My Small Wal-Mart Victory

Because most of the disdain in this thread has nothing to do with Wal Mart. It's about PI's decision. I'm pretty certain most everone railing on PI here, and I would agree with them, thinks they were both wrong.

 

I worked in retail for quite a few years and you know what---there are a lot of asshole customers out there--and no, I'm not saying Pete is one.

They come into the store, act all busy and important, talk down to the staff or worse, treat sales people like they're the hired help. And my partner, who had less patience with surly customers than I did, would routinely toss people from the store and tell them to buy their books somewhere else.

And there's nothing funnier than people who shop at places like Wal-Mart and are astounded at the lack of customer service.

 

Well, my philosophy is if you want a nice, enjoyable shopping experience DON"T GO TO WAL-MART. I shop there for 'stuff.' It almost always sucks. But holy crap, if I know it's going to suck, if I know I'm going to wait (although at ours the self check out lines are usually open or little waiting), what do I gain by bitching about it? The truth is that customer service barely exists anymore, anywhere, and they don't really care if you don't like it.

 

That's an awesome post.

 

why do you hate grandmothers?

 

Mikey's not that way. It probably just reminded him of a sitcom.

 

I worked behind a counter for a few months, and because of that -- and how I was treated -- I'll never talk down to anyone in front of a register (or some variation). Once you're on the other side of it, you know how awful customers and that job can be, and you understand that every once in a while, the clerk needs to be cut some slack. It's not always the easiest job, and having rude people only makes it worse -- for everyone except the person who gets a kick out of rubbing that person's face in the dirt.

That's nothing personal, Pete. I would have been pissed in your situation, but I don't think I'd have been in it, either. The only time I use another counter is if I've completed my shopping there -- say, in the electronics department, and they always instigate, "Oh, we can check you out here."

Like I said before, I really don't mind waiting in the store unless I've got something better to do. I'm a 25-year-old, single journalist with no friends in this town and an empty schedule outside of work. Where am I in a hurry to go? I'd rather take in the scenery, and actually, standing in long lines are good for me; more ammunition for boring stories at holidays.

And I definitely wouldn't have gone to grab the manager and follow him or her back to rub the clerk's face in it (even if you didn't go back there with that intention). I don't have the nerve to do that, and I'd never want to cost somebody his or her job. I wouldn't feel right about that.

I almost did one time last month, though, in a way. As I was waiting in line, this cashier was constantly yelling to people who frequented her line late -- the light was off on aisle No. 6 -- and she got ruder and ruder, talking under her breath to anyone around. It was so bad that a lady diagonally in front of me at No. 4 caught eyes with me in disgust.

I almost complained to a manager, but what would it do? Nothing long-term, and, to be honest, it wasn't that big a deal. I deal with idiots all day, too. That's her way of hanging up the phone and telling the caller to choke on a dick. I've been there, so I know.

Life's too short to get heated up over stuff like that.

 

Ace is right. Watch Roseanne and tell me where Bev should be.

 

I think you could have made your point without adding so much personal information, mikey. But that's just how I roll.

 

The root of the problem. They save money by not providing you with good service or the best of products.

 

Why must I walk into these things? Jokes, Ace, not penises.