Prayer is the only help I see. DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!

This is one time I am real concerned about our bosses and our country. I have worked for Wal-Mart for a long time and two separate time. The first time was back in '82 when WM first opened in Amarillo. They opened the store in March and I started work in June. Back then Sam Walton was in control and he was really a remarkable man and person. Not only was he so concerned about the well-being of the customers and he always treated the employees as family. Everything I know about customer service I owe to him. THANKS SAM! When I came back to WM in '06 I could see some major changes but still our concern was for the customer (some of Sam was still around) and especially our store in Canyon. People would drive from Amarillo (where there are 4 WM's), Hereford or Plainview to come to our store. They always said our store was cleaner and friendlyer then any other WM. We had enough staff and a LOVE for our store and customers so we could do this. Now I do not know what is going to happen. Over the last 2 years they have cut back on hiring new blood employees and when someone retires their position is not filled. Being a college town I would say 70 percent of our employees are students and when they graduate they leave to start their new career. A lot of times they are not replaced till management wakes up to realize we do not have enough people to cover the shifts. Several times last month, not only was I covering the Photo Lab (which I LOVE) I had to cover Electronics, Sporting Goods, Auto Area, Hardware and Toys. How can one person cover that many areas and still have the time to help a customer find what they are needing, let alone know what they need or even are talking about. I can help a customer with buying a camera or camera accessories with my back ground and really help the customer with ideas they may not have thought of. In Electronics I have a basic knowledge of those items. At least I do know what a GPS is as well as a MP3 or 4 Player is and the difference in an iPod, iPad and an iPhone as well as their accessories. I have come a long way in 2 years. But when it comes to auto parts, sporting goods and hard ware I am at a total loss and no HELP at all for the customer. I feel so sorry for them when they ask me a question but there is no one else to ask. On top of the cut back in help there is the cut back in our hours. I am classified as Full Time, untill recently that was 40 hours a week, Part Time got 27 to 32 hours a week. Now FT are lucky if we get 33 hours and some are getting 27, PT get 16 to 20 hours. Who can live on that? I have a 5 hour shift tonight (5 - 10) and 4 hours tomorrow (6 - 10). Just glad on the 20th I start a 10 day vacation, at least that will be a 40 hour week but til then these short weeks mean we have no money to go anywhere. Two of my followers Gina and Beth have posted about a Bucket List and got me to thinking how much I wanted to have a real vacation trip with Jerry this year and go some where (any where) even if just a day or two. We have had one vacation in 23 years of marrage and that was just for 3 days and 2 nights. We at least had a chance to get away so I was really looking forward to getting away this time. Now we do not have money for gas to get out of the drive way. HA HA

Enough on that I really did not mean for this post to be a gripe session but I do feel a lot better now. THANKS MY FRIENDS FOR LETTING ME VENT. At least now I do not feel I need to be on constant alert so that an inocent customer does not stir me up when they ask "What is the difference in an AA battery and an AAA battery?" followed by "What is the difference in an AA 4 and an AA 8 pack?" and this was a college student. I LOVE MY JOB REALLY, dumb customers and all.

Hope everyone makes it a great week and EVEN BETTER WEEKEND. (I know my week is better already) LOVE and BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU