The Macy’s Saga

Posted by Jim Stroud

February 25, 2008

A very special thank-you to Robert Stanke for sharing with me his most interesting encounter with Macy’s and allowing me to post it here on my site. I think you will find it amusing.

-Jim

***

The Macy’s Saga
by: Robert Stanke

Robert Stanke So this is not a huge deal, but I just thought it was funny and worth publishing to the public. I have been getting a fairly good readership on my website and blog, so I figured the more people could see and understand the Macy’s situation, the better…

A couple of days after Macy’s made the big announcement that they were going to cut their workforce down by 2,300+ people, I decided to do my part to try and help the displaced workers out. After all, I have made no secret about how I want to help people manage their careers any way possible. Plus, I have a business to run, so I saw the opportunity to market my professional resume services to the Macy’s employees at a steep discounted rate. So I did what any up-and-coming business owner would do - I launched a huge direct mail and email campaign to Macy’s employees. Well, needless to say, it got into the hands of at least one long-time Macy’s employee who didn’t like my actions.

So I wanted to post the entire thread of emails so you can understand Macy’s mentality on helping its displaced workers…

Here is the email I sent on February 7, 2008 to all possible going-to-be outplaced Macy’s employees:

My name is Robert Stanke and I am writing in regards to the recent news regarding Macy’s and their drastic plans to reduce their workforce. I am a certified resume writer and a strong advocate for helping employees who are subject to corporate lay-offs. You can read about my background regarding these matters on my website and blog at: http://www.robertstanke.com.

I am writing because I am not sure if this recent news is going to affect you or not, but I wanted you to be aware of the services I offer to outplaced employees. I am based in Minneapolis, so being that Macy’s has strong operations here, this news definitely caught my attention.

Therefore, if you are someone who is going to be possibly losing their position, I would be more than happy to help you in any way I can. For all displaced Macy’s employees, I am offering my resume services at a huge discount. Most professional resume writers charge $100s of dollars. But because of my strong passion to people who lose their positions - especially at a place like Macy’s - I am offering my complete resume package for just $75.00.

Why do you need a professional resume? Because with my experience as a senior staffing recruiter and my training and certifications in resume writing, I know what it takes to find that next position.

If you are interested, or you know someone who is, please feel free to email me back or give me a call. My contact information is below. I would be more than happy to speak with you.

Take care,
Robert Stanke

About a day later, I got an email from a corporate recruiter (who’s name I will not disclose at this time) based at Macy’s California office - one of the offices that is not going to have any lay-offs. Her was her email to me:

Robert,

While I appreciate your offer of a discounted resume service, I’m not so sure I appreciate the tone of your note. If Macy’s, the company that I have worked with for 15 years, decides to make the “drastic” business decision to lay me off I can rest assured they will do so with class, dignity and integrity. These core values are performed on a daily basis when it comes to being employed by Macy’s. I’ve seen it first hand, whether in good times or bad.

Your ambulance chasing method of trying to increase your resume business is really quite off putting. Just an observation. Really not the type of business person I’d want writing my resume.

But, hey that’s what makes America so great. You have your way of trying to increase business; scare tactics. We have ours; honesty and integrity.

Best of luck,
D.M.

Well, obviously D.M. is completely off her rocker. A lot of the statements she made were completely false and she totally missed the point of what I was trying to do - help! My “tone”? What tone? She thinks Macy’s would lay her off with “class and integrity”? Give me a break! Would she say the same thing if she was hitting the bricks in two weeks? I bet not. Ambulance chasing? I am not even going to go there… She was right about one thing - this is America which means I can do anything I damn well please when it comes to my business as long as it is not illegal - which this email was not. So I then got curious as to who’s ass she was trying to kiss at Macy’s, and then I saw it - she copied someone to the email. It ended up being the VP of Human Resources. So, being the guy I am, I couldn’t resist but to write D.M. back, but I did not copy this secret individual because I did not know who it was at the time:

D.M.,

I think you are missing my point, but you are right, that is the great thing about America - everyone has their right to an opinion. I am not bad-mouthing Macy’s at all! Read my blog if you want - in there I make it very clear that I don’t blame Macy’s. I am merely saying that 2,300 people hitting the street is not a good thing. Of course they will do the lay-offs with integrity - they should! Wall Street is watching, I would hope they do. And you might have loyalty after 15 years of service, and might be keeping your job - but 2,300 are not, unfortunately. And I am willing to bet that most of those people have not been there for 15 years. And many of them may need a resume. And I hate to break it to you and the rest of the corporate recruiters over at Macy’s, but I am willing to bet that those 2,300 don’t feel awhole lot of loyalty from Macy’s right now… And frankly, I can advertise any way that works for my business. And I have had great success with what you consider “ambulance chasing”, and I merely consider trying to help and promote my business. As far as I can tell, capitalism requires advertising.

I haven’t scared anyone - or at least those who have already acquired my services from my email. If anything, Macy’s scared the thousands of familes out there who now have to support family members being laid off. And you don’t know what kind of business person I am, so it is really unfair to judge me based on my email, don’t you think?!?!? And how can you make an assumption that I am dishonest? What unfair stereotype are you basing that on?

I am glad you are loyal to Macy’s, good for you. I support them as well when I shop at the downtown one and attend their Christmas presentation on the 8th floor. Now I am just trying to support those who need help after being loyal to Macy’s.

I do sincerely appreciate your feedback, even though you might not think so. I don’t expect everyone to like me or my opinions, but I do have a right to them. And I honestly believe there are people out there who have done worse things to damage Macy’s credibility.

Robert Stanke

PS - A tip to pass onto your management staff if they want honest feedback from a consumer in one of their failing markets… they never should have changed the local imagine and branding of the Marshall Fields name. They lost a lot of business up here for doing that because of the LOYALTY of local consumers. FYI.

I wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but I was not going to let some run-of-the-mill corporate recruiter bad-mouth me or my business. I have never backed down to something like that, and I was not going to start now. So then, the unknown person who was copied on D.M.’s original email chimed in with this comment to D.M. and she only CC’ed me. This lady is P.S. - the VP of HR:

D.M.,

I appreciate your response to the individual below. As you are aware, Macy’s has always provided outplacement services for anyone impacted by necessary business layoffs with mergers and consolidations. We have found this to be beneficial to those negatively impacted with many placed into positions through the process. As you know, your position is not impacted and I appreciate your loyalty to Macy’s.

P.S.

What a joke! No wonder D.M. kisses P.S.’s ass - she is her boss! And what outplacement services? Macy’s didn’t mention those in the press release to Wall Street! Oh, yeah, that’s right, because outplacement services cost corporations big money, which Macy’s is struggling with right now. So now I have reached the VP level, so I was hoping I could get some real answers on these so-called “outplacement services”. Here was my email back directly to P.S. and I copied D.M.:

P.S.,

You didn’t need to copy me in on this email. I frankly don’t need to know Macy’s stance on the lay-offs according to how they affect D.M. I already congratulated D.M. on her loyalty to Macy’s and even informed her on how I have been a loyal customer at Macy’s. Funny… D.M. didn’t forward my response to her, did she?

Anyways, my concern lies with the 2,300 people being given the walking papers. I guess I would feel better if I knew what exactly Macy’s provides in terms of outplacement services for its laid-off employees. But my guess is that you won’t disclose that information to the public, right? Maybe if the public knew that information (how Macy’s is taking care of those 2,300 people), they would feel more at ease. Because from a nationwide perspective, the press has not been good (if you want to now include the VP of Public Relations in this conversation, that is fine with me).

My initial target market was the Minneapolis office, but I thought I would throw some feelers out there to other possible employees who were taken aback by Macy’s poor financial standing. And I have retained several interested parties from several of your branches. Essentially, those Minneapolis folks are the ones I will have a good chance of placing at places like Best Buy and Target, where profits are up.

I just think it is funny that a guy running a business - especially one trying to help displaced working Americans - struck such a nerve with a corporate recruiter and VP of HR. Don’t your now laid off employees deserve options to retain their next career stop? I would think, with my certifications and endorsements, you would be understanding on how I can help certain niche people you will not be needing any more. I would think you two, of all those left at Macy’s, would foster anyway possible to help your outplaced individuals. I guess I didn’t think it was such a big deal, and I would think you two both have bigger things to worry about at this point.

Best of luck to both of you. I sincerely hope things work out for Macy’s in the long run. I am a citizen of this country who wants to see everyone employed and happy in their careers. And that requires strong, solid companies - like Macy’s.

Regards,
Robert Stanke

I have yet to get a response, and I am guessing I won’t be getting one, which is okay with me. Those jokers can think what they want, but the bottom line is this: I wanted to help those who were losing their jobs, existing Macy’s employees took it as a threat, and they are not willing to disclose their outplacement strategies. No wonder they are losing customers, money, and respect.

- Robert Stanke
http://www.robertstanke.com