Other National Chain Store ~ Vent: BRUTAL! Price hikes at Big Lots too...

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by ripit Yes and no. The only stickers we have available are final sale, no return stickers. We used them anytime something needed special notes like damage but after numerous complaints surrounding returns, our DM told us to use them very sparingly and not on electronic or appliance type items that might be defective. We used to just write on the package in marker but the store manager yells at us for that now (and that is the stores fault). The point is, there is no solid plan or course of action in place, and like most policys/guidelines, they are pretty much made up as they go (mostly by DM's but also by store managers). We have written policys but they are changed so often that the managers really don't know what policy is. Its usally the DM that tells us what he wants done (in many respects, not just returns). The one think that did come down from coorperate is that we are to try to get some money from anything and everything. How that is interperted seems to be left to the DM and store manager (at least so far as we have been told). Even if it comes from coorperate, we never get written policys, just emails from the DM or RM that a particular policy has changed.

I don't know what position you hold in the company, but I am a part of management, so you may or may not want to look into this further. The stickers we use say, "this item only" and have a spot for the regular price and the clearance price for items to be marked down and even a place to describe what is wrong with it.

I'm not saying this is a good idea, but I do know it came from corporate, as most of the policies do these days. Obviously all stores handle these policies differently, and no two management teams are the same, but Big Lots is more about unity in all stores now, more than ever.

[ripit]

Originally Posted by Tiffany I don't know what position you hold in the company, but I am a part of management, so you may or may not want to look into this further. The stickers we use say, "this item only" and have a spot for the regular price and the clearance price for items to be marked down and even a place to describe what is wrong with it. I'm not saying this is a good idea, but I do know it came from corporate, as most of the policies do these days. Obviously all stores handle these policies differently, and no two management teams are the same, but Big Lots is more about unity in all stores now, more than ever.

That sounds about like the ones we have, but ours also say, final sale, no return. Its a white and red sticker maybe 2"x3" and also have 4 check boxes (returned, damaged packaging and two other options I don't recall) plus a comments section at the bottom. We originally got pre printed sheets of them but now have it programed into the hand held to print them with the price etc printed. It could very from region to region though. They are very tough in this area. Back around September, they even told us we had to enforce refund policy, no receipt, no return, period (no store credit, no exception). We have had several angry customers just leave the merchandise (and or even throw it at me a couple of times). We had one customer call cooperate on a refused refund for an a small appliance, and even after that, I was told directly by the DM, she can exchange for the exact same item only, but if we don't still have any, then she is out of luck.
It could be that RM's have a lot to do with it so diffrent areas are diffrent? One poster comented about stores being trashy, and ours is. We are operating with 200-300 less hours per week than we did a few years ago, even though sales have continued to increase (dollar wise). They also tore out 2 of our registers so now during christmas, we cannot keep the lines down even with all registers running (not that we have the hours to keep all registers running, ever). In all honesty, I have been wanting to transfer to another store. Maybe it will be better, maybe not, but still, some of the issues I have brought up are company wide to the best of my knoledge (like the price increases, the fake designer furniture, and items that are shipped marked a higher price and imediatly put on sale).

[couponfanatic]

If everything is going up, I can see Big Lots pricing going up too. Makes sense. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it. But I do understand.
Just as long as they don't go too high.
I've seen many Discount Stroes in various categories be in business awhile, get established, then the prices start to creep towards what you can buy them someplace else for. Then business goes south and they go out of business.
Seems sometimes they forget we are going to them for DISCOUNTS. If it's the same price as elsewhere, we'll just buy it there. We're already making a trip to that other store anyways, a trip to Big Lots is usually a special trip to find deals.
I hope corporate doesn't lose sight of that.
I know I for one stop shopping at a discount store when they are no longer "discounts".
Bargain shoppers tend to be more price savvy as a group than "regular" shoppers. We know what is and what is not a discount.

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by ripit That sounds about like the ones we have, but ours also say, final sale, no return. Its a white and red sticker maybe 2"x3" and also have 4 check boxes (returned, damaged packaging and two other options I don't recall) plus a comments section at the bottom. We originally got pre printed sheets of them but now have it programed into the hand held to print them with the price etc printed. It could very from region to region though. They are very tough in this area. Back around September, they even told us we had to enforce refund policy, no receipt, no return, period (no store credit, no exception). We have had several angry customers just leave the merchandise (and or even throw it at me a couple of times). We had one customer call cooperate on a refused refund for an a small appliance, and even after that, I was told directly by the DM, she can exchange for the exact same item only, but if we don't still have any, then she is out of luck. It could be that RM's have a lot to do with it so diffrent areas are diffrent? One poster comented about stores being trashy, and ours is. We are operating with 200-300 less hours per week than we did a few years ago, even though sales have continued to increase (dollar wise). They also tore out 2 of our registers so now during christmas, we cannot keep the lines down even with all registers running (not that we have the hours to keep all registers running, ever). In all honesty, I have been wanting to transfer to another store. Maybe it will be better, maybe not, but still, some of the issues I have brought up are company wide to the best of my knoledge (like the price increases, the fake designer furniture, and items that are shipped marked a higher price and imediatly put on sale).

It's the same here with the refund policy, less payroll, and registers. The MARS system was supposed to be so good that we only needed 4 registers up front instead of 6 or 7. Everyone saw how wrong that was when we were swamped at Christmas and didn't have enough checkouts to open.

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by couponfanatic If everything is going up, I can see Big Lots pricing going up too. Makes sense. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it. But I do understand. Just as long as they don't go too high. I've seen many Discount Stroes in various categories be in business awhile, get established, then the prices start to creep towards what you can buy them someplace else for. Then business goes south and they go out of business. Seems sometimes they forget we are going to them for DISCOUNTS. If it's the same price as elsewhere, we'll just buy it there. We're already making a trip to that other store anyways, a trip to Big Lots is usually a special trip to find deals. I hope corporate doesn't lose sight of that. I know I for one stop shopping at a discount store when they are no longer "discounts". Bargain shoppers tend to be more price savvy as a group than "regular" shoppers. We know what is and what is not a discount.

That's exactly how I feel and I've told customers that when they comment on the prices going up. Most of them understand that Big Lots would go under if they never raised prices to keep up with the rest of the economy.

[ripit]

Originally Posted by Tiffany It's the same here with the refund policy, less payroll, and registers. The MARS system was supposed to be so good that we only needed 4 registers up front instead of 6 or 7. Everyone saw how wrong that was when we were swamped at Christmas and didn't have enough checkouts to open.

For those that don't know what mars is, its our new register system. Thats when the biggest cuts in hours came because it was supposed to reduce register time by 40% or something like that. It might speed it up a little, were it not for the fact that they constantly crash. I'm not sure about the registers at your store, but I have probably spent 100 hours on the phone with help desk since mars. Whats really funny, is during Christmas, when 2 registers crash at the same time, and out of 4 cashiers, one is customer service, 2 are managers, and one is a regular cashier. So with me on the phone to help desk (as I alsways have to fix problems), there is only one manager running register (I don't think I have seen more people walk out ever). I got one up in about 10 minutes but the other took an hour. Our store manager of course doesn't like wasting hours on cashiers and expects managers to cashier all the time.

[ripit]

Originally Posted by Tiffany That's exactly how I feel and I've told customers that when they comment on the prices going up. Most of them understand that Big Lots would go under if they never raised prices to keep up with the rest of the economy.

Truth be told, big lots wasn't doing too well before steve fishman took over. He did completely turn it around. Are his methods devious, perhap. Has his changes made the work environment much worse for the employees (I have worked for them for 8 years) as well as a worse shopping experience for some customers, perhaps. The prices have gone up a LOT, but their marketing games seem to be working quite well. When they have to compete with other stores that use just as devious of practices (best buy with a bogus version of their web site with higher prices in store, biat and switch with the laptops forcing you to buy a package for a couple of hundred dollars more on advertised ones even though the package is worthless, and do we even need to go into what walmart does?), perhaps its what they have to do to survive the lions den that is Americal corperate retail. In a way I cannot fault them, and people fall for the bogus sales, and or buy based on their reputation for being cheap, even though they are often not any more.
Still, its just as fair for us to point out their short comings and or the games they play on forums like this. If we are selling clearance stuff for the same price that the stores we got it from (who have newer merchandise with a better selection), and people buy it anyway, is big lots doing something wrong? Not really. If the cheap stuff like your food that is about to expire, the makup that is dryed out, the watches that have batteries that are about to die, and the pens that won't write as they are dryed out too apeal to so many, I guess its not big lots fault, lol.

Fyi, @Tiffany, just curious, do you write off pens for store use, and if so, how many get thrown away because they don't work for long or at all, just curious? I have kind of learned what pens to avoid (the papermate ones that we are currently getting are horrible).

[Tiffany]

Originally Posted by ripit Truth be told, big lots wasn't doing too well before steve fishman took over. He did completely turn it around. Are his methods devious, perhap. Has his changes made the work environment much worse for the employees (I have worked for them for 8 years) as well as a worse shopping experience for some customers, perhaps. The prices have gone up a LOT, but their marketing games seem to be working quite well. When they have to compete with other stores that use just as devious of practices (best buy with a bogus version of their web site with higher prices in store, biat and switch with the laptops forcing you to buy a package for a couple of hundred dollars more on advertised ones even though the package is worthless, and do we even need to go into what walmart does?), perhaps its what they have to do to survive the lions den that is Americal corperate retail. In a way I cannot fault them, and people fall for the bogus sales, and or buy based on their reputation for being cheap, even though they are often not any more. Still, its just as fair for us to point out their short comings and or the games they play on forums like this. If we are selling clearance stuff for the same price that the stores we got it from (who have newer merchandise with a better selection), and people buy it anyway, is big lots doing something wrong? Not really. If the cheap stuff like your food that is about to expire, the makup that is dryed out, the watches that have batteries that are about to die, and the pens that won't write as they are dryed out too apeal to so many, I guess its not big lots fault, lol. Fyi, @Tiffany, just curious, do you write off pens for store use, and if so, how many get thrown away because they don't work for long or at all, just curious? I have kind of learned what pens to avoid (the papermate ones that we are currently getting are horrible).

LMAO, in my 12 years with Big Lots I have also learned what pens are crap. We store used a ton with the last Eckerd buyout, so we actually have some that work right now. As I'm sure you know, very few will work with our receipt paper, and it can be a pain on a daily basis.

[kval07]

Originally Posted by ripit Truth be told, big lots wasn't doing too well before steve fishman took over. He did completely turn it around. Are his methods devious, perhap. Has his changes made the work environment much worse for the employees (I have worked for them for 8 years) as well as a worse shopping experience for some customers, perhaps. The prices have gone up a LOT, but their marketing games seem to be working quite well. When they have to compete with other stores that use just as devious of practices (best buy with a bogus version of their web site with higher prices in store, biat and switch with the laptops forcing you to buy a package for a couple of hundred dollars more on advertised ones even though the package is worthless, and do we even need to go into what walmart does?), perhaps its what they have to do to survive the lions den that is Americal corperate retail. In a way I cannot fault them, and people fall for the bogus sales, and or buy based on their reputation for being cheap, even though they are often not any more. Still, its just as fair for us to point out their short comings and or the games they play on forums like this. If we are selling clearance stuff for the same price that the stores we got it from (who have newer merchandise with a better selection), and people buy it anyway, is big lots doing something wrong? Not really. If the cheap stuff like your food that is about to expire, the makup that is dryed out, the watches that have batteries that are about to die, and the pens that won't write as they are dryed out too apeal to so many, I guess its not big lots fault, lol. Fyi, @Tiffany, just curious, do you write off pens for store use, and if so, how many get thrown away because they don't work for long or at all, just curious? I have kind of learned what pens to avoid (the papermate ones that we are currently getting are horrible).

I am really kind of appalled by everything you are writing. Why do you continue to work for a company that you are trashing on the internet? My conscience won't let me work for a company that screws people on purpose. (At least not to my knowledge.)

[greenfrog57]

Mod note: Let's try to stay on track. If you'd like to talk about your employment with Big Lots with other employees, please feel free to pm them.... Thanks!