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I've a cousin that has been in retail for over 30 years with an impeccable work record.
She's been at WM (Florence) for the last 15* years and was making top money (considering it was WM)....until today. The other day she found a 50 cent piece of ribbon she liked in the crafts dept. and, as many other employees do with items, put it in her locker* and was going to pay for it on her break. Next thing she knew she was being called into the office and accused of stealing then suspended four days without pay and escorted out of the store.
Today she had to go in and talk to internal affairs. She pointed out that what she did was a common practice and no different than when people eat a candy bar while shopping then have the wrapper scanned so it can be paid for. Some even do it with things like popcorn chicken.
Internal affairs claimed people that do that are shoplifters and are always caught and charged. HA.
So today she was offcially charged with shoplifting, fired and escorted from the store, again. And her excellent work record is no longer excellent.
She's 49, never married, no kids, extremely intelligent and she has a wonderful phone voice. She's worked the WM phone-line for the past two years. Also, everyone that knows her knows she's a good person.
I told her i would spread the word about what happened and figured this would be a good place to do it.
:::end of rant:::

* please see corrections on page 2.
Last edited {1}
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I've worked there for five years, but you aren't going to see me defending them. That place is about as horribly managed as a store can be. IMO, things were a lot better under our former store manager Tammy, who was promoted to a district position over a year ago. The only reason I'm still there is I see no reason to change jobs until I graduate, which will be this May.

I'll assist y'all in spreading the word around. I already do all of my shopping at Target or other places. The lousy 10% discount (which can't be used on food) isn't enough for them to get any of my money.
Here's another interesting scam WM pulls. At their Mexico stores...they don't pay their sackers, they have kids 14-16 working as sackers for nothing. It is traditional in Mexico that the kids to donate their time (according to an article I read) to companies but considering the economic situation in Mexico wouldn't it be good public relations to go ahead and pay kids for their work? It seems inhumane and petty to me.
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
The other day she found a 50 cent piece of ribbon she liked in the crafts dept. and, as many other employees do with items, put it in her locker


Sorry, but your friend was stupid and deserved to be fired.

It sounds like your friend is trying to make up an excuse for her actions to avoid embarrassment over getting caught stealing. If she had full intentions of paying for it, she should have picked up the ribbon as she was leaving the store and paid for it like everyone else. Simple as that.
quote:
Originally posted by Smoothcat:
I've worked there for five years, but you aren't going to see me defending them.


So, you ought to be able to tell us: Do you personally take stuff from the floor and palce it in your locker so you can pay for it when you leave?

quote:
I already do all of my shopping at Target or other places. The lousy 10% discount (which can't be used on food) isn't enough for them to get any of my money.


I'm also curious why you still work at Wal-Mart if it is such a terrible place to work? Why aren't you working at Target?
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
I've a cousin that has been in retail for over 30 years with an impeccable work record.
She's been at WM (Florence) for the last 15 years and was making top money (considering it was WM)....until today. The other day she found a 50 cent piece of ribbon she liked in the crafts dept. and, as many other employees do with items, put it in her locker and was going to pay for it on her break. Next thing she knew she was being called into the office and accused of stealing then suspended four days without pay and escorted out of the store.
Today she had to go in and talk to internal affairs. She pointed out that what she did was a common practice and no different than when people eat a candy bar while shopping then have the wrapper scanned so it can be paid for. Some even do it with things like popcorn chicken.
Internal affairs claimed people that do that are shoplifters and are always caught and charged. HA.
So today she was offcially charged with shoplifting, fired and escorted from the store, again. And her excellent work record is no longer excellent.
She's 49, never married, no kids, extremely intelligent and she has a wonderful phone voice. She's worked the WM phone-line for the past two years. Also, everyone that knows her knows she's a good person.
I told her i would spread the word about what happened and figured this would be a good place to do it.
:::end of rant:::


If you think it would do any good, PM me her name and I will call the store manager and voice my concern with the mistreatment of a long term valued employee. I for one am guilty of drinking a drink in the store while I shop. Plus I never see them doing anything about the people who eat grapes, etc that you have to pay for by the pound. There is no better way to let our concern over this be know that to contact the management and make our protest heard.
quote:
Originally posted by GoFish:
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
The other day she found a 50 cent piece of ribbon she liked in the crafts dept. and, as many other employees do with items, put it in her locker


Sorry, but your friend was stupid and deserved to be fired.

It sounds like your friend is trying to make up an excuse for her actions to avoid embarrassment over getting caught stealing. If she had full intentions of paying for it, she should have picked up the ribbon as she was leaving the store and paid for it like everyone else. Simple as that.

I have to agree with GoFish on this one, I hate that she got fired.Even if it is a practice all walmart employee do, it was wrong and she was one that got caught. You are to only put your personal stuff in your locker not merchandise from within the store.(Common sense)

My daughter eats popcorn chicken every time we go to walmart and I pay when I checkout so does that make me or my daughter a thief. NO, I would not think it was THIEF until I leave the store. thats a question for LAWGRL shes a lawyer.

If she thinks she was in the right then she needs to contact a Lawyer and see if she has a case
Last edited by ~*~Freebird~*~
PuckerupFrog, I am sorry that your cousin finds herself in this situation. Unfortunately, it comes down to whether she violated a known store policy. If she did, regardless of how many others did the same thing, they were justified in their actions. And it PAINS me to say that because I am an absolute Wal-Mart hater. I have a suit pending against them now, in fact. But these issues come down to store policy and whether that policy was violated.

I hope she finds a better place to work than that place!
A 15 year employee with an impeccable work record? I'm sorry but I just can't believe this. Why were they watching her in the first place? I can't see anyone firing a 15 year employee over 50 cents if she had "an impeccable work record". I could see her being suspended for 4 days without pay but firing her? There's more going on here than she's telling you, or than you're telling us.
quote:
Originally posted by JustMe:
If you think it would do any good, PM me her name and I will call the store manager and voice my concern with the mistreatment of a long term valued employee. I for one am guilty of drinking a drink in the store while I shop. Plus I never see them doing anything about the people who eat grapes, etc that you have to pay for by the pound. There is no better way to let our concern over this be know that to contact the management and make our protest heard.


I agree. I would love to asked mamgement about this too. I would like to hear their side of what happened. If she was going to pay for it on her break, was she not on break when she got the ribbon?
quote:
Originally posted by SwindleMaster2007:
I personally know the woman who was let go and I know for a FACT she did NOTHING WRONG!


You mean other than trying to steal a 50 cent ribbon, right?

It doesn't take much of a rocket surgeon to know that regardless of what "others" do, you should not place something in a locker, coat pocket or other hidden place unless you want to get your butt fired.

I can't believe you folks would support this person.
BUT the fact remains BEFORE she had a opportunity to pay for the item they stopped her. The fact is this. Wal-Mart wants thier full-time people to quit. 1. So they will not have to pay benefits and 2. To hire cheaper people at a cheaper rate of pay. It does not take a rocket sceintist to figure that one. There are many on here who know the empolyee. She will continue to have my support and prayers. She will be working for a better place soon and very soon! TheSwindleMaster
quote:
Originally posted by GoFish:
So, you ought to be able to tell us: Do you personally take stuff from the floor and palce it in your locker so you can pay for it when you leave?


I suppose I have a locker in the back, but I have never once used it, and couldn't tell you where it is. I don't take anything to work that I would need to use a locker for. Have I found something I wanted before, and put it at a register to buy when I finished my shift? Of course. Everybody in the store has done that before.

quote:
I'm also curious why you still work at Wal-Mart if it is such a terrible place to work? Why aren't you working at Target?


I didn't really say it was a "terrible" place to work, just poorly managed. Why haven't I changed? I work part-time there (I have an internship as a second job), I probably make more money now than I could if I started somewhere else, and honestly, I'm just too lazy to make the change. If I had it to do over again I doubt I would ever go to work at Wal-Mart, but considering it's just paying a few bills for me until I finish college, I have better things to worry about.
SmoothCat my friend. Please tell my friends there to watch thier backs. You know the way they did me just tell em watch thier backs. The sweet wife is really having a tough time there but hanging in. She loves her everyday customers there BUT is really having a hard time. God Bless all of you. I know exactly what you are going through. Better days are coming when Jesus comes. TheSwindleMaster
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
Thank you for the good words, Swindlemaster.

WM will now turn around and hire someone to do her job at less than half of what she was earning. And she DID earn it. She has always been a hard worker.


Maybe she should appy for it.
quote:
SmoothCat my friend. Please tell my friends there to watch thier backs. You know the way they did me just tell em watch thier backs.



You did get a raw deal.
No one there is safe. I've another cousin there that started working for WM when it was in the old location. She is one of the sweetest souls in the world. I was going to say i hope she watches her step, but with those folks if they want to get rid of you they'll do it "at will."
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:


You did get a raw deal.
No one there is safe. I've another cousin there that started working for WM when it was in the old location. She is one of the sweetest souls in the world. I was going to say i hope she watches her step, but with those folks if they want to get rid of you they'll do it "at will."


PuckerupFrog , you hit it right on the nail. Since they have moved it has not been the same.

One more important thing I'd like to add to your statement is , since Sam Walton died the whole company has gone to pots in my opinion.

Good ole Sam Walton took care of his employees as well as his customers.
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
She didn't put the ribbon in her locker, it was at her work site and always in plain sight


I don't get it. What do you mean by "work site." Is her "work site" back int he warehouse? If so, what the heck was she thinking when she took merchandise back there? Why did she change her story from "locker" to "work site"?

I smell a rat.

The fact is this: WM has about 10% "shrinkage." The vast majority of this is from employee theft.
quote:
This person is a thief...FIRE HER... I hate a thief...you know its always to easy to say I was going to pay for it...Thats a cop out



Florence Witch...Remember the "i was going to pay for it" line because according to the guidelines they used to fire her anyone in the store in possession of an item they have not yet paid for can be charged with stealing.
So when you're walking around inside the store with something you haven't paid for repeat to yourself "I am not a crook. I am not a crook."
And when they rightfully, by their rules, nab you before you have a chance to pay for it and escort you out of the store i'm sure saying "but i was going to pay for it" will clear things right up and they'll beg your forgiveness.....LOL.
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
Thank you for the good words, Swindlemaster.

WM will now turn around and hire someone to do her job at less than half of what she was earning. And she DID earn it. She has always been a hard worker.


And she probably deserved better than WM a long time ago. While it seems awful now, sometimes the universe has to kick our butts to make us do what's best for us (I've been kicked more than once!)
quote:
Originally posted by gr8songwriter:
GoFish,
I've read several of your entries and you appear to be nothing more than a trouble making, un-educated, low life idiot. You sound like Wal-Mart management material to me. And I hope and pray that you get falsely accused of stealing, too.
Get a life, you moron.


Before you two start a battle criticizing each other , just be disagreeable NOT critical.

Also read bluesman's post above.

You all have a good day. Big Grin
quote:
Originally posted by Smoothcat:
Have I found something I wanted before, and put it at a register to buy when I finished my shift? Of course.


Of course. That is a little different form hiding something in a locker, in a "work area" outside the sale floor or otherwise CONCEALING the item/


quote:
I'm also curious why you still work at Wal-Mart if it is such a terrible place to work? Why aren't you working at Target?


I didn't really say it was a "terrible" place to work, just poorly managed. Why haven't I changed? I work part-time there (I have an internship as a second job), I probably make more money now than I could if I started somewhere else, and honestly, I'm just too lazy to make the change. If I had it to do over again I doubt I would ever go to work at Wal-Mart, but considering it's just paying a few bills for me until I finish college, I have better things to worry about.[/QUOTE]

So the benefits of working FOR Wal-Mart seem to outweigh the benefits of leaving. Welcome to life. We all had to kiss a few toads before finding the prince (at least I did).

Thank for for supporting my belief that there is not a single soul that has ever been forced to work for Wal-Mart.
i got to add a comment about Walmart here. i stopped shopping there a good while ago. One week i had bought black pepper,a reasonably cheap item among many others. When i got home I went over my purchase slip,charged twice for the pepper. Okay an easy enough mistake. Two weeks later I am back shpping again, lo and behold when i get home there is another low cost item charged for twice. I called the manager,they were polite and asked for me to return with my sales slip. Like i am going to drive all the way back to Walmart for $0.99! This all got me to thinking,what a profit if they double charge a low cost item ,oh lets say every third customer,,,,what monies would be had for the Walmart empire. And i am not saying its the cashiers either,it could very well be programed into their computer check out systems.
So no more shopping at Walmart for me,,at all!!
quote:
Originally posted by (aka)PuckerupFrog:
according to the guidelines they used to fire her anyone in the store in possession of an item they have not yet paid for can be charged with stealing.



So now we understand that there is a official guideline that stipulates that one should not conceal or otherwise "possess" an item unless they are headed for the cashier to pay for it.

Sounds reasonable to me.

If I were to own a retail store (and I kinda do) where employees are the main source of corruption and theft, I'd have some pretty stiff rules, too.

My employee handbook would look something like this:

Employees should shop at the store during their off-duty hours. I don't gave a dang if you need to 50 cent ribbon, you can pick it up after your shift. If it was the last ribbon, well, that ribbon is for my regular customers, not my employees. If it's still there after your shift, you are welcome to it. I'll even give you a discount.

You employees are my number one source of theft. Please do yourself a favor and don't even dare risk the appearance of even thinking about stealing something. This explicitly means don't stash something under your desk or anywhere else. After your shift, you may shop until you drop and pay for the item like everyone else.

If you violate and of these VERY REASONABLE rules, your butt will go work for Target.

Thank you,
The Management

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