OT Walmart sucks

[Seymore4Head]

I called to find out if they had drafting supplies. The woman said......What department is that? I said, I don't know. I was hoping you knew. She said......Huh. I will connect you with stationary. I sit on hold for at least 5 min of dead silence. I hang up and call back. Hi, I called earlier trying to find some drafting supplies. She said...well everybody is busy. I will connect you again.

I think they probably think it would be easier if I just drove down and walked the store.

Not easier for you, easier for us!

[Malcom "Mal" Reynolds]

well a simple search of walmart.com shows that...

[Guv Bob]

Call about 15 minutes after they open. Or ask the local high school art teacher where the good places are.

[gfretwell]

Walmart is a do it yourself store. If you want to find something, do it yourself. The price simply reflects the lack of support you get at the store.

[Todd]

Frustrating.

Unfortunately, discount stores have neither the time or the resources to provide customer service.

And people will put up with poor service for the lower price

[Todd]

Walmart tips:

1) look up stuff on walmart.com. It will tell you if they carry it in the stores or just on line

2) Whenever you want them to carry a new product or properly stock one they already have, call 1-800-wal-mart. Holy mama will you get results! (Plus a pissed off phone call from the local store manager, who wouldn't return your calls anyway. Chuckle!)

[Ken]

I think I would visit an office supply store before visiting Walmart for drafting supplies. Walmart tends to stock only those items that sell well. With today's use of computers for drawing, I would think drafting supplies would be harder to find than in the days before computers.

[Stormin Mormon]

Use above mentioned computer to find drafting supplies online?

Agree, Walmart isn't likely to have specialty items like drafting supplies.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

.

[Frank]

I like Walmart for a lot of things but not everything. I found their stationary department to suck and too small to have a manager.

[Pico Rico]

Don't they just sign their WIC receipts with a craggily "X"?

[Tegger]

Stormin Mormon wrote in news:foxVv.377005$Rp.209736 @fx23.iad:

That is 100% accurate. They are WAY harder to find, if you can find them at all.

The drafting-supply market has shrunk to about 1% of what it was before computers. It's really tough to find heavy straightedges, set squares, dividers, mechanical-pencil leads and sharpeners, etc. Staples has a little bit, but only tiny set-squares and an 18" ruler or two.

Light-tables and drafting machines are given away free. Like CRT televisions, they're literally worthless.

An art supply house -- where painters and college art-students shop -- is most likely to have the best selection of what little is left on the market. There are also architectural-supply houses that also supply the college market; if you can find one of them, you may have some luck.

[Calcetín Títeres]

I use PTC's Creo Parametric CAD software.

Who the hell still uses drafting equipment, Fred Flintstone?

[bob haller]

Locally Gabes a discount department store HAS NO PHONE NUMBER CUSTOMERS CAN CALL.

Its been said phone calls would distract employees from doing their job

Over at K mart they were doing all stocking when the store is closed.

Well they should be able to do a excellent job of stocking a bunch more are being permanetely closed...

[gfretwell]

Good point. Maybe a college book store.

Best chance is probably online and you might find a really nice used set on Ebay. (someone cleaning up an estate)

[Todd]

Any of you guys remember those power erasers? No one would ever let me have one.

I still have my drafting erasure shield.

[Todd]

A bit off topic. But ...

Have you had a look at the open source LibreCAD? Linux, Windows, OSX:

[Seymore4Head]

Just because I need drafting supplies doesn't mean I am going to be doing any drafting. I still use enough pencil/paper that I use one of these:

._SY300_.jpg So I want one of these: I actually have one, but I have spent enough time hunting it that I gave up.

BTW I have found one at Amazon. I just need to wait until I need 28 bucks worth of other crap to order one. (free shipping on 35$ orders)

[Nil]

On 26 Sep 2014, Seymore4Head wrote in alt.home.repair:

I had a similar experience recently. I looked up something on the Walmart web site. It said the product may be stocked in my local store and to call for availability. So I did.

I got an operator who seemed to not quite know what to do, but she transferred me to that department. I was put on hold, where I remained for 20 minutes (I put the phone on speaker and went about my business) and then I got disconnected. I called back later and the same thing happened. A few days later I was driving by the store and stopped in and they did have it. I mentioned my experience to the Service Desk, and they seemed quite uninterested.

My expectations for Walmart are very low and they met them easily.

[Todd]

Those look oddly familiar. What are they used for? (I think I am funny.)

[Todd]

I have a customer that worked as a retiree at one of those style stores, it may have been wally world.

He told me they are instructed not to give that kind of assistance. If you want customer service, go to a full price store.

Funny, I have had customer call me on their cell phones from Best Buy (another discount crap store) and ask me what to buy. I remind them I sell the stuff too and to go find a sales assistant. I get back "I can't find one" or "they don't know what they are doing". I wind up buckling and helping them anyway. Hopefully, they felt a little guilty.

You just can't expect customer service from a discount store. Customer service is too expensive.

Trader Joe's on the other hand, has great prices and tremendous customer service. So, there are exceptions to every rule.