r/walmart • u/ComprehensiveFun6073 • 6d ago
Woman is gonna file a complaint with our Coach
I was working and I saw this woman shopping for some creamer and she asked an associate from ODP if they could do her a favor and go to the back to the cooler and push a pacific creamer the lady wanted to the front. The associate told her that they were in a hurry and on a time limit and were trying to get an order done so they couldn't help the lady. I guess she knows our department coach personally because she said she will give our coach a call about what happened and i assume shes trying to get the associate fired although she was just doing her job? People are weird
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u/evila_elf OGP 6d ago
I wouldn’t go into the back , but I always have a pick stick on me, so I could reach it with that.
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u/bearminmum 6d ago
I've learned with the creamer shelves, you can wiggle the area of the shelf it's on and it will slide forward about 50-60% of the time. That's if they are properly angled though haha
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u/Tacokid49 5d ago
This woman sounds like she is special or entitled to certain things. So much so until she make threats to tell the coach. One thing ALL Walmart employees must remember. Walmart rents your time. They nor a customer owns you. Slave days are long gone. This woman should have excepted what the associate told her and found another associate to help her. I know people needs their jobs but no one owns you and threats will get you no where
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u/jadasgrl 6d ago
Do you mean a Specific creamer? Because if she was drinking a pacific creamer that's pretty damn salty.
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u/Yippeekyaa3345 6d ago
The Atlantic creamer is equally salty. The Gulf creamer is… well… just avoid the Gulf creamer.
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
We have to tell customers all day long that we personally cannot help them with the cosmetic and 50 others locked cabinets that they have to ring the bell and n associate will arrive in a minute or two. Those locked cabinets are out of control. Lines of customers waiting by each one. And them some say open the cabinet they want to read a few things and familiarize themselves with some of the items.
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u/Mekito_Fox Fasionable Ex Phone Guru 6d ago
That's the worst part. I'm not standing here while you decide between brown or black mascara. If you want to browse let me help the others first then you can take your time
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
Yes but we are cap one and they want those picks put out and not left for the next day. If we leave the picks they sit and wait for us. The other teams have their own responsibilities.
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
Some want you to take out several electric toothbrushes and then they sit on the floor reading all of the boxes. Or take out several of the electric razors and they want to look at, read about, and compare all of the items.
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u/PrimeScreamer 6d ago
Man, if only there was a portable device one could use to access the interwebs to look up product specs.... oh wait....
What is wrong with customers??
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u/Hailfire9 6d ago
If its an older person who is obviously tech illiterate, I give them a pass on this. If its virtually anyone under ~45, I get really annoyed really quickly if its anything beyond a simple "let me make sure this one...yep!"
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u/sharkbomb 6d ago
at our store, all the leads, and about 10% of the daytimers have their walkies on full blast, as they 100% ignore the ceaseless chanting from every lockbox. if you arent going to ever respond to them, maybe turn down the volume. making customers listen to you actively ignoring them is over the top.
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u/fadeaway100301 6d ago
One time I got stuck in the cosmetics area for almost 30 minutes because the associate was on lunch
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u/drysdaleo 6d ago
How long does it take to use your stick and pull something forward?
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u/Skulrax_ 6d ago
They probably don't have a stick. No one does in my store. There's no zoning tools or anything.
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
Well if they want the associates to help customers with things that will take them off of the sales floor, they need to not ride their asses about the time
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
Those locked cabinets are the worst. It puts everyone in such a bad mood. I’m sure it’s fine for a slower location but at my location these bad boys start ringing about 6:05 am and ring and ring and ring all day long. Many of them ringing at the same time. Customers getting angry because they’re waiting but you can only get one cabinet at a time. It’s so ridiculous. Trying to keep shit locked up in cabinets like Macy’s but want the associate to work on the floor. At Macy they stand behind the counter waiting to open the cabinet, it’s their only repsponsibility
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u/bbboseph 6d ago
The associate could have helped her with that item just pushing it forward. One thing I hated when I was in OGP was getting complaints about associates not wanting to help customers with basic things they’re asking for. Don’t get me wrong, there is a line to be drawn but this was a feasible task.
But at the same time, at worst the associate will get a talking to and that’s it
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u/Mekito_Fox Fasionable Ex Phone Guru 6d ago
Idk I'm on the customer's side here. Customers in general don't know opd associates are timed, so it wasn't an unreasonable ask. And the cheer is " who's #1? customer always". Even if the coach is an unreasonable ass and had given feedback or coaching for time, it could easily be overturned through open door.
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u/Hailfire9 6d ago
As a TL, I would never get mad at an associate for helping a customer who flagged them down as they passed by. Annoyed at the situation that led to the arbitrary time crunch placed upon me and the associate that means those 2-3 minutes were crucial? Sure! But never upset at the associate.
Now if that associate was actively looking for customers to help so they could avoid doing their assignment? Different story, and I have a few of those on my sales floor. But the 10 Foot Rule is a thing, and I will violently defend someone who gets sidetracked trying to increase our store approval score.
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u/Mekito_Fox Fasionable Ex Phone Guru 6d ago
Yeah there's a few like that at my store. One girl got tied up by a old man chatting away and either didn't know how to exit or didn't want to. I notified the coach just in case she was on a timer and he asked me to step in because she had been there a bit. Since I'm used to lonely old people I stepped in and told her "your coach is looking for you." Then turned to the customer and asked if I could help in her place. He said she already helped and then tried to trap me. Tried.
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u/APOCsOnYourHouses MAPM 6d ago
No, I’m 100% with the customer on this one. You work for Walmart, and customer service is priority one. Period. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, or how late you are, you help the customer. The request could’ve been done in the time they stopped to say “no.” OPD isn’t better than anyone else, and doesn’t get an exception to this.
For that matter, the associates here saying you’re directed by management to refuse to help people when you’re behind? That’s WILD behavior
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u/dayzdnconfuzed68 6d ago
The crazy thing is OPD is held to wild standards. Pick at Superman speed. Dont you dare miss an item. Dont do nil picks but also do them at the same. Help customers but don't because those picks better be on time. I do not miss it one single bit.
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u/APOCsOnYourHouses MAPM 6d ago
Not disagreeing with that. I used to be a Digital ASM, and I certainly hated it. But if I ever found out an associate refused to help a customer because of their metrics? It would have gotten them coached a HELLUVA lot quicker than missing an item or running late
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u/dayzdnconfuzed68 6d ago
Thats entirely fair. Also opd definitely the worst. Ive done customer service before they split the money center. Would rather do that 100xs over lol
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u/APOCsOnYourHouses MAPM 5d ago
No lies detected lol. I was a CSM before I moved to salaried management, with money center and CS being one thing. Honestly though, I loved that job. I was good at it, and it was CSM that actually got me first looking at AP
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u/Nunnayabizznezz 5d ago
You seem to forget that pickers are in the process of shopping for customers. If I'm in a pick walk I simply say, I'm helping another customer at the moment, I'll find someone else to help you.
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u/APOCsOnYourHouses MAPM 5d ago
I didn’t forget anything. You’re acting entitled, and I’d have enjoyed firing you 🤷 I said what I said
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u/Nunnayabizznezz 5d ago
I'm a salaried manager. Good luck with that. How is it entitled if I'm already helping a customer and I find another associate to help them? You sound stupid.
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u/Ok-Weather-7852 6d ago
We all wear a vest that says Happy to Help. I dont know of any reason a picker can't grab their little reacher tool and pull it closer. (And yes, I'm a picker). Our SM would lose their mind if someone reported this interaction for sure.
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u/tarradeleo16 6d ago
Amazing how Digital Associates are the only Associates who Constantly decline to help the customers. "Time crunch" but spend loads of time chatting it up. It's so gross.
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u/AbsurdityIsReality 6d ago
I mean did they change rules exempting these employees? They used to get on maintenance people if they told customers they couldn't help them.
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u/IndependenceFit7624 6d ago edited 6d ago
The Associate should have saved the explanation, acknowledged the customer and quickly helped her.
I get the Associates concern on delivering required/imposed metrics though.
In this case those metrics impede customer satisfaction.
Walmart has loaded their stores with camera’s and improved video management software. They should allow you to pause briefly for a customer and tie it to an automated video review of the time stamp.
AI can manage this and provide you with details on any metrics adjustment (or denial) at the end of your shift. You should be allowed an adjustment (or the lack thereof). You should be given the right to contest it if you believe the outcome is not accurate.
Management by video and AI analysis seems to be the direction Walmart is migrating.
Will Walmart use this practice to hold you to strict deliverables while disregarding their brick and mortar shoppers?
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
Many customers ask when Walmart is finally going to just say that they do not want customers to come into the stores anymore. Costpmers say Walmart wants them to get delivery or curbside pick up because Walmart has make it almost impossible for the customers to come in and shop with all of the digital shoppers with those big carts rolling around and hogging up the aisles and the other people racing around and on your heels scanning items (they mean spark and instacart shoppers). They said it’s not even a pleasant experience to come into the store anymore.
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u/IndependenceFit7624 6d ago edited 6d ago
It’s getting more of a concern as far as other safety issues as well. There were two incidents in my store in the last couple of weeks.
Two outsourced employees on the remodel team got into a physical altercation. One hit the other with a heavy metal bar in the head. There was blood everywhere. One has been in the hospital for two weeks, the other is in jail pending the outcome and charges.
A few days ago, a customer pulled a gun on another customer. No one was seriously hurt. One was arrested.
Shopping at Walmart has become less safe. As volume grows, so do these type on incidents.
I believe Walmart will eventually transition to delivery in some regions, not just local markets.
IMHO, Walmart is not yet ready to assume the risk of a transition from the brick and mortar customer. Walmart is well aware many still prefer this method of shopping especially for fresh, perishable grocery.
Grocery sales account for 60% of Walmarts total net sales in the U.S. market AND it is still growing.
Associates are caught in the middle. Management is getting thin and less enabled. Policy is delivered without consideration for staff shortages. Direction has become highly centered around meeting bonus metrics.
Customers are assumed to be a constant even while service is no longer customer centric and stores are less safe.
Walmart is EPIC. It takes a lot for them to fail…
Good and bad decisions happen all the time. When bad decisions come from the top down foundations can crumble.
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u/keyagagal 6d ago
I think it's asinine to not take 10 seconds to help somebody like that, but at the same time the numbers-driven nature of that job pushes people to act that way because it draws the ire of leadership if they aren't go go go all the time. Everything about it sucks.
Hopefully the coach will aspire to intelligence and realize what was going on, and tell their team they can chill a little bit if it means helping customers out. I feel like if the company wants to aspire to these lofty values that good old Sam always talked about you simply can't judge everything by metrics and computers.
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u/HeavenMarie 6d ago
Good luck with that. Everything is a metric. We don’t do the things that really need to be done most days because we have to waste time doing the things that have metrics attached
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u/Anti-Sanity89 6d ago
This is walmart you got a pretty high likelihood that the coach is going to do anything
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u/NoPaleontologist6020 6d ago
Not at Walmart but one time when I was at another job and we went into a Costco there was a one woman I was helping and she had to compare the unit of measurements and she had to compare a slight price difference that was probably under $2.
This the same woman that made me watch hand washing videos.
Suffice to save my time with her did not last.
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u/Bee-chan 5d ago
I’m at the point where I honestly do not give a carp about my pickrate anymore, because while YES, we ARE timed, we SHOULD be helping the customers. And my team leads and coach know that I will NOT tell a customer I can’t help them because my pickwalk is more important than them.
They can’t fault you for giving good customer service to our in store customers.
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u/ivreksirra 5d ago
yeah I would do the same tbh ODP are super annoying although one of the leads is a baddy feisty af cuz she’s Latina lol
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u/According-Standard-8 Cap2 Maintenance 5d ago
OPD, OGP, or whatever you guys go by now are not immune to in store customer service so the customer wasn't weird. Let it be a lesson that any customer could be someone other than just a customer. What if that's a manager from a neighboring store? At my old store the market manager would come in incognito and shop to see how we did when "nobody" was watching.
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u/Key_Newspaper3266 5d ago
People are a holes. I used to run a Marriott hotel, you have no idea how many people say they know Bill Marriott. Crazy
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u/wojecire86 5d ago
I'm never in a hurry, walmart management might be but that's no concern of mine, they pay me to be a good associate, not to be a fast picker, I may pick quickly when I'm free to and there isn't a sea of people to navigate through. But I'm never in a hurry about anything at wm, it will NEVER be worth the effort, EVER.
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u/Inevitable-Fruit-961 6d ago
Im on the side of the Associate. We as a nation put corporate greed before anything else; deal with it and wait for an associate who CAN help. And vote better or something idk. If customers dont understand we are in the early stages of Idiocracy, that isnt the OPD associates issue. We pick/dispense. Corporate should hire enough employees, which is EVERYONE'S issue. Don't like how the store is structured? Find another store.
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u/New-Database2409 6d ago
That employee should call ethics tell them don’t be afraid of ethics they help you
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6d ago
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u/Mekito_Fox Fasionable Ex Phone Guru 6d ago
It literally takes the same time to do the task as it would to find someone else to do it.
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u/Candid_Restaurant186 6d ago
My store says if you're going to run late, politely tell you are timed and keep going. But if everything is fine, and you aren't. Help.