Big Box Stores

I have come across many people who have worked in big box stores (Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, BJ’s, etc.) while being a student in college. One gentleman called Tom said the employees of his store use “to-cut-the-breeze” as he used to put it.? He even wrote his speech for Oral Communication class about working in a big box store.

His anecdotes were hilarious but also dismal. It is noted that this is before video/audio equipment was used in the stores.

Tom said one gentleman who was in his 70’s came into the store, the employees at the front noticed he was not limping as usual but he was seen waddling out while leaving. Upon inspection of the individual, the store manager noticed a piece of a golf club sticking out underneath his pants leg.

When security was called to intervene at the front of the store entrance, they realized this gentleman was a normal, long-time shopper who had always been known to take a few extra items on his way out. The employees were always too busy to notice him in the past or some employees had said they felt that since he usually bought over $100 in items most times he was in the store it was no big deal to take a few other items.?

When he was asked by security, “why he took the golf club?” His answer was that he needed a putter to complete his golf set. That’s right he had already stolen 13 clubs previously to make a full golf set.?

Another woman came into the store wearing a maternity top and seemed to be two-to-three months pregnant. When she left the store, the employee noticed she gained a considerable amount of weight while being in the store for that short amount of time. She was asked to step aside when she came outside the front entrance of the store by an employee. Then she went into labor on the sidewalk. Her husband was demanding she call 911 or he was going to get the car to take her to the hospital. While this was going on, the couple drew more commotion to them. Somebody stepped forward who happened to be an EMT visiting the store as a customer. Right there on the spot, she gave birth to a small microwave oven.?

Nathan worked at another big box store. His crew would get bored while working and open up appliance boxes such as: toaster ovens, instant pots, blenders, rice cookers and test them out in the store. But what they would do is take apart the appliance and put it back in the box for the store to sell. So, the customer would have to return it, and then management would tell the customer that they would personally have to contact the appliance manufacturer to ask for an exchange because the appliance cost over $100. Nathan and his employees hated the management of the store so badly that they took out their revenge on the customers instead of the store itself.?

One couple who worked for one store would love to make night-time videos of their sensual vagary for the security guard to watch on video the next day and have him rate their techniques for the camera. The couple would be off the next day but the security guard would tell them how they performed on camera later on in the week.?

They made these videos in the furniture or garden furnishings department. I will let your mind go there for yourself, no need to explain any further.?

Some of the women who worked at these stores use to let the stores babysit their children while they were at work. The women would go to the toy department of their store and open up the toys and games for their children to play while they were at work. The kids would play with them on the toy department floor. When any of the managers would ask, what children were back in the toy department? They would just say the children are testing out the new toys the store received for the upcoming year.?

Therefore, when customers would come and buy the opened-up toys that the box was already open and the toys had been played with by the employee’s children. So, the store had to discount the toy since it was open and sometimes the games had missing pieces to them because they were lost on the store floor.?

The stores had coloring books or crossword puzzles that had already been used by employees’ children. Dolls with missing clothes and shoes, Lego’s with missing parts, and magazines with torn pages because kids had played with them.?

Many employees of one big box store would open flavored chip bags because one employee said, “How do you know if you are going to like the chip if you don’t try it?” The same goes for chocolate candy boxes and other snack items.?

The lesson learned here is to watch what you buy from big box stores. You may find yourself taking items back that were reopened or not working, to begin with, because someone tampered with the device or appliance. And the sad part is the patron’s loss in the end because the customer is the one who has to run around to get their money back from the device/appliance manufacturer.?