Recently I went to get groceries at one of the closest locations to my home, Wal-Mart Supercenter. (By the way, how Wal-Mart has managed to be so close to so many people is another american phenomenon that's worth a study or two . .) I'm the first to admit that I'm a Wal-Mart addict. They have everything that I typically need under one roof. For a mother of two, this one-stop-shopping is very appealing. I went very well prepared with list and coupons in hand. I was a woman armed with a mission.
However, I was to be disappointed. Two items on my list were completely out of stock. I've asked associates before if they have the missing item in stock in the back. You know - waiting to be restocked on the shelves. It's worth a shot most of the time. But last time I asked the guy replied, "I have no clue. I don't even work in this department." and walked away. That's customer service for you! I needn't go into depth as to what should have happened.
Another lovely bit of Wal-Mart that I'm sure many of you have encountered: the check out lines. I finished my shopping, minus the two items (one of which happened to be formula - a necessary household item when you've already weaned your child), and headed for the check out line. All of them had at least 3 customers ahead of me with full baskets and many with anxious children screaming for the candy or soda that's so stratigically placed right by the way out. I decided on a line and contented myself by reading the ridiculous and sometimes slightly obscene tabloid headlines. But after reading them several times over and having not moved an inch, I started to get worried. My children were currently in good temperaments, but would I make it out of the store without breaking down myself? :)
Then I began to wonder as my line moved sluggishly closer to the cashier, why do I subject myself to this kind of torture? If I'd gone to a place like Smith's or Alberson's I would have already been out of the store and children safetly packed into the car with the groceries. I go to a place like Wal-Mart for convinience only to wait in long lines and talk to associates who know nothing about their department or their product. Granted this is a stereotype. I have had very pleasant experiences in the superstore. That's probably why I continue to go. But I'm wondering if I need to begin to rethink my method of attack for something as simple and mundane as groceries.
5 comments:
OOOOOHHHH, you've touched a very potential soap-box for me. I'll just sum it up by saying that we have not stepped foot inside a Wal-Mart store of any kind for nearly 2 years. The pennies of savings is NOT worth any of the hassle. Trust me, go to a well established Albertsons and take a sigh of relief as someone walks you personally to a missing item, pushes your cart of groceries to your car AND unloads them as you simly manage your children into their carseats. Yup, I would pay a few extra dollars for that convenience. Not to mention a little higher class employee pool...
This is the test of our time, to shop at Wal-Mart or to not shop at Wal-Mart. We still go to Wal-Mart regularly, but every time I go to Macey's I'm so happy! For me, I need to find a place that has household items and cheap shoes at Wal-Mart prices. Finding a place like that would definitely lead to a 'not shop at Wal-Mart' decision!
lol! I think it's a curse sweeping across the land! I just wrote about this on my blog! Seriously need to stop shopping at wal mart...
I live so close to one, I can think of a reason to go there everyday. It's bad, very bad. :) I never get what's on my list & I always spend more than intended. And then they are stinkers about using coupons and doing add matches....
I hate going to wal-mart myself for a lot of the same reasons. I just went there today (first time in a long time) and had the same long lines to wait in and with 3 kids it's not easy. I wish we had a better selection of stores here and I would boycott it altogether.
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