THE FINANCIAL FUN TIMES
1. In a Canadian first, Fozani Group Ltd. (SportChek) CEO, Bob Sartor, has told that he's changing their approach to retailing. "cleaner, better-merchandised stores and helping the customer."
Apparently he had to tell his conference friends twice because they didn't understand what he said.
Let's see now. The last tme I had someone in a department store or chain store in Canada try to help me, I was so startled I thought she was a crook and I called security. I think that was 1959, I think. Or maybe 1961.
2. Daniel Laikin, the CEO of National Lampoon, Inc. has been charged with conspiracy and securities fraud.
You cannot write comedy material like this. Can't wait to see Chevy Chase in the movie.
3. The quote of the week belongs hands-down to that great stand-up comedian, Stephen Harper, who doubles on occasion as Prime Minister of the country. He said,
"I'm very worried about the Canadian economy."
4 comments:
"helping the customer." it was 1961 David, I visited the same store. Asked a Clerk the other day where an item was [she had more rings in her face than a shower curtain] and she gestured aimlessly and said "it's down there". I asked her how I could get to her Competitor's store........ and left.
Actually, for department stores - it was as late as the early 1990's.
My dear mum worked at downtown Woodwards (when it was still a viable department store). Dear mum had two adult children, had experience working for the Ministry doing drop in childcare and had worked as a supervision aid in schools. She worked in the Woodwards toy department (at the time, the largest toy department in the lower mainland).
Dear mum was damn good at her job. She and her co-workers (with even more experience, both work and life) knew all the merchandise and even had some insight into what kids of different ages would like (all of them having had families of their own). My mum was paid $14.00 per hour IN 1990!!!! Her co-worker, an older woman who had been there longer and worked full time was paid a couple of dollars more.
Then Woodwards started doing stupid things.
One of the stupid things was to pay the new hires less. Way less.
The other stupid thing was to offer hours to their employees of "between 4 and 40 hours." Oh, and the employees had to "be available all store hours." Uh huh. That really attracted an eager, keen bunch of employees.
More dumb moves.
They advised that they wanted all staff to be familiar with all departments.
So what did the management team do....
They told the guy who had been in hardware for 15 plus years (and who knew every widget from every do-hickey) that he was being ressigned to ladies accessories. My mum was being reassigned to mens wear (good thing mum was also a good seamstress - at least she could actually offer real assistance there as well).
Now when customers came to Woodwards, there was hardly any staff at all. When they did find someone in any particular department - they knew NOTHING!!
Woodwards, Eatons, they all closed down eventually. I guess people didn't feel like paying department store prices without having quality department store service. Enter Zellers and other discount stores.
Lots of merchandise, but you better be able to find it yourself and do your own leg work - the staff are just paid to scan, take your money and bag it.
Linda Yuill
Gee whiz. I shop at Sears in Richmond and always get good service. Then there are the small stores in Ladner plus Safeway and Save-On where service is just fine. Guess you guys shop in funny places.
So much whining, oy vey!
Re: #3
Harper the consummate joker, or should that be clown.
Did Haper not promise he would never run a deficit?
Then he comes out with this thigh slapper.
"In terms of the education job, I think we've done a good job at educating the public to the view that deficits are generally bad. We now may be in a period where we have to educate the public to a somewhat less simplistic view. There are occasions where deficits are not only not necessarily bad, they are essential."
Ha ha ha! The man really breaks me up!
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