Checkout Experience Last Night

I have I ever told you people .... I hate Wal-mart. I have to shop there because it is the only "real" like store in my area. The other grocer is what I call my 7-11 or White Hen. I do have a Jewel a couple of towns over and I do venture there as often as feasibly possible. Their produce (Jewels) is the best around our area - with the exception of the Farmers Market.

To the meat of this. Last night went shopping at the "W" on my way to take youngest to a sleepover. I thought it would be nice to have company shopping and an extra set of hands to load the car. Since I don't drive the big Suburban on a day to day anymore I can't really fit all our groceries into my car, so I do shop more regularly. This is ok, I get fresh stuff a couple times a week. And then it is terrible because...I HATE SHOPPING. I know I am the only woman out there that doesn't get excited at the prospect.

Not 2 days after the Mighty Bargain Hunter requested experiences at the check out and I posted Check out experiences to remember, I entered the check out h. e. double hockey sticks.

Quickly let me say I spend anywhere from $150 - $250 each time I enter the door. I just want you to know the size of my receipt before I start. Ok, school supplies are out and essentials are on sale. I love this, it is far out enough before school that there are no crowds. I buy 20 Themebooks, being careful to pull out all the purple one (our arch rival school color) on sale for 10 c , regularly 36 c. Then I do the same with 2 Pocket portfolios. I buy a couple other items but they are not important.

I keep the school supplies at the end of the order - I don't know why, I guess cause I picked up a box and put them in it while shopping. The clerk is about done, gets to the Themebooks. Rang out perfect. Picks up the folders and rings out all at 36 c. Let me also note here (if you have ever been a clerk you will understand) she rang up each item separately - not 20 quantity, product. So I have 40 entries ... so far.

I tell her of the error and she verifies that the ring up was in error. She then proceeds to void 1 folder at a time. She doesn't use the quantity feature again. Then after doing 1 she says "I don't want to do this work", hello its her job.
"Could I just finish ringing you out and you can go to the service desk?" -- that's right sweetheart make the customer do the job your too lazy for. You know I said "no", don't you. Now as her face is full of anger, she proceeds...1 at a time.

Then like magic she realizes she can just flick the item over the scanner and press void. Duh! The thing she is not capable of is making sure each flick is a VOID. So, while she is voiding, she is also sporadically scanning new purchase. I try to stop and tell her, because I am looking at the screen. And she is on a roll with ears that do not hear.

She finally finishes the ring up and prints the receipt to check if she did it correctly. I said "Did you void enough to cover the new purchases you added too?" She says - after she counts (oh, she's not blonde)"yeah, everything is perfect."

Perfect my hind quarters. I didn't get 4 steps out of her register and counted her errors. I make my way fuming, to the service desk. A C.M., I think that's what you call their cashier managers, comes up and as I explain the situation, tries to tell me I AM WRONG - This item isn't I sale. I'm thinking Lady I am hot - don't mess with me. I tell her the EXACT spot where the on sale sign is in detail (Supplies isle, south side, bottom shelf, all the way to the left, prior to leaving the folder section). I know I didn't say it nice, I saw the fear in her eyes. I told you I have a Polish big mouth, so stop acting surprised, I was totally calm for the first 1/2 hour with the check out clerk. I have receipts with times to prove this.

So once again, I explain the price problem. How many extras I have been charged, the sale price I was not charged etc. She calls the Service Counter rep over, who is smiling when she gets there. The C.M. says "This receipt is too much to look at, so let me tell you what to do and trust me it is accurate." She quickly tells her the correct amount of 36c to credit me and then charge me the correct number of 10c". She is right - I know because I gave her these numbers. The Service Counter Clerks says "ok, no problem".

She quickly types in all the charges and credits. My mistake - I didn't watch, but I am really hot, and frustrated, I had already sent my son out to the car with the groceries, and my husband was calling my cell looking for me (I had been gone a long time). I am so frustrated that I never calculated what this would charge or credit me. She says $5.38. I'm slowly coming out of my fog and I ask her -"what".

"Oh, No" she says. "She's going to be mad." (meaning the C.M.) "I have to call her over here". You got it, she rang them up at 36c again. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. I patiently wait for her finish out the transaction and redo a new one. My 3 new receipts show I was at this counter for 20 minutes.

Why oh why couldn't they just credit my receipt with a discount of $5.20 to the product number and let book keeping clear it up later. If I ever see a Wal-mart again it will be too soon.

I am all frustrated again. ARGH!