Turns out firing all your experienced sales people doesn’t work out so well in the end as a business model. At least it didn’t for Circuit City.
Americans put up with a remarkable amount of shitty service, but even we have limits. The free market works well when it comes to discretionary items in sectors with numerous competitors. You don’t like a store, you don’t go back.
Not as simple, of course, when it comes to things like Enron. Hard to shop around for electricity during brownouts caused by criminals. This key difference is often overlooked by conservatives touting free market solutions to every last damn thing. Consumer choice in cheap and mid-priced electronics? Great! Handing Social Security funds over to Wall Street? Not great.
About fifteen years ago Sears attempted to re-work their business structure to be competative. Gone were the grey-haired tool salesmen who could tell you anything you wanted to know about the product, and give you some advice about your project along the way. These guys made about $40,000 a year, which was deemed excessive by modern management standards. In their place were hired part-time workers who were paid a minimum wage (or a bit above), with no benefits.
They said they needed to do this to compete with Home Depot, Home Base (now out of business), and Eagle Hardware (now Loews). But now there is no reason for me to buy my tools from Sears, since I won’t get any better service there than I would from Home Depot.
Sears has survived a long time because of the incredibly strong financial position it held in it’s credit cards accounts. But It can’t last forever, I think it’s currently one of the weaker big-name retailers.
Here’s another store that will be in trouble if they keep this up.
—
Last Saturday, we were shopping for pants for our son. We went to JC Penny’s and we found five pair we liked and two shirts. We went to purchase.
We could only find two check out areas for the entire 2nd floor. Each was staffed by exactly two people, so a total of 4 people for the floor. Customers had lined up 7 to 10 deep.
We put the clothes down and left the store. We did not purchase.
I don’t see us going back anytime soon. It came down to customer service, the human face to their products.
I bought maybe two things from Circuit City.
We just bought our newish kitchen range from Sears. Nothing fancy but it was rated highly by Consumer Reports and it has just the number of features we needed and then some. We’re pretty happy campers but have we gone to Sears for anything else since then?
No.
The conservative economic model doesn’t work, and after 1933 the only people who required more proof of that were conservatives, and the lesson won’t take with those numbskulls this time, either.
The last thing we bought from Circuit City, was a microwave. It felt like a bait and switch. The demo model had a solid door. We thought we had the same model but when we got home, it looked the same but had a flimsy, less solid door that twisted when you closed it, making it harder to close.
We never bought anything again from them.
Firing your best people sucks and that’s why the USA will be screwed by the incoming Obamanuts. The new Commander-in-Chief can’t tell his ass from a hole in the ground.
John425, he’s better than bush, but almost anyone is better than bush.
“Firing your best people”????? Just look at the people the Bush administration hired – “heckuva job” Brownie, Harriet Meirs, Alberto Gonzales – and those were just the ones who’s screw-ups were so momentus that it made national news day-after-day!
The truly scary thing about the Bush administration is that, other than Cheney and Ashcroft, he was one of the brighter ones of the bunch. Cheney’s bright, but with the moral compass of Machiavelli.
@6 We couldn’t possibly do a worse job than you Republican screwups — even if we tried. After the GOP’s record of the last 8 years, posting a comment like that can only be described as incredible gall.
seems to be No end in sight with this econmy
“6. John425 spews:
Firing your best people sucks and that’s why the USA will be screwed by the incoming Obamanuts. The new Commander-in-Chief can’t tell his ass from a hole in the ground.”
I’ve looked for something factual in your little ejaculation that substantiates your opinion, but it’s not there.
I suspect that is because of the conservative logic of finding a conclusion that you like and then going about trying to find some proof that supports it.
That’s backasswards, schmoman.
Here’s what I don’t get. Much of our current mess was caused by people buying crap they didn’t need with money they didn’t have (’cause their jobs got shipped out and wages have been flat). But, turn on the TV or open the paper and there’s someone yelling about how the disaster is getting worse because people aren’t going to the stores and spending money. WTF???
It looks to me like things are getting better because people are getting some savings built up and paying off their debits.
Needless to say, I don’t trust much of what I read in the business section of the TNT.
To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never been in a Circuit City or a Best Buy.
Businesses adapt to the environment. So how do we change the economic environment so that outsourcing and off shoring are not cost effective? So we employ americans?
1 “Sears has survived a long time because of the incredibly strong financial position it held in it’s credit cards accounts.”
They spun that off a while ago. Now if you go to sign up for a “Sears card”, or to make a major purchase for “XX months same as cash”, they issue you a shiny new Citibank Visa card.
That, too, may now be subject to change, because Citi just (as in this morning) got split into two companies: “good Citi” that includes commercial banking; and “shitty Citi” which is comprised of less desirable enterprises like brokerage and consumer credit.
#6 – Bush was the worst President in the last century. He was an anti-intellectual, non-curious, stupid average drug using frat boy who stumbled ass backwards into the Presidency thanks to his daddy’s friends. He screwed the country SO badly, he’s leaving office with the WORST approval of any President in HISTORY (except Nixon, who we had to kick his scummy ass out BEFORE his term). So this isn’t just me, it’s ALL of America, except the 15% psycho Republican retards, who think this guy is incompetent. Bush isn’t qualified to wipe Obama’s ASS.
12 Michael,
Q: How do TV, radio, newspapers and “the media” in general make their money?
A: By carrying advertising!
So….how likely is it that they’re going to shoot themselves in the foot by telling their audience not to patronize their advertisers?
16 Bush probably can’t wipe his own ass…or at least is accustomed to someone doing it for him.
Yep, even the Republicans admitted that Bush was an incredibly bad President – so bad that they ran as his successor the one guy they could find who could claim that he had worked to “reform” the Republican Party. He was running AGAINST his own party!!!!! And yet there are still a few wingnuts – a relatively small number – who still insist on defending him.
I hope schmucks like John425 call the shots in the crappy Republican party for a long, long time.
The adults will actually have a chance to run the country.
83% Of Biggest U.S. Corporations Use Offshore Tax Havens
Last fall, the centerpiece of John McSame’s campaign was a $300 billion tax cut for corporations. According to Wingnut Whack-O-Nomics, slashing corporate taxes trickles down to workers in the form of jobs. But how can they create jobs by cutting taxes of companies that don’t pay taxes?
According to the GAO, 83 of the 100 biggest U.S. corporations use offshore tax havens. Citigroup, JP Morgan, and Bank of America, for example, each have over 100 business units in tax-haven countries. I’ve read elsewhere that half of U.S. corporations pay no corporate income taxes at all.
All U.S.-based shipping companies, for example, are incorporated in the Marshall Islands, a U.S. territory, which enables them to pay no income taxes. This is perfectly legal. As a shareholder, I’d rather own a company that pays 0% taxes than 35% taxes! That’s just common sense.
Can any of you wingnuts explain to me how you can stimulate the economy by cutting the corporate tax rates of these shipping companies? What are you gonna do, give ’em an Earned Income Credit? You gonna take money from me and give it to them as a reward for being in an industry that pays no taxes?
I make a special effort to invest in tax-dodging corporations. Less for the government means more for the shareholders! I know it sounds rotten, and it is rotten, but hey, I didn’t create this rotten system. I’m not even in favor of it. I’d change the tax laws in a heartbeat to make these corporate spongers pay their fair share, but it’s not up to me what the tax laws are. As long as the system lets half our companies pay no taxes, you’re a fool to invest in the other half.
So, when you do your investment research, take my advice — part of your due diligence is looking for the bloodsuckers and tax leeches out there, because clipping the government bolsters the shareholders’ bottom line.
God detests George W. Bush. She despites him so much that She pushed a plane into the Hudson River to drown out Bush’s farewell speech. Of course, She didn’t want any innocent people to get hurt because of Bush, so She made sure everyone walked away from the plane crash, which made it even more newsworthy. The initial results from Nielsen indicate that 14 people besides Laura listened to Smirk defend his record. His next record should be a police record. God is working on that, too. She’s going to make him forget to pardon himself.
OK, so maybe I made that up. Maybe there was no divine intervention involved in drowning out Smirky McChimp’s last speech with this spectacular saga of heroism and survival. Maybe this was a random act of God and Baboon Nuts is merely an unlucky son of a bitch. (Although I personally lean more toward the klutz analysis.) He does have one positive thing going for him on his way out the door, though. He’ll be remembered as the guy who did more than anyone else to elect America’s first black president.
@22,
So, rabbit, how’s about those Obama corporate tax cutting ideas your ido is proposing?
Federal Way School District Backpedals
The district has now posted a statement on its web site that students don’t need permission slips to watch the swearing-in ceremony.
The statement is dated January 16 — today — a day after the district received negative policy from KING 5 News for requiring written permission of parents to view the inauguration.
@21,
Solution = national sales tax instead of income taxes for C and S corps, along w/ LLCs, LPs, & LLPs, etc.
“What was your sales revenue, Mr. C Corp? Send us x-percent of that and we’re done!” says the IRS under a national sales tax. No tax attorneys, no tax accountants, no nothin’ except figuring a percentage of a number. That’s it!
That’s your solution, rabbit.
PI @ # 21: In other words, all the disadvantages of Washington’s obsolete B&O Tax system, except applied nationally. I can’t think of a worse horror story. Just about every Washington State business thinks it’s a terrible system, only those businesses who have been largly exempted from it due to their lobbying power are willing to keep it.
Last week a friend of mine, who had just opened up a small business this summer (talk about bad timing!), was complaining. He said: “I had about $150K in expenses. I made 35K in sales, before the bottom dropped out of the economy, after which my sales were virtually nill. But now the State wants me to pay a tax on my gross sales revenue, even though I LOST 35K last year??????” At this point he’s broke, already laid off his sole staffer, and pondering whether he can keep his doors open through the end of the month. And although he’s already paid in the sales tax portion to the state (thankfully), it’s unlikely he will be able to pay the B&O tax on his revenue.
And P.I.’s proposal still wouldn’t address the issue of offshore tax dodges.
@26 All set up and run exclusively by the
DEMOCRATS. You’re complaining about the very
PARTY that you vote for! God you people are
retarded!
All the regulars here know about Stupes’ fear and loathing of our next SecState Hillary Clinton.
Well, all hail Stupes’ new hero:
Diaper Dave
@27
Hey stupid the reason the state relies on the B&O tax and sales tax in this state is due to a consitutional provision that prohibits income taxes.
Democrats would love to have an income tax, but it has been defeated every time it has come up. At this point it is pretty much considered the third rail of state politics.
@29 I rest my case.
@30
How so? The consitutional provision has been in place for over 100 years. How is that the Democrats fault?
But fuck lets just eliminate governmment and all associated taxes. I’m sure that would make you conservatards real happy. But no complaining when the streets aren’t plowed, the potholes aren’t fixed, or a bunch of bikers take over your house.
@30
How so? The consitutional provision has been in place for over 100 years. How is that the Democrats fault?
But fuck lets just eliminate governmment and all associated taxes. I’m sure that would make you conservatards real happy. But no complaining when the streets aren’t plowed, the potholes aren’t fixed, or a bunch of bikers take over your house.
@32
Mark and his ilk are some of the last remaining gov’ment haters left. Thankfully, the few Republicans that can win first time election aren’t of Mark’s kind.
@25 And what will keep them from lying about their revenue?
@27 Strange how you Republicans love our Democratic tax system far more than we Democrats do.
Actually, if you delve into it, I think you’ll find it’s a Republican tax system — created by Republican governors and legislators, and kept in place by obstructionist Republicans who block Democrats from changing it even when Democrats are in the majority, as now.
@29 Washingtonians aren’t quite fed up enough yet to pass an income tax amendment yet, but they’re readier than they were in Dan Evans days, and it’ll eventually come. The concept of taxing those least able to pay isn’t sustainable, and like “liar loan” mortgages, has a limited shelf life.
rhp6033@8:
yessiree, Obama has already started his own hiring trend with Eric “Elian Gonzalez Has to Go at Gunpoint & I Love My Marc Rich Pardon” Holder, Bill “Pay to Play” Richardson and Tim “I Don’t Have to Pay Taxes & I Forgot About My Illegal Nanny” Geithner.
Each of these in a Republican Administration would have been run out of dodge by the libtard MSM which gives them a pass in a Donkey Administration. You, rhp6033 on the other hand, are too stupid to see the forest and the trees.
rhp6033 & the libtard MSM by liberals for liberals.
re-run@28: As much as they all know about you being HA’s clueless idiot. What was one name they called you… oh yeah yos idioto.
But back to Hillary… She knew how to pull out the racism of the Donkey. That’s what I called into question moronic re-run, you truly are a clueless idiot
Pelletizer@21 farted:
I’m sure Bernie Schwartz when he ran Loral Corp and was selling our excellent missile guidance and location hardware/software during the Clinton Admin to the Chicoms or Richard C. Blum (husband of Dianne Feinstein) and his Billion $$$ companies screwing the injured at WRAMC or the Shaw Group raking in the dough in Iraq and in Nawlins making inferior products will explain it to you.
I’m sure Pelletizer read their prospectus and has invested in these Donkey led companies.
Michael, I see you are still drinking the stupid solution.
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Where does it say in the US Constitution it’s a welfare state?
38 – Oh? and I recall some silly delusions about eugenics as well.
But never fear fool. A man as silly as yourself who orgasms by soiling a depends is still fighting the brave fight.
But he’s only one vote. You’ll still need to hide under the bed.
@40
“… promote the general welfare”
Learn to read dumbass. It’s right there in the bit you quoted from the preamble.
re-run@4: Silly delusions of eugenics? Others here have proved it true. You still live in the re-run bubble of no no no!
You can fathom the truth… Results 1 – 10 of about 290,000 for progressives eugenics.
Read and weep re-run, HAs clueless idiot.
You fear the truth.
Chris Stefan, welcome to moronville…
What does promote the general welfare mean?
Maybe, to work together for the common good. Does that mean hand a fish to people or teach the people to fish? Figger it out.
What a douche!
So god is a female now? I would have thought an old codger like Roger Rabbit would not have bought into that latest PC bullcrap about female deities. We all know god is a white anglo-saxon old dude with white beard and flowing robes on top of a golden throne issuing thunderbolts up Roger Rabbit’s ass when he misbehaves. Which is often.
No Roger Rabbit, God hates you. He especially hates those who defile him by calling him a female.
Is there no amount of socialism that Roger Rabbit doesn’t want? Well given he stand to benefit from the increased redistribution, he’s only acting rational here. Greedy, selfish bastard he is, but rational in a certain twisted perverted sense. You fucking red Commie bastard. Your father would be rolling over in his grave if he knew what a red commie bastard his son turned out!
Puddybud – just wondering what you name means…
My sad about Circuit City going under is that Spokane just lost CompUSA 2 years ago; now the only place in town to buy electronics on-site is Best Buy, whom I hate with the white-hot passion of a thousand burning suns.
It’s a shame.
I decided not to shop at Circuit City when they pulled that “firing all their long-term employees” stunt. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
@49 Laura – you are silly girl to base your shopping decisions on who a retailer hire/fires. Your role as a consumer is to shop for the best deals for your brood! Remember you are a consumer.
You are more than a consumer. How and where you spend your money is a powerful political statement.
While it is impossible to avoid patronizing all unsavory businesses, you can send a message to the worst offenders.