I don't expect Walmart to sing songs and hold hands. However, I do
expect them to treat employees and customers fairly, and with respect.
Not doing so hurts you in the long run. I am part of a large and growing
group of people that shops at Walmart only when I can't find what I need
anywhere else. This has nothing to do with 'nice'. It's only good
business to be a good business. Customers and employees remember how they
were treated. Treating people well benefits business as much as brutal
cost cutting, but in less bean counter measureable ways. Though for long
time. Which would you rather have, everyone in the country shop at your
store once, or 10% of them shop for a lifetime?
Being 'nice' isn't all about touchy feely. It's about good business, and
it returns on you. There have been a lot of stories lately in the media
about the steady growth and profitability of companies that are praised
by their employees and customers for being good to them.

Personally, I'd like a medium sized local store, with well treated
employees that are happy, knowledgeable, and helpful. Who know my name
and my shopping habits than a self checkout machine.

Even animals learn the lesson "Don't sh** where you eat" so why can't
some companies?

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Tony Smith"
  To: "'Microcontroller discussion list - Public.'"
  Subject: RE: [OT] I wonder what company would let such a product
  outthedoor.Naw, it couldn't be ...
  Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 01:56:31 +1100


  > Finally someone hits the nail on the head. And it's not just
  > cashiers, it's less people in shipping, stock, warehousing,
  > inventory, etc.
  > It's no wonder Walmart is a big proponent of RFID. Those cheap
  > SOB's do anything they acn to cut costs and eliminate jobs.


  Actually, the nail was 'will pushing a full cart thru the checkout
  scan
  properly', and the answer is 'maybe'. That there will be jobs losses
  etc is
  a given.

  And so what? Technology always shuffles the job market around. The
  wheel
  tapper is long dead, the typing pool drained, the tea lady has
  shuffled off
  into the distance and the typewriter repairman is looking around
  nervously.

  Personally, I think the typing pool & the tea lady should be
  resurrected.

  My job didn't exist 20 years ago, and probably neither did yours.
  Some of
  my previous jobs (draftsman (maps), fitter & turner) barely exist
  now.
  Microchip itself barely existed back then, let alone the PIC and
  everything
  it represents. What was everyone on this list doing back then?

  What are Wal-Mart supposed to do, sing songs in the park & hand out
  flowers?

  Wal-Mart competes on price alone. That means screwing down costs as
  far as
  they can get them, across every facet of their operation. Less staff
  is
  part of that. There's a hint of elitism in the cry 'The cashier will
  loose
  her job!', insinuating that they're not fit for anything else. Poor
  old
  Cletus, he only knows two things, running a till and the banjo, and
  string
  pickin' just ain't a decent way to learn a livin'.

  RFID is too expensive at the moment to become widespread, once it
  gets below
  a cent things will change. At that point Wal-Mart (and everyone else)
  will
  say: "You have 6 months to tag your stock, or we drop it". Same thing
  happened with bar codes 20 years ago.

  Tony

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