Just shy of a year ago, I was promoted to a new position that was supposed to enhance sales within Macy's. This was a corporate sponsored position, which means that select stores across the country would have dedicated personnel to provide more personalized customer service. I and three other women (whom I've known for years) were chosen for this role at our store. While I had my doubts about my level of patience required for this position, I accepted it as a challenge. Over the course of the following months, I purchased better quality clothing and shoes to reflect my new role. I wanted this position to succeed and dressing the part was an important ingredient.
Yeah.
Right off the bat, all four of us were tasked with running racks of clothing back to where they belonged, cleaning and folding merchandise, covering lunch breaks and department shortages. Pretty much everything EXCEPT one-on-one sales. The business cards we were supposed to get never materialized. My better wardrobe was a risk of being ruined, so I stopped wearing them and dressed down. I addressed my concerns with our store vice president at the time. He assured me that once staffing was at optimal levels, we would be freed up to do our new jobs. News update: he retired a few months later. And staffing never increased. Meanwhile, we heard rumors that other people in our position at other locations were allowed to perform their job duties. The new store vice president only lasted four months before she quit. She was nice, but politely ignored us. The next new store vice president promised to meet with us after inventory was over.
Inventory just finished. So were our jobs.
For now, I'm still employed at Macy's. Kind of a "Girl Friday" way. Pretty much as I have been for the past year. Come Spring, they will roll out a "new" recovery team for the whole store. We've had a recovery team in the past and it didn't last long. So, it looks like I may have another year with Macy's before they decide to lay me off. I could have accepted the severance package that was also offered to me, but I want to leave on my terms, not Macy's.
Here's what is getting at me. The previous position was never given a chance to work. We never had management buy-in. We were never truly permitted to do our jobs as they were described to us. I can't enhance sales if I'm running go-backs all day. I can't escort a hapless customer to the right department if I'm tethered to a cash register. I had a few ideas of how to make these positions more productive and customer-centric. I had a couple of success stories I wanted to share.
Gone.
I've seen this with some of the other positions the management team dreamed up. Brand/Department specialists - no longer around. Shop Captains - never had any teeth to the position. Bridal consultants - gone. It seems that someone dreams up these things but no one has any investment in the idea. I feel my time (not to mention my money) has been wasted.
The easy answer here is to find another job. Well, things are more complicated than that in our household. Due to my husband's increasing health issues, now I'm on intermittent family leave. This is so I can be available to help my husband when he needs me and not lose my job. While I'm on FMLA, I am not allowed to look for another job, nor can I be self-employed. So, my hands are tied for the foreseeable future.
All I can do is take one day at a time. I have to trust God on this and leave it in His hands.
But, I'm still mad.
