On 12/20/2012 10:57 PM, sf wrote:
> On Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:08:50 -0600, "billn" > wrote:
>
>> I have a WalMart Market a couple miles from my house. My experience is
>> complete opposite. The store is clean and well-kept and the employees are,
>> and I'm not exaggerating, the friendliest, most polite people of any store
>> around here. You cannot pass one without them saying "Hi" or "How are you
>> doing today".
>
> Don't kid yourself. That's just store/corporate "training".
>

I think it goes beyond that. When I was in retail management, I noticed
that there were "happy" stores... stores where the employees seems
friendlier than other stores that were pretty close by. I noticed that
the managers of the "happy" stores tended to be more outgoing and
friendly and approachable to their employees. Managers who were "by the
book" types tended to have less friendly stores (and a higher employee
turnover rate).

A buddy and I decided to try this in our own stores... we tried to "walk
the floor" every day and said hello to every employee and listen to them
if they had suggestions, etc. We got to know them a people, not just
employees. It didn't take long to see a difference in attitude.

I see the same thing on cruise ships. There are happy ships and
invariably the Captain is highly visible and friendly, and there are
other ships where the work might be done very efficiently, but the
Captain is more of an administrator and seldom seen and they lack the
"feel" of the happier ships. The Princess ship I was just on was a
happy ship. The HAL ship I was on earlier this year... not so much.

It is all subjective.

George L