the option of personally charging customers non-taxed cash to assemble products to make up for the lost pay. A week later Iva(Middled aged Russian woman, full of her self) was hired to replace me!? Obviously downsizing was a LIE!

Sixth month, Memo was sent from head office, forbidding Structube employees from assembling products as we were to outsource such services to another company for a much higher price than I was charging (which meant the company would get some of the money).  Zandra was fired, John promoted and Robert (a store Manager from another location) became District Manager.

Seventh Month, Iva is fired.

Eighth Month, Dorota was fired. Worst...day....ever. The arrogant self-centred ass Mark was hired in her place a week later.

Tenth Month, despite all his prickiness, Mark manages to get me promoted back to sales person.

This topic has already stated what has happened on my month number 12.

I work for a large retail company.

Simply put, the sales industry right now is in a huge slump. Some companies are doing revolving door - train people, they don't perform well enough, fire them rotate someone else in.

I've been doing sales for 2 years now. This year, once my manager finally actually gave me hours, I jumped to the top of my department. My department is one of the ->-bleeped-<-tiest to be in, but it was alright for where I'm at.

They replaced merchandise that I used to sell, for a 12% commission on huge ticket items, for piddly junk that no one buys that other departments leech off for 5%. I took a 25-50% pay cut for working there 2 years.

'Why haven't you guys opened more cards? Cashier had 10 today'
'I literally haven't rung a single transaction all week, they had 100 customers today.'

Hell my performance review last month beat the snot out of everyone else in the department's, consistently, the whole month, on credit, installs, service, extras, etc, but my total sales volume was below quota. Simply from a lack of bloody customers.

Retail sales is ass unless your performance and your manager make you the golden child. If you have bad shifts or a lack of hours, you're sunk. Unless you get *really* lucky, which can always happen.

Sales is great when the economy is doing well. Easy money. But lord, it's not good now. 'Yesterday we were down 8%, and $30000 below goal. District down 10%, nationwide down 16%'

Oh right. Yeah, basically, the company you work for is screwing you because they're a crappy retail company, same as mine is. I'm getting my work history, which I'm not even sure how much it will help since I think corporate policy prevents my manager from doing anything but saying 'yes he worked here for 25 months and I would rehire him,' and then going back to school full time again.

It's hard to leave any job right now, but if you find yourself being taken advantage of, it really is best to look for another place as soon as you can.

The lucky thing is I should be able to get Unemployment insurance for about a year.  Not that I want to wait THAT long to get another job but it might take that long to get one.  My Manager has been pressured from HO saying that he is not allowed to give me a reference at all.  However my Assistant Manager (who is currently doing up my resume for me) is going to give me the best reference he can