I haven't been able to catch up here in a while, part of the reason being I took a part time job at one of the mega home centers; yes me , the guy who started that wal mart christmas tree thread a while ago. almost all the same reasons I dislike wal-mart apply to this place, so I'll list some of the posives I have found:

I have tried to shop local hardware stores and lumber yards, but if I walk in just to look around I am followed the entire time as though I was a shoplifter. The employees at the small store have always reacted to my questions with a smug superiority, especially if I can't figure out the math on things like finding square footage etc. So i genuinly believe The store I am at is offering a better shopping experience.

While I was only looking for a part time position to work around the kids school day the store is paying me very well, much more than the rate in this area, and much more than I was expecting (they pay part timers less, and at the job interview the manager was apologetic about the rate of pay)

It is also very nice to no longer be a manager of anything, I only have to worry about myself.

So, does this sound like the rationalization of a hypocritical ass?, or am I just first in line to punch my ticket because soon the mega stores will be the only part time work left?


(as an aside, this chain is where I purchased my paintsprayer)

hi paintsprayer! good to see you back here!

this reminds me of the thread we had a while back about "what company would you not work for" - and i liked the idea of the answer being different for everybody.

of the "MegaLoMarts" of this world, Wal-Mart is by far the most aggressive and controversial. Home Depot and Lowe's have been on the radar of environmental groups for their sale of exotic woods, i believe, but far from the controversy surrounding Wal-Mart.

on the pay front, i can imagine that the larger companies are able to provide better salaries and benefits.

the one area where i'd challenge your argument, though, would be in the customer service point. i'm assuming that that's what you're doing for the large company, so YOU could lead by example and be the friendly neighborhood hardware store representative, who is helpful, yet unobtrusive. (just a thought)

great thread, by the way!

I wouldnt work for IAMS - fuckers.

bananacologne said:

do share!

IAmTheTouch said:

That might be something I'd do if I was looking for a full time career, but right now I just want to fill a time slot with a little extra money until the kids get older (still slowly working towards my bookstore)

It is verry obvious that the store I work for is taking advantage of the lack of customer service in so many do it yourself type areas, something I have noticed for years.
(a year ago I bought dy-wall at a local store and the associate almost openly scoffed that I couldn't convert room measurements into sheets of dry-wall, and this is just home improvement, you wouldn't beleive how bad it gets for auto parts and machine shops)

I guess my biggest problem with my store, and all mega stores, is I feel a buisness should set out to succede, and if it puts other stores out of buisness then thats what happens, but the mega stores set out to put other companys under as a goal from the get go




what ever happened to chemmie, usually he'd be here bashing me about now.

paintsprayer said:

got a week or two?