Worst Walmart Experience For Me. Ignorant if Not Stupid Employees(RANT)

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Rant alert! Just complaining.

I'm normally not a fan of or a basher of Walmart but I recently had my worst store experience in decades encountering some of the most ignorant, stupid and/or oblivious store employees on the planet.

First the place was a disaster. Dirty and aisles filled as in unwalkable with boxes of new merchandise. Was looking at items near an employee doing something with an electronic device. He was in front of items I was looking at. He wouldn't budge, offer to move, say excuse me or be done in a minute-100% completely ignored. Moved away looked at other stuff for a minute or two. Come back he's still there and did not budge or acknowledge me or other customers. Then apparently new employees were being trained/given a tour of the store and again the leader of the pack or newbies did not acknowledge me or other customers. It's like we weren't even there.

Then as I'm leaving a section of the store heading for check out I pass a security monitor flashing RECORDING-why the heck I was being recorded with plenty of real threats doing what ever I don't know. And again the filled aisles made the store like a maze. I was thinking about sending local code enforcement, fire department or representative of the ADA there. The final insult was at checkout. They had a price issue with one item for one customer-the line came to a halt for over 5 minutes in which they did not open other lines, cancel out that sale and take other customers.

It's just the blatant ignorance of the customer. I can handle attitude but when employees treat the customer/their reason for being as an inanimate object I can't handle that lack of professionalism and/or ignorance.
 

I sometimes run into situations like you describe, I just assume it is part of the Walmart experience. I have always found the rank and file employees to be very nice but I have had a couple of disappointing experiences with people in supervisory positions that were a little bit taken with their positions of power, LOL! I go to Walmart and a couple of other no frills stores for the low prices and don't have any expectations beyond that.

The first time I saw one of those security monitors flashing RECORDING it startled me too, then I realized that it was motion activated. My local Walmart has them in the aisle where I buy my diabetic testing supplies. I don't know if they work or if they are just a prop to discourage shoplifting of small high dollar items.

In these situations remind yourself that happiness is a choice, choose to be happy and get on with your day!!!
 
Well, when I go to Wal-Mart, I'm just going there for lower prices on certain things I buy all the time (flour, laundry detergent, etc.) or a bargain on a particular item. I take my sister there to get her groceries and I always just expect it to be aggravating as hell and to take most of the afternoon, but it's where she wants to go and she does save money there, which is a big deal for her because she has so little money to spend.

I gave up years ago expecting any kind of customer service in that place, though I have been pleasantly surprised a time or two but not often.
 

I sincerely apologize to both of you. I am very sorry. I worked at Walmart for eight years and I just walked out a couple days before Thanksgiving and I had enough. I was a customer service manager, which meant I ran the service desk, registers and the self-checkouts and when I wasn't there, I ran my tail off with price checks, running change, and dealing with disputes.

Again, I apologize. I hated seeing people like me treated so badly. Walmart's customer service is horrible. I was so overworked I honestly could not get to calls sometimes because I was in the Garden Center dealing with a furious customer or in Electronics helping a customer choose a cell phone when everyone else there was on break.

Walmart is woefully understaffed. That was our problem. When folks had to wait as I tried to get to everything, when I got there I was cursed for not being there. It's not the associates' faults, it's the lack of help on the floor. But that's no excuse; I think a company that big could hire more people, but nooooo.

I'm not making excuses. And I am sorry. And I always hated stuff like that because for the simple fact: "Hey! I'm a customer too!"

And I was tired of not always being able to take care of my customers, and so on my last day running the self-checkouts, there was one of me and eight of them and a machine clogged and didn't give my customer the correct change. I didn't have keys for it, couldn't open the main register drawer ... I was stuck.

I pulled her four dollars out of my pocket and gave it to her, and when that idiot customer service manager I didn't like at all finally got there, she opened my drawer, gave me my four dollars, and said, "You happy now, bitch?"

I said, "You're going to be thrilled. I was supposed to go home two hours ago. Now that you're here, thank you!"

And I walked off and let her have it.

I have not stepped foot in a Walmart since. I worked 8 years there; I was fed up and done. There's never any help unless you get lucky and we get called names, as I said.

I couldn't take care of my customers in a timely fashion. At Walmart, you're set up to fail, and boy that's the truth.

Again I apologize. I don't have a good explanation as to why a billion-dollar corporation can't have better-trained people. I'm sorry.

Now I'm a security officer at a beautiful gated community. I just had to get out of Walmart. Sorry if I babbled but truth is truth.

Walmart doesn't care.
 
Pookie said:
Walmart is woefully understaffed. That was our problem. ....
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That was always the impression I got. I never blamed the employees. Just assumed I was on my own when going to Walmart. Glad for your sake you are done with the place, Pookie.
 
I will sometimes blame the employee. We had a full cart. We get into line and start unloading, the cashier begins ringing up our items and suddenly stops. Voids the sale and tells us we are over twenty items and we need to go to another register. I look up and sure enough we are in the twenty items or less line. Thing was is the sign was completely obscured by a holiday decoration.

I ask for a supervisor, instead of paging one she points to customer service, after making it clear we were not reloading our cart and that we had nothing to do for the rest of the day, she did call a supervisor. She was instructed to check us out and did so. As we left she flipped us the bird.
 
Pookie said:
I sincerely apologize to both of you. I am very sorry. I worked at Walmart for eight years and I just walked out a couple days before Thanksgiving and I had enough. I was a customer service manager, which meant I ran the service desk, registers and the self-checkouts and when I wasn't there, I ran my tail off with price checks, running change, and dealing with disputes.

Again, I apologize. I hated seeing people like me treated so badly. Walmart's customer service is horrible. I was so overworked I honestly could not get to calls sometimes because I was in the Garden Center dealing with a furious customer or in Electronics helping a customer choose a cell phone when everyone else there was on break.

Walmart is woefully understaffed. That was our problem. When folks had to wait as I tried to get to everything, when I got there I was cursed for not being there. It's not the associates' faults, it's the lack of help on the floor. But that's no excuse; I think a company that big could hire more people, but nooooo.

I'm not making excuses. And I am sorry. And I always hated stuff like that because for the simple fact: "Hey! I'm a customer too!"

And I was tired of not always being able to take care of my customers, and so on my last day running the self-checkouts, there was one of me and eight of them and a machine clogged and didn't give my customer the correct change. I didn't have keys for it, couldn't open the main register drawer ... I was stuck.

I pulled her four dollars out of my pocket and gave it to her, and when that idiot customer service manager I didn't like at all finally got there, she opened my drawer, gave me my four dollars, and said, "You happy now, bitch?"

I said, "You're going to be thrilled. I was supposed to go home two hours ago. Now that you're here, thank you!"

And I walked off and let her have it.

I have not stepped foot in a Walmart since. I worked 8 years there; I was fed up and done. There's never any help unless you get lucky and we get called names, as I said.

I couldn't take care of my customers in a timely fashion. At Walmart, you're set up to fail, and boy that's the truth.

Again I apologize. I don't have a good explanation as to why a billion-dollar corporation can't have better-trained people. I'm sorry.

Now I'm a security officer at a beautiful gated community. I just had to get out of Walmart. Sorry if I babbled but truth is truth.

Walmart doesn't care.
Click to expand...

This is a reflection of local and national store management. What bothers me the most it's obvious that management including district and regional managers are not emphasizing the customer enough if at all. Walmart has good prices on a lot of things but others they are beaten daily. Walmart is cheapER but the not discount heaven it seems to travel on. But it's worth the trip for certain things and I don't mind browsing just to see what's out the there, the latest thing etc.

If management knows shipments come in or shelves are replenished on a certain day they need to schedule more people. The maze affect is a violation in many a state which require a 3 ft wide path especially in main aisles. I understand tight budgets etc and have heard stories of those who worked for Walmart. Many say when Sam Walton died and the kids or grand kids got full control of the company that was it. But if they are going to open for business it can't be the less than half measures I experienced.

Not slamming all Walmart employees past or present because at this location it was obvious there is a lack of emphasis on the customer. Although making way for somebody should be a personal courtesy as much as a company policy.
 
I tend to view Walmart as the market for the unwashed masses(my apologies to any 'reality show' fans); however, I was impressed with Walmart customer service this passed weekend when I returned a laptop I purchased . Friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. Refreshing! ;)
 
I go to a Walmart store regularly and have no complaints about the customer service or courtesy of the cashiers, or the cleanliness. They always seem to be very helpful and polite there, and I think if a stocker was blocking my way in an aisle, I'd just say excuse me and they would let me pass, or if they were doing something very involved, they may apologize and ask me to take the next aisle...but something like that has never happened.

Can't say that the customers or staff are anything but just average people shopping/working there to save a dollar or for local convenience. Even when they're super busy, they always have enough registers open so the lines are short and move quickly.
 
We gave up on the Walmart Pharmacy some time ago. In fairness, I don't know if they are connected or not.
Several times we had prescriptions called in and the next day we went to pick them up, and they were not ready. The one upstate even closes and hour for lunch. Of course we arrived at 12:05. Even a couple of screw ups on wrong pills and wrong counts. Anyway, we gave up on them. We very seldom go to Walmart any more.
 
After hubby had a huge operation that left him with a hole in the belly big as a fist, and with a ostomy bag that had moved from the side towards the front and made a bulge, we went to Walmart one day. Shopping carts make good walkers ( as do wives :) )so he was walking around and shopping. As we left, he beeped at the gate out. So the security guy took the cart and had him walk through without - which he managed to do but still beeped. None of us could figure out what caused the beep. The security guy just kept staring at the bulge. Finally I told George to show the guy what made the bulge and he lifted his shirt and the guy turned white and almost fainted - freshly healed, the huge scar was an angry red.

After that, apparently all the security people knew about George and he was always greeted with smiles. We never did figure out what the beep was until years later when I threw out one of his shirts - it had a small tag. Must be they got a load of unsold shirts at Ray's where he bought it in a discount bin, and they still had tags from the previous store.

I suppose we could have robbed the store blind, since none of the security folks wanted to see his bulge, beeping or not.
 
I used to love Walmart, and I still like it in other towns.The one here in our town is dangerous the employees leave all sorts of crap in the aisles for people to fall over. Half the shelves are empty and they say they can't order anything that the company just sends stuff in. I worked for 7-11 years ago and even there we could order needed items, the company sent stuff we didn't order but we could still get the best selling stuff. I grow to hate the local store, they do a lousy job . they used to have forms one could send in to comment on how they were doing, or nominate a clerk for clerk of the months sort of thing. Every clerk I praised disappeared from the store, and nothing was ever done about the lousy service and the filthy store. They got a new manager and the store is now a bit cleaner but it still has so many empty shelves. Can't depend on them to keep something in stock. Their favorite reply is "they don't make that any more", or the truck comes tomorrow"
 
Hmmm. I wasn't sure what to do today, but having read this thread I think I'll make the 90 minute drive to Kona and go to Walmart. I love being part of the "unwashed masses". Or maybe I should go upscale and visit the Kona Target. Or Costco. So many choices.

Aloha & Have a nice day. :)
 
Never had any particular problems at Walmart. It's definitely not mistaken for an up-scale place but neither are the prices. As for the return section, I think it's 50-50. Some of the folks returning stuff are either stupid or trying to rip the place off. I think I might go to welfare rather than put up with the crap that they have to take behind that counter. Maybe it does reflect on the class of customer that they attract. I have returned a very few things in my lifetime and never been treated badly or insulted, course I never tried to scam the system either. Reasonable returns, in my experience, usually get reasonable treatment, no matter which business you're dealing with.
 
I truly believe a lot of workers in this country are treated like the Walmart employees. It is more obvious there because they are usually pretty busy, but in reality, employers sometimes do not value their employees. With good management, employees feel valued and tend to do a better job. When an employer fails to do this, morale is poor and people tend to move on. Another reason employees leave is due to cutbacks. Less employees are expected to do more work, even an unreasonable work load. Work under those conditions long enough, even the most pleasant employee feels used and exhausted! They will leave too.

It is tough to work in retail today. We, the consumers, have come to expect less. How often do you hear "May I help you?" or "we appreciate your patronage"? When you do need help you practically have to trip someone when they're hurdling past you. A lot of places seem to be understaffed if you ask me. A trip into Sears recently, I could not find a sales clerk and was ready to throw the stuff down and walk out. Another store, I think it was after Black Friday--same thing. Couldn't find a soul to check out. Then I spotted someone--she was kneeling down folding stuff back up and returning it to the shelves. The place looked like a tornado hit it. The only one on the entire floor! They work hard. Department stores in my area are beginning to hurt--lots of people are shopping online these days.

The Walmart in my area isn't too bad, it seems to be adequately managed. If there is one thing I find unacceptable an irritating is to hear a supervisor degrade an employee in front of the public. There is absolutely no excuse for that, it is demeaning, disrespectful and uncomfortable for those in earshot.

One final comment--the customer is no longer valued either. No one cares if you are satisfied with a product or how you were treated. Hardly anyone stands behind products they sell--they want to sell you a warranty on everything. Don't forget also the way Walmart keeps their prices down, and it is not my overpaying their staff!
 
Hoot N Annie said:
Hmmm. I wasn't sure what to do today, but having read this thread I think I'll make the 90 minute drive to Kona and go to Walmart. I love being part of the "unwashed masses". Or maybe I should go upscale and visit the Kona Target. Or Costco. So many choices.

Aloha & Have a nice day. :)
Click to expand...


LOL! ;)

Costco!
 
I notice in the dollar stores whoever is the cashier *also* has to stock shelves. I always try to wait to check out until another customer comes also, because the cashier has to come sometimes from the back of the store. Same way with McDonalds. The cashier also has to do coffee and milkshakes, and other things.
 
Wasn`t it Walmart I heard yesterday is going to be cutting thousands of jobs? I go once a month,out of necessity (only place that carries my cat food in the larger sizes) but gave up on their pharmacy a long time ago. Same reason as posted above-get all the way over there only to learn prescriptions had not been filled yet. Too far a drive for that nonsense....
 
SeaBreeze said:
I go to a Walmart store regularly and have no complaints about the customer service or courtesy of the cashiers, or the cleanliness. They always seem to be very helpful and polite there, and I think if a stocker was blocking my way in an aisle, I'd just say excuse me and they would let me pass, or if they were doing something very involved, they may apologize and ask me to take the next aisle...but something like that has never happened.

Can't say that the customers or staff are anything but just average people shopping/working there to save a dollar or for local convenience. Even when they're super busy, they always have enough registers open so the lines are short and move quickly.
Click to expand...

I've had mostly good experiences with Walmart too. Sure, I've run into unhelpful clerks at times but that also happens at Macy's and Sears.
 
Wow Pookie, I believe what you say. This is big business at work and I'm victimized by it also in my work place.

I don't like Walmart but I will say the one in my area is clean and the staff are friendly. Poor souls. I go with my list, get what I need and get out. I do this 2-4 times a year. I really can't pass up their prices. For example I bought some Tiger Balm at CVS because I was in the area. Next time I went to Walmart, I noticed it was 2-3 dollars cheaper. It adds up.

So yes, I'm ashamed to say I shop there but only to get essentials cheaper.

They have added self check out in the local Walmart. I know many people don't like it because it takes jobs away but I really like self checkout. I have to deal with less people. And I can bag myself and how I want to.
 
I found,at Walmart, IF you buy only those items you know are really cheaper, you can save a little. But we're not talking big bucks. You still have to go to another chain grocery store for the rest of your order. Otherwise Wally's prices are a higher. I found that when you figure in time and gas in shopping at two stores, it's cheaper to get you whole order at chain store.
I used to shop 2 stores, but I found the only thing I was buying at Wallys was soda. 10 cents cheaper just wasn't making it.
 
Have shopped WalMarts from Eastern Missouri to South Dakota to Oklahoma to Kansas. Have found it a mixed bag. Traveling, though, you can see the big blue WalMart sign, know they have an easy to find restroom, and that you can get in and out quickly. Customer service varies from store to store. Stopped in one this morning in northern Nebraska. Had to ask three different people where a particular items was. The first one didn't know. The second directed me to the wrong department. A third finally headed me the correct way. Got quite a few steps registered on my Fitbit!!

Biggest issue I've ever had has been the lack of open check-out lines. Why does WalMart install 20 checkout installations in a store, but only staff one or two. Seem to always get behind someone who knows the checkout person and they have to visit about kids or church while the line grows longer and longer. The one I was in today had the most "stuff" in aisles I had seen in any for quite a while. Boxes and carts and crates scattered all over.

Will be interesting to see what WalMart's condition is in 12 months from now. Remember when Sam Walton bragged about everything being made in the U.S.?? Today, you'd have to look quite a while to find American made items. If the new President continues to stir up things with China, WalMart prices will skyrocket... as will prices in other retail stores. This will be even more motivation to save all the money you can by on-line shopping.

Retail is an evolving industry. We went from stand-alone "Mom & Pops" to malls. Mall after mall was constructed across the Nation. Then, the malls were being replaced with the "big boxes". Dick's, Best Buy, Kohl's, BB&B, Target, etc., etc. Now, we are seeing empty big boxes as more and more are shopping on line. Part of a changing culture.
 
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