I am going to try to keep this short and sweet for everyone's sake (actually I am surprised that I am not feeling upset about the situation). I work retail, more importantly, home improvement. A couple of weeks ago, you would have found me as an assistant manager of my store's Cabinets and Appliances department, but now you'll find me flinging freight in our hardware department.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a customer (apparently a contractor that spends alot of money in our store) come into Cabinets and Appliances at 9:45pm wanting a design for a kitchen. At that point I had been working since 9:00 am that morning ( had my mandatory lunch break, I don't want a write-up for not taking one) and the store closes at 10:00pm. I tried to explain to the contractor that I could get the information I needed, and that I could start on the design that night, but I would need some more time the following morning to finish. Immediately the contractor starts yelling at me about how he wants his kitchen done and that I don't want his business. I tried explaining calmly to the contractor that I really needed more time than he was allowing me (no guarantee that I was going to finish the design before the store manager kicked us out for the evening) and I really wanted to get out of there that evening because I had to be back first thing in the morning. The contractor goes on a tirade and storms off to find the store manager (who has also worked cabinets and appliances and knows how long a design can take). Needless to say, the store manager finds me and starts screaming at me, cause the contractor is acting like a two year old throwing a tantrum. A full week and a half goes by, I get called back to the back office of our store last Friday, one of the store managers tells me to go to the conference room, I go in and sit for a few minutes, then enter the two store managers (not the one working the night of the incident, he had moved to another store in Iowa) and the Human Resources coordinator. They had decided to demote me from management to full-time non-management, they reason was the incident from the previous week, and that sales were down for the month of June. Fluff excuses! The store manager also stated that if I wanted, he would work with me to get back to management. At this point, I have just started my 5th year with the company, I have been demoted a total of three times, once from department manager to full time, and the other two from assistant manager to full time.
I have decided that enough is enough, I am currently actively seeking other positions, I even submitted my resume for a corporate position with Petsmart last night and will continue to actively pursue other employers to get away from the "toxic environment" (at least that is what I consider it as) of my current employer.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a customer (apparently a contractor that spends alot of money in our store) come into Cabinets and Appliances at 9:45pm wanting a design for a kitchen. At that point I had been working since 9:00 am that morning ( had my mandatory lunch break, I don't want a write-up for not taking one) and the store closes at 10:00pm. I tried to explain to the contractor that I could get the information I needed, and that I could start on the design that night, but I would need some more time the following morning to finish. Immediately the contractor starts yelling at me about how he wants his kitchen done and that I don't want his business. I tried explaining calmly to the contractor that I really needed more time than he was allowing me (no guarantee that I was going to finish the design before the store manager kicked us out for the evening) and I really wanted to get out of there that evening because I had to be back first thing in the morning. The contractor goes on a tirade and storms off to find the store manager (who has also worked cabinets and appliances and knows how long a design can take). Needless to say, the store manager finds me and starts screaming at me, cause the contractor is acting like a two year old throwing a tantrum. A full week and a half goes by, I get called back to the back office of our store last Friday, one of the store managers tells me to go to the conference room, I go in and sit for a few minutes, then enter the two store managers (not the one working the night of the incident, he had moved to another store in Iowa) and the Human Resources coordinator. They had decided to demote me from management to full-time non-management, they reason was the incident from the previous week, and that sales were down for the month of June. Fluff excuses! The store manager also stated that if I wanted, he would work with me to get back to management. At this point, I have just started my 5th year with the company, I have been demoted a total of three times, once from department manager to full time, and the other two from assistant manager to full time.
I have decided that enough is enough, I am currently actively seeking other positions, I even submitted my resume for a corporate position with Petsmart last night and will continue to actively pursue other employers to get away from the "toxic environment" (at least that is what I consider it as) of my current employer.