I was in my RiteAid the other week and noticed to my chagrin the aisle header “boys toys”. Now, they took over the Brooks Pharmacy and I didn’t know if it was a remnant from that, but in any case I was incensed. Unless the toys actually require a penis and/or testicles to play it successfully, “boys toys” So I wrote a brief but strongly worded letter questioning RiteAid’s stated commitment to diversity, if they have such a sign in their store. OK, it was an email but it mentioned the store number. That very day I got a call on my cellphone which I ignored, but it was from the manager of that store, asking for a call back. This didn’t happen.
I went to get my fair share of abuse, I mean get my prescription filled and lo and behold! The “boys” section of the sign had been removed and only “toys” remained.
The glee I was filled with was wonderful. Nice work, RiteAid!
By the way, I am pretty certain that was a Brooks thing. I’ve worked for Rite Aid for 7 years and this is the first I’ve heard of that(I would have said something, too).
Can you divulge anything about the front end staffing policy that allows only enough cashiers on duty to maintain a line of 6-10 people at all times of the day?
Never had that happen, unless someone calls out sick or it’s a holiday or something. There is supposed to be a policy of “3 in line, it’s time(to call for backup, even if that means management)”…
If it is a well run store, management will try to please as many people as possible. Most of time we have no clue whether customers like the way we arranged things or not, so if one person says its no good then we will consider it. Not everything is done for our sake, most of it done to attract a lot of customers.
Now if you argue about pricing, you won’t get far. If it is anything else, the smart managers will try to do what is best for the customers.
Besides, if one person decides to write a letter about something, chances are it is bugging about ten other people who don’t feel like doing anything about it.
I had a win like that once - at my local newsagancy come bookshop the little kiddies books were on a display dirctly opposite the porno magazines. I actually had to show the manager (oooh picture books - turn around - oooh titties) that maybe it was a little inapropriate.
As somebody who has taken a little boy around the toy stores, I might have the best intentions in the world with regards to his growing up a well-balanced individual without sexist or overly macho mental baggage, but face it, at age nine, he just wanted to head for the cars, guns, etc, and a sign like “Boys’ Toys” would be something I’d simply view as a time-saver and nothing else. I’ve got a one year-old niece, so in a few years I’ll be making the same trek to the pink frilly toys (if that’s what she wants) - it’ll be the same thing.
A toy sign in some backwater drug store suggests traditional gender-based toys, so you voice your rightous indignance and they bend to your whim.
And this is a good thing?
Are you also going to write letters to you local elementary schools telling them that the “tug-o-war” game should be called “tug-o-peace”? I mean, we can’t have our children growing up using the “w” word - we can’t have our children thinking war is anything besides a shameful crime. (World War II? We’ll just drop it from the history curriculum - too hard to explain.) Better yet, maybe you should suggest they completely abolish the tug-o-war, and all other competitive games and sports, because it teaches children that they’re not all winners. And we can’t risk bruising our childrens fragile egos with the idea that they might be second-best (or worse! egad!).
In my opinion, you are not part of the solution. You are part of the problem. Sorry.
In this case, it’s a small toy section in a drugstore, not a section in a toy store. It’s not hard to narrow it down using a sign that simply says “toys”.
And what’s the problem with labelling the aisles in a toy store “cars”, “toy guns”, “dolls”, and letting kids make up their own mind?
Take an average six year old boy and girl. Chances are the boy is going to go for the toy gun and the girl something pink and frilly.
Why is it wrong to divide your toy section as such?
You email a complaint, within hours your get a phone call that you can’t be bothered to answer, because you don’t recognise the number.
Rude.
The manager leaves a message asking to to call back, to specifically address your complaint, you never do.
Rude.
So it’s great that someone bends to your idea of PC, but you can’t be bothered to even answer your phone, or reply to a voicemail?
And beyond posting here, have you talked or emailed anyone there, thanked them? Talked to the manager? Talked to corporate lauding the manager and the store for their prompt response?
More than likely not.
Rude.
If you are going to complain about something, when it is resolved, you need to thank them, period. *Especially *when they change something for you.
Actually, I did write an email to thank them for what they did.
Did I say it was wrong to divide the toys into sections? Again, what’s wrong with labelling them by what’s in the section, not by what gender should be playing with them? Yes, my mileage does vary. When I was a kid, my brother and I shared all kinds of toys and I would hate to be a girl and be interested in a toy and then look up and see that it’s not meant for me.
You should send another email to Ross and tell them to re-lable their “mens” and “womens” sections, as that too can be offensive. Clothing should be gender neutral, regardless of what the vast majority dictates. Am I right?
So I wrote a brief but strongly worded letter questioning RiteAid’s stated commitment to diversity, if they have such a sign in their store. OK, it was an email but it mentioned the store number. That very day I got a call on my cellphone which I ignored, but it was from the manager of that store, asking for a call back. This didn’t happen.