Wal-Mart: Straighten up and fly right!

Like everyone above has said,walmart or should i say,walmart topbrass better get their heads out fo their behinds. you-all are starting to do all the
same crap that put Kmart under,Employee bad attitudes,no service.Quit spending big money on the
big PR firms,best PR is word of mouth,and some very
positive action toward your employee,who are also w/
their family are also customers.Sam knew that happy
employees and customers was the only way to get to
the top and stay there.Thanks to your stupid idea to
do away with lay-a-way,you've stopped the majority of your customers from any chance of the larger ticket items.I too,am starting to drive 28 miles to
k-mart in High Point,NC instead of going just 4 miles to walmart in Randleman,NC,or 6 miles to the one in Asheboro,NC.I've also started to buying my food and cleaning supplies at Food Lyon,prices are
a little higher,but the sevice is way better,and you
can get out twice as fast.BETTER WAKE UP,SOON!!!
Bill Salyers,tsalye@aol.com,Randleman,NC

I love reading people's opinions about Wal-Mart I think that the senior managers should really listen to what is being said. I do want to point out something that many people forget about. Thise evil managers, lazy employees, and all the problems at your local Wally world well thats your fault. Those people in the stores are people in your community they are your son's, friends, and your family. Those people are the one's who you have helped raise and they are lazy and stupid. So who really is to blame the company or the communities that raise people who do not value hard work or who just go to collect a paycheck? Think about this the only way the company is going to change is if people like you who are smart enough to care get hired, promoted and make change. Not as easy as this but its our fault for raising lazy children.

I have been a faithful Walmart shopper, until this past holiday shopping season. I have never been treated so badly by any company as I was this past Nov-Dec. What gives? The busiest time for retail stores and Walmart managers decide they can be rude and obnoxious to comsumers. Then they wondered why their profits dropped.
As far as the employees. My son and husband started working at Walmart last year. My son was "dismissed" after getting hurt on the job and was out for 3 months. My husband gets more and more frustrated by the actions of, or lack of, managers who demand 200 % from employees. The store he works at is understaffed but employees are told that there is a hiring freeze on so the employees have to pick up the slack. There is also an over-time freeze on, unless you are one of the select few who pick your own hours, come and go as you please, take time off during the week so your "crew" can come in and pick up time and a half on sundays to make up for the time you lost. Management refuses to listen to imput from employees/customers on things that need to be improved at the company. As far as pay I wish his hourly rate was $15.00 hour. He's making $10.00 w/shift differential. So I'm not surprised Walmart is so much against Unions--I just wonder why the employees are. Maybe it's time to "UNITE" and send the CEO a msg.

I DO NOT LIKE GOING TO WALMART FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE.EVEN WHEN I GO TO GET MEDICINE I STAND IN A LONG LINE BECAUSE THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING. I HAVE A SON WITH "ADD" AND THIS MAN GAVE HIM THE WRONG MEDS. IF I HADN'T CAUGHT IT MY SON COULD HAVE BEEN HURT VERY BADLY. I HAVE ALREADY MOVED HIS MEDS TO WALGREENS WHEN I ASKED THE MAN ABOUT THE MEDS HE SAID " THATS WHAT THE NAME SAYS", IT DIDN'T. THE NAME ON THE MEDS WERE OF AN 80 YEAR OLD MAN. GO FIGURE. THE MAN WAS RIGHT BEHIND US. THE PEOPLE WORKING WALMART LOOK EXHAUSTED ALL THE TIME AND ONE WOMAN TOLD ME SHE WAS GETTING OUT AS SOON AS SHE COULD FIND ANOTHER JOB. THEY ARE UNDERPAID FOR THE LONG HOURS THEY PUT IN AND SOME JUST DOES NOT CARE.
I NEVER SHOP AT WALMART ANYMORE. I HATE THE HASSLE OF TRYING TO FIND WHAT I NEED AND THE PRICES ARE "NOT" AS LOW AS THEY CLAIM. I WOULD RATHER GIVE A LITTLE MORE AND GET GOOD SERVICE AND TRUST THE PEOPLE WHO FILL MY CHILD'S MEDS.I KNOW THERE ARE HORROR STORIES TO EVERY STORE BUT WALMART IS IN A CONSTANT DOWN GRADE. THE PEOPLE NEVER SMILE AND YOU ARE LUCKY IF YOU GET A "THANK YOU".

Phil, I agree with you some. They are losing the Walmart Culture that made the company great. In the beginning, the personnel managers took a more active role in verbally training everyone, teaching the culture and helping management insure it regularly. Now, 90% of their beginning training is video related. Their minds do not retain that information and they rush through it. No one is taking a personal vested interest in each employee anymore. Too impersonal.

Weeze70, I am glad things are going so well for you at the DC. I too considered trying to get into a DC, becuase it pays more, has more pay raises, bonuses, etc that the retail store itself. I worked for Walmart over 12 years and never made as much as you have in your short career.

Vickiey, I know how frustrating it can be, working for 12 years and only getting so far. They are definitely taking too many incentives away from the associates to keep them motivated. Now, you either get a raise or you dont. Hmm....

Heather, I am so sorry for your experiences. I have been to other stores and has chastised other people for saying "it is not my department" or just plain ignoring a customer and walking away although the customer was asking for help, or getting an attitude only because the customer asked for help. I hated seeing people being treated that way. I gave every customer I ever had my total attention and did my very best to help each and every one. Those customers shopping were suppose to be our reasons for having a job...! It is suppose to be our job to make them feel welcome and that we are happy to have them shop there and to help them find whatever they need or are looking for. I loved my customers! My motto was "I CARE"... But, I have noticed in the last couple years, people like me seem to be a dying breed in some places. If you have too many problems in any one store, I would suggest to you to call 1-800-Walmart, and let them know... who knows, our customer care center may still care! Thanks...

Wal Mart has gone from "We sell American" to "We sell Chinese" Everything they sell is made in China. The San Deago Harbor is jammed with ships loaded with containers marked Wal Mart. WM is supporting the Chinese econimy, all of which has a great impact worldwide. Case in point is the oil shortage. China is growing ao powerful because of this, that we will not have to worry about wages, but, China looking down our throats

I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT MYSELF CAPABLE OF ADVOCATING UNIONIZATION, BUT WAL-MART EMPLOYEES, I'D GIVE IT SERIOUS THOUGHT IF I WERE YOU. BEST OF LUCK.

I remember a man in the 80's I believe it was Sam Walton.He was big on American made products,seems the catch phrase was Bring It Home USA.I really liked Wal-Mart then they stood up for our nations workforce in the form jobs that created thier products.All I see anymore is cheap china made crap,if I want that shoot I can go to the dollar-store.Personally I love KOHLS very nice atmosphere cleaan stores and GREAT Prices.I know they will never put Wal-Mart out of buisness but I hope they put a strain on thier wallets.Hmmm? Bring It Home USA what a novel concept,ah that's crazy if Americans have no good jobs I guess you can shut down and move your butt to China

Wal-Mart need to get security in their buildings. When a coustormer spots a shop lifter and her husband goes and gets managment and also one of their workers is keeping an eye on them is well and they follow the shoplifters for 45 minutes and no managment nor security shows something is wrong! This has happened before. What will it take someone getting hurt to get action. If Wal-Mart got the security they needed it would say money, maybe even half of what they are loosing. Even train the workers and how to stop them could be one way then they see and waite on managment and nothing happens.

I WORKED FOR THE COMPANY FOR 5 YEARS.I MUST ADMIT I WASN'T LISTENING TO THE CRITCISM OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT BONUSES FOR HOURLY ASSOCIATES,AND MORE ECONMICALLY PRICED HEALTHCARE.AT 20+ YEARS OLD ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS MOVE UP THE RIGHT WAY BY TREATING MY PEOPLE RIGHT AND BEING PROACTIVE.I DID BECOME AN ASSISTANT MANAGER,AND IT WAS A GREAT FEELING.I STARTED OFF IN A STORE IN SOUTH JERSEY AND IT WENT VERY WELL UNTIL IT WAS EXPOSED THAT THE STORE MANAGER WAS STEALING GRANT MONEY AND THE OVERNIGHT ASSISTANT WAS STEALING DEPOSITS.ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, POOR PAY,EXPENSIVE BENEFITS ETC., I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO ASSOCIATES WHY THEIR LEADERSHIP STEALS.I MET TOM COUGHLIN, AND I KNEW HOW IMPORTANT HE WAS TO THE COMPANY'S DEVELOPMENT. TO HEAR THAT HE WAS CORRUPT BROKE MY HEART.I ENDED UP LEAVING IN 2004 BECAUSE IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE IN A COMPANY STRUCTURE THAT REALLY COULD GIVE TWO CRAPS ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS.I MAY HAVE STUNTED MY DEVELOPMENT AS A RETAIL MANAGER,BUT I AM HAPPY THAT THE COMPANY I WORK FOR NOW REALLY DOES CARE IMMENSELY FRO ALL THEIR PEOPLE,AND TRULY DOES RIGHT BY THEM.