The Kohl's Employee Response: Revisited
Don't be afraid of this extremely long post. Read this, and then just skim. You'll get the idea.
Anyway, I'm not sure how many of you were around for the whole Kohl's debacle, but it's been gold. The gift that keeps on giving, really. Nearly 6 months ago, I posted pictures of a destroyed Kohl's store next to my house. Like not just messy, but cartoonishly disgusting. And, I still get emails and comments from Kohl's employees doing one of three things:
1. Telling me how big of an asshole I am, or
2. Complaining about the shitty management, or
3. Calling the customers pigs (which is my favorite).
Sucks mostly for Kohl's because I'm still on the 1st or 2nd page of search results, depending on what day it is.
But with the news of the 'I wanna be Target' move of creating a Vera Wang clothing line for their stores, I thought it'd be appropriate to show you guys what some of their employees really think of the situation. Not saying don't go. But, it's a sign of a horribly depressing work environment when your employees talk this much shit about your customers and your management.
Happy Skimming!
From ConnieF in comments:
"I really have to say I think ur blog is ridicolous. Speaking as an
associate who has worked in Kohls for 5 years it is not our fault the
store gets trashed the way it does. Customers are exteremely
disrespectful. They pick through the clearances racks and throw back on
top what they don't want. If the line is too long they throw their
stuff on top of the registers. They drop a whole table of Kohls and
leave it. Destroy our bathrooms, shit in our clothes and fitting rooms.
100 associates can not control 500 plus unruly associates. Please
before u insult our store know the facts, and if u don't like Kohls why
do u shop there, it makes no sense."
From OB One Wanna Be in comments:
"Come on man! I work at Kohl's and on our worse day we have never looked anything near this disaster.
It may not be your fault that the store gets trashed but it is your fault if you don't clean it up!
Yes customers can be awful,yes they can mess up the departments,yes it is hard to keep up but the pictures here show a store that gave up or does not care.
The comments on this blog are pretty much justified. Remember: Expect Great Things."
From Former Kohl's Employee in comments:
"Joe and Miriam (managers) need to start looking at the talent they already have
within their district and stop hiring people from other companies that
have no idea how to handle the volume of an average Kohl's. I worked
for Kohl's here in Dallas for several years and had a wonderful
experience but was always amazed when talented managers that already
worked for the company were passed over for store manager because the
ditrict and regional managers wanted to hire someone from the outside.
Nine times out of ten, these managers that are hired from the outside
have failed miserably because they cannot handle the volume."
From Alejandra in comments:
"I started working at Kohl's last summer and I learned very quickly that
people suck. I don't mean that just the customers suck, but assoiates
suck too. Mainly because some of the ones I work with bicth and
complain about stupid crap and/or do nothing to help."
From Emily in comments:
"I work at Kohl's. While we are understaffed, take into account the
people that shop there. I have never seen such disgusting people in my
entire life. I work with people who have worked in retail for years and
have never seen such horrible customers.
We have had people shit, piss, masturbate, leave dirty diapers, and
used tampons in our dressing rooms. People leave their spit cups (dip)
around the store, and people change their kids' diapers right on the
floor in the kids department and leave it there. Nice."
From Kohl's Dallas Employee in comments:
"It seems that no one wants to take responsibility for their own
actions. Store's a mess? "Must be that the employees aren't working. We
won't take into account that there are 15-20 customers PER ASSOCIATE
and that there's really not enough hours in the day to clean up behind
people who won't do it themselves!" I really believe that's what people
think."
From Valerie in comments:
"As a long time Kohl's employee and former Wards employee I have become
very disgusted with the customers today. They drop crap on the floor
and kick it under the racks, they get their kids to rip open package so
they can get a discount. I've seen and heard it all and never did they
act like that at Wards, why? Cuz people don't teach their kids any
better now a days. They act like trash and teach their kids to act like
trash."
From Patty in comments:
"well i have been working at kohls for about a year and i have came to
discover that yes we do have dirty people in this world and we also
have lazy works but you cant always blame this mess on this person and
that person instead we should see how we could better this situation."
From Jenny in comments:
"I've been a cashier at Kohl's for a year and I have done some
department (Juniors & Shoes) and I would just like to tell whoever
wrote this that maybe YOU should work in retail and see what it's like.
Customers have NO RESPECT for the mechandise or the employees.
Customers think it's our job to be slaves and pick up everything off
the floor in the dressing room.
Yes, maybe we're understaffed-- did you ever think that maybe that's
because there's only so many people who can handle being a "slave" to
you messy people?"
From frazzled in comments:
"I cannot tell you how many times I have been the only department person on my entire floor, covering 5 departments.
When I need help pages go unanswered for help, and actually it is
considered a black mark against you if you need help in getting
recovering done.
Last week management actually told me a department head had called off
and they were not going to call anyone in, because she was one of the
most expensive people on the payroll, so I was going to be department
head for the day . what a slap in the face.I make much less an hour,
I am trying to take a deep breath here, but there are days I just want to slap the holy you know what out of someone."
From disgusted in comments:
"Working at kohl's is a joke - the only people who get a forty hour work
week are the managers - everyone else is thrown one or two days (to be
decided by kohl's) per week. Managers always saying there's no money in
the budget - store's now have a new processing system for freight - we
unload and process a 18 wheel truck load of freight in 3 hours. In the
winter they turn OFF the heat and our shift is forced to work in the
cold. The summer - the a/c is turned off. The entire time the trucks
are processed - the staff stands on concrete floors- OSHA reg. are
violated but kohl's gets around them in some stores - by using night
shift crews - so no one knows the conditions the crew are working
under. Make a complaint in our store - equals less or no hours that
following week. Kohl's corporation is severely underpaying the staff -
while making billions - I hope a lawyer somewhere reads this and files
suit - I'm sure employees who are forced to work under these conditions
will join it. The condition of the hurricane kohl's store- TYPICAL -
and I question anyone who sings our kohl's is not like that tune - I
ask what store are you managing again?"
From its just a job in comments:
"expect great things! expect that we have just what you want but you
can't have it because there is a uboat in your way and no associate can
help you because they are the additional cashier and we have it in the
stock room but we can't get to it because it's under a pile of three
months frieght or it's on a vortex that's blocked by three months
frieght expect great things!"
From finished in comments:
"its not just us, thanks"
From Dallas Kohl's Employee in the response blog:
"Yep, those photos look pretty accurate to me! On the morning of
January 18, 2007, the regional manager came into the store and boy was
she pissed! I wasn't there to see her, but the instructions she left
for management was to have every department, recovery and freight
employee in the store in the Men's department cleaning.
Now, we all had mixed emotions on this one. Why should we have to help in one person's area when there is so much more to be done in the store? We have our own departments to maintain and they will soon be out of hand if we aren't there for most of a workday. But whatever. If Miriam (sp.) wants to see the Men's department cleaned up because of some pictures posted on the web, then fine. Just don't expect the rest of the store to look good as a result.
Let me start at the beginning. There are several factors which play into the condition of this particular store, three of them being:
- Store Management
- Lack of staff
- Customer demographic"
By Kathleen in the KDE blog comments:
"Boo Hoo to you too Amylulu, you can also shop anywhere you want. Kudos
to this employee , he is 100% right! I work at a different Kohls and I
am a MATURE ( ie middle aged woman, not a "kid") have worked the corp.
world, govt. jobs, you name it, and Kohls cares less about their
employees then anyone I have ever worked for. Our employess are
wonderful and 85% of our customers are fantastic too, but there are
PIGS out there, get over it, there are, You may meet them one day
Amy,,or maybe its you who throws your unwanted merchandise on the
floor??:o"
From KohlsEmployee in the KDE blog comments:
"I work for a different store, and holidays are tough, and there isn't
anything yo ureally can do about how customers or management are. Truth
is if people were really paying attention it shouldn't have happend in
the first place. Its everyones fault it got published bc if you guys
would be doing your job normally they wouldn't have evidence or reason
to complain. Why not spend less time complaining on the internet
outside of work and actually do your job.:("
From ExEmployee in the KDE blog comments:
"I heard about this website through a current employee and I had to go
see for myself. How interesting and how happy I was to see someone do
this finally!! Its funny because when management hears that district or
regional is visiting stores they add as many hours as they can to make
sure the store is all neat and clean and pretty for when they come. So
they never see those in between times that it really does look like."
From Worker of Kohls in the KDE blog comments:
"All of the comments are correct. Customers are pigs. Pigs walk up ti
the table of sweaters you are folding, pick one up barely look at it
and toss it back at you. Without a care. They leave used diapers in the
fitting room, babys and grown womens. People have used the fitting
rooms as restrooms. Women try on clothes and leave them turn inside out
on the floor they way they took them off. Pigs find cheaper yellow tags
to put on more expensive yellow tags trying to get a even cheaper deal."
From Ebie in the KDE blog comments:
"Many of the customers are piggies. But working in retail we all should
have expected that. I work in a NJ Kohls and it is really a problem.
The company only cares about it's $$ and the people who work at the
corporate offices get the perks. At the store many of you know it there
is NO SUCH THING AS BEING FULL TIME. 90% of the employees are PT
Regular status. The DM constantly cut payroll(probably for their
bonuses) Management expects employees to clean and catch up on work
that was supposed to be done a month ago in 4 hrs. Oh not to mention if
your are intelligent enough to be multi-skilled in various areas of the
store you will be given the thankless job of cleaning up messes not by
only customer but associates and management"
From employee in the KDE blog comments:
"Kohls management hide in the office while their little worker ants pick
up after the fat pigs who shop at KOhls. The same people who use the
bathrooms will call when they leave the store and ask for a manager to
compalain about the mess they themselves made. Make the peons get in
there and clean up after me..... the same people who can't put toilet
paper in the toilet are the ones who ask for the manager at the
slightest whim. Kohls customers are in the know. they know if they
threaten to call corporate they will get their own way. I have never
seen a bigger bunch egomaniac in my life, and talk about crying poor
they are the world's biggest whiners. I learned early on they think you
are working at Kohls because you are dumb and can't get another job."
From Kohls employee or should I saw peon in the KDE blog comments:
"I work at Kohls in Frankfort, Illinois Our manager loves to look at the
young girls tits. The lower cut or see thru the top the better he likes
it. He fancies hiimself quite the hot swinger. I can only say this sure
reflect on him and the store. It looks like hooker heaven"
From kohls employee in the KDE blog comments:
"Kohls should go out am employee the illegals that are sorely looking
for jobs and are used to being treated like second class citizens.It
fits more with their second class attitude towards the associates."
From Kohl's current employee-Texas in KDE blog comments:
"Ok so i was just at the store where these pics were taken to help out.
Yes it took hours to clean, but look at the neighborhood. I personally
like my store. The management for the most part is great. The store
manager is awesome and is the main reason i still work there for little
pay. I would personally work for a place that i like the people i work
for and get paid crap than hate the people i work for and get paid
alot. Sure, granted he's got his days, but for the most part he's easy
going. Our store is the highest volume in the district with some of the
trashy customers, but when it all comes down to it each nite we pull
together as a team and get stuff done. Like I said on that jerks page,
it's all about respect. Teaching our kids respect for other people.
Getting respect from management, and giving respect to a manager that
will work overnite or even hop on a register when need be.:)"
From Go JC Penney!! in the KDE blog comments:
"I worked for the Kohl's corporation for one year. I was one of the most
versatile employees that my store had. I would willingly work in any
and every department because I had the desire to move up in the
company. I thought that it would be a great place to be a manager
because the store was always busy. That must mean big paychecks, right?
HA HA HA HA HA HA. I am so stupid."
From Another kohls employee in the KDE blog comments:
"I believe that the corporation is more focused on drastic expansion of
stores than funding the stores they have. The obvious result is a
severe cutting of payroll. There is never, ever enough people working
the floor to handle the customer load the store gets. So, things back
up. And when we try to clean up the back up, already understaffed, the
floor gets backed up too. So shit just collides."
From Ex Burleson Tx Kohl's Employee in the KDE blog comments:
"The only problem with that is when you work your ass off and get as
much recognition as the retard that breaks boxes of candles and throws
50lb boxes of plates and dinnerware around for fun. IN FACT, he got
MORE attention for being a crappy worker than I ever did for being one
of the top 2 in my department (only one better than me was my
supervisor who got less recognition than I did and worked twice as
long). There are several others that currently work at the Burleson
Kohl's that work way to hard and are to good to be stuck in a HELL HOLE
like that place."
From bunch'a theives in the KDE blog comments:
"The shoe supervisor at the Kohl's store I work at steal shoes on a
regular basis, and the retarded fuck in loss prevention doesn't even
know about it, yet she is constantly bringing back shoes that she
claims were "ripped off." Kohl's sure has a knack of hiring really
stupid people to supervisor and management positions."
From Sophie in the KDE blog comments:
"Kohls is always a wreck! Most of the customers in my store make the
same exact mess that you showed in the pictures every Friday and
Saturday. Christmas is much worse. Management does not schudule
according to the business. You have no idea how many times I would walk
into a mess like that at two o'clock when I had to close by myself. All
because they didn't put anyone in the dept. all day long. I give props
to anyone that can stick with that job. It sucks!"
From Felllow Kohl's Employee in the KDE blog comments:
"However, customers feel no reason to care about the work that went into
making that rack or that fixture look the way it does. The problem is
that people no longer think of retail employees as fellow people, who
spend their time and energy picking up after your messes. They make
themselves feel better by thinking that it's "our job" and we would
have nothing to do if they didn't give us a mess to clean up."
From AnnoyedKohl's Employee in the KDE blog comments:
"OMG i COMPLETELY understand
about what you guys are saying about the managers at Kohl's. I thought
i was the only one who felt this way haha. The thing that annoys me the
most is that whenever I work the register, which is often, if I need
help I NEVER get any. If a customer has an item without a barcode or
UPC and I need to page for help, no one ever comes!! It's so annoying
and it makes me look bad and the customer gets all frusterated at me
like it's my fault."
From Becca in comments:
"OK SERIOUSLY, how freaking bored are you??
i work at a kohls store and yeah it sucks but seriously, why don't you
try to run a damn retail store, do you know how freaking messy people
are! and the reason the store is understaffed is because the prices are
lower than a normal department store. yes, i agree that store is
ridiculousy messy, ive never seen our store that messy but you try
running after every lazy, messy slob that runs by during the christmas
season. and what do you expect them to reply to you? DO YOU WANT THEM
to sell you their soul through a phone message... get over it! if you
are unhappy with the store, dont shop there and stfu."
From Tiffany in comments:
"And I find it funny how you PUT DOWN the people who work there and have
to pick up AFTER YOU MESSY CUSTOMERS. Outside every dressingroom is a
"recovery rack" for people to put the things they don't want. But do
you customers use it? The pictures you took CLEARLY state that's a
negative!!! I do agree that the store should in no way look like that,
but I am curious on what day after christmas did you take the pictures?
Just by looking at those pictures i would say it would take an army to
pick up after the PIGS that shopped there. I FEEL BAD FOR THE
ASSOCIATES WHO HAVE 2 DEAL WITH THEM ON A DAILY BASIS!!!!"
From James in comments:
"Imagine working checkout and having one after another customers who
refuse to even try speaking English, arguing over 1 cent differences
and leaving carts packed with crap just sitting in the way of other
customers just because they didn't appreciate that they misread a sign
or something of the sort and feel the need to take it out on the store.
It also baffles me that I'll find merchandise on the floor but the
hangers for it nowhere; almost as if we have mutants who eat those
things (seriously, they aren't expensive, if you want, I'll give you as
many as I can pull out from my work area)."
From kids-cleaner in comments:
"yo, here's a thought. we do our job, and damnit, we work hard. but the
truth is people are GROSS. I've found diapers in the fitting room when
theres a trash can outside the door. and not just me! maxi pads (USED
maxi pads} urine soaked merchandise, TAMPONS, and other bodily
functions that really should be done in the restroom. So, let me make a
small clarification. my job is to keep the jeans and toys off the
floor, not to go into the fitting room with a bio-hazard suit."
From kohlsBlows in comments:
"
As a former employee of Kohls, I'm pretty sure we're all on the same
page as far as our views of management and the clear and utter
disregard for the understaffing issues. The Generic "sorry about your
bad shopping experience" was pathetic, to say the least. The only time
I can remember being OVER staffed or even at a reasonable ammount of
staff, was the day before a Regional manager was coming where they blew
payroll for the whole month on one or two days for the lady/guy to walk
through for 20 mins. The turnover is so high for their employees.. I
think the first Xmas I was there, 37 of 50 people showed up for their
first shift and NEVER came back for their 2nd. I think that says alot
about a retailer.
This Dalas employee isn't alone...
groups.myspace.com/kohlsblows
groups.myspace.com/kohls "
And I could go on, and on, and on. It's everywhere. In MySpace and Facebook groups, employees are bitching about the company they work for. It's mostly a natural state in retail, but how many companies can really afford to let that happen anymore? Granted, Kohl's is kicking ass in sales right now, but I still get the feeling they're two or three ad campaigns away from being another Kmart. I guess we'll see. I've been wrong before.
Oh, and as a footnote. The Vera Wang thing, fuckin' brilliant...