Walmart- advice needed

[flyers0806]

Currently the pharmacy manager of a very successful Walmart. Bonused 18k last year and have a great team with awesome metrics. I currently drive 45 minutes to work with lots of toll roads, spending about $2500 on gas/tolls alone each year.

Recently I was offered a manager job at a lower volume Walmart with not so great metrics/terrible scores. The commute would be much shorter, save me a ton in gas money, and better schedule. However, wondering if it is worth it moving to a lower volume store that isn't so great just for a better drive, when I have an amazing store exceeding its numbers. Has anyone made such a move and regretted it? The way Walmart bonuses work, if this store is not so hot, the bonus could potentially be nonexistent. Thanks

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[wagrxm2000]

Currently the pharmacy manager of a very successful Walmart. Bonused 18k last year and have a great team with awesome metrics. I currently drive 45 minutes to work with lots of toll roads, spending about $2500 on gas/tolls alone each year.

Recently I was offered a manager job at a lower volume Walmart with not so great metrics/terrible scores. The commute would be much shorter, save me a ton in gas money, and better schedule. However, wondering if it is worth it moving to a lower volume store that isn't so great just for a better drive, when I have an amazing store exceeding its numbers. Has anyone made such a move and regretted it? The way Walmart bonuses work, if this store is not so hot, the bonus could potentially be nonexistent. Thanks

The only thing i would ask myself is what is worth more, time or money?

I would take the shorter drive so I can be with my family more.

You can fix a bad store, it may be hard but doable.

 

[quickpic007]

Currently the pharmacy manager of a very successful Walmart. Bonused 18k last year and have a great team with awesome metrics. I currently drive 45 minutes to work with lots of toll roads, spending about $2500 on gas/tolls alone each year.

Recently I was offered a manager job at a lower volume Walmart with not so great metrics/terrible scores. The commute would be much shorter, save me a ton in gas money, and better schedule. However, wondering if it is worth it moving to a lower volume store that isn't so great just for a better drive, when I have an amazing store exceeding its numbers. Has anyone made such a move and regretted it? The way Walmart bonuses work, if this store is not so hot, the bonus could potentially be nonexistent. Thanks

A harsh Maybe if you have the same DM.
A good easy store with good techs and bonus is not exactly easy to find.
the bonus and gas/toll is a wash so dont even consider.
I'd def keep at the good post and try to get a better schedule, reduce hrs.

Imagine saving the time on the road but going into an awful store...not worth it...

 

[johnpharm01]

Currently the pharmacy manager of a very successful Walmart. Bonused 18k last year and have a great team with awesome metrics. I currently drive 45 minutes to work with lots of toll roads, spending about $2500 on gas/tolls alone each year.

Recently I was offered a manager job at a lower volume Walmart with not so great metrics/terrible scores. The commute would be much shorter, save me a ton in gas money, and better schedule. However, wondering if it is worth it moving to a lower volume store that isn't so great just for a better drive, when I have an amazing store exceeding its numbers. Has anyone made such a move and regretted it? The way Walmart bonuses work, if this store is not so hot, the bonus could potentially be nonexistent. Thanks

Congrats on your success. Its cliche, but why change a good thing? I can see why your management would want you to move, but I wouldn't do it. At the non-Walmart chain I worked at the poor performing stores were that way for a reason and they never seemed to change no matter who was in charge.

 

[Prepharm1214]

I would stay put, 45 min drive isn't awful. The bonus difference alone should financially make up for gas/tolls and some of your time. A well performing store is huge for your quality of life.

 

[TimeZero]

Great team loses several key members, metrics begin trending in the wrong direction and Walmart nixes/slashes pharmacy manager bonuses. Great store becomes all not that different from store closer to home. Now you are stuck commuting 45 minutes to a store you really don't want to be at, eating the cost of extra gas and tolls.

Saturation will impact us all sooner or later. Just sayin'.

 

[aznsensazn3]

Going from a staff position 45 minutes away to a 10 minute staff position made a huge difference in my opinion. The stores were similar in metrics, so it wasn't a big deal. But if I were in your position, I would do it only if you had a family with young children. That time that I'm saving to see my son grow up is priceless. Stay with your current job if you don't have a family.

 

[Apotheker2015]

Currently the pharmacy manager of a very successful Walmart. Bonused 18k last year and have a great team with awesome metrics. I currently drive 45 minutes to work with lots of toll roads, spending about $2500 on gas/tolls alone each year.

Recently I was offered a manager job at a lower volume Walmart with not so great metrics/terrible scores. The commute would be much shorter, save me a ton in gas money, and better schedule. However, wondering if it is worth it moving to a lower volume store that isn't so great just for a better drive, when I have an amazing store exceeding its numbers. Has anyone made such a move and regretted it? The way Walmart bonuses work, if this store is not so hot, the bonus could potentially be nonexistent. Thanks

Question - when you took over your current store, was it the successful store that it is today? Or was it a troubled store and you turned it around?

 

[owlegrad]

Can you pick up some shifts at the store in question to get a feel for it? Or bring some of the good techs with you?

 

[Apotheker2015]

Currently the pharmacy manager of a very successful Walmart. Bonused 18k last year and have a great team with awesome metrics. I currently drive 45 minutes to work with lots of toll roads, spending about $2500 on gas/tolls alone each year.

Recently I was offered a manager job at a lower volume Walmart with not so great metrics/terrible scores. The commute would be much shorter, save me a ton in gas money, and better schedule. However, wondering if it is worth it moving to a lower volume store that isn't so great just for a better drive, when I have an amazing store exceeding its numbers. Has anyone made such a move and regretted it? The way Walmart bonuses work, if this store is not so hot, the bonus could potentially be nonexistent. Thanks

My short answer is - move closer to your current store. If your store was already successful when you took over, then you may not be aware of how many things need to go wrong for those numbers to go red. It is a lot of work to figure out what techs are doing and not doing. If you've never had to print every SOP and chase people around with it to initial it, then why would you want to start now? Did you know that it is possible for a technician to spend years at the pharmacy and only know how to fill and answer the phone? Did you know it is possible for a technician to spend her/his days pretending to do (third party) resolution while doing nothing?

Sure, Connexus is disjointed and slow but you are looking at doing a lot of work for literally no bonus. If it were a high volume store, you'd inevitably get a bonus. Your yearly raise may not happen, by the way. If you inherit a troubled store, those metrics are part of your first review. There is no blank slate or grace period because you took over a "troubled store".

Technicians at troubled stores have all kinds of bad habits. You do not want that either. They have the ethics line on speed dial. Prepare to be open doored once every couple of weeks for hurting their feelings.

Stay where you are. Move closer to work. What you have is a dream job at Walmart. You probably even have time to do all your manager stuff because techs and pharmacists are doing their job and your ear does not have to be up every time they talk. Who does your manager want to give your dream job to? Get cynical for a moment and ask yourself that. Don't take it. Stay where you are.

 

[wagrxm2000]

Whether or not there's a family is the answer we need from the OP.

I feel most people that are responding don't have a family.

Traveling changes a 8 to 4 shift to a 7 to 5 shift. Probably miss your family in the morning. A 2 to 10, well your kids will be asleep by the time you get home at 11.

 

[Apotheker2015]

Whether or not there's a family is the answer we need from the OP.

I feel most people that are responding don't have a family.

Traveling changes a 8 to 4 shift to a 7 to 5 shift. Probably miss your family in the morning. A 2 to 10, well your kids will be asleep by the time you get home at 11.

I can see taking a messed up high volume store and taking measures to be compensated accordingly. But you know that doesn't happen. Not too long ago, I found out someone was managing a store that was literally cake, and making the same as someone else managing a higher volume store with cr@ppy technicians. I do mean terrible technicians. So the fool was busting his behind for the same amount of money. They were even hired around the same time. True story.
The shorter drive may not be long enough to cool off after a shift at a troubled store. It's Walmart. But hey, it's all up to OP.

 

[wagrxm2000]

I can see taking a messed up high volume store and taking measures to be compensated accordingly. But you know that doesn't happen. Not too long ago, I found out someone was managing a store that was literally cake, and making the same as someone else managing a higher volume store with cr@ppy technicians. I do mean terrible technicians. So the fool was busting his behind for the same amount of money. They were even hired around the same time. True story.
The shorter drive may not be long enough to cool off after a shift at a troubled store. It's Walmart. But hey, it's all up to OP.

I completely agree, there are sacrifices you have to make though for your kids.

 

[Sine Cura]

Pharmacy performance didn't really affect how much bonus you got since at least in FY18 and FY17 your bonus was 50% based on the overall store performance (sales and controllable profit to target), so you could have a crap pharmacy (or pharmacy in a bad location w/ bad patients) and still get a good bonus anyway especially if it is a high-volume pharmacy.

Dept 38 and 40 combined might do 10% of total sales at a typical Supercenter (I am just thinking in terms of the stores I've worked at) so obviously H&W "direct" contribution to total sales is limited but of course total basket is higher for regular pharmacy customers etc etc

45 minute commute is balls but I would do some research into the other location before taking it. Like why exactly does it suck (demographics? Bad techs? Bad pharmacists?) Usually in bad stores I see a lack of leadership and guidance combined with staff with poor attitudes and/or capability (both techs and pharmacists) so if you are really bored you could see it as a challenge... but eh...... Some stores are just **** because of demographic reasons even if you have really strong pharmacists and techs.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Can you pick up some shifts at the store in question to get a feel for it? Or bring some of the good techs with you?

Definitely would look into this.


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[BidingMyTime]

I feel most people that are responding don't have a family.
Traveling changes a 8 to 4 shift to a 7 to 5 shift. Probably miss your family in the morning. A 2 to 10, well your kids will be asleep by the time you get home at 11.

I disagree, having seen managers try to clean up bad pharmacies, they can spend far more time trying to fix the bad pharmacy, then they would commuting 45 minutes each way.

OP, I've never managed a pharmacy, so take my advice based on that. But I would not leave a good store. Good stores are hard to fine, and cleaning up bad stores is next to impossible (if it were easy, some other pharmacist would have already done it.) Would you rather spend 45 minutes each way driving, peacefully listening to music, books on tape, podcasts, whatever? Or would you rather come in 45 minutes in the pharmacy before a shift cleaning up the mess left for you, and then spend 45 minutes after your shift in the pharmacy cleaning up the mess that is still left. Not to mention, coming in on your days off to try to fix the myriad number of things that are probably completely off (like inventory, mandatory records, etc.)

Like someone else said, try to move closer if you can.

 

[wagrxm2000]

I disagree, having seen managers try to clean up bad pharmacies, they can spend far more time trying to fix the bad pharmacy, then they would commuting 45 minutes each way.

OP, I've never managed a pharmacy, so take my advice based on that. But I would not leave a good store. Good stores are hard to fine, and cleaning up bad stores is next to impossible (if it were easy, some other pharmacist would have already done it.) Would you rather spend 45 minutes each way driving, peacefully listening to music, books on tape, podcasts, whatever? Or would you rather come in 45 minutes in the pharmacy before a shift cleaning up the mess left for you, and then spend 45 minutes after your shift in the pharmacy cleaning up the mess that is still left. Not to mention, coming in on your days off to try to fix the myriad number of things that are probably completely off (like inventory, mandatory records, etc.)

Like someone else said, try to move closer if you can.

Simple, don't work outside your hours.

Also my point is solely based on more family time. I'd rather eat breakfast with my family and have a harder job then miss them in the morning. Great thing for me is I know how to fix a store.

 

[CountBy5s]

Simple, don't work outside your hours.

Also my point is solely based on more family time. I'd rather eat breakfast with my family and have a harder job then miss them in the morning. Great thing for me is I know how to fix a store.

I have to agree. Sometimes we take store based on hours because leaving before breakfast and getting home after children's bedtimes is not going to fly for long. Plus the turn around of closing at 10pm then opening the next morning at 8am with an hour commute will get old real.

Plus if you can turn stores around. Just fix your current store and things will be great.