Take Care of the Customer?

Have you shopped at a Walmart lately? Did you feel like you were taken care of? Or just taken? After all, that is one of the founder- Sam Walton's- cornerstone beliefs. I have left there on more than one occasion, not so much feeling as though I had been taken care of, as hoping that Walmart was wearing a condom while they screwed me over. I know that sounds a little harsh, but considering what Walmart has done to so many customers and associates it is accurate. Nothing compares to the latest thing that Walmart does in some states. If you don't have a receipt, and you try to exchange something for the exact same thing- Walmart charges you sales tax on top of the sales tax that you have already paid! Are they thinking that somehow the cashier slipped up and didn't charge them the first time? Or are they thinking that here is a slick way to make a few dollars for nothing on every exchange transaction? Consider how many exchanges that Walmart does in any given state on any given day. Now imagine how much tax free money they stand to make on every return that doesn't have a receipt. Holy cow, can you say Mother Lode? And while we are discussing lodes, how much of that goes to the store managers in the form of some new bonus or other? I can understand why so many people are sacrificing their marriages and families on the altar of Walmart. I just don't know if it is worth it. The extra money is nice, to be sure, but what price do you pay for the twelve hour shifts and the missed opportunities with your family? But I digress. This post was supposed to be about taking care of the customer-or the lack thereof. In addition to paying double taxes on items that you exchange without a receipt- which would make the taxes in the 10 to 16 percent range in most states- what are they going to do at Christmas? Let's say that Grandma got you a fantastic new video game for the Holiday, but unfortunately, Uncle Leo got you the exact same really fantastic game. You don't need two of them do you? But if you try to return one of the fantastic games at the company that truly cares- on a forty dollar video game, the store is going to clear at least two extra dollars for every return. It should rack up to about twenty thousand extra dollars of money for nothing, over the whole exchange season post-Christmas. That's a nice bonus in almost any neighborhood, isn't it? I guess the thing to do is make sure you ask for the gift receipts this year, and whatever you do-don't lose the receipt! You'll thank me later.