As we are rapidly approaching the holiday season, we have scheduled hiring to begin next week. This raises a few concerns about Heidi being on the hiring team, as well as a training buddy for the new associates. As you know, we need to hire top talent this year due to our new High Performance Selling. It is up to us, four managers, to find that top talent, and I wanted to discuss a few of my concerns with you .
Just recently, I was at a public place and was approached by someone asking whether I was still working at Limited Brands. When I said yes, she quickly began telling me about the poor customer service she had received at our store from one of our staff members called Heidi. She stated that she tried to find someone for help, but no one was around to help her, and then she was just about to purchase a 4 oz. candle wanted to buy a 4oz. candle and had it in her hand when Heidi approached her and told her she was not allowed to buy it. The customer said, “she had never been talked to so rudely” at our store before. I also know from my own personal experience that Heidi is not a team player and seems to work better independently, which makes me uncomfortable to be put on a team with her. I am worried she is not going to have the best judge of character when it comes to holiday hiring and that she will set a poor example when she is a training buddy to the new on-boarding associates. I want to raise my concern to the store manager about the comments I have, but I get shot down every time I do so. I know you have had some issues with her in the past and I wanted your feedback on the issues I have raised.
I do have more examples to supportfor my concern, but I do not want to overload your email. I am also just looking for a way to make her improve at work. I look forward to hearing back from you. I really value your feedback. Please let me know if you need any additional information.
Thanks,
Sales Leader
Limited Brands
Phone: (509) 670-0416
Limited Brands, Inc. #1369
Phone
October 1, 2014
ATTENTION: Cindy Barbosa
As the holiday season is quickly \approaching, the company is starting to schedule more hours to get us ready to become to go so we can be #1 in sales this year. A huge part of our success comes from seasonal associates because they are going to get us through this next season. Our company puts a lot of time and effort into the total customer experience and I am concerned with a key player we have on our team to help pick out the seasonal help.
Last week on Sept 28th, I was at an appointment and I had someone approach me and ask if I was still employed at Limited Brands. When I told her that I was still employed there, she immediately changed attitudes and told me her about her less than pleasurable experience with Heidi . She stated that she needed assistance and no one was around to help her, she grabbed a tester candle “with a price tag on it” from the wallflower wall and wanted to purchase it, but Heidi told her that we “simply wouldn’t sell her the candle,” but not anything specific about why she wouldn’t sell her the candle. I explained to her that normally we needed to check in the backroom to make sure we had enough stock but that we could, indeed, sell her the candle. She said that she did not really want to shop for a while, but said she would come in if the store manager was working.
Another reason I am worried about Heidi being part of the hiring team and being a training buddy is because on multiple occasions I have I’ve seen her take credit for other workers’ sales just because she greeted the customer when they walked in the door. Lastly, whenever opening after her, the required closing tasks are never completed. The garbage is never taken out, the counters are never clean, and the store is always messy. This is not setting a prime example for the on boarding associates.
I wanted to touch on the most important facts before hiring officially starts. I think it would be in the best interest of the company if we had have a plan of action put into place on what the roles and responsibilitiesy of the hiring and training managers should be of the girls hiring and training. I want to win this holiday season and make our store number onebe the number one store in the company again. Please e-mail me back if you have any further questions or if I can provide you with any other facts or information.
I look forward to hearing from you soon and would appreciate a quick response due to hiring starting in two weeks.
Best wishes,
Sales Leader
Limited Brands #1369
MEMORANDUM
As you required for our writing assignment, I have put together an arguable claim letter against a co-worker at Limited Brands, Inc. in East Wenatchee. The original issue was with a sales leader, named Heidi, who has concerning qualities. Normally, I let them slide but she is part of the holiday hiring team this year and is expected to be a training buddy. We need to hire and train top talent in order to ensure our number one spot in our region for the entire company this holiday season.
Before writing the claim letter, I wrote the co-manager a quick email to discuss the issues I was noticing in Heidi’s behavior. I then went on to write the District Manager for region #70 a claim letter. I took an indirect approach because the nature of the claim is arguable. I was professional with my tone and was persuasive because I have the needs of the company in my best interest. I supported my claim with evidence against Heidi. I was able to provide a recent encounter with a customer that was unsatisfied with Heidi’s customer service when the company spends millions of dollars to have training on total customer experience. I also gave specific examples of which closing tasks are not being completed each night.
In the claim letter, I only had one audience member and I spoke to her needs, which are making our store number one. I was persuasive in proving claims on why I do not believe Heidi should be a part of the holiday hiring team or a training buddy. I asked for a quick response in the matter because hiring is going to starting within the next two weeks.
I hope I provided all the information you requested. Please let me know if you need anything further.
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