Grandmama Pat

Oh, honey, they don't need excuses. They just jerk it out. There one day and gone the next!!

MissBarkey

I know some friends who have worked in the big chain stores and, although customer service is a big marketing hype when the stores first open, in reality the employees end up being stuck in an impossible position. Managers want shelves stacked with stock and if an employee falls behind this task, they are reprimanded no matter if the reason for not doing that particular job is because customers need service. Selling stuff off the shelves is priority because they don't have to hire people to do that, just cashiers. It's true that customer service is not a revenue generating venue for corporations because bonuses for the managers and directors are based on profit not customer service.

Just my cynical take on it all. If I'm out to lunch on this opinion, please let me know. For some reason companies are not linking good customer service with better profits.

tooMuchFabric

I'm not sure where to find it, but all publicly owned corporations must display a contact name and contact information, phone or email, like that. Such as the CEO, etc.
Maybe someone could locate this for WalMart.

All Thumbs

In my humble opinion, when Sam Walton died, the whole concept of family and customers matter also died. Big money, more countries to expand within and less service became the norm. It also depends upon the store's location. In traveling, I have found if the store is a small community where everyone knows the employees, the service is fantastic and even apologetic if they do not have a product. If the store is within short driving distances of metro areas or other stores within same town, then service falls off. My husband was in store wanting a certain soap. There was the anti-bacteria kind but not the plain kind of same brand. It took him a long time to get an associate to help him and then she did not want to stop her stocking and go to back because there were only three bars in the store according to her card-reader and she would have to walk to the back storeroom. She finally went there and upon her return handed him one bar; he took all three.

This has happened to me in the fabric section too. A price was not present for a heavy divided sewing tote bag. The 3 associates stocking notions said they did not have a phone or card-reader on them and would not go to find out for me. I walked away and Walmart lost probably a $20 sale.

In my area, all the fabric department was taken down a couple months ago. I will wait and see what returns--probably closed plastic packaged yardage. If so, even my charity quilts will not get this fabric as I want to feel the fabric and know the thread count before spending time quilting.

As in several quilters and seamstresses above noted, WMart needs to upgrade their service with a smile. Sam Walton is not smiling even though is soul is resting.

nurse bonnie

Ever since they "remodeled" our wally world last November, it sucks!! They are the closest store for 100 hundred miles. They took away more than half the fabric and supplies and put in scrapbooking stuff. As for the bell, my quilting buddy taught me well. If they don't answer the bell the first time, you walk around the isles ringing it. That usually gets someones attention. One lady there is really nice, but VERY hard of hearing. I, too, have used my cell phone and called the front of the store for help. I know ours is very understaffed and they are doing it for a reason. Doesn't make any sense to me, either. When I do get to Reno, the one wally world is sooo dirty, I hate to go in there. They have a winco next door and it is even dirtier. Plus they have raised the price of the $4.44/yd fabric to $4.94. I guess they want to make more money and have less employees. Go figure!!

marghar50

Our WalMart always has at least 2 ladies in their dept. But I have seen and been in some that you have to wait. What would it do if we forwarded all our comments to corp?

wendsy

I programmed the local WM # into my cell phone after standing there for more that 20 minutes waiting-I was shopping with my mother, called her to go to the customer service counter to ask for assistance-normally I would ask at the paint counter for a page but no one was manning that either-when the floor manager finally got there, I'd been waiting 30 min. or more and 2 PA calls, she apologized and said that some of the scheduled workers had called in sick (it was after a holiday).
I don't mind going into the local WM because the day workers in the fabric dept. know what they're talking about-it's the problem after 5 pm-it's hit or miss. I have noticed that they've recently had the fabric department stocking in other parts of the store-Our's is a supercenter and the fabric dept. is middle back right side, by the tire center the stockers were in front of the store on the left side of by the front doors-there is now way a little bell can be heard that far. I think they are trying to say that the fabric department isn't doing enough sales-but if they would man it properly they'd have more sales than they think. I know that I can walk pass the dept. and not look if I can't see an employee close to the cutting counter-yes they've lost my business more than once, but it is the only place with reasonally priced fabric within 40 mi. So they have me somewhat over a barrel! At least our cutters are nice!

tooMuchFabric

.
I can definitely understand this point in a way, but here's how I see it:

I will buy if the product is something I want. I won't support a store just because they are there, they have to carry something I want to spend my money on.

I like fabric. I'm nuts about fabric. So if fabric is on offer, I'll be right in there checking it out.

I might not care for their meats,
might like their breads,
might not like their selection of cleaning supplies,
might like the fishing gear,
might like the pet supplies,
might not like the children's clothing.
You see what I'm saying.

It's not my fault if they do not carry what people want, in fact if they paid more attention to what we tell them we want,
and we have no hesitation telling them what we want so they can't say they don't know,
then they would have more customers in there buying stuff.

So it seems to be a fact that WM has stopped pretty much their fabric lines, and it's a fact that this was one of my major reasons for going in there.
Now that it's gone, so is much of my reason for shopping there.

We do not owe them to shop there just to keep them open. This is free enterprise with all its blessings and faults, and that says "Offer A Product People Want And Maybe They'll Pay You Money For It."

.

oldswimmer

When I worked at walmart as a support manager, they trained all of their support managers in all the areas, including the fabric department. So my guess is there IS people there that know how to cut fabric and use the telzon thing that prints the ticket..... they just dont want to do it, or dont care, or both.

Mariah

You should have not been treated that way--ever. If you call 1-800-wal-mart and tell them, it is my best guess there will be disiplinary action taken--quickly.
I worked at our Wal-Mart for 14 years, and yes, it does get worse as far as customer service. When Sam Walton was alive, things were soooooooo much different. He would not have tolerated that type of behavior from his people--for a minute. The co. now doesn't think sales people on the floor are important. They think since it is a self-serve store, you shouldn't expect anyone to wait on you. Wrong. You did the right thing to let them know your feelings.
Mariah