Yoko
Van Nuys,#2Author of original report
Fri, February 20, 2009
Poor Faye here. It's been a long while... A month after I wrote this report, I quit my job and started working for the competitor. After I quit, many others were harassed by the GM and quit because of it. I go back from time to time... And everything is the same. The first time I went back, there was a corn snake drowning in it's dirty water bowl because there was tape wrapped around it's body and it was stuck to the bowl. A customer alerted the manager who sent someone to check on the snake. The customer and I chatted and he said he notice it was a regular thing for the dishes to be dirty. The second time, it was a busy Friday night and I was asked to bag crickets and help customers because there were only 3 people scheduled. The third time, I noticed that whoever opened in the morning forgot to put the water bottles back into all the cages of small animals. They had been without water the whole day. Once again, even though I am not longer an employee, the manager asked me to help out by making sure all the animals in the store were okay and had food and water. I obliged. The fourth time, I was asked by a manager if I could assist a customer regarding aquatic turtles because there was only two people working. It happens every time I go to visit... I end up helping out. I'm happier at my new job where the animals are taken care of, the cages cleaned weekly, food and water changed daily and animals checked on every hour, and fish healthy as can be. We have two sick animals in our back rooms. One is a fish , and one is a finch... Both returned AND they have already seen a vet. We always have enough employees. I have been promoted, given raises in the five months I've been there, and I've become full time. It's amazing how a great GM can make a store. It's amazing how proper training can make a store. It's great that being positive can make everything better. It's great to be appreciated and be told everyday how valuable you are either by customers or coworkers. It's an amazing difference. I'll never look back.
Influence Change
Reseda,#3UPDATE Employee
Mon, July 28, 2008
I have been working for Petco for several years. I started as a part time cashier and have moved up to GM. I've seen my share of bad stores and regardless of my position, I always tried to be a part of positive change rather than negative. I've been in stores where my GM did not care, but you would have never known it because one person does not make a store bad. Instead of being a part of the problem I would urge you to be a part of the solution. Don't waste time complaining about everything that is wrong, instead work together with your co-workers to get the store back on track. As a store associate you have a responsibility to the animals to ensure they are taken care of properly. You will never loose your job for doing what is in the best interest of the animals. I recently took over a store that is in shambles....The GM was fired as well, in fact I used to work for him and he was very lazy and did not do a good job. But while I worked for him me and the other associates would make sure the store and the animals were taken care of because we cared about them both. Now that I am going to clean up his store I have many of the same issues your GM probally has. I have associates who are full time but call out regularly. This leaves us short handed. I have no choice but to staff the store with PT's so when they do call out I have others to come in to cover shifts. I'm being perceived as a tyrant and many other bad things. I struggle with the stress that trying to fix a broken store comes with but I love animals and I love working for Petco. I'm proud of how my old store is running despite me leaving. At the new store I'm trying to develop the staff so that together we can fix the store and make it a place we are proud to work at and customers love to shop at. I know who your old GM was and I know your new GM. I have the same struggles they do. I look at the staff here and I wonder how they let this store get this bad. I understand it was poor leadership from the prior GM but what about everyone else? I know that I will fix this store. No question in my mind! I just wonder who will be around to reap the benefits.....and who won't. So, talk to your GM. Open the lines of communication and don't be accusatory or defensive. You and your GM are both animal lovers, WE ALL ARE! I'm sure if you approach her the right way it will help to influence positive change, or at the very least make you understand why certain things are being done. By communicating with her it will let her see that her methods may not be the best way to do things but she might be open to your opinion as an associate as long as you approach her with respect. You have no idea the stress GM's face today. With the economy the way it is it will only get worse. I miss my old store and the support I would receive from them, but I look forward to creating the same for the new store.