The DM in our west coast region is a terror. She leads by fear. SM’s are afraid to ask her for help. The store is short on payroll and rather than actually asking her for more hours, the SM’s in the district will work 60+ hours a week. She sends emails every 2 hours asking about conversion, menmbership, and email rates. Our former ASM was due to be put on an IP solely because of the poor shop - she was MOD at the time. She quit the same day and refused to sign it. Before the big layoff, our head cashier was amazing. On the day of the shop he’d sold 15 memberships. The shop named him personally and said he didn’t ask about it. He was put on an IP. 15 sold, yet supposedly missed one and put on an IP!! This is no exaggeration, this is what’s happening in CA stores. Before you accuse someone, maybe take a step back and realize you don’t have it as bad as other stores. I’ve been at BN just over 3 years. I’ve had 2 SM’s and now have a 3rd. I’ve had 5 ASM’s leave, 6 MM’s leave, 2 CM’s leave, 2 CBDMs, and of course the RM in the layoff. The turnover is unbelievable - all because of our DM.
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Hope you guys hang in there...Once you get to be in your sixties you won't care anymore.. I don't take sh1t from anyone anymore... Nope... tell them were to go... I would slap that DOUCHE off the back of the head....
this is the case with dms everywhere. our dm emails literally ten times a day about conversion. it's all she cares about. rude to employees on visits, won't answer questions or fix problems, changes the subject when addressed about major issues in store. this is the kind of person they hire for district manager. a totally redundant position. when asked how we could improve memberships her answer is "figure it out." that's it. no training, no plan. i've been with the company fifteen years and am now part time in the morning shelving and i see everything that is happening. the stores have gone to sh--, it's clear they are setting up larger stores to fail so they can close. all bn cares about right now is setting up smaller footprint stores that they will probably eventually sell of to amazon. the large stores are a burden and are worth a lot for real estate. bn is tanking, obviously, but what's amazing is the employees like the dm who are fully on board with f---ing over booksellers and other managers.
Why do any of you work at BN? It seems you hate it there. You probably should quit rather than venting on this board. What does this have to do with layoffs? With employees like you, no wonder the company isn't doing well.
SM should insist on getting their head cashiers and receiving managers that were laid off back. Corporate doesn't seem to really care aboutstores...just about money, money. Why do their not hire CEO on a yearly basis..wouldn't it make more sense...and SAVE MONEY?
NO the SM does not lack courage. When you have a DM who belittles and threatens you instead of listening, trying to help or offer solutions then the problem lies with the action of an ineffective uncaring DM which trickles down from the corporate office. Barnes and Noble no longer cares about the people they employ. And if they took it to we listen or human resources, who's side do you think they would take and who would pay the price?
Do the people on the Barnes & Noble Bookeseller Facebook page know about this site?
I don't think it is just your dm. I think it is just about all of them and in turn it all comes from the idiots at the corporate offices. The dms demoralize, threaten and put their managers on ips for things they really don't have any control of. How can you have control of your store if you don't have the resources to run or maintain it. They micro manage the crap out of everything. They expect things to get done that cannot possibly get done with what they are given and when it doesn't get done they get written up. SO to the corporate office.......YOUR biggest mistake was dumping all your receiving managers......the ones that went above and beyond the receiving room. Those that helped with resets, storytimes, would go the book floor and help out with stocking toys, gifts, do zone maintenance, pull and ship returns. Would take the many v carts of strays back to receiving and resort so they would not sit around on v carts for days. If you are not making money on the digital aspect, get rid of the guy at corporate in charge of that, along with the person who is supposedly in charge of the carton visibility report. It is never correct anyway. You are so intent on trying to make this work with all your stupid test this and research that. Did you bother to research your head cashiers to find out who was making goals on the dis count cards and keep your highest preformers.
NO! SO QUIT EXPECTING THE UNATTAINABLE IN A NY ASPECT OF THE STORES. YOU CANNOT GIVE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE IF YOU HAVE NO ONE TO GIVE IT. AND STORES TRYING TO MAKE ALL YOUR STORES COOKIE CUTTER STORES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT.
It seems the SMs lack courage. They should stand-up for themselves, their stores and their employees. Why haven't they taken steps to address the DM's actions? I guess it's better to post on this board than to be a true leader.