You know, it's about time someone at the home office said, 'why do we have these people with no business skills running the most important positions in the company?' It's nice that we have tenured people at the top, but they were all salespeople who, over time, kept getting promoted into positions beyond their skill sets and giving them 20+ years of high raises. You need people with business degrees running high-value positions such as logistics, marketing, labor, merchandising, etc., not high school dropout musicians with long tenure. Under Pratt, corporate staffing increased by $100mm. Webb just cut $100mm in corporate staffing to get the company back to pre-Pratt profitability. He increased the sizes of the districts and regions to those of real retailers. He consolidated jobs into more streamlined positions with more responsibilities and is putting qualified into place to perform the duties. The haters are going to say that it's Gtr Ctr falling into the toilet, but it's quite the opposite. Again, they will emerge on top - better and stronger than before. Every year something happens and the industry starts crying wolf, but it's just GC getting their shit together.
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I agree. Being cool is fun, but being professional is what makes sales. They could reduce the kids working there and hire people with degrees in music and business. They miss alot of sales because they are "hanging out". Don't get me wrong. I hang out when I'm there, but I also notice families and people who don't know anything that need assistance. No one is helping them because they are hanging out and being cool. That has to change. Your best sales may not come from someone in a band. Treat everyone equal.
I see the product line broadening. Staff has to match the skills. It's important to attract a diverse market. Help everyone. Stop letting everyone tear up the equipment. If you want to play an instrument, you need to be serious about purchasing it. All the pre-madonna's with no skills need to put headphones on. Those of us purchasing would like to actually hear what we are doing and we don't need to do it at 10. Stop the disrespect and show the customers the product. Great store. Thought of working there, but I could never afford to work for commission.
Wake up, this is a dead end street