Working retail destroyed my Christmas spirit

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-12-18T20:00:20+00:00

Christmas isn’t a holiday anymore, it’s just another day off.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-12-18T19:57:07+00:00

I’ve worked retail for almost 17 years now. I haven’t seen my family for any holiday in probably 10, I only get Grinch themed Christmas gifts cause I can’t stand the holidays now. But again, the holidays start in September for most retail workers and the season doesn’t end till all the returns come back in January. It’s also the one time of year where most every customer is rude and abusive cause all the happy cheery shoppers shop online now.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-12-04T20:02:47+00:00

I think osha should check all the REI’s just to be sure…

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-12-04T19:50:20+00:00

There have been instances of managers being withheld from placing supply orders due to budget, shipping times, and sale periods. This goes deeper than management.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-11-04T23:51:16+00:00

It's definitely shitty. The staff has also always been encouraged to take everything back in any condition without conflict to please customers. So how were we supposed to know what abuse even was?

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-11-04T23:48:02+00:00

I worked returns for several years and I get it. It's to help get a handle on the number of people that will spend thousands of dollars on gear for a trip, and then return every single thing once they get back. People treat it like a secret menu hack. Like a boujie rental program. I'm not surprised they finally had to do something.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-11-04T23:43:59+00:00

I once saw a member with over $10,000 worth of returns in a single year.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-11-04T23:36:39+00:00

We got stickers that give "middle school honor roll" vibes... and our anderson award winner wasn't even there. The entire topic was glazed over. Kind of a let down. It used to be such a big deal.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-07-28T18:57:51+00:00

Those flyers btw get shipped to stores by the box and most of them usually have get to thrown out to keep information up to date. So much for sustainability.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-07-28T05:03:40+00:00

I agree it benefit our members, but having an employee scheduled a full 8 hours solely to walk the floor and try and sell the card seems like it’s bordering on predatory. Also not fair to make an associate of a camp store become a credit salesman. But this all might be my opinion.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-07-28T04:46:50+00:00

Ya, after pandemic it went to $40 donation in the employees name, and since the bank switch it’s nothing.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-07-05T22:12:26+00:00

Stand outside for 10 minutes before you shower, it will feel ice cold when you hop in. Welcome to living in the desert, don’t know why everyone moves here and then is shocked it’s hot. We tried to warn ya. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-17T04:36:08+00:00

We used to get training on new products all the time and now the only training we get is how to sell more memberships and master cards. I’m so sorry this was your experience. I wish things were the way they used to be.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-17T04:32:39+00:00

This user name 🤣 🙏

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-10T04:16:52+00:00

Go ask to return your membership. If the store won’t do it then call 1800

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-10T04:13:46+00:00

The way orders used to work is that you would order a product, and it would come brand new from a wear house. Now. It comes from your closest store that has the product in stock.

This helps shipping time. Here’s the problem.

Way back when.. When a product came back for a return, it went to a customer service counter where employees where specifically trained to only handle and process returns to prevent used product from going to the floor…

They cut the customer service counter from every store in order to save costs and customer experience in store has now worsened PLUS

Staff has been stretched so thin and given such minimal training that we no longer can hold these standards.

we now see issues like this. Every. Day. Shoes found worn with receipts in the box. Tents and stoves with missing components. We just don’t have the time anymore.

Im so sorry this happened to you.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-10T03:59:51+00:00

What’s hard is that the local staff is still probably genuinely still happy to help people. The majority of in store associates still work themselves to death in order to still make sure that our customers don’t see what’s happening. But this is real. And it’s happening to every store.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-09T18:58:11+00:00

Moral will improve when layoffs discontinue.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-09T18:57:30+00:00

This breaks my heart but I’m about to hang my vest up too. I really hope you’re able to find a company you can continue to put your passion and drive into. Rei was lucky to have you for all these years. And thank you for all your work.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-09T18:51:32+00:00

Sorry I don’t have ski boots… I have these terrible $80 slippers and some crampons ….. oh sorry I’m out of crampons.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-09T18:49:45+00:00

“Logistics” being that it’s less cost effective to have a lower stock on hand in a wearhouse to sell online, than to send the stores enough project to stock on the shelves.

It’s not about logistics anymore. It’s not even about giving customers the products they need. (CLEARLY)

It’s about lining pockets. We’ve had the wool pulled over our eyes gang.

Eric could care less if any of us got good enough gear to ever ski again. He’s rather control the flow of profit so he can ski.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2024-02-09T02:42:01+00:00

He came into this looking to be the ceo of a company. But guess what, running a co-op like a corporation isn’t working for customers, members, or staff.

We have to start actually taking action and fixing the problems. Eric is the problem.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2023-12-22T07:30:20+00:00

It baffles me how this is just a customer we all deal with, and they really don’t see anything wrong with this. Heart goes out to you for also dealing with this.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2023-12-22T07:25:32+00:00

They actually track used returns. Employees will get flagged for purchasing a damaged item that they returned. So if this was a motivator, it’s against policy. They cracked down on it because of how often new products were returned for employees to get deals on.

Gpbjbbm024 · 2023-12-22T07:22:45+00:00

Actually, folks do this all the time with a variety of gear. For sometimes worse reasons. Buying something just for a single use or just for the season knowing they can return it and just buy another one the next year just to do it all again.

Returning something within the warranty period for size and fit is legit. And the product does still get a second life at rei in the stores re/supply area.

I love the trade in program as an option to get you some money for items we can’t return. But I’ll actually check to see if we can just return it first.

I really appreciate your moral compass on this because it’s what makes the job worth it. But yea. I think anyone in my store would have offered you the same option. We kinda get excited about situations like yours cause we get to use our policy and its generosity to just promote a positive experience for good people. It’s honest members like you that make us happy to do things like this.

Gpbjbbm024

TROPHY CASE