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News & ArtsThursday, March 5, 2009
Books Still Breaking Borders
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Mar 5, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Borders laid off 742 employees nationwide today. Most stores lost at least one low-level employee. None of the store managers were laid off. Which is funny, because in my four years' experience at Borders, the store managers were the people who needed to be laid off the most.
2
i was there for 6 years, and i second paul's comment about management being (sometimes) the most in need of a layoff.
3
yeah, that's real hilarious. i wonder why they didn't put more low-level employees in charge.
i can imagine you were the most annoying low-level employee Borders had ever seen. seems your giant attitude problem and arrogant disdain for any sort of mass-market or big-box book store would be a real asset.
but i'm sure you know what's best for their business. i mean, you write for THE STRANGER. wow.
i can imagine you were the most annoying low-level employee Borders had ever seen. seems your giant attitude problem and arrogant disdain for any sort of mass-market or big-box book store would be a real asset.
but i'm sure you know what's best for their business. i mean, you write for THE STRANGER. wow.
4
@3: An MBA who can't find the shift key and spends his time antagonizing former low-level employees in blog comments. Sounds about right.
5
@4 the "Slog MBA" was directed at Paul.
The guy who knows what's best for Border's business even though he hated working there.
I don't have an MBA or a shift key.
The guy who knows what's best for Border's business even though he hated working there.
I don't have an MBA or a shift key.
6
Retail managers who are not only competent but also dedicated to their job are kind of the exception to the rule. I'm not knocking the work, but if you have the talent and ambition to do something more rewarding and less frustrating, you almost certainly will. So, obviously the retail chains are looking for managers who are A) Not terrible at their job and B) Don't have the talent and ambition to move on to something better.
And layoffs always target those with the least seniority or have the least responsibility. Why? Because those are quantifiable factors that can be used in court should a former employee file a wrongful termination suit. Laying off those who've been with the store for years and have been trusted with the store's top level of authority would put the chain at risk of enormous liabilty. The vague sense that another employee would make a "better" manager probably won't shield the company should the laid off manager decide to make it about their race, gender or sexuality.
I am not a lawyer.
And layoffs always target those with the least seniority or have the least responsibility. Why? Because those are quantifiable factors that can be used in court should a former employee file a wrongful termination suit. Laying off those who've been with the store for years and have been trusted with the store's top level of authority would put the chain at risk of enormous liabilty. The vague sense that another employee would make a "better" manager probably won't shield the company should the laid off manager decide to make it about their race, gender or sexuality.
I am not a lawyer.
7
You know, if they laid off all the management at Borders, I seriously doubt anyone would notice.
Well, except for the customers who would get better service.
Well, except for the customers who would get better service.
8
While I have no opinion about Borders other than to say once I bought my Sony EBook there, I havent been back in any bookstore in over a year:
It does bring to mind the year we had a severe blizzard warning and the word was put out from upper management of our hospital that non-essential personel should be sent home. the only people who went home were the upper management and all the Nurse managers except for me.
I believe the comment at the time was 'at least they know they arent essential'.
It does bring to mind the year we had a severe blizzard warning and the word was put out from upper management of our hospital that non-essential personel should be sent home. the only people who went home were the upper management and all the Nurse managers except for me.
I believe the comment at the time was 'at least they know they arent essential'.
9
Look at it this way: When all the bookstores have gone under, and all the publishing houses have gone tits-up (say, in about six months at the rate we're going), The Stranger won't be needing a book reviewer any more.
10
Untrue unless "managers" is specifying general managers - most Borders stores are structured with at least 3-4 upper managers - merchandise manager, sales manager, human resources manager, etc - a store I used to work on had a 12 year veteran sales manager and an 8 year veteran merchandising manager laid off today. I wouldn't consider them low-level employees.
It's the general managers and district managers that need to go... I recall watching a pair of them stand on the floor for an hour and a half one day trying to decide whether or not to move a pylon six inches to the right.
It's the general managers and district managers that need to go... I recall watching a pair of them stand on the floor for an hour and a half one day trying to decide whether or not to move a pylon six inches to the right.
11
Having actually worked with Paul at the Borders store he mentioned, I have to agree with his assessment. We went through a few managers during our time there, including one who was obviously failing in her job and had no rapport at all with anyone, and was rewarded for this by being promoted to a position as regional manager. The next manager we got was a real ass-hat, who used painful terms like "no-brainer" or "product" (when referring to books) in every other conversation. He might as well have been selling widgets, for all he cared -- and while that mentality may work for short-term thinking, it's not successful in the long run.
Some of the lower level folks, however, were incredibly capable and creative in their work, continually came up with good ideas for the store, and could spot trends much more capably than the corporate folks in Ann Arbor. A few of them made it further up, but generally, store managers were transfers from other stores.
Some of the lower level folks, however, were incredibly capable and creative in their work, continually came up with good ideas for the store, and could spot trends much more capably than the corporate folks in Ann Arbor. A few of them made it further up, but generally, store managers were transfers from other stores.
12
As a former Borders employee of 4 years, I concur. Like another commenter said, the staff managers don't deserve to get laid off. In my experience, they tend to be hardworking and very knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. The General Manager I worked under was dumb, stubborn, mean and insufferable. There is some justice; last I heard, she was being escorted out of her own store by security.
13
Borders bought online ebook seller fictionwise this morning, for $15.7 million... interesting comparison.
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/arti…
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/arti…
14
@1, 3 and others-- look: I'm sick of watching you turds jump all over Paul about the book biz; more than ANY OTHER previous Book editor at The Stranger (or probably any other newspaper in the country), Paul is the most qualified to comment on the travails of a) the publishing industry b) book retailing c) indie vs chain discussions... so shut up.
I've been in the Book Biz Almost 20 years, and having worked at a Crown Books waaaay back in the day, I agree with Paul's comment about upper management-- I was one of those at one point and my Store manager was next to useless; most promotion at chains happen because you've been there the longest and you're willing to tow the draconian party line about employee management (which includes spying on their interactions with customers)...
It's sound reasoning to say that upper management (yes, esp. on a district level) needs to weeded out... They earn much more than the regular employees, and often don't contribute to the creative life of a store (usually they spend most of their time turning down suggestions by employees)... but the major point that Borders is missing--because all corporates have this philosophy about keeping the power in the hands of the few-- is that if they want to bounce back they have to *share* responsibilities with the floor employees, especially the buying of the books...
Almost all Indie booksellers are Jack (and Jill) of all trades, the wealth of responsibilities is spread out amongst most, if not all; ironically this is a tactic not borne of altruism but sheer necessity.
I've been in the Book Biz Almost 20 years, and having worked at a Crown Books waaaay back in the day, I agree with Paul's comment about upper management-- I was one of those at one point and my Store manager was next to useless; most promotion at chains happen because you've been there the longest and you're willing to tow the draconian party line about employee management (which includes spying on their interactions with customers)...
It's sound reasoning to say that upper management (yes, esp. on a district level) needs to weeded out... They earn much more than the regular employees, and often don't contribute to the creative life of a store (usually they spend most of their time turning down suggestions by employees)... but the major point that Borders is missing--because all corporates have this philosophy about keeping the power in the hands of the few-- is that if they want to bounce back they have to *share* responsibilities with the floor employees, especially the buying of the books...
Almost all Indie booksellers are Jack (and Jill) of all trades, the wealth of responsibilities is spread out amongst most, if not all; ironically this is a tactic not borne of altruism but sheer necessity.
15
ha! i worked at borders for 2 years - opened their first flag ship store in NYC - the WTC (building #5). i liked some of the managers - but when we decided to unionize that all changed - it was the ugliest thing i ever witnessed - and i sat at the bargaining table - where borders didn't bargain in good faith. the GM of the store got fired and the VP of the territory got demoted to GM of another NYC store. they even blacklisted everyone who worked there. i know of only one person who worked there who ever got to work at borders again - in san francisco - after being told under no certain circumstances were they to discuss unions with anyone there or they would be immediately dismissed. all this from the company tht pretended it was all "hippie" like and that their employees were one big family. whatever. at least working there you could wear jeans and sneakers and a tshirt. unlike barnes and noble which makes you wear slacks and shoes and button down shirts or blouses.
16
translation: all of us spent years trying to make manager at borders and none of us could cut it. still bitter. thanks for asking.
seems a teeny bit improbable that there are so many of you running around with the solution to the woes of the publishing biz but nobody would listen because theyre all so incompetent and evil. how come none of you geniuses didnt start your own store and take over the world if you have all the answers and they all suck?
seems a teeny bit improbable that there are so many of you running around with the solution to the woes of the publishing biz but nobody would listen because theyre all so incompetent and evil. how come none of you geniuses didnt start your own store and take over the world if you have all the answers and they all suck?
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