Wal Mart has Created Lazy Shoppers
Wal-Mart has often been held accountable for killing many little, locally run, mom & pop shops. While this may, or may not be true (I believe it is correct), they are also closely linked for causing a lowering of “class” among shoppers on the whole.
Wal-Mart has “trained” its shoppers to be rude, lazy, slobs.
Through a lack of proper staffing (admittedly Wal-Mart isn’t the only mega store guilty of this) they have enabled the customer to behave with utmost disrespect to the product and to the employees. It is not unusual to find unwanted products tossed, or abandoned, in unusual places. By trying to be “customer friendly” Wal-Mart has turned its customers into monsters.
This makes more work for the employees, having to find mislaid products and restock them correctly, and it also contributes to waste; food products (in those stores that sell food) are easily ruined if not kept at a proper temperature. Yes, I once noticed a package of chicken meat in the clothing aisle.
Wal-Mart customers are allowed to wander the store with food or drink in hand. Parents who shop in Wal-Mart with their kids often make a first stop to the toy department, handing their children toys to hold onto to keep the kid occupied while mom or dad shop. Of course these toys are abandoned either at, or before, the checkout.
Now, while I do not work at a Wal-Mart, I have noticed the behavior of their shoppers inching into other stores. I work in a decent gift store in a tourist location. We have a “No Food or Drink” sign on our door, yet people think they can stroll around the shop with an ice cream cone. They actually get mad if we suggest they leave, insisting they are not messy. Well naturally nobody plans on having an accident with their food – that is why it is called an ACCIDENT!!!
In a 3000sq foot store it should not be so hard to leave an unwanted item at the cashier, or put it back. Yet we find things abandoned all the time, dropped on a shelf, or even hidden behind other items.
In once case a mother handed her child a stuffed animal. The child was in a stroller and held onto the stuffy the whole time, often dragging it while mom pushed the stroller around the store. At one point I offered to put the stuffed animal up on the counter with her other things, mom remarked “Oh I am not buying that, I am just letting her hold it to keep her quiet”. At which point I held it up clearly so she could see how dirty the toy had become, not only because of the dirt it collected from dragging on the floor, but from her child sucking on it. I made her pay for it.
Because Wal-Mart allows their customers to exchange anything at anytime, with, or without, a receipt, people expect the same from every store. This is unfair to smaller stores, especially those who offer sales or who sell merchandise that is available in other shops too. How do we know that the item you are returning wasn’t purchased on a sale day (15% off Tuesdays).. or how do we know that the item which you are returning as defective was purchased at our store? How do we even know you paid for it, rather than shop lifted it? Small stores cannot take the same financial risks and losses as larger stores can. Many small stores cannot return broken items to their supplier after a period of time.
If you are a customer, at any store, please take the time to think about how you are treating people, and merchandise.
- If you do not want something – leave it with the cashier.
- If you are hungry – eat before you shop.
- “No Food and Drink” – also means Ice Cream.
- If you have a kid who cannot behave in a store – try teaching them some manners.
- If you think you might need to return something – ask the store their return policy before you pay for it.
Thank you for shopping and have a nice day.
Further Reading
How do you Make a Complaint about an Employee
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Never though of it from the other person’s perspective. Thanks for sharing
Love the article. Customers are pigs. One thing I notice at Wal-mart–the sign “How may I help you?” is always walking away from me.
Sadly, it has always been like that: I think you may notice it more as you work retail.
Thanks,
Clay
Well thought. I like the flow of your idea here. Thanks.
Customers are pigs as Ken said, but who are the customers? did you ever meet a poor pinky pig making oing oing around a store or just stupid creatures with only two legs speaking a human language?
People tend to not think of the store workers, owners or other customers. That’s pretty much people. Your article addresses a lot of attitude problems that seem to be prevalent among shoppers.
I also have noticed how parents of small children, allow them to play with toys while they shop, and return them to any shelf when they are ready to leave. I would had never dreamed of doing such a thing with my children. What is wrong with manners, and consideration of responsibility now days?
a lot of what you wrote here is true. I’ve seen it happen.
I taught my children to behave in stores and I’ve never let them play with toys while shopping just to keep them quiet.
Ha! Sorry, B, to have to laugh. Sorry you have to deal with those kind of customers. I know where you’re coming from, and yes, I think it’s spread beyond Wal-Mart.
Nicely written! Walmart is not like this at all in the area where I live. The staff are very friendly and you are not allowed to returen anything without a recipt and you only have a week to return it after you have purchased an item ( which I find kind of a pain because the closest Walmart to where I live is almost two hours away so it is not some place I get to very often and only have a week to return something with working is often difficult). Your points were well made
I feel your annoyance – well written piece x
This was very well written and I mostly agree with you. It is sad to see what WalMart has created within some people and done to some biz. The only thing I would say is that it does add convience for someone like me with a handicapped child that needs the cheapest prices and one stop shopping. It is just too hard to get her in and out multiple times.
Well said. The thing I don’t understand is why some mothers take thir kids down there just to chastize them.
True, and well written. Yet Walmart offers consumers many important benefits and with enough time will change the way people do business. If the goods in question decline to an unacceptable level, specialty stores will arise to meet consumer need, or management will make neccessary adjustments. Besides, the way people behave is a result of their own background and education, and even if Walmart permits rude behavior, it doesn’t mean they create a change in the way consumers behave on a larger scale (i.e rude people are rude, it just becomes more visible when they are allowed to do as they wish).
I see this everytime I shop there. I really like Target better. It is a cleaner store.
I agree with #15 – some people are just rude and inconsiderate. They behave that way where ever they go.
I totally agree with your post. I got to Wal-Mart all of the time and I have noticed a lot of items out of place. It really is a shame that people are not more considerate of the employees as well as other customers. It would not take much time to put something back if you don’t want it. I have seen things put in the wrong spots over and over again. That also makes it hard to find things that you want to buy because someone decided that they didn’t want it anymore and they will not put it back where it belongs. I think that you wrote a very good article about this.
I think walmart employees need to take customer service classes. I have never met more rude employees in my life. I hate walmart for this reason. Id rather shop elsewhere.
I thought you’d rail against Wal-Mart but no you ended up railing against your own customers!
If you want my business, adopt a more customer-friendly return policy.
Towards the point of people attempting to return items without a receipt, I have a possible solution. I worked for a high-end fashion store that had an interesting way to handle people who would lose or “lose” receipts. The system would track customers, in a similar fashion to the way grocery stores use special cards, but with much more detail. Customers could be looked up by the cashier using any of the following information: first name, last name, address, phone number, birthday, or e-mail address. This would allow cashiers to look up every transaction made by a customer. The transaction would include every line item, the price paid, any discounts (including amount and type: $ or % off), and whether the item had been returned or exchanged previously. This was a huge boon for Loss Prevention. This system has the added bonus of allowing you to analyze customers shopping patterns, as well as how well certain items sell/don’t sell.
If desired, customers have the option of opting out of the tracking, as the cashier can skip the step. However, then their only option is to return with a receipt.
If you are in a business that has repeat customers, this might work out for you. As with everything else, though, the software isn’t free.
Well, I’ve been on both sides of this ball when it comes to the customers that leave an item way out somewhere in the boondocks in the store rather than take it back where the found it.
As much as I hate it when Im working at the place thats a victim of it. I must say it is a little bit more sensible and convient rather than to trek half-mile in a super-mega-store to return it to where its found..
Then again the other option is to leave it at the check out register.
I’m very surprised you didn’t include the f-ing idiots that buy a shopping cart load of crap, then can’t pay for any of it during checkout and just walk away. I’ve seen it more than once in front of me slowing down the line. One time a bitch had a cart of a bunch of cold and frozen food.
I worked at walmart for a little over two years (before finally quitting because they were so abusive to their employees I began having panic attacks and even became suicidal- yes, just from work) the employees certainly become trained to abuse the system that is big corp too. Accidentally busting open a bag of candy meant candy at the customer service counter for everyone, for example. As we saw the way people treated us we began acting the same way. Admittedly, I’m guilty of the “shut up toy” tactic myself.
Once I began trying to start my own business (making and selling jewelry) I became wholly and frighteningly aware of customer abuse. Despite that, sometimes small store policy is infuriating. I bought a cake decorator syringe for example which broke after the first use. I paid $40 and now couldn’t use it! When I took it back, wanting an exchange, I was told they did not accept returns that broke while being used (when else would it have broken??) and yes, I had my receipt. Either I’m spoiled by walmart or expect too much from $40 decorating tools…
To the person who mentioned the Return Policy (#21). I only work in the store I do not make the rules about what the return policy is.
To the person who says I am “railing” (whatever that means) (#20) against my own customers. yes.. and no.. I am also pointing out that the Wal-Mart mentality of leaving stuff laying around has impacted on people, thus SOME of the people who shop where I work – equally there are some terrific people who are smart enough to bring unwanted items to the front counter – or return to where they got them.. Keep in mind this is a MUCH smaller store than even the smallest Wal-Mart.
For the most part we do accept the return of things within 14 days of purchase – with a receipt. the exception would be jewelry and body products (come on.. you cannot really return used soap can you?)
Some customers feel when they spend a dime its like 100 bucks. Not so. I was always taught that respect must be earned as well as given. People are rude and can get on your nerve no matter what field you are in just pray that god work on their attitude and you will be blessed. And for as rules thats funny because people sometimes bosses or companys make us rules as we go. once again not so. Ilove your work keep it up.
THANK YOU! It irritates me to no end to see parents strolling through a Wal-Mart with small children in tow, eating cups of popcorn chicken, spilling them in a trail as they go (and leaving them on the floor for someone else to clean up, of course – it never occurs to them to clean up after their OWN children!). My other pet peeve is taking food off the shelf, opening it, and diving in, when it hasn’t been paid for. In my world, that’s stealing. And parents who drop off their kids in the Toys Dept at Wal-Mart (Target, KMart, or WORST – Dollar Stores!) – to run wild, ripping open packages, throwing toys on the floor,breaking things, putting things back in the wrong aisles (which makes keeping track of your onhand stock a nightmare) are my WORST pet peeve. Teach your children good manners, tell them not to touch (they can bring their own toy or book with them to fiddle with while you shop), they are allowed to look but not play with the toys because they don’t belong to them, “we’re not buying them.” It’s called saying “NO” and supervising your kids. Stop acting like Wal-Mart and other low price big box stores are free-for-all zoos where you can wreck rip every package open, drop food on the floor, and act like pigs. It’s so obnoxious to have to take hours every day to fill out claims (loss) forms (which raises prices for you, by the way) for torn open products or damaged merchandise that looks used because your children have played with it, locate all the misplaced items and restore them to their rightful space on the shelf (which has their UPC code, which keeps track of how many we have – which also helps customers – if we don’t know that a plastic alligator is hidden behind a cereal box in the grocery section, it still shows that we have one one hand and the computer inventory system won’t order those so if a customer wants one, tough luck unless it’s found and put back someday. All of this boorish, rude, slob, lazy, selfish behavior ends up making shopping a noisy, obnoxious, filthy, frustrating experience and it is only due to the selfishness of those who act like this. It makes Wal-Mart customers look like poor white trash.
Sorry, but you work in retail. Restocking shelves is what you get paid to do. If you don’t like it, find another job.
I’ve worked at wal-mart and there are no people like you complaining of returning items to the proper place, because we all understood that is part of our job. Get over yourself, the world doesn’t revolve around you.
Well, Erika, seems this touched on a nerve, yes? A bit touchy? Any particular reason for that?
Yes, restocking may be what a person is paid for, but being a shopper does not entitle one to become a careless slob. Expecting someone to burn a calorie to put an item back is not asking too much. Get off your lazy duff and be a productive, responsible member of society.
All you said is correct period! We need to be productive and responsible. The things you mentioned cause waste and loss of revenue. We complain about the economy yet refuse to do the most basic tasks, like putting foods back so they don’t spoil or make someone else sick. Or allowing kids to destroy merch. which causes more loss. Gone are the days when secuity used to walk around stores. Walmart secuity stands only at the doors. They ought to be policing the customers.
What ever happened to ” loss and prevention” departments in retail? They are the ones to address and fix this issue. Maybe I’m wrong but stealing includes what you have mentioned. If every customer does all this. What then?
Interesting info.
Good points. I noticed even at our local grocery stores that items are just sort of carelessly thrown on the floor a lot more often.
Walmart must be different in the are that you live, then where I live. In our Walmart you must have a receipt to return anything and you only have a few days to return an unwanted item. Which can be difficult for people like myself who live two hours away and can’t just run back if the item happens to not work when I get home.
I do agree with a lot of what you said though. Nice writing
I worked at a major WalMart and could tell horror stories about customers fistfights over ‘that item’ on the shelf they want, how customers are so bad they grab items from each others’ shopping cart and run… on nightshift before the store closes taking pallets out onto the floor, some customers actually jumped ON TOP OF the pallet and began tearing the plastic off to reach something they wanted…
I agree with you that some people are either plain disgusting or just ignorant, and yes, even the biggest chain makes mistakes.
To some extent you are comparing apples and oranges (tourist gift shop). I think what you are describing is how people have changed, even if there never was a Wal-mart.
I have worked retail and I have been manager of a retail store and I believe that how you treat your customers makes a huge difference in how they treat you and your store. I have worked for a large grocery chain and you would be amazed at the food that they leave lying in the most utmost ridiculous places- a carton of ice cream left in a box of clothes. However, that is not Wal-Mart’s fault ( I do not shop at Wal-Mart). People have gotten lazy and have the idea that it is okay because it is somebody’s job to put it back. We are paid to stock the shelves, but we are not paid to clean up messes that someone else made! We aren’t maids!!
In the store that I managed, I refused to wait on a customer once due to the fact that he had been extremely rude the day before. He was in the next day to apologize to me! He was never rude to me or my employees again!!
People have forgotten their manners need to be in place everywhere they go.
Very different and I like it! Keep up the great job
I am a shopper at Walmart and this offends me! >:(
Nice article though