This situation blows my mind every time I am presented with such blatant rudeness out of an employee. This morning, I headed out to a Wal-Mart in Brevard, NC. I had to pick up a couple of simple things for my afternoon…2 gig SD card and some Energizer Lithium AAA batteries. Sounds easy right? This should be a simple, painless task no matter which Wal-Mart you visit in the continental United States…wrong! Why? Because the cashier that IS PAID to do her job decided that she didn’t really want to work this morning. It doesn’t matter that she being paid to be there and perform a service. She would rather continue blowing gigantic gum bubbles and pretend that you…the customer…is not even there!

Now…let me start this story with one very clear fact. I am an excellent customer. Why…you ask? I walk through the door of Wal-Mart knowing exactly what I need and exactly where to find it. I am not a customer that is filled with thousands of meaningless questions in the search of all-knowing knowledge. I am also not that customer that has all the answers and feels the need to educate the employees on my vast greatness of superior intellect. I am that simple customer that knows what he wants and would like to get in and out as quickly and easily as possible. In today’s instant gratification society…I don’t think that is too much to ask.

So here I am…you model customer that you wish and pray on a daily basis that there would be more of in this world…walking to the electronics department of Wal-Mart. I find my batteries in the freestanding battery stand (where they always are) and I head to the photo section for the memory card. This is where the whole experience starts.

Upon further inspection of the memory card placeholders, it was evident that this Wal-Mart kept the memory cards behind the photo counter. I politely handed the display card to the lady in the electronics section and asked if she could get one for me. Grabbing the card out of my hand with a loud exhale, this model employee blew a HUGE gum bubble, popped it and headed behind the counter. With a HUGE amount of attitude, she asked, “Are you sure this is the one you want?” No…I gave you the one I didn’t want just to quiz you to see if you could read my mind. Yes…that is the one I want! Why would I give it to you if it wasn’t?! Instead of losing my cool, I politely said “Yep…that’s the one.”

She basically throws the correct card in my hand and walks off. I then…when I should have just quit while I was behind…asked another truly invading, inappropriate question to this paid employee…”Can I check out right here?” Ah…that just ruined her morning. With a huge gasp she said…”Yes…I guess so.” She blows more HUGE bubbles and starts to check me out with my overload of two items. What happens after I use my card to check out that requires absolutely no effort on her end? The receipt prints out…and she just walks off…leaving my receipt hanging from the machine and my bag behind the counter. Are you serious??? I have to do this myself!

I don’t think I am asking too much of this attitude filled, PAID employee. Is it really too much to ask these days to expect people to do their job? Are we really to the point where it is a favor to the customer to do what is expected of you? If I was the manager of that Wal-Mart, I would consider that kind of action grounds for termination…