The aisles are bustling, the people are hurried, and the lines are long and snake around as you walk into the local Springfield Wal-Mart. The only person smiling is the lady greeting you at the door, and you’re almost sure it’s only because she’s getting paid to do so. But why is it so intense? The walls are still stocked high with demanded products; no one’s getting hurt; yet the air is full of tension and hurry. A trip to Wal-Mart must not be high on people’s list of favorite things to do, but how does it measure up working there, and even more, working in customer service?
A Wal-Mart employee, wishing to remain anonymous for fear of this getting leaked, whispers to me as I stand in front of her notebook in hand, that she wants me to pretend I’m returning something, “I’m not sure if I’d get in trouble, but I really don’t want to risk it.”
Her shoulders relax as I realize that getting in trouble is probably the least of her worries though. The people are rude and arrogant, and it’s hard standing behind a counter all day dealing with people who see you as nothing but a servant to their customer needs.
“People automatically come in with an attitude,” she says, “even when I do stuff I’m not supposed to do, they are still rude.”
I’m sure my puzzled look when she says she “does stuff she’s not supposed to,” urges her on to explain herself further.
“I take back stuff that I’m not suppose to. People would come in and want to return shoes that were clearly worn, but I would take them back anyway.”
From opened bags of candy, to returned bathing suits without the liners makes one wonder what people are thinking when they walk up to the return desk.
“People are rude,” she continuously pushes as I scribble down my notes, “one time a man called me stupid. But really, if you’re attempting to return used shoes, who is the stupid one?”
She grimaces at the memories as her chestnut dark hair, speckled with gray bounces around her heavy shoulders, her tone barely in a whisper as she continues.
“I may not have gone to college, but I’m not stupid. I actually read a lot and enjoy learning new things. My job shows nothing of my intelligence level, but some people just don’t understand that, they see me as a lowly Wal-Mart employee in a blue smock.”
Much more than a Wal-Mart employee, she grew up in a small town outside of Cleveland by the name of Perry, OH where she enjoyed playing outside with her two little sisters. She sadly admits that she never saw herself at the age of 57 working at her local Wal-Mart, but she did always like the idea of working with people. So even though people don’t always treat her the best, it’s not always the worst either.
She smiles as she regales the story a young woman who told about her “baby daddy who wouldn’t pay his child support.”
“You meet some pretty interesting people working her. Some people are so willing to tell you about their day. It’s not just about returning the items, and maybe it’s because of where I work, but people don’t’ worry about being judged about what they say or do.”
She even tells me how one time a man asked her to reach inside his pocket to get his money for him. “He didn’t have a hand,” she whispered, “it was the weirdest thing, but I felt bad, so I did it.”
Her genuine manner is so sweet it makes one wonder how anyone could ever be rude to her. She’s still young, but she seems so tiny and frail standing behind that big counter, holding the power of whether an item will get returned or not.
“I don’t like being talked down to, but when working with customers you have to be understanding of everyone situation no matter what. That’s just what I wish people could see also. I’m not just a Wal-Mart employee, I’m so much more.”
