Customer Service; Is it so much to ask?!?

Question

I'm in Wal-mart about an hour ago, (5 am) and I was waiting for someone to cut some fabric by the yard, so I could take it to the front and pay for it. It never fails that there is no attendant in that department.

I'll end up having to find someone in electronics and ask if they could page the fabric attendant. I always end up waiting (patiently, I might add) for about 15 minutes for someone.

When someone finally came, I was met by a woman without the sunny disposition that I would expect from somebody working in customer service. She did not greet me, instead she just growled, "How many yards you want of all that?" I told her, and she began to cut the fabric.

Now, I understand a hard day at work, and so I tried to empathize with her, so I asked "long shift, huh?" Then she told me that she just got there. Nice. I'd hate to see her around that 7th hour. She was doing a very sloppy job, and the fabric was cut all kinds of crooked.

I wanted to ask her to do it right... (continued).

... But I didn't want her to feel that I was telling her to do her job. Cutting the fabric crooked isnt such a big deal, so long as she didnt cheat me out of too much of it. But when she started to fold it, she threw it end over end, wrinkles, wadding, it was a mess.

This seems like a very small task, folding that is. And I'm sure she is very capable of doing it correctly, but she didn't. I wanted so badly to make her understand that when I get home and I go to cut the fabric, and it's all wrinkly, and the lines dont match up, then its just about more trouble than its worth.

My question is, would I be wrong in acting on my feelings about this? Am I being nit picky about details? Or is this woman just unable to see that she is in a position where autonomy is not appropriate?

Any input is welcomed

Thanks!

******* You all have given me some very good opinions on this. And I appreciate them- even the one about how I deserved to be treated badly because I was in walmart to begin with. LOL trust me, I would have gone to hancock or fabric world if they were open. And I would have cut the fabric myself, but I dont know how to ring it up on the scanner.

Thanks for complimenting my patience, as well. I think having worked in the psych unit of a nursing home for a year might have helped curb my anxiousness quite a bit. LOL.

Still, contacting management over such a small thing seems a bit drastic. I dont want anyone written up or reprimanded. If she didn't care, it's one thing. I also wonder if maybe just didn't know how to do her job correctly. I believe I had the right to say something to her about it, either way. But I didnt.

Anyways... Bring on those answers!!!

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Answer 1

Go to a real fabric store, you get what you pay for. HATE going to WalMart for the same reason, plus it is crowded as hell. But to specifically answer you, lady, I would have called her on her nasty attitude right then and there, BEFORE she cut the fabric, and if she did not straighten up, I would have waited a little longer (what the hell?) for a supervisor, and insisted on being treated with respect.

Answer 2

I think customer service is slowly disappearing as the bottom line for stores is making a profit. Why should they care about returning customers. But don't let them have your business if they don't treat you right. I stopped going to Best Buy because of bad service because I know I can go to Circuit City where service is so much better.

I also sew and I have been to places where they will even give you two inches or more of fabric before they start cutting what you actually requested. That's not only generous but they must know that if you run out of fabric, it's a real pain to have to make it work or go back to the store in the middle of a project.

I have, like a lot of people, received bad service and I just try to be understanding about it. However, there was one incident in which I had to call the store the next day and asked to speak to a manager. I waited at the customer service counter for assistance while the person finished her phone call and she looked me in the eye so I knew she saw me waiting. She then finished her call and walked away and started folding clothes somewhere else. I thought she really must fold clothes at that very moment and I just watched her for a few minutes and she never came back to the desk. I waited some more and no one else came to the desk so I left. Very weird.

Answer 3

You are not only patient, you're kind (asking the clerk if she had had a long shift).

You say that this is a small thing, not worth getting the clerk written up over, but life is made of small things. Clearly, this "small thing" has you steaming...and, rightly so!

The clerk who served (!) you is incompetent. She is no child who needs protection, or second chances. She's an adult, and should be treated as an adult. And, that includes being held responsible for her behavior.

If this had happened to me, I would also have a hard time deciding if the management should hear about it or not. Like you, I take no pleasure in getting people in trouble.

But, don't you agree that it would be just as wrong to allow this clerk to go on treating customers as you were treated day after day? Where's the kindness in THAT?

This is a personal call, after all, but I think I'd hand her up, and not just to the store manager. I'd write to the area manager as well, and let him know that the customers are being poorly served, and that you could just as well have taken your business to any number of competitors.

Good luck, dear!

Answer 4

I know Wal-Mart is a discount store. I know Wal-Mart hires people that other stores would not think of hiring. However, I have a problem with any person who takes a job and does not do the job to the best of their ability. If the lady is so unhappy with Wal-Mart she should find another job and not take her bad attitude out on the customers. In the workplace, there are no places for bad attitudes. We truly select the attitude we choose to have for the day. Be it a long day or a problem from home, we choose how we handle our attitude about such problems. Murmurings and groanings profit no one. Bad manners is never an excuse wherever they are found.

Answer 5

Email Walmart!!!

I, just before Thanksgiving 2005, was looking for a trampoline and enclosure for my 3 nieces. As I was searching for a Walmart employee I noticed 3 employees chatting it up in an isle. When i got help, an attitude came along with it.

I obviosuly did not purchase the product there and when i got home, I emailed Walmart and 2 days later, I received a phone call and an apology from the store's manager. Unfortunatley, i did not have names or real descriptions because the Manager SEEMED genuinly interested in my problem. I am sure if you can give enough details (and it seems you can) you could get retribution for the poor expereince (maybe even a discount cupon)

Answer 6

I feel your distress and I couldn't rant with you more about this very behavior from customer service staff in just about every store there is.

You can complain to management and they might even offer a small apology, otherwise, its a dead issue. They don't really seem to care either.

Unfortunately we're forced to witness the sour and disgruntled look of employees and what can we do about it? Not a darn thing. However, if you had wanted to, you could have asked her to take better care of your fabric, it might not mean anything to her but you're buying it for a reason. If she got itchy with you, you could have went directly to a redcoat staff and ask for management and explain what happened, I'm sure you would have gotten some sort of action, probably not to the sour cow that "helped" you though.

I know where you're coming from and sometimes it really makes me mad enough to want to slap a flower, but what can we do? Not much. Lets have some coffee and don't dribble any on your new fabric, that crap is hard to wash out. *smile* Nice post!

Answer 7

I am a strong believer in good customer service. Maybe it's because the older I get the less crap I want to put up with.
When I was younger I would just blow it off and not go back to where the service was lousy. Now, I will either let the manager know or send a letter letting the business know what I thought. You'll be surprised at what you could get in return. I've received gift cards from Best Buy and Panera Bread. Although Best Buy never admitted any fault, they did send a gesture of goodwill gift card to get me to go back as did Panera Bread.
It's worth a shot to say something.

Answer 8

My wife and I have complained to wal-mart head office about the same kind of thing and they did call us back and the store manager had to call us as well to say how sorry he was about the whole thing but did that change anything? NO they are still under payed and don't give a crap about the job they do because their employer cares not about the staff or the fact that the staff are also customers but instead they only think about the profit. This is a store that sells itself to the new locations as a friendly neighbourhood store but its could care less about the community.

Answer 9

I think your patience is a virtue. I think you should contact the manager of the store and complain.
However, they are such a large chain, I'm afraid it falls on deaf ears. I don't shop Walmart. They are able to offer lower prices than other chains because they skimp on the help. I spend a few more pennies and go up the street to Target. You took the high ground and tried to show empathy. If we were all like you, it would be a nicer world.

Answer 10

LOL, you don't happen to live in Texas do you? I think we may have a serial fabric cutter here. It seems like every time i go to that dept. ,they are either rude or complete idiots. i just asked an opinion on some buttons for a brown leather jacket and was told, (quite rudely) that it was a personal choice. LOL,, go figure.. Next time start cutting your own fabric and see how fast you get service. Probably be cut straighter too.