The need for Walmart & Kmart stores

[Moon]

I've seen the discussion on here about supporting small mom and pop businesses, and agree with the concept. But, I've reach my wits end with a few of the auto stores around here. All I want to do is buy a particular type of polish. I go in and look around, finally ask if they carry Long Haul Metal Polish. They don't but had some other offerings. I look em over and pick out one. Go to the counter and the fellow i had talked to has disappeared. Another guy is close by, unpacking something. He looks over and doesn't say anything. So I waited a bit. He finished one box, moved something else around, then he walks right by me, and towards the back of the building. Not a word. I was standing there with a box in hand ....I left the box on the counter and moved on. Next I tried a chain auto parts store. Two folks were working there. No one else in the store, but no one asks if they can help. No problem, I can find the wax / polish. They didn't have the Long Haul stuff either, but again, I picked out another alternative polish. By now someone else came in and the girl was waiting on him. The other guy was on the phone looking up something in the manuals. I waited by the register. The guy gets off the phone, picks his behind a bit, looks around, and starts looking in the books some more. I thought maybe he had someone on the other line, but no he wasn't. I finally gave up waiting and left the product sitting at the register. Looks like my next stop will be Wal Mart. At least I know there will be a cashier around when I'm ready to purchase something ....that's all I'm asking for. Does that seem unreasonable?
Mom and Pop operations are known for being more friendly and service oriented. You might pay a little more, but that's okay. If they're not going to give the little extras, why bother shopping there?

 

[MossRoad]

Moon, while I hope you find what you want at a large store, an argument can be made that the lines are long, the isles are huge and no one in there will be helping you either. You just had a bad day at some poorly run stores with poorly trained sales staff. It happens in large and small stores all over America. Some mom and pop's are great, others stink. Same with some large stores. One outlet on the north side of town has awful service and the one on the south side has great service. It all goes back to the management of that particular store and what they do with their staff.

Same thing can be said about tractor dealers. One is a little slice of heaven while the other is a big piece of the other place.

Hope you get your polish. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Moon]

yeah, your exactly right mossroad. And i did hit em at a bad day i suppose, but it helps understand why some go directly to the large chain stores and save some time. You don't expect any help, or friendly service. Get in line and eventually someone will take your money. Just venting over the poor servive in general. Thanks for your reply.

 

[RedRocker]

I wouldn't consider Auto Zone a mom and pop store though.
We have one auto supply left in town that's not a chain store.
They don't have to look in the book very often and know my name and what I drive, that's important to me.

 

[Jagmandave]

Ready to start another flame war.............

Did you look for Long Haul online? Unless you need it right now, it's even easier, and no sales people or cashiers to wait for...........

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They don't have to look in the book very often and know my name and what I drive )</font>

When we lived down in the country, the nearest town had a Wal-mart, K-mart, Auto Zone, and Carquest and I've done some shopping at all of them, but in the old downtown area, there was a very old building that housed a NAPA auto parts store. Now I wasn't there often enough for them to know what I drove, but every time I went in there, there were 3 men working there and I'll bet none of them were under 65 years old and I don't remember them ever using the catalog or computer either. When I handed one of them an old part or told them what I needed, they just went and got it. It was a little farther to drive than it was to the other stores, but I quickly decided the drive was worth it.

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

I like big stores, small stores and stores in-between. Depends on what I want at the time. Any lumber I need for a home project, I just call the local lumber yard and they bring it to the house for free. They are a little higher than Home Depot or Lowes, but I know the owner and he won my loyalty when I was building my house and needed one square of shingles to finish up one afternoon. He sent it right out, no delivery fee /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Now if I want a nice heavy duty right angle drill or another cordless toy or other tool, its off to the big box.

These days, I'm so busy sometimes I am willing to pay a little more for better, faster service to avoid hassles and save time. Internet purchases are excellent if you don't need something now and you don't even have to talk to anybody to order your product if you don't want to.

I gladly support mom & pop operations if the service is excellent and real value is present. If not, its off to Wally World or Northern or to whoever is willing to cheerfully accept my money. Ain't capitalism grand? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[frank_f15]

I buy most all my stuff at NAPA the guys are a bit younger and use the computer, but they usually have what i want and are qiute knowledgable+ they let me search tho the back room for boxes, for my EBAY SALES /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Junkman]

NAPA doesn't even have a listing for my Rolls..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Egon]

Them big stores with the products piled twenty feet high are great if you be just a walking thru. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But don't ask no serious question or even ask for something you can't see cause then you get the blank stare saying

" Oh my goodness;what do I do now "

Egon