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Karstadt to make staff redundant
So I hear they're going to make a lot of staff redundant ... so now it will be near impossible to find a sales assistant.
I shouldn't laugh, because they're in serious difficulties, but
Perhaps if there was decent service in most of the shops here, I would go more often. I only buy clothes back home in England now, I have to admit, apart from the odd bit here and there at H&M.
Perhaps if there was decent service in most of the shops here, I would go more often. I only buy clothes back home in England now, I have to admit, apart from the odd bit here and there at H&M.
Apparantly they will close 77 of the 180 branches, that could entail laying off up to 20,000 people.
I find the sales 'assistants' generally unhelpful and brain-dead, do you think they will try and be more helpful, now their jobs are on the line? Doubt it.
Kaufhof is much the same, in fact a friend of mine calls it 'F*ckoff' as this name better describes the attitude of the staff to the customers.
I find the sales 'assistants' generally unhelpful and brain-dead, do you think they will try and be more helpful, now their jobs are on the line? Doubt it.
Kaufhof is much the same, in fact a friend of mine calls it 'F*ckoff' as this name better describes the attitude of the staff to the customers.
They'll meet their match at the Arbeitsamt...
Now there's a bunch of REAL miserable bastards.
Now there's a bunch of REAL miserable bastards.
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They'll meet their match at the Arbeitsamt...
Now there's a bunch of REAL miserable bastards
Now there's a bunch of REAL miserable bastards
ROFL
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Now there's a bunch of REAL miserable bastards
well it's no wonder really...they're all guaranteed jobs for life so they don't give a shit !
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well it's no wonder really...they're all guaranteed jobs for life so they don't give a shit !
Are you talking about the Karstadt employees or Arbeitsamt??
well I did mean Arbeitsamt... but it could apply to both ...apart from the jobs for life bit
I wonder how they'll choose who goes and who stays? Most unhelpful staff members first perhaps?...Too many to choose from!
1,200 jobs axed by P&O Sep 28 2004
480 Panasonic jobs lost Sep 28 2004
Question:are all these people
"unhelpful and brain-dead" too.
QUOTE
Shipping giant P&O is to close four of its 13 ferry routes with the loss of about 1,200 jobs.
Reducing the number of ships it operates from 31 to 23, the company said it would be closing all its Western Channel routes except Portsmouth-Bilbao.
The move, which is being bitterly opposed by shipping union the RMT, is expected to save A£55 million a year.
P&O said its tourist traffic had been "adversely affected by fewer day trips and the expansion of the low-cost airlines".
It added that on its Western Channel routes the number of ships operated will be reduced from six to one.
One of the surplus ships will be redeployed elsewhere, one will be redelivered to the owner and three will be chartered out - two to Brittany Ferries and the other subject to ongoing discussions with third parties.
On the Dover-Calais route, six ships will be operated compared with seven at present but, through rescheduling, service frequency and capacity in peak periods will be unchanged.
The company added that "new, more flexible manning arrangements and changes in work practices are proposed".
The company also said that as many as 350 jobs would be transferred.
Food group to shed 1,000 jobs Sep 28 2004Reducing the number of ships it operates from 31 to 23, the company said it would be closing all its Western Channel routes except Portsmouth-Bilbao.
The move, which is being bitterly opposed by shipping union the RMT, is expected to save A£55 million a year.
P&O said its tourist traffic had been "adversely affected by fewer day trips and the expansion of the low-cost airlines".
It added that on its Western Channel routes the number of ships operated will be reduced from six to one.
One of the surplus ships will be redeployed elsewhere, one will be redelivered to the owner and three will be chartered out - two to Brittany Ferries and the other subject to ongoing discussions with third parties.
On the Dover-Calais route, six ships will be operated compared with seven at present but, through rescheduling, service frequency and capacity in peak periods will be unchanged.
The company added that "new, more flexible manning arrangements and changes in work practices are proposed".
The company also said that as many as 350 jobs would be transferred.
QUOTE
Northern Foods is set to close two pastry factories with the loss of 1,060 jobs.
The group - best known for Fox's biscuits, Dalepak frozen foods and Goodfella's pizzas - revealed plans to shut its plants at Evesham in Worcestershire and London Road, Carlisle, next year.
The proposed move, which follows a cull of 30 senior management jobs already this year, is expected to generate annual savings of A£10 million.
Northern said production would be transferred to its other UK plants, which have received more investment in recent years and offer greater space for expansion.
Closing the two factories and other cost-cutting measures in the current financial year would lead to an exceptional charge of A£45 million, it added.
Food manufacturers have been forced to overhaul their production bases in order to protect margins against the backdrop of a price war in the supermarket sector.
Last week, Richmond Foods announced that the proposed closure of its ice cream factory at Ivybridge, near Plymouth. could lead to up to 175 jobs being lost.
In a trading update on Tuesday, Northern said underlying sales rose by 5.5% in the 11 weeks to September 18 and trading had remained in line with expectations.
The improvement compared with a 1.5% uplift in the 13 weeks to July 3 and reflected softer comparisons last year when the group adjusted to the loss of a major savoury products contract with Sainsbury's.
The cost of raw materials rose by 2% in the period, but Northern said this had been offset by a similar increase in selling prices.
The group - best known for Fox's biscuits, Dalepak frozen foods and Goodfella's pizzas - revealed plans to shut its plants at Evesham in Worcestershire and London Road, Carlisle, next year.
The proposed move, which follows a cull of 30 senior management jobs already this year, is expected to generate annual savings of A£10 million.
Northern said production would be transferred to its other UK plants, which have received more investment in recent years and offer greater space for expansion.
Closing the two factories and other cost-cutting measures in the current financial year would lead to an exceptional charge of A£45 million, it added.
Food manufacturers have been forced to overhaul their production bases in order to protect margins against the backdrop of a price war in the supermarket sector.
Last week, Richmond Foods announced that the proposed closure of its ice cream factory at Ivybridge, near Plymouth. could lead to up to 175 jobs being lost.
In a trading update on Tuesday, Northern said underlying sales rose by 5.5% in the 11 weeks to September 18 and trading had remained in line with expectations.
The improvement compared with a 1.5% uplift in the 13 weeks to July 3 and reflected softer comparisons last year when the group adjusted to the loss of a major savoury products contract with Sainsbury's.
The cost of raw materials rose by 2% in the period, but Northern said this had been offset by a similar increase in selling prices.
480 Panasonic jobs lost Sep 28 2004
QUOTE
Almost 500 workers at a Panasonic electronics plant are being issued with redundancy notices which were threatened earlier this year.
In January manufacturer Matsushita Electric, which trades as Panasonic, announced it was proposing to stop manufacturing colour televisions and set-top boxes in Cardiff by the end of 2004.
Plans to transfer production of the items to the Czech Republic were announced.
At the time, the company, which had a workforce of more than 1,000 in Cardiff, said "increasingly intense competition from global manufacturers and sharply falling prices" had prompted the proposal.
Around 600 job losses were initially threatened - but now the company says there would be 480 redundancy notices.
A company spokesman said: "We have started issuing redundancy notices. We expect the process to be over shortly.
In January manufacturer Matsushita Electric, which trades as Panasonic, announced it was proposing to stop manufacturing colour televisions and set-top boxes in Cardiff by the end of 2004.
Plans to transfer production of the items to the Czech Republic were announced.
At the time, the company, which had a workforce of more than 1,000 in Cardiff, said "increasingly intense competition from global manufacturers and sharply falling prices" had prompted the proposal.
Around 600 job losses were initially threatened - but now the company says there would be 480 redundancy notices.
A company spokesman said: "We have started issuing redundancy notices. We expect the process to be over shortly.
Question:are all these people
"unhelpful and brain-dead" too.
That means the ferry prices will go up again. Just a tip. If you book a P&O ferry, do it via the German language website, it is about 100 euros cheaper. Not that they are ripping the Brits off ...much.
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Question:are all these people
"unhelpful and brain-dead" too.
"unhelpful and brain-dead" too.
Not necessarily. Unless they work for Karstadt on the side, that is.
This thread has NOTHING to do with baiting the unemployed, for pity's sake! It's about slagging-off Karstadt employees, most of whom (WARNING: GENERALISATION!) deserve it...
Although I must add that being "braindead and unhelpful" usually offers a quick and effective route to unemployment (well, in a free market economy anyway).
Karstadt staff along with Arbeitsamt employees are the most miserable, unfriendly, and arrogant people you could ever meet! I am glad they are shutting them down if they were more customer friendly they might be getting more profits!
Why are you just limiting it to Karstadt & the Arbeitsamt?
Oh..I know there isn't enough room to list them all
Oh..I know there isn't enough room to list them all
What never fails to amaze me is that the Germans don't [seem to] do anything about customer service!
Their attitude is "Well if a customer wants it, they come and get it, and if not , then schade!"
Their attitude is "Well if a customer wants it, they come and get it, and if not , then schade!"
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What never fails to amaze me is that the Germans don't [seem to]do anything about customer service!
Though I have to say in the 6 years I have been here it has got better (but not in Karstadt or Kaufhof). I just find there are only extremes of service. Either its the Karstadt style, or they chase you round the shop trying to be helpful. There was one good small clothing shop in Frankfurt and the staff there were a little bit like the 'suits you' tailors from the Fast show. I went in to buy a couple of shirts, and the sales assistant pursued me around the shop with suggestions for matching ties and trousers. After a couple of minutes I just wanted to tell him to f*ck off, bur I thought it was better to encourage his attempts to give good service. I wonder how long he'd last in Kaufhof...
Not long after moving to Germany I was in an ECenter and asked a shop assistant if she could get me something from the highest shelf(being vertically challenged myself! ) and I couldn't see any steps/stools to help me. The reply was..rather brusquely of course "Can't you see I'm busy??!!"
It spoiled my whole day I remember and I was for skedaddling back to Bonnie Scotland I can tell you.
If that happens now I can give as good thanks to my enlightened german teacher!!
) and I couldn't see any steps/stools to help me. The reply was..rather brusquely of course "Can't you see I'm busy??!!" 
It spoiled my whole day I remember and I was for skedaddling back to Bonnie Scotland I can tell you.
If that happens now I can give as good thanks to my enlightened german teacher!!
Last year I was looking for a holiday in the winter period I went into Thomas Cook here and asked they replied "we have nothing in your price range" The thing is they didn't even know what my price range was they just presumed it!
Apart from agreeing about the miserable service which is downright s**t, there is a more serious note to the Karstadt problem.
The "assistants" are only the tip of the iceberg, there's thousands and thousands of people involved in the supply chain from manufacturing of goods over buying to marketing and not forgetting all the truckies who deliver the goods. The loss of sales for many factories and services will create huge holes in the economy and peoples pockets.
If nobody buys up Quelle, Neckermann, Sinn Leffers shops etc or they go bust, then it's even more of a huge cock-up. Ad agencys, repro studios, printers of catalogues will feel the pinch.
There's a bit more to think about than just the brain dead.
So thats my 2 cents worth for 2day
Mike
The "assistants" are only the tip of the iceberg, there's thousands and thousands of people involved in the supply chain from manufacturing of goods over buying to marketing and not forgetting all the truckies who deliver the goods. The loss of sales for many factories and services will create huge holes in the economy and peoples pockets.
are only the tip of the iceberg, there's thousands and thousands of people involved in the supply chain from manufacturing of goods over buying to marketing and not forgetting all the truckies who deliver the goods. The loss of sales for many factories and services will create huge holes in the economy and peoples pockets. If nobody buys up Quelle, Neckermann, Sinn Leffers shops etc or they go bust, then it's even more of a huge cock-up. Ad agencys, repro studios, printers of catalogues will feel the pinch.
There's a bit more to think about than just the brain dead.
So thats my 2 cents worth for 2day
Mike
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There's a bit more to think about than just the brain dead.
Very true, but they are the face that the customer sees and if that face is unhelpful or unfriendly then maybe the customer wont come back again. It takes a lot of work to build up a good reputation with customers, but it only required one cock-up or bad experience to detroy that reputation.
KarstadtQuelle have also diversified into other businesses, which during a recession probably was not a good idea. During recessions the retail industry normally gets hit pretty hard.
Mass layoffs aren't too common in Germany; it's something that they are simply not used to. No surprise that the unions are getting nervous. Can you imagine if VW have to lay off 30000?
@ Mick.
Yes, on a more serious note there has been severe errors made on the part of senior management. You know, if one of those senior managers nicked ie. an employees bag, they would be fined/prosecuted or if they commit a bad crime then they go to jail. However, the irony is that due to their incompetence, thousands of people are going to be ot of jobs and really have their lives ruined, and there's no punishment for them...just a nice big fat payoff!
Perhaps my view is a little simplistic in its explanation, but you do have to ask yourselves where should the line be drawn when such people really do ruin others lives!!
Yes, on a more serious note there has been severe errors made on the part of senior management. You know, if one of those senior managers nicked ie. an employees bag, they would be fined/prosecuted or if they commit a bad crime then they go to jail. However, the irony is that due to their incompetence, thousands of people are going to be ot of jobs and really have their lives ruined, and there's no punishment for them...just a nice big fat payoff!
Perhaps my view is a little simplistic in its explanation, but you do have to ask yourselves where should the line be drawn when such people really do ruin others lives!!
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Can you imagine if VW have to lay off 30000?
NEVER IN MY LIFETIME!!!
Ooops, sorry, I'm being a little too German... :$
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Last year I was looking for a holiday in the winter period I went into Thomas Cook here and asked they replied "we have nothing in your price range" The thing is they didn't even know what my price range was they just presumed it!
That's pretty common. You probably weren't dressed well enough...
I wear a suit to work and often go out to the shops at lunchtime. The treatment I get is totally different to that when I'm in the same shops in the evening, wearing my scruffy jeans and rugby shirt...
'Bit sad really...
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.just a nice big fat payoff! f
It is very frustrating when a CEO presides over a corporate fiasco, gets fired and walks away with a big wedge. Some of these people should get fired and pay money back to the company It's not going to happen though..
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Ooops, sorry, I'm being a little too German
Be careful of that, once you notice that you are starting to wear white socks with sandals, then you know it's time for therapy...
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you are starting to wear white socks
We germans never got white socks on wher did you get that then from ha
Sandals with socks, No Idea where I got that from...
Very stylish...
[img]http://www.sandalandsoxer.co.uk/pan1.jpg[/img]
Very stylish...
[img]http://www.sandalandsoxer.co.uk/pan1.jpg[/img]
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Be careful of that, once you notice that you are starting to wear white socks with sandals, then you know it's time for therapy...
Karstadt did a roaring trade in white socks ... :$ which probably explains a lot!
Basically the Germans have very serious probs with services, both in public service (beamter) and customer service (shops). People who work in these fields have no idea how to serve their customers at all.
Anyway I´ve noticed that the German younger generation is much different already from the older generation. 9 years ago when I first lived here I felt like living in the dyno era. The shops were old fashioned and the service was miserable. Nowdays we can also find nice shops with better service.
We all know that nobody will live forever. So just wait and see...
Anyway I´ve noticed that the German younger generation is much different already from the older generation. 9 years ago when I first lived here I felt like living in the dyno era. The shops were old fashioned and the service was miserable. Nowdays we can also find nice shops with better service.
We all know that nobody will live forever. So just wait and see...
QUOTE (Galatea @ Sep 29 2004, 04:39 PM)
We all know that nobody will live forever. So just wait and see...
Hi, I can't wait that long!
480 Panasonic jobs lost Sep 28 2004
<snip>
Plans to transfer production of the items to the Czech Republic were announced.
</sinp>
For the want of sounding really nasty to the welsh employees, I hope that my girlfriend's mum, & her mates (hello venda, venessa) actually manage to take over these jobs well.
Panasonic Pilsen is a very lage factory, and has very good staff, (and as a special bonus, they get to drink perfect Pilsener beer as soon as they leave work java script:emoticon(':)')
java script:emoticon(':)')... as much as I manage the Oktobefest at the moment).
Honestly though, the world is changining, I hope that the Welsh manage to find more work, but I'm also pleased that the Czechs manage to crawl a bit further out of communism. They really deserve a litle sucess, as they really manage to make much of it. Take a visit to Pilsen, the outskirts look really bad, but the centre is great!
Mark
QUOTE
Almost 500 workers at a Panasonic electronics plant are being issued with redundancy notices which were threatened earlier this year.
<snip>
Plans to transfer production of the items to the Czech Republic were announced.
</sinp>
For the want of sounding really nasty to the welsh employees, I hope that my girlfriend's mum, & her mates (hello venda, venessa) actually manage to take over these jobs well.
Panasonic Pilsen is a very lage factory, and has very good staff, (and as a special bonus, they get to drink perfect Pilsener beer as soon as they leave work java script:emoticon(':)')
java script:emoticon(':)')... as much as I manage the Oktobefest at the moment).
Honestly though, the world is changining, I hope that the Welsh manage to find more work, but I'm also pleased that the Czechs manage to crawl a bit further out of communism. They really deserve a litle sucess, as they really manage to make much of it. Take a visit to Pilsen, the outskirts look really bad, but the centre is great!
Mark
Isn't it ironic that Karstadt are announcing huge job losses and at the same time in todays paper was an extra supplement heralding "100 years of Karstadt Dortmund" with a big party with special events from today until the 16.10 and all sorts of shenanigans ...if I were a Karstadt employee I'd be really impressed !
Hi,
Just read in n-tv.de that the opposition parties, notably the FDP, are demanding government support for the retail industry! What do you make of that?
Now I'm no Tory boy, but if an entire industry (viz. Braunkohle in NRW) needs government support and tax breaks to survive then there must be something wrong.
You can't always blame "the government" for things that go wrong.
Lecture over.
Just read in n-tv.de that the opposition parties, notably the FDP, are demanding government support for the retail industry! What do you make of that?
Now I'm no Tory boy, but if an entire industry (viz. Braunkohle in NRW) needs government support and tax breaks to survive then there must be something wrong.
You can't always blame "the government" for things that go wrong.
Lecture over.
They seem to get the government involved in everything. Did you hear about them trying to get a law passed to force radio stations to play 30% german music.
What is the point of it? My favorite station doesn't play all this crap so thats why I listen to it!!!
Will this apply to BFBS???
What is the point of it? My favorite station doesn't play all this crap so thats why I listen to it!!!
Will this apply to BFBS???
hmm it wouls seem Karstadt have decided not to close any of the smaller stores after all ...I doubt if the service will improve though !
Next time you're in Karstadt's childrens dept. have a look and see if they are stocking the latest offering from Playmobil: (look closely at the name ...for those who donb't speak german its the Arbeitslosenheer or Playmobil ranks of the unemployed )
Next time you're in Karstadt's childrens dept. have a look and see if they are stocking the latest offering from Playmobil: (look closely at the name ...for those who donb't speak german its the Arbeitslosenheer or Playmobil ranks of the unemployed )
(look closely at the name ...for those who donb't speak german its the Arbeitslosenheer or Playmobil ranks of the unemployed
Very good!!!
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Will this apply to BFBS???
Highly unlikely James. BFBS was the first station on air after the war (which incidentally we won ) and as such has special dispensation under I think SOFA (State of Forces Act).
However Big Brother (the Federal Goverment) was listening to the station a couple of years back to monitor whether BFBS really was keeping to its agreement to broadcast a service only suitable for forces entitled personel living and working in BFG (which of course it isn't).
There could come a time when BFBS Radio 1 and 2 lose their much treasured and coveted FM frequencies and switch to an encrypted "Direct to Home" service via a set-top box in the same way as BFBS TV is going in Germany and all around the world.
The technology is already here - I have BFBS Germany in my pad in the UK via satellite. You can also watch the three BFBS TV channels if you have the correct viewig card so it's not far off - Then the authorities in host countries will have no complaints as only those entitled to hear/view it will have the necessary cards.
Basically if you are listening to BFBS and you're not connected to the British Army you are required to go to your nearest Army Careers Office and sign up immediately!
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