Overheard walmart cashiers and front end supervisor talking about me

[eggroll]

I feel for you tiffany - it's a real shock to be treated as a thief. I'm pretty paranoid about that kind of stuff, so whenever I go in to a store now, I stop right in front of a camera, take out my coupon envelope, ostentatiously close/zip my bag, and go about my business. I've only been questioned once, and was able to quite enjoy saying "If you'll look at your tapes, you'll see that I haven't opened my bag since I walked through the door. But if you'd like to look inside it, be my guest."

Oh I really hope you don't actually volunteer for anyone to search your bag! It's illegal to even stop and search you if they only suspect you or are just trying to intimidate you. If anyone does this to you, demand the police be called to do the search, or better yet call them yourself and say you're being unlawfully detained. These stores can be sued for millions for violating your rights like that.

[hollyquaiscer]

[anisa]

i haven't shopped at walmart as part of my weekly shopping for over 3 years, and i don't miss it at all!

i have been in there a few times for specific items, like coolant or underwear and the odd thing you might need late in the evening, and that is only if i happen to be driving by a walmart. maybe 6-7 visits in 3 yrs.

their service is horrendous. try waiting 30 minutes for a price check on yogurt. their lines are always excruciatingly long. i feel like i am being treated like cattle instead of like a paying customer.

[IRefuse_2_PayFullPrice]

Needless to say, even if they know you shoplift, as long as you're in their property and haven't leave the store, they still cannot confront you and accuse you of shoplifting.

WM have shrinkage loss (dented items, opened, damaged etc) $1000s tally. And at my location there are $30,000 loss so far this year. Shoplift tally is over $100K alone this year....They have a BIG security team who told us NOT to disclose them IF we see them. And as an employee, we are reward $100 WM GC if we report a person who shoplift and get prosecuted. I caught more employees shoplift than the customers itself .... once the employee is report, the security camera will ID the person and follow the person around, once they have enough evidence, they too will be confronted/prosecuted/terminated.

[tiffanyhungry]

I called walmart head office they apoligized for me and said that someone from head office will be in touch and not someone from this specific location but I receieved a missed call and voicemail from the assistant store manager here.... not impressed that they said I would speak with someone from head office and not from my store..

[CrazyQT]

CUSTOMER always right! You don't fight with a customer...

I disagree. A lot of times the customer is wrong (misinformed or didn't read the fine print etc) and so hot headed they don't even want to hear the explanation why they are wrong. Many times they just get pissed off and leave the store while mumbling to themselves. If I know a customer is wrong I will not give in to them. No way!

[CrazyQT]

I called walmart head office they apoligized for me and said that someone from head office will be in touch and not someone from this specific location but I receieved a missed call and voicemail from the assistant store manager here.... not impressed that they said I would speak with someone from head office and not from my store..

IMO it should be the store manager calling not someone from head office. If you are looking for an apology it most definitely should come from the store itself. Head office just forwarded the information to the store.

[FallenPixels]

I disagree. A lot of times the customer is wrong (misinformed or didn't read the fine print etc) and so hot headed they don't even want to hear the explanation why they are wrong. Many times they just get pissed off and leave the store while mumbling to themselves. If I know a customer is wrong I will not give in to them. No way!

You can not give in my saying if you look here the product doesn't match, or I am sorry but our policy is... and ask if they would like a manager to clarify or mediate but being rude is different

[CrazyQT]

You can not give in my saying if you look here the product doesn't match, or I am sorry but our policy is... and ask if they would like a manager to clarify or mediate but being rude is different

I should have stated I am the manager and this was after the cashier had called me because the customer did not want to hear what my cashier had to say.

[keeko1]

Wow. that's horrible.

[lammie]

Oh I really hope you don't actually volunteer for anyone to search your bag! It's illegal to even stop and search you if they only suspect you or are just trying to intimidate you. If anyone does this to you, demand the police be called to do the search, or better yet call them yourself and say you're being unlawfully detained. These stores can be sued for millions for violating your rights like that.

Apologies if this slightly hijacks the thread but I have been wondering about this stop-and-search procedure by security staff in grocery stores.

I've been stopped twice by the same security guard at a nofrills where I shop 2-3 times a week - once was just after a paid for the items not 10 feet away from him! Both times I've been asked to open my bag for him to inspect. Evidently they've received enough complaints from customers regarding this issue because the store has signs posted stating they have the RIGHT [in bold underlined block captials!] to search bags. I understand they have a job to do but it'd be extremely helpful to know the legality of this if it happens again.

So what are our exact legal rights as customers? If it is in fact illegal for the store to search bags, is there something in black and white we can refer/direct their attention to?

tiffany - sorry to hear about your terrible WM experience. It's definitely not one of my favourite places to shop!

[screamy]

Oh I really hope you don't actually volunteer for anyone to search your bag! It's illegal to even stop and search you if they only suspect you or are just trying to intimidate you. If anyone does this to you, demand the police be called to do the search, or better yet call them yourself and say you're being unlawfully detained. These stores can be sued for millions for violating your rights like that.

Oh, I know - I'm a law clerk and have worked with my local law enforcement agency for over a decade. They'd get the sharp edge of my tongue - and my lawyer's - if they *demanded* to see my bag. If they persisted, I'd just tell them to call and ask the staff sergeant to send over whoever wasn't too busy with real criminals at the time.

On top of it all, one of my sisters is a criminal lawyer - there would be hell to pay if they seriously pissed me off. But I had fun messing with the head of the square-badge who stopped me, it was hilarious. When you can quote the Criminal Code sections to them, it kind of takes the wind out of their sails.

[Mia001]

when i go shopping, sometimes i do multiple transactions and i never accounter a cashier who refuse to do so.....more, when there is a limitation for a 'on sale' item, i was even offered to do multiple transactions by the cashier.....
and sometimes i just go multiple times .....never had any problems....at WM and elsewhere...

and agreed, i don't think they have the right to ask you to check your bags in front of other customers...'cuz if they are wrong, you can sue them for damaging your reputation...right ?

didn't see, someone suggested the same.....

[Dinobuzz]

Sorry that happened....what I'd do is, when I first started shopping, find a CSM, explain your shopping plans with the intention of using coupons & doing 5 transactions....ask them, would it be better to do it all in the same visit, or should come back into the store 5 times......they probably say all in the same visit but 5 different transactions.... this way, they know what you're up to.

[Brooke_]

Very proud of you for sticking up for yourself while being bullied. Definitely take this up with a manager and if he doesn't care then speak to his manager. Good luck!