I tend to have similar problems at Joann's. My local store is smaller and generally not stocked with much as it is in a lower income area but I go anyway because the next closest one is about 30 minutes away. With a toddler, I try not to make the trip too often.
So the last few times I have gone, mostly during the day, there has been ONE employee in the store and a manager (who is magically never available to help). So this ONE employee works the cutting counter until everyone's fabric has been cut then goes to the register to ring everyone up. This means that if your the first to get your fabric cut, you can wait up to 45 minutes (more in the evenings and weekends) to get checked out. And if you wander too much and miss her at the register, you have to wait for all the new people's fabric to be cut.
Last time I was in, I casually mentioned that they always seem understaffed and the manager (who was watching the ONE employee at the register but not doing anything) in a very nasty voice said, "well we don't do that much business so there is no reason to need more people." The employee, whose back was to the manager responded in my direction by sneering. Haha... now I make a weekend trip to the farther Joann's when my husband is home to watch my little guy.
I hate the big store attitude but I can't afford the $7.99-$12.99 a yard that my local private quilt store sales for every project.