November 23rd, 2009 
Dale 
Let me tell you about two of the worst days of my life, SHOPPING AT my local WAL-MART !
Last week I decided to visit Wal-Mart, also known as, “The Evil Empire“, after my wife had noticed a wire showing from
one of her tires. I usually avoid the place like the plague, but I needed to pick up some groceries, so for the sake of time, I decided I would buy new tires and have them mounted while I did my grocery shopping. So, I drove the 30 minutes to the nearest Wal-Mart to my home in Flint, TX.
When I arrived at the TLE bay, AKA, Automotive Department, at Wal-Mart #1022, located at the corner of Loop 323 and Hwy 64 west in Tyler, TX. I approached the young man holding the hand-held computer filling out tickets who was helping another customer. After listening to the lengthy conversation about the mans operation and the irregularity of his bowl movements, it was finally my turn!
The young man, who was very nice, looked at the tires on my wife’s van and said it looked like it needed two new tires. I gave him my information along with my keys and set out to do my shopping.
$440 dollars later I returned to pick up my wife’s van with the two new tires. I shelled out ANOTHER $200. Still no surprises. After loading my $400 in groceries into the van with the $200 worth of new tires I was ready to go, I THOUGHT!
When I got into the front seat, I put the key into the ignition and went to close the door. The door hand was GONE! Well, not completely gone, it was still hanging on by one screw and hanging off, but for the most part it was gone. The door-handle which is attached to a piece of wood and then attached to the door of the van with six screws was now hanging by one. One screw had been missing since we bought the van several years ago but we had never had a problem.
I wasn’t upset. Stuff like this happens, it was just an accident, right? But it does mean that the door was slamed so hard that it ripped the other 4 screws out of the wood holding the handle to the door.
I went into the store and reported it like I was supposed to. I was honest and explained it to the Assistant Manager who took the report. The door handle was missing a screw. We have owned the van for close to 7 years and never had a problem. I told her I was sure the young man was just in a hurry to get his job done and slammed the door too hard. I also told her that the following week I was going to have the window motor replaced in that door and the screws may just be able to be screwed back in. I told her that ”just in case” the piece had to be replaced and it was more than $20, I would like for it to be on record. She was very nice and I went home.
Wait, it gets better!!!!
The next day, my wife tells me that one of her headlights are out on the van and asks if I can get it fixed. She also reminded me that I needed to pick up my daughter from her school after play practice at 4:00pm, which is 30 minutes from Wal-Mart. I said, OK, no problem. It was later in the day before I had the opportunity to get to my local Wal-Mart so I called to see how busy they were. After the phone rang about 20 times, someone finally answered and told me right now it would take about 30 minutes. So I decided to take it in then instead of waiting until after I picked up my daughter from school.
When I arrived, I had to hunt down the guy who was filling out the tickets. He along with a tech who had been playing with the other two techs on duty when I arrived, walked to my wife’s van to see what could be done. I told them, “the only problem I have is that I have to leave in 30 minutes. Can you have it done in that length of time?” The tech that accompanied the guy with the computer looks at me and says, “WE WILL GET AROUND TO IT WHEN WE GET AROUND TO IT!” That pissed me off, but I held my tongue and went about my way.
Sitting in the waiting room, my wife’s van was never pulled into the shop. 35 minutes later I got up to ask the clerk if it was ready because I was going to have to leave to pick up my daughter. At the counter everyone and their grandmother was trying to check-out in Automotive. I guess to avoid the un-godly long lines at the checkouts, caused by the new program that only allows them to have a certain amount of cashiers on duty at any one time. After standing in line for 15 more minutes I finally got to ask him to check on the van. He has to go out into the bay to ask someone to finalize the ticket. That took another 10-minutes. After paying for the work I ask for the keys. He then looks around for about another 10-minutes before he tells me that the tech has taken my keys to lunch with him.
Luckily, he is still in the store and brings me my keys. By this time it is 4:05pm. I needed to be at the school, which is 30-minutes away at 4:00pm to pick up my daughter. By this time I am FURIOUS! First, for not being told when my vehicle was ready. Second, for having to stand in line behind people not getting work done on their vehicles. Third, for the ticket not being completed and Fourth, because the young man carried my keys to lunch. OH YEA, and the LITTLE SMART ASS who said, “we will get around to it when we get around to it!”
Wait, It EVEN GETS BETTER!!!!!!
Remember when I said I filled out a report on the door handle getting ripped off of my wife’s van. The next day, which I was still pissed but wasn’t going to complain, CMI calls me. CMI is the insurance adjusters that handle all of the Wal-Mart claims. I explained to her I probably would NOT need the claim, the screws could probably just be put back in and if not, unless it is over $50, I wasn’t going to drive all the way BACK to Wal-Mart to get the money.
She tells me, that because pulling the door is part of the technicians normal job they would NOT be able to cover it anyway! With chest heaving and eyes bulging, I asked her, “So, your telling me that slamming the door on my vehicle so hard that it rips the door handle off is part of their daily job?!!!!!!! She says “well, you already said it was missing a screw.” Just from her demeanor, she was being a total BITCH!
THAT WAS A STRAW THE LAST STRAW! I called an complained at 1-800-WAL-MART! 1-800-Wal-Mart took the place of Letters To The President. I don’t know why they call them Letters To The President, when they just go to the Store Manger, who passes them off to the Co-Managers, who schluffs them off on the Assistants Managers. Anyway, two days later the young Assistant Manger, who had been very nice, when taking the report calls me. I told her I was upset and that the lady from CMI was just the last straw.
She then offers me a $25 gift card! That is their usual practice, to offer a gift card. I told her to KEEP THE DAMN CARD, I would NEVER BE BACK IN THAT STORE AGAIN! I also told her if part of what I had purchased hadn’t been the $400 in groceries I would have returned EVERYTHING I had purchased!
So, in short, because of a door pull that would have cost Wal-Mart $11 to $20 which THEY broke and that I wasn’t planning on pursuing they have lost my business FOREVER. A lot of people say that then turn around and go back but I can hold a grudge for a very very long time…..
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You go Dale. You need to visit the Walmart here in good ole West Helena, Arkansas. You will have stroke in this one. You went thru a picnic in Texas. This Walmart is the worst there is.
So you went to the Walmart from Hell….well how do they stay in business? Is it that we just accept their crap? Or do their employees treat the customers that way because they are treated in a bad manner themselves? I do not shop at Walmart, why you ask they do have the lowest prices..Here is my reason
when a Walmart decides to build in your area, they make promises to the township that are over an above. They bring their own construction company to do their work, thus putting locals out of a job. Walmart also puts Mom and Pop stores out of business. Why does Walmart have to have the bank, nail salon, hairdresser, eye glass, food store, auto repair all under one roof..GREED. that is why I will not shop at Walmart or subject myself to such treatment. I have decided in my own way to keep the little guy in business. Thanks
fracch and Debbie you are both right but it goes mutch farther than that!
People go to Wal-Mart because of perception.. Yes they may save a little money in the short-run but it costs them more in the long run.
95% of thier full-time employees are are on or can get food stamps. It that tells you anything about their pay. They try not to hire or promote people to full-time because they will have to pay them benefits, such as insurance. But get this, their insurance is only major-medical. So even though some employees may have insurance they still cant afford to use it and it NOT health-care.
The also offer insurance to part-timers but its not worth it.
One employee actually had Insurance through Wal-Mart and got hit by a walmart truck. She suffered sever injuries and now has no short-term memory. Her son got killed in Iraq around the same time. After she survived and got out of the hospital, she won a settlement for the accident. Then Wal-Mart Insurance sued her for the settlement to pay for her hospital bills. Leaving her owing THEM something like $700.00. Is that crazy or what.
Every day she looses her memory including about her son being killed. She has to be told everyday and has to re-live her sons death EVERY DAY! She will never be able to heal.
The settlement, which would have enabled her family to afford her nursing home bill, was taken by Wal-Mart. Her family couldnt afford the bill but was unable to take care of her properly, so she and her husband had to divorce so she could get financial aid.
So, yes the price of shopping at Wal-Mart is very high!
Let’s all BOYCOTT WALMART!!!!! On Black Friday Walmart let customers in the store and put sale items in their shopping carts before 5 a.m. New rule for the Super Walmarts so they could have control of the crowds. Well at 5 when the sale “supposidly” started, the shelves were empty. So long Walmart, I’m dropping my money at Target!
We have 90% of our Christmas shopping done and haven’t spent a penny of it at Wal-Mart… We’ve spent about $2000 so far.
Dear Dale, this is for you…..got one better, it is a nightmare story…Our KAMART haad advertised a Mickey and Minnie Mouse on a seesaw. It is a yard Inflatable. My husband decorates the whole front yard with them. We have so many. Now he sees this one an he needs it. So we are up and in the store directly after opening at 8am. The KAMART is sold out.
The sale just started today and they are sold out. After 4 other KMARTS in the area, they are also sold out and we check on the KAMART on line they don’t even carry it we gave up. It is sheer upset. I have checked all over on line and just found one on ebay and the bidding is up to $99, they sell for $69. So all of these so called discount stores are full of crap and none service. I am glad that you have your Christmas Shopping finished…Wow $2000 someone is going to be Merry. Also I don’t shop at Walmart any more because they ruin a commnity. HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
I don’t konw how K-mart does business, well yes I do I guess… Most of the time of special things like the Minnie and Mickey yard inflatables they are a limited quantity and sometimes they don’t even get shipped before the sale begins. They may still get them AFTER the sale. I’ve seen that happend and I’ve seen more trickle in after the sale is over. Just keep checking back. They may get them or they may not… In any case, they just do that to get customers to come into their stores so they will buy other stuff.. It’s all a ploy!
$2000? Thats not that much when you have big family. I have 6 kids, 2 grandkids, 1 son-in-law, my wife, 4 in-laws ( my 1st set and the 2nd set), so even though $2000 might seem like a lot, when you break it down, it’s not….
But I’m really proud ourselves. Didn’t think we could do it without going to Wal-Mart but we have!
I have heard the same thing that Fracch has experienced. It seems that these stores are advertising fantastic sales and they never even got the item delivered for the sale. This is extremely aggrivating during this time of the year.
I had a terrible shopping experience on December 2009, huge lines, rude cashiers, no one that could help you, very messy, and the prices are not even low. I came back this new year and is even worse. Their computers were down on returns, I waited for 40 minutes, cashiers VERY RUDE again. I will never spend one penny at Walmart ever again.
I finally went back to replace one item, a beard and mustache trimmer that the guard was broken on. I know they used to have a person assigned to the HBA apartment for customer service and to slow down shrink.
I asked 6 people to let me into the razor case, WHICH IS LOCKED, and they said they would try to get someone. I waited over 40 minutes. Finally a young blonde girl took the initiative to go get the key to let me in so I could get what I needed.
I eneded up talking to a manager and he said they are no longer allowed to have someone in the HBA department.. THIS IN A DEPARTMENT WHITH A CASE LOCKED!
The company is trying to control so much and not allowing the managers to do their jobs and assign people where they are needed it a LOT of the problem. Same thing with the checkout lines.
The company now writes the schedule for the front end Aka check outs also. They can pull people off the floor to help but the people on the front are not allowed to help the people on the sales floor to get caught back up on their jobs that they are behind on because of having to help on the front end…
I hate rude associates but you cant really blame them either because the company heads are making such bad decisions! Used to this would never happen because Wal-mart is so afraid of unions and cutting off the front end like they have leaves them wide open to unionization……..
Things really started going down hill when Edwardo Castro Wright took over as CEO took over. If I’m not mistaken, he isn’t even a citizen of the U.S>..
I will not go back… And no, they are not cheap at all!