Damit! It's called being FIRED. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

GottaDiesel · #1 03-28-2007, 11:01 AM

OPEN RANT:

If people would take their friggin' head out of the sand for a minute they would know that "LAYING PEOPLE OFF" means you're coming back when you are needed -- when business requires the renewed man power. When you are being told to go home and being replaced with cheaper workers you're being FIRED.

So Gosh-Friggin-Darnit. YOU'RE FIRED. Get it into your head.

Now read this:

Circuit City plans layoffs, hiring of less-expensive store workers
By Zinie Chen Sampson, Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. — Circuit City Stores (CC) said Wednesday that it plans to cut costs by laying off 3,400 store associates and hiring lower-paid workers to replace them and by trimming about 130 corporate jobs.

Circuit City, the nation's No. 2 consumer electronics retailer behind Best Buy (BBY), will lay off store workers it said were earning "well above the market-based salary range for their role" and replace them with employees who will be paid at the current market range, the company said in a news release.

"We are taking a number of aggressive actions to improve our cost and expense structure, which will better position us for improved and sustainable returns in today's marketplace," said Philip J. Schoonover, Circuit City's chief executive.

The company also plans to outsource its information-technology infrastructure operations to IBM, a move that is expected to cut IT expenses by more than 16%. About 50 of Circuit City's IT workers will move to jobs with IBM and remain on the Circuit City contract. The other 80 corporate positions will be cut.

The changes follow the company's announcement this winter of planned cost-cutting measures and management moves to improve sales and cut expenses.

In February, Circuit City terminated its lease on a previously closed distribution center in Columbus, Ohio, at a loss of $4.8 million, but the move is expected to cut costs associated with the lease by about $6 million. It also finished a previously announced closing of a Louisville, distribution center that was used primarily for store fixtures and signs.

In Circuit City's international operations, the company has hired GoldmanSachs Inc. to advise the company on strategic options for its InterTAN Inc. unit, which could include selling the business.

Circuit City, based in Richmond, closed about 55 stores in Canada in February as previously announced, and expects to close about 10 more stores in the first half of fiscal 2008.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Dee8go · #2 03-28-2007, 11:10 AM

I can't imagine what Circuit *****ty will be like once they have completed this new round of dumb-sizing. The people in their stores alredy seem to make it clear they could care less about things like product knowledge, customers, etc.

A couple of years ago the fired all of their commissioned sales people and the drop in customer service was dramatic. It's sad to see this attitude replicated in one store chain after another.

They should just quit playing games and just operate a warehouse with NOBODY working there except security people. You could just scan the stuff you picked up off the shelf, swipe your credit card, lug the stuff to your car, and go home.

If you could never get the stuff to work correctly because you bought the wrong things and there was no person to talk to, well, so what?! At least you got a good deal on it. Right?

Sorry for the rant, I'm a salesman. I think we sales people do add value to the products we sell. I hate to see the prevailing attitude that we are really superfilous.

OMEGAMAN · #3 03-28-2007, 11:13 AM

I wonder who came up with the idea of replacing the word fired with layed off?
It makes me think of undocumented and illegal.

Dee8go · #4 03-28-2007, 11:16 AM

I think there's a distinction as Gottadeisel pointed out above. "Layed off" presupposes that you may be rehired later when business picks back up. "Fired" means you're not coming back for whatever the reason.

If you're on the receiving end of it, though, they both feel pretty bad.

Mistress · #5 03-28-2007, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMEGAMAN

I wonder who came up with the idea of replacing the word fired with layed off?
It makes me think of undocumented and illegal.

those same clowns who replaced problem with issue. makes me nutz, as if making something sound pretty is going to diminish the seriousness of the situation. damnit all to china.

aklim · #6 03-28-2007, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee8go

I think we sales people do add value to the products we sell. I hate to see the prevailing attitude that we are really superfilous.

Your mouth says that but your wallet says otherwise. Not you personally but many people do. Why did they go this way? Because people don't care. Why offer a service that nobody seems to care for? Look at Best Buy. Same story. Why? Because nobody really cares for the service. If people did, Circuit City would be #1 and Best Buy would be in the toilet.

Old300D · #7 03-28-2007, 12:07 PM

Looks like Circuit City is trying to compete directly with Best Buy now. I used to go to CC because their staff was knowledgeable, and avoided Best Buy because they were so stupid. Oh well, forget them both.

aklim · #8 03-28-2007, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old300D

Looks like Circuit City is trying to compete directly with Best Buy now. I used to go to CC because their staff was knowledgeable, and avoided Best Buy because they were so stupid. Oh well, forget them both.

How many people go for knowledgable staff? If the answer is "most" why does Best Buy flourish? IMO, this is all because we have told the seller what we want and he has given it to us.

A264172 · #9 03-28-2007, 12:36 PM

Not as good as just being 'laid' but better than being, 'layed by the heels'.

raymr · #10 03-28-2007, 12:48 PM

You can also go to a high-end store, pick the salesperson's brain for a few hours, then go to BestBuy to make your purchase. It almost borders on theft of intellectual property!

aklim · #11 03-28-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymr

You can also go to a high-end store, pick the salesperson's brain for a few hours, then go to BestBuy to make your purchase. It almost borders on theft of intellectual property!

That would be unethical. I would die first.

mespe · #12 03-28-2007, 12:57 PM

I woudl imagine that CC layed their sales staff off instead of firing them so that they (the newly unemployed) could collect unempoyment. You can lay someone off for any reason you want, but if you fire someone they could come back and sue you even though it's a at-will employment. my 2 ¢

aklim · #13 03-28-2007, 01:01 PM

Bottom line: It's not personal. It's business. You look at your stock portfolio. Something is losing money. Do you even investigate? You dump it. If it is more expensive at one place, chances are you get it elsewhere. It's not personal. It's business.

BENZ-LGB · #14 03-28-2007, 01:23 PM

Peter, it is called the 1984-zation of America.

Orwell would have been "proud."

But it is like everything else, terms like "Special Olympics," "height-challenged," etc., have crept into the language because we all want to make nice-nice and not offend anyone!

Everyone is afraid to call a spade a spade (and NO, this is not a racist term, so relax!).

This is total...

BENZ-LGB · #15 03-28-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raymr

You can also go to a high-end store, pick the salesperson's brain for a few hours, then go to BestBuy to make your purchase. It almost borders on theft of intellectual property!

My friend owns a camera store in L.A. (well, he sold it).

People would pick his brains regarding photo equipment, lenses, camera, etc. Then they would turn around and buy it from one of the NY catalog stores.

He said there was nothing he could do about it...