1

Arizmendi
Robert Arizmendi Jr.

Foundation of Business

MAN 1107 – Foundation of Business

18 November 2020

Interviewing A Sam’s Club Manager

According to Merriam-Webster, a manager is a person liable for controlling or

overseeing all or part of a company (Manager). Most people have had experiences with a manger

– some of those experiences are good and some are bad. Either way, managers are an essential

part to any and all companies. I had the opportunity to interview somebody in a management

position and get insight into the company, Sam’s Club.

Sam’s Club is a membership-based warehouse club that offers its members quality

products at an exceptional value unmatched by beating the competitive market prices. This

leading company offers a variety of products from groceries, clothing, prescriptions, and

equipment to tires, fuel, technology, and household items. A Sam’s Club averages 136,000

square feet in size and brought in a revenue of $59 billion in January 2018 (Our Company).

Sam’s Club being a company providing this much influence on its consumers, has a foundation

of success that starts from within.

A key role at Sam’s Club is a Member Team Lead (MTL), which is the manager that

handles the business face of the club. This includes assigning associates’ duties, member

communication, promotion of Sam’s Club products and services, handling claims and returns,

accounting of Sam’s Club assets, transactions, records, and cash register accountability.

Advocating company policies, procedures, and standards of ethics. As well as leading the team

in their daily goals and challenges (Inc.).

2
Arizmendi
I interviewed an MTL and was given an in-depth background of their history and

responsibilities for Sam’s Club. They have been with the company for a total of 15 years, and an

MTL for eight years. MTL daily duties includes accountability of assets of the store including

money, merchandise, and jewelry. MTL also has responsibility for six staff-operated registers,

eight self-checkout lanes, and the jewelry counter. The daily routine of a MTL includes

achieving member satisfaction by regularly communicating to members and staff, maintaining

safety in the club, keeping the peace between members and staff, and maintaining a clean

environment. The MTL reports to five managers in the top-level managerial hierarchy and has

full authority to make any decisions with their approval. An MTL is able to do things including

but not limited to, hiring, terminating, revoking a membership, and member removal of the

premises, all with acceptance. Their key objectives throughout the day are to build relationships

with members, provide assistance, and do all that is necessary to leave an employee or member

satisfied while keeping respect for individuals.

When asked of their primary leadership style it was exclaimed that they used a

combination of a coaching style and an affiliative style (Martinuzzi). With those styles they are

successful in majority of their task throughout the day. They only use a different approach during

a situation that has escalated.

During the interview I discovered that the MTL position requires a great importance of

skills used on a day-to-day basis. Communication and conceptual skills are the main abilities

needed for the job. There are many times throughout the day where it will be applied from

talking to displeased members, associates that are in need of redirection, and for communication

with upper management. There are many uses of their interpersonal skills as well. Throughout

the shift, teamwork needs to be established and leadership will need to be shown. The MTL has
3
Arizmendi
to continuously be motivational towards the team and show that they are dependable. There are

many times throughout the shift where flexibility and patience are needed, especially during

breaks, shift changes, and position rotations.

I’m told the hardest part of their job is staying adaptable to the extensive demographic of

members, and being able to stay persuasive, uplifting, and consistent. They explain the MTL

position as a high velocity environment. While staying in control of the surrounding of the store

and associate actions, they use all four basic management principles. Planning through breaks,

shift changes, and club promotions. Organizing the frontline team with the right motivation

towards the club goals. Leading throughout the shift for any and all situations throughout the

front face of the store.

Sam’s Club is not the only business in wholesale that operates as a clubhouse. Their

biggest competitors are Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club. Costco was founded in 1983, the same

year as Sam’s Club, they have been in competition since the beginning of their businesses. BJ’s

Wholesale Club only opening one year afterwards, have been another company that has been

focusing on the same foundation of a membership-oriented warehouse club. According to

Craft.Co, an online business analyzer, Costco has had more success with employment rates at 4.1

out of 5, a revenue of 166 billion, and number of members at 55 million (Co.). With that being

said Sam’s Clubs’ main goal is member satisfaction and to have their employees held to a higher

standard for their membership paying customers, but number analysis show that Costco is having

much more success with member and employee retention.

Sam’s Club is still a great model of a successful company. I was provided great examples

of how necessary managers are and showing that they are for the backbone of a company. The

interview gave me a great understanding of how much importance a manger brings to the big
4
Arizmendi
picture of this company. Discovering how essential and impactful someone as figuratively small

as a front-end manager could be in a business really put into perspective the necessity of them

towards a successful business.

5
Arizmendi
Work Cited

Co., Craft “Sam's Club Competitors.” craft.co, 6 Dec. 2020, craft.co/sams-club/competitors?

competitors=sams-club%2Cbj-s-wholesale-club%2Ccostco.

Inc., Walmart “Member Team Lead.” Walmart Careers, 2020,

https://careers.walmart.com/us/jobs/WD429992-member-team-lead.

“Manager.” merriam-webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/manager.

Martinuzzi, Bruna. “The 7 Most Common Leadership Styles (and How to Find Your Own).”

Business Class: Trends and Insights | American Express, 16 Oct. 2019,

www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/the-7-most-

common-leadership-styles-and-how-to-find-your-own/.

Sam's Club Corporate “Our Company.” samsclub.com, 5 Dec. 2020,

corporate.samsclub.com/our-company.