This post is going to be a rant. You've been warned...
Now I'm a "Target Addict" for a reason. Love the store. Crazy for the merchandise. Customer service is pretty decent, and outside of a few rants here and there, I have little to complain about. But not so with the Bullseye's main competitor, Walmart.
I rarely shop at Walmart, and when I do, I do it online because the only thing I buy there (the Norma Kamali line) is no longer carried at my local store (REASON THEY SUCK #1). So every so often, I order a few of Norma's wonderful (and ridiculously cheap) yoga tops and athletic wear. The problem with the Kamali line, however, is that the sizing is all over the map (REASON THEY SUCK #2). Which means I have to go to the actual store to return things from time to time, as I had to today.
Unfortunately, I made the horrible mistake of trying to go on my lunch hour. BIG FAIL on my part. I should have immediately left once I saw the slow, snaking line at the Customer Service desk with just ONE person working there out of 4 stations (REASON THEY SUCK #3). I decided to try and wait it out, partly because a very chatty and entertaining woman ahead of me in line was about to blow her top at how long we were waiting. But once the lone customer service clerk called for help over six times while we were there, and the phone just rang and rang (she put it on speakerphone so the 20 of us or so in line could hear) with no one picking up (REASON THEY SUCK #4) I was beginning adopt my new friend's attitude. Especially when this poor old gray-haired lady who had been at the front of the line the whole time we were there waiting for a manager (REASON THEY SUCK #5) was finally turned away for trying to return something without a receipt (REASON THEY SUCK #6). She was trying to return a playpen for her grandchild, which was found to be broken/missing pieces once she got it out of the box (REASON THEY SUCK #7) and since she had no receipt and they no longer carried it in the store, they didn't even give her store credit (REASON THEY SUCK #8) and she was out $60.
But stay with me - it gets better. There was another guy in line that was a beer delivery guy, simply delivering a shipment to the store. And he'd been waiting there over an hour because he needed a manager (not just a customer service rep.) to sign off on the invoice. They'd called for a manager repeatedly, but no one bothered to come (REASON THEY SUCK #9). And, he said this happens regularly, and that sometimes he has to wait up to TWO HOURS.
When I FINALLY got to the front of the line, the clerk - who was still in training - did not know how to properly handle an internet return. So what she basically did was start to CHARGE ME for the items I was returning vs. credit me for them. Luckily I realized what was happening BEFORE I handed her my credit card. She then LEFT THE COUNTER to look for a manager herself because without one, she could not suspend the transaction (REASON THEY SUCK #10). When she came back 5 minutes later sans manager, I finally blew my top (after wasting almost my ENTIRE lunch hour) took all my stuff back and started to storm out. Ironically, just then, the manager showed up (!!!!) and when I complained about how long we were waiting there, he simply shrugged (REASON THEY SUCK #11). A kind man in line told me to ask for his business card so I could complain to his boss (and said that he'd do the same) but when I did, the manager said "we don't carry business cards" (REASON THEY SUCK #12).
At that point, I just left the chaos; people in line were yelling at the manager (in support of me) and vowing to flood Walmart's 1-800 line with complaints. But honestly, I don't think it's even worth it. The way they treat their customers is deplorable, and it's not going to change. And a quick Google search on "Walmart sucks" proves that point, by the number of sites devoted to that sentiment.
13 comments:
I have never had the customer service problems with Walmart, but I sooo hate it there. I can't stand it there, never find anything.
Lesa, you're lucky. I fault the management team at the store vs. the customer service reps. themselves. At my local store, the cust. service desk is ALWAYS understaffed, and there is never a manager on duty. Only a manager can sign off on shipments (for people like the beer delivery guy I mentioned) or void bad transactions like mine. And it was unbelievable that the CS rep. called the manager's desk AND the break room REPEATEDLY for help, and no one answered.
I actually love my 2 local Walmarts. But I go early on Sunday morning because they are not really busy then and I have never had a problem. My only complaint is that the store is so big and with a bad back and knee it's hard to walk it. But then, so is the Target and they are about the same size.
I think it really depends on the Wal-mart you go to as they are not all created equal. There are some wal-marts that are nice, clean, and well-maintained. There are some wal-marts that require a bullet proof vest and an attitude adjustment that could rival the ladies on Mob Wives.
The Norma Kamali line really great. It is a shame Target didn't scoop her up...
Sorry to hear about your troubles with Walmart. I personally haven't had any. Take care and have a great day!
I hate Walmart, too. I only ever go there if I absolutely have to, which is probably only a few times per year. The Super Walmart near my house is "nice, clean and well-maintained" as another poster mentioned, but I still HATE shopping there. Besides having to dodge all of the pallets of unstocked merchandise that are always blocking the aisles anytime of the day, the customer service is ridiculously horrible (the CS reps don't bother to even acknowledge you in line, lines are always super long, and the cashiers could often use an attitude adjustment). It's just way too stressful for me to shop there and for me it's a no-brainer to shop at Target.
I shop at my local Walmart but have issues with the store. 1. they never have enough checkout lanes open thus you wait forever. 2. the customer service area is slower than molasses. 3. Listening to the clerks talk about the restraining orders they have against ex's is really irritating-not to mention dangerous for customers in the store. That being said....they have some great prices so I try to manage my shopping time to suit me and beat the above listed problems.
I once attempted to get help in the furniture section. After finding no one working anywhere I ended up at the front of the store asking a greeter to page someone for help. She directed me to the cashier watching the self check lanes who then referred me to a cashier on a lane for me to ask them to page someone. The cashier told me their phone didn't work. Needless to say I just walked out. I asked three people to help me get someone to assist me an no one would. I wouldn't go back to WalMart if they were giving out free money.
OMG, my every experience with Walmart has been exactly what you described. THEY ARE SO SLOW AND INCOMPETENT AND HAVE A TOTAL LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. It isn’t just once that this has happened, multiple times. I have boycotted the store, I get so mad each time I go there, I finally realized it wasn't worth it for me. I love Target, Walmart sucks!
They aren't one of the most profitable companies in the World because of their treatment of customers. They don't have to treat you with any respect because they DON'T have any respect for you. You get low prices. That's ALL you get. I'm pretty sure the head of the company can be quoted as saying something to that effect in an interview.
check this video about walmart:
UncleJayLo
Ever tried to return something out of the box and without a receipt at Target? Same story. Actually, Target's return policy is worse because while Walmart will take anything back (no receipt necessary) as long as they can look it up, Target limits you to $70 per 365 days. The shopping experience at Target IS better but God forbid you need to return something.
How Walmart (Almost) Ruined My Christmas!
http://www.steelcactus.com/WALMART
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