My Small Wal-Mart Victory

I hate Wal-Mart. With a passion. But, you can't argue the store's prices.

That said, the chain's customer service sucks enormous donkey dong.

Anyway, let me say I was a bartender all through college and the year after while I hunted for a journalism gig. Customer service is everything in, well, the service industry. I can't stand shitty customer service. And, I reward good customer service in restaurants with big tips.

Now, onto the story.

I have five items, which I quickly estimated to cost $65 before tax. One was a big awkward item.

I walk up to the registers. The "express lanes" (eight items or less) are all closed. The self serve lanes are jammed. And there are three regular lanes open. All of them have people waiting in line, streaming out into the store.

So, I spy the jewelry counter. No customers. I walk over and the lady tending the counter sees me and leaves. So I politely say, "excuse me. Can you please ring this in?" And she bullshits me and says they can't do that anymore. I have to wait in line. Bull. Shit.

I say "Oh. Ok. I'll just leave my cart here and you can put it all back on the shelf." I walk away. Steaming. So I go to customer service and get the manager.

"Hi. I'm Pete Incaviglia and I was just about to make a $65 dollar purchase. I'm not going to though because the lady in jewelry refused to ring me in."

"Why? She should be able to do that for you. She's supposed to."

"I don't know. But I left my cart there. I mean, first of all, it's a month before Christmas and it's packed in here and you have three registers open. If don't need my money, that's fine. I can take my business to Target or somewhere else."

"Ok." — Yes. The guy said OK! I was shocked. And continued.

"Well, I'll still make my purchase if you tell the lady in jewelry she's supposed to ring me in and then does in fact ring me in."

"Ok."

So off we go. Manager says "can you please ring this gentleman through?"

She glared at me. I smiled.

Then, the topper. The manager actually did the scanning and bagging AND he put it all in my cart.

I celebrated with a hot chocolate on the way home.

 

I guess I just celebrate things other than bitching about waiting in lines.

 

Time is money IJAG. Simple as that. And to refuse to actually take my money is ridiculous.

 

No offense, but you think they care about one person not buying anything?

 

No they don't. But why should I have to wait? Why should I have to be refused service? Why is money worth less to them than someone waiting in line? I did what I did and still got out faster than the lady buying two bags of salt. They got they're money, I saved mine. And, someone learned about customer service.

Like come on, people are losing jobs and these people don't even want to do the one they have.

 

The most fun you can have in a store these days is finding the undercover security guard---the person trying to nail shoplifters.

There was one guy at our local grocery store who was so incompetent I asked him one day, "Catching anyone?"

He kinda laughed.

I was going to buy him a chair but I ran out of time.

 

Fantastic.

 

I understand where you're coming from, Pete.

But a corporation like that doesn't care about if one person decides to walk out for something like that knowing they've got millions more spending money in their stores.

 

I got shit to do. I have a baby at home. A story to write. And I have to wait because that fucking corporation is too cheap — and its workers to lazy — to serve me?

Sorry. That doesn't fly with me.

 

It ain't a party 'til we're all eating raisin ham.

 

A.) For someone who talks about the importance of customer service and how people are treated, you came off like a raging asshole in the story.

B.) The fact you would "celebrate" ratting out someone to their boss just so you don't have to be the third person in line with a hot chocolate and probably a pat on the back makes you look even worse.

 

Who are you, Jack Bauer?