Walmart does not have a person for each department, they do have one person for several adjoining departments. At the Walmart we go to, the person in shoes handles the fabric department. If I can't get someone to come to fabrics...I ring the buzzer for shoes...works every time. At this walmart, the person in Shoes is also experienced in sewing, a bonus.
Once, in California...I got the manager cutting my fabric...he had no clue how to cut...so I showed him how to line up the fabric on the cutting groove, pinching to get the exact amount (Joann/Fabricland method)...he offered me a job in fabric department...only fabrics...I had a full time job then, and he offered for evenings...which, he said was their busiest time in fabrics...then mentioned the other two departments, and said they were slow evenings anyhows...I declined. I know that there is more to these departments than waiting on customers...you have to stock, clean, inspect, watch...not just be there for customers. So, when you see a sales person in the shoe department who seems to be staring at the racks of shoes...she/he is actually trying to make a mental list of what to restock, what's missing, etc.
They sometimes just don't compute the bell ringing when they are trying to work. They have certain things that have to be done during their shift...it's a lot harder job than most realize.
That's why some seem to come off as annoyed when they have to come cut fabric...they aren't...they are trying to remember what they just had to leave...and worried about that list of things they have to get done.