WHY? ATTENTION WAL-MART SHOPPERS

WHY? ATTENTION WAL-MART SHOPPERS

There have been a lot of viewers to my blog from a lot of different places: North Dakota, Australia, California, Virginia, Buskerud (I don't know where that is), South Africa—well you get the idea. I suspect when people see the title of the blog they think it is something that it is not . I have decided I need to explain why my blog is titled: ATTENTION WAL-MART SHOPPERS.

Most of my family knows why, and when I began writing I didn't think anyone other than my children and possibly some grandchildren would read it. Juli is the person who gave my blog the title and I thought it was very clever. I wholeheartedly approved. To the rest of the world, here is the reason:

In l995 my husband, Jack, retired from practicing Architecture. We were living in Big Water, Utah, which is about 15 miles from Page, Arizona. We didn't have much savings. The savings we did have, I had squirreled away when I could, and put it into a savings account in my name. I didn't tell Jack because if I had told him he would have tried to get it to spend. We had no retirement because Jack couldn't seem to grasp the concept of savings and retirement accounts. We were receiving Social Security but it wasn't enough and by1998 I told him we needed to get a job. Also, by that time I had taken control of all financial things so he couldn't spend any more. There was a Wal-Mart store in Page and we decided to try our luck there. They were hiring and seemed happy to have us apply. They hired both of us. Before we could start work Jack became sick with pneumonia. He was so sick he was in the hospital in Page for five days and was getting no better so they transferred him to the hospital in St. George. There was a specialist in St. George. Jack was in the hospital for an additional five days. At that time he was doing well enough for me to bring him home.

After a few days we went to Wal-Mart and spent several hours getting information and filling out forms on the computer. After we left the Store we went over to the Clinic for Jack to have a check-up. Jack mentioned he had been at Wal-Mart. The nurse became very agitated and really “chewed him out”. She yelled at him and said, “Jack, you damn near died. I'm going to tell the doctor you went to work today and see what he says.” The doctor came to the room and told Jack he'd better let Wal-Mart know he wouldn't be able to come back to work until he had been released by the doctor.

That was November 29 , 1998. I went to work again the next day. I was only working part time at that point and Jack was staying home. I was hired to be a Greeter. I quite enjoyed greeting people as they came into the store. The doctor did not release Jack until the middle of February.

When Jack went in to work he was hired to work in the Sporting Goods Department. He learned how to use the Register and everything. One day they put him to work cleaning some shelves. Jack thought they meant to CLEAN them. So he CLEANED them. He was supposed to take everything off the shelves and put the merchandise in carts. Then he CLEANED the shelves. It took too long and the stuff that was supposed to be on the shelves was in the carts for two days. Merchandise doesn't sell from carts (unless it's a “blow-out” clearance) and the Department Manager was not a happy camper. When they clean shelves at Wal-Mart, they just wipe them off and get the merchandise back as quickly as possible.

We had a great store Manager. She was 29 years old and adorable. Everyone loved her. Her name was Tracy Craft. She told Jack and I we could have the same schedule inasmuch as we had to drive in from Big Water and she didn't want us to have to drive separately. After the fiasco of CLEANING the shelves in sporting goods, they decided to have Jack be a Greeter. Wal-Mart has a policy that family members cannot work in the same department so I had to be moved to another department. I didn't know about their policy when they moved me and I thought: “Gee Whiz, I'm not even good enough to be a Greeter.” I was pretty upset. I was moved to the fitting rooms. My job description was to answer the phone and either transfer the calls to the correct department or page the person over the P.A. System. Also, I was to be in charge of the fitting rooms. That meant I was to count all items that went into the fitting rooms and count everything that came back out of the fitting rooms. And, of course, I was to be polite and helpful. Also, in my spare time, if I had any, I was to help the Department Managers in the clothing area in whatever way I could. After I was there for a couple of days I knew I had not been demoted and the Department Managers in the Men and Boys, Women and Ladies, Girls, Infants and Lingerie departments were terrific.

I found I enjoyed the work at the fitting rooms. I learned a lot and Management seemed to like how I handled things. At the Page, Arizona store they held a morning meeting for whoever could get free for a few minutes. Generally, I could not attend unless it was held in one of the departments close enough so I could get to the phone when it rang. (I don't know whether the morning meeting is standard practice at all of the stores but it was at our store.) Our store was a “Home Town Store.” It was quite small. We did not have a fresh produce department and other things that are standard in the Super Centers. We did have a couple of aisles with some canned goods, cookies, crackers, etc. It was amazing what we did have. Some of my children liked to shop at that store because they could find things not available at the super stores. There was a group of four ladies from California who made a special trip to our store every September because they could get things not available at the California Wal-Marts.

People from many places go to that area to play at Lake Powell. In addition to the boating, fishing, water skiing, etc., the scenery around Page, Arizona is magnificent. There are plenty of places to hike or run ATV's plus tours. I believe Wal-Mart does very well in that area. (After I was not working there anymore Wal-Mart built a Super-Store.)

Anyway, back to the morning meeting. I was not able to attend most mornings. One day after the morning meeting one of our Assistant Managers, Elmer Nelson, came to the fitting room and told me what had been announced at the previous two morning meetings . He said Management had decided to have the Department Managers write an advertisement “showcasing” something in their department. The Department Manager was to bring it to me and I was to read these “announcements” over the P.A. System.

The Manager of the Toy Department wrote something for me to read and I did read it four or five times that first day. Elmer came to see me the next morning before “the morning meeting” and asked how many P.A.'s I had received. I told him I had the one from the Toy Department. At the morning meeting Management announced it again and urged the Department Managers to get the P.A.'s to me. The next morning, same thing. I had one announcement. When the Department Managers came back after the morning meeting they reported what they were supposed to do and complained that they didn't know how to write “advertisements”. The Manager of the Women's and Ladies' Departments told me she had some merchandise she would like to have advertised but she didn't know how to write anything. I said, “If you will show me what you have, perhaps I can write something.” We walked over to the Department. I looked at what she had and returned to my “cubicle” and wrote some words on my paper. When she came back I asked her to read it and if it was okay I would have two announcements to read. She approved what I wrote.

I thought about the whole idea of what was going on and the next morning when I went to work I approached Elmer with a proposal. I said: “How about if I go around to each Department each morning when I come to work to see what they have, make notes, and then go back to my station and write the P.A.'s and read them periodically during the day?” He looked at me and said, “Can you do that?” I told him I was pretty sure I could. He thought about it for a few seconds and said, “By all means, do it, and we'll see what happens.” From then on for the next six years I read four P.A.'s each hour, eight hours per day five days a week (give or take one here and there). Apparently many of my announcements were successful because frequently various Department Managers would come to me and say, “I have some item I'd like to see move a little faster. Come to my department to see what I have.” I would go to the department, get the information, go back to my cubicle, write the P.A., then read it accurately and interestingly.

My voice became quite familiar to the people of Page. Some of the visitors who stopped by the fitting rooms heard me do P.A.'s and complimented me. Frequently, after I had made an announcement, a customer would come to the fitting rooms and ask where to find the advertised product. One day, after work, I stopped at the Safeway Store to pick up some groceries. I wanted something from the Deli so I stopped there. There was only one person behind the counter and she was busy with another customer. She looked at me and said: “I'll be with you as soon as I finish here.” I answered by saying, “That will be just fine.” Her head jerked up, she looked at me and said: “You are the voice!” Frankly, I was surprised. I had no idea people were actually listening to me and “memorizing” the sound of my voice. When she finished serving the other customer she came to help me and “gushed” about how she loved the P.A.s and that I had such a great voice. Her enthusiasm and compliments were much appreciated. I honestly had no idea. I did know Management approved.

As Jack and I drove to work each day (Tuesday through Saturday) we often listened to the local radio station. There were a couple of men who did the early morning show and sometimes they were very humorous plus they kept the locals up-to-date on area happenings, among other things. One day, at the store, I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and this guy was talking on his cell phone. I recognized his voice from the radio. He walked down the aisle past my cubicle, still talking on his phone. I didn't think too much about it at the time. I lost sight of him and didn't know where he went. A few minutes later I did a P.A. All at once there he was---at the fitting rooms. He said: “So you are the one who does the announcements! You have a great voice! Have you ever considered going into radio?” I was immensely flattered but told him I had never thought about radio. He replied, “If you ever do think about radio, let me know.” At that point I was 69 and didn't think I wanted to start a new career. Perhaps I erred! Who knows? (It could have been fun.)

It depended on the announcement whether I said, “Attention, Wal-Mart Shoppers” or whether I said, “Good Morning/Good Afternoon/Good Evening, Wal-Mart Shoppers. If it was something concerning safety I always prefaced the announcement with Attention, Wal-Mart Shoppers. Everything else depended on the time of day I did the announcement.

Sometimes tourists would call from one of the highways and ask for directions to the store. I was always able to give them straight-forward, simple and accurate directions. I am a people person and I always gave great customer service in the store as well as on the phone. Also, I did Security Scans and Safety Sweeps for the Associates and customers.

My very best P.A. Announcements are somewhere in my storage unit. At least I hope they are in my storage. I hope I didn't toss them in my efforts to get moved from Loa to Salt Lake City because Management really liked them and made a fuss over them. They liked all the P.A.s I did but some were really clever and made them laugh. Also, they were extremely effective in moving certain products. For now I have chosen a few of the earlier ones which I had in a file I brought with me. When I find the others I will do a special post on my blog telling the story that goes with those announcements.

First I will tell you the Safety Sweep and then the Security Scan I used:

ATTENTION WAL-MART ASSOCIATES: (Safety Sweep)

At this time we would like you to do a Safety Sweep in your area and your surrounding areas. Please see to it that all spills are cleaned up and all hazards removed and stored, or picked up and thrown in the trash. Also, check to be sure there are no empty stack bases.

ATTENTION WAL-MART SHOPPERS: (Security Scan)

Please be sure that your child is sitting down and properly restrained if he or she is riding in a cart. We want your child to be safe so that you will enjoy your visit to the Page Wal-Mart.

I read the Safety Sweep at 10:00 a.m., 3:30 p.m and the night person was to do one at 7:00 p.m. However, we only had a night person who could/would do P.A.'s for a short while so I do not know whether a member of management did the safety sweep and security scans. I know that management asked one gal (who thought she was terrific) to stop doing P.A.'s because she did them so badly, so the security sweep and security scans were not done by an Associate. I read the Security Scan about every hour.

Good morning/afternoon/evening Wal-Mart Shoppers:

If you've ever lost a pair of eyeglasses overboard into the Lake, you will want to know about Panama Jack eye wear cords with floats. They are adjustable for loose or snug fit. At $2.97 that's inexpensive insurance for your expensive eye wear. You'll find them on racks in the Ladies' and Mens' Departments.

As always, thank you for shopping your Page Wal-Mart.

Good morning/afternoon/evening Wal-Mart Shoppers:

You may have noticed that we have some trick or treat candy on a cart at the front of the store and it is at reduced prices. Don't you think you should buy your own candy so you don't have to dip into your kid's Halloween stash to satisfy your sweet tooth? Remember, it's at reduced prices which makes it all the sweeter.

As always, thank you for shopping your Page Wal-Mart.

Good morning/afternoon/evening Wal-Mart Shoppers:

Remember how much fun it was to blow bubbles when you were a kid? Well, it is still fun. Wal-Mart has a super value for you. There are 100 oz. Jumbo economy size containers of non-toxic bubbles, with a magic wand inside and the price is $1.97. Think of the hours of fun you and your children can have together. Also, why not blow bubbles at a wedding instead of throwing rice? Go ahead, be a kid again. Get a 100 oz. Container of bubbles from Toys.

As always, thank you for shopping your Page Wal-Mart.

Good morning/afternoon/evening Wal-Mart Shoppers:

Tomorrow is Leap Year Day. It's a fairly high profile day for a day that appears only once every four years. Whereas Leap Year Day comes once in four years, Wal-Mart's “everyday low prices,” “roll-back prices,” and “clearance prices,” are always with us. These are just three ways Wal-Mart makes your life a little easier by helping to stretch your budget. And, as always, we thank you for shopping your Page Wal-Mart.

Attention, Wal-Mart Shoppers:

It's that time of year again, folks. The sun is shining, the days are getting warmer and the temperature in your vehicle, when you are parked in the sun, can rise to 160 degrees in 15 minutes or less. We know you love your kids and your pets so please do not leave them in your closed vehicle. It is always more humane to leave your pet at home where it is cooler and bring your kids into the store with you. This is a friendly reminder from the Associates at Wal-Mart. And, as always, we thank you for shopping your Page Wal-Mart.

At a later date I will add more Wal-Mart stories but these will suffice for now.