This can't be normal
By posting this I want to remind associates that we are not human beings. We are just robots who have the duty of smiling no matter what. The reason for me to say something like this is the fact that I got coached this morning for not saying welcome to a customer. I'm dead serious. I was zoning and pi^^^d at the reckless associate who left this area like this and that was the moment that I saw this customer walking past me. I said nothing she said nothing and I moved on with my day. After 2 hours my TL called me to see him at the break room and I realized something was wrong. I went there and I felt like I was in an interrogation room and I was interrigated because of a mu^^^r or something. He sat me down and told me that there was a complaint about me. I was like oh sh^t here we go again. He told me that the reason he told me to meet him here was the fact that I didn't say welcome to the customer who walked past me. My crime was making eye contact with her and saying nothing apparently. He told me and I stayed silent for about 5 seconds. In that 5 seconds I thought about every wrong decision that I took in my life and realized that I shouldn't add another one to those wrong decisions by screaming "WHAT THE ACTUAL fu^k?" to this guys face. Then he continued with how it's important for walmart to make its customers welcome. I almost burst out laughing and almost told him that maybe he should try to be friendly to the people who treat him like a piece of garbage. Then he pulled out a coaching form and at that moment I felt like I robbed the store or something. All I did was not clowning for a customer while being in the middle of something. Don't get me wrong I agree that customer service is an important aspect of my job as a front end associate but getting coached for not smiling at a customer while I was doing ANOTHER thing is nasty work. I mean I wish there was an option for me to coach both customers and managers on how to be a better human being. Especially the customers because they really need it. I didn't moan about the problems that I have in the store and the stuff that I have to do because of short staffing until now. The first time I did something "wrong" I got coached. Walmart and its stupid managers did a lot of wrongs to me and I kept my head down and worked. I feel like there is tons of problems at walmart that comes before an associate not smiling at a customer. Fix the management and short staffing problems before you come to me about this nonsense. I don't even talk about the rude customers because it is a known fact that you do nothing about them. You do nothing about protecting your associates from these rude people.
If it was up to him he would do it.
These types of stories make me hate the customers even more
I mean no one should ever get in trouble because they made eye contact with someone and didn't say hello.
Also, no one should think that it's rude not to say hello to every living soul that you come across.
If you work at Walmart, there are responsibilities that you need to follow. I'm not saying It was right for someone to get coached about this and go through the stress that you just went through, but if you made eye contact, it shouldn't be that hard for you to just say 'Hello, Welcome to Walmart'. It's not like you are doing a bench press or something.
What if I don't want to?
Then you get coached.
Do they even care about the reason behind it?
What could be the reason?
The reason is once you start communicating with customers it never stops. It's a never ending cycle that drains your energy. They have always MULTIPLE stupid questions to ask and they never miss the chance to waste your time. Nobody at walmart seems to understand this and they have no empathy for associates who have to go through this.
Bro how hard can it be to answer simple questions like where is this where is that etc. Why do you people make a big deal out of this?
The more you interact with customers the more you have a chance to get in trouble. No matter how kind helpful or professional you are there is always a karen who hates your guts just because you exist and will need to see your manager about your tone of voice when you answered her question about an item that she can find just by reading the fu^^ing signs.
Nobody will ever get in trouble because they did their job. Just stop that.
The person who shared the story didn't interact with a customer and it still didn't stop them from getting in trouble.
At the end of the day, anybody can have a word with your manager about their attitude. In today's fragile world, you can offend anyone by doing anything. But what matters is when they have a word with your manager about the situation that that they experienced which involves you, your manager will have your back. At least will have a reason to have your back and therefore you will not be in as big of a trouble as you think you might get in. That's all.
I'm glad you are able to still think that your manager will have your back but that's not the case for me. Not in the four and a half years of my career at Walmart I saw a manager take sides with an associate against a customer.
I'm not saying he will definitely take sides with you. Even if he doesn't, he surely will have a reason to take sides with you and that makes your case about the situation even stronger. If you did everything properly, said hello to a customer, answered all of their stupid questions, and approached them with kindness and you are able to prove it (which isn't something very hard to do), then you should be fine bro. Nobody is going to fire you because you were being kind to a customer. The most you can get with the worst type of manager is coaching, which is not a big deal.
Not a big deal? Bro do you know what coaching means?
I'm very well aware of it. And I'm also aware of the fact that how hard it would be for an associate to get coached 3 times within twelve months.
I've seen people get coached for the most stupid sh^t for 3 times in 3 months.
They should have called Walmart ethics!
Don't get me wrong guys, I'm not taking sides with the managers or the customers in this situation. I'm just saying that there is much more you can do to make your life better and safer at Walmart, just by taking responsibility.
Why would WM take sides with your broke a^s :D you are a liability to them they pay money for you to stay youre not paying money to them to stay
I don't even know wtf you just said but as far as I understand, you made a stupid point. Walmart doesn't sell luxury cars or designer clothes. The customers at Walmart don't spend 20k for their shopping. So walmart don't take sides with customers because they are rich, they take sides with customers because they need them, and reputation matters.
All the things that you just say change based on every person. Not a store, PERSON. Because it's not a company policy to push managers to blame associates for every little problem that a customer ever had in the store. If your Store Manager or your Team Lead is a piece of sh^t, they will look for opportunities to make you feel terrible and best believe they won't miss an opportunity.
If you ever wanna feel valuable at Walmart you need to upgrade your status to a customer
I don't get paid enough to be a cutie pie to a customer bruh. It's way above my fu^^ing paycheck.
Related topics
More About Community
Welcome to our Walmart Stores associates community! This platform is made with a goal of connecting associates across the Store locations, creating a space to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities you face. From navigating limited services to handling the bustling demands of urban retail, share your experiences, seek advice, and discuss everything from pay and work-life balance to management actions. Join this TBT community to engage in meaningful conversations and support each other!!!
I mean by your TL's logic everyone in Walmart needs to get coached about this