Dear Walmart:
I spend a fair amount of time inside your walls.
I see things. I listen to your employees. And I can’t help but notice how you do business.
Frankly, it disturbs me.
There aren’t many chains with a worse reputation than Walmart. In fact, I just spent the last 10 minutes trying to think of one example.
Nothing came to mind.
We all know about the shady (and sometimes unlawful) ways you treat your employees. Why do you do this? Maybe you’re just blissfully unaware. But, then again, maybe not. If we really get down to it, I think you’re more like the abusive guy who just doesn’t care about people. Words like kindness and empathy don’t seem to exist in your vocabulary. When someone walks into a Walmart, odds are, they won’t see many smiles.
Do you ever wonder why your clientele is “ghetto” with a capital G? Your main competitor (Target) doesn’t have this problem at all. Their shoppers are regular people, including doctors, lawyers, and college professors. Your consumers, on the other hand, are the stars of this infamous website.
Here’s the thing, Walmart…
You’ve been falling apart for a while. Everybody hates you, even the people who come to your stores. It’s time for you to make a decision. Would you prefer to keep decaying? Or do you want to see what could happen if you change your ways?
Let me give you the credit you don’t deserve. I’ll pretend you actually care about improvement, and give you some free advice…
My nerds come into your stores and don’t bother anyone. They stand in line, speak politely, and befriend the cashiers. They do nothing illegal. They cause no harm. All they want to do is handle their transactions and pay what they owe. In short, they are the perfect customers for you. By treating them well, you’d find yourself instantly improving. Look around for a minute. There aren’t many other people with dress shirts and college degrees in your aisles. My nerds are turning you into a (somewhat) respectable place.
Seems pretty simple, right? You’ve got a good thing happening. Why not embrace it?
Well, once again, this is why you’re Walmart.
Sigh.
Only you could find a way to screw this up.
I’ve gotten emails about you every single day for the last 2 months. It was already hard enough for nerds to enter your doors, but now you’re making it almost impossible. In an effort to drive business away, you’ve been limiting honest transactions at your Money Centers. In spite of this, I was still giving you credit until last night. But then came the final straw.
I was trying to pay my bill, when a supervisor rushed over intensely. He told my favorite cashier to limit me to 1 transaction. And then he stood directly behind her to watch, as if I were a criminal. I’d been hearing about these changes for weeks now. Apparently, Walmart, you’re on a mission to shut people down. It’s only a matter of time now. I just couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Your employee treated me like I was a robbing a bank. Keep in mind that I was paying my credit card bill.
Oh, and I’m far from a criminal. Where do I begin? I’m a working actor in Hollywood. In fact, I’ve had people approach me in this intense manner before…only it was because they recognized me from a TV show. I have a real estate business to help clients realize their dreams. I’ve been featured in publications like the Wall Street Journal. I’ve had numerous articles about me in the national media. I have this popular blog with thousands of readers. I associate with some of the world’s most well-known human beings.
And I’m an extremely honest person.
So, how should I feel about being treated this way in a Walmart? A grown man doing nothing wrong…nothing illegal…just trying to pay a bill.
Would you feel good about shopping at a store like that?
You seem hellbent on putting the clamps down.
On getting rid of good customers.
I can assure you this is the wrong move.
But you’re Walmart.
You make nothing but wrong moves.
