Experience = Pink Slip

[Stankfoot]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802185.html"]Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802185.html)

"Circuit City fired 3,400 employees in stores across the country yesterday, saying they were making too much money and would be replaced by new hires willing to work for less. The company said the dismissals had nothing to do with performance but were part of a larger effort to improve the bottom line. The firings represent about 9 percent of the company's in-store workforce of 40,000."

"Retail is very competitive and store operations just have to contain their costs," said Jim Babb, a Circuit City spokesman. "We deeply regret the negative impact that was had on these folks. It was no fault of theirs."
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[ralphbxny]

They did this to me in 2001. They freakin suck!! This story hits close to home and I wish all those people well.

[foodcourtdruide]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802185.html"]Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802185.html)

"Circuit City fired 3,400 employees in stores across the country yesterday, saying they were making too much money and would be replaced by new hires willing to work for less. The company said the dismissals had nothing to do with performance but were part of a larger effort to improve the bottom line. The firings represent about 9 percent of the company's in-store workforce of 40,000."

"Retail is very competitive and store operations just have to contain their costs," said Jim Babb, a Circuit City spokesman. "We deeply regret the negative impact that was had on these folks. It was no fault of theirs."
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Why isn't anyone posting about how good major corporations are in this thread? (If I had an eye-rolling smiley face.. I assure you I'd put it here.)

[Bob Impact]

Well considering my company just closed a third of the fleet I guess it goes to show how bad the industry is doing. Circuit is known as being a rough company to work for in this industry. Even as a proponent of capitalism I wouldn't champion them. The saddest part is that when people come to my store from theres they almost always will complain about the lack of knowledge that their associates have, why fire the people who know what their doing to get cheaper labor in? My prediction is that this is the first in a chain of news stories that will show a fairly rapid decline for CC.

[led37zep]

Why isn't anyone posting about how good major corporations are in this thread? (If I had an eye-rolling smiley face.. I assure you I'd put it here.)


It is extremely sad when someone looks at a bottomline rather than customer service and quality of their stores, its one of the reasons I don't invest in the stock market. I don't feel totally comfortable investing in companies that lay off 20 year plus employees or cut their pensions just so my stock goes up 2 pts.

and this is coming from a Republican.

[Friday]

Cablevision did this to my dad 2 yrs ago.

He was the Vice President of Security Operations for Radio City Music Hall.
They needed to cut their bottom line so they eliminated his position and the position of VP Production. Both he and the other VP had been with the company for upwards of 10 yrs and had made limitless contributions to their respective departments and the corporation as a whole. Now the highest level in these areas is Director.

But when you have to make cuts, it makes sense to cut from the top. Monetarily speaking, of course.

Damn the Man.

[johnniewalker]

Well considering my company just closed a third of the fleet I guess it goes to show how bad the industry is doing. Circuit is known as being a rough company to work for in this industry. Even as a proponent of capitalism I wouldn't champion them. The saddest part is that when people come to my store from theres they almost always will complain about the lack of knowledge that their associates have, why fire the people who know what their doing to get cheaper labor in? My prediction is that this is the first in a chain of news stories that will show a fairly rapid decline for CC.

From what i heard from my cousin who runs a lot of the l.a. region stores it was a lot of white collar jobs. It had him scrambling too and he somehow got promoted out of the deal, but they started gutting a lot of the management positions and restructured districts. They are still a fairly profitible business and can sustain themselves against Best Buy, but i think you are right that the business is trimming down every where it can. CC used to focus on everything, but they started cutting things out like home appliances and then moved to more software. Then they did the geek squad thing, with firedog. They've actually done a decent job of staying competitve. Although this is terrible press...

[Furtherman]

My company just laid off 500 employees. Some of them had only been working here less than a year, others over 10 years. It all comes down to the dollar.

[BLZBUBBA]

WALMART is pulling a little stunt as well. Cities have passed laws requiring that local business interests pay a living wage. WALMART quickly announced they would raise the starting wages alright...but they were going to freeze the salaries of senior employees.

[angelinad128]

Unfuckingbelievable. Assholes!

[suggums]

Why isn't anyone posting about how good major corporations are in this thread? (If I had an eye-rolling smiley face.. I assure you I'd put it here.)


im genuinely curious what bulldogcakes thinks about this.

[reeshy]

In 1975. I got laid off from the NYPD.....no questions asks....I was out of a job for 9 months....I got recalled....then did 28 years more.....was I an asshole?????

[Bob Impact]

From what i heard from my cousin who runs a lot of the l.a. region stores it was a lot of white collar jobs. It had him scrambling too and he somehow got promoted out of the deal, but they started gutting a lot of the management positions and restructured districts. They are still a fairly profitible business and can sustain themselves against Best Buy, but i think you are right that the business is trimming down every where it can. CC used to focus on everything, but they started cutting things out like home appliances and then moved to more software. Then they did the geek squad thing, with firedog. They've actually done a decent job of staying competitve. Although this is terrible press...

The CE Market itself is down this year, it was down last year and it'll be down again next year. The major box pushers combined with a few of the manufacturers have driven margin down to the point that many products are being sold at price points that cost the stores money. Without installation services with experienced staff their mobile electronics department will be closed within the next five years, and their home electronics department will be dying off shortly thereafter.

[Bob Impact]

Why isn't anyone posting about how good major corporations are in this thread? (If I had an eye-rolling smiley face.. I assure you I'd put it here.)

You're right, they shouldn't fire anyone and the entire company should fold, that's better. :wacko:

[SatCam]

They did this to me in 2001. They freakin suck!! This story hits close to home and I wish all those people well.

It was even worse then because they got rid of all the good, commission-driven knowledgable people and replaced them with high school kids. That was when CC started going downhill

[Bob Impact]

It was even worse then because they got rid of all the good, commission-driven knowledgable people and replaced them with high school kids. That was when CC started going downhill

Yeah! Like my shop, where SatCam gets ignored by the evil commission driven salesman!

[SatCam]

Yeah! Like my shop, where SatCam gets ignored by the evil commission driven salesman!

would you say that they should've focus grouped the hell out of it before making any decisions?

[HBox]

You're right, they shouldn't fire anyone and the entire company should fold, that's better. :wacko:


Exactly. I've always been of the mindset that good, experienced employees are the downfall of any business.

[Bob Impact]

would you say that they should've focus grouped the hell out of it before making any decisions?

:lol:

[patsopinion]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802185.html"]Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802185.html)

"Circuit City fired 3,400 employees in stores across the country yesterday, saying they were making too much money and would be replaced by new hires willing to work for less. The company said the dismissals had nothing to do with performance but were part of a larger effort to improve the bottom line. The firings represent about 9 percent of the company's in-store workforce of 40,000."

"Retail is very competitive and store operations just have to contain their costs," said Jim Babb, a Circuit City spokesman. "We deeply regret the negative impact that was had on these folks. It was no fault of theirs."
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i hope this fucking company tanks

i dont like anything about anything they do

i worked at a compusa(same company i think) and its awful

[cougarjake13]

i havent seen anyone mention this yet

but can a company come out publicly and say they are firing people for no other reason but b/c they make too much money ???

for some reason i would think you couldnt just fire them like that, union or not

[Bob Impact]

Exactly. I've always been of the mindset that good, experienced employees are the downfall of any business.

Read my first post.

Circuit's failure is the lack of commissioned employees, but if the company can't afford to keep people, they can't afford it, i'm not saying that Circuit has made the right choice in everything, but they HAVE (as I would now, being the industry for goddamned near a decade now) needed to trim some of the older lazier employees for a while. No, that was NOT 3,400 people, but a good number of these people were not good employees.

[Bulldogcakes]

Why isn't anyone posting about how good major corporations are in this thread? (If I had an eye-rolling smiley face.. I assure you I'd put it here.)

Shares closed yesterday at $19.23, up 31 cents, or 2 percent.

If you were one of their stockholders, you'd be cheering right now.

[foodcourtdruide]

You're right, they shouldn't fire anyone and the entire company should fold, that's better. :wacko:

No you're right! The main source of employment in our country should be major corporations that will cut ties with their experienced and loyal workforce at the drop of a hat to satisfy the bottomline. That is definitely the world I want to live in. :wacko: (yes! thank you!)

[foodcourtdruide]

Exactly. I've always been of the mindset that good, experienced employees are the downfall of any business.

Experienced employees don't matter. Quality service doesn't matter. Getting people to the store and selling them goods they don't need is what matters.

[ralphbxny]

I hate CC for this!! I would still be there if not for the first level of management cuts. I have been pissed again at them since I herd this news!! Old wounds!! Plus it was the first time I learned about the real world and being called at home on my day off to be told I was Laid off! FUCKERS!!!

[HBox]

If you were one of their stockholders, you'd be cheering right now.

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/7651/lovejoyrq3.jpg

WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE STOCKHOLDERS!?!?!?!?!

[johnniewalker]

It was even worse then because they got rid of all the good, commission-driven knowledgable people and replaced them with high school kids. That was when CC started going downhill

That is where some of this started. When they made the trasition from commission to hourly some people got larger wages than they should have, and in turn a lot of good people got screwed b/c of it. Commission has a lot of pluses, but i don't know if its sustainable in the cutthroat margins that are present today. A shit load has changed in terms of margins in even a year.

[johnniewalker]

I hate CC for this!! I would still be there if not for the first level of management cuts. I have been pissed again at them since I herd this news!! Old wounds!! Plus it was the first time I learned about the real world and being called at home on my day off to be told I was Laid off! FUCKERS!!!

That sucks ralph, but you might be good for getting out of that type of business. I got fired from the place too in 2001, but that was for bringing child labor charges against them and they eventually pushed me out. In the end i made a lot of good kids a lot of money for their overtime though...

[AgnosticJihad]

WALMART is pulling a little stunt as well. Cities have passed laws requiring that local business interests pay a living wage. WALMART quickly announced they would raise the starting wages alright...but they were going to freeze the salaries of senior employees.

If Wal-Mart and other major national chains really want to save money, maybe they should try closing down some of thier stores or simply not build anymore. I mean, there are 3 seperate Wal-Marts within a 10 mile radius of my apartment (one of which is one of those giant Super-Wal-Marts), and now the fuckers are building a 4th store only a bout 1/4 mile from me.

[pennington]

can a company come out publicly and say they are firing people for no other reason but b/c they make too much money ???

for some reason i would think you couldnt just fire them like that, union or not

I think big companies are sometimes forced to do things this way.

The smart way to do it would be to do lay-offs a few stores at a time, in different regions. But then there would be lawsuits galore, "You're laying me off because I'm a monority; a female; old; fat; handicapped; etc."

This way they can say "It was purely a financial decision" and I don't think the courts will bother them.

[johnniewalker]

I think big companies are sometimes forced to do things this way.

The smart way to do it would be to do lay-offs a few stores at a time, in different regions. But then there would be lawsuits galore, "You're laying me off because I'm a monority; a female; old; fat; handicapped; etc."

This way they can say "It was purely a financial decision" and I don't think the courts will bother them.

You are correct, It works the opposite of what you think. Instead of all this political correctness helping it really has made corporations more brutal and more mechanical. The way i heard managers were given a script from legal and were not allowed to stray from it. If they did, i guess they were open to liability to claims. So even if the person was your best employee there was nothing you could do. Instead of being able to talk, you were just shut out and given a severance no matter what. Kinda harsh....

[TheMojoPin]

You are correct, It works the opposite of what you think. Instead of all this political correctness helping it really has made corporations more brutal and more mechanical. The way i heard managers were given a script from legal and were not allowed to stray from it. If they did, i guess they were open to liability to claims. So even if the person was your best employee there was nothing you could do. Instead of being able to talk, you were just shut out and given a severance no matter what. Kinda harsh....

Yeah, layoffs and downsizing are the result of "political correctness."

...

Come on.

[johnniewalker]

Yeah, layoffs and downsizing are the result of "political correctness."

...

Come on.

That's not what im saying, im saying the firing process was made harsher because of possible claims of discrimination.