Originally Posted by PatriceJ
a great deal of the "reports" in this topic are inaccurate and misleading. it happens every time somebody starts one like this.
one person has a bad experience in one location of a chain operation. she automatically assumes the every location is the same. she posts to vent her dissatisfaction. other individuals who are less than 100% thrilled with their experience(s) in their local chain store will pile on with their own horror stories.
since most people don't have the time or patience to slog through obviously negative topics, we don't hear equally from people who've had good experiences. it's only those who are willing to "go the extra mile" to support truth, accuracy and fair play who try their best to provide some balance.
how many hundreds or thousands of walmarts are there in the world? how many departments, managers and employees within each store? there's no way they can all be perfect. like anything that involves human beings, you'll find a mixture of good and bad. my local walmart is a good example of that. i usually walk out satisfied, but not always.
the same can be said of most places we shop nowadays.
anybody looking at this topic during their first visit to our board will likely think we're just a bunch of cranky old broads with nothing better to do than complain, complain, complain. (and to encourage each other to resort to all sorts of bad behavior to get what they want.)
if the pattern holds true to its history, this comment will now be followed by a few dozen more negative comments about walmart in general and my addition in particular.
that's how we roll. :roll: :lol:?
Patrice, I certainly understand your point and I agree with you, up to a point. However, when I posted my frustration, I did not "automatically assumes the every location is the same". I simply was so very frustrated that I just could not hold it inside any longer. To do so would have been detrimental to my health.
Many of the members here look upon this board as a friendly place to share, chat, and yes, even vent our frustrations. It's like having a neighbor to chat with over the back fence. When I made the original post, it was nearly 36 hours after the incident and I was
still furious with the lack of common courtesy I experienced. I did not ask for "solutions", although I
did ask if "... this [is] typical of your fabric department experiences in Wally World???" I have noticed that there have been others who have posted that my experience is NOT typical of their fabric department experiences there. Sadly, that may be because too many of the WalMart stores have discontinued their fabric department altogether. Even more unfortunate is the number of posts that confirm poor treatment at WalMart fabric departments all over the country.
I must tell you, this thread has been quite cathartic for me. I have laughed -- hard -- at some of the solutions others have suggested. They are very creative ways to make a point without "going postal" at the place. It has reaffirmed my feeling that humans are generally decent people. And that quilters in particular have incredibly creative solutions to most anything that comes our way. Most of these solutions would be acceptable ways to make the point that Customer Service SHOULD BE #1. It DOES bring people back to your store.
It has been very helpful to hear from employees of WalMart in this thread. They have a unique perspective on this kind of situation that I, as a customer, simply do not have. Yes, there are employees at my particular store who don't generally know what they are doing with fabric, and don't care to learn it, either. But there are some who do, and they seem to be the exception. And when I am particularly happy with the treatment I get there, I make a point to tell that person TO THEIR FACE that I appreciate their efforts.
What saddens me is that we have come to a point in our society that we feel it is more important to snipe at everyone and everything than to be pleasant. I have contacted the corporate offices, but have not heard from anyone associated with WalMart on this issue. I realize they are a large corporation, but I do expect more from a company whose advertising (which is seemingly everywhere) says that they care about saving US money and actively attempts to get my business. If they want my business, then they need to treat me as a valued customer, not just a distraction or an "issue" to "deal with".
I have come up with some solutions that could help make this kind of experience minimal, if not altogether extinct. But I am waiting for contact from either the corporate level or my local store. I would like to share these suggestions with them first, to provide an opportunity for reform. Until then, I trust that we can all take a deep breath and try to relax on this issue for now. I have really appreciated all the support I am getting (even if it is just others chiming in with their experiences) on this issue ... lets me know that I am not rowing in this big ol' boat all alone.