Thread regarding Follett layoffs

AT...I don't understand how anyone in your position of being an RM not know simple answers to a question your managers ask. It's always, I don't know let me get back to you and you never get back to us. How can you have expectations from your managers when you yourself don't know how to do anything or know anything? You want to hold us accountable for what we are supposed to know/do on a daily but where is your accountability? If we are required to complete training modules to be successful in our jobs then so should you. AT, you would probably have more respect from your team if you were as knowledgeable if not more than us in our daily job responsibilities. You can't expect something from your team if you yourself have no clue.

Come to AT stores and witness the bullying that she directs towards her managers. We are hopeful that CW will notice the incompetence of both regional and GVP.

This is becoming cyber bullying. Hope you're proud

Our posts are getting deleted. This is great! Keep deleting and I'll just keep posting. AT is feeling the heat now, I'm guessing we've all touched a nerve with her. Truth hurts AT. What you are doing is wrong and we as your store managers aren't going to deal w/your b---s--- any longer. You'll never know who is posting what, like I said, we ALL talk to each other!

A.T needs to go or stay out of my store so that I can get some work done - she is a major distraction to accomplishing what we need to with limited staffing. I'm tired of her coming in my store and wasting my time by talking about herself.

Very true. BB was the only regional manager at the bar, drinking and buying drinks for store managers. I guess the other regional managers, and GVPs were in their rooms sleeping or preparing their presentations for the next day's meetings. It's always good to get a few free drinks, even if we had to listen BBs boasting.

But at least he was buying rounds that night

I remember a meeting that we had a few years ago in Dallas that included a few regions. BB was inebriated at the hotel bar and he was telling us managers that he was more important than all of us because his bonus, as a regional manager, was more than any of us made in salary and bonus. He was also telling us that he was better than the other regional managers at the meeting because he had a Litzinger winner. Interestingly enough, this Litzinger winner was fired for cause later. After this meeting, I lost all respect for BB as our GVP.

It's not about being unhappy w/our job. Most of us actually like what we do. What we are unhappy with is the lack of support from AT and BB. They are both in it for themselves. They aren't facing the day to day struggles we are facing in the stores. But yet they have the audacity to slam us for what is out of our control. They either need to change their leadership style (actually become leaders) or move out of the way and put someone else in charge. Someone that will really care about us and put forth the work while they are in our stores. Thats the point to all of this.

You're right; those who are unhappy and feel maligned should find other work. That's a simple solution to a complex situation. Many felt Follett was their career, their home. They feel betrayed and angered at what has happened. Leaving their hope behind, no matter how practical that is, is hard. There are some, too, who are over 50 years old. Finding a new job is very difficult for professionals over 50. They should double down on a job search, because it isn't any easier finding a job when you're 60. But still, they've done nothing wrong and they're final working years are in jeopardy.

It's good advise to find other work if you're really unhappy. It's not that simple sometimes.

Better question is how are you OK working in this dung heap of a company?

"the bright visage of financial success"........thank God. I am discontinuing my job search. Long live Follet.

Basketmania is business brilliance, notwithstanding the haters' comments, built on forward-thinking, dynamic and innovative ideas from some of the most esteemed minds in the college retail market. The sale of tens of thousands of 99-cent notebooks will propel Follett to the front of the line in the college market. Above the sign on the window announcing the latest Snickers 2-for-1 deal, I see beyond, in the distance, the bright visage of financial success and reclamation of the company's place in the pantheon.

Don't be mistaken, this isn't an isolated complaint, nor a single person that is dissatisfied with BB and AT.

I love B.B and A.T and I just feel as if you are all unhappy then quit and move on!!

Did they finally drop that 'basketmania' nonsense? Didn't see much during rush, it could of improved sales!!

Give her a break folks. She must be doing something right. After all...she is the only RM to hit their basket mania goal.

How many store contracts has GVP B.B lost to other vendors?

Better question, new profitable contracts and sales growth, year/year existing contracts?

A dying business folks. The family is just getting every dime out possible. You're just the help.

How many store contracts has GVP B.B lost to other vendors?

Wow...and here I thought I was the only one who didn't receive responses back from AT in a timely manner. I emailed her a week Or two ago and she just responded and just like AT fashion, she completely avoided the question. She wouldnt let any of us get away w/not responding in a timely manner. Practice what you preach AT! Come in the stores and talk to us about our stores, no one wants to hear about your personal life. Answer our concerns, quit trying to BS your way out of making any kind of decent commitments of what our actual needs are in the stores. Talk to other managers, not just the store managers. They have concerns as well, but you come in the stores and completely ignore them as if they are totally beneath you. I know some of these other managers well and they know a lot more than their store managers do. Its shameful that these SM's who are fortunate enough to have multiple managers that do EVERYTHING for them, they are the ones being taken advantage of. Why, because the SM doesn't know enough, I would be embarrassed if my management team knew more than I did. You, AT, should be embarrassed as well, that some/most of your SM's know more than you. You create captains, but some of these captains can't answer simple questions. So we call and ask you because you are the RM after all and we figure you should have all the answers to any and all of our questions. How else did you become an RM? Oh yea, by default as someone mentioned prior. But, since you don't know the answer you refer us back to the incompetent captain because youre incompetent yourself. Such a shame and such a joke. Morale is down in the stores because of the NON-leadership you provide. Step aside and let someone who really knows about the business take the reigns.

A.T. - Regional Managers don't decide what stores to keep; however, if they perform poorly (as you do) and school administrators become dissatisfied, they can choose to terminate contract and award contract to another vendor. It just amazes me that you are our regional manager. You are not a leader or smart enough to be a regional manager.

H.O doesn't give 2 s*s!!!!!!! A.T you are a joke. You have time to post your response on here, but you can't even respond to my damn e-mails. Oh! do trust I will wait for some lame a excuse why it took so long to respond. Do us all a favor and leave!

Home office are you listening? It is painfully obvious that AT and BB don't have support from their associates and have lost control.

AT only likes who she directly hired. If you're her special pet you will always be protected no matter how bad of a job you do. She will make excuses for them and keep these managers who are worthless. Don't cross her because you will definitely be on her bad side and will never be allowed to transfer or get promoted. She is a vindictive woman, only cares about herself and her pets. Regionals may not decide what stores close, but they do have the capacity to fight for stores to remain open. She won't because it's too much hassle and easier to close a store than fight for her employees to have a job.

Yes, our job as managers is to hire and staff our stores w/in the budget we are given, but as mentioned prior AT and BB blasted some of us for not having enough coverage, so tell me again how that is fair?

HO mandates store visits but as a regional you should support your managers and stores during your visit. If you're not willing to jump in and help then don't complain about poor customer service. Oh wait, how could AT or BB help when they were only in the stores for about 15-30 mns. Or didn't even visit all of the stores they said they were going to visit. Instead come up w/some lame excuse as to why they couldn't stop by.

I remember when KK was GVP for our region, she made store visits during rush and she actually helped. If she needed to jump on a register she would, if she needed to help in shipping/receiving she would, w/e had to be done she was in it with us, now that's the kind of leadership that is needed in our region. We don't have leaders, leaders lead by example. AT and BB talk a big game but when it's time to walk the walk, they leave. Put up or shut up! Don't visit our stores if you're not going to help and just stand in a corner and look at everything that is wrong in our stores instead of thanking us for all the long hard hours some of us SM's actually work.

I think each level is feeling the impact of the incompetence of our leaders. Everyone is tired of doing more with less and the stupid head games. It's your job to make sure you are staffed as lob as you don't go over your budget. And who sets the budget??? Not the person who is having to staff the store. All we hear is "We want you, you need to, do this, what is your best practice....blah...blah...blah." Enough is enough. Stop the stupidity. Keep paying high wages at corporate level while the field suffers. Again it's not the we don't want to execute...there is not enough of us to execute. Do you really think I enjoy doing things half a$$ just to make sure everything is getting done and I'm not on some stupid a$$ KPI list. Bite me!!! And take your KPIs and shove them up your a$$es.

Wow you guys need to see how bad it is elsewhere. Compared the dishonest, vindictive, micromanaging people I have worked for before AT is a gracious and supportive regional.

Most of these complaints are completely unfair: potential store closings? Do you really think regionals decide what stores we keep? Bonuses? Who isn't concerned about their bonus? Most of us aren't independently wealthy.Rush staffing? Isn't it our job to staff the store for rush?

Ha Ha...the point isn't that home office mandates GVPs and regional managers to do obligatory store visits at rush...it is that BB and AT are worthless as leaders and cause more harm than good.

Home office mandates store visits during rush, so I do them, no choice.

How many solid management associates will decide to leave their employment because of BB and AT? BB is not a leader, he thinks he is, and he always says what he needs to in order to impress his bosses, and AT is incompetent. When will home office realize this? And, fix this situation before sales drop further and we lose another contract?

So reading all of this doesn't surprise me one bit. I've known A.T for quite some time now and I can go on and on about how she is not deserving of her position. I love the remark someone made on how she doesn't know the answers to questions asked and that is the truth she will make up some BS excuse to get out of it. I honestly don't find her that bright either, but hey what do I know. Oh!

I know what I know! I'm not afraid to mention that I'm an SM who knows a lot about a lot. Well im going to say what I want to say because after all it is anonymous. So someone mentioned payroll and EOY bonus. Why give us a budget if you don't care how its spent? Next semester I'm going to blow the S out of my budget if you want those lines moving fast or better yet jump your A* on a register ha if you only knew how to run one. So how is it that I'm the SM who follows all the policies and rules, but yet other SM's break them and A.T has nothing to say nor will she act. I know some SM's who are way over in payroll and she has yet to tell them anything. Also some of these stores are way under in sales, but hey its okay blow payroll. Oh and for A.T EOY bonus...yup thats all she cares about. I can almost guarantee you within the year she will more than likely close 2 off campus stores because she is worried about her Bonus. She feels as if these stores are doing her harm, but when I look at their sales they are actually doing pretty well. Way to go M.C and J.V!!!! A.T needs to get a grip and so does B.B if these 2 don't clean up their act I will lay it all out and I will go to HR. Apart of me wants to start a petition to get A.T and B.B out. I have read other peoples post on here and why should I put up with all their crap or quit when they should be the ones to get the hell out of here. I will continue to be that great SM, but I will no longer put up with their S*

BB is the biggest clown and BS'er in the company. I am sorry that you ended up with both AT and BB as your (so called) leaders...there isn't any inspiration or motivation coming from these 2.

Great tactic - Truly heroic, a visit at rush, and then getting slammed because you are adhering to your ridiculous budget...it happened at our location as well, just after our store was crippled by a massive layoff. Same crap, made to feel like you don't do enough, etc. (Working for three just wansn't good enough...) Wonderful for morale.

I hope to live long enough to see those who have run this organizaton into the ground get what they deserve. Keep talking about ethics, yeah, you set such fabulous examples. PLEASE - Get a clue.

I don't know what AT was like as a SM, but she seriously s---s as an RM. She only became an RM be default when Follett acquired Neebo. How can you be an RM and not be able to answer simple questions when asked by your team? She never has an answer and makes up some damn excuse why she doesn't know. It's frustrating when you know more about your business than the person who is above you. That should never happen, this is why AT doesn't have any respect from her managers, she may think she does but just like she likes to BS her way out conversations, her SM's can BS her into thinking we have respect for her.

BB isn't any better, the master BS'er himself. It's a shame that title changes ppl. He moved up in the ranks and now that he is GVP, he's forgotten how to run a store and the challenges that come w/it, busting our asses to make sure we have a smooth rush yet comes in for a 5 minute visit during our peak time and is not happy w/our customer service. Shame on you for forgetting where you came from! In the end, the bottom line is the bottom line. If we don't do well in our stores, it hits their end of year bonuses. That's all they truly care about, not us!

How is it possible that AT failed at managing a store and is now a regional manager?

No one is managing talent. You either rot where you are, quit, or get laid off

It's hard to believe that AT is a regional manager. She would never have become a regional manager with the old Follett guard. In fact, she didn't cut it as a store manager and moved to Nebraska Book. Who is managing talent these days.