Mr. Sam would be livid

I started my career in the marketing departing of Wal-Mart (SAM'S Club, actually) at the corporate headquarters in Bentonville. It was just four short months after Sam Walton, known to all of us as Mr. Sam, passed away. I was there for three years, until 1995, and you could still feel his influence in everything we did.

I knew things had changed by the time we moved to Austin in 2000. The evening we moved in we ran to the nearby Wal-Mart to get something we needed. Gary, a friend of mine from Wal-Mart days, was with me. As we stood in line, we looked around. With one glance, Gary said, "Mr. Sam would be rolling in his grave if he could see this now." I agreed.

It's only gotten worse, which makes me sad, as I am still a shareholder. Below is from a friend of mine in San Antonio. Not only is this not the Wal-Mart way I knew as an associate, heads would have rolled. At the very least, Mr. Sam would come back and haunt them.

Anyways, so he gets back from Hollywood Video with his movie, and bam, I get sick. I have to go get some medicine immediately. At this point its 11:20 p.m. and Im not sure what time HEB closes. I know that Walmarts are 24 hours (supposedly) so we go to the closest one (in the ghetto). Karl wont let me go in by myself, so he comes with me and gets himself a Hungry Man T.V. dinner and a few odds and ends. This lady comes on the loud speaker and the only coherent part of her announcement is 11 minutes.

Anyways, I get my medicine and we get in one of the three only open cash registers lines. There are about 15 people in each line and Im thinking this is ridiculous. So, I go ahead of Karl and get my medicine and then the cashier says, "Im sorry, it's midnight and we cant take any more customers." What do you mean you cant take any more customers??? His stuff is on the conveyor belt thing, his debit card in his hands and you are turning him, and about 20 other customers away??? Besides, that wasnt no 11 minutes. By the time we got in the store, got our stuff and got in line, that was all of 5 minutes (if that). If Michelle wasnt so damn slow of checking people out, maybe everyone in line would have made it through no problem.

"Im sorry, she said no more." Well thats bullshit. Turning people away. They need to have someone at the door telling you that they are closing and you have all of 5 minutes to get your shit and pay for it... not get your shit and get in line, but to hand over the cash for it. And thats another thing, there were still people walking in to the store after midnight and not a one of the employees at the front, looking through the bags said a damn thing. Have the deceny to tell people they are wasting their time.