Get Rid of Kmart

every time i go to k-mart  it has a dozen registars and only one or two open,no one watches they,re children they tear the stores up,employees are sullen and ignore customers,circle-k and ampm has a better staff and sell more  per squar foot of shelf space, it takes forever to check out ,i have left full shoping carts at check out  because wait was so long  i have quit shoping at k mart altogather fire every one and recruit a staff that wants to work.

Hi rstinnett- Thanks for your feedback!

Would you mind sharing some ideas about how the stores should be remodelled? How do you feel about the variety and pricing of products at Sears?

I was recently in the Columbia store too.  The manager, I think his name was Mike, was a rude man.  The sign said that all classic elements seperates were on sale and he wanted to charge me full price.  michelina please make sure that Mike gets fired for being a rude manager

stefan58 said…
every time i go to k-mart  it has a dozen registars and only one or two open,no one watches they,re children they tear the stores up,employees are sullen and ignore customers,circle-k and ampm has a better staff and sell more  per squar foot of shelf space, it takes forever to check out ,i have left full shoping carts at check out  because wait was so long  i have quit shoping at k mart altogather fire every one and recruit a staff that wants to work.

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its not that they dont want to work it that between the poor pay killing retention the lack of hours given to stores by the corporate managers who get bonuses and high 5 one another when they come in under budget the few people that remain are over worked and have low morale making it hard to even force a smile

Hello, I beg to differ but I live by a Super K-mart and it is absolutely wonderful the  store is very clean and organized. The working staff always seem  very helpful and kind.  I suppose like anywhere depending on who is managing the store or whatever the business makes all the difference. I know I would rather shop at super k-mart then wal-mart which seems to be getting more an more jumbled up, I prefer the neater organized way like our super k-mart here!

Don't get rid of Kmart. Sears is great too. Kmart is less expensive and is more affordable for the everyday families. They have layaways to help out with the holiday shopping. There are not many places that do that at all.

I worked for Kmart for 2 years - 2 times.  This last time, by the time I had left I was disgusted with the management team.  I love the store and the customers, but my co-workers moral was low.  Management never gave your self confidence a boost when you did a great job, but were right there in your face when an error happened.  I still shop at the store.  The employees moral is still low.  Find a way to increase employee moral and you will find happier people. 

If your  worried about morale maybe you could have done something different. Why do people always think that they need a pat on the back instead of just their paycheck. try a factory.

Amen!   Employee morale is internally driven.  Most people who are successful in life have become this way because they have learned how to motivate themselves.  They are positive, self-confident people who enjoy working because of the satisfaction the work itself gives them.  If an employee has a need to be recognized just for showing up for work, he or she will certainly have a difficult time ever getting promotions or raises.  So how about if we quit blaming managers for everything?  Most of them are amazing at what they do, (or they wouldn't be in their jobs very long) but are seldom given credit for anything they do!  Let's all be grateful for the jobs that we have and for the people who hired us in the first place. There are too many people who would love to have a job right now . . . . any job!  Count your blessings and turn that frown upside down!

Both of these answers have frustrated me immensley.  Obviously, neither of you have ever worked a minimum wage job in the retail setting.  I didn't need the paycheck, I wanted to be there.  It wouldn't have hurt anyone in management to stop and say even once, hey, you are doing a great job, thanks for being here.  That is in any sector of the working world, not just here. They would chastise you, though, for not obtaining more contribution to different charities or selling service agreements.  Raises??? There are raises in minimum wage jobs??  You both must be Republicans.  Have a great day and count your blessing the next time there is a cashier at a Kmart that tells you have a nice day and thank you for shopping at our store.

As an associate,  the Kmart's in North Dakota and South Dakota are clean and well organized, although they could use a little remodeling, i.e. flooring, paint, new checkouts etc, nothing too major, but it will come in time. The assosciates are very helpful and curtious.  However, it seems that once you leave the midwest, things start to get bad not only at Kmart, but also at Wal-mart and the Targets as well.  I was in a couple of Kmart, Wal-Mart, and Target stores (california) during my vaction last summer and was shocked at how dirty and messy they were compared to the stores that I have been in in the Midwest. They looked like they were in 3rd world countries.  It must be a culture thing I suppose or perhaps some of these stores were in blighted areas?  It just baffles me how disrespectful people can get when shopping.

Working in a retail setting is very hard work, long days on your feet, etc. Who doesn't like to feel appreciated? I understand your point of view. If all things were equal (pay, hours worked, etc.), would you rather get a pat on the back or thank you from your manager, or would it mean more from a customer?

To be honest, most of the customers were very nice.  I enjoyed checking out their purchases.  The older patrons were the best, some of them just wanted to have someone pay attention to them.  It was never a problem to help them, but management said that I didn't have to be helpful, just get them out of there.  My idea of customer service and theirs were a bit different.  Just a different perspective.  It doesn't matter anymore.  Thank you for your comments though.

Kmart is wonderful...it is human nature to sometimes not focus on others, and appreciate people..it is not a kmart thing....its all compnaies...bigger companies, people sometimes fall thru the cracks...it is nice to be important..but it is more important to be nice....sometimes management needs reminding..maybe upper management at SHC can have a manager meeting, and have district meetings, to remind managers how important their staff is..I have been a kmart shopper 30 years..and travel for work..I see kmarts all over the nation...some great, some horrible....you have to hold managers acountable when ther eis a problem or poor store, or staff with poor attitude. Look at the problems wlamart is having with morale....hundreds of lawsuits, thousands of employee, locked in stores, not paid overtime, hiring illegals....on a national scale..it was front page news....u dont see that stuff at kmart..it may exist..but not on a federal level/scale....now target reported a 83 % drop in 3rd quarter credit card sales...target--83% drop?.....economy, service....appreciation...its at all stores, all companies..all llevels....where kmart may no longer be the biggest....management needs to do whatever it takes to fill its parking lots, and stores.....the rest will follow....

 

The Kmart that I shop at is normally a mess...The toy dept. especially I believe it is understaffed and the staff that is there doesn't care or they have no supervision. I am looking for Elmo Live and half the shelves were empty and most product was in the wrong spot. I went to Wal Mart and spent my money there.I love Sears products but they need to Make the Kmarts look like a sears store...organized and clean.

The people at my local K Mart never smile from management on down.  The CSR desk is always staffed with someone who acts like you have interrupted them and are now trying to steal the store out from under them.  Although, most of them would not notice if you did.  Once when I checked out I recognized the cashier and was excited to see her since we had lost track of each other.  Well as she was checking out my items I was just talking away not even giving her time to get a word in edgewise, the manager came over and told me that the cashier was not allowed to be talking on the job.  It held up the line.  She wasn't even half way through checking my stuff out.  I was mad to be reprimanded since I was the customer.  So I waited until she had finished ringing me up.  Made sure I paid in cash.  Went directly to the CSR desk and got a refund.  The manager did not like that.  He even had  the nerve to ask me why I was returning what I has just bought.  I told him by his talking to me he was holding up the line.  He did not like losing a sale of$489.76 Later I saw the cashier and told her what I had done and she said she new she got wrote up for it.  Can you believe that?  No wonder the staff doesn't smile or act friendly.  Thank goodness he is not the manager any more but they replaced him with a woman that is even worse can you imagine?

Hi firsttimegrandma, I'm sorry to hear about these store experiences. Did you know you can write a review and rate your local Sears and Kmart stores? Yep, it's true. And, these reviews will be available to the store managers so they can get a real customer perspective. I'd encourage you and everyone in our community to write a rewiew of your local store. I hope we do better next time!

At my Kmart, 9600, the manager and assistant manager are very helpful to both the customers and employees.  They even runs a cash register when we are busy and need help.  Our manager smiles and talks to her customers and makes sure they are satisfied with their purchases and their shopping experience.  Also, she makes sure to stress that customer service is #1 to her employees, making sure that her employees smile and say hello to the customers, take them to the product, and explain the options and features to them.  I have been told by many customers that our store offers the best customer service in town, despite having a new Super-Walmart.

i agree with you. as a mother to i want to get the best prices. the more money that i save the more money that i can put to better use like taking care of my family. even though some times you don't get the best service at least you save a little money. i also agree that the stores need a little better service.

I live near a Super Kmart in Riverside, California.  My last few visits have been pleasant.  I am usually asked by an associate if I need some assistance while shopping and the store is kept quite orderly.  Except for the restrooms.  They are wrecked every time I go in there.  I could echo what was mentioned earlier that there are usually not more than 2 check-out lines open and I always have to wait.  Other than that, I like shopping there.