From The Past: June 29, 2005

Since getting a job this summer at Big Lots, Andrew has been doing well. I have to admit he’s someone who wasn’t used to doing work, but adapted quickly to the task. He enjoys stocking shelves and loves helping customers. It pleases him to please others. Isn’t that what life’s all about!

I have to tell you about a strange practice that occurs on a daily basis though. It will sound absurd, but it is the truth.

The managers move things on the shelves.

Now, you’re wondering, What does that matter? Well, I’m going to tell you.

Two other male employees besides Andrew have the job of going from shelf to shelf and moving products forward. This is called fronting. For example: if someone buys five cans of beans – there will be a big hole on the shelf where those cans once were. Andrew will take the remaining beans and pull them to the front of the shelf so that it looks pleasing to the eye.

This is an easy job, but one that keeps them busy. Just think about the children who go tearing through the toy isle. Andrew gets to clean up what the little darlings messed up. Tearing through the isles is not limited to the kids though. Only a few days ago, Andrew spotted a woman looking through the bras. Each bra she did not like, she tossed in the floor. Andrew had to approach her and kindly ask her to please not throw the merchandise on the floor.

You wouldn’t think an adult would behave that way, but they do! You also would not think of managers behaving this same way, but they also do! When Andrew started working there, the other male employees warned him about the managers and how after you have just fronted a shelf; they will walk behind you and push the products back again. They will then call you over to chew you out because the products weren’t fronted.

This scenario happened last night.

A male employee walks down the paint isle. He fronts all cans of paint and they look great. This employee leaves the isle. She Manager walks down the paint isle and doesn’t know that Andrew is watching her. She Manager pushes the cans back to the back of the shelf and leaves the isle. She calls for the male employee to go to the paint isle. She wants to rant over the paint cans. What she does not know is that Andrew went back down the aisle behind her and re-fronted the paint. She Manager and male employee arrive at the re-fronted paint. She Manager opens her mouth and points at the re-fronted paint cans. She is just beginning her tirade when she sees the cans, closes her mouth and walks out of the isle. It is fortunate for the male employee that Andrew corrected what She Manager had done or he would have had to stand there and listen to her lecture.

Unbelievably, this is a common practice at this place. Now, tell me why. Why would you want to go behind your employees, mess up their work, and then yell at them about it? This is the practice of more than one manager, so it’s as if they TRAIN them to do this. I don’t think it’s normal. Have you ever heard of this?