Monday, February 13, 2006

Where in the world is Sam Walton??

I know the man passed away years ago, and I also know that his children have been running the company for as many years. It's time we all stand up and reclaim the respect we deserve as Walmart customers. For years the Stores have been laying cheaply made crap on their shelves and we drones just walk in, put it in our basket, and go anxiously to pay for it. Why?
Well, Walmart does have the better deals in town. Why? 'Cause they have no compitition really. All the little stores that used to get our business when I was a young child, are now long gone by the way side. Do you really know why this happened? Of course you do. You have just forgot. Let me remind you.

Sam Walton made his business huge knowing that the customer was the one paying his bills. He gave the best product for the price. A very simple thing done in business. He would only give you American products made by Americans people. He would treat his customers as if they had been long time friends. I am sure you now remember. Paul Harvey always talked about Sam and his stores on his radio commentary show. Well Sam and Paul, I have got some bad news for you all this time.

Walmart is going to hell in a hand basket, and we are all going with it. We don't care, we are drones. Little mindless monkeys at the mercy of the Walmart tag on every item in the store. We don't care that the product in that store is second best or even third best. We bought it at Walmart and we got it cheap. We don't care if we get treated badly by a Walmart associate, we got it cheap. A cheap price for a cheaply made product. We don't care that it doesn't work after six weeks, we got it cheap. We don't care if it's not in stock, we will get it when it comes in. Why? 'Cause we are going to get it cheap.

I remember a story on Paul Harvey's show about how the elderly gentleman needed his car tire repaired. He was on a long journey and had started having problems with this tire and finally pulled in to a Walmart at the time they were about to close the service center. Guess what? The service center fixed his tire, with a smile, and the man made it to his destination writing back to Sam how wonderful his store and associates were.

Now flash forward to my experience tonight. Right here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the Cortana Mall Walmart. I was on my way to pick my wife up at work when my van started to pull to the right. I had felt this before and knew it was a flat tire forming on the front-right side of the vehicle. I pulled over and called the one guy I knew could make it to come save my butt as he had done all my life, my Dad. After he put the roadside plug into my tire and filling it up with air, he followed me to the closest Walmart. Why? 'Cause things there are cheap, remember? Besides their service centers are opened late just incase someone is in need after everyone else has closed for the night.

I pulled into the parking lot to find about one-thousand drones flurrying in and out of the store. They weren't even looking to see if cars were coming because they were in a hurry to buy something cheap, or get their cheaply bought gadgets to the house. There were droves (driving drones) letting other drones out of their cars parked right in front of the doors and right in the "No Parking" zones right in front of the parked cop car. If you watched this behavior you could tell, as I did, drones cannot read. It's true. Check out most of the signs in a Walmart, the important ones have pictures.

I finally get through the "drone parade" when I come around to the service center. Dad is right behind me and we park. There is a woman in a vehicle in front of me who seems to be looking around. I take a quick look around also to find there is no "ticket writer" to be seen. Dad, suggests that we just go inside and ask someone. A few steps in the right direction and we are inside the service area looking at all the drones that have huddled into this small area. I couldn't really tell, but it didn't look like anyone was buying anything from that area of the store. I think they had just wondered into that niche of the store by accident and could't find their way out.
The lady that had been waiting in her vehicle came in just then and declared there wasn't a ticket writer out in the parking lot. Just then an associate chimed in as he was buying some lug nuts on, I believe, company time. Pointed to another ASSociate who then asked what we wanted. I think she was upset that we disturb her cell phone conversation while she was sitting on her butt. The lady infront of me said she needed her oil changed and the ASSociate said they "ain't taking no more tickets." This brought the attention from the cashier, who in turn told the ASSociate that they were in fact still taking tickets for oil changes. I, in turn, said that would be great 'cause I was affraid you would be closing and that I needed a tire. I was then told that they were doing oil changes, not tires. No more tires for the night. I thought it was because they were closing and the ASSociate informed me that they were opened till no more tickets came in, but they weren't taking tire tickets.

So, I had to drive home hoping the plug in the tire wouldn't give out. In the morning I have to drive my family on this very tire, I just hope it makes it through morning rush hour traffic till I can get it fixed before heading on my 50 mile drive to my job.

To end this rant on Walmart I ask the question again. Where in the world is Sam Walton?? Where are his beliefs that made his company one of the best known world over? I for one are not going to take this lightly and will be making some major complaints about everything that we customers put up with in this era of buy really cheap, sell cheap, and treat the customer even cheaper.

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