I needed a couple of items from Walmart before I started my week. I avoided Walmart all weekend because I didn’t want to face the crowds shopping for their Easter dinner or last minute Easter basket goodies.
So, when I announced that I needed a couple of things, my girls immediately started their lists. That’s okay, I didn’t mind. There were the usual grocery items. Rheba gave me $20 to buy 4 gallons of oil. Aleta gave me her debit card because she needed a few items. Ok, so there will be 3 transactions.
So, when I announced that I needed a couple of things, my girls immediately started their lists. That’s okay, I didn’t mind. There were the usual grocery items. Rheba gave me $20 to buy 4 gallons of oil. Aleta gave me her debit card because she needed a few items. Ok, so there will be 3 transactions.
Now even when my knee is killing me, I can zip around Walmart, grabbing everything I need in 15-20 minutes. I know where most everything is that we normally need (until they decide to move things around). Gathering items is the easy part. Now for decision time. Do I choose self-checkout or one of the registers? That’s easy, I hate self-checkout. For some reason, there is always a problem at the self-checkout. I always need help from the clerk overseeing that area. So with three separate transactions, I chose the register lines. Actually, I chose the ONLY register line open. It wouldn’t matter, I always get in the wrong line. It didn’t seem too bad tonight. Only one person ahead of me. Woo hoo!
Of course, as soon as I had unloaded all my items on the belt, I noticed lane 4 had just opened. I was on lane 5. I then noticed that it was taking a long time ringing up the other lady’s items. The clerk was not using his scanner, he was using his little gun on each and every item. Oh dear. Then, they got into an argument about whether he had run up her water. She told him he had scanned with the gun twice, but he said it didn’t take the first time because he had paused his register. He kept pausing his register to stop and bag the groceries. She finally told him that if he would just keep ringing them up, she would bag them. Finally, only two items to go, bananas and bread. He went to weigh the bananas and guess what? The scales don’t work! He calls over one of the managers. The manager checks things out, determines that he can’t fix it. So, they call over another manager. Meanwhile, another lady had partially unloaded her groceries behind me. They finally determine that the scales can’t be fixed, scanner isn’t working anyways…The second manager has another clerk open up line 6.
She tells me and the lady behind me that if we have any produce that needs to be weighed, we will need to have it weighed at the other lane. Of course, I have bananas and jalapenos. I look at all the items I had picked up. I am not going to reload and move. The manager looks at me. I say “I’ll just not purchase the bananas and jalapenos.” She knew I was aggravated so she said, just hand your bananas and jalapenos to the clerk behind you.” I did.
In the meantime, my clerk rang up Rheba’s 4 gallons of oil. I handed him $20 and stepped over to register 6 and used my debit card to pay $280. Came back to lane 5, got my change and handed the clerk Aleta’s items and told him that was a separate transaction. He rang up her items and my first grocery item. I say, “Wait, wait! Only those were on a separate transaction!” He asks, “Oh, just this then?” I say “Yes, I told you just these were on a transaction!” He asks “Do you want me to take off the other item?” I say “No,” because at this point, I made the executive decision that Aleta could stand to pay the extra $1.88.
So, now I’m 3 transactions down and still have my groceries to go. I tell him that the 32 pack of water is still in my cart, but that needs to be scanned. “Okay,” he says. So, he starts scanning my other grocery items. He puts one item in the bag, picks up another, item, puts it in another bag. He starts 3 bags and keeps swinging the bag holder back and forth adding items to separate bags. Now, I am particular about my bananas and bread. I don’t want either squashed. But cans and boxes don’t much matter to me, and his system for filling the bags wasn’t making sense. I now understand why the lady in front of me had offered to bag her groceries herself. All the while, he is chatting and apologizing for the scanner not working. I’m just patiently holding my tongue. And he stops to pause the register and loads my groceries.
Finally, he rings up my last item, I pull out my debit card and make my 4th transaction. He hands me my receipt and says “Oh wait! I don’t think I rang up the water!” Are you kidding me?? He loaded the bags on top of the water and he forgot to charge me? Just shoot me now!
So, I made my fifth transaction of the night and headed for the door. I had held my tongue, but my blood pressure was rising. I’m getting old and forgetful, but if I can remember when I return to Walmart, I think I will choose to get in the longest line possible and see if I get out any faster!
Of course, as soon as I had unloaded all my items on the belt, I noticed lane 4 had just opened. I was on lane 5. I then noticed that it was taking a long time ringing up the other lady’s items. The clerk was not using his scanner, he was using his little gun on each and every item. Oh dear. Then, they got into an argument about whether he had run up her water. She told him he had scanned with the gun twice, but he said it didn’t take the first time because he had paused his register. He kept pausing his register to stop and bag the groceries. She finally told him that if he would just keep ringing them up, she would bag them. Finally, only two items to go, bananas and bread. He went to weigh the bananas and guess what? The scales don’t work! He calls over one of the managers. The manager checks things out, determines that he can’t fix it. So, they call over another manager. Meanwhile, another lady had partially unloaded her groceries behind me. They finally determine that the scales can’t be fixed, scanner isn’t working anyways…The second manager has another clerk open up line 6.
She tells me and the lady behind me that if we have any produce that needs to be weighed, we will need to have it weighed at the other lane. Of course, I have bananas and jalapenos. I look at all the items I had picked up. I am not going to reload and move. The manager looks at me. I say “I’ll just not purchase the bananas and jalapenos.” She knew I was aggravated so she said, just hand your bananas and jalapenos to the clerk behind you.” I did.
In the meantime, my clerk rang up Rheba’s 4 gallons of oil. I handed him $20 and stepped over to register 6 and used my debit card to pay $280. Came back to lane 5, got my change and handed the clerk Aleta’s items and told him that was a separate transaction. He rang up her items and my first grocery item. I say, “Wait, wait! Only those were on a separate transaction!” He asks, “Oh, just this then?” I say “Yes, I told you just these were on a transaction!” He asks “Do you want me to take off the other item?” I say “No,” because at this point, I made the executive decision that Aleta could stand to pay the extra $1.88.
So, now I’m 3 transactions down and still have my groceries to go. I tell him that the 32 pack of water is still in my cart, but that needs to be scanned. “Okay,” he says. So, he starts scanning my other grocery items. He puts one item in the bag, picks up another, item, puts it in another bag. He starts 3 bags and keeps swinging the bag holder back and forth adding items to separate bags. Now, I am particular about my bananas and bread. I don’t want either squashed. But cans and boxes don’t much matter to me, and his system for filling the bags wasn’t making sense. I now understand why the lady in front of me had offered to bag her groceries herself. All the while, he is chatting and apologizing for the scanner not working. I’m just patiently holding my tongue. And he stops to pause the register and loads my groceries.
Finally, he rings up my last item, I pull out my debit card and make my 4th transaction. He hands me my receipt and says “Oh wait! I don’t think I rang up the water!” Are you kidding me?? He loaded the bags on top of the water and he forgot to charge me? Just shoot me now!
So, I made my fifth transaction of the night and headed for the door. I had held my tongue, but my blood pressure was rising. I’m getting old and forgetful, but if I can remember when I return to Walmart, I think I will choose to get in the longest line possible and see if I get out any faster!
Until next week...
Cynthia Kay
I feel your pain!! The parking lot alone causes my blood pressure to go up.
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