Lazy Co-workers...how do you deal with them?

[Ken785]

I work in a retail store doing sales. Although we dont officially work for this electronics store, we do sell cable services for another company within it.

We sell Cable services to customers that buy TVs n such.

I have 2 other co-workers who constantly show up late and leave early, but still clock in their full hours. I dont think this is very fair at all, sure i have had my share of times where i was late to work but not like them.

The first coworker, we'll call her "Hood girl", constantly shows up 1-3 hours late everyday.

The other co-worker, whos this lazy dude, is better at showing up almost on time but likes to leave early. This guy this pretty uneducated and lacks the ability to do his job efficiently. Sometimes, i even have to finish his work orders for him because he doesnt know how to do something when entering in a sale or he just too lazy to do it properly. He doesn't like to approach customers to make a sale and most times always waits for another retail associate to give him a "hand to".

Now the problem...

We are paid on an hourly basis plus a "Team Bonus" at the end of each month where we get paid out on top of our hourly rate if we hit the top sales bonus.

How we would get the sales. We either:

1) Approach customers and try to convince them to sign up.

2) We are given "hand to's" by other retail associates in their respective departments. (Hand to's count for about 75% of our sales made inside the store)

or

3) Outside through friends and networks.

Things have been going good for awhile and weve been hitting our top bonuses. But starting next month, our pay structure is changing and we will be on a commission structure.

How do you deal with lazy Co-workers you dont trust?

We are going to be on a commission structure soon now they are pretty juiced about it. They are talking about how they have all these friends they are going to sign up and its great, and how they are going to "get theirs by any means necessary".

Now the problem is, we only have one main area on home theatre where all the transactions go down...these are where mostly all the "hand tos" are given at as well. Hood Girl is always there behind the computer because she doesnt like approaching customers. She says that it "works for her"...but it leaves the other co-workers at a disadvantage because if they are out on the floor....they are extremely limited to the hand tos they get if they are not in the area in home theatre where the computer is..

What do i do about this girl who doesnt want to move around and hogs the computer to get hand tos?

Also for the other lazy dude, im not worried about him or his sales skills because to be honest, the guy is pretty illiterate and cant sell for sh!t.

I've tried communicating issues of fairness to them, and i've made it clear that if any of them ever tried to steal my sale or take one of my customers i've talked to the day before or when im not there, all hell will break loose.

How do they reply?

Hood girl: "Well if theys dont ask for youz then too bad, they gotsta ask for you" "If you ever try ta keep me from feedin mah babies theres gonna be a problem"

Lazy Co-worker: "It is what it iz mang...wHOO im bout to get mines! I got the other co-workers in my pocket!"


I know not to let them get to me, but its hard when im trying to do everything right and being fair and theyre not complying.

I've tried to address issues about them being late and how its not fair to my manager (we dont have a direct manager in the store) but that if i keep doing that and they find out i said something...they would take it as me being a "Snitch" and "Hatin on them"....theyre not the most educated or mature people (ghetto).

I think theyre even upset that i have address the issue of not being responsible if they are late and they are trying to side with to each other to go against me.


Opinions?...Im trying to just ignore all this and focus on my own sales? I guess i feel that to a certain extent i have been carrying this team and now that were going be on commission, they wanna start playing dirty and it bothers me. I hope things pan out.

Sorry for the long rant.

 

[kingsam]

why the hell are you working there ...somewhere that doesnt mind employing such idiots...where your managment (and clearly the companys structure and vision) dont seem to care

 

[Ken785]

I know what you mean. But in this economy, its a steady job, and ill take what i can get. I'll just wait out another month and see if i cant switch stores or apply for a different position within the company.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

How exactly do the "hand to's" work? Are they physical slips of paper that somebody gives to the person working at the computer? Or do they just pop up on the computer and wheover gets there first gets them?

If it's at all possible, develop a really good relationship with all the people from other departments who hand over the "hand to's," so they come straight to you instead of whoever is at the computer. Maybe work out some way to kickback some commission if necessary, or for every sale you get, buy them a burrito or something.

Also, if hood girl is always, late then just spend ALL your time on the computer until she shows up, and make her ask you to move.

How do the other people get the 'hand to's' in the first place? Would it be possible just to roam all over place and "intercept" them as the "hand to's" are actually created, saving the other people from making a trip to the computer?

I used to sell cars and people would come up with all kinds of creative ways to "skate" each other's deals. We used to have an "up" system where you had to wait until it was your "turn" to approach a customer who came on the lot, but I would always be roaming around, and intercepted people before anybody else ever saw them.

Since you're going to a pure commission, doesn't sound like these two will last long, as dumb lazy people rarely make any commission.

Best thing you can do is just get really good at approaching people cold, and figure out a way to generate outside leads, and outsell the lazy ghetto douche-bags.

 

[Ken785]

"Hand Tos" work by an associate selling a TV or a Computer, etc. In their dept and attaching one of our services "Cable, Internet, Phone" and bringing the customer to us and telling us what they are looking to get and we go over it with them and process the sale in the computer.

Im trying to figure out ways to "skate" them too...since they are probably going to be doing the same. Any ideas?

Also, we still get our hourly pay. Commission is just on top.

 

[Desert Fox]

ok you seem to be lacking something called BALLS.

These are not people you are dealing with. They are mere obstacles. What is an obstacle? An obstacle is something you haven't torn through...YET.

So since you get there earliest, hog that damn commission place and don't leave.

If they ask you to leave, simply ignore them and DON'T.

Anytime you can, make friends with the competent associates and once you get good rapport with them tell them to request you and you only because frankly your co-workers are idiots.

Also try to find a better job for when this economy improves. Or try to rise in the ranks, but that will help you in finding a better job in the future as well.

I worked in this place once, not a retail store, but let me tell you about 80% of the people I worked with were absolute idiots. Funny thing is they needed me to function and the boss knew it. Fortunately, the boss got promoted, then I got promoted and because I am a vindictive prick I fired those incompetent *******s the second I got promoted. Obviously they don't leave immediately, but once they did the new hires heard this legend of the mass firing and stay in line. In retail the workers (even up to the supervisor level) change fairly often so you should be able to pull this off.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

"Hand Tos" work by an associate selling a TV or a Computer, etc. In their dept and attaching one of our services "Cable, Internet, Phone" and bringing the customer to us and telling us what they are looking to get and we go over it with them and process the sale in the computer.

Im trying to figure out ways to "skate" them too...since they are probably going to be doing the same. Any ideas?

Also, we still get our hourly pay. Commission is just on top.

Then you need to get the customer before they get to the computer. Make all the other associates that you are the GO TO GUY when it comes to handing over customers. Make sure you thank them after every "hand to." Not just a quick thanks, but make it point to look them in the eye and let you know you appreciate it.

However, you've got to know that if "hood girl" is in any way attractive, there's not much you can do if all the other AFC sales people are giving her "hand tos" because they are hoping for some action.

Is there any particular place where "hand to's" are generated more so than others? Are they any other salespeople that generate more "hand to's" than others? Just hang out there, or hang out with those people.

Figure out how you can get to the customer before they get near the computer, so you can tell hood girl to fukk of while you process the order.

Either that or just park yourself next to the computer, and don't budge. Make her complain to your supervisor, or whoever, and then force some kind of "equal time" or something. Mark it as your territory and let her fight you for it.

The way I see it is you've either got to assert yourself at the computer, or get the customers before they get there.

And always be on the lookout for another job where you don't have to work with lazy idiots.

If you had direct, common, supervisor, you could hash this out, but I think you mentioned that you don't. In most sales jobs, the guys that make the most sales get the most leads, not the lazy order takers who plop their lazy a$$es in front of the order taking computer.

 

[Ricky]

I'd try to find a way to document how much more you do than them. I used to work with THE LAZIEST guy ever in my last job. But my boss was so hands off he never did anything about it, nor did he really notice that i was doing several times the work of the lazy guy and my more normal coworker.

One day I was slammed at work and the LAZY guy came in late as always. I told him about all the work i had to do and asked if he could help. He goes and tells our boss that "I'm overwhelmed". It was ridiculous.

The teamwork was so poor. I *****ed and complained to my friends about the work environment for almost 3 years. I never reallly complained to my boss who was totally hands off. Every once in a while I'd try to bring it up but to little avail.

Finally when it came time to lay someone off, I got laid off. They said it was because I had been working there less time than the others. In this ****ty economy and in the specialty I'm in that meant moving from my hometown to several hours and a few states away.

But the good part is now, I make more money and work with more mature harder workers. I am still bitter about the last job, but I've moved on.

I would probably do the same in your case when a better opportunity presents itself. Some places just have a bad culture and working enviroment.