Kmart To Employee: ‘If You Do Not Come To Work On Thanksgiving, You Will Automatically Be Fired’

[RiverLover]

Last edited Thu Nov 20, 2014, 12:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Kmart To Employee: ‘If You Do Not Come To Work On Thanksgiving, You Will Automatically Be Fired’
11/19/2014

Kmart will open its doors at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day this year and remain open for 42 hours, meaning that many employees will have to come to work to staff shifts. While the company says it tries to fill the slots with volunteers or seasonal hires, workers are reporting that the reality on the ground is very different.

Jillian Fisher, who started a petition on Coworker.org asking Kmart to give her mother and other employees the flexibility to take the holiday off, surveyed 56 self-identified employees from more than 13 states. Of those, just three said they had the option to ask to take the holiday off. In a press release from the petition organizer, one employee said human resources has told them, “if you do not come to work on Thanksgiving, you will automatically be fired… I made the request to work a split shift on Thanksgiving and was denied.” Another said, “Our manager stated at a staff meeting: ‘Everyone must work Thanksgiving and Black Friday. No time off.’” At one location, an employee says signs have been posted in the break room saying workers can’t request time off on Thanksgiving or Black Friday and that everyone has to put in at least some time on both, while at another signs have been posted saying no one can request time off between November 15 and January 1.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/19/3594203/kmart-thanksgiving-requests-denied/

[BlueJazz]

1. That IS retail sales. As long as the employees are making a decent wage, I don't..

...have a big problem with it.
I had to do it when I was in college and I know it's not a picnic.

[MohRokTah]

4. Employees in retail do NOT make a decent wage

This is wrong on so many levels.

[BlueJazz]

7. Then I have a problem with it. I meant if they are getting double time or at least...

...time and a half then that's the job. I did it. Didn't like it but I knew I'd be doing it.

[Ilsa]

12. 2x or 1.5x might be tolerable if

The base salary is decent.

But I won't shop there or anywhere else on Thanksgiving Day, and I will discourage others from doing the same. This needs to be unprofitable for the jerks running kmart, etc.

[BlueJazz]

13. What you say is true. I doubt if I've spent 50 dollars in the past 4-5 years at retail stores..

...at Thanksgiving. (doesn't count food)

[meadowlark5]

77. I'll bet these employees aren't getting extra holiday pay

The way they are being strong armed and threatened, they aren't being given any incentive to work on a holiday.

Like you, in college I offered to work holidays. The only one I really went home for was Christmas. Otherwise, I worked Thanksgiving, 4th of July etc, but got double my pay for doing so. Gave me a reason to want to work it as a starving college student.

I think holiday pay is a thing of the past with these assholish employers now days. Can't part with any extra profit.

[Sheldon Cooper]

5. Yep. It's the nature of the business, and it does suck.

I wonder what they make, though. At a place like Kmart, I would be surprised if they're getting premium pay. I used to work part-time at a supermarket, but even if I wanted to work on T-day I wouldn't have been able to. Why? Because we were unionized, and only the more senior people got to work that day because they got good money to do so. Plus, the store closed at 4:00 so folks could still spend a bit of time with their families.

[BubbaFett]

28. Retail stores were mostly CLOSED on thanksgiving

there is no reason (other than pure greed) for a retail store to be open on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

[BlueJazz]

32. "Were" is the operative word. Now, the standard is "Bring the people in so we can make more dough."

I know it's not fair.

[ProfessorGAC]

81. But, Does It

Don't most of the shoppers have the same activities that make the employees want the day off?

This seems stupid to me. Is there actually data to suggest that there is pent-up anxiety over having to wait until midnight Friday morning amongst consumers? I doubt that.

[belzabubba333]

53. I had to do it when I was in college so it's ok - this is a core problem with americans

it's the same thinking that gets you this bullshit. i dont get a vacation therefore it's ok that you dont -- i dont get healthcare therefore it's ok that you dont -- i dont get paid well therefore it's ok that you dont.

hey just a reminder there are people who have it worse than you. so if you end up losing your job and end up living in you car you'll be ok with that because others had to do it too. but dont worry they'll tell you it's no picnic so it well be ok

it's so maddening to hear this crap coming from "democrats"

it's ok that you get crapped on b/c i did

[CoopersMom]

59. Ah..., but there's the rub

"I had to do it when I was in college".

So did I. As have millions of others throughout the years. The deal is, though, I was In college in the '70s. I went on from there to have lucrative full-time positions with benefits - including paid time off, holidays and vacations - outside of jobs in the retail and service sector.

Today, unfortunately, many formerly middle-class individuals who have lost middle-income, full-time employment have fallen into the service/retail job trap and are stuck there in this fucking "new economy". I do NOT blame Obama or most Dems for what's happened to employment in the United States. I fully blame the GOP and their plutocratic sponsors, folks like the Koch brothers, and their intellectual heroes of the past, the chief one being Reagan in the '80s, for decimating the unions that fought hardest for the kinds of wages, benefits and other workers rights - most importantly among them corporate paid health benefits, that paved the way for a healthy middle class and workers' benefits that extended a full net to works in all classes, not just exclusively for those in trade unions. Today in the US, and elsewhere, we have watched since the middle '80s as the plutocrats have systematically chipped away at the backbone of the middle class by declaring war on trade unions that benefited everyone who wasn't born with a trust fund waiting for them upon their graduation from a legacy Ivy League school. The unions helped every working class citizen - blue collar and the "middle manager" class for decades after their inception and growth. Unfortunately, the GOP and their corporate bosses have articulated a message of hatred and class warfare on this sector and Americans, being the gullible pre-teens of the planet, believed their spiel hook, line and sinker and we're all adrift on a melting ice floe in about as much danger as the polar bears who share the floes with us in the cesspool that has become what's left of toiling in the so-called "best country in the world". Yeah. Right that. "Best country in the world " - if your last name happens to be Koch or Trump or Cuban, or any of the other so-called entrepreneur class that promise that "You too can be rich and famous like us. Hard work, folks. That's all it takes!"

"Just don't be born poor, don't get sick, don't lose your 'day job' and get the fuck out of our way."

[belzabubba333]

64. what you said here , this line right here

"the GOP and their corporate bosses have articulated a message of hatred and class warfare on this sector and Americans, being the gullible pre-teens of the planet, believed their spiel hook, line and sinker"

[RiverLover]

73. +1 Agree with both of you!

[Caretha]

97. That is one

of the most eloquent posts I've ever read here on DU and I've been here since inception.

Thank you..

I welcome you as a sister and true Democrat.

I wish my credentials would give your more credence but I offer you all my good will.

[BlueJazz]

68. I think you are overreacting to my words. It's never OK to keep people from enjoying their..

...special time with their family. It IS part of the lousy part of Retail.
Also: I searched and searched but could not find any part of my post that knocked Vacations, Healthcare, lousy pay, or that it's my wish that people sleep in their car.

I'm a much kinder, caring person than what you think.

[belzabubba333]

74. my apologies to you i dont know you personally and i was trying to address the attitude not

poster.

I searched and searched but could not find any part of my post that knocked Vacations, Healthcare, lousy pay, or that it's my wish that people sleep in their car. while those words werent said it's the attitude of " it happened to me so it's ok if it happens to you" that leads to others saying those things ABOUT those things until we all end up at the bottom

[BlueJazz]

90. Actually, one of my traits is: I don't want any of the crap that I went through to be ...

...forced on someone else.
Having said that, maybe I need to "Think over" my opinion on people working thru the Holidays.

[LynneSin]

54. You define a decent wage as $7.25 an hour

Which is what most of these employees make and I doubt there will be any overtime.

[BlueJazz]

71. I was thinking of more like 9.50 X 1.5 = 14.25 OR 9.50 X 2 = 19.00

7.25 ? I thought they made a little more than that more than that.

Just because I said I'm OK with it does not mean I have not tried to change the system. I know it sucks and is getting worse.

[LynneSin]

79. I know

And I know many places are probably paying extra for employees working Thanksgiving but never thought of Kmart as a place generous with salaries.

[BlueJazz]

91. I shop at Kmart sometimes but I've started to feel guilty about it 'cause the...

...people that work there look like somebody just shot their Dog or their Kitty.

I don't know..not only do I not know the answers to all this...I don't even know the questions.

[Veilex]

61. Retail is minimum wage... with very few exceptions.

[Odin2005]

75. Apologizing for Capitalist Pig shittiness?

[BlueJazz]

92. I didn't mean it that way but I'll try to become more informed. My Bad.

[nc4bo]

2. Sigh.

It's all about the almighty dollar.

Why not make black Friday a black Wednesday or blackmSaturday instead and explain to the public why by saying kmart is a family store and kmart believes families should be together on that day.

Try it just once, may be surprised how customers react.

Oh no, can't do that when it's much more preferable to suffer the employees.

[Travis_0004]

19. In Kmarts defense they need that dollar

Kmart and sears will be out of businesses in a few years anyway. Opening one more day wont save them, but I can see why they would try.

The issue is consumers want to shop on Thanksgiving. If nobody went shopping nobody would open. I do my part, and have never bought anything at Thanksgiving, but there are people who look forward to kicking off black friday a bit earlier.

[nc4bo]

39. True......I made a booboo

And was actually thinking of Thanksgiving Day itself. Black Friday is definitely a big shopping day!

That's what happens when I get distracted while typing, sorry.

[hobbit709]

3. I worked at a place that made computer boards.

They dicked around for 3 weeks, went back on forth on working and then announced we would have to work the Memorial Day weekend and if we didn't show we were fired. One person told them he already had plane tickets to attend his daughter's graduation-they said tough. He said "Bye" and walked out the door. 60% of the people didn't show. 3 months later they shut down but you could see that coming long before.
They oversold their production capability and tried to run the machines at maximum speed with no downtime for maintenance. You can guess how often the line was halted because the machines broke down. Then the product quality suffered also because it was done too fast. At which point they lost a large chunk of their contracts because too many boards were failing quality checks when delivered.

[Stargazer09]

65. Sounds like a company I worked for

They offered paid holidays, but I learned rather quickly that they had lay-offs every year around the holidays. They spent a couple of months training me on all sorts of machines, and I worked really hard to ensure that my work was above expectations. It didn't matter. I was laid off for two weeks right before Christmas.

I came back in January and immediately turned in my two-week notice. They were shocked that I would leave them after they invested so much time and money into training me. I told them that I enjoyed my two weeks of unpaid vacation so much that I decided to find another job.

They went under a few years later.

[Odin2005]

76. That is what happens when bean counters with MBAs run things...

...rather than people knowledgeable about the job.

[laundry_queen]

95. Not entirely true

While I don't have an MBA I do have a degree in business (major in accounting) and I can tell you a good school will teach proper operations management, organizational behavior, sociology, ethics etc. Mine did. So the people either got their MBA from a diploma mill, some school that worships Friedman or they were at the bottom of their class. Too many shitty schools handing out shitty MBAs these days.

[H. Cromwell]

6. Normal corporate work practices...

“if you do not come to work on Thanksgiving, you will automatically be fired…

Remove 'Thanksgiving' with any day and you have the mind set of corporate America.

I was terminated for calling off a total of 6 days in 8 months. (worked there 11.5 tears...age 58) Two of those days off were because of my wife being life flighted from an auto accident. Two other times included a Doctor's note.

[RiverLover]

9. That's really terrible, Cromwell. I hope you have a better employer now?? ~nt

[RiverLover]

8. Remember when stores were closed on Thanksgiving?

I do.

Now its a national Consumer Day.

If you shop on Thanksgiving, you're contributing to the problem, imo.

[tblue]

55. Yep. I wouldn't shop then even if I wanted to.

Couple years ago my sister and her grown sons left the rest of us on Thanksgiving to go shopping--at stores opening at midnight. Yuck. No way!

[smokey nj]

84. I remember well. I also remember when stores opened at their regular opening time on Black Friday.

[H. Cromwell]

88. Heck,

I remember a Department Store being fined for being open on Sunday. The Blue Laws.

[tridim]

10. Meanwhile at Costco...

“Our employees work especially hard during the holiday season and we simply believe that they deserve the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Nothing more complicated than that.”

K-Wal-Mart doesn't care, at all.

[Renew Deal]

23. Same with PC Richards

It's up to consumers to not show up. If they start losing money by being badly over staffed, they might stop.

[rurallib]

31. Totally agree. And they need to continue to not show up throughout

the consumer season known as Christmas.
For many retailers Christmas is make or break.
I can't stop them from being open whenever they want, but I surely do not have to shop there.
And I tell my friends.

Worker relations are a major part of deciding where I shop

[BubbaFett]

29. Most people bust their ass the rest of the year

why is it impossible to give workers less than a handful of federal holidays off?

[HockeyMom]

11. My daughter works at a very high end national retail chain

in LP (Loss Prevention). Their stores are closed on Thanksgiving. Why? My daughter said it is probably due to their bottom line. Rich people are not going to be leaving their parties and breaking down the store's doors to shop on Thanksgiving. They would end up losing money if people don't shop that day.

She has to work on Black Friday, though. Plus, employees cannot take any vacation time from Black Friday through January 1st.

[yeoman6987]

18. I don't have any problem with employees having to work

Black Friday even if they have to be there at 6 am. However I don't believe anyone should work Thanksgiving unless in emergency jobs. The no vacation from Black Friday to New Years is a bit sketchy to me.

[Chisox08]

24. It's like that at every retail job I've worked

If you missed Black Friday for any reason you were fired. I left right before the opening on Thanksgiving Day.

[yeoman6987]

38. It is their best day of sales or used to be

The college I work for will not allow you to take vacation during semesters. I don't think you would get fired. They just don't approve your vacation request.

[BlueCollar]

45. a lot of us in the airline industry

will be working both days...

and we're hardly in "...emergency jobs..."

It's about profit, pure and simple

[Renew Deal]

22. I knew someone that worked retail in a Macys type store

Part of the deal was you couldn't miss Black Friday. I think that's reasonable enough.

[A Little Weird]

14. Patronize stores with better practices

There was a post awhile back listing some of the stores that were making employees work on Thanksgiving. I boycott Black Friday anyway, but I'm going to make an effort to do my shopping at small businesses or places that don't make their employees give up their Thanksgiving.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025802330

[JonLP24]

15. Supply and demand

Could be a bluff but if they were serious, it means they can easily replace them with people who are willing to work Thanksgiving.

Petition won't help, they need to evaluate their true bargaining power and organize.

[RedstDem]

16. kmart dems unite

Line up a different job if you can and be a no show.

[Lars39]

17. They need to be looking anyway...the Kmart they work at could close without much notice these days.

The CEO is running Sears into the ground while lining his pockets.

[RedstDem]

35. that's right, I forgot Kmart got bought by sears

That dudes a p.o.s.

[Lars39]

36. Yes, indeedy...had at least 2 Kmarts and a Sears go out in middle TN...all were money makers.

They just wanted to sell the land they were sitting on.

[RedstDem]

40. sears should be where amazon is now

They invented catalog shopping. When I was young, I'd browse the catalog for hours, and not just the women's underwear section!

My first motorbike was sears 100!

[Lars39]

42. Yep, they didn't keep up with the times.

I remember many an hour spent poring over that catalog!
My dad ordered a queen bee and all the equipment he needed from Sears when he started beekeeping. Mailman was thrilled.

[Renew Deal]

20. Ultimately it's up to consumers to not show up.

[Skink]

21. How about a paid day off.

I work for a large retailer that does that.

[Agschmid]

43. That's what we get too.

Thanksgiving paid, and it's a four day work week.

[badtoworse]

25. Many years ago, I worked at Bloomingdales and I agree, it sucks.

But unfortunately, this is the reality of working in retail sales. If you can't deal it, get a different job

[RiverLover]

26. On Thanksgiving Day? Many years ago?

Are you sure you're not thinking of Black Friday?

[badtoworse]

30. I don't really remember, but I probably didn't have to work Thanksgiving.

I'm not sure Bloomies was even open on Thanksgiving in the early seventies. I did have to work weekends, Christmas eve and New Year's Day.

[HockeyMom]

34. My daughter works at Bloomies now

Closed. No customers = no profits. They would still have to pay their employees to work anyway. For what? Again, their bottom line not so much concern for their employees.

[badtoworse]

41. Bloomies was actually a pretty nice store to work at.

They sold and still sell very nice (but expensive) merchandise. At the time, you got a 20% employee discount and even with that, it was frequently more than I could afford. I'd wait for things I liked to go on sale and then use the discount, so I could get some nice clothes at a reasonable price. Sometimes, I'd hide a piece in the back; put it out when the markdowns started and then grab it.

The big problem I had with retail was not the hours; it was dealing with the public. Most of Bloomindale's clientele were nice people, but there were plenty of dirt bags that thought the people behind the counter were second class citizens deserving of no respect or consideration. Being nice to people like that was a challenge.

[HockeyMom]

82. 10% employee discount now

Yes, my daughter worked there years ago, and went back there to work because she said it was the best retail place she had ever worked for. Customers? Well, since she works Loss Prevention everyone she has to deal with are Shoplifters. They are not nice people, period. The only exception was working at supermarket where she caught an old man stealing Depends. That is sad and not quite the same as stealing $300 designer jeans.

[badtoworse]

83. We had fake columns with two way mirrors on them for store security

From the outside, it just looked like a big column, but a person sitting inside could watch what was going on and no one would know they were there. I always wondered how and if they stayed awake.

[Jester Messiah]

27. They should all just not show up.

Let management try to run the store without them.

[LeftinOH]

33. They are open on Thanksgiving day. There are jobs where

you may have to work (GASP!) on a holiday. Hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, taxi drivers, flight attendants, etc...... Retail operations don't need to extend to holidays, but holidays mean less to people these days.

I recall working in big-box retail and working on Thanksgivings. One year a customer complained that we were disrespecting the holiday by being open for business. See any irony there?

[HockeyMom]

37. I used to work in a Group Home for MR/DD

Of course we had to work all Holidays. The Consumers could not be left alone to fend for themselves. However, before I accepted the job, I said I would be willing to work the Overnight shift. Ulterior motive on my part. Going to work at Nightnight on Holidays meant that I could be home with my family during the day. I slept, catch here, catch there, during the day, but I was there with my family on Holidays.

[Feron]

93. There's a big difference between essential jobs...

and working retail on a holiday.

My dad had to work Thanksgivings and Christmases growing up because the nature of his job never took a break.

I understand that. I also understand gas station attendants and opening grocery stores until noon.

But retail?! The world isn't going to end if Americans don't buy crap for one day.

And it certainly won't save Kmart. In my area Wal-Mart is dismal, but Kmart still manages to be worse.


And this should be a required link for any Kmart thread:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-11/at-sears-eddie-lamperts-warring-divisions-model-adds-to-the-troubles

[RiverLover]

94. Exactly! I can't stand when rethugs compare retail to ambulance EMTs or something.

We don't need to shop on Thanksgiving!! We need to appreciate & be thankful for what we already have, family, pets, things,football, pie, w/e and allow as many others as possible to do the same.

...fascinating article you linked. Its sounds like Eddie Lampert is movie material. Maybe a horror film, mixed with high stakes biz deals.

[LibDemAlways]

44. Years ago I worked in the human resources dept. of a

large insurance company. That year Christmas fell on a Wednesday and employees were told they could take a half day Christmas Eve and Christmas day off, but no additional time. One young woman had relatives across the country and begged for the 26th off, too, but was told no. Meantime the manager of the department took the entire week off to go skiing. The rules he made apparently didn't apply to him.

[RiverLover]

48. Wednesday Xmases are the worst.

I get paid time off for Thanksgiving & Black Friday. Always 2 days in a row.(obviously, its not a retail job.) But unless I get in personal holiday time off, I have to work Xmas Eve Day and the day after. Bleh

[proReality]

46. My rebellion against things like this

is to avoid shopping anywhere on holidays. I wish I could convince more people to do that.

[KingCharlemagne]

66. It should be a matter of principle here to boycott KMart, not only on Thanksgiving Day, but

year-round to protest their labor-unfriendly policies.

[hamsterjill]

47. We can all bitch about this, of course.

Or we can all refuse to shop on Thanksgiving, and see if THAT has an impact next year.

I, personally, will NOT be shopping either on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. I won't shop on the holiday to make a statement, and I avoid Black Friday merely because of the chaos.

[RiverLover]

51. Bingo!!!!!! I will NEVER shop on Thanksgiving because its unpatriotic & disrepectful to the holiday

& to fellow Americans who have to work because of our greed...It also demeans us as a culture.

Is it really too hard to NOT be a consumer for 2 days of the year? Xmas & Tday.

[KingCharlemagne]

67. The more you know, the less you need. - nt

[Initech]

86. I'll be doing the same thing I do every Black Friday: sleep until 12:00.

[Orrex]

49. They need extra people to staff the one register that they keep open

Opposite the 19 that remain closed.

[Fred Sanders]

50. In a nation with universal health care, paid sick days, paid minimum vacation, mandatory overtime

pay scales, living minimum wages...this insult to personal freedom might be OK.

[RiverLover]

57. What nation is that? Germany?

[dilby]

52. Employees should just tell Kmart that Target pays minimum wage too.

I have no idea why people worry about losing a crappy minimum wage job where they are treated like shit. There are just as many other crappy minimum wage jobs out there with bosses who will treat them like shit so it should be no sweat off their back if they got fired.

[tavernier]

56. Did they tell you that you would have to work holidays

when you hired on? Did you willingly shake your head or sign the paper that told you this?

Kudos to the stores who value their employees... I will support them wholeheartedly, and a big boo to those who don't. But if you signed on knowingly and willingly, I think it's a bit late to ask for the day off.

[EEO]

60. Our society is doomed.

[valerief]

62. Back in the old days when rich people and corporations paid taxes and

medical insurance was affordable and people had jobs, there were laws in place that let people enjoy holidays.

[CrispyQ]

63. Another link from your link with some great graphics!

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/19/3594079/starbucks-thanksgiving/

Seventeen stores that will NOT be open on T-day.






Twelve retail stores that will be open on T-day.


Please Santa, give me an REI gift cert!

[RiverLover]

70. Oooo That is so good. Should have thought of that...Thanks! I'm off to edit the OP now....

[stage left]

69. I will never shop anywhere on Thanksgiving day.

The Kmart close to me just shut down anyway. Pretty soon, they may all be gone.I stay away on Black Friday, too. When I first heard the phrase, Black Friday, I thought they were talking about a day of doom. I still think so.

[KansDem]

72. Hmmm...I wonder what the Walton family is doing this Thanksgiving?

Christy Walton's home

Probably having Thanksgiving dinner with family?

Or working at the office?

I wonder...

[font size="1"](In all fairness, Christy is selling this home. Probably wants to downsize)[font size="2"]

[RiverLover]

98. LOL

[oldandhappy]

78. Don't go!!!

Please do not shop on Thanksgiving. How many days in the year? Do not shop on thanksgiving. Local news has had stories almost every evening comparing prices for late summer sales, early January sales, etc. In nearly every case you save nothing shopping on Thanksgiving -- or Black Friday for that matter.

Stay home. Eat pie. Watch football. Laugh!

[cloudbase]

80. Two lines to piss them off:

I've been fired from better jobs than this.

I was looking for a job when I got this one.

[Initech]

85. If I worked at one of those stores I'd be organizing a massive strike / walk out.

This shouldn't be happening. Corporations and their uncontrollable lust for profit is destroying us.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

87. Another reason to like Needless Markup!! Closed on Turkey Day!

Once a year I go in Needless Markup to get my shopping sanity. I do this during the holiday season. Just walking around in there is a mood brightener; I don't have to buy anything. The positive, happy atmosphere does it.

By that I mean: quality merchandise, smiling employees, lots of nice perfume to sample, merchandise in interesting colors/textures/styles, cool Christmas decorations, great customer service. Even though I can't buy clothes there because the sizes for American women are insanely small, and I'm on the upper border of what they carry.

Neiman's is the opposite of the Shitholia that is a lot of the retail experience in this country, thanks to big box stores where the salespeople don't know where things are. I'm not just talking about Wallyworld. There are others.

Markdowns!!!
www.lastcall.com

Our local middle of the economic spectrum department store, Foley's, got eaten by Macy's. They sold the same stuff anyway.

[LeftInTX]

89. Will Fox report on the War Against Thanksgiving?

[cwydro]

96. I think the retail insanity is stupid, but come on...

why doesn't anyone care about all the others who work on Thanksgiving?

Airline workers (should no one fly on Thanksgiving?), movie theaters, hundreds of restaurants are open, hospitals of course, cops, firefighters, EMTs, Butterball employees (seriously they have a 1-800 line), bunches and bunches of call centers of all sorts of corporations...

Why do we only care about retail?