I just had the Rudest Clerk!

[disneymom3]

Just got back from Walmart. (Yeah I know, but I needed salad and craft paint and was trying to cut down on stops.) So, my kids were with me, ages 9, 6, and 4. As I am checking out, they are quietly checking out the gum selections in the rack. Not touching, not asking for any, just standing, or in the case of the 4 yo, sitting there looking and saying, "Oh that one looks good" or whatever kids talk about when looking at gum and candy.

So, I am almost done and I turn and tell them to come over to me. The clerk then says with this like appalled look, "You have THREE of them with you today??" I say, "Yep." She says, "I can't believe you came shopping with THREE kids! Why don't you wait till they are not around?" I said, "I homeschool. They are always around and we ran our of neon paint for our project." She then goes into this whole long diatribe about how no way no how would she ever homeschool. That would have to be the worst torture in the world and she would just cry if she had to do that. On and on......and on. I contemplated telling her that clearly her kids were not very fun to be around and whose fault was that? Instead, I just told her that we are very happy and I would cry if I couldn't homeschool. She was still appalled.

Now I totally understand not wanting to homeschool. Whatever works for each family is the best is my personal philosophy. I have been told I am insane more times than I can count, but the going on and on really got on my nerves. AND my kids were being totally well behaved which is why I can't figure out what set her off in the first place. So I had my kids shopping with me. Big deal.

Anyway, just needed to vent.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i hate walmart i cant believe she spoke to you like that

 

[Mercy]

OMG!!! You had a RUDE clerk at WALMART!!! No way!!!

 

[binny]

Not that its any excuse but she'd probably had a lousy morning with her own kids..

Sorry though, that must have been a pain.

 

[MBeds]

As Stephanie Tanner would say "HOW RUDE!!!"

Let it roll off your back...Sometimes people don't think before they open their big mouths...
I do feel sorry for her kids though...What a fun mom she must be to be around...

 

[disneymom3]

OMG!!! You had a RUDE clerk at WALMART!!! No way!!!

I know, I know! But really the clerks there have never been rude to me before. Clueless, yes, but never rude!

 

[KimR]

I don't get the comment about taking your kids shopping with you. I have 3 and take them with me all time, I don't see why it's such a big deal. As to the homeschooling comment, I know I've made comments like that before but it's only because I truly admire those who are able to do it because I NEVER could. Not becuase my children are hellions and I don't want to be around them or anything like that, I simply do not have the patience nor the talent to teach them. I don't even do homework duty - that's DH's job. Maybe she didn't intend to be rude. In any case, I hope I'm not coming off wrong to my friends and neighbors who homeshcool.

 

[harleyquinn]

OMG!!! You had a RUDE clerk at WALMART!!! No way!!!

Took the words right out of my mouth!

I was a cashier for a long time. It's amazing what people will tell you, and what insane things will come out of your own mouth.

 

[MeanLaureen]

You should have told her "For the sake of your children.. good choice" about not home schooling. Maybe in school they can learn a real personality

 

[MoniqueU]

Now I would never homeschool because I am personally not cut out for it, that is just ME. If you're cut out for it great, but that's a whole other subject.

If it hasn't been said alreadly I would of told her there was no way no how I would or could ever work at Wal Mart it would drive me to tears and I was just trying to ensure my kids were never faced with the same horror. That would of shut her up right there.
She really had no right to say shat she said to you regardless of her opinions. I don't iknow about you but I go into stores to shop not for advice on personal choices for my family, back off *****

 

[AmazingGrace]

Sounds like this clerk had diarrhea of the mouth. How rude!!!

 

[sandyhund]

Sounds like this clerk had diarrhea of the mouth. How rude!!!

Simpsons! That was such a good episode!

I always try to avoid Wal-Mart but it's hard cause it's really the only store the bus takes me to here on campus.

Edit: that was Simpsons wasn't it? I know it was something I watched last night. I'm doubting myself

 

[va32h]

The homeschooling thing is beside the point - why should the clerk care if you brought three kids or thirty kids with you? They weren't bothering anyone.

But, maybe she thought was just making small talk and it came out sounding wrong? I know I've said things that I thought were perfectly inocuous, but came out sounding badly.

 

[Robinrs]

Simpsons! That was such a good episode!

I always try to avoid Wal-Mart but it's hard cause it's really the only store the bus takes me to here on campus.

Edit: that was Simpsons wasn't it? I know it was something I watched last night. I'm doubting myself

I didn't see that episode but I've been saying that term since college in the 70s!

I am always amazed at the STUPID and unnecessary things some people feel the need to say... every day!

 

[elgerber]

When I saw you were the OP on this Julie, I just knew it was gonna be Wal-Mart when I opened it! That's why I always use the self checkouts in Elk River, their cashiers are always so unpleasant! If I can stand to even go in there that is.

 

[disneymom3]

I don't get the comment about taking your kids shopping with you. I have 3 and take them with me all time, I don't see why it's such a big deal. As to the homeschooling comment, I know I've made comments like that before but it's only because I truly admire those who are able to do it because I NEVER could. Not becuase my children are hellions and I don't want to be around them or anything like that, I simply do not have the patience nor the talent to teach them. I don't even do homework duty - that's DH's job. Maybe she didn't intend to be rude. In any case, I hope I'm not coming off wrong to my friends and neighbors who homeshcool.

I am sure you are not coming off as rude to your friends. There is a huge difference in saying that is not something you could do and going on and on about what a tortuous experience that would be. I have a friend with three kids too--who are older than mine and she never shops with her kids because it is just an awful experience for her. I don't get that either, but whatever works for her. The whole exchange was just sooo over the top.

Erika--now see, I hate the self check thing too. Those darn things never work right for me and it tells me my bag weighs the wrong amount for the item scanned or I can't ring up apples there or whatever other nonsense. My recent favorite was the night I decided I would save myself time and ordered a salad from the McDs in there instead of driving up 169. THEN after I got it and it was what I considered wrong, I found out they only have fried chicken for the salad. Okay, I clearly told the checker grilled chicken. If that wasn't an option couldn't she have told me that? When the new SuperTarget opens in Otsego I will be a happy woman!

 

[nwdisgal]

I can't stand Walmart and largely because I think their toxic corporate environment attracts this sort of dynamic into it. I feel sorry for the people that have to work there.

I would just let her remarks roll off your back.

 

[disneymom3]

If it hasn't been said alreadly I would of told her there was no way no how I would or could ever work at Wal Mart it would drive me to tears and I was just trying to ensure my kids were never faced with the same horror. That would of shut her up right there.

Oh my, I missed this the first time through. I can never think of stuff like that!!

 

[azgal81]

That is so odd!

 

[Shellie722]

Ok, I was gonna keep my mouth shut but I have to respond. Yes, that clerk may have been out of line but that was one cashier, not every cashier, or even the majority of cashiers. I work on the front-end at a Division1 Walmart and can promise you that 99% of the cashiers in our store (and the rest of the store too) would never act like that. Our customers even comment quite often on how nice and helpful everyone has been. I work the front registers, layway, service desk, and occasionally lawn and garden registers so have quite a bit of customer interaction and hear just about everything you could imagine and I would never speak to a customer that way nor would anybody else I can think of. So, I am sorry for your experience but to those who have generalized that all or most Walmart clerks/cashiers are rude, I take exception.
And as for the so called toxic corporate enviroment, I have yet to see that. In my experience we have a pretty good enviroment to work in. I have been there just over a year and have had a great experience for the most part. I have been given oppurtunities to show what I'm capable of and to learn new things at the same time. I have full insurance benefits (health, dental, short and longterm disability, life), vacation, sick, and personal time as well as available leave time when needed. We have scholarships available for associattes and their families as well as oppurtunities to move up in the company (76% of our managers started out as hourly associattes in the company). So, before you criticize so loudly maybe you should look closer at our corporate enviroment- it may not be as "toxic" as you think.