Q & A for Blockbusterstore482

[zooworker]

Originally Posted by Big Dog

My question is why won"t corporate allow stores to make changes or do something different to make revenue for the store? We had a confection table and had to stock it twice a day because it was selling like crazy. Bundle numbers were though the roof. Had to take it down because it wasn't in the Merchandising Guide. Also had PPG table up front. I was the second highest store in district for PPG. Take it down, and move PPG's inline and endcaps to meet Merchandising Guide, and my sales plummeted almost as fast as BB's stock. I spoke to DM and RDO and both would only allow what was in Guide. I disagreed with my DM that we needed to do things that made money, but always did what corporate wanted. I closed that store last week. The store had been there 15 years, and been a part of the community forever. I am (un)fortunate to get located to another store. Most Employees want Blockbustet to suceed. Why won't corporate let us help them?

It's called micro managing, the same thing I have seen in other business. Sadly corp's do not realize not everything works in every place. We too had done a similar thing and was told to take it down. Seems corp doesn't trust a store manager to know what is best for their store. Which can cause a downfall in sales. If it works for your store I say let them do it.

[abhorrent scowl]

Any effort put forth by individual stores that produces better results than what the DM/RDO's parrot from above makes the DM/RDO less relevant, and therefore, less necessary.
Unless there is a compelling reason to not deviate from the merchandising guide (which I bet your DM couldn't provide in this case), they really should let the stores do what works best.
That is, only if they are most interested in doing what's best for the company and not just justifying their own existence.

[Propoxy]

The MAP only exists because a large majority of SMs have absolutely no creativity or talent for merchandising.

[MamaSmurf]

Originally Posted by Propoxy

The MAP only exists because a large majority of SMs have absolutely no creativity or talent for merchandising.

Very true. I've worked with managers who couldn't put shelves on an endcap without the guide to tell them how many pegs down. I love merchandising, I'm very good at it, and it bugs me that even if we have empty shelves or endcaps, we have to wait for the next MAG to put stuff out. Gone are the days when we were allowed freedom to manage our stores.

[deathbydanny]

In other words, the managers are no longer managers, just puppets.

[evilviolentj]

Just to be clear though, I'm a string puppet. Not the kind with hand up my ass.

[Elphabalives]

Someone last week came in with a "VIP account" (his father's). He rented 9 blurays. Today he returned them all 9 days late. I have a feeling that he's going to come back and say 'oh my daddy works for bb, just remove the fees.' When this inevitably happens, what should I do? He's got $87 worth of late charges, but it's his own fault. I told him when they were due. It wouldn't be fair to us to just take off the fees.

[DavidNewlySL]

as long as u put the note on the account for telling them, then so be it

[TheAnomaly]

Originally Posted by Elphabalives

Someone last week came in with a "VIP account" (his father's). He rented 9 blurays. Today he returned them all 9 days late. I have a feeling that he's going to come back and say 'oh my daddy works for bb, just remove the fees.' When this inevitably happens, what should I do? He's got $87 worth of late charges, but it's his own fault. I told him when they were due. It wouldn't be fair to us to just take off the fees.

WE work for Blockbuster, and if WE had fees we'd have to pay them. But a VIP account is different from a corporate/distribution employee acct. Theirs is just a normal acct, but they have a card with a barcode that gives them their free rentals.

I don't even remember what they get with a VIP account... since I've never seen one. I read about them in the SOP once... (I was bored and looking for something else.)

[zooworker]

Originally Posted by Elphabalives

Someone last week came in with a "VIP account" (his father's). He rented 9 blurays. Today he returned them all 9 days late. I have a feeling that he's going to come back and say 'oh my daddy works for bb, just remove the fees.' When this inevitably happens, what should I do? He's got $87 worth of late charges, but it's his own fault. I told him when they were due. It wouldn't be fair to us to just take off the fees.

First off, is he allowed to rent on a VIP account that's his fathers? If not you are screwed.
Second, there is no reason why they shouldn't pay if they are on the account.
Third Get that account secured if you can.