Tuesday, June 9, 2009

10 more reasons to HATE WAL-MART!




I don't know if there will be 10 but it might as well be 100. Here in Cleveland there are not a lot of super Wal-Marts. There is one about 10 miles south of us. Sunday night I did a menu, yeah me, and a grocery list. Colin had Monday off so I thought I would get up and get going knowing that Cole would be up by 6:30am. After all the to do in the morning I got to Walmart at about 7:30am. On my way there I thought I would leave my car to get the oil changed while I shopped. I had Cole with me, got him in the shopping cart and went in to give my info. There was ONE person ahead of me but there was NO ONE there at the service counter. We all waited a few minutes and then I went and got someone. She helped the guy in front of me. I think he was getting new tires. It took an unusual amount of time for her to take care of him, I thought. However, the phone was ringing and ringing. She casually goes over and answers it. I thought it was a bit rude considering I had been standing there for about 10 minutes. Finally it was my turn. She had one of those hand held gizmos they use. I told her what I wanted, she sold me another service, and got my information. She had to switch gizmos at this point because the first one was freezing up. Mind you she is not trying to hurry or even be quick about it. I just smiled as she scanned her badge, appeared to get it up and going and then takes my information AGAIN. In the middle of this she switches back to the first gizmo, comes back to the second one, tells me they keep freezing. I was thinking in my mind, "there must be a better way to do this but it shouldn't be much longer for me." Wow, I was wrong. 20 minutes goes by, I certainly thought I would be shopping by now, and she still is fighting to get my information in. The phone rings, someone else gets it, talks to the customer on the phone, uses a computer and is all done. Why was I still standing there? After about 30 minutes a manager or someone came up and asked her why I was still there. She gave him some song and dance about the gizmos freezing and this and that. He told her to use the computer. My thoughts exactly. He also said I would get my oil change for free. Sometimes it pays to be patient. At this point I leave my keys and head off shopping. about 15 minutes into shopping I get paged to return to automotive. I just roll my eyes and head over. Well, aparently the threads were stripped on the oil pan and there was a temporary plug and therefore wal-mart would not do the oil change. He said it could cost up to $400 to get a new oil pan. Oh my GOSH!!! I was not happy. The girl asked me if I wanted the other service, while she was on the phone talking with another customer, and I rolled my eyes again and said no. Off to complete my shopping. Thank goodness I had a list this time. By this point I know Cole is starting to get tired but he is being a good baby. I just wanted to get out of there. Maybe 10 minutes later, I am literally on the opposite end of the store, I get paged AGAIN! I just ignore it. I figured if they want to talk to me that bad they can either wait or come find me. I finish doing my food shopping, head back to automotive and all they wanted was to give me my keys. As if I were going to go somewhere without them. I didn't even have a smirk. Fine, no oil change and what to do about the oil pan. I would figure that out later. I was so annoyed and ticked I REALLY wanted to get out of there.

I finished shopping and went to the checkout. I had some of my reusable bags and sent them down first. I put all the groceries on the belt and waled down to the other end. I tried to crack a joke by saying that those reuable bags just make work harder. Nothing, nada. She didn't look at me, smile a half smile, give a courtesy laugh or even pretend to hear me. So, so rude! I just couldn't believe it.

Fuming I walked back to automotive to get out of there, vowing to myself that I would NEVER go again! EVER EVER EVER!!!! By now it is almost 10am, two hours after I had gotten there. I just couldn't believe it. I got home and am greeted by my kids, who thought I left them, and a husband who thought I had ran away. I was excietd because I found some clearance things for Mia and Jack. I kept telling Mia she had to get dressed first. I put away all the groceries and realize that I didn't get a bag. The bag with the surprises. I wanted to gag at the thought of returning there ever again. My kids really wanted their things. Well I wasn't going to go back that same day so I called and told the rude, hard to understand because she talked too fast, person on the other end. She said they would have it at customer service. Great. Another trip.

Last night I layed in bed dreading the thought of going back but they were great deals and I would have been out $7. I got up, pushed through the morning and drove back to Wal-Mart. You might not think 10 miles is very far but when you live in the city and have to go through 100 lights it can take a lot of time! The kids are very excited to go and we brought Bailey along for the ride. We go up to the customer service desk and I tell her what it was. She tells me they put it back on the floor and that I would have to go get them again. I frustratingly say, "I paid for those yesterday!" Oh, I was so, so mad! I told her to just give me a refund and handed her the receipt. She stares at it blankly, doesn't eve ask what it was, how much it cost or if I knew where it was on the receipt. I took it out of her hand and found the items my self, got a refund and wanted so badly to talk to a manager. I know, I really should have! My kids were very dissapointed but I did go back and get them the things I had purchased the day before. I am still fuming and swear that I will never return to that Wal-Mart to shop AGAIN. May I drop dead if I do. As for the other Wal-Marts across the country, poo, poo to you too! I hate you!

7 comments:

Crystal said...

I have not shopped Wal Mart in years. And never felt too bad about it. Some things are cheaper there, but I DESPISE WAL MART!

Your experience, plus the way they treat employees is exactly why. I get hit with someone's shopping cart at least once every time I have gone and I just don't like the feel there. I am a Target girl all the way. We got a Wal Mart gift card when Asher was born and I sent Matt for diapers, I just could not do it. I really really really don't like going there.

Sorry about that. I am glad you were able to find all the things you did not get, I just hate when that happens.

What are you going to do about your van?

Colin & Lori said...

I talked to my dad tonight about the oil pan and he said I can have it re-threaded to the tune of $150, find one another at a salvage yard or buy a new one probably to the tune of $400. However, Midas changed it last time and didn't say anything about it. Funny, huh?

Kellie said...

I am right there with you. I haven't been to Wal-Mart in a couple months because of this exact same thing! I went for an oil change, took FOREVER. I went for new tires, it took them 45 minutes to acknowledge my presence at the counter. I literally stood there staring at the man behind the counter for 45 minutes before he said a word to me. Eventually I asked if he was going to acknowledge me at all and he said, "Oh, I didn't know you wanted something." Duh! Do you think I'm window shopping at your Tire Lube sign? Idiot. They told us it would take about an hour, it took four freakin' hours. I went to the lawn and garden area looking for pots. No one there. I went back in the regular store and asked if there was supposed to be an employee back there. "Um. Yeah. There should be. Maybe they are hiding in a corner." and then she walks away. Are you serious? Thanks. I go back and look in the stupid corners. Nope. Finally I see someone in the outside section (which was closed off). I motion to him that I need help and all he does is yell at me that I can't come outside. I told him THREE times I didn't want to go outside, but that I needed help getting an item off the top shelf. He continued yelling at me about not being able to go outside. I yelled at him that I just wanted to see a stupid pot and know the price of it. He lazily came in, went and talked to a couple employees, finally came over, scanned the item without taking it off the shelf so I could properly see it, told me the price and then said, "So do you want it?" I was fuming. How am I supposed to know if I want it? I can only see half of it and it's ten feet above me. I said, "No," and walked away. I haven't been back since except I think once to get fried chicken from their deli. That's it. I hate Wal-Mart.

abbynormal said...

Time for all of you to move to Kenya. No Wal-Marts here. The only superstore we have here is NAKUMATT!!

Fortunately, even when I'm in the states, I have a Target a half a mile from home and the nearest Wal-Mart is at least 30 minutes away. So I'm not even tempted in the least.

rebeccaV said...

Oh man, I hate going to Wal-mart. The worst part is that I usually have 3 or 4 kids with me when I go, it's like one big stress filled nightmare!! I have been grocery shopping there since we moved here because it was the cheapest place around, by far. But they opened a Winco (YAY!!) close to our house a couple months ago and I haven't been to Walmart since!

Colin & Lori said...

Becky, lucky you!! We have Aldi here but I haven't gone because it is on the edge of the ghetto. They are building a new one though in an area that is more comfortable for me to frequent and I will be frequenting it often!! I know I shouldn't let comfort rule my budget for groceries but it does.

Anonymous said...

The Wal-mart is so bad! I try to avoid it as much as posible