Camping World Rant

[JudyJB]

I am fast becoming a really grumpy old lady. I have been breaking drawer latches lately, so I had to stop at Camping World this morning on my way past to get a couple of spares. It was the store in St. Augustine/Jacksonville. I had stopped in this one a couple of weeks ago to get my vent pillow and had to wait for the cashier to reboot her cash register.

Anyway, there was ONE cashier and four people plus me in line. Not only was I irritated that there was only one cashier, but that no one seemed to notice the line getting longer and doing anythiing about it.

Then what really set me off, was that the cashier, after selling them a Good Sam Club membership, proceeded to ask them about their road service and then tell them about how good the Good Sam one was over AAA and to discuss the benefits. I suggested loudly to the couple ahead of me that they needed two cashier lines--one for people who wanted to check out and one for selling insurance!! When I made it to the front of the line, I told the guy it was irritating to wait while cashiers sold insurance. He rang up my stuff and then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to renew my membership for another year to get a free night in a campground!! I told him that I just wanted to pay for my stuff and get out, but he wanted to know why I did not want to renew. I told him that he had just pulled my membership up and I had just done that last month, and that I just wanted to get my stuff and leave!!! Aggggghhhh!

Am I the only one who gets irritated by this stuff?????

[longdog2]

Oh, Judy. I am quite sure there is a long line of irritated customers at Camping World. Half the cashiers don't have a clue if you ask a question and, I totally agree, the checkout line is not an appropriate place to have a lengthy discussion about selling you "other benefits".

[Acadianmom]

I haven't been to a Camping World in a while but I get so mad at Sam's. I know better than to go to Sam's on a Sunday afternoon but I went anyway. The lines were snaking all over. I came so close to just leaving my basket and walking out. If they hadn't made an announcement that you could check out in the camera shop if you had 10 items or less I probably would have. I beat the crowd over there. It pisses me off that I have to pay to shop there anyway but my DH wants steaks from there. I have already let several cashiers have it when they wanted to upgrade my card for $30 so I could get the sale prices on some items. I don't remember ever buying anything there that the upgrade would have saved me any money.

The last time I went to Home Depot the only registers that were open were 2 self check out. I always have trouble with them and the people ahead of me were having problems. I ask the employee that was standing there watching them if they were the only registers open. She told me I could check out at the service desk where 2 Einsteins were trying to do a return. I finally set what I had down and walked out. Hope they got that on camera.

I'm becoming a very grumpy old lady too.

Martha

[retiredhappy]

Glad I'm not the only grumpy old lady. I recently gave my cart with about six items in it to an assistant manager at Walmart. Told him all the shelves were half empty and there were only TWO registers open and that I was going to HEB where they have GOOD service and their shelves are well stocked.

[Rufflesgurl]

LOL Guess maybe this is why us seniors are called grumpy old people. We remember good service and when people were happy to have a job and had pride in how they did their job. Customer service is no longer!! Companies are so busy trying to find ways to save $$$ by using fewer employees.

Linda

[Pooker]

Yup! It seems to be happening everywhere. "They" can't seem to afford to hire enough people to give us fair service. We're not asking for extraordinary service - just fair. With all the folks out there begging for jobs I can never understand where they find the nincompoops who man the checkout counters all over. And so many of them don't even understand or speak English!

I have moved quite a distance from Camping World and I don't miss the hassle. I do wish there were other camping chains out there to compete with them.

Pooker

[JudyJB]

Lack of staff is one thing, but I think part of the problem is that stores are using cashiers as sales agents--like when you buy something, the store forces them to ask you if you want to buy a warranty and makes them explain it to you before you walk out. I plead guilty to writing a training program for KMart about 10 years ago on one of those. If the store catches the cashier NOT trying to sell you that warranty, they will fire them!! But it really slows up the lines.

I also blew up recently at Walgreen's for their trying to get me to apply for one of their discount cards. I told them if I did not get the discount without the card, I would walk out. They gave me the discount.

NOW, for something positive. I walked into a Kohl's yesterday, and the return counter AND the bathrooms were right at the entrance. Amazing, and I told them how nice it was not to have to hike to the far corner of the store for that.

And you are right, we are grumpy because we know what good service should be--and it is not trying to squeeze out that last penny from the customer before they leave the store!

[mtngal]

There is a smallish Randals near me; the employees are SO nice there and the store is always busy even though not as big or cheap as Walmart across the street.

[Redetotry]

There is a smallish Randals near me; the employees are SO nice there and the store is always busy even though not as big or cheap as Walmart across the street.

And those nice employees are what is keeping that store busy!
I dislike what Walmart has done to small businesses every where so I avoid them. I know it's hard if you travel but a lot of studies show shopping at the smaller stores and watching their sales you come out ahead. I also want to know where my meat comes from, particularly after the Pink Slime issue not to mention the gas in the packages so the meat stays red, plus this country is buying more and more meat from China and other countries. It is no wonder so many have health issues in this country most of the food is grown and treated with so many chemicals.

[Excel]

Don't shop Camping World or Wal-Mart......and our complaints are wasted....Ladies, it's all about $$$$profits$$$.
And by the way...I try to buy Made in the USA products....to help keep OUR country going not China or any of the others that import stuff that ends up closing down our factories & causing more unemployment & the rest ... it's like dominoes....effects every walk of life...think about it next time someone you know is losing their home or can't feed their families cause they got laid off & can't find a job...the only ones profiting are the big boys who keep making those big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$..........JMHO

[AlmostThere]

I am PO'd at my Fred Meyer (Kroger) store as they changed everything around in such a random order that I (and many other blurry-eyed shoppers) am spending more time trying to find where they are now hiding certain foods. I understand that with this type of product placement you are forced to go by/look at other impulse buy product. More $$$ for them! They also made our fresh produce area smaller in order to add 3 aisles of hard liquor and wine. Use to have one row of wines. That added to an already entire aisle just for beer! Really? I did say something to the store manager and to his credit he did look ashamed and said that he wished he had never added the hard liquor. And so it goes......

[JoanE]

I agree about customer service. If I get bad service, I tell the owner/manager etc. I also let them know if I get great service.

[JanetA]

lemme just say this:

H E B ! ! ! ! !!

if you are fortunate enough to live in an area of Texas that has these..... they're the BEST! ! !! ! a locally owned chain out of San Antonio,,,, the customer service is OUTSTANDING!!

just saying. I, too, am forced to buy from Walmart most of the time,, as that's all tht's in my town,,, and I'm sadly, 75 miles from the nearest HEB. so,,, that said,,,,

I empathize w/ all you gals that are complaining about the large chains. Happily my WM is staffed w/ mostly ppl from town tht I know so,,, im pretty lucky there.,,, but the merchandise is typical wm so,, I have to deal w/ it.

Happy shopping and more importantly,, HAPPY RVing!!!!

[JudyJB]

Love HEB even though I only discovered then last November when I was driving through and at GTG. Will make sure I stop there next time I am anywhere near there. Great selection of stuff.

[VickieP]

I get frustrated because it seems like both Kroger & Walmart are doing away with brand name items & pushing their own store brands on us.

Like Lenora, since our local Kroger remodeled, I can't find anything anymore. I always end up having to go back to the other side of the store, where I started, just to search for stuff.