So, as another middle-aged, child-rearing, suburb living, car driving liberal (I don’t run my own business but my husband does–does that count?), I don’t have any problem with Walmart making a profit. And I believe they fulfill a much needed role in providing goods to low income people that they would not be able to afford otherwise. But do they have to be so greedy with their profits? I mean, if your top level execs are making multi-millions, would it hurt to offer at least moderate health care coverage for your workers? Other benefits? How many mansions in the Alps does one CEO need, anyway?
I have only stepped foot–grugingly–into Walmart on a handful of occasions and I certainly agree that it’s not a pleasant shopping environment. The stores are chaos and the parking lot even worse–people seem to lose their minds and manners driving to Walmart. There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…
Randomly enough, by contrast, I walked into a Best Buy the other day, which was doing decent business, and was greeted sincerely by a cashier as I walked in. The department that I found myself lost in had a person stocking shelves who stopped what she was doing and asked me if I needed help. She walked me across the store to find the item I was searching for. My kids were with me and she offered to cut a balloon down for each of them from a display nearby that sent them both into heaven.
I know someone that works for Best Buy so I know they have a nice benefits package, good pay scale, good sales training and they really reward hard work, dedication and a customer service mentality. They are also making a hefty profit. So why is rampant unchecked capitalism better than sizeable profit with a heart?
