=clumsy staffing of the store by management?===

In Feb. 2014, a Walmart department manager writing a long letter published in Gawker stated, "home office gives store managers a set amount of hours and payroll dollars that they can schedule people/pay people in each area of the store, and it is based on what the sales were in that department on that day the previous fiscal year. So even though last year was a Friday, it was snowing out, and no one was shopping, this year, on a Saturday, when its sunny out and everyone is shopping, you won't have anyone around to help you because LAST YEAR we didn't make enough money!"

A Walmart Worker Explains Why Walmart's Customer Service Is Horrible, Gawker, Hamilton Nolan, Feb. 11, 2014.

On reflection, I just have a hard time believing this.  I'm sorry.  You mean Walmart really doesn't take into account whether it's a Friday with medium customers vs. a Saturday with a lot of customers ? ?  So, this guy is a department manager.  His job is to lead his or her team and kept the assigned area stocked and put back together after customers tear it up, to be frank about it.  Just as a guess, I think Walmart probably does have more cashiers on a Saturday.  Okay, so a customer is shopping and wants to know where something is.  So, the employee is not thrilled about helping the customer because the employee up to and including the department manager is just going to later get criticized for not getting more work done.  Point well taken.    

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