Zombie Workers at Wal-Mart

My wife and I went to Wally World this afternoon to be 'trash' for a few minutes and buy some overpriced foodstuffs.

The Wal-Mart is all torn up over here, as I'm sure they are in a lot of places.

While shopping, I tried to engage several employees in conversation about the remodel. I wasn't rude, I just wanted their feedback. Ordinarily, employees at our wal-mart have been personable and polite.

The employees I spoke with today, just smiled a scared sort of smile and carried about their business. It was totally creepy. The just pretended like I hadn't asked them any questions at all and walked away.

I thought this was really weird, and just a little scary. It made me think that the employees at Wal-Mart have been instructed to not speak to the customers. Everything was moved around and there were employees all over moving stuff, but none of them would talk to us.

Now, I know customer service is NOT the strong point of the super center, but this was just way too different than the way things used to be. Has anyone else noticed this? Are they doing it at your wal-mart too? It almost seemed to me like they were SCARED to talk to me. I'm a fairly unimposing guy. It's got me a little baffled. It made me think that they were being forced to remain quiet.

Anyone else experience anything like this? (not crappy service, but scared employees)

Edit to add...I don't think it was a language issue. I speak a little Spanish as well, but these were fairly light skinned folks.

[edit on 7-9-2009 by KSPigpen]

Good service, scared employees eh?

That's an interesting notion. I had a clever joke for it, but you know lol.

Back to the topic, yeah I have seen these sorts of behaviours in places where remodeling was being done.

I think it was probably because you were like the 50th person who made the same comments that day.

That would be pretty draining on one's brain. And after eight hours of explaining what they were doing, I might be inclined to just smile and nod at you.

~Keeper

Kinda funny. I just thought of Eggert from MIB. "Eggert, you're skins all hangin' off."

reply to post by KSPigpen


Had to respond KS,

Originally posted by aleon1018
Kinda funny. I just thought of Eggert from MIB. "Eggert, you're skins all hangin' off."

You mean "Edgar"? with a hick accent?
hahaha

The local IGA just down the street from were I live.

The staff are rude to everyone who walks in the door it's almost as if they don't want any business or something.

Then there's Superstore which is like the American version of a walmart supercentre. That 's a horrible place to go but food prices are cheaper at least and lines up's go into grocery isles.

[edit on 9/8/2009 by Big Oil]

Could be anything... they can't be earning enough money 90% of them, they probably do fear for their jobs, they are under fluorescent lights all day, the product and environment...

Dumb, jumpy, nervous, anxious or all of the above will apply

plus they got those secret shoppers so they want to avoid talking to anyone...

The products they handle from China can have anything in them...

a good half are on some kind of dope and fearing a drug test

Just get your stuff and get the hell out of there before the crap they put in the air conditioning affects you