You are absolutely right, Patrice.

Sometimes I wonder how much we, as customers, have an effect on how we are treated as customers. I KNOW that there are folks who should never be in the customer service business because they don't have a 'kind' bone in their body. But I wonder how many times that store person seems grouchy because they were up all night with a sick child, or because they just got paid and their measly check doesn't nearly cover their bills, or if their last customer was truly unreasonable and they haven't yet lowered their adrenalin level from that unpleasant encounter?

I also think that I get what I expect. I expect to be treated kindly, to be treated fairly. With that expectation I also need to treat them kindly and fairly. For the majority of my shopping experiences, that is exactly what I get.

I know that's not true in all situations. I know that some store people are horrid and mean. But I also know that there are so many that are doing the best they can.

Okay, let the tomato throwing begin.

We haven't had fabric at our store for about two years. When we did and no one appeared, I would pickup the phone and tell the front and they would send someone - often a man. Guess he didn't want to be bothered because now we have nothing. I find I am going less and less. Don't like how they are dropping so many of their food items also. I have allergies and they have dropped all the detergents that do not have fragrance, etc. They have run most of the local groceries out of business and now they are cutting items back.

And THEN it will also be marked 20% off, right? That's just toooooooo funny!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I also like the shout for help one; I KNOW I can do that!

Odessa

Customer service is terrible in every large, chain store. It's because there's a bunch of people working for minimum wage with no vested interest in the company they're working for. They don't care if you enjoy your shopping experience or if you come back.

But you know, in all honesty, the whole world has pretty much gotten that way. Loss of morals, values and a sense of community. I don't see it getting any better either. :(

The last time that I tried to purchase fabric at Walmart, I had 4 bolts in the cart...wanted a couple of yards each, and these we not clearance fabrics. I tried the bell several times, found someone in auto and they didn't even page after I asked them...all in all I waited 30 minutes....ringing the bell every few minutes....
I then loaded as many fabrics as I could stack on the table, from the shelves...then went to find the manager at the service desk....told him the story and told him the fabrics that I wanted to purchase were on the cutting table, and I didn't have anymore time to waste at there store...He said he would go back there and cut my fabrics...I told him to get lost.

Well, in the past I HAVE stood there, rung the bell once or twice and waited for more than 10 minutes. Finally, I started ringing the bell constantly. I was relentless. Someone walked over from the electronics department and asked if I needed help. :shock: Uhm, really? :roll:

When I said that I was waiting for someone to come adn cut fabric for me, she said I would just have to wait because "apparently the person in this department is at lunch." I thanked her and as soon as she walked halfway back to her department (about 15 feet), I started ringing the bell again, relentlessly.

Now, I had about 8 bolts in my cart that day, so I was very serious about spending some of my husband's hard-earned ca$hola ... I was NOT going to let up. I think someone finally showed up nearly 8 minutes later, but I was going to make this sale MY WAY. I remember wanting 14 yards of black fabric (I was making a nun's habit costume for a performance for my daughter) as one of the items. This lady was king of shorting me about an inch or more with each yard she was counting out. She got to the end, grabbed the scissors, and before she could make that cut, I asked her "are you sure that's right? I only counted 14 yards and I need 15." Guess what? She had to re-measure it all again! And this time she was more accurate. Ha!

I did this several times - asking for a re-measure, changing how many yards I wanted each time, checking the notes I had in my little notebook for what I was looking for and flipping pages, etc..... Well, my time is valuable and if they want me to spend my money there, they can play it my way. That's how I feel about it.

Go to the management? They don't care. I am wasting my breath with them. Letters get nowhere. I never get a response.

Funny thing: there is ONE in my town. Another was scheduled to be built less than 5 miles away, but the community found a way to make it less than desirable for the company to put one there; it was very ugly. But in a neighboring town, the town council just put their collective feet down and said "absolutely not". It's a lovely little place, a HUGE tourist-y town and corporate had no intention of keeping the store in keeping with the "theme" of the town, so they were turned down.

I don't feel sorry for them. They barrel into a town with promises of putting people to work, but in this state the Unions rule and when the stores open and staff is not making a decent (i.e., "union") wage, the unions and their retirees get up in arms. It's really sad. WalMart has put a lot of wonderful little mom & pop shops out of business all in the name of making a corporate buck.

It's really a sad commentary on Life in America, isn't it?

Odessa

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I can understand the frustration of being a customer waiting -

but if I was an associate assigned to cover three or four areas - and I got to the cutting area as quickly as I could - and a customer was being "revengeful" -

two wrongs seldom make a right.

It seems to be great fun bashing WalMart - but why would so many of us be so upset about the fabric department closing if we didn't shop there?

yep, I had that happened to me once and I have not been back to buy any fabric sense!Makes you wonder where our customer service will be in 10 years!

excellent question.