Walmart is the worst
By sweetdesign
@sweetdesign (5142)
United States
October 6, 2008 4:47pm CST
A little background here. A little over a year ago I injured my ankle pretty badly. I can walk around most places but walking the whole of walmart on thier type floors I just can't do it. So I require one of their motorized carts to use.
The walmart here is horrible for either not having them charged or in working condition. The other day they had every single one of their 5 carts with charging signs taped to them and plugge in. But here is the kicker 3 of them that they were not allowing customers to use were fully charged. I demanded to have one and so did two other customers. They were all fine.
This is a big city and this walmart only has 5 somewhat working motorized carts. The pulix down the street has 12 very nice working carts that are always charged and ready for patrons.
What about your walmart? Ever feel like they don't want your business?
3 people like this
19 responses
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
6 Oct 08
I haven't had any experience with it since 2000, when I broke my foot and was in a non-weight bearing cast. And I found the same problem, they only had two at that store (small town) and a few wheelchairs, and either the two motorized were not charged or not working, and the wheelchairs were in poor repair too. I did complain to the manager and maybe because it was a small town, the next time I went in they were all fixed and working. To me, if they are not in use, they should be on the charger, that way they are always ready for the next customer that needs it.
3 people like this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
6 Oct 08
We are a big city and we only have 5 motorized broken down carts and two regular broken down wheelchairs. It is ridiculous.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Hi, Tami, the photo you took for your avatar is exquisite! I was going to say if you were in the same small town I am that I know how one of those wheelchairs got broken, the story is just above your comment--ahh, but you are quite a ways from here.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
6 Oct 08
I don't think that at the prices WalMart charges they can afford to provide the elegance people should expect of a more expensive store. I would be very sorry to see them change though, because this way we have a choice. We can get rock bottom prices on the goods we need at WalMart and overlook pathetic customer service or we can pay through the nose at some place that treats us nice to our faces but laughs all the way to the bank.
There are a lot of really nice Walmart workers but many truly are substandard. I shop price, not ambiance myself.
What is a pulix market like? We don't have those around here. Do they have prices and products that compete with WalMart?
2 people like this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
6 Oct 08
Publix prices are every bit compatible to walmart. They are not high falutent stores. And I don't expect elegance just handicap accessability. They were not allowiing customers to use the handicap carts who needed them. This is not about elegance or expensive stores.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Rflmao. See, when nice people like you and your daughter help other customers out like that it just shows what a neat place WalMart is...notwithstanding that sometimes people who work there can get really ANNOYING. Your fuse is a little shorter than mine, I think, but all I am saying is that getting mad isn't going to change anything in that situation. Yes, you DO have to assert yourself at WalMart. That is the store where some years back shortly after I had broken a leg and it was too hot here in the desert for them to put on a walking cast (sort of like what palonghorn was saying below!) and they had non-motorized wheelchairs I tried one out also tried getting both me and it into what passed for a handicapped stall of the lady's washroom.
It was something of a challenge figuring how to get the door open and go out again and just as I got it about 6 inches open a store employee came in cussing about something and slammed it shut, knocking me and the wheelchair both back to the other side of the stall, and I called out and tried to open the door again and as soon as I got it open a tiny bit she slammed it shut again, and then a third time, until I got the bright idea of forcing it open with a crutch. She looked kind of horrified (maybe she thought I was going to hit her with it?) and ran out but did not bother to see if I was OK or anything. I remember laughing afterwords because all I could remember of her appearance was the big "May I Help You?" button she had on her WalMart smock. So it is not like I don't sympathize with you, but in many small towns WalMart is the only place people CAN shop.
2 people like this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
10 Oct 08
I use to hate our Walmart because they where so dirty I could not walk around in the store. There was stuff all over the floor it was horrible. Now it is cleaner and better. Ours has problems with the carts also. They do not let the customers take it to their cars to take their items out. They get pretty rude about it also.
2 people like this
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Yeah a couple of the greeters are trying to pull that one here to saying they are for instore use only and stopping you from leaving the store with them. One of them physically stood in front of the cart till I got out and unloaded it.
2 people like this
@bowtieguy (5915)
• United States
8 Oct 08
I get the feeling sometimes that they could care less if I shop there or not since there are 10 satisfied customers for every disatisfied customer like us. I hate that it is always so crowded there and it is hard to get around sometimes and having to wait in line so long. Anothert thng I hate about them is dealing with customer service they are always so rude and not very helpful at all.
2 people like this
@dvschic (1795)
• United States
6 Oct 08
i avoid walmart, they treat their employees poorly, they treat the customer poorly, all in the name of saving money. i can find the same prices with a lil legwork on my part, either by hitting the dollar tree or the local target. .. if people would stop shopping at walmart they would have to improve their conditions, but no one pays them any mind, so they just keep on truckin along .. all over you.
2 people like this
@blueyesco (156)
• United States
7 Oct 08
There are too many companies that fit that description dvschic not just walmart. For example united airlines, I worked there for 16yrs before having my job outsourced so they could pay themselves bigger bonus checks. They continue to treat their employees and customers badly. Seems to be the accepted way of doing business in this day and age, sadly.
2 people like this
@dvschic (1795)
• United States
7 Oct 08
the only thing they understand is if you hit them in their pocket books. if you find a company that treats their employees badly, tell the world so they know not to shop there. if i have a good experience somewhere i tell the world and heaven forbid if i have a bad experience..
for example, the islands in fullerton, california that treated my partner and i horribly, we blogged the world and told all our gay friends. now, they have had to restaff the location, after enough of our friends complained to management. i feel for the employees that thought that they could gay bash in front of a lesbian couple and they would just get away with it. but, when you are working in the public sector, you need to respect the client, whatever they may be.
i do not shop at walmart, they have horrible records and bad public relations, plus they are seriously prolife, while i am prochoice. i do not think i can change the world. but i do think that i can affect my surroundings, i can make a small difference and if enough people make the change then eventually people change.
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11834)
•
23 Oct 08
I guess where you live you are lucky, because where I am there is not one shop that has one single motorized cart for customer use. Our local supermarket even has a kerb at the exit so that you can't push your shopping trolley to the car but have to leave it at the exit and haul the bags.
It does sounds ridiculous to have these carts in store, but not to have them available. Presumably people who need to use one patronise those stores that have them specially, so finding that there are none available can be a real blow. I guess their maintenance is all down to the management of the store. If they don't think it's important then they won't care.
Perhaps you and the other disappointed cart users could tie your local Walmart manager's ankles together and put marbles in his shoes, then force him to walk around his store so he realises what a precious resource they actually are!
Seriously, if this is something that you experience in that store regularly then I'd write to the manager or to Head Office. Sometimes things need to be pointed out to people and the only way to instigate change to is to do that.
2 people like this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
7 Oct 08
We went there about a year ago and a lady was using one of those scooters. She asked for help to get a heater to her car. It was 20 minutes later, I checked out and my son helped her to the car with it. No one ever showed up. That was sad.
1 person likes this
@rusty2rusty (6763)
• Defiance, Ohio
7 Oct 08
I have a problem getting one of those carts as well. Either they are all taken or they are re-charging. You would think in the state of Florida..where alot of older people and disabled people reside they would have more and the enough supply for the demand of needing them. Instead peopel are forced to wait sometimes hours to use one.
2 people like this
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
7 Oct 08
that would certainly be upsetting! especially if it routinely happens! we do pretty much all of our grocery shopping at the local superwalmart. its close, its much cheaper and they have everything i need 99.9% of the time.
we are a town that loses quite a bit of our population during summer months..so during the summer there are always those carts sitting there charging. i dont think ive ever seen more than 1 being used at a time here. but during the fall and winter our population swells with the snowbirds from up north, which of course are mostly retirees. so during those seasons those carts are being used triple time it seems! my cousin used to work for walmart as a cart guy and he said they could get them charged fast enough for the ppl who needed them. and since the crazy need for them was only for a few months, there really isnt a cost efficient reason for them to buy more. sad, but it makes sense.
if the publix is not that much further and is nicer with working carts and you say prices are comparable to wal-mart..why dont you shop there instead?
personally if i could get the same prices at another place i would lol!
@sweetdesign (5142)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Only problem with that is that Publix doesn't carry electronics,automotive,sporting goods,crafts,fabrics,the larger selection of HBA, housewares, clothing, larger pet care selection.
@Amberina (1541)
• United States
7 Oct 08
The walmart here where I live they usually have whoever is done with the cart plug it in and sometimes it's walmart workers (they have escorted the person out to their car and take the thing back in) or the person who happens to be with the person using the cart. I think walmart needs to park someone at the door and watch for people who need help bringing the cart back in and then make sure it's plugged in.
1 person likes this
@WANDALIE44 (888)
• United States
6 Oct 08
i agree the walmart here in west hartford is a wreck completely, this is one is so unorginized and the workers are very rude, i rarley see any one using those motorized carts, i realy dislike going in there but sometimes i have no choice but to because they can have good sales, but yea they need a major overhaul in those stores, if it wasnt because of the bargins i wouldnt shop there.
2 people like this
@pinkpassion5 (351)
•
7 Oct 08
Sweetdesign,
I am so sorry to hear about you bad experience at Walmart. They are not out to make things better for the consumers. I have not shopped at Walmart in a long time and I have no desire to shop there in the future. They couldn't careless about the consumers or their employees. I wouldn't shop there even if they were the lowest cost store. People don't realize how awful that chain is especially to women. They have such a "I don't care attitude" and I now avoid the chain at all costs.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
28 Nov 09
I woudln't go into Walmart if you paid me to go into Walmart. I hate that store, i hate the way they treat their employees, I hate how big they are, and I hate the way they have invaded Canada like a tyranical government. I too need a motorized scooter when in a store that size, and if I had the problem you described, the founder of Walmart himself, would hear me bellow and b!tch.
@thedaddym (1731)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I usually don't have a problem with them. But I can certainly see why you are upset. I would call the store manager and complain. Be the voice of people who like you who require these motorized carts, make them more aware that they need more, and the ones that they do have should have a priority of being charged and ready for use when customers who need them come in.
1 person likes this
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Our Walmart is the same way. I'm disabled, with the disabled tag for parking too. And even I can't get a cart that works. Rarely do they ever have any that are working or charged. And if they do, they are all taken. I have my own scooter, but I have to have someone go with me to lift it in and out of my car, so I don't use it often. Plus, it doesn't have a basket so shopping doesn't work with mine. Because of this I rarely shop at Walmart. Our local grocery store has much nicer carts and there is always one ready to use.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I live in a small town & our Walmart has at least 20 motorized carts. They are often not charged & they are often not in good working order. As for the charging, when I take one back I plug it back in myself. I've noticed Walmart does NOT have a good system for the carts being brought back in & charged. If I see one in the parking lot, I ride it in & plug it in as I take another one. When I notice something wrong with the one I've just ridden, I report it to the greeter so they can mark it for repair. Walmart was one of the first stores to offer the motorized carts, I'm sure their carts are old & worn out. A complaint to the manager might not hurt either. If that doesn't work, a complaint to the District Manager would be next in order. If all that fails, a complain to the Corporate Office should get somebody's attention!!!
1 person likes this
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I don't go into Walmart enough to know.
1 person likes this
