There are never enough checkout lanes open at the local Walmart. Never, never, never. I accept that; I can shop elsewhere if I don’t like it. So that’s not what I’m writing about.
Friday afternoon I went to Walmart and did a big bunch of shopping. When I went to check out, there were four express lanes open, but only two “full load” lanes. Oddly enough, there was hardly any line at the express lanes -– usually the lines there are about 10 deep. The two full load lanes, however, were backed up big time. It takes at least 10 minutes to process each full load shopper (mostly because Walmart does not use baggers), so even if there are only three carts ahead of you, you’re waiting 30 minutes. People get very irate, especially if they have young children who start getting fussy. So I’m in a long line of very pissed off people and unhappy kids.
There used to be a manager’s stand in the aisle behind the checkout entrance. It made it very easy for me to walk over and suggest to the manager that they open more checkout lanes (not that they ever did). I notice that the manager’s stand has disappeared.
Waiting in the checkout line, I 'm facing the customer service area. Normally, there are one or two people working customer service for a huge line of customers. Oddly, there’s no line at customer service, but there are FOUR employers behind the counter. Additionally, there are EIGHT employees milling around the customer service area, holding conversations or fiddling around with stuff in carts. So there are TWELVE emloyees in the customer service area, basically doing nothing. Every one of them has their back turned to the checkout lanes, and every one of them is wearing a smock that says on the back: How may I help you?
Some day I will be old and crazy enough that I will do things like yelling, “Hey – you in the blue smocks! How may you help me??? Well, about ten of you could stop screwing around and open some friggin’ checkout lanes.”