Wow.... Great thread, and wonderful memories. A few dot-dashes from my own career in retail 1958-1986.
First 8 years with Sears, as a catalog store manager, promoted and moved the whole family from RI, to Claremont NH, to Saugus MA, to Vineyard haven MA, to Falmouth MA.
Received Profit sharing... a saleman friend in the men's suit department retired in 1963 after 25 years with $300K in stock. $2.3 M in today's dollars.
Shifted to Montgomery Ward in 66 as Catalog Store District Manager with as coverage route of 1400 miles and 26 stores. 35,000 miles per year and 80 hour week. In 72 became territorial sales promotion manager... with base in Albany. Most memorable and pleasant years.
All the way...
HR was callled "Personnel" and was sensitive to the "person"... Always had a mentor, always recognized for performance, rewarded with associate parties after regional meetings... sometimes 4 times a year... resorts, sports, and full days of fun. Company sponsored.
Wore suit and tie. Called Mister.
Always had a secretary, sometimes 2
.
Smoked... too much... 2 cartons Pall Mall red /week.
On the road... carried the first portable fax... briefcase style.
Around 1972... was the only one of our regional 2000+ employees to have
a hand held electronic calculator... A Sharp Elsi 8... $500 discounted price.
The 22 ladies in the accounting department challenged me to a race... and I won.
In Albany, finished work @ 5 on Tuesdays and went for cocktails at the 1700 house or beer at the Persian Room... (called it the perversion room).
All info from stores (customer orders) were sent by teletype... yellow punch tape, from the RS232... polled by the main offiice at night.
We were the first retail company to integrate computers into the business. IBM punch cards... and huge tape computers that were in the "white room".
All of those employees wore white hospital garb. You dould hear the agonize screams as the card cart tipped over and spoiled hours of work.
Moved to Chicago main offices as National Sales Promotion Manager in 1980, and then as special assignment, to oversee the closedown of field operations of 2400 sales units in 1982.
Lived in the suburbs, and took the train into the city, picked up at the station in the city by a school bus to the office building. This added about 13 extra hours away from home... making the work week about 55 - 60 hours... not much different from the field management work week of 70 -80 hours. Never seemed a problem in those days.
The company was socially responsible. In Chicago, running after school classes for the local government housing kids. A personal volunteer cadre of employee "teachers" volunteering to help.
During the 1980-1986, saw changes in management and a new president from Target, who brought along a large group of young "climbers" who had lived a fast management life, and knew nothing of our business.
I was appalled when the new "managers" were living a fast life... no holds barred. I had to plan my flights weeks in advance for lowest prices., stayed in Motel 6, ate meals at MacDonalds and took scheduled limos. Almost died when I saw a young ladies expense account... Flying first class... Chicago to LA, stayed in a $150 room (1982)... had a meal tab of $46... and a $15 breakfast, and $40 cab fare, back and forth. A $650 bill for 2 days, when mine was $250.
Finally... after screwing up everthing from communications, to trasportation, to personnel, to planning and sales promotion... the final straw. THE ULTIMATE insult...henceforth our planning meetings were to be SMOKE FREE!!! The kiss of death.
Gone, the feeling that we would literally die for our company. Gone the Personnel Dept. Gone the performace reviews, (replaced by Standards of Performance)... Gone the comraderie... Gone the efficiencies of a well trained and experienced workforce. It took two years to destroy 110 years of retail experience. Beginning of the end. Final close down in 1990.
Actually... those years were more than just work. It was a social life tha extended beyond working hours. Never a fear of being fired. The loyalty went both ways. Families and personal welfare was understood by management. Always a guiding hand to point out the next promotion or pay raise. Our business was a family.
As we closed the last catalog facility, and I had worked my way out of a job, it was a new beginning... 1986, and entering the age of computers.
A wonderful time... interspersed with 25 years in scouting... Pack and Troop leader, committeeman... Little league teammanger, Army Reserve meetings and summer camps, four children, 14 total home and family moves, SBA volunteering, 6 years of nighttime snowmobiling in MA and VT, and 20 weekends per year of RV travel. Living on the vineyard, swimming, sailing and exploring history. Vacations at parents home on the ocean in Barrington RI... sailing, fishing, clamming and trips to Newport.
What was it like in the 60's 70's and 80'
Long hours at the job, but an untroubled mind, and a great love of life... all shared with a DW, who was always there... almost always good times.