On November 6th, 2003 I spent a tortuous afternoon shopping at Walmart. Until this time, I had found Walmart to be the "modern K-mart", lacking only the blue light specials (how I miss those), but otherwise much the same as that old standby. Below is a letter I sent to them describing that afternoon and how it turned out.
Okay, I am furious. I was just shopping in Walmart in Duarte. On my lunch break to pick up a few things. Got in line and the checker made a mistake on the order in front of me. She needed some kind of supervisor approval to clear her check stand, so she turned on her light.
Me and the customers behind me in line waited and waited and waited. For over 30 (that's right, thirty) minutes.
I went over to the next check stand after a few minutes, picked up the phone, dialed zero and told the operator to get a supervisor down here now. I asked to see the store manager, and was told he was not there.
I waited a few more minutes then picked up that phone again. A checker told me the phone was not for public use, so I asked her to call a supervisor. I then picked up the phone and tried again to get anyone to respond.
I even started yelling out at the top of my lungs in the middle of the store for a supervisor to please come up so we could continue our check stand adventures.
A few other customers and myself then went on the "great supervisor hunt". We wandered around the store yelling out for someone to help us. No one came. I thought about putting out a few candies or something, like bait, but discarded the idea right away. I'd have to wait in line to make the purchase before putting out the bait!
The poor checker was frantically calling every department, looking for a supervisor. She went from check stand to check stand, looking mortified.
The most interesting thing was the attitude of the other checkers. They had the look like this was normal, and a few overheard muttered comments confirmed that feeling. I definitely got the opinion that supervisors and managers are very, very busy at this store. No doubt taking care of some very important business in the back room...or at the corner tavern?
I finally went to another line and finished up in a few minutes.
Wow. That's quite a bit to put some poor customers through who only desire to buy a few things and get back to their jobs during their lunch hour.
I understand that your supervisors obviously have far more important things on their minds that servicing their customers. I mean, what are customers anyway? Annoyances, that's what they are! If they don't like it, well, they can run the picket lines at Vons or something!!!
Thought you might like to know about this.
Please respond as well, as I for one will not be visiting Walmart again ... unless you can figure out some way to make up the damage done.
What's thirty wasted minutes worth? You tell me...
Perhaps I should cc this to the corner tavern so someone might see it?
Thanks, Richard Lowe
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