I’m ticked

I am so upset, and wanted to share with you my day. I wrote my General Manager, Jim. Walter is my customer experience manager (my manager). Trista, Chris & Stephanie are leads under Walter.

Jim,

I will try to make this quick, but I feel it is important for you to hear as my heart is breaking. My x-husband passed away last May, I was diagnosed with Lukemia and none of this has made me cry. My heart is a rock. I have been too hurt in my life, and have shut it down so people won’t come in, but somehow, Walter made me cry and I am angry, disappointed, and hurt.

I am going to tell you the end first, because it is easier, and if you don’t want to finish I understand. However, the end is important.

Between 4pm and 4:30pm May 15, 2013 I was at the check in station greeting. It would make my day if you would pull this video and show it to Walter. During this time a lady approached me and asked me if we had something that Gander Mountain carried. She said if we did not she would just drive another couple of hours to Gander Mountain to get it. I immediately wanted to make her a Cabela’s Customer. I got on my radio (this will show in the video). I called camping and asked if they had this item. They said they did not have it in the brand she wanted, but they had it in the Coleman. However, the Coleman was not in as good of quality as the one she had from Gander Mountain. Someone soon came from another department and said, “Coleman is all we have” then left (this will show in video). They did not ask the customer if they could find something else to make her happy. Then Kevin from shoes came over, and he also started helping. He had more knowledge on the tents, but was in a hurry to get back to shoes, and also helping two other customers in camping. There was no one else. The lady got on the phone with her boss and asked if a different brand would work. Her boss said yes. I went to switchboard and pulled up Gander Mountain and the exact tent/sleeping bag that was for sale there, then I tried to find the best match. Kevin grabbed her a tent, then left her for me to finish. I helped her with the sleeping bags, telling her which one I would purchase, and what I thought was the best seller. She really wanted two sleeping bags, and it just so happened that we found a double of the same sleeping bag. I told her I would discount the whole thing for her to match Gander Mountain, plus the additional for the extra bag. She also purchased a $100 gift card, and said she would bring her son back. She stated it was a beautiful place, and the help was great.

I did not leave this lady with her stuff. I asked her if she would like a Katadyne drinker, or any cameras or flash lights to go with her tent and bag. She informed me it was a “prize” gift at work. I walked her to the register and I checked her out myself. Now remember, I was greeting. After I finished checking her out on register 9 about 4:30 (look at video) I went right back to greet at the front door.

I was on the radio asking camping questions, I checked her out, went back to greet. At NO TIME did I take a break or lunch I was not sent on. At no time did I stop working to talk, or walk around, at no time did I leave any question as to my whereabouts; however — Walter called me in his office. He had an angry look on his face like he was gritting his teeth. It reminded me of the days right before my husband beat me. He spoke to me in a tone I did not deserve. He said, “you are not in charge here, you do not decide when you go on breaks or lunch, you cannot just walk off” I said, I was given every break or lunch I have been given for as long as I have worked here. He said, “Where were you just now?” I replied, “At break, I just finished, Stephanie sent me” He said, “and before that?” I said, “Greeting” He said, “You weren’t there” I said, “I was helping a customer in camping.” He said, “That is what camping outfitters are for, you have a radio don’t you?” I said, “There weren’t any available” He said, “you either stand behind the register or you are at the door greeting, nowhere else, and we will cover switchboard” I said, “Yes, sir and left, but was clearly ready to cry.” I went to register 8 and stood there for 50 minutes. During that time I had two customers (watch the video). Yes, Walter, I will stand behind a register with 8 other cashiers and I will waste company money, because I am not needed here. There is one person working shoes, one in camping, two in hunting all of which can use help, but I am useless and will stand here and do nothing.

I made a $400 dollar sale to a lady that was ready to go to Gander Mountain. I thought our job was to help customers and make them a forever customer, to have fun and sell fun. There was another greeter at the door; I was not needed there, nor at the cash registers.

Please watch the video from the beginning of the day to the end, watch me work. I do not waste company money. I do not steal what does not belong to me. I work very hard. I help customers, and I do exactly what I was hired to do.

The beginning of the story is … I am not the only one that is being let down by Walter. When someone wants to transfer to another department from cashier Walter intimidates them, gets upset, and is not friendly (three people have told me this). Pam in ISP once shared that Walter was not a friendly person to her at all. Catherine from gifts have made comments about Walter, Stacy at the register says Walter has not done what he has promised.

I have asked Walter since before the store opened to train me at customer service he says he will look at his schedule, but never gets back to me. He pretty much abandoned me the day he met me. I worked in Deli, footwear, switchboard, and he never knew where I was, nor did he ask (why is he taking concern now that I am leaving). He doesn’t recognize people for their good work, unless it is an advantage for himself. There should not just be an Super Prize for who ever gets to 7 CXPs, what about the person who gets 3 in one hour, but is not on the register the rest of the day? What about those who get tons during the week, but are not on the register on the weekend. I have got 65 club cards, more, but some of them were not counted. Travis has at least twice said, whoever gets a club card will get an ice cream, both days it was after I got five, but then did not get another. He started after I got the five. I have not once got rewarded for the club cards, or CXPs, and I work hard for them. Do I want an ice cream? No! It is just the fact that it hasn’t been recognized.

When I worked in Texas the trainer would come up to the registers and say the first person to get a VOC today will get a pin. We would rally for VOCs, people would go out to their vehicles and get on their phones to do a survey. The manager would come to the register and High Five everyone about three times a day, and if someone got a VOC or a CXP everyone in the store knew about it. He was proud of us. Not Walter, we never see him, know where he is at. If we call him he quickly comes and leaves again. If we want to talk to him or give him something he says later, but later never comes. An ice cream shows for a minute, an excellence pin, or of the like shows forever. I wear my pins proudly.

Talk to the cashiers, seriously, do a survey, ask them to give their views, and what can be changed, they all have a voice, and I promise the number one thing right now is Walter. Do I dislike Walter, certainly not! I don’t know Walter, no one else does either, except his leads. I don’t know him at all. Everyone else I opened the store with talks to me, likes me. One person commented, “Who are they going to get to replace you? Don’t answer that, because you can’t be replaced, you work everywhere” That comment made me feel so good. If I was a lead or manager in Columbus would I go somewhere else? No, I would not, but I did not move to Ohio to be “Just a cashier”. I love Columbus, more than you know. I just want to move up with the company. I feel like I could be so valuable to the company in so many areas of the store. I was offered two positions one in Lonetree, Co, and one in Witchita, Kansas; of course, you probably already know that. I have until tomorrow afternoon to make a decision on which one I will take. Initially I thought I was going to go with Lonetree, but the cost of living is expensive and I need to look at everything in both Witchita and Lonetree.

What would I change about Cabela’s Columbus – I would listen to the employees and what they want. There are cashiers that want to work in the Deli, there are Deli people that want to work in footwear, there are footwear people that would like to be in fishing. I know this by listening. Put the employees where they are happy, and then they will be better for the customer. Many times leads put people greeting customers that do not want to greet. They stand there, sometimes smile, talk to the guys at the check in station and do nothing else. They are not getting club cards, because they are not comfortable doing that, but then there are those of us that are good at it and they tell us no. Pushing someone to do something they don’t like doesn’t make them better at it. I ask Trista and Chris every day if I can go help in footwear when I hear them calling for help, or if I can carry a gun, when I am standing at a register, and they tell me no. I asked Trista why she always says no, she said, because you always ask. I ask because there is a need, and I am doing nothing.

Jim, I don’t want to be a complainer, and I don’t know what can be done or said to Walter; however, I have to work here until the 30th, and I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong at Cabela’s Columbus during that time. I hope that you can help me with this situation.

Kimberly (Took out last name)

Level II Outfitter

Cabela’s Columbus #42

1650 Gemini Place

Columbus, Ohio 43240