I used to work at Walmart in a managerial position (low management AKA technically not a real manager in practice because someone can always go over your head). I would bend the rules a little bit to accommodate customers, especially if they were inconvenienced or screwed over by no fault of their own. However, I wouldn't bend procedural rules, such as doing returns that weren't supposed to be done or lying about something a customer knows about my position's power to make decisions. After I quit, I would head into that same location often because it was literally three miles from home - if that. I'd go in an do my shopping, but occasionally I'd have something extra to take care of. In California, and specifically at Walmart, you can "cash out" (get cash for) Walmart gift cards. If the balance is below $10, then cashiers and customer service associates are supposed to cash out the card without question if they have no reason to suspect any mischief. All cards above $10 in balance require managerial approval (a higher up manager). Anyways, I used to earn gift cards from some online work, and I'd always choose Walmart cards because they're so easy to cash out. I went into my own store one day to do this, and a cashier who has worked there for years didn't know how to do it. She asked another cashier (also there for many years), who proceeded to say that it couldn't be done. I'm assuming the second cashier didn't recognize me, but I know that she had a habit of not explicitly knowing the rules for the company. I didn't make a stink about it. I should have gone to customer service because I know all those ladies know the cashout rule. [HR][/HR] Basically, I'm talking about rogue employees here, who either know the rules and ignore them or don't know the rules at all. This happens with new and years-long employees alike, but it's usually a lack of training when younger employees don't know. When older (as far as their duration working with the company) employees don't know the rules or choose to ignore or lie about them, then they're making up their own rules by going rogue. I think it's unacceptable and one of the major problems at larger retailers. If a person doesn't know the company policy or creates their own policy, then the customers are the ones that get screwed. Anyone have similar experiences? One of the benefits of having worked at Walmart is that I've got insider knowledge as an everyday customer. I don't abuse that knowledge, but I'm not a fan of having someone circumvent actual company policy.
Good Info There are a lot of people out there struggling with what to do with a card that has $9.99 or less on it because maybe they don't shop at a particular store often enough to make another purchase. Often, retail has such turnover that the new employees may not know and the person that trained them may have moved on, so they do what they have to so that the lines keep moving. I used to work as a mystery shopper and it was remarkable as to how uninformed lower level employees were due to lack of training by management. Like you said, there are those that are just plain lazy. Well, as a marketing major due to graduate next year, here's something lazy retail workers may want to consider. Retail operations are still closing/merging like crazy and those who aren't at least satisfactory are the ones to fall through the cracks. Not only are mystery shoppers being utilized more but some stores are utilizing a "personal selling" technique. Long story short, this means no employee, unless they work away from the floor can say 'I don't know' as they will be well-informed about products as well as customer relations and troubleshooting. Even if a store has the higher price or an employee is wrong (which no business will admit to), there will be an incentive in place as a way to get that customer back in the store. It's called making money.
I'm just not a fan of employees that have been at a store long enough to know better, and yet they choose to make up their own rules. I can understand if you want to go after people that are potentially trying to rip off the store, but you can't just suspect that from the beginning with each customer. I love stores that are diligent about keeping their employees informed of store or corporate policy. Those stores often give the best customer experience, too.
Rougue employees that you have pictured here are present in any store. It's just a matter of chance to bump into them. I have encounters of these types of workers who are truly dedicated to their work and that makes the store an easy favorite for me. I've also had my share of clueless employees and are just there to get salary from their company and not really give the output they are tasked to do. I can't blame them because I know most of these people work below the minimum.
I hate rogue employees and they can happen in any line of work. I once got a call from my daughter's school that she had 10 unexcused absences. I couldn't understand that because I gave her a note every time she got sick. When I went to the school office to ask about it, it turned out that one of her teachers had not turned in the notes to the office because "I don't accept notes from parents." Because of her personal policy, which was not the school's policy, she had a bunch of notes from me in her desk. The school made her hand them over and they removed all the unexcused absences. It is really annoying when employees anywhere make up their own rules and tell the public information that's wrong.
I can understand not knowing or just learning for a new employee. I don't really cut slack for workers I've seen people there for like a year. Yet, they can't answer my questions, they give me a million different answers to one question, or can't even help with a simple task because they don't know. I feel like that is laziness and disregard to the customer. They are just there for the check.
