Woman banned for life from Walmart Stores in the US

[Firefighter Chick]

I use coupons and have done some serious coupon shopping, clipping, organizing, and reasearching deals. If a retailer is going to accept coupons, they better train all of their cashiers on what the policy is. I am not keen on the marketing policies of certain retailers, jacking up prices only to advertize a "price decline" when that newly expensive item goes on "sale". The most enfuriating thing would be cashiers that would be oblivious on what the coupon policy was even if i went to their own website and have a printed copy in my hand. I think there are a lot of honest people using coupons, especially people who are trying to save some money no matter what kind of paycheck they bring home, whether they are upper-middle class or on food stamps. I am not poor but I can sure enjoying saving money to spend elsewhere. I would defitanely take advantage of a deal getting something for free. It's the retailers job to research what to sell products for. If they don't want the hassle they should either stop accepting coupons or just sell all their products for an honest, no-sale price. But if that lady was getting overly irate or making a scene, yeah, kick her out of the store. once. then raise the bar next time if it happens.

 

[SourRoses]

From where does this assumption that the woman is a shopaholic come? Just because she goes to the store everyday? Some coupons are dependant on the day of the week.. like a Tuesday coupon on bottled water, ect. Or she could just be stopping on the way home for milk, or that nights dinner fixings, ect... Some people really low on funds have to take their meals one day at a time, you know.

And is it actually illegal in Idaho to record someone without permission? Because I remember all of the stores there had surveliance cameras. This manager guy was in public, not his living room, furthermore he was employed in a position where others might have a care to see how he behaved towards other customers. Also, I dont recall any laws stopping reporters from shoving cameras in peoples faces whenever there is something they consider news worthy going on.

So if she didn't break any laws, like shoplifting, how has Walmart any right to legally ban her from the premisis? How rediculous! Even convicted shoplifters who have previously had their mugshots up in supermarket break rooms are generally allowed back in after time has passed... and they actually broke laws!

So, even if the woman really was a shopaholic or mis-managing her own funds as shes been accused of... since when does that make it acceptable to treat her like a criminal? Heck... maybe there should be a monitor on ebay to see how may items you buy a month and cut you off for your own good. Or maybe it should be against the law to forget to pick up milk while you're at the store and have to go back for it. Shopping twice in one day? Oh No! How dreadful

I don't think I've ever used a coupon... but wheres the harm in someone else trying to save some money? If she felt it wasn't fair, she had every right to talk to the manager... just like I DO talk to the manager and even get emphatic when there are only 2 lanes open with huge lines and a bunch of employees standing around examining their fingernails over in the womens dressing room area.

 

[australorpchick]

Quote:
I am inclined to agree with you on this...and I love the skit with the alternate ending.

DH was a retail manager for almost 30 years. Trust me, a conversation like this would be very rare, and not because the manager wouldn't try. Most customers who are willing to complain to this extent, do so because they want to be treated more special than every other customer or more likely, want something for free. DH could spend hours telling stories of nightmare customers. The lady who called the corporate office and wanted DH to personally deliver her a bouquet of flowers and an apology for the store being out of a sale item (he refused). The customer who wanted the store to pay for the relining of her trunk, after she declined assistance with her groceries and then proceeded to drop a bottle of bleach, which leaked in her trunk. The customers who buy the most expense steaks only to return with the last remaining bite, wanting a full refund, because they claimed it didn't taste right. In about his 25 year, they finally banned the employees from trying to stop shoplifters, up until then, they were expected to act as security.

Retail Management is like balancing on a wire between the corporate mouths demanding an ever-unattainable bottomline, with constantly shrinking allowable manhours and customers' outstretched hands, wanting to be treated like the Queen of England, while paying dime store prices and complaining the entire time.

Today when I visit my Walmart or HEB, I think I'll be extra smiley and friendly with any associate I come across. If anyone helps me, I'm going to sincerely ask them how they're doing, if they have any holiday plans and I'm going to actually listen and pay attention. Then when I'm done, I'm going to thank them. After I'm done unloading my groceries, I'm going to walk a few extra yards and return my cart to one of the many nearby cart stalls. Sure the baggers are there to collect the carts, but it'll probably be around 100 today and with the heat index, more than 100. Would a few extra steps really kill me? After all, I've been working out to get healthier and lose some weight, what a perfect opportunity!

When I drive home, I'll pass the locally-owned grocery store and smirk, because they continue to lose out on my almost $800/mo grocery bill. I won't even stop there for a loaf of bread, or a much needed missing ingredient. I will drive 15 minutes more to the HEB. HEB and Walmart employees smile and acknowledge by hispanic husband, the Super S employees don't.

Treat others as you want to be treated, expect no more, accept no less.

 

[Carols Clucks]

Private Property

Next time you drive on to shopping center, look around the parking lot if they have video security cameras. There will be signs posted stating not only are they video taping but that it is private property and they control access.

Next time you walk in the grocery store, step to the side of the door and read all those fine prints signs, if they video tape same thing private property and a notice about video taping you and often a ban on photography/video


Walmart is not a publicly owned business. They have property rights too. If you have been rude and abusive they are not forced to continue to deal with you and they don't have to pass one stores problem off to the next one down the road.



If you read the story, April Cuevas claims to be an extreme couponer with coupons from other stores. Not Walmart coupons or manufacturer coupons but other stores. They have the right to change their policy, and are probably in a big hurry to do that when a TV show features people filling carts and paying pennies when they leave. How did Wal-Mart pay for the staff, power, building and product with those carts full? You might think it is your right to use coupons from other stores and double or triple them. But it is also the stores right to make a profit. If they have to change their policies to stay current with market trends, you bet they are going to change their policies.

Also, that one store manager did not set company policy, just got the job of enforcing it.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Aw australorp, that was a wonderful post you wrote.

I agree, it's awful hard to redirect the worst customers. The skit IS what we WISH would happen, not what often does.

HOWEVER, I think that not getting mad BACK AT the customer, has the most hope of working - IF anything will!

The employee can also bask in the satisfaction that the customer won't be able to complain about their behavior to their manager, AND that he didn't get pulled into an anger spiral.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

I am ALWAYS as nice and friendly as I possibly can be to staff in my grocery market. I too have seen my fair share of awful customers and I refuse to be one.

Having said that, I have also run into some really rude staff in stores. When I do, I notify the manager of the situation and I frequently refuse to bring my business back. It depends on the response of the manager.

But, I refuse to shop in Wal-Mart anyway. Too many reasons to count. I understand that some people have no choices and that would be one of the reasons I refuse to shop there.....






I try really hard to be nice to people because you never know what burden they are carrying.

 

[TouchO'Lass]

Wow. This reminds me of those logic/reasoning questions on exams: If train A is going 50 mph, and train B is going East, what time will the conductor have dinner?

To me, there's just not enough information to make a call on any of this.

-Was Ms. C holding the phone right in the mgrs face? Did he try to push it away with an open palm, or execute a full swinging 'slap', to use the reporter's word? Maybe he felt threatened, in which case one could argue self-defense. eg.: My (not so D) step-son (6'/250lbs/27yo) put his forearm across my chest and shoved me to the ground. He said he was just trying to get past, I say he's a lazy lumbering ox who doesn't know his own strength because he doesn't work enough to know. A reporter writing about that incident would call it assault.

I'm the one who was on the ground, and I wouldn't call it that. It was WRONG, but it wasn't assault.

-It's legal in many states to record a conversation if at least one party knows it's being recorded (supposed to protect us from unwarranted wire tapping). It also depends on how the recording is intended to be used. If the mgr knew he was being recorded, maybe he could have simply refused to talk until she stopped recording. Don't know. I wasn't there. To say across the board that it's illegal sounds kinda vague to me. That would mean I was committing a felony every time I recorded a lecture in school.

-WalMart has the right to change their policy. And Ms C has the right to her extreme couponing, within the guidelines. Don't have enough info to know if the policy was unfair or her demands were unfair.

-I get that people may be anti-WM.

It's a person's right, of course, to boycott a place based on ones personal experience, but it isn't a justification for other customers to behave badly, if that's what happened.

Personally, I try to shop locally as much as possible, but our main local grocer raises his prices by 50 to 200% every spring because we're just below the Canadian border and all the tourists stop here first to stock their RV's. As soon as I see a 6-pack of Bud for $6.99, I'm off to Wally World, left at the first traffic light. Did I mention the first traffic light is 37 miles away?

Guess what I'm saying is: It's a media story. The media gets $ for stories that interest people, and they get $$$$$$ for stories that incite...
One example: My ship had just left Hong Kong and Singapore when the SARs epidemic broke out several years ago. When we returned to Japan, a Stars and Stripes reporter stopped a REALLY junior sailor and asked if there was any SARs on board the Ship. "Of course!" this little 18yo bubba told the reporter proudly. "We have TWO guys!" The reporter did NOT contact the Admirals surgeon or a single medical dept rep, nor did she talk to the ship's Public Affairs Officer. She just ran with this one short discussion.

The story in 'Tarzan's Tripes' was all about the "Flagship of the 7th Fleet" being a 'floating epidemic'. The kid was located and quizzed (um, HARSHLY). He said, 'Well Sir, she didn't tell me what she meant. I never heard of that disease. I was talking about our Search And Rescue swimmers!" (Navy calls 'em SAR's!) "They save lives all the time! Why wouldn't I be proud of them?!" I can't describe how much time was wasted un-doing what this media wench did...

This, too, just sounds so blown out of proportion...

Sorry. I'll get off my soapbox now. Back to the coop...

 

[TheBrumstead]

How do you ban someone from EVERY Walmart? How is that enforced...? There is something else going on here...

I have two Super Walmarts in my area. I go to one all the time, rarely go to the other. The one I rarely go to has higher prices (inside word is because of the amount of shoplifters), produce is always stinky, it's dirty, rude customers, etc. The one I go to is wonderful

I don't go to one local grocery store because you can always find expired items on the shelf, produce area always smells like it's rotting, and DH even found moldy, relabeled ground beef there.

The other local grocery store is so expensive. I'll go if I need something quick.

Our Super Target doesn't have enough variety for me.

And I go to Meijer, which is out of the way, but a nice trip.

 

[draye]

Quote:
Only thing here they have signs posted that they have videos filming. Most states yoou have to let the other party know that they are be put on vamera.

Also, there is a difference in video taping someone and recording the converstation.

 

[TheBrumstead]

Has anyone been able to find a REAL news report about this? Not something on a blog? I did a Google search for her name + Walmart and the first two pages are blogs and forums. No real news report. Like something from the Idaho paper, or AP line?