I started working at Walmart in July as a cashier. I was originally only supposed to be seasonal help. However, I stayed on as a regular employee. Eventually, I worked my way up to CSM (Customer Service Manager). A CSM is a front end manager over the cashiers, cart pushers, people greeters, Service Desk and Money Center. CSMs also have to handle customer complaints and comments.
During my 3 1/2 years with Walmart, I never once had any customer complaints. My customers loved me. However, just like with any retail job, there are always going to be instances when customers and associates don't see eye to eye. Walmart has a very strict check cashing policy. A customer checked out and his method of payment was a government check that he wanted to cash. The cashier was very unsure of the check, so she called me over there to ask for my approval before she went any further. After seeing the check, I asked the customer if it was a government check or payroll, because those are the only two types of check Walmart will cash. He became very irate and rude immediately, and told me that it was neither. I had never seen that type of check before. I, too, was very unsure, and since he told me it was 'neither', I politely told him that we would not be able to accept it. Naturally, that upset the customer even more and he began yelling and cussing at me and the cashier. He then proceeded to tell me that it was indeed a government check. The fact that he was going back and forth on what type of check it was made my decision easy. However, I was being polite and I tried to explain to him the company policy. He did not want to hear anything I had to say; he repeatedly interrupted me and then stormed off after screaming "Just keep my stuff!". Stunned and frustrated by his attitude, I went back to my duties and didn't think anything else about it.
About five minutes later, the customer returned to the CSM podium with a manager-in-training; she is not yet an actual manager, she is still in the training program. The manager asked me why I would not cash his check. I had no more than opened my mouth and the man was interrupting me once again. I became nervous because not only was this man very upset with me, but one of my bosses was witnessing it. I waited for him to finish yelling at me before I spoke, but it became an endless cycle: I would try to explain the policy and why I was uncomfortable cashing his check, and he would interrupt me. Of course I was getting upset and frustrated. I finally turned all my attention to my manager, who might I add, just stood there the entire time and watched this man yell at me while I tried to explain myself, and said "Since he will not let me speak, can I just explain it to you?" She then nodded and let me explain, all the while, this man is still yelling and cussing in the background. After I finally got my explanation out, she then took the customer around the corner to the Money Center. For about fifteen minutes she communicated with another manager trying to decide if she should cash his check.By the way, she was unsure if she could cash it, too. She eventually cashed his check but told him that we would not cash it in the future. I never heard from her again the rest of the night, or for four days after that.
On the fifth day, I was called into the office and terminated because I had "very poor customer service skills" with the customer. I was told that we had been very inconsistent with that customer, and that we do indeed cash that type of check. During that time in the office, I was so surprised and upset that I was losing my job that I didn't think of all the reasons the termination was unjust.
First of all, as previously stated, in almost four years, I never had ONE customer complaint. Secondly, I should not have to do anything I am uncomfortable doing. I was following policy and the customer's initial statement that the check was neither government nor payroll. Thirdly, the customer was not satisfied with my answer, so therefore he wanted someone above my head. That's why he got a member of management. However, she brought him back to me and let me deal with him again, even though I had already dealt with him. It is her job as a manager to take over when I am unable to make a customer happy. Also, since she failed to take control of the situation, the moment she felt I was being too rude or showing "poor customer service skills", she should have stepped in and made me walk away. I thought I was supposed to be able to depend on my management team to help and assist when there are issues. She could clearly see that both myself and the customer were extremely upset, so I cannot understand why she stood there and took no action to take control of the situation. She obviously has "poor management skills".
I tried to use the so called "Open Door" policy and fight my wrongful termination. It was a total waste of time. According to Walmart, a manager's opinion weighs heavily on the outcome of situations, and her opinion was the only one that mattered, even though there were no other witnesses other than myself, the customer and her. I guess details such as my perfect record with Walmart, my above-average job performance, and excellent experience and qualifications don't matter to Walmart, as long as they make a few dollars and let their managers-in-training get the experience of terminating someone.
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