Paid Critics: Edelman and Marshall Manson

IM READING ABOUT ALL THESE CRITICS, I READ ABOUT WORKING FAMILIES BEING UPSET BECAUSE OF OUR CAUSE TO WAKE UP WAL-MART.  I DONT THINK THEY ARE LOOKING BEYOND THEIR NOSE.  THERE IS NO WAY TO DEFEND WAL-MARTS PRACTICES.  AN 10 YEARS FROM NOW, THEY WILL REGRET THE FACT THAT THERE IS, NO MORE LOW PRICES ANYWHERE.  BECAUSE WAL-MART WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH THEIR SHODDY BUSINESS PRACTICES.  1.. ALMOST EVERYTHING WAL-MART NOW SELLS IS OFF SHORED/ OBVIOSLY THEY DON’T CARE AS LONG AS THEY CAN HAVE MORE DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKETS.  2.. CATTLE ARE TREATED BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE WAL-MART EMPLOYEE. THEY ARE MADE TO WORK OFF THE CLOCK, THEY NEVER GET OVERTIME, AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. EVERY OTHER RETAIL OR BIG BOX RETAILER, AT LEAST PAYS OVER TIME AT THE HOLIDAYS, NOT WAL-MART.  THEY HIRE SCHOOL KIDS WHO CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PINK,AND BLUE TO HERD THE COSTOMERS THROUGH THE CHECKOUT,. WHERE THE COSTOMER STANDS AN WAITS FOR EXTREMELY LONG PERIODS. TO PAY FOR PURCHASES THAT MOST OF THE TIME ARE HIGHER THAN ANOTHER BIG BOX RETAILER, BECAUSE WAL-MART HAS ALREADY RUN OUT, OF THE LOW PRICE ITEM.  WHICH IN REALITY, THEY ONLY HAD A FEW OF ANYWAY.  THEY DONT GIVE OUT RAINCHECKS, AN THEY DONT(like other stores do) CALL AROUND TO OTHER WAL-MARTS TO SEE WHO MIGHT HAVE SOME, AN IF THEY FIND A STORE THAT HAS ONE, THEY WON’T HOLD IT FOR YOU ANYWAY.  3… LOOK AT YOUR RECEIPTS VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SCAN WRONG, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, ESPECIALLY ON SALE AND CLEARENCE MERCHANDISE/ THEY PUT THE SALE OR MARKDOWN STICKER ABOVE OR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BARCODE, AN FROM EXPERIENCE AS BEING A GROCERY CHECKER THE CHECKER AUTOMATICALY SCANS THE BARCODE.  THE PROPER PROCEDURE IS TO EITHER DRAW A LINE THROUGH THE BAR CODE WITH A PERMANENT MARKER OR PLACE THE STICKER ON THE BAR CODE. CAUSING THE SCANNER ONLY TO SEE MOVEMENT, AN NO PRICE, SETTING OFF AN ALARM (as several little peeps) an the checker looks at the tag,an records the sale price.  4… THE WORST OF ALL THOUGH IS THEIR LACK OF CONCERN, FOR MANY THINGS, FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, FOR THE CONSUMER, IN THE LONG RUN THERE IS REALLY NO MONEY SAVED. IT ACTUALLY COSTS MORE.  BUT MOST PEOPLE WONT GIVE A POO ABOUT IT AS LONG AS THEY SAVE LITTLE BITS OF MONEY, THE AVERAGE SAVING IS ACTUALLY PENNIES ON MANY ITEMS, ITS NOT WORTH THE OUTCOME IN THE LONG RUN.  WAL-MART IS THE ENRON OF RETAIL.

TERRY KLEIN-

“MAYBE IF I TYPE IN ONLY CAPITAL LETTERS AN FAIL TO BREAK UP MY SENTENCES INTO PARAGRAPHS PEOPLE WILL HAVE AN EASIER TIME READING MY LIES.” Is that what you were thinking?

“I DONT THINK THEY ARE LOOKING BEYOND THEIR NOSE.”

Irony, sweet irony.

“THERE IS NO WAY TO DEFEND WAL-MARTS PRACTICES.”

Is that so? I think I’ve been doing a fine job of it for quite a while.

“AN 10 YEARS FROM NOW, THEY WILL REGRET THE FACT THAT THERE IS, NO MORE LOW PRICES ANYWHERE.  BECAUSE WAL-MART WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH THEIR SHODDY BUSINESS PRACTICES.”

What are you babbling about? How exactly do you come to this conclusion?

“1.. ALMOST EVERYTHING WAL-MART NOW SELLS IS OFF SHORED/ OBVIOSLY THEY DON’T CARE AS LONG AS THEY CAN HAVE MORE DOLLARS IN THEIR POCKETS.”

How is it Wal-Mart’s fault that American workers can’t compete?

“THEY ARE MADE TO WORK OFF THE CLOCK,”

False.

“THEY NEVER GET OVERTIME, AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. EVERY OTHER RETAIL OR BIG BOX RETAILER, AT LEAST PAYS OVER TIME AT THE HOLIDAYS, NOT WAL-MART.”

Wal-Mart tries to prevent employees from getting overtime. It is a waste of money. There is no reason to give people extra hours so they can get overtime pay just because it is a holiday. Wal-Mart is more than fair about holiday compensation.

“THEY HIRE SCHOOL KIDS WHO CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PINK,AND BLUE TO HERD THE COSTOMERS THROUGH THE CHECKOUT,.”

I thought it was supposedly the Wal-Mart apologists who hated the company’s employees; guess I was wrong.

“WHERE THE COSTOMER STANDS AN WAITS FOR EXTREMELY LONG PERIODS.”

Wait times are sometimes too long. I agree that this is a problem. Improving customer service is a high priority.

“TO PAY FOR PURCHASES THAT MOST OF THE TIME ARE HIGHER THAN ANOTHER BIG BOX RETAILER, BECAUSE WAL-MART HAS ALREADY RUN OUT, OF THE LOW PRICE ITEM.  WHICH IN REALITY, THEY ONLY HAD A FEW OF ANYWAY.”

That’s a load of shit! Sometimes there are limited items that are offered for a short time only. This is especially true around Christmas. Otherwise this claim is a blatant falsehood that you contradict yourself when you say, “BUT MOST PEOPLE WONT GIVE A POO ABOUT IT AS LONG AS THEY SAVE...MONEY.” Should I attribute this to your unbalanced state of mind as you wrote this nonsensical garbage or your apparently low intelligence?

“THEY DONT GIVE OUT RAINCHECKS,”

Not on limited items. However, I believe rainchecks are given at the discretion of a store’s management. The first store I worked at seldom gave them, but my current store does it almost any time a customer asks.

“AN THEY DONT(like other stores do) CALL AROUND TO OTHER WAL-MARTS TO SEE WHO MIGHT HAVE SOME,”

They’re supposed to.

“AN IF THEY FIND A STORE THAT HAS ONE, THEY WON’T HOLD IT FOR YOU ANYWAY.”

I thought you said they didn’t call? In my experience, most stores will set merchandise aside for a short time if they know a customer is coming.

“3… LOOK AT YOUR RECEIPTS VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SCAN WRONG, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS,”

This is addressed elsewhere. You would do well to look around before you shoot your mouth off.

“ESPECIALLY ON SALE AND CLEARENCE MERCHANDISE/ THEY PUT THE SALE OR MARKDOWN STICKER ABOVE OR ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BARCODE,”

Um...usually it’s just a sticker of some sort without a bar code. Most of the time the problem is either that the sticker doesn’t belong on the item or the markdown wasn’t keyed into the system. Also, sometimes the reduced price is on only that specific item (open box, display, etc) and the item needs to be manually overridden at the register.

“AN FROM EXPERIENCE AS BEING A GROCERY CHECKER THE CHECKER AUTOMATICALY SCANS THE BARCODE.”

Judging from your post, it seems you are still in that position.

“4… THE WORST OF ALL THOUGH IS THEIR LACK OF CONCERN, FOR MANY THINGS, FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, FOR THE CONSUMER,”

I’d ask you to elaborate, but I’m afraid I’d only get another poorly formatted, pointless rant.

“WAL-MART IS THE ENRON OF RETAIL.”

Do you even understand the magnitude of this claim? I doubt it. It sounds like you may be generalizing a little from a bad experience you had as a customer, but ultimately you are merely another mindless WMWer letting others tell you what to think (The undeveloped talking points give you away.). I guess that’s easier than thinking for yourself.

SOMEONE IN USA- YOU ARE “OBVIOUSLY”, ONE OF TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE.  1.) A RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVE THAT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE PAY SCALE, SO NATURALLY YOUR GOING TO PREACH FALSE PROPOGANDA IN ORDER TO BETTER YOUR POSITION WITH AN OBVIOUSLY GREEDY COMPANY. (CAN WE SAY, BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER?) 2.) A DOOR GREETER THAT ENJOYS $7.00 AN HOUR AND $1,000.00 DOLLAR DEDUCTIBLES ON THEIR INSURANCE. (IF THIS IS YOU, THEN HEIL HAIL WAL-MART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

My major complaint at this particular moment is the FACT that Walmart price matches ads that they do not pay for, taking the business that ad was supposed to create away from the “little guy”.

Before I read or heard about all the evidence &/or propaganda regarding Wal-Mart, I had decided it was not the store for me.  I worked for a time at one of the smaller Wal-Mart stores when Sam Walton was in charge after my divorce and before I went to nursing school.  I shopped at the store and it seemed like most retailers at the time, a bit big but manageable.
As an employee part time in the stock room then promoted to full time, I was placed in different positions as needed or until (it felt like) I got good at my job.  I helped scan a truck as it was unloaded into the stock room one day and one of the in-truck unloaders got in a bit of a hurry while I was trying to scan the code.  The guns we used were not always working very well and we had to switch off quite a bit.  One of the boxes hit my shoulder pretty hard and by the end of the day I couldn’t lift that arm or turn my head without pain.  I had to be out for a few days and was sent to the “company’s doctor”.  Because of my “lost time accident” our crew didn’t get a pizza party promised for a certain amount of days with out lost time.  The day after I got back to work I was taken off the more senior duties that I had and put back on the line pricing product.  All this with no explanation and my coworkers shunned me.
Now that Wal-Mart has grown so big for me it seems so impersonal, noisy and unpleasant.  I am 43 yrs old and like to save money where I can like most people.  I also like to do my shopping in a comfortable environment.  For me and my family Wal-Wart has become most uncomfortable.  I don’t like the distractions of the TV monitors and the commercials.  Since the stores are so vast, rearranging shelves and merchandise is the equivalent of Interstate Construction!  Now that they have a carousel to fill with you items and the consumer must fill their own cart with the paid for goods, I find I can’t pay as close attention to the price monitor and double check the clerks as I am used to doing.  Everyone makes mistakes now and again so if there is one to correct it makes you a better clerk for the next person.  Also the item could be in the system wrong and it wouldn’t be caught for quite a while if someone wasn’t keeping tabs.
I have also found that unless I buy just the store brand of most everything, I am paying about the same at any other store for the same type items.  Most of the time I spend more at Wal-Mart because there is so much there and spur of the moment spending happens more often than not.  I want to control my spending habits not the other way around.  One of the ways to not be a “habitual spender” is not go where I am tempted.  When I buy these things I come home wondering why I bought it.  In recent years I noticed that if I go into a Wal-Mart store I get very jittery like I have had too much caffeine or sugar.  There is a constant buzz that reminds me of a swarm of insects. 
For these reasons stated, I can not shop at a Wal-Mart store.  I and my family choose smaller stores (when there is one) or we go to K-mart, Target or a regular grocery store for food purchases.
Possibly you have had experiences like mine.  I would be interested to read them.

yes, i work at wal-mart just like over a million people do. yes, i paid for insurance but it is denied each time i have to go to a doctor. wel so much for the insurance. I have seen employes yell at for no reason. one manager will tell you some thing and and another something else. the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. I have seen ass managers get excited over the coaching ( yelling) at another worker. closed door policie wait open door. manangers are there telling you what you are doing wrong while no one is there to support you. wall-mart need a unon just to protect the workers. ever ask what the turn over rate is in our strore it was over 110 precent.  now i wonder why. lee scott will say that they were temp jobs but i know for a fact that is not true, the botton line for wal-mart in money not working with the workers that they have ( they call them self the wal-mart family) well this famils cares about only them self and not anyone else. the children of sam need more money, Right

on resprnce of checking around to see if other stores have the item. They did but not any more cost too much to ship it to the store. so they don’t do it. also on the nice people greeter they at one time too out insurance policies on them and guess who go the money. care to guess

Why am I not surprised that the anti-Wal-Mart side has failed to offer an intelligent rebuttal to my post?

Probably because no one reads your posts.

Probably because no one reads your posts.

does the truth hurt that much JM?  Is that why you dont read Someones post.

To Someone in USA-
I feel I made an intelligent post and stated facts I personally observed &/or were part of.  I recieved “no takers” in disputing what I wrote by you or anyother person on the pro-Wal-Mart side.
Comments?

I really should read Someone’s posts when I need help getting to sleep at night.

Nervous Nelly-

I didn’t really view you post as a response to mine...more of an unrelated comment from someone not likely to return and really not worth the time. However, if you insist…

“I worked for a time at one of the smaller Wal-Mart stores when Sam Walton was in charge after my divorce and before I went to nursing school.”

So you worked there.

“I shopped at the store and it seemed like most retailers at the time, a bit big but manageable.”

You’ll have to forgive me, Sam died when I was eight, so I don’t remember much about the stores back then. Anyway, I can understand why you thought “big but manageable.”

“As an employee part time in the stock room then promoted to full time, I was placed in different positions as needed or until (it felt like) I got good at my job.”

That sounds about right.

“One of the boxes hit my shoulder pretty hard and by the end of the day I couldn’t lift that arm or turn my head without pain.”

You got hurt.

“I had to be out for a few days and was sent to the “company’s doctor”.”

Pretty standard if you want the company to take care of the bill.

“Because of my “lost time accident” our crew didn’t get a pizza party promised for a certain amount of days with out lost time.”

You didn’t meet the requirements; Outside of one 90+-day stretch, in three years time I’ve seen only one pizza party earned. I have never been in a store that qualified for a bonus by not exceeding the accident allowance. We came close once.

“The day after I got back to work I was taken off the more senior duties that I had and put back on the line pricing product.  All this with no explanation and my coworkers shunned me.”

I would need more of an explanation. Were you unable to perform the job? How long were you out? Why did your coworkers “shun” you?

“Now that Wal-Mart has grown so big for me it seems so impersonal, noisy and unpleasant.”

I can see why you think this. I’m not a fan of the atmosphere either. I would like to see us become more customer friendly, but I don’t see that happening. Impersonal stores don’t bother me, but many people dislike that.

“I am 43 yrs old and like to save money where I can like most people.”

Most people enjoy saving money. That’s why Wal-Mart is so successful.

“I also like to do my shopping in a comfortable environment.  For me and my family Wal-Wart has become most uncomfortable.  I don’t like the distractions of the TV monitors and the commercials.  Since the stores are so vast, rearranging shelves and merchandise is the equivalent of Interstate Construction!”

That’s a taste thing. Like I said, I don’t care for the environment, either. The stores are crowded, often cluttered, and noisy. That’s a big reason Wal-Mart is having so much difficulty expanding its market share. The environment is poor and rich people know it.

“Now that they have a carousel to fill with you items and the consumer must fill their own cart with the paid for goods,”

That’s not true (or rather, it’s not supposed to be). The cashier is responsible for loading the cart. The customers should never be asked to do it themselves. If the carousel gets full, the cashier should go around and put the sacks in. That’s their job, and no well-trained cashier will tell you otherwise. Cashiers should also ensure that every bag finds its way into the cart. My cashiers are coached if they consistently fail to do these things. That said, I don’t doubt that there is a widespread “training deficiency” in this area.

“I find I can’t pay as close attention to the price monitor and double check the clerks as I am used to doing.  Everyone makes mistakes now and again so if there is one to correct it makes you a better clerk for the next person.  Also the item could be in the system wrong and it wouldn’t be caught for quite a while if someone wasn’t keeping tabs.”

As you say. Mistakes can happen. I think it’s good for the customer to watch. Failing to do so is akin to blindly handing over money. You are also right about mispriced items (for my take on this, see the WMW thread entitled “Technology Fails Wal-Mart in Arizona.”

“I have also found that unless I buy just the store brand of most everything, I am paying about the same at any other store for the same type items.”

I disagree. I have most of the prices for commonly sold items in my store memorized and I constantly compare to our competitors. Most of the time we are cheaper by quite a bit. Sale prices can beat us, but that’s why we match ads (I won’t even touch Anti Price Mathcing Mom’s absurd remark on this common practice.).

“Most of the time I spend more at Wal-Mart because there is so much there and spur of the moment spending happens more often than not.”

That I believe. I see it happen a lot. Wal-Mart is a master at profiting off of impulse shoppers.

“I want to control my spending habits not the other way around.”

Don’t blame you.

“One of the ways to not be a “habitual spender” is not go where I am tempted.”

True.

“In recent years I noticed that if I go into a Wal-Mart store I get very jittery like I have had too much caffeine or sugar.  There is a constant buzz that reminds me of a swarm of insects.”

If that’s how you feel, then that’s how you feel.

“For these reasons stated, I can not shop at a Wal-Mart store.  I and my family choose smaller stores (when there is one) or we go to K-mart, Target or a regular grocery store for food purchases.”

Going to these other stores is your prerogative. People can shop wherever they wish. I’m not going to try to convince you otherwise. Actually, I think that the reasons you give are a matter of taste. To you, the perceived benefits of the other stores’ environments outweigh the perceived savings associated with Wal-Mart’s prices. In other words, you are simply willing to pay more for the shopping experience of other stores than someone like me - you are buying atmosphere. You are not really presenting an anti-Wal-Mart argument at all.

A lot of the stuff at Wal-Mart is poor quality.
Bargains can be costly.

Nervous-

Where did you go? I thought you were offended that I didn’t answer. Was the response more thorough than you expected?

Someone,
Sorry I have abandoned you, other things take priority. 
What would be an anti-Wal-Mart argument?  I can not condone name calling or giving evidence I can’t substantiate and fling out wild accusations so some one can come along and shoot my “so called” argument down.  I believe to change something as big as Wal-Mart takes more persuasive means such as personal testimony instead of mindless rant.
Your response was very thorough and I appreciate the time it took.

Just wanted to see if you had anything you wanted to add before WMW closed the thread…

I think an anti-Wal-Mart argument has to be more universal than personal experiences and tastes, though those are fair reasons to make a personal choice in the matter. I am more interested in reasons why no one should shop at Wal-Mart or why the company is bad.

I do agree that a good argument is more than “name calling or giving evidence I can’t substantiate and fling out wild accusations.”