Customer Service

I am taking a break from my video games. My fingers feel kinda numb. I got The DQ a Super Mario game for her Gameboy for Christmas. I love that game. I am now officially addicted to it. It's kind of sad that this is how I am spending a Saturday night. Oh well, I could be doing worse things, like plotting how I am going to pop the woman at Wal-Mart eyes out like little grapes. Did I say that out loud? Oh well..............................

Let's talk about customer service shall we? About a week before Christmas Sissy and were at Wal-Mart grocery shopping. I love shopping for groceries at Wally World because I get so much more food for my money. I have tried shopping at the grocery store and come out feeling defeated. Defeated because while I would like to shop at the regular grocery store, I never get much food for the same amount of money. I like the convenience of the grocery store that is right down the road. I like that it's usually not terribly crowded. I like the produce. It looks much better than the produce at Wal-Mart.

I digress once again. Anyway, I have been going through the self checkout lane since I discovered that you can check out your own produce if you know how to do it. I like the self checkout because you don't have to deal with the cashiers. I mean no disrespect to these hard working individuals that have to put up with our crap. Well, other people's crap. I am never rude or unfriendly to a cashier. The problem is that most of them have the personality of a rock. It is so obvious that they would rather be anywhere but where they are. Sometimes they don't even speak to you as you begin unloading your cart. Of course, I would be upset to have to check out two hundred dollars worth of groceries. Here's the thing. I have worked with the public. I spent about a year managing a convenience store. I had to be nice to people, and clean the toilets. Now that' s enough to put a scowl on anyone's face. I was a server for a while. I even worked in a grocery store and a K-Mart back in the day.

I can honestly say that I was nice to people. I smiled and acted friendly even if I didn't feel like it. (Unless someone cussed me, it did happen a couple of times) My personal drama did not affect the way I treated my customers. Believe me, I had A LOT of drama going on during this period in my life. I was going through a divorce, I was broke, I was miserable and unhappy. Yet somehow I managed to treat people with respect and be friendly. OK-there is part of my tirade.

As Sissy and I approached the self checkout on this fateful day, a Wal-Mart worker approached us rapidly and shooed us out of the self checkout lane. She informed that those lanes are for 20 items or less. I asked her, "Since when?". She stated that it had always been this way. I told her that I ALWAYS use the self checkout. I could see that she was not going to bend and with Sissy with me, I didn't want to make too a big of a scene. But let me say that I could have. I was in one of those kinds of moods.

We went through one of the regular lanes. I was actually quite surprised. The cashier was very friendly and had an upbeat personality. I told her what had happened with the other employee. She said that she would have let me go through the line. I felt slightly vindicated.

Tonight Sissy and went to Wal-Mart to return an item and do some grocery shopping. This time I mentally prepared myself for war. I was not going to take no for an answer. I WOULD go through that darn self checkout if it killed me. I would make a stand. I would just ignore anyone who tried to stop me and just begin unloading my cart. After all, what could they do? Physically restrain me? Begin putting my items back in my buggy? I mentally prepared for anything to happen. I got all my groceries and approached the self checkout with determination. I would not be stopped. I am the customer. I am the customer who spends at least a hundred dollars a week in that place. Not to mention all the non grocery items I have purchased at Wal-Mart. I made it through the self checkout without anyone approaching me. I was almost disappointed. I was so ready to fight "The Man". I was ready to make a stand against being kicked out of the self checkout. I am a paying customer. I had myself all worked up. For nothing. Not even one little hint of drama. If anyone is curious, there are no signs stating 20 items or less.

The thing is, if they had workers with good attitudes, people would not care so much about going through a regular line. I know you get what you pay for and everything, but would it kill people to SMILE. I thought the self checkout was for my convenience anyway. The remaining question is-Why did that other lady kick me out in the first place? You would think the customers who are buying more stuff would get treated a little better. Just because I have fifty items, does that mean that I don't want to get out quickly? I think not. Shame on you Wal-Mart lady, shame.