I HATE Walmart! But what can I do??

[JB2K]

After reading this thread in its' entireity, I have come to the conclusion that "class warfare" is alive and well at the Budget Board.

There are people on this thread encouraging others to spend more elsewhere so "Walmart won't be our only option", while others are writing novellas of stuff that happened at WM that could've been preventable on the shopper's part (IMO).

And then, there was the person who berated WM shoppers that didn't fit her view of what a shopper should look-like.

Bottom line? Go where the deals are -- after all, this is the "Budget Board", not the "Spend all your money" board!

 

[BoogasMom]

I have to agree with some of the other posters.....the closest Walmart to us is crap! I hate going there and would rather have a tooth pulled than go in there. I actually had a good experience with a cashier (shocker!) and called that evening to talk with a manager about my great experience. He was so short with me and acted like I was wasting my breath. I thought managers liked hearing the good things that their employees do!?!??!

The Walmart the next town over is sooo much better....and, get this.....it is in a poorer town than the crappy one! I find their customer service to be much better and it is cleaner.

I needed to order a birthday cake for my son's birthday and I went to the crappy Walmart closest to us...the lady in the bakery acted like I was completely inconveniencing her by asking her to do her job that she gets paid to do. So, I told her to forget it and cancel the order and went to the other Walmart. They treated me the complete opposite and bent over backwards for my order. I actually enjoyed the experience. I think it just depends on the individual management as to how the store personnel are trained and behave towards the customers.

 

[Colleen27]

After reading this thread in its' entireity, I have come to the conclusion that "class warfare" is alive and well at the Budget Board.

There are people on this thread encouraging others to spend more elsewhere so "Walmart won't be our only option", while others are writing novellas of stuff that happened at WM that could've been preventable on the shopper's part (IMO).

And then, there was the person who berated WM shoppers that didn't fit her view of what a shopper should look-like.

Bottom line? Go where the deals are -- after all, this is the "Budget Board", not the "Spend all your money" board!

No class warfare on my part - my DH looks like the "ditch digger" from the OP's post on occasion (he's a contractor, and if he stops for something on the way home from a roofing job he certainly isn't looking his best), I've done my time waiting tables and working retail when I was younger, and we're blue collar through and through. But that doesn't mean I'm willing to accept dirty stores and rude staff for the sake of saving a few pennies, nor do I want to see our locally owned stores go under because they can't compete with Walmart's race-to-the-bottom business practices.

 

[EeyoreEma]

I cannot stand Wal-Mart. It is one of my least favorite places to go. However, we live in a town that doesn't have much else. I'll be honest, we drive 45 minutes to get to a Publix and Sams to do our shopping most weekends, just because our WM is that bad. I can feel my blood pressure start to rise walking through their doors. I do use it when we can't make it out of town, but I have a hard time getting good products there. We do a lot of fresh produce, and the quality of the stuff I buy at WM is no where near as nice as what I get from Publix or Sams.

 

[ajh88]

Sometimes I wonder if Wal-Mart would be a more pleasant place to shop if all the people who truly hate it wouldn't shop there?

People describe how unhappy they are any time they have to go there...blood pressure rising, trepidation, disgust, etc. When you are already viewing an experience from a negative place, I think even small things are magnified and minor annoyances become huge issues.

And when there are mistakes made, you feel even MORE angry because you already didn't want to be there.

I wish I could say I've never made a mistake, or forgotten something for a customer, or any of those things...but I have. I guarantee that part of my job description is NOT "hassle the customers to make them angry" but sometimes I tell someone I will do something and I lose track of it...or I go to lunch and forget to pass word along. I bet I talk with at least 100 people a day on the phone at the pharmacy - I hope I take care of the needs of all of them, but I'd bet at least 1 person a day isn't satisfied with the service I provide. To them, Wal-Mart pharmacy stinks because of X, Y, Z (probably none of which were actually within our control), even though 99 people would say they are happy with my work.

Just a thought...

 

[deakam]

I first must disclose that I am a Walmart employee. Next I will tell you that Walmart prints out a survey on every other receipt. Do the survey and tell them the truth. They can not fix the problem if they do not know they have one.

If you do not get a survey the phone number is 1-800-walmart. Seriously, they want to hear from thier customers---both the good and the bad.

I, as a Walmart associate, would like to apologize for your bad experience.
My paycheck and my quarterly bonus depends on the satisfaction of my customers. I assure you that all Walmarts are not the same. The type of service you recieved would have resulted in a dismissal at my store.

At the customer service desk there should be a phone number to reach the district manager--call and let this person know what is happening at your store.

 

[edk35]

I have to agree with some of the other posters.....the closest Walmart to us is crap! I hate going there and would rather have a tooth pulled than go in there. I actually had a good experience with a cashier (shocker!) and called that evening to talk with a manager about my great experience. He was so short with me and acted like I was wasting my breath. I thought managers liked hearing the good things that their employees do!?!??!

The Walmart the next town over is sooo much better....and, get this.....it is in a poorer town than the crappy one! I find their customer service to be much better and it is cleaner.

I needed to order a birthday cake for my son's birthday and I went to the crappy Walmart closest to us...the lady in the bakery acted like I was completely inconveniencing her by asking her to do her job that she gets paid to do. So, I told her to forget it and cancel the order and went to the other Walmart. They treated me the complete opposite and bent over backwards for my order. I actually enjoyed the experience. I think it just depends on the individual management as to how the store personnel are trained and behave towards the customers.

This reminded me of something else today (the novella continues ). I went to the deli to get some cheese. I saw one lady working on the other side where you can get ot cooked foods I guess. Anyway... I simply asked her if she was the person that worked the deli side too or if there was someone else. She was not helping a customer, no one was there. She was wrapping rotisserie chickens. OMG....the first thing out of her mouth was "I am the only one working right now, I can't help you with that until I finish up here". "We don't have any lids so I have to wrap these in foil." I could not get a word in edge wise. LOL I tried to tell her that was fine, I can wait. She went on about how she was doing the best she could and blah blah blah. I kind of felt sorry for her because she was so defensive so I am sure she has had some rude encounters with customers maybe.

 

[ajh88]

I first must disclose that I am a Walmart employee. Next I will tell you that Walmart prints out a survey on every other receipt. Do the survey and tell them the truth. They can not fix the problem if they do not know they have one.

If you do not get a survey the phone number is 1-800-walmart. Seriously, they want to hear from thier customers---both the good and the bad.

I, as a Walmart associate, would like to apologize for your bad experience.
My paycheck and my quarterly bonus depends on the satisfaction of my customers. I assure you that all Walmarts are not the same. The type of service you recieved would have resulted in a dismissal at my store.

At the customer service desk there should be a phone number to reach the district manager--call and let this person know what is happening at your store.

I second this as well...any time a customer makes a formal complaint against us, our DM is in touch ASAP to get the manager to investigate. We actually only get a handful of complaints, but each one is taken seriously and followed-up on swiftly. It also counts "against" the store manager when customer satisfaction scores are low and they *should* be taking that seriously...so by all means, take the survey, call the number, and let it be known how you are treated (be it good or bad!).

 

[edk35]

I first must disclose that I am a Walmart employee. Next I will tell you that Walmart prints out a survey on every other receipt. Do the survey and tell them the truth. They can not fix the problem if they do not know they have one.

If you do not get a survey the phone number is 1-800-walmart. Seriously, they want to hear from thier customers---both the good and the bad.

I, as a Walmart associate, would like to apologize for your bad experience.
My paycheck and my quarterly bonus depends on the satisfaction of my customers. I assure you that all Walmarts are not the same. The type of service you recieved would have resulted in a dismissal at my store.

At the customer service desk there should be a phone number to reach the district manager--call and let this person know what is happening at your store.

Thanks for the information. However I just looked at my receipt and it doesn't have a survey but I will be happy to call the number.

 

[Desiree1972]

I hate, hate, hate, them! Their aisles full of boxes that you cannot get around, their half empty shelves, their rude and uncaring employees (not all of them obviously, but the ones that are just kill me!), the rampant child abuse going on (this obviously isn't WM's fault, but why does this not go on at Target?!) and on and on.

The icing on the cake was yesterday when the clerk forgot to ring up my coupons... I probably would not have even checked my receipt, but I saw her face and furtive glances, so as she avoided eye contact and told me to have a nice day and began checking out the next person, I checked and then asked her about it. She intentionally tried to hide the fact when she knew she did it! She did not apologize when I asked her about it, she just said go to customer service... well, there were 10 people in line there! At Target, just the previous day, I had forgotten to present a coupon, my fault, and I realized it after he handed me my receipt I asked if there was anyway to redeem it (it was for $3), and he very nicely said "of course" and gave me $3 in cash.

It is rare for me to shop at Target b/c it's so far away, and all the other stores near me are much more expensive than walmart... so do I add the $100-150 in my budget each month more that I will have to spend at the more expensive stores to have better experiences, or do I suck it up and save the money? What do you do?!

I boycotted them back in 2002 and have not looked back!! go with your gut!

 

[deakam]

glad to help---and just in case your cashier did not tell you---thank you for choosing Walmart. Sam Walton would be mortified by some of the statements being made here.

 

[Kathi OD]

And there was a reason for that -- most Target stores have about 1/4 the foot traffic that Walmart has at any given time.

The reason? WM sells a lot of different things -- and Target? Well, you may be able to find a quilt, there (which is something Target is trying to overcome by expanding their own grocery offerings and selling less designer quilts).

As for your water, Target could afford to connect with you on a personal level where WM simply can't because of their mammoth store size.

Um....the WalMarts near me aren't of a mammoth size. They are not any larger than the Target stores. In fact, our Targets have much better grocery departments than the WalMarts do. Somehow, with at least equal sales floor space and larger grocery offerings, the Target stores manage to be cleaner and have better customer service than do the WalMarts. I can't tell you how many times the WalMart closest to me has been closed by the fire marshal due to code violations.

To be honest, I don't find WalMart's prices to be all that much lower than those at Target. For sure, the difference is so small that it is worth it to have a much better experience at Target or a local grocery store.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that people should shop at stores that they like. I've run into bad examples of every chain and I just avoid those places. I've also found good places and make it a point to frequent them.

Except for those who live in rural areas or smaller towns (I've been there), it shouldn't be hard to steer clear of bad stores.

 

[maxiesmom]

First of all I did wait tables in high school and I also worked retail in college. I was always taught that the customer is always right...OH WAIT...that was in the early and mid 80's when people CARED ABOUT THEIR JOB and how they treated customers.

What!? You are so wrong! Most of us who work retail DO care.

As far as the customer is always right, well, that is a stupid statement probably put out there by someone who go all upset that they didn't get their way. Is the customer who returned a vomit filled steam cleaner to our store that was over a year old right to return it? Are the customers who throw stuff onto the ground and walk on it right to do so? Are the customers right who send their kids over to play on the escelator right?

I think in the 80's people didn't have such a huge feeling of entitlement. I have worked retail 25 years, and I can tell you people act worse and worse each year. I don't think when I started I ever heard of someone using a fitting room for a toilet, and now it happens a few times a year! And I live and work in a nice neighborhood!

I suggest you go work retail now, and see what it is like. It would truly open your eyes. If so many customers didn't shop like pigs, then stores wouldn't look like pig stys. Some days you just cannot have enough staff in the stores to keep up with the mess.

 

[Lear]

Nothing changes here. The manager needs to know to make a change. I have run into this same problem at Walmart. I went to the manager and was very satisfied with the results. Changes starts with you.

 

[budafam]

I haven't read any replies but I too hate Walmart. I go there VERY sparingly and ONLY when I have to. I wish we had a Target because my experiences there have been soooo much better.

I swear I only see freaks at Walmart too (not that everyone there are freaks). But I swear that's where all the overweight people wearing stretch pants & bedroom slippers go at 2 in the afternoon. Really?

 

[nunzia]

Well....I have to say that I agree. You walked out with out the stuff....When did it become the cashier's responsibility to keep track of your stuff???

I will also agree that WM dropped the ball after you phoned them. Your purchases should have been held at CS and anything cold should have been listed and returned to the shelf. They could have grabbed those items for you when you came back.

I cashiered during high school, college and for about a year again two years ago. Cashiers are under enough pressure from store management without having to do everything for the customer as well. You got distracted.....well so can cashiers.

I firmly believe everyone should wait tables and cashier during their life. They might gain a little perspective..........

I agree..I still work part time retail for extra money. Really..people would be amazed at how people are I once had a Walmart cashier not scan my coupons and they had been sitting right there and I know he'd seen them earlier, but clearly forgot. I was not given the option to go to CS and slosh through all of that to get the money, so just used them later. Still..it's my responsibility to make sure the coupons are scanned, so now I don't start payment until that has happened (no scanning of the card..if I have cash I make sure the coupons are picked up by cashier before end of checking.) And really, although it was a comedy of errors trying to get your items back, it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you have all your bags. Scammers have really made so many things a PITA for all of us and for companies. We bought a big screen TV at SAMS..we get to the parking lot and it won't fit in our HHR (DH 'measured" it but well..you know how that goes) so in we go, like 5 minutes after purchase time and had to go through tons of rigamirole (sp) to return it and get the credit back on our card. First they had to verify it had never been opened, then they had to OPEN it to make sure it was new ..I'm sure there have been folks who bring back boxes stuffed with crap and then try and get a refund..They didn't understand why we couldn't just leave the TV and borrow a truck..well, we live 70 miles away, that's why..finally got it worked out, but I understand why they have to do what they do) Yes, pain to get games, but again, where I work (Hastings) we have the same issue..people steal so much we have to lock stuff up and to try and keep prices low, our labor has to be low, so I'm sorry if you have to wait for someone with a key to finish helping someone else and hitting that button "Customer Assistance in Video Games" a thousand times won't make us be able to get there quicker

 

[JB2K]

I suggest you go work retail now, and see what it is like. It would truly open your eyes. If so many customers didn't shop like pigs, then stores wouldn't look like pig stys. Some days you just cannot have enough staff in the stores to keep up with the mess.

I wholeheartedly agree -- if folks like edk35 spent about 6-8 hours in your shoes whether it be working at Wally World or the Bullseye store, they would be singing a different tune...

 

[spacemountainmom]

What!? You are so wrong! Most of us who work retail DO care.

As far as the customer is always right, well, that is a stupid statement probably put out there by someone who go all upset that they didn't get their way. Is the customer who returned a vomit filled steam cleaner to our store that was over a year old right to return it? Are the customers who throw stuff onto the ground and walk on it right to do so? Are the customers right who send their kids over to play on the escelator right?

I think in the 80's people didn't have such a huge feeling of entitlement. I have worked retail 25 years, and I can tell you people act worse and worse each year. I don't think when I started I ever heard of someone using a fitting room for a toilet, and now it happens a few times a year! And I live and work in a nice neighborhood!

I suggest you go work retail now, and see what it is like. It would truly open your eyes. If so many customers didn't shop like pigs, then stores wouldn't look like pig stys. Some days you just cannot have enough staff in the stores to keep up with the mess.

I must add that I worked at Monkey Wards back in the 80's and we did have a fitting room toilet incident. I can still hear the screams of my fellow high school and college aged co-workers when we discovered it late on a Saturday afternoon.

I will concur - if you are unhappy, please do speak up to store management or, better yet, to corporate. Griping to a cashier or a sales floor associate isn't going to get you real far. Low level employees are not taken very seriously. I always passed on the complaints, but they mean a whole lot more to management if they come from a customer. If you are not happy with what the manager says....go higher up. If you are serious enough to take it higher, you will get a response. Treating a low level employee rudely is only going to make their (probably already) bad day even worse and won't get you any satisfaction. They have no authority to do anything.

I once was screamed at and sworn at by a "gentleman" who did not like the price of milk. Did he really believe that I set the price??? It was actually quite refreshing when another guest in line gave the guy the what for since my manager was no where to be found while I was enduring this jerk's tirade. The pressure is on from corporate to do more with less and that is part of why stores are so much dirtier, lines are longer and heaven forbid, you need someone to assist you on the sales floor.

Again, I agree that the WM dropped the ball in the pp's case, but I still have to say the problem would not have happened if the pp or her son would have grabbed their stuff. Everyone needs to take a little responsibility.

 

[edk35]

This thread has become quite funny really. For those that love Walmart by all means shop there.

So.... just to update those that keep telling me it was MY FAULT. I called the store manager this morning. I told him the entire story. I told him how I rarely shop at Walmarts anymore except occasionally and WHY. I told him that we do get our contacts/glasses from the vision store and that is what prompts me to go there in the first place. I told him that the store really impressed me yesterday so I decided to grab some things. Then I told him how the check out process went, again very friendly checker and so forth. Told him about my left items and how I called twice. Told him how the entire CS thing was handled. He APOLOGIZED TO ME PROFUSELY. HE told me that IT IS THE CASHIER'S RESPONSIBILITY to make sure each bag is handed to the customer PERIOD. He said he preaches this and he would HOPE that all Walmarts did this. He said ONLY at a register that is a self check register would a customer EVER have to make sure they have all of their items...and they do not even have those type registers there. He said that the cashiers should give their full attention to the customer from the greeting when they start the transaction until the receipt is handed to the customer and the bags are CLEARED. HE said that he will talk to his cashiers about this and that the CS fiasco WAS CERTAINLY BOTCHED. He was very nice. I was very nice and just wanted to let him know that the CS issues were what prompted me to call not the cashier's. He told me that if I wanted to come back in and pick up the two items that I still didn't have, he would have someone pull the items, bag them for me with my name on them. I thought that was very nice.

OH and he said that CS situation was TOTALLY not handled correctly from start to finish. He said that would be addressed too. He seem to really care about the store and customer experience.

Anyway... just thought I would let those know that said to call the 1 800 number or the manager when there are problems... I DID.