And now, back to our regularly scheduled derogatory incredulity…
Really, Wal-Mart Automotive Center?
I’m starting to think that, for every price cut by that little smiley face that roams the store, a little cartoon tire runs wild in the Automotive Center, rolling back your quality service standards.
Disillusionment has long come and gone as I gave you endless chances to, if not provide a positive customer experience, at least send me on my way without something to be angry about.
That wasn’t meant to be, I suppose. I tried to pitch you a real homerun – three brand-new tires on one of America’s most common cars – and you served up a foul ball that has finally robbed you of my faith for all eternity. Let’s look at the play-by-play:
“Joe” (Joe is a creepily-bearded slightly shorter-than-average fellow with enough hidden facial area that my best-guessed age range for him would be about 55-110): What can I do for ya?
Me: I’m interested in getting three new tires put on my car.
(I give him basic make/model information)
“Joe”: So you’ve got tires you want us to put on?
Me: No sir, I’ll be buying those here if you’ve got ‘em.
“Joe”: So you’re going to buy tires and put ‘em on yourself? You could have us do that.
Me: …that would be great…
“Joe”: Okay, well, what size are they?
Me: Y’know, I’m really not sure. I haven’t even really had the car that long…
“Joe”: Welp, go find out. Come back and let me know.
Me: Well I mean, there are a variety of markings on the tire. I’d hate to tell you the wrong thing.
“Joe” (like a jerk): If you want tires, go find out what size they are.
Me: Really, Joe?
“Joe”: Hey listen we’re busy in here and…
Me (over my shoulder as I walk out): That was rhetorical.
Before I made it out the door I heard him turn his attention to a man who had witnessed this exchange, which I recognized on the way out as my old high school English teacher.
“What can I do for ya?” Joe asked.
My former teacher replied with a hint of yeah, right in his tone. “I need some tires”.
So you see, Joe, it’ll be a rainy day in Sporting Goods when I come back to get a crappy attitude from a Wal-Mart mechanic that seems to be well into his early hundreds. You can relay that to your team who was mostly just standing around behind you talking about nothing.
In the meantime, I’ll be ponying up the extra dime to take all my business to any competitor of yours I can find. All the while I’ll think back and that magical little word will echo in my head.
Really?
Posted by techforthemasses 
