Does Complaining Help???

[Wilma]

Does complaining do any good?  Yes!!  Let me tell you.  Ever since Wal-Mart has gone to those thingies that the customer runs his credit card through, punches some keys and signs the screen, I have been complaining.  To begin with, I am too old to want to change.  2nd I can't reach the screen without standing up, which is very difficult for me and requires someone steadying me.  I have complained about this thingie in every Wal-Mart that I have shopped in. 

Guess what!!!  Wal-Mart has installed a swing out shelf at desk height on the customer's side.  Now it is easy for me to sign the paper they give me.  The clerk swipes the card, hands me the paper, I sign it, she takes it back and gives me the receipt and my card and we are good to go.

Did complaining do any good?  I like to think it did and I like to think that it was my complaints that resulted in one more innovation to help the handicapped.

[kdfrawg]

Wow, that sounds great! And I'll bet your complaining about it did help get it made easier for you and others! I know that designers always say that they consider the problems faced by the handicapped, but I am very sure they simply don't understand those problems. I am equally sure that they don't ask very often. When they don't ask, someone has to tell them!

Good job, Wilma!

[Diane Amberg]

   Wilma, that's just great. Good for you. I have a personal interest in that and stores having scooters, etc. I'll talk about that later.... has to do with polio.

[W. Gray]

This is not exactly on topic but talk about thingies and something at least initially horrific at Walmart is the self checkout. It seems that so many people are reluctant to use them, once you take the plunge and get past the "omigosh what do I do stage," it is much faster to get out and gets easier each time.

I dont know, though, how they counter theft. We started to walk away with a $19 item after checking ourselves out. Got almost to the door when I realized I had something I did not scan. The person at the door smiled and said "Thanks for shopping at Walmart" as we walked by. I Went back and ran through the self checkout again. No one was around monitoring the process and I think I would have successfully walked out with it if I had not been honest.

Also, if one goes through an attended checkout at Walmart and she gives you your check back--it is a bit disconcerting at first. For those who have not had this happen, they electronically ding your checking account while you stand there and then hand the check back. At end of month, if you are still getting checks back, the bank gives you an electronic facsimile of that check. Could be Walmart does this only if one is out of their trade area.

If our order is small, we will go through self checkout at King Soopers (Dillons to flat landers), otherwise we go through the checker.

I have heard at some places they are taking self checkout out.

[flo]

I don't have credit cards and I don't use self-check outs.  Those checkers need jobs, when you can find one at a check out lane.  Why do they have 15 check out lanes and only 2 cashiers?? Any one know???

[W. Gray]

The self checkouts take cash also. They also give change. No human intervention. That is a little disconcerting also.

They may or may not have two checkers on duty to channel people to the self checkouts.

That problem caused me to go to doing it my self.

[Joanna]

They may or may not have two checkers on duty to channel people to the self checkouts. 
That problem caused me to go to doing it my self. 

It caused me to go absolutely anywhere else that I can find what I need before I resort to WalMart.  I still do go there occasionally to price check and pick up a few specific items; but it's such a pain to find parking that amounts to 2 blocks from the store, bag-load-unload purchases myself, and walk endlessly from one corner of the store to the other, not to mention I can forget about finding someone to shake paint or get assistance when the sign says "ask for help with items on the top shelf"~ it's just truely easier and more pleasant for me to shop other places. 

However, I do agree with W. that it's much quicker to use the self checkouts ~ unless you have something that needs weighed or is too large for the tiny scale.  Have you ever tried buying something that has one of those alarm things in it?  Like DVD's or razor blades?  How does that work for you?  I had wondered about theft too, because when I've used them there seems like little or no-one watching what goes on.  I didn't know they took cash either, so that might make getting out of there even quicker for me in the future...  I almost always leave WalMart in a bad mood, so I usually treat myself to a waffle cone frozen yogurt on the way out of town as a reward for not having a fit in the store. (sometimes I only get a bottle of water  )

[kdfrawg]

For a number of reasons, I dislike Walmart rather intensely myself. They have just made their existing store here bigger (about double) and are trying very hard to get permission to build a second one here. To me, Walmart is the poster child for the corporate "All that counts is cheap" mentality that has taken so many of our good jobs overseas and left many of our skilled workers manning the drive-through window at McDonalds.

The self-check-outs, by the way, record everything you do on camera.

[DanCookson]

I don't have any problems like that at Batson's Drug Store, Family Market, or Cookson's True Value.

In fact, I think I will send Wal-Mart an email and let them know I don't need them at all anymore!!!

[Diane Amberg]

We've only had Walmart in Del. for a few years. The state tried and failed to keep them out. As expected, they caused the demise of some our small "Mom and Pop" stores that had wonderful personal service. Of course, having Home Depot  and Lowes, Costco and BJ's  don't help either. As our population gets older, those stores are just too big.