The problem with Nordstrom Rack and earpieces

New Year, New Things! Time to start fresh!

I resigned from Nordstrom Rack on January 2! Didn't matter that I had shifts scheduled. Time to move on!

The problem was the new earpieces that were given to the employees on December 2017.

Here are my initial experiences with those earpieces as mentioned in an email to Nordstrom Rack managers

I was there when [store manager J.R.] introduced the earpieces on December 2nd. I give it a chance even though the volume issue came up. I was doing Shoe Markdowns in the stock room. Therefore, the longer wires were a problem when I was moving boxes. I heard a walkie talking with the earpiece off. I thought "maybe I should try that".

The next day (December 3rd) was Women's Shoes Markdowns. There wasn't much communication on the earpiece that day. 

December 5th, and 8th at Men's, I continued to give the earpieces a chance. I also experimented using the Walkies without earpiece and with the earpiece. 

December 9th- my first ringing shift at Customer Service. I had the earpiece on. It really bothered me when someone was talking loud on the air as I serviced the customers. I got to the point where I flicked off the earpiece and the customer I serviced was giggling. I don't mind the giggling, but the sudden loudness of someone talking into my earpiece really bothered my ears. It really interfered with my work and my mental health. 

December 11th at Men's section! I was working with [2 names deleted to protect the innocent] and Auli'i Michaud.[that person was non-innocent as will be explained later in this blog] [names and times those people left deleted] That was the breaking point with the earpieces. I could no longer take it anymore. The grace period for giving the earpieces a chance was over forever.I even told both [name deleted to protect the innocent] and Auli'i when we were closing that I was done with the earpieces. They seemed to understood my stance.

 Those earpieces had severe volume problems that drove me insane.  Sometimes they're too soft, But just turn the volume up slightly, it becomes so loud that it hurt my ears!Then I turned the volume down slightly. Next person I hear talks so softly that I have to turn the volume up, then the next person talks so loud that I have to flick the earpiece off my ear!

It turns out the new earpieces comes with a powerful mic that is so great in picking up sounds that it comes across as very loud if a person talks directly into the mic! 


The walkies worked without the earpieces, but some staff members demanded I used those earpieces. Actually, only 2.

One was a mid-level manager Fifi Wu! She nagged about it twice, but I refused both times.  I was so angry the second time that she backed down. She later claimed that I was being "aggressive". More like assertive in defense of my ears and my sanity! 

Here are excerpts from my email to Fifi Wu

The first time we asked me about not having an earpiece was on Saturday December 16th, 2017 (as you'll see, I'm pretty good at documenting what goes on everyday). When you asked "where's your earpiece?", I just said "I can't stand those earpieces", you replied "um, ok".  At that point, being that you didn't ask follow-up questions, I didn't feel the need to explain why I chose not to wear the earpiece. At that time, I felt that one sentence ("I can't stand those earpieces") was enough explanation needed. At that time, I didn't know you would be asking about the earpieces again on December 18th (I'll talk more on that date later). If I knew you would be asking about the earpiece again later, I would've given a more thorough explanation.

Also, on December 16th, when you first asked "where's your earpiece", we were in the staff area of the fitting room and [assistant manager for Mens/Kids] was present. I already told him how I felt about those earpieces a few days earlier (probably on Dec 11 or 14). On either of those dates, I just mentioned my thoughts on the earpieces and he just grinned and smiled! Never has he demanded that I put the earpieces back on. 

So I also thought that [assistant manager for Mens/Kids] presence in the staff area with me and you on December 16th was reason enough for me to feel that you probably wouldn't be bringing up the earpiece issue again on December 18th.

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On the following day, Sunday, December 17th, I was working in Accessories, meaning I was up in the 2nd floor where many department managers would be near enough to notice I didn't have an earpiece. Accessories Manager [name deleted to protect the innocent] was working with me that day. She was talking to me in my first hour of my shift when she was going over layout of the handbags/lingerie area, as well as going over what I would be doing there! She never asked me about my lack of an earpiece, even though we spent about 10 minutes talking and walking with each other within a 4 feet radius from each other.

On the same date, I did some ringing on Bay Level 2, in which both Customer Services managers [names deleted to protect the innocent] were present. Both were within a 4 feet radius from me during that time. For part of the time, [name deleted to protect the innocent] was on the register next to mine. For other parts of the time, [name deleted to protect the innocent] was assisting me on the register. Neither asked nor demanded anything about wearing earpieces.

Also on the same date, Shoes Manager [name deleted to protect the innocent] was MIC and therefore was walking around the 2nd floor. He even saw me talking to the walkie when I was on the Handbags Mobile Station. Not once did he asked nor demanded anything about wearing earpieces. And this is the manager who has a reputation for his intensity.

[note: The Shoes Manager is usually a nice guy, but I did witness a few heated discussions.  Let's just say he has high expectations, wants things done a certain way and speaks very fast when expressing all of that. However, even with all his intensity & strictness, he has never nagged me to use those earpieces, and therefore, he has earned my eternal gratitude  :)  ]


I skipped a few paragraphs.

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So on to the next day, December 18th. That day, I was back in the Men's Department for a 6pm-10pm shift. It was the 2nd time you asked about the "earpiece". My mind was thinking "really? you're going to nag about it again when I already told you that I can't stand them?"

Being that it was the 2nd time I was being "nagged" about the earpieces and none of the other managers got on my cases about the earpieces, I was already felt annoyed at your nitpicking on earpieces. When I mentioned that I will no longer wear those earpieces, you said that I "have to", that was what triggered my angry response. That was then I realized that I have to explain my situation, but I was also angry that you are being overly obsessive about wearing earpieces when nobody else was demanding that I continue to wear the earpiece. I felt that you didn't take my ear sensitivities and my mental health seriously enough. I felt that my protecting my ears is part of workplace safety and that your obsession with me wearing the earpiece was a violation of workplace safety. 

To her credit, Fifi Wu later said that she didn't know how seriously the earpieces were bothering me.


The other one is Auliʻi Michaud (aka Janyn Yuriko Michaud), a salesperson who thinks she's the boss.

This is what I wrote in an email about Auliʻi Michaud (aka Janyn Yuriko Michaud)

On Wednesday, December 27, 2017, I was working with the Shoe Department, focused mostly on Men's Shoes on the 1st floor.  During that time, I was doing the usual duties (organize the shoe stacks, assist customers and occasionally assist on Bay Level 1).

(note: the word "Bay" is what Nordstrom Rack employees call the cashier stations. "Bay Level 1" is the 1st floor cashier station. "Bay Level 2" is the 2nd floor cashier station)

  While I was assisting a customer on Bay Level 1, I heard a call for "Men Shoes" on the walkie.  I responded with a simple question "Who was calling for Men's Shoes?" Then all of a sudden Auliʻi Michaud appeared, she said "it was me", and then asking in a hostile and confrontational manner "where's your earpiece?" I replied "I don't wear earpieces" (I already told her on December 11 that I'm going to stop wearing the earpiece because of the loud volume issues, to which at the time she expressed no objection to what I said.)  Auliʻi Michaud responded in a hostile manner "you're supposed to wear an earpiece". I told her that I already communicated to [store manager J.R.] about the issue and that he said that I don't have to wear the earpiece. 

About 20 minutes later, I went to Auliʻi just to politely tell her that I was offended by the manner she talked to me and that "can you please not talk to me like that again"?. I also mentioned what I told her earlier, that I'm not wearing the earpieces because the volume issues has hurt my ears. I even apologized for the inconvenience it may caused her. Auliʻi then responded in a hostile tone "I didn't do anything" and "you couldn't hear me". She then said "I feel uncomfortable" (even though I was talking to her in a soft voice) then called on the walkie "MIC, please come to the 1st floor".

[note: MIC means "Manager in Charge", basically is the substitute manager when the store manager isn't around]

  In other words, Auliʻi started the verbal hostilities but couldn't handle my soft-spoken response to her verbal hostilities. 

At that point, I just went back to organizing the Men's Shoes. About a few minutes later, I saw the 2 MICs [names deleted to protect the innocent] walk to the men's fitting room to talk with Auliʻi.  I wasn't near any of them when they were talking so I don't know exactly what was said.  The MICs left me alone and didn't ask to talk with me about the issue. I did interact with [name deleted to protect the innocent] briefly later on, mostly to give him Kid's items left in Men's Shoes, as well as inspect the 1st floor for remaining customers after Closing Time. Both times, he was happy to interact with me and I saw no indication that he was disappointed in anything I might have done to provoke Auliʻi to call for him.

I also want to put it on written record that I have been able to respond to communications on the walkie without earpiece, almost all the time, with the only known exception being that I was helping a customer on Bay Level 1 when Auliʻi called for Men Shoes. In any other circumstances (ie. organizing items, watching the fitting room, talking with staff on the floor, talking with customers on the floor, ringing on the Mobile Express stations) I have been able to respond quickly. Even on the previous day (12/26/2017), I was able to respond to [assistant manager for Shoes] on the walkie when I was ringing for a customer on Bay Level 2. 

  I talked to the store manager about all these issues. The store manager [I'll just call him J.R.] is a nice guy who I have been able to get along with. He has been very accommodating with my work schedule. Not every boss is that generous, and for that, J.R. has earned my eternal gratitude. 


 However, J.R.  he also noted that the company's official policy is for the employees to wear the earpieces.  JR claimed the having the walkies on without the earpieces "disturbed the customer's experience" according to company's best practices (more like "official policies")

In a 12/30/2017 meeting, he suggested that I'll just use the walkie on that day and the following day (both weekend dates) and we'll test the use of the earpiece on 01/02/2018.


Well, New Year, New Things, I left Nordstrom Rack!

That's right, I decided on January 1st to leave Nordstrom Rack. Test the earpiece the following day? I tried that already!  I'm not going to make myself go insane in putting my ears at risk again!

So on January 2, I sent an email to Nordstrom Rack declaring that I'm resigning immediately.

Life is too short and you have to pick your battles wisely. That was my way of picking my battles wisely.

I already have another job to fall back on!  I'll have to reduce my spending, but as long as I'll find another source of income before the summer, then I should be fine.

But what about those who have nothing else to fall back on and have to suffer in silence? That's what worries me! 

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I did mention to Fifi Wu and J.R. that school security & administrative officials use walkies without earpieces. That seems to work OK with them!

But I did forget to mention the following facts

• When I was a seasonal worker at Macy's, we didn't use earpieces. The managers had the company's cell phones. If anyone needed help, we can call the managers or we can walk to another staff member to talk in each other's presence.
• I did a temp job at a local hospital where I spent a few weeks testing how well the employer-issued cell phones worked. Me and another temp worker walked around the hospital while using those cell phones. Basically, it's like the famous Verizon commercial "can you hear me now?".  The hospital's cell phones listed all the relevant extension numbers that the employees can use. The security staff had their own walkies. Nobody that I knew used earpieces. Notice that hospitals have to care about workplace safety and ear protection!

After I left Nordstrom Rack, I noticed the following

• There is a Bed, Bath & Beyond across the street from Nordstrom Rack. The Bed, Bath & Beyond had 2 floors. Nobody had earpieces. There were staff members with walkies.  It didn't disturb my "customer experiences" as JR claimed it would
• When visiting the WalMart in downtown Honolulu, nobody had earpieces. There were staff members with walkies.  It didn't disturb my "customer experiences" as JR claimed it would.
• At another WalMart (the big one near Ala Moana), some staff members had earpieces, others had walkies. 

Also notice that WalMart is the world's largest retailer, and if the walkies "disturbed the customer experience" as JR claims, well it sure doesn't show by the crowds at WalMart. 

 
Anyways, I want to share this  video,  where I talked about the problem with the Nordstrom Rack earpieces, I mentioned real names, and I noted other retail outlets (ie Macys,  Bed Bath & Beyond, WalMart) don't require earpieces. I also that security & administration at public schools used walkies without earpieces. Plus (damn, I really wish I remembered to mention this to the store manager), I worked a temp job at a local hospital TESTING COMMUNICATION DEVICES, which didn't use earpieces.


Here's the YouTube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYaNaV45fPs
"The Problem with Nordstrom Rack and Earpieces"

YouTube speech by Pablo Wegesend