Wal-Mart Announces Tender Offer for Full Ownership of Seiyu, Its Japanese Subsidiary
BENTONVILLE, Ark. and TOKYO, Oct. 22 - So, It,s now confirm that Wal-Mart is leaving Japan. According to a statement today make by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., ("Wal-Mart") (NYSE: WMT) says, it will launch a tender offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of its Japanese subsidiary, The Seiyu, Ltd. ("Seiyu") (TSE: 8268), that it does not already own. The offer is being made with the endorsement of the Seiyu Board of Directors, which today passed a resolution of support.
The tender offer price is 140 yen per common share. This represents a
premium of 60.9% over the closing price on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on
October 19, and a premium of 34.6% over the average closing price for the
prior three months.
Wal-Mart currently owns 50.9% of Seiyu. The tender offer represents an
additional investment by Wal-Mart of up to 100 billion yen (approximately
$862 million).
"Today's announcement is a reaffirmation of our commitment to Japan,
the second largest economy in the world," said Mike Duke, Vice Chairman of
Wal- Mart Stores, Inc. "The Japanese retail market is of major strategic
importance to Wal-Mart, and our goal is to achieve long-term success and
growth in Japan."
"Full ownership by Wal-Mart is the best way for Seiyu and Wal-Mart to
accelerate the delivery of long-term benefits to our customers, the
communities we serve, our associates and our business partners," explained
Duke.
The tender offer will commence on October 23, 2007 and will be open for
30 business days, closing on December 4, 2007. Wal-Mart's minimum objective
through the tender offer is to achieve ownership of at least two thirds of
Seiyu's common shares. Following a successful tender offer, Wal-Mart
intends to take additional steps to acquire all of the remaining shares,
which would result in the delisting of Seiyu shares from the Tokyo Stock
Exchange.
Seiyu and Wal-Mart entered into an alliance in May 2002. Wal-Mart
became the majority owner of Seiyu at the end of 2005, and has since
committed substantial resources with the aim of improving Seiyu's corporate
value.
Both Seiyu and Wal-Mart now believe that it is in both companies' best
interests for Seiyu to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wal-Mart, to
ensure that Seiyu can benefit most fully from Wal-Mart's support.
"As a wholly-owned subsidiary, Seiyu will have increased flexibility to
invest in merchandising, store renovation, distribution and logistics,"
said Duke. "Our Japanese associates will benefit from these steps to
enhance the company's performance. In addition, this provides reassurance
to our business partners and increases confidence in Seiyu's strength and
future prospects.
Duke added, "Wal-Mart's mission of saving people money so they can live
better means that Seiyu can leverage Wal-Mart's global ability to offer
great value and pass those benefits on to our customers in Japan."
note---You can only laugh on these claims....
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
It,s All Desi Retailors
REI Agro opens retail stores in Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh- A leading rice producer REI Agro
Ltd today announced to enter into retail sector of Punjab,
Haryana and Chandigarh with the opening of 5 retail stores
"6Ten" here.
The company also plans to open 50 more stores in Punjab
and Haryana with an investment of Rs 50 crore within one year.
"Today, we are opening our 5 retail stores in Chandigarh,
Mohali and Panchkula to penetrate in these regions. We will
also open 50 more such stores during next one year in order to
strengthen our position here," REI Agro Ltd, Managing
Director, Sundip Jhunjhunwaala told reporters here today.
6Ten stores, opened on a lease format, will offer grocery
items, FMCG, fruits and vegetables and dairy products to the
customers.
Having so far opened 35 stores mainly in NCR, the company
plans to open these stores in Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar,
Amritsar and Rohtak soon. "With organised retailing growing at
more than 30 per cent, there is a huge untapped market for
these stores in India and we are targeting this space across
the states of Punjab and Haryana," he said.
The company has decided to procure fruits and vegetables
from several markets in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and
Chandigarh while staples such as pulses, flour, spices would
be procured from millers. Similarly, FMCG items would also be
sourced from companies for their retail venture, he said.
REI Agro Ltd, which plans to open 1500 such stores by
2011, would also set up flour milling facility, a processing
centre in north in order to feed its retails stores, he said.
REI Agro undertakes processes of procuring paddy to
drying, de-husking, milling and polishing, colour sorting,
grading, inspection, packing, branding, distribution and
retailing.
Chandigarh- A leading rice producer REI Agro
Ltd today announced to enter into retail sector of Punjab,
Haryana and Chandigarh with the opening of 5 retail stores
"6Ten" here.
The company also plans to open 50 more stores in Punjab
and Haryana with an investment of Rs 50 crore within one year.
"Today, we are opening our 5 retail stores in Chandigarh,
Mohali and Panchkula to penetrate in these regions. We will
also open 50 more such stores during next one year in order to
strengthen our position here," REI Agro Ltd, Managing
Director, Sundip Jhunjhunwaala told reporters here today.
6Ten stores, opened on a lease format, will offer grocery
items, FMCG, fruits and vegetables and dairy products to the
customers.
Having so far opened 35 stores mainly in NCR, the company
plans to open these stores in Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar,
Amritsar and Rohtak soon. "With organised retailing growing at
more than 30 per cent, there is a huge untapped market for
these stores in India and we are targeting this space across
the states of Punjab and Haryana," he said.
The company has decided to procure fruits and vegetables
from several markets in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and
Chandigarh while staples such as pulses, flour, spices would
be procured from millers. Similarly, FMCG items would also be
sourced from companies for their retail venture, he said.
REI Agro Ltd, which plans to open 1500 such stores by
2011, would also set up flour milling facility, a processing
centre in north in order to feed its retails stores, he said.
REI Agro undertakes processes of procuring paddy to
drying, de-husking, milling and polishing, colour sorting,
grading, inspection, packing, branding, distribution and
retailing.
Super, hypermarts to corner majority of investments: Study
New Delhi- The booming Indian retail sector,
which is expected to reach a size of USD 1,011 billion by
2017, will see supermarkets and hypermarkets cornering as much
as 66 per cent of the total investments, a study by marketing
consultancy firm Technopak has said.
According to the study, in the next three to five years
there could be increased rate of shakeout with only four
categories of 'survivors' emerging in the next 3-5 years.
Predicting a clear tilt in favour of large formats on the
investment front, the study said majority of investment in the
next 6-7 years is slated for hypermarket and supermarkets with
32 per cent share and 34 per cent respectively.
While warehouse, cash and carry will have 9 per cent
share, departmental stores -- 2 per cent and other formats
which include apparel, footwear, watches, furniture,
furnishing, toys will have 23 per cent share in the total
market, it added.
According to Technopak estimates, maximum action in the
Indian retail space is going to be in top 50-60 urban markets.
"In these markets there shall be rapid margin erosion for
those competing in mainstream formats like supermarkets and
hypermarkets, which may lead to pressure on the supplying
brands as well," the study said.
Predicting a rapid transformation in the next five years,
it said the share of organised sector in total retail will go
up from the present 4 per cent to 16 per cent in 2012 and to
28 per cent by 2017.
Forecasting consolidation, the study said in next five
years top seven players will have 31 per cent of the market
share in top 150 cities, while share of next 43 players will
be just about 8 per cent.
which is expected to reach a size of USD 1,011 billion by
2017, will see supermarkets and hypermarkets cornering as much
as 66 per cent of the total investments, a study by marketing
consultancy firm Technopak has said.
According to the study, in the next three to five years
there could be increased rate of shakeout with only four
categories of 'survivors' emerging in the next 3-5 years.
Predicting a clear tilt in favour of large formats on the
investment front, the study said majority of investment in the
next 6-7 years is slated for hypermarket and supermarkets with
32 per cent share and 34 per cent respectively.
While warehouse, cash and carry will have 9 per cent
share, departmental stores -- 2 per cent and other formats
which include apparel, footwear, watches, furniture,
furnishing, toys will have 23 per cent share in the total
market, it added.
According to Technopak estimates, maximum action in the
Indian retail space is going to be in top 50-60 urban markets.
"In these markets there shall be rapid margin erosion for
those competing in mainstream formats like supermarkets and
hypermarkets, which may lead to pressure on the supplying
brands as well," the study said.
Predicting a rapid transformation in the next five years,
it said the share of organised sector in total retail will go
up from the present 4 per cent to 16 per cent in 2012 and to
28 per cent by 2017.
Forecasting consolidation, the study said in next five
years top seven players will have 31 per cent of the market
share in top 150 cities, while share of next 43 players will
be just about 8 per cent.
More retailors are here...
Metro cash and carry in Punjab
Chandigarh- A German retail enterprise METRO Cash and Carry, is likely to pump Rs 900 crore to start its chain of distribution cum retail centres in Punjab.
The company is likely to start operation in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar in the first phase, followed by three more distribution centres at Mohali, Patiala and Bathinda in phase II.
While making a presentation to the Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal here today, Director (Development and
Expansion) of Metro Cash and Carry Erik Schmit said, the
company's operations would help the farmers of the state who
were facing difficulties due to the diminishing returns from
agriculture.
These ventures would result in creation of 2,700 jobs for
local youth and impart training in modern management
practises.
Besides sourcing vegetables, fruits and other fresh items
directly from local farmers, which would help eliminate the
middlemen, the company was also committed to supplement the
income of the farmers, said Chief Executive Officer of Metro
Cash and Carry (India) Martin.
The Chief Minister assured the delegation full support
and corporation on behalf of the state government.
He directed the Chief Secretary of state RI Singh to find
ways to finalise the formalities through a single-window
clearance facility and complete all formalities within a month
in consultation with other government departments.
Badal appreciated the company's initiative for setting up
these distribution centres that would provide over 18,000
items-both edible and non-edible to kirana stores, hotels and
restaurants in Punjab.
Chandigarh- A German retail enterprise METRO Cash and Carry, is likely to pump Rs 900 crore to start its chain of distribution cum retail centres in Punjab.
The company is likely to start operation in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar in the first phase, followed by three more distribution centres at Mohali, Patiala and Bathinda in phase II.
While making a presentation to the Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal here today, Director (Development and
Expansion) of Metro Cash and Carry Erik Schmit said, the
company's operations would help the farmers of the state who
were facing difficulties due to the diminishing returns from
agriculture.
These ventures would result in creation of 2,700 jobs for
local youth and impart training in modern management
practises.
Besides sourcing vegetables, fruits and other fresh items
directly from local farmers, which would help eliminate the
middlemen, the company was also committed to supplement the
income of the farmers, said Chief Executive Officer of Metro
Cash and Carry (India) Martin.
The Chief Minister assured the delegation full support
and corporation on behalf of the state government.
He directed the Chief Secretary of state RI Singh to find
ways to finalise the formalities through a single-window
clearance facility and complete all formalities within a month
in consultation with other government departments.
Badal appreciated the company's initiative for setting up
these distribution centres that would provide over 18,000
items-both edible and non-edible to kirana stores, hotels and
restaurants in Punjab.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Spencer's stores too faces problem in India
The Mayawati government of Uttar Pradesh state in India had ordered the Spencer stores to be closed fearing a law and order problem after a group of traders led by an opposition lawmaker attacked the outlets on Wednesday.
While Chief Minister Mayawati said that the decision to close the stores were taken by the district administrations of Lucknow and Varanasi, state officials said that it could be extended to other parts as well.
Ten Reliance Fresh food stores in Lucknow were among the outlets that were asked to shut shop, pending a report by an official committee set up by the state government.
The committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh is expected to submit its report in a month.
In the meanwhile RPG group, which owns the Spencer's retail brand, today said its outlets are operational in Uttar Pradesh, where the government has ordered closure of all corporate-run food stores.
"We have not seen any official communique from the state government. The stores were operational yesterday and till now," RPG Vice Chairman Sanjiv Goenka told reporters on the sidelines of RPG Cellucom store launch in Calcutta.
While Chief Minister Mayawati said that the decision to close the stores were taken by the district administrations of Lucknow and Varanasi, state officials said that it could be extended to other parts as well.
Ten Reliance Fresh food stores in Lucknow were among the outlets that were asked to shut shop, pending a report by an official committee set up by the state government.
The committee headed by Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh is expected to submit its report in a month.
In the meanwhile RPG group, which owns the Spencer's retail brand, today said its outlets are operational in Uttar Pradesh, where the government has ordered closure of all corporate-run food stores.
"We have not seen any official communique from the state government. The stores were operational yesterday and till now," RPG Vice Chairman Sanjiv Goenka told reporters on the sidelines of RPG Cellucom store launch in Calcutta.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Bharti, Wal-Mart to float JV in front-end retail 'if allowed'
Walmart,s Indian Partner Bharti Enterprises has reservations about Walmart,s working. Bharti Enterprises feels that Walmart failed several places in world. But still they they are going for 50:50 jv with Walmart in India.
Here Full story of Bharti Enterprises announcement on Tuesday 21-8-2007 in New Delhi.
Bharti Enterprises said the two would form a 50:50 partnership for front-end
retail if allowed by the government.
"The issue is FDI in retail is not allowed (for multi brand). In the event FDI is opened up to 100 per cent, there will be a 50:50 joint venture for front-end retail,"
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of the CII Marketing Summit here.
He said the partnership would largely depend on the government policy. "If the government allows only 26 per cent FDI, then Wal-Mart will have only 26 per cent."
Asked if Wal-Mart would choose to go alone in case the FDI norms were completely relaxed, he said Bharti was a partner of choice for the US-based retailer.
"Wal-Mart failed in Korea and Germany, while they are struggling in Japan and relatively doing well in China. They do recognise the need for a local partner," he added.
Bharti and Wal-Mart had announced a 50:50 joint venture for wholesale cash-and-carry business on August 6 to serve small kirana stores besides other big retailers.
Bharti and Wal-Mart would hold equal stake in the joint venture and would focus on setting up supply chain and back-end logistics infrastructure.
The joint-venture's first wholesale store is expected to be opened by the end of 2008, Wal-Mart India President (Operations) Raj Jain had said. "Over the next seven years, we are planning to open 10-15 wholesale Cash-and-Carry facilities
throughout the country," he added.
Here Full story of Bharti Enterprises announcement on Tuesday 21-8-2007 in New Delhi.
Bharti Enterprises said the two would form a 50:50 partnership for front-end
retail if allowed by the government.
"The issue is FDI in retail is not allowed (for multi brand). In the event FDI is opened up to 100 per cent, there will be a 50:50 joint venture for front-end retail,"
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of the CII Marketing Summit here.
He said the partnership would largely depend on the government policy. "If the government allows only 26 per cent FDI, then Wal-Mart will have only 26 per cent."
Asked if Wal-Mart would choose to go alone in case the FDI norms were completely relaxed, he said Bharti was a partner of choice for the US-based retailer.
"Wal-Mart failed in Korea and Germany, while they are struggling in Japan and relatively doing well in China. They do recognise the need for a local partner," he added.
Bharti and Wal-Mart had announced a 50:50 joint venture for wholesale cash-and-carry business on August 6 to serve small kirana stores besides other big retailers.
Bharti and Wal-Mart would hold equal stake in the joint venture and would focus on setting up supply chain and back-end logistics infrastructure.
The joint-venture's first wholesale store is expected to be opened by the end of 2008, Wal-Mart India President (Operations) Raj Jain had said. "Over the next seven years, we are planning to open 10-15 wholesale Cash-and-Carry facilities
throughout the country," he added.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
WALMART WATCH : What Americans feels about this Big Retailor
As Posted at WALMART WATCH
Woman Files Beef Lawsuit Against Tyson & Wal-Mart
7/5/2007 6:55:00 AM
Woman Files Beef Lawsuit Against Tyson & Wal-Mart
A Muskogee, Okla., woman is filing a lawsuit against Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods Inc. alleging hamburger meat she purchased made her sick, according to a local media report.
KOTV in Tulsa said Melinda Pierce filed the complaint after she had bought some Tyson hamburger meat at the Muskogee, Okla., Wal-Mart on June 4, ate it and fell.
Last month, Tyson foods voluntarily recalled packages of ground beef made in its Sherman, Texas, plant on June 2nd and sent to Wal-Mart stores in 12 states, including Oklahoma. (See E. coli concerns prompt United Food Group recall to top 5 million pounds, new ground beef recall on Meatingplace.com, June 11, 2007.)
Tyson foods spokesman Gary Mickelson told Meatingplace.com the company has not been contacted nor have they seen the lawsuit. "If she contacts us, we certainly will be glad to look into it," he said.
Wal-Mart told KOTV it has not seen the lawsuit, but that food safety is a priority.
Source: Janie Gabbett on 7/5/2007 for Meatingplace.com
Post your comments or email yusuf.kirmani@medianowonline.com
Attorney: Wal-Mart Collected On Deaths
By ELAINE SILVESTRINI The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jul 3, 2007
TAMPA - When Karen Armatrout died in 1997, her employer, Wal-Mart, collected thousands of dollars on a life insurance policy the retail giant had taken out without telling her, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.
Armatrout was one of about 350,000 employees Wal-Mart secretly insured nationwide, said Texas attorney Michael D. Myers, who estimated the company collected on 75 to 100 policies involving Florida employees who died.
Myers is seeking to make the Armatrout lawsuit a class-action case on behalf of the estates of all the Florida employees who died while unwittingly insured by Wal-Mart.
"Creepy's a good word for it," Myers said. "If you ask the executives that decided to buy these policies and the insurance companies that sold them, they would say this was designed to create tax benefits for the company, which would use the benefits for benevolent purposes such as buying employee medical benefits.
"If you asked me, I would say they did it to make more money."
Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley said he could not comment because the company has not been served with the lawsuit.
The company settled two lawsuits with employees represented by Myers in Texas and Oklahoma, one for about $10 million and one for about $5 million. He said Karen Armatrout came to his attention when Wal-Mart mistakenly gave her husband's phone number to an Oklahoman who called the retailer inquiring about the settlement.
Myers said he also has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart in Louisiana.
Payouts Up To $80,000
Richard Armatrout, who is retired, does not want to speak publicly about his case, Myers said. Armatrout did not respond to a message left by the Tribune.
Karen Armatrout was 50 when she died of cancer, said Myers, who said she had worked several years in the pharmacy of the store on West Waters Avenue.
Myers said the policy payouts ranged from $50,000 to $80,000, depending on the person's age and gender. They were taken out on all full-time Wal-Mart employees who, in December 1993, were between ages 18 and 70 and participated in the medical benefits plan.
He said the company stopped taking out the policies in 1995 but continued to receive payouts on employees who died, even those who had left Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart, which said it canceled its policies in early 2000 because it was losing money on the arrangement, says the program was intended to reduce its income taxes to help pay rising employee health care costs. Workers were notified and given the opportunity to opt out, the company said.
The Armatrout lawsuit says the policies were all written in Georgia, where the laws allowed such policies to be obtained.
The lawsuit says Wal-Mart used confidential information it received from employees for use in their employment, such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth, to obtain the life insurance policies.
Myers said this corporate practice is not uncommon. He estimates that up to 25 percent of Fortune 500 companies have taken out such policies on employees. The vast majority of the time, the employees didn't know, Myers said.
The practice evolved over time, Myers said. Corporations started by taking out large life insurance policies on key executives, getting tax breaks when they paid the premiums and collecting the payouts.
IRS Not Pleased, Attorney Says
The amounts of those policies grew to the point that Congress limited how much a company could insure an individual for, Myers said. Insurance companies then suggested buying lots of small policies on companies' work forces, the attorney said. He said the Internal Revenue Service has labeled the practice a sham and has successfully litigated the issue against several corporations.
Myers said his law firm has sued corporations for the practice, including Winn-Dixie and Fina Oil and Chemical. The latest case is its first in Florida.
The practice spread beyond top executives in the 1980s when the industry successfully lobbied states to allow employers to claim an "insurable interest" in the lives of rank-and-file workers.
Many employers seized on the practice because they could borrow against the policies, and the interest paid was tax-deductible. Congress closed that loophole in 1996, but COLI - corporate owned life insurance - remained a popular investment strategy.
The chief appeal was that interest accrues over time on the money in such policies. When a worker dies, the employer collects without paying taxes on the gain.
In 2001, premiums on such policies swelled to $2.8 billion from $1.5 billion the year before, according to a report by CAST Management Consultants of Los Angeles.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.
Post your comments or email yusuf.kirmani@medianowonline.com
Husband files 'dead peasant' suit against Wal-Mart for collecting insurance in spouse's deathBy Emanuella Grinberg
Court TV
When Karen Armatrout died of cancer in 1997, her husband, Richard, collected a modest amount in life insurance benefits from her employer, Wal-Mart.
But Armatrout claims that, unbeknownst to him, Wal-Mart also collected on a life insurance policy, one the company took out on Karen Armatrout years before without her knowledge.
This week, Armatrout filed a class-action complaint seeking what his lawyers estimate might be $80,000 in benefits that Wal-Mart supposedly collected "in bad faith" on a corporate-owned life insurance policy.
Armatrout's "dead peasant" suit, filed Wednesday in Tampa, Fla.'s U.S. District Court, accuses Wal-Mart ofmaking money off her death without having a valid claim to her estate.
Typically, such a stake, known as an "insurable interest," is reserved for individuals so closely connected to the person insured that he or she would suffer significant financial damage if the person died.
The complaint also charges that the Arkansas-based corporation misappropriated Karen Armatrout's name and personal information for the purposes of taking out the policy.
"Wal-Mart and the insurers used employees' private information to buy and sell policies," Armatrout's Texas attorney, Mike D. Myers, told CourtTVnews.com. "As matter of public policy, Wal-Mart should not be permitted to keep the policy's benefits because it did not have the necessary insurable interest in the lives of its rank-and-file employees to warrant being a beneficiary."
From 1993 to 1998, Wal-Mart was not alone in reaping the tax benefits associated with corporate-owned life insurance, which came to be known by critics as "dead peasant" insurance, based on a character in Nikolai Gogol's "Dead Souls" who buys up the contracts of recently deceased serfs.
Lawyers for Armatrout, who say that Wal-Mart took out such policies on 350,000 "rank and file" employees like Karen Armatrout during that time, have also participated in lawsuits against Golden Corral, Winn Dixie and Camelot Music.
The attorneys, who have brought three identical lawsuits against Wal-Mart in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, say the company made use of favorable tax regulations in Georgia, which allowed the company to take out corporate-owned life insurance policies without the employees' knowledge.
Wal-Mart settled the suits in Texas and Oklahoma, where the company paid back 100 percent of the benefits, amounting to just over $5 million.
Along with Armatrout's case in Florida, another suit is pending in Louisiana.
In the previous cases, Wal-Mart attempted to argue that Georgia law applied because that was where the policies were purchased and paid out. But the courts found that the proper venue for deciding whether Wal-Mart had an insurable interest was thedeceased's state of residence.
Only six states, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, allow companies to take out life insurance policies on their employees without notifying them. Most states have laws requiring that companies advise their employees and seek their consent before purchasing the policies.
Myers says he is hopeful that the precedents set in the other cases bode well for the Florida case, where he is seeking class-action certification for an estimated 80 plaintiffs in addition to Armatrout.
"I'd rather be where we are now rather than after losing three in a row," Myers said.
Representatives for Wal-Mart did not return calls for comment.
Post your comments or email yusuf.kirmani@medianowonline.com
Area woman sues Wal-Mart, claims false detainment
By Dustin Lemmon Wednesday, June 27, 2007
An Illinois City woman filed suit this week against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. over a June 2005 incident in which she allegedly suffered a seizure while being detained by store security.
The suit, seeking nearly $800,000 in damages, was filed in Rock Island County Circuit Court by Lindsay Castellano, 21, who also faces a misdemeanor retail theft charge under her maiden name in connection with the incident.
Castellano, who is hypoglycemic, had just purchased $116 worth of groceries at the Moline store on June 26, 2005, when she started feeling woozy and rushed outside to get some juice or candy she kept in her car in case of emergency, the suit stated.
Before she could reach her vehicle, Castellano was stopped by a store security guard, who grabbed her arm and physically prevented her from reaching the vehicle, the suit stated. The suit did not explain exactly why the guard stopped her.
A year later in July 2006, Castellano was charged under her maiden name, Lindsay Doyle, with a misdemeanor count of retail theft in Rock Island County Circuit Court and accused of stealing cosmetics, medication, underwear and sunglasses at Wal-Mart on June 26, 2005.
A Moline police report filed in court claimed the case “fell between the cracks” after store security and police failed to follow up and was brought back to their attention after learning Castellano planned to sue the store.
Castellano did not appear for an August 2006 court hearing and the case is still pending, court officials said. The Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday there is still a warrant out for Castellano’s arrest for failing to appear.
John Simley, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said the company had not been served with a copy of the suit as of Tuesday and he could not comment on something they had not seen.
In the suit, Castellano claimed she explained her emergency to the guard, who still would not allow her to retrieve the juice or candy from her car. Castellano was forced back into the store at 3930 44th Avenue Drive, where about 30 seconds later, she suffered a seizure, the suit added.
After recovering “to an extent” from the seizure, Castellano was taken to a closed private room where she was asked questions and had her property searched, the suit claimed, adding she was then arrested for theft.
According to the report filed with the misdemeanor case, a store security guard watched Castellano starting at 9:45 a.m. and saw her remove tags and remove some items from store packages before placing them in her purse.
Castellano paid $100 for groceries but had another $100 worth of merchandise in her purse, the report claimed.
Castellano was offered treatment from paramedics with the Moline Fire Department and declined, the report added.
After Castellano was questioned, the items were returned to the store and she received credit on her debit card for the items she purchased, the report stated, adding she was then taken to the Rock Island County Jail where she posted bond.
The lawsuit contained multiple counts against Wal-Mart including battery, assault, false imprisonment, false arrest, conversion, harassment, negligent supervision and general negligence. Each count asks for a specific dollar amount in compensation, all totalling $778,800.
She also seeks $150 for the contents of her purse, which she claims the store seized.
The 2005 incident happened within a week of Castellano’s marriage, which she was unable to fully appreciate because of the emotional distress she was suffering at the time, the suit added.
A hearing for the lawsuit is set for Sept. 20.
Dustin Lemmon can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or dlemmon@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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Disabled Man Denied Access to Wal-Mart's Electric Wheelchair
Roanoke Rapids — A disabled veteran from Halifax County said he was twice denied access to an electronic wheelchair at a Wal-Mart in Roanoke Rapids recently.
Thomas Young lost his leg to diabetes six months ago. He has been adjusting to life without it. Simple things like shopping at Wal-Mart can be difficult, Young said, but nothing prepared him for what happened at the store Sunday.
“I just come up here on Father’s Day to get a few things, do a favor for the wife,” Young said. “The grandson had come along, and I sent the grandson in to pick up the electric cart.”
Young’s grandson, Zach Shumaker, said when he went to retrieve the cart and bring it to his grandfather, store officials told him it was against store policy.
Young said his wife then called the store manager, who apologized and said that was just not true. The manager said Young could come back anytime and get a cart.
After the apology, Young and his grandson returned to Wal-Mart the next day. When Shumaker tried again to take the cart to his grandfather, store officials told him he was not able to get the cart past the pylons, Young said.
A Wal-Mart spokesperson said the scooters are there to help people like Young, but the rule is that they can leave the store only if accompanied by store personnel. Company officials said they are looking into why that didn’t happen in this case.
“I thought they should have made at least the manager come out to the truck and talk to me while I was still sitting in the vehicle,” Young said. “It would have made it much easier to swallow.”
Young said he is writing a letter to Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters, but said he has no intentions of filing a lawsuit.
The company apologized again Thursday and said it’s their goal to provide a motorized cart for everyone who needs one.
Post your comments or email yusuf.kirmani@medianowonline.com
Ex-worker files suit against Wal-Mart
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Saturday, September 30, 2006
A Fayetteville woman filed a federal lawsuit Friday against her former employer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., over claims that supervisors failed to meet her medical needs during a problematic pregnancy.
The lawsuit, filed in U. S. District Court in Fayetteville, claims Maggie Collins’ former bosses told her she could not use a stool at work because “it did not look good.”
Collins, who had worked for the company since July 2004, suffered a miscarriage in 2005 and was having problems with a second pregnancy when she asked her boss if she could sit on a stool do to her work. She was a customer service manager at Wal-Mart Store No. 144 in Fayetteville.
“Ms. Collins was told that she could either stand and work or leave,” attorney Judith Rebecca Pratt Hass wrote in the lawsuit.
Collins quit her job in late 2005 “rather than endanger the health and life of her unborn child,” the court filing said.
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Woman Files Beef Lawsuit Against Tyson & Wal-Mart
7/5/2007 6:55:00 AM
Woman Files Beef Lawsuit Against Tyson & Wal-Mart
A Muskogee, Okla., woman is filing a lawsuit against Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods Inc. alleging hamburger meat she purchased made her sick, according to a local media report.
KOTV in Tulsa said Melinda Pierce filed the complaint after she had bought some Tyson hamburger meat at the Muskogee, Okla., Wal-Mart on June 4, ate it and fell.
Last month, Tyson foods voluntarily recalled packages of ground beef made in its Sherman, Texas, plant on June 2nd and sent to Wal-Mart stores in 12 states, including Oklahoma. (See E. coli concerns prompt United Food Group recall to top 5 million pounds, new ground beef recall on Meatingplace.com, June 11, 2007.)
Tyson foods spokesman Gary Mickelson told Meatingplace.com the company has not been contacted nor have they seen the lawsuit. "If she contacts us, we certainly will be glad to look into it," he said.
Wal-Mart told KOTV it has not seen the lawsuit, but that food safety is a priority.
Source: Janie Gabbett on 7/5/2007 for Meatingplace.com
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Attorney: Wal-Mart Collected On Deaths
By ELAINE SILVESTRINI The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jul 3, 2007
TAMPA - When Karen Armatrout died in 1997, her employer, Wal-Mart, collected thousands of dollars on a life insurance policy the retail giant had taken out without telling her, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.
Armatrout was one of about 350,000 employees Wal-Mart secretly insured nationwide, said Texas attorney Michael D. Myers, who estimated the company collected on 75 to 100 policies involving Florida employees who died.
Myers is seeking to make the Armatrout lawsuit a class-action case on behalf of the estates of all the Florida employees who died while unwittingly insured by Wal-Mart.
"Creepy's a good word for it," Myers said. "If you ask the executives that decided to buy these policies and the insurance companies that sold them, they would say this was designed to create tax benefits for the company, which would use the benefits for benevolent purposes such as buying employee medical benefits.
"If you asked me, I would say they did it to make more money."
Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley said he could not comment because the company has not been served with the lawsuit.
The company settled two lawsuits with employees represented by Myers in Texas and Oklahoma, one for about $10 million and one for about $5 million. He said Karen Armatrout came to his attention when Wal-Mart mistakenly gave her husband's phone number to an Oklahoman who called the retailer inquiring about the settlement.
Myers said he also has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart in Louisiana.
Payouts Up To $80,000
Richard Armatrout, who is retired, does not want to speak publicly about his case, Myers said. Armatrout did not respond to a message left by the Tribune.
Karen Armatrout was 50 when she died of cancer, said Myers, who said she had worked several years in the pharmacy of the store on West Waters Avenue.
Myers said the policy payouts ranged from $50,000 to $80,000, depending on the person's age and gender. They were taken out on all full-time Wal-Mart employees who, in December 1993, were between ages 18 and 70 and participated in the medical benefits plan.
He said the company stopped taking out the policies in 1995 but continued to receive payouts on employees who died, even those who had left Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart, which said it canceled its policies in early 2000 because it was losing money on the arrangement, says the program was intended to reduce its income taxes to help pay rising employee health care costs. Workers were notified and given the opportunity to opt out, the company said.
The Armatrout lawsuit says the policies were all written in Georgia, where the laws allowed such policies to be obtained.
The lawsuit says Wal-Mart used confidential information it received from employees for use in their employment, such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth, to obtain the life insurance policies.
Myers said this corporate practice is not uncommon. He estimates that up to 25 percent of Fortune 500 companies have taken out such policies on employees. The vast majority of the time, the employees didn't know, Myers said.
The practice evolved over time, Myers said. Corporations started by taking out large life insurance policies on key executives, getting tax breaks when they paid the premiums and collecting the payouts.
IRS Not Pleased, Attorney Says
The amounts of those policies grew to the point that Congress limited how much a company could insure an individual for, Myers said. Insurance companies then suggested buying lots of small policies on companies' work forces, the attorney said. He said the Internal Revenue Service has labeled the practice a sham and has successfully litigated the issue against several corporations.
Myers said his law firm has sued corporations for the practice, including Winn-Dixie and Fina Oil and Chemical. The latest case is its first in Florida.
The practice spread beyond top executives in the 1980s when the industry successfully lobbied states to allow employers to claim an "insurable interest" in the lives of rank-and-file workers.
Many employers seized on the practice because they could borrow against the policies, and the interest paid was tax-deductible. Congress closed that loophole in 1996, but COLI - corporate owned life insurance - remained a popular investment strategy.
The chief appeal was that interest accrues over time on the money in such policies. When a worker dies, the employer collects without paying taxes on the gain.
In 2001, premiums on such policies swelled to $2.8 billion from $1.5 billion the year before, according to a report by CAST Management Consultants of Los Angeles.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.
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Husband files 'dead peasant' suit against Wal-Mart for collecting insurance in spouse's deathBy Emanuella Grinberg
Court TV
When Karen Armatrout died of cancer in 1997, her husband, Richard, collected a modest amount in life insurance benefits from her employer, Wal-Mart.
But Armatrout claims that, unbeknownst to him, Wal-Mart also collected on a life insurance policy, one the company took out on Karen Armatrout years before without her knowledge.
This week, Armatrout filed a class-action complaint seeking what his lawyers estimate might be $80,000 in benefits that Wal-Mart supposedly collected "in bad faith" on a corporate-owned life insurance policy.
Armatrout's "dead peasant" suit, filed Wednesday in Tampa, Fla.'s U.S. District Court, accuses Wal-Mart ofmaking money off her death without having a valid claim to her estate.
Typically, such a stake, known as an "insurable interest," is reserved for individuals so closely connected to the person insured that he or she would suffer significant financial damage if the person died.
The complaint also charges that the Arkansas-based corporation misappropriated Karen Armatrout's name and personal information for the purposes of taking out the policy.
"Wal-Mart and the insurers used employees' private information to buy and sell policies," Armatrout's Texas attorney, Mike D. Myers, told CourtTVnews.com. "As matter of public policy, Wal-Mart should not be permitted to keep the policy's benefits because it did not have the necessary insurable interest in the lives of its rank-and-file employees to warrant being a beneficiary."
From 1993 to 1998, Wal-Mart was not alone in reaping the tax benefits associated with corporate-owned life insurance, which came to be known by critics as "dead peasant" insurance, based on a character in Nikolai Gogol's "Dead Souls" who buys up the contracts of recently deceased serfs.
Lawyers for Armatrout, who say that Wal-Mart took out such policies on 350,000 "rank and file" employees like Karen Armatrout during that time, have also participated in lawsuits against Golden Corral, Winn Dixie and Camelot Music.
The attorneys, who have brought three identical lawsuits against Wal-Mart in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, say the company made use of favorable tax regulations in Georgia, which allowed the company to take out corporate-owned life insurance policies without the employees' knowledge.
Wal-Mart settled the suits in Texas and Oklahoma, where the company paid back 100 percent of the benefits, amounting to just over $5 million.
Along with Armatrout's case in Florida, another suit is pending in Louisiana.
In the previous cases, Wal-Mart attempted to argue that Georgia law applied because that was where the policies were purchased and paid out. But the courts found that the proper venue for deciding whether Wal-Mart had an insurable interest was thedeceased's state of residence.
Only six states, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, allow companies to take out life insurance policies on their employees without notifying them. Most states have laws requiring that companies advise their employees and seek their consent before purchasing the policies.
Myers says he is hopeful that the precedents set in the other cases bode well for the Florida case, where he is seeking class-action certification for an estimated 80 plaintiffs in addition to Armatrout.
"I'd rather be where we are now rather than after losing three in a row," Myers said.
Representatives for Wal-Mart did not return calls for comment.
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Area woman sues Wal-Mart, claims false detainment
By Dustin Lemmon Wednesday, June 27, 2007
An Illinois City woman filed suit this week against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. over a June 2005 incident in which she allegedly suffered a seizure while being detained by store security.
The suit, seeking nearly $800,000 in damages, was filed in Rock Island County Circuit Court by Lindsay Castellano, 21, who also faces a misdemeanor retail theft charge under her maiden name in connection with the incident.
Castellano, who is hypoglycemic, had just purchased $116 worth of groceries at the Moline store on June 26, 2005, when she started feeling woozy and rushed outside to get some juice or candy she kept in her car in case of emergency, the suit stated.
Before she could reach her vehicle, Castellano was stopped by a store security guard, who grabbed her arm and physically prevented her from reaching the vehicle, the suit stated. The suit did not explain exactly why the guard stopped her.
A year later in July 2006, Castellano was charged under her maiden name, Lindsay Doyle, with a misdemeanor count of retail theft in Rock Island County Circuit Court and accused of stealing cosmetics, medication, underwear and sunglasses at Wal-Mart on June 26, 2005.
A Moline police report filed in court claimed the case “fell between the cracks” after store security and police failed to follow up and was brought back to their attention after learning Castellano planned to sue the store.
Castellano did not appear for an August 2006 court hearing and the case is still pending, court officials said. The Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday there is still a warrant out for Castellano’s arrest for failing to appear.
John Simley, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said the company had not been served with a copy of the suit as of Tuesday and he could not comment on something they had not seen.
In the suit, Castellano claimed she explained her emergency to the guard, who still would not allow her to retrieve the juice or candy from her car. Castellano was forced back into the store at 3930 44th Avenue Drive, where about 30 seconds later, she suffered a seizure, the suit added.
After recovering “to an extent” from the seizure, Castellano was taken to a closed private room where she was asked questions and had her property searched, the suit claimed, adding she was then arrested for theft.
According to the report filed with the misdemeanor case, a store security guard watched Castellano starting at 9:45 a.m. and saw her remove tags and remove some items from store packages before placing them in her purse.
Castellano paid $100 for groceries but had another $100 worth of merchandise in her purse, the report claimed.
Castellano was offered treatment from paramedics with the Moline Fire Department and declined, the report added.
After Castellano was questioned, the items were returned to the store and she received credit on her debit card for the items she purchased, the report stated, adding she was then taken to the Rock Island County Jail where she posted bond.
The lawsuit contained multiple counts against Wal-Mart including battery, assault, false imprisonment, false arrest, conversion, harassment, negligent supervision and general negligence. Each count asks for a specific dollar amount in compensation, all totalling $778,800.
She also seeks $150 for the contents of her purse, which she claims the store seized.
The 2005 incident happened within a week of Castellano’s marriage, which she was unable to fully appreciate because of the emotional distress she was suffering at the time, the suit added.
A hearing for the lawsuit is set for Sept. 20.
Dustin Lemmon can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or dlemmon@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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Disabled Man Denied Access to Wal-Mart's Electric Wheelchair
Roanoke Rapids — A disabled veteran from Halifax County said he was twice denied access to an electronic wheelchair at a Wal-Mart in Roanoke Rapids recently.
Thomas Young lost his leg to diabetes six months ago. He has been adjusting to life without it. Simple things like shopping at Wal-Mart can be difficult, Young said, but nothing prepared him for what happened at the store Sunday.
“I just come up here on Father’s Day to get a few things, do a favor for the wife,” Young said. “The grandson had come along, and I sent the grandson in to pick up the electric cart.”
Young’s grandson, Zach Shumaker, said when he went to retrieve the cart and bring it to his grandfather, store officials told him it was against store policy.
Young said his wife then called the store manager, who apologized and said that was just not true. The manager said Young could come back anytime and get a cart.
After the apology, Young and his grandson returned to Wal-Mart the next day. When Shumaker tried again to take the cart to his grandfather, store officials told him he was not able to get the cart past the pylons, Young said.
A Wal-Mart spokesperson said the scooters are there to help people like Young, but the rule is that they can leave the store only if accompanied by store personnel. Company officials said they are looking into why that didn’t happen in this case.
“I thought they should have made at least the manager come out to the truck and talk to me while I was still sitting in the vehicle,” Young said. “It would have made it much easier to swallow.”
Young said he is writing a letter to Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters, but said he has no intentions of filing a lawsuit.
The company apologized again Thursday and said it’s their goal to provide a motorized cart for everyone who needs one.
Post your comments or email yusuf.kirmani@medianowonline.com
Ex-worker files suit against Wal-Mart
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Saturday, September 30, 2006
A Fayetteville woman filed a federal lawsuit Friday against her former employer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., over claims that supervisors failed to meet her medical needs during a problematic pregnancy.
The lawsuit, filed in U. S. District Court in Fayetteville, claims Maggie Collins’ former bosses told her she could not use a stool at work because “it did not look good.”
Collins, who had worked for the company since July 2004, suffered a miscarriage in 2005 and was having problems with a second pregnancy when she asked her boss if she could sit on a stool do to her work. She was a customer service manager at Wal-Mart Store No. 144 in Fayetteville.
“Ms. Collins was told that she could either stand and work or leave,” attorney Judith Rebecca Pratt Hass wrote in the lawsuit.
Collins quit her job in late 2005 “rather than endanger the health and life of her unborn child,” the court filing said.
Post your comments or email yusuf.kirmani@medianowonline.com
Thursday, August 9, 2007
What Americans say in their blog posting about entry of Walmart in India
We are reproducing some comments about Walmart India at arktimes.com a popular website among Americans. Americans are concern that Walmart now send cheap Indian Products to their Markets. How they see Indian Products you just read and think. Your comments are welcome.....
Posted by Max Brantley on August 6, 2007 09:07 AM |
Comments
Hmmm ... I just talked to some Indians who believe that the real growth potential in this setup is what it will do for WalMart and Mittal in the US.
(Oh yeah, and what it will probably do to the US.)
Their reaction was that there are billions of dollars worth of counterfeit US brands being produced in India at prices below what it costs the Chinese to pirate the same items. But the Indian market can't absorb what the Indians produce, so India is looking elsewhere for markets.
The Chinese haven't been buying the cheap Indian knockoffs, and they will protect against more foreign goods going into China.
The US, however, will welcome the cheap India-made knockoffs, because WalMart can import it cheaper than they can get it from their Chinese suppliers. So WalMart will lever their costs down in the same way old Mr.Sam did while he was destroying US manufacturers.
The Indians I talked with said to watch for more India-made counterfeits and rebranded knockoffs -- poorer quality than we've come to expect from our beloved China-made junk.
Posted by: Ecce! Spiro et Spero. | August 6, 2007 10:30 AM
Thanks Ecce. The race to the bottom gets pretty simple. "Home of lower standards. Always!"
Posted by: Lwood | August 6, 2007 01:12 PM
But wait. Maybe Wally can introduce some of the thousands of hemp products which India produces. They should go over with a bhang
Posted by: Lwood | August 6, 2007 03:13 PM
Really, Lwood? Hemp products? Sounds good.
Posted by: rablib | August 7, 2007 02:42 AM
Posted by Max Brantley on August 6, 2007 09:07 AM |
Comments
Hmmm ... I just talked to some Indians who believe that the real growth potential in this setup is what it will do for WalMart and Mittal in the US.
(Oh yeah, and what it will probably do to the US.)
Their reaction was that there are billions of dollars worth of counterfeit US brands being produced in India at prices below what it costs the Chinese to pirate the same items. But the Indian market can't absorb what the Indians produce, so India is looking elsewhere for markets.
The Chinese haven't been buying the cheap Indian knockoffs, and they will protect against more foreign goods going into China.
The US, however, will welcome the cheap India-made knockoffs, because WalMart can import it cheaper than they can get it from their Chinese suppliers. So WalMart will lever their costs down in the same way old Mr.Sam did while he was destroying US manufacturers.
The Indians I talked with said to watch for more India-made counterfeits and rebranded knockoffs -- poorer quality than we've come to expect from our beloved China-made junk.
Posted by: Ecce! Spiro et Spero. | August 6, 2007 10:30 AM
Thanks Ecce. The race to the bottom gets pretty simple. "Home of lower standards. Always!"
Posted by: Lwood | August 6, 2007 01:12 PM
But wait. Maybe Wally can introduce some of the thousands of hemp products which India produces. They should go over with a bhang
Posted by: Lwood | August 6, 2007 03:13 PM
Really, Lwood? Hemp products? Sounds good.
Posted by: rablib | August 7, 2007 02:42 AM
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Newtone has send this- Please read it
WE recieved a comment from Newtone for this Blog and in his comment he send a article of a lady about Walmart USA. She has written it in INSIDE. Please have a look on this...
Wal-Mart or Wal-Bad?
by MarÃa L. Trigos-Gilbert
"Have a good day." "How are you doing today?" "Did you find everything okay?" "Thanks for shopping here." Those words are nice after you have spent a pretty good amount of money in any given store. Certainly the amount of importance varieties from one customer to another. For example, if I spend $100.00 in one place, this may not be a big amount of money for you, though it may be a big deal for me. The case is that we all want good service, in spite of the amount of money that we may spend in a store, restaurant, or any other place.
My First Impressions
Part of my roots are from Caracas, Venezuela. Caracas has as many people as China has rice. I do not expect great service most of the time in Caracas because the population index reaches to millions of people. Yet there are places in Caracas where you will get great service. Most of the time the ones giving good service are those who really want to stay in business, or really need the job. Of course, service improves in Venezuela when you get far from the big city of Caracas a city that never sleeps. This is not the case in small towns or rural states of Venezuela. Service in those little towns of Venezuela is really good in comparison to the one given in Caracas.
You may say that this is normal for a big city. Then I agree with you totally. Now the fact is that I am very surprised to put it in nice words when in small towns or rural states of the USA this does not seem to be the case. I live in Monroe, LA. When I first got here, I was super glad that the service was better than the service in Caracas. Yet the more I live here; the more I realize that this is not the case. Without an apparent reason, you may get bad service practically just for the heck of it. This is how I feel and what I have experienced living in Monroe, LA. At times I do not even want to get out to buy groceries because of the headache. Yes, I do get out to buy groceries, but this is not without wondering about the good service or bad service that I may get.
Wal-Mart or Wal-Mad?
When Wal-Mart started its business in the south, many small businesses faced bankruptcy. The elderly people were not eager to go into this change that took place a good while back. I do understand their concerns; I do agree that change is not an easy task for the most part. Yet, when they used Wal-Mart to get what they needed and calculated the good prices that this chain of stores offered, they started to get a bit more comfortable with these new big stores that took their towns, in a way even their way of living and thinking. Time has passed, and if we were to ask those elderly people, who may still exist, their opinion about Wal-Mart, we may find out that they think of these big stores like big swamps, no more no less.
Wal-Mart started with great thoughts. They studied their business and decided to mark out the retailers from their list. So they did business directly with the companies that created all what they wanted to sell in these stores. Certainly the prices had to be good, in comparison to the little stores that bought their goods from the retailers. Wal-Mart gave opportunities of all kinds to their customers, even more Wal-Mart gave employment opportunities to many people. Everybody had a chance with Wal-Mart. People started to love these stores where they found all what they could possibly want or need.
Wal-Mart and Its Present Time
Something is wrong with Wal-Mart. Yes, the prices are still a bit better in comparison to the small stores, but the service has changed. Nowadays customers have to beg Wal-Mart employees in order to get decent service, or any service at all. There are times when one asks for a particular product, and the employee is not helpful by any means. The famous sentence, "I don’t know," becomes their prayer. This makes customers upset and with plenty of reason. I have heard so many bad comments about Wal-Mart that it is very difficult to put an end to those thoughts. Nevertheless, I will list the ones that I remember the most from some Wal-Mart customers.
Wal-Mart Is… People Say
I once heard a man in Wal-Mart, when I was waiting in line at the cash register, saying that EVERY TIME he went to Wal-Mart he needed a drink before and after. Then he said, "If it wasn’t because my mother needs all this stuff, I wouldn’t be here." Those words were kind of harsh toward Wal-Mart. Yet I have noticed people in a hurry to get what they want and leave as soon as possible because of the hassle of being in a Wal-Mart store. I will put it as I once was told, "Wal-Mart makes you insane, a serious nervous breakdown." I have been thinking seriously about all those comments besides the one that says, "I am going to the zoo," meaning Wal-Mart the zoo.
It is sad people feel that way about one of the most important companies in the South. One of the biggest store in their towns. Of course, as sad as it may be, it is the truth. As Latin people would say, "You cannot hide the sun with one finger." This expression has a lot of meaning; we cannot physically or psychologically hide the fact that Wal-Mart chain of stores are like a swamp, or a Chinese cookie. It is hard to guess what the Chinese cookie has inside for us from one time to the next. You know that there is a surprise, but you may or may not like it.
Wal-Mart Employees
I am delighted that Wal-Mart gives an opportunity to everybody. A lot of uneducated people work at Wal-Mart. Now do not take me wrong. I am not saying that these are bad people. I am not saying that I dislike Wal-Mart employees. What puzzles me the most, is the real meaning of uneducated people. What is an uneducated person? We could agree that this is a person who may not have too much knowledge about pure science, social science, or literature just to name some of the many possibilities, of what may define an uneducated person. I consider myself in the best sense of the word, and with much humbleness, an educated person. Nevertheless, a very wise person one day said what I truly feel, "The more I know; the less I know." Yes, this is my case. What makes us people, good people, is not our pure science, social science, or literature knowledge.
Therefore, if Wal-Mart employees do not have a high school diploma or a college degree that is not a problem for me. I would think that this is not a problem for most of Wal-Mart customers as long as they are getting good service. You do not learn to smile, to wish well, and to respect others in college, though they may teach you so. You learn those things at home, and if you have not gotten this human tact or respect at home, I would say that you have to wake up and smell the coffee. The world does not revolve around your desires. The world is for all of us to live in here. So, why not make of this a livable place? Dear reader, do not take this personal; this is for Wal-Mart employees.
When I write Wal-Mart employees, I am not just referring to the cashiers. My list starts from the very top, managers, to the very bottom as so may be janitors. Let me clarify that. I am not trying to put the janitors as the insignificant people of Wal-Mart. On the contrary, if they do not clean well, we will be walking in a massive mess, a very undesirable picture. Now numerically talking, janitors are supposed to earn a lot less than managers earn. Therefore, my list consideration is salary. My list is not about who is the most important, or the less important. I do think and believe that all the employees at Wal-Mart are super important as individuals and as employees.
Bad Experiences at Wal-Mart
I have already mentioned some words that people say about or against Wal-Mart. I do consider that now is my turn to really talk about my experiences at Wal-Mart. I will list them in order. The first experiences will be the ones that took place very recently, and the last ones a good while back (from one to three years ago). So you be the judge, though I will give my thoughts since this is my turn to express not just what other people say, but my ventures.
A week ago, I went to Wal-Mart to buy some groceries. Well, everything was going smoothly until this woman, instead of giving me the bags, started to talk to one of her co-workers. So I had to reach for the two bags because she just kept talking to her co-worker. Of course, I was very upset because she did just the very least. She did not care about giving me the bags as she was supposed to do. She just did not care. Wondering, if she really needs the job, how come she is not taking it seriously? This is very awkward, but true.
Three weeks ago and for three weeks, my husband was not feeling well. He got a bad summer cold, and we needed a thermometer to take his body temperature. I went to Wal-Mart just to buy the simple kind of thermometer, since more likely they had all kinds. I looked around for a reasonable priced thermometer, but the ones I saw were priced $44.00 and $99.00. I was willing to buy the one priced $44.00 since this was not about going to the movies, but my husband being sick. Nevertheless, I did remember that I saw the traditional ones that cost $10.00 or so. So I went and asked a Wal-Mart employee. She looked at me, and then said, "I don’t know. Have you asked someone from that department?" I kept silent for a few seconds, though I just wanted to scream at her. I calmly said, "Well, if I had found someone from that department, why would I be here asking you?" She answered with the truth, "I do not know where the thermometers are." Yes, she answered honestly. I believed her; she did not have a clue where the thermometers were located! The fact is that her honesty did not help me. So I went to another store in town, a bit more expensive, but better service.
At least one year ago, I went to buy some Swiss cheese, Cajun roast beef, pastrami, and so on. Sometimes during the weekends my husband and I just want to eat something light. We want to go into the country side of Louisiana and have a good time, eating fruits and sandwiches. Wal-Mart started to sell pineapple jam. This kind of jam has a great taste. One day, I did not look that they did not have pineapple jam. I just asked for a half pound of pineapple jam. So one of Wal-Mart's delicatessen (deli) workers, just looked at me as if I were an alien, and had asked her to give me part of her skin with some pineapple on it. She said to me, "What kind of jam are you talking about?" Yes, that did it for me. I said to her, "Listen. You guys have been selling pineapple jam for a considerable period of time. Now, are you trying to tell me that you don’t have a single clue about it? God help me. This is it." You are guessing well; I left upset and without the pineapple jam.
Approximately two years ago, once again this took place at Wal-Mart, personally Wal-Mad. I know that the conservative people are super glad that here in Louisiana there is no selling of liquor on Sundays. Isn’t that lovely? Oh come on. This is to be just a real hypocrite. Buy all the liquor that you can afford BEFORE Sunday’s curfews. Yet this is besides the point. The matter is that I wanted to buy a NON-ALCOHOLIC drink. This bottle looked like an alcoholic bottle for my bad luck. I argued with the cashier that the bottle said, "NON-ALCOHOLIC." So little I understood why she did not want to sell me this NON-ALCOHOLIC drink. It is like forbidding to sell Root Beers on Sundays, just because the name of the drink says, "…Beer." Is it some kind of beer? Please, it is a soft drink.
I am not saying that they denied me the right to buy root beers on a given Sunday. I am saying that they refused to sell me a nonalcoholic drink just because the bottle looked like an alcoholic drink. They did not care that the bottle clearly read, "NON-ALCOHOLIC." A woman, perhaps the manager, literally told me, "I am not going to sell it to you PERIOD!" Yes, she screamed that PERIOD. I was pretty ashamed. I felt as if my rights were taken away by people who could not even read, or at the very least accept the fact that I was within my rights to buy this non-alcoholic drink.
Then you wonder so many things about them. They are the kind of people who cannot read, apparently! They are the kind of people who go to church "too" often. They live by that saying, "WWJD." "What Would Jesus Do?" Well, I tell you what he would have done. He would have gotten upset, called them liars, and perhaps offered a Non-Biblical Sunday School with the purpose of teaching them how to read "NON-ALCOHOLIC." I am not saying that Jesus would have gotten away from his beliefs. I am saying that He would have taught them how to read. Jesus' life was pretty practical, though people tend to put him in a crystal box where He cannot be touched or reached. Isn’t that funny or awkward? Personally, I do think so.
The Other Side of the Coin
Certainly I have to say that there are some Wal-Mart customers that deserve the bad service. Before I started to write this article, I interviewed a Wal-Mart employee, and an ex-employee. The one who is presently working at Wal-Mart works in the Customer Service department. The ex-employee was an assistant manager. They both told me their stories, and the truth is that they were honest with their stories. They tried to look at both sides, Wal-Mart and customers.
For the purpose of saving these people’s privacy, I will changed their names. Let the one working at Wal-Mart be Pat, and let the ex-employee be Tom. Pat told me the department she works in is the most amusing place to work for Wal-Mart, Customer Service. This department could make one mad, insane. Some of Wal-Mart customers are real cheaters, the ones that you wonder about their existence. They lie about what they bought or did not buy. Let me illustrate this with what Pat told me.
One day this woman comes with a computer that she bought. She said that the computer was not working properly. This is when Wal-Mart used to sell computers. So the woman wanted her money back. Yet, since this was not a $10.00 deal, the manager decided to try to the computer. He checked it to find out what the computer could have had wrong. SURPRISED, the computer could not function because all the inside parts, which were vital for the computer to function well, were taken out, literally! Yet the computer did not seem to be weightless. It seemed to have some sort of weight. Guess what? The woman had put some sand inside of the computer. Now she had parts of the computer at home or at her office, and still wanted her money back. One word defines such person, SICK!
Tom’s story, he said that being the assistant manager took a lot of his most needed hours of work. So there were times when he had to stay longer than he should had because there were jobs to get done, pending. Yet Wal-Mart does not believe in overtime. So if you are a full-time employee, and you have a lot of work pending, but the clock is telling you that you are in your 39th hour, it is time to go home (in spite of the much work that you have to get done because Wal-Mart will not pay you over time). What was Tom doing all the day long that he could not get done all his job? People found out that the Wal-Mart in Monroe, LA had a terrific assistant manager. These customers wanted to ask Tom all what they could possibly need because they knew that they got a wonderful service. Poor Tom, the other side of the story is that this was getting on his nerves. People wanted to talk to the good Tom, but Tom had a lot of work to do. His manager did not look at that point. Tom was becoming important. He was an assistant manager for the people and with the people. At times without being paid Tom stayed just to get all his day’s job done.
Yes, Tom did a terrific job at Wal-Mart, but Wal-Mart did not look at this. Tom got hired by one of the most important companies in Monroe, LA. He has an excellent salary; his work overtime is appreciated. He has opportunity of investing in this equal opportunity company. They realize how knowledgeable Tom is. Of course, this company wants to have Tom forever. They know that this guy knows his job. He knows how to deal with people. He respects human beings, yet he also knows that there is a limit to the good deeds if he is getting pushed by bad customers. So we are not talking about Jesus, but Tom. This is to say that Tom is wonderful. Yet he recognizes as well as I do that he is just a human being who has decided to do the best of his life.
Yes, the conclusion is that Wal-Mart has good and bad people working in their chain of stores. The bad employees make up for the good ones. The good employees are becoming like gold on the streets, hard and unthinkable to find, and lucky if you find at least one. This is Wal-Mart’s case. On the other hand, bad and good customers Wal-Mart also has. The bad customers make the nice customers to pay for their wrong doings. Do you remember your rights? "YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY?" Well, at times this is not Wal-Mart’s case. We are all guilty just because there are some people out there doing what they are not supposed to do. So the treatment is careless; the service gets to the minimum. Are you getting the picture? I think so, good for you.
I do know that to work with the public or for the public is not easy. Now the thing is that to work is not easy at all. There are activities that we like about our jobs as there are activities that we dislike about our jobs. One of my bosses once told me what she said to her son, "Son, life is tough, and then you die." Those are simple words with multiple meanings. I think that we just have to take the best out of life. The bad part needs to be overlooked. Yet we must not forget that procrastination and apathy are the worst enemies for one’s realization!
If you think that I have been too harsh with this article, just think about the at least four years of silence, since the first year was more a trial and error activity than anything else. I have been living in the USA five years (last June made five years). Think about the many times that I have gone to Wal-Mart, and left without what I needed or wanted. Think about the many people who feel the way I do. This is not just about Wal-Mart vs. Customer, but even worst Wal-Mart vs. Employee. This is not just about an isolated case, but constant actions. Therefore, there is a constant pain. You may ask, "Why do you go there at all?" Well, Monroe, LA is not as big as Caracas or New York City. The choices are not as numerous as big cities are. On the other hand, why would I stop shopping and getting what I need just because they refuse to give a good service? I pay just what I ask. I act nicely. I respect their policies, but I do think that the time has come for them to respect me as a person and as a customer.
I am not saying that all the times at Wal-Mart have been a serious nightmare. I have had good times, decent times at Wal-Mart. Yet they do not make up for the bad times as disgusting as this may sound. I am to the point of missing my life in Caracas, or in a big city. At least there you know that you are not going to get a good service because Caracas is too big, too many people. When you get good service in Caracas, you feel lucky. Of course, there are good companies, good places to go! Even more Caracas is changing, places are adopting the USA good customer service policy. The detail is that Venezuelans do not know that people in the USA have a lot to complain about customer service. Wal-Mart is just the most obvious example since I life in Monroe plus this is one of the biggest companies to get what you need or want.
I always have a dream. One day I may have employees in the businesses that my husband and I have. I will follow what my father has done for all these years in Caracas, Venezuela with his company. Customer is number one! They deserve respect. Yet my parents have always told me, "Nice treatment must start inside to the outside. If in our company, employees do not respect employees, employees will not respect our customers. Then our customers will not like us, and bankruptcy may knock our doors." Simple recipe, but it seems to me that some people find it hard to follow.
Conclusion
If Wal-Mart believes that they will never fall from their throne just because these chain of stores are the kings of the kings, I have gotten news for them. They should believe me when I say that I will give them the hardest time that they could have possibly thought of having. There is not Wal-Mart if there is not US, because we are the ones with the money, going to these stores to get different goods.
Remember dear reader, this is not for you, though I do want you to read it! The more we read it and get together to help each other, the more powerful we become as customers around the whole USA. You may think that this does not affect you. Yet you may be experiencing a hard time with a similar store, but a different name, and in a different location. Yet the case is still the SAME! I thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Wal-Mart or Wal-Bad?
by MarÃa L. Trigos-Gilbert
"Have a good day." "How are you doing today?" "Did you find everything okay?" "Thanks for shopping here." Those words are nice after you have spent a pretty good amount of money in any given store. Certainly the amount of importance varieties from one customer to another. For example, if I spend $100.00 in one place, this may not be a big amount of money for you, though it may be a big deal for me. The case is that we all want good service, in spite of the amount of money that we may spend in a store, restaurant, or any other place.
My First Impressions
Part of my roots are from Caracas, Venezuela. Caracas has as many people as China has rice. I do not expect great service most of the time in Caracas because the population index reaches to millions of people. Yet there are places in Caracas where you will get great service. Most of the time the ones giving good service are those who really want to stay in business, or really need the job. Of course, service improves in Venezuela when you get far from the big city of Caracas a city that never sleeps. This is not the case in small towns or rural states of Venezuela. Service in those little towns of Venezuela is really good in comparison to the one given in Caracas.
You may say that this is normal for a big city. Then I agree with you totally. Now the fact is that I am very surprised to put it in nice words when in small towns or rural states of the USA this does not seem to be the case. I live in Monroe, LA. When I first got here, I was super glad that the service was better than the service in Caracas. Yet the more I live here; the more I realize that this is not the case. Without an apparent reason, you may get bad service practically just for the heck of it. This is how I feel and what I have experienced living in Monroe, LA. At times I do not even want to get out to buy groceries because of the headache. Yes, I do get out to buy groceries, but this is not without wondering about the good service or bad service that I may get.
Wal-Mart or Wal-Mad?
When Wal-Mart started its business in the south, many small businesses faced bankruptcy. The elderly people were not eager to go into this change that took place a good while back. I do understand their concerns; I do agree that change is not an easy task for the most part. Yet, when they used Wal-Mart to get what they needed and calculated the good prices that this chain of stores offered, they started to get a bit more comfortable with these new big stores that took their towns, in a way even their way of living and thinking. Time has passed, and if we were to ask those elderly people, who may still exist, their opinion about Wal-Mart, we may find out that they think of these big stores like big swamps, no more no less.
Wal-Mart started with great thoughts. They studied their business and decided to mark out the retailers from their list. So they did business directly with the companies that created all what they wanted to sell in these stores. Certainly the prices had to be good, in comparison to the little stores that bought their goods from the retailers. Wal-Mart gave opportunities of all kinds to their customers, even more Wal-Mart gave employment opportunities to many people. Everybody had a chance with Wal-Mart. People started to love these stores where they found all what they could possibly want or need.
Wal-Mart and Its Present Time
Something is wrong with Wal-Mart. Yes, the prices are still a bit better in comparison to the small stores, but the service has changed. Nowadays customers have to beg Wal-Mart employees in order to get decent service, or any service at all. There are times when one asks for a particular product, and the employee is not helpful by any means. The famous sentence, "I don’t know," becomes their prayer. This makes customers upset and with plenty of reason. I have heard so many bad comments about Wal-Mart that it is very difficult to put an end to those thoughts. Nevertheless, I will list the ones that I remember the most from some Wal-Mart customers.
Wal-Mart Is… People Say
I once heard a man in Wal-Mart, when I was waiting in line at the cash register, saying that EVERY TIME he went to Wal-Mart he needed a drink before and after. Then he said, "If it wasn’t because my mother needs all this stuff, I wouldn’t be here." Those words were kind of harsh toward Wal-Mart. Yet I have noticed people in a hurry to get what they want and leave as soon as possible because of the hassle of being in a Wal-Mart store. I will put it as I once was told, "Wal-Mart makes you insane, a serious nervous breakdown." I have been thinking seriously about all those comments besides the one that says, "I am going to the zoo," meaning Wal-Mart the zoo.
It is sad people feel that way about one of the most important companies in the South. One of the biggest store in their towns. Of course, as sad as it may be, it is the truth. As Latin people would say, "You cannot hide the sun with one finger." This expression has a lot of meaning; we cannot physically or psychologically hide the fact that Wal-Mart chain of stores are like a swamp, or a Chinese cookie. It is hard to guess what the Chinese cookie has inside for us from one time to the next. You know that there is a surprise, but you may or may not like it.
Wal-Mart Employees
I am delighted that Wal-Mart gives an opportunity to everybody. A lot of uneducated people work at Wal-Mart. Now do not take me wrong. I am not saying that these are bad people. I am not saying that I dislike Wal-Mart employees. What puzzles me the most, is the real meaning of uneducated people. What is an uneducated person? We could agree that this is a person who may not have too much knowledge about pure science, social science, or literature just to name some of the many possibilities, of what may define an uneducated person. I consider myself in the best sense of the word, and with much humbleness, an educated person. Nevertheless, a very wise person one day said what I truly feel, "The more I know; the less I know." Yes, this is my case. What makes us people, good people, is not our pure science, social science, or literature knowledge.
Therefore, if Wal-Mart employees do not have a high school diploma or a college degree that is not a problem for me. I would think that this is not a problem for most of Wal-Mart customers as long as they are getting good service. You do not learn to smile, to wish well, and to respect others in college, though they may teach you so. You learn those things at home, and if you have not gotten this human tact or respect at home, I would say that you have to wake up and smell the coffee. The world does not revolve around your desires. The world is for all of us to live in here. So, why not make of this a livable place? Dear reader, do not take this personal; this is for Wal-Mart employees.
When I write Wal-Mart employees, I am not just referring to the cashiers. My list starts from the very top, managers, to the very bottom as so may be janitors. Let me clarify that. I am not trying to put the janitors as the insignificant people of Wal-Mart. On the contrary, if they do not clean well, we will be walking in a massive mess, a very undesirable picture. Now numerically talking, janitors are supposed to earn a lot less than managers earn. Therefore, my list consideration is salary. My list is not about who is the most important, or the less important. I do think and believe that all the employees at Wal-Mart are super important as individuals and as employees.
Bad Experiences at Wal-Mart
I have already mentioned some words that people say about or against Wal-Mart. I do consider that now is my turn to really talk about my experiences at Wal-Mart. I will list them in order. The first experiences will be the ones that took place very recently, and the last ones a good while back (from one to three years ago). So you be the judge, though I will give my thoughts since this is my turn to express not just what other people say, but my ventures.
A week ago, I went to Wal-Mart to buy some groceries. Well, everything was going smoothly until this woman, instead of giving me the bags, started to talk to one of her co-workers. So I had to reach for the two bags because she just kept talking to her co-worker. Of course, I was very upset because she did just the very least. She did not care about giving me the bags as she was supposed to do. She just did not care. Wondering, if she really needs the job, how come she is not taking it seriously? This is very awkward, but true.
Three weeks ago and for three weeks, my husband was not feeling well. He got a bad summer cold, and we needed a thermometer to take his body temperature. I went to Wal-Mart just to buy the simple kind of thermometer, since more likely they had all kinds. I looked around for a reasonable priced thermometer, but the ones I saw were priced $44.00 and $99.00. I was willing to buy the one priced $44.00 since this was not about going to the movies, but my husband being sick. Nevertheless, I did remember that I saw the traditional ones that cost $10.00 or so. So I went and asked a Wal-Mart employee. She looked at me, and then said, "I don’t know. Have you asked someone from that department?" I kept silent for a few seconds, though I just wanted to scream at her. I calmly said, "Well, if I had found someone from that department, why would I be here asking you?" She answered with the truth, "I do not know where the thermometers are." Yes, she answered honestly. I believed her; she did not have a clue where the thermometers were located! The fact is that her honesty did not help me. So I went to another store in town, a bit more expensive, but better service.
At least one year ago, I went to buy some Swiss cheese, Cajun roast beef, pastrami, and so on. Sometimes during the weekends my husband and I just want to eat something light. We want to go into the country side of Louisiana and have a good time, eating fruits and sandwiches. Wal-Mart started to sell pineapple jam. This kind of jam has a great taste. One day, I did not look that they did not have pineapple jam. I just asked for a half pound of pineapple jam. So one of Wal-Mart's delicatessen (deli) workers, just looked at me as if I were an alien, and had asked her to give me part of her skin with some pineapple on it. She said to me, "What kind of jam are you talking about?" Yes, that did it for me. I said to her, "Listen. You guys have been selling pineapple jam for a considerable period of time. Now, are you trying to tell me that you don’t have a single clue about it? God help me. This is it." You are guessing well; I left upset and without the pineapple jam.
Approximately two years ago, once again this took place at Wal-Mart, personally Wal-Mad. I know that the conservative people are super glad that here in Louisiana there is no selling of liquor on Sundays. Isn’t that lovely? Oh come on. This is to be just a real hypocrite. Buy all the liquor that you can afford BEFORE Sunday’s curfews. Yet this is besides the point. The matter is that I wanted to buy a NON-ALCOHOLIC drink. This bottle looked like an alcoholic bottle for my bad luck. I argued with the cashier that the bottle said, "NON-ALCOHOLIC." So little I understood why she did not want to sell me this NON-ALCOHOLIC drink. It is like forbidding to sell Root Beers on Sundays, just because the name of the drink says, "…Beer." Is it some kind of beer? Please, it is a soft drink.
I am not saying that they denied me the right to buy root beers on a given Sunday. I am saying that they refused to sell me a nonalcoholic drink just because the bottle looked like an alcoholic drink. They did not care that the bottle clearly read, "NON-ALCOHOLIC." A woman, perhaps the manager, literally told me, "I am not going to sell it to you PERIOD!" Yes, she screamed that PERIOD. I was pretty ashamed. I felt as if my rights were taken away by people who could not even read, or at the very least accept the fact that I was within my rights to buy this non-alcoholic drink.
Then you wonder so many things about them. They are the kind of people who cannot read, apparently! They are the kind of people who go to church "too" often. They live by that saying, "WWJD." "What Would Jesus Do?" Well, I tell you what he would have done. He would have gotten upset, called them liars, and perhaps offered a Non-Biblical Sunday School with the purpose of teaching them how to read "NON-ALCOHOLIC." I am not saying that Jesus would have gotten away from his beliefs. I am saying that He would have taught them how to read. Jesus' life was pretty practical, though people tend to put him in a crystal box where He cannot be touched or reached. Isn’t that funny or awkward? Personally, I do think so.
The Other Side of the Coin
Certainly I have to say that there are some Wal-Mart customers that deserve the bad service. Before I started to write this article, I interviewed a Wal-Mart employee, and an ex-employee. The one who is presently working at Wal-Mart works in the Customer Service department. The ex-employee was an assistant manager. They both told me their stories, and the truth is that they were honest with their stories. They tried to look at both sides, Wal-Mart and customers.
For the purpose of saving these people’s privacy, I will changed their names. Let the one working at Wal-Mart be Pat, and let the ex-employee be Tom. Pat told me the department she works in is the most amusing place to work for Wal-Mart, Customer Service. This department could make one mad, insane. Some of Wal-Mart customers are real cheaters, the ones that you wonder about their existence. They lie about what they bought or did not buy. Let me illustrate this with what Pat told me.
One day this woman comes with a computer that she bought. She said that the computer was not working properly. This is when Wal-Mart used to sell computers. So the woman wanted her money back. Yet, since this was not a $10.00 deal, the manager decided to try to the computer. He checked it to find out what the computer could have had wrong. SURPRISED, the computer could not function because all the inside parts, which were vital for the computer to function well, were taken out, literally! Yet the computer did not seem to be weightless. It seemed to have some sort of weight. Guess what? The woman had put some sand inside of the computer. Now she had parts of the computer at home or at her office, and still wanted her money back. One word defines such person, SICK!
Tom’s story, he said that being the assistant manager took a lot of his most needed hours of work. So there were times when he had to stay longer than he should had because there were jobs to get done, pending. Yet Wal-Mart does not believe in overtime. So if you are a full-time employee, and you have a lot of work pending, but the clock is telling you that you are in your 39th hour, it is time to go home (in spite of the much work that you have to get done because Wal-Mart will not pay you over time). What was Tom doing all the day long that he could not get done all his job? People found out that the Wal-Mart in Monroe, LA had a terrific assistant manager. These customers wanted to ask Tom all what they could possibly need because they knew that they got a wonderful service. Poor Tom, the other side of the story is that this was getting on his nerves. People wanted to talk to the good Tom, but Tom had a lot of work to do. His manager did not look at that point. Tom was becoming important. He was an assistant manager for the people and with the people. At times without being paid Tom stayed just to get all his day’s job done.
Yes, Tom did a terrific job at Wal-Mart, but Wal-Mart did not look at this. Tom got hired by one of the most important companies in Monroe, LA. He has an excellent salary; his work overtime is appreciated. He has opportunity of investing in this equal opportunity company. They realize how knowledgeable Tom is. Of course, this company wants to have Tom forever. They know that this guy knows his job. He knows how to deal with people. He respects human beings, yet he also knows that there is a limit to the good deeds if he is getting pushed by bad customers. So we are not talking about Jesus, but Tom. This is to say that Tom is wonderful. Yet he recognizes as well as I do that he is just a human being who has decided to do the best of his life.
Yes, the conclusion is that Wal-Mart has good and bad people working in their chain of stores. The bad employees make up for the good ones. The good employees are becoming like gold on the streets, hard and unthinkable to find, and lucky if you find at least one. This is Wal-Mart’s case. On the other hand, bad and good customers Wal-Mart also has. The bad customers make the nice customers to pay for their wrong doings. Do you remember your rights? "YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY?" Well, at times this is not Wal-Mart’s case. We are all guilty just because there are some people out there doing what they are not supposed to do. So the treatment is careless; the service gets to the minimum. Are you getting the picture? I think so, good for you.
I do know that to work with the public or for the public is not easy. Now the thing is that to work is not easy at all. There are activities that we like about our jobs as there are activities that we dislike about our jobs. One of my bosses once told me what she said to her son, "Son, life is tough, and then you die." Those are simple words with multiple meanings. I think that we just have to take the best out of life. The bad part needs to be overlooked. Yet we must not forget that procrastination and apathy are the worst enemies for one’s realization!
If you think that I have been too harsh with this article, just think about the at least four years of silence, since the first year was more a trial and error activity than anything else. I have been living in the USA five years (last June made five years). Think about the many times that I have gone to Wal-Mart, and left without what I needed or wanted. Think about the many people who feel the way I do. This is not just about Wal-Mart vs. Customer, but even worst Wal-Mart vs. Employee. This is not just about an isolated case, but constant actions. Therefore, there is a constant pain. You may ask, "Why do you go there at all?" Well, Monroe, LA is not as big as Caracas or New York City. The choices are not as numerous as big cities are. On the other hand, why would I stop shopping and getting what I need just because they refuse to give a good service? I pay just what I ask. I act nicely. I respect their policies, but I do think that the time has come for them to respect me as a person and as a customer.
I am not saying that all the times at Wal-Mart have been a serious nightmare. I have had good times, decent times at Wal-Mart. Yet they do not make up for the bad times as disgusting as this may sound. I am to the point of missing my life in Caracas, or in a big city. At least there you know that you are not going to get a good service because Caracas is too big, too many people. When you get good service in Caracas, you feel lucky. Of course, there are good companies, good places to go! Even more Caracas is changing, places are adopting the USA good customer service policy. The detail is that Venezuelans do not know that people in the USA have a lot to complain about customer service. Wal-Mart is just the most obvious example since I life in Monroe plus this is one of the biggest companies to get what you need or want.
I always have a dream. One day I may have employees in the businesses that my husband and I have. I will follow what my father has done for all these years in Caracas, Venezuela with his company. Customer is number one! They deserve respect. Yet my parents have always told me, "Nice treatment must start inside to the outside. If in our company, employees do not respect employees, employees will not respect our customers. Then our customers will not like us, and bankruptcy may knock our doors." Simple recipe, but it seems to me that some people find it hard to follow.
Conclusion
If Wal-Mart believes that they will never fall from their throne just because these chain of stores are the kings of the kings, I have gotten news for them. They should believe me when I say that I will give them the hardest time that they could have possibly thought of having. There is not Wal-Mart if there is not US, because we are the ones with the money, going to these stores to get different goods.
Remember dear reader, this is not for you, though I do want you to read it! The more we read it and get together to help each other, the more powerful we become as customers around the whole USA. You may think that this does not affect you. Yet you may be experiencing a hard time with a similar store, but a different name, and in a different location. Yet the case is still the SAME! I thank you for taking the time to read this article.
'MNCs' entry in retail would lead to suicides by smalltraders'
Coimbatore, Aug 8 (agency report): Allowing MNCs and big corporates
in retail trade would lead to large-scale suicides of small
traders, as witnessed in the farming sector, the CPI(ML)
alleged today.
"The entry of such big players is part of the 'anti-poor'
policy being adopted by the UPA government at the Centre,"
CPI(ML) national general secretary, Jaikumar told reporters
at a press meet here .
Nearly 1.2 crore small traders and crores of common people
depending on traders would be adversely affected by entry of
players like Walmart, Spencers and also Reliance, Tatas and
Mittals, he said.
Big players like Walmart had caused 'heavy damage' not only
in developing countries, but also in the USA, where 18 lakh
small traders had to close down their shutters, he claimed.
The unity and large-scale protests by those opposed to
MNCs and small traders had prevented the entry of Walmart in
New York, Jaikumar said.
"However, the coming together of Bharti and Walmart in
India will result in the end of small traders, which will
directly and indirectly affect the common man," he said.
Stating that these MNCs would soon enter the farming sector
by retailing in fruits and vegetables, he said that they would
resort to buying lakhs of acres and dominate the sector in the
near future, killing the agriculture sector gradually.
He also opposed the 1 2 3 Pact between India and USA.
in retail trade would lead to large-scale suicides of small
traders, as witnessed in the farming sector, the CPI(ML)
alleged today.
"The entry of such big players is part of the 'anti-poor'
policy being adopted by the UPA government at the Centre,"
CPI(ML) national general secretary, Jaikumar told reporters
at a press meet here .
Nearly 1.2 crore small traders and crores of common people
depending on traders would be adversely affected by entry of
players like Walmart, Spencers and also Reliance, Tatas and
Mittals, he said.
Big players like Walmart had caused 'heavy damage' not only
in developing countries, but also in the USA, where 18 lakh
small traders had to close down their shutters, he claimed.
The unity and large-scale protests by those opposed to
MNCs and small traders had prevented the entry of Walmart in
New York, Jaikumar said.
"However, the coming together of Bharti and Walmart in
India will result in the end of small traders, which will
directly and indirectly affect the common man," he said.
Stating that these MNCs would soon enter the farming sector
by retailing in fruits and vegetables, he said that they would
resort to buying lakhs of acres and dominate the sector in the
near future, killing the agriculture sector gradually.
He also opposed the 1 2 3 Pact between India and USA.
Wal-Mart sees no political opposition in India venture
New Delhi, Aug 8 (agency report) World's biggest retailer Wal-Mart,
whose India entry has been mired into controversy, today said
it does not see any "political opposition" as the company has
been educating customers, bureaucracy and political parties.
"On our entry (into India) concerns were raised and we
have been constantly trying to educate customers, bureaucracy
and political parties that Wal-Mart is engaged only in the
back-end operations where 100 per cent FDI is allowed,"
Wal-Mart India chief Raj Jain told PTI.
Jain also sought to allay apprehensions about opposition
from the political class, with even UPA Chairperson Sonia
Gandhi writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over concerns
raised in various quarters at the time of announcement of
Wal-Mart's India plans.
"My experience with India has been (that) irrespective of
the party in government reforms have continued. And we are
absolutely within the realms of existing law of the land."
Asked if it was a big challenge for Wal-Mart to convince
that the company was not circumventing any law to enter the
retail business, Jain said, "people are not willing to see
beyond the obvious... so it is a big challenge".
He said law in India was very clear and so was its deal
and joint venture with Bharti Enterprises. "We are not
retailing. We are only in supply chain and business-to-
business wholesale operations catering to small kirana stores,
business owners and restaurants among others."
Wal-Mart has entered into agreement with Bharti for a
50:50 joint venture to start cash and carry operations. The US
firm will also provide technical assistance to Bharti for its
retail venture. Bharti Wal-Mart Pvt Ltd, the joint venture,
plans to open up to 15 wholesale stores in big cities in next
5-7 years and will expand later.
Jain said Wal-Mart's venture with Bharti group would also
help it increase direct outsourcing from India for its
worldwide operations.
"Our direct sourcing from India has been about 600
million dollars. In the next four to five years it will grow
by several times... it will be in multiples of the current
levels," he said, but declined to give an exact figure.
Stating that a concrete shape to Bharti-Wal Mart's
business would be finalised within the next three-six months,
Jain said the JV was in talks with almost all manufacturers
"barring the auto sector" for sourcing products.
"We are also in talks with all big and small real estate
developers for our stores. We still have not decided whether
we will go for owning real estate or lease it," he said,
adding the company's stores would come up in tier II and
III cities, where population is between 10-15 lakh.
Jain said several external as well as in-house
consultants have been appointed to evaluate options for the
JV to finalise its business plans.
whose India entry has been mired into controversy, today said
it does not see any "political opposition" as the company has
been educating customers, bureaucracy and political parties.
"On our entry (into India) concerns were raised and we
have been constantly trying to educate customers, bureaucracy
and political parties that Wal-Mart is engaged only in the
back-end operations where 100 per cent FDI is allowed,"
Wal-Mart India chief Raj Jain told PTI.
Jain also sought to allay apprehensions about opposition
from the political class, with even UPA Chairperson Sonia
Gandhi writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over concerns
raised in various quarters at the time of announcement of
Wal-Mart's India plans.
"My experience with India has been (that) irrespective of
the party in government reforms have continued. And we are
absolutely within the realms of existing law of the land."
Asked if it was a big challenge for Wal-Mart to convince
that the company was not circumventing any law to enter the
retail business, Jain said, "people are not willing to see
beyond the obvious... so it is a big challenge".
He said law in India was very clear and so was its deal
and joint venture with Bharti Enterprises. "We are not
retailing. We are only in supply chain and business-to-
business wholesale operations catering to small kirana stores,
business owners and restaurants among others."
Wal-Mart has entered into agreement with Bharti for a
50:50 joint venture to start cash and carry operations. The US
firm will also provide technical assistance to Bharti for its
retail venture. Bharti Wal-Mart Pvt Ltd, the joint venture,
plans to open up to 15 wholesale stores in big cities in next
5-7 years and will expand later.
Jain said Wal-Mart's venture with Bharti group would also
help it increase direct outsourcing from India for its
worldwide operations.
"Our direct sourcing from India has been about 600
million dollars. In the next four to five years it will grow
by several times... it will be in multiples of the current
levels," he said, but declined to give an exact figure.
Stating that a concrete shape to Bharti-Wal Mart's
business would be finalised within the next three-six months,
Jain said the JV was in talks with almost all manufacturers
"barring the auto sector" for sourcing products.
"We are also in talks with all big and small real estate
developers for our stores. We still have not decided whether
we will go for owning real estate or lease it," he said,
adding the company's stores would come up in tier II and
III cities, where population is between 10-15 lakh.
Jain said several external as well as in-house
consultants have been appointed to evaluate options for the
JV to finalise its business plans.
Should we welcome WalMart entry?
Walmart has entered in Indian market and Indian retailrs are under pressure that their livelihood will be shaken by this company.
Walmart already has ties with Bharti Enterprises, promoters of AIRTEL, a popular telecom brand in Indian market. Here is question to you all that if we should welcome Walmart entry in Indian market? All are invited for this disussions. I request other countires friends, who already have Walmart their, Please tell your experiences about Walmart, it,s products, reputation and customer,s intrest....
Walmart already has ties with Bharti Enterprises, promoters of AIRTEL, a popular telecom brand in Indian market. Here is question to you all that if we should welcome Walmart entry in Indian market? All are invited for this disussions. I request other countires friends, who already have Walmart their, Please tell your experiences about Walmart, it,s products, reputation and customer,s intrest....
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