RadioShack – “A large selection pool does not excuse intimidation.”
2 of 2 people found this helpfulMay 1, 2009
2009-05-01 15:40 PDT
Details
Pros
Helping customers solve their problems is very satisfying, and even energizing. It is useful to take training seriously, as customers can be helped better by knowledgeable associates. The experience is significantly enhanced with good leadership at the store level, to start.
Cons
Unfortunately, leadership is lacking significantly at the District Manager level. This used to be fine, until micromanagement and management by intimidation became the norm. When a store was doing well, it was left alone (not totally acceptable, but better than what it changed to). The new constant change in focus will prove to be detrimental to the business over time - and most DM's don't seem to be experienced or smart enough to understand or capable of leading - they just follow orders unquestionably, and often misinterpret them. Management training is significantly lacking.
Advice to Senior Management
Stop micromanaging and managing by intimidation. Your Store Managers have better ideas than you give them credit for. The most recurring statement in Radio Shack right now seems to be "if you can't get it done, we'll find some one who can". Sorry, but that's intimidation, and keeps people scared - not happy and productive. I would site references in support of my comments, but you are all college grads, and surely know of some studies (possibly thousands) that prove management by intimidation does not work - at least not long term.
Helpful Review?
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by Store Manager:
Anybody who has had any experience in management knows that you can't keep threatening people, you can't keep burning them out, and expect them to perform.
But perhaps this is the upper management plan: Intimidation will work for a few months. A new manager will be energized and work hard for a few months. Then within a year they won't meet this quota or that quota or they won't keep their ceiling vents clean enough or they won't execute their planograms perfectly ....... and they'll either quit or be fired. So someone else will come in and perform for a few months... until they quit or get fired.
But does having a revolving door of managers really work for the company long term? The company has been lucky to get through the recession so far on the back of the DTV conversion. But what do they have going forward? Shoving post paid phones when the trend is to pre pay? Insisting on selling warranties to a customer base that is watching its pennies? And let's say that you do push a phone or a warranty onto a customer that really doesn't want one... will that customer come back?
Can they really find somebody (new store mangager) who will "get it done"? Maybe one or two here or there.
What RS expects of a store manager is totally unreasonable for the pay. Honestly, who would take a job as a store manager if you were really observant and if you noticed what kind of pressure your store manager is under these days? What kind of person would volunteer to take the abuse, the hours, and the relatively low pay?
I guess they are pumping up the people in the MIT programs to think that they can do a better job than the beat-down store managers that are already out there? Who really wants a job in which they threaten you with termination on a weekly or monthly basis?
Three of my employees were really considering the MIT (management-in-training) program a half year ago, now none of them want anything to do with it... and two of those three are leaving. It seems to me that things have gone from tolerable (except for salary) to really bad in the past year.
But we know that the new bumper crop of store managers are going to do what all of the existing managers can't, right?