Most Hated U.S. Businesses

[Foxfyre]

Probably BP now heads most lists of most hated businesses in America right now, but lately Wal-Mart is right up there at or near the top of every such list I've seen for the last several years.

The Albuquerque Journal puts out a little "Business Outlook" tabloid every Monday. That part isn't on line so I can't provide a link, but today's issue provided these facts:

New Mexico nonprofits received $380K in Walmart grants in the past week including:
--Cancer Services of NM - $25,000
--Economic Council Helping Others Inc. food bank - $25,000
--Heart Gallery of NM (older children foster children adoption agency) - $25,000
--La Familia Medical Center (providing medical services to the poor) - $50,000
--NM Wildlife Association - $25,000
--Roadrunner Foodbank - $75,000
--Special Olympics - $25,000
--The Storehouse (another food/thrift bank) - $30,000
--Association of Food Banks - $100,000

In the fiscal year ending Jan 31, 2010 Walmart and its foundation donated more than $5.8 million to NM to N.M. organizations including $315,000 it helped collect as donations for worthy causes.
--Albuquerque Journal - Business Outlook - Page 3

Now if Wal-mart does that in our relatively sparsely populated state, I imagine it does much more in your state.

Is any other major corporation doing this kind of public service? What's to hate?

 

[Madeline]

Personally, I hate the Hasbro Toy Company, manufacturer of the My Little Pony collection.

 

[masquerade]

Currently, I hate Sears.

Their customer service (IMHO) has declined considerably over the years. When the warranty is up on my washing machine, I will no longer have anything to do with Sears. My business with them is done.

 

[boedicca]

What's to hate? Big Government types hate those who are successful and independent from the government.

 

[Foxfyre]

Personally, I hate the Hasbro Toy Company, manufacturer of the My Little Pony collection.

Okay, why?

 

[Foxfyre]

Currently, I hate Sears.

Their customer service (IMHO) has declined considerably over the years. When the warranty is up on my washing machine, I will no longer have anything to do with Sears. My business with them is done.

I think I'm right there with you Masquerade. After a long string of grievances the most recent was this past week. The expensive treadmill we brought from them has quit working and when we called to see what we could do, they agreed to send somebody out for $95 which we would pay whether they could fix it or not. Any work they did on it would be on top of that.

 

[manifold]

Perhaps Wal-mart would be better liked if instead of making these charitable donations they used that money to pay their employees a living wage and provide them with healthcare coverage.

 

[Foxfyre]

What's to hate? Big Government types hate those who are successful and independent from the government.

But there are so many they could go after in addition to Wal-mart. But Wal-mart seems to be a particularly favorite target.

I'm in Zogby's on line polling group and receive intermittant polls about this or that. But whether the poll is about Presidential or Congressional approval or upcoming elections or religion or opinions about this or that policy or assessment of whatever products, there will invariably be included a totally unrelated question: "How often do I shop at Wal-mart."

So somebody is paying them to track it. And I'm guessing that somebody isn't Wal-mart.

 

[Foxfyre]

Perhaps Wal-mart would be better liked if instead of making these charitable donations they used that money to pay their employees a living wage and provide them with healthcare coverage.

All the Wal-marts around here are paying well above minimum wage and comparable to other similar retail outlets and provide some attractive stock options for all employees that others do not. I would guess that is the case everywhere. And there are people waiting in line to get hired--no 'help wanted' signs in any of the windows. So that can't be it.

Wal-mart also has provided healthcare coverage for all fulltime employees since 2006 and makes it available to part timers who usually decline because of cost, but that also is very typical of all the similar type retailers. Wal-mart initially suggested phasing out part timers and going to all fulltime employees because of the healthcare issue and accusations of not paying a living wage, but most of their part timers are part timers because they WANT to be part times and that idea got shelved.

So that isn't it. That is probably part of the ammo used by Wal-mart hates to attack them, but that isn't itl.

 

[Madeline]

Currently, I hate Sears.

Their customer service (IMHO) has declined considerably over the years. When the warranty is up on my washing machine, I will no longer have anything to do with Sears. My business with them is done.

I think I'm right there with you Masquerade. After a long string of grievances the most recent was this past week. The expensive treadmill we brought from them has quit working and when we called to see what we could do, they agreed to send somebody out for $95 which we would pay whether they could fix it or not. Any work they did on it would be on top of that.

Sears has been the worst IMO, but all the mid-line retailers seem to think that eliminating sales staff and degrading customer service is the pathway to profits. I despise them all.

 

[masquerade]

Currently, I hate Sears.

Their customer service (IMHO) has declined considerably over the years. When the warranty is up on my washing machine, I will no longer have anything to do with Sears. My business with them is done.

I think I'm right there with you Masquerade. After a long string of grievances the most recent was this past week. The expensive treadmill we brought from them has quit working and when we called to see what we could do, they agreed to send somebody out for $95 which we would pay whether they could fix it or not. Any work they did on it would be on top of that.

We had multiple customer service people calling us daily, asking if the 'part' had arrived yet. After almost two weeks, a customer service person phoned with a follow-up to the repair work on the washer. Keeping in mind here ... the stupid part hadn't arrived yet! More talk ... blah .. blah .. blah ... someone will be out at your house tomorrow between 8-12. Well, 12:00 came and went and that's when I got on the phone. ( husband had dealt with it up until that point) I'll spare you the details of that colorful conversation, but I do hope that the manager I waited on hold for for 20 minutes, took my comments regarding their customer service, back to his superiors. I won't ever know, because like I said, I will never do business with Sears again.

 

[Samson]

Perhaps Wal-mart would be better liked if instead of making these charitable donations they used that money to pay their employees a living wage and provide them with healthcare coverage.

Didn't a Universal Healthcare Bill pass across Obama's desk only a few months ago?

Doesn't the Federal Gov't set a Minimum Wage?

Perhaps if a Wal-Mart Employee is unhappy with their benefit package, they could go to work for someone else: I understand there's plenty of manufacturing jobs in China.

 

[Madeline]

Samson, we need life sustaining jobs for unskilled workers. Walmarts fall short. Ergo, many of us hate Walmarts....but they are hardly alone. Far too many employers in this "service economy" are no better.

 

[Samson]

Samson, we need life sustaining jobs for unskilled workers. Walmarts fall short. Ergo, many of us hate Walmarts....but they are hardly alone. Far too many employers in this "service economy" are no better.

I wasn't aware that all Wal-Mart employees were living in cardboard boxes and eating out of trash cans.

Like, what do you suggest unskilled workers do to "sustain their lives?"

I don't suppose LEARNING A SKILL may be on the list of solutions.

 

[Madeline]

What skill do you suggest a Walmart employee go get, Samson? I have a kidlet of my own I'm trying to launch, with a BA and an MA, and still, no clear path. I'm sure eventually things will smooth out for her, but not every kidlet is as intelligent or school-oriented.

Maybe Walmarts deserves all the animosity I feel for them, maybe not....but I think the young deserve our compassion.

 

[Ravi]

Why does Walmart need our love?

 

[Foxfyre]

The thing is most Wal-mart employees don't think Wal-mart falls short, and that's why they work there. Everybody who works doesn't NEED to earn what you or I would consider a 'living wage'.

Why is it Wal-mart's obligation to pay people more than they need to in order to hire people? Nobody else does no matter what business it is.

I would think it important that there is honest work made available for unskilled labor as most of us at some time in our life have BEEN unskilled labor and needed a place to plug into to develop a work ethic, obtain skills, acquire references so that we could move up and beyond unskilled labor.

In 2009 Wal-mart was paying an average hourly wage of $11.24/hour. Sears, by comparison, is paying their floor sales people between $6 & $9/hour.

 

[Samson]

Why does Walmart need our love?

Maybe they simply want to contribute to the communities in which they do business?

 

[Samson]

The thing is most Wal-mart employees don't think Wal-mart falls short, and that's why they work there. ....

In 2009 Wal-mart was paying an average hourly wage of $11.24/hour. Sears, by comparison, is paying their floor sales people between $6 & $9/hour.

You realise you're making entirely too much sense.

 

[Foxfyre]

Hey I have an idea.

Since everybody thinks Wal-mart pays pitiful wages and aren't paying a 'living wage' even though they are paying more than most retail outlets, and. . . .

Since everybody thinks it is Wal-mart's duty and ONLY Wal-mart's duty to pay a living wage. . . .

How about we just get Obama and the Congress to establish a minimum wage that is a 'living wage'.

How much should that be? Give me a number so I can call it in as a suggestion.

And once in place, then Wal-mart will have to pay it. Of course everybody else will too.

And while you're figuring the number we need to shoot for here, the rest of us can be considering:

--You can live luxuriously in Borger TX or Salina KS on a modest fraction of the money it takes for the same standard of living in San Francisco or New York City.

--Once minimum wage exceeds the wage that employees have worked for and earned, there is probably going to be some disgruntled employees unless they are given comparable wages over mnimum wage.

--And once that happens, inflation in the form of much higher prices for everything will wipe out much or all or more than the increase in wages.

--the the 'poor' will still be just as 'poor' in comparison to the rich.

So what will we have gained?