I have worked as an Events Specialist at Wal Mart for over six months now. Overall, I enjoy my job. One of the benefits of standing behind a cart all day is the opportunity to "people watch." People wear the funniest things, walk funny, act funny, and they can ask the funniest questions.
One observation that I have made is that my hispanic customers are extremely kind and polite, as well as their children. On the other hand, a LOT of my caucasian customers are just straight up rude, and I might add, downright dumb!
For instance, one particular day I was marketing contact solution. My cart was covered with signage as well as a display of the solution and pamphlets to further inform the customers as to the benefits of using this particular product. As I had no actual samples of the contact solution to handout, my company instructed me to hand out samples of Andes mints to people as I promoted the contact solution. I kid you not, a man walked up to the cart and I handed him one of the chocolates. He took the chocolate, looked at the signs and the product on my cart, pointed to the chocolate and asked "what is this?" I answered, "It's a piece of chocolate." He said, "Is it for your eyes?" I said, "No, it's just a sample of chocolate." He said, "Oh, if I eat it is it good for my eyes?" As he asked this he held an Andes mint up to his eye, I kid you not. In shock I responded, "No sir, it's just chocolate and it's not good for your eyes. In fact, it is not good for you at all." Confused, he walked away.
For several weeks I grilled steaks to promote a new grade of beef that Wal Mart is carrying. My company provided me with a George Foreman type grill which came with a small container to sit next to the grill to catch the grease and drippings from the steaks. I gave one particular man a sample of steak. He took it, pointed to the grease catcher and asked "Is that salsa?" Another man took his half inch square bite of steak and asked if I had any salt and pepper.
This past weekend was particularly interesting, must have been a full moon. On Friday I baked a spiral sliced ham and gave out delicious morsels all day long. An elderly man came rolling buy in his motorized scooter and sat watching me as I served the customers. A man came up and asked for a piece of ham which I happily gave him. The old guy in the scooter says to the man, "I wouldn't eat that if I were you. God told us not to eat pork, it's unclean." To my surprise, the man eating his ham replied, "No, He told the Jews not to eat pork, and I'm a mexican!" Hahahahaha!! I wanted to fall out laughing!
On Saturday, It was my job to serve Starbuck's coffee, a new flavor of International Delight coffee creamer, as well as slices of Wal Mart bakery cakes. I had a woman walk up to my cart, read all of the signs, look at the coffee creamer that I had displayed on my cart, and then, she sees the cake that I am slicing and she appears as though a light bulb had just lit up in her head. She pointed to the cake and asks, "Oh, so that cake was made with this?" and she points at the coffee creamer. "No, that's coffee creamer" I answer. Confused, she walks away. Apparently the "lightbulb" had been somewhat dim. On that same day I have a woman walk up to my cart and ask, "Excuse me. Do you work in this store?" I looked at her, totally confused and said, "Pardon me?" She repeated, "Do you work in THIS store?" I looked around me very slowly, taking in my surroundings, looked at my cart, and then looked down at myself, my orange apron with Wal Mart inscribed upon it and my name tag, looked back at her and said "Yes ma'am, it would appear as though I do in fact work in this store."
From time to time I fantasize about running down the aisles of my friendly Wal Mart, ripping off my clothes in a hysterical, insane frenzy, screaming at the top of my lungs, "I'm surrounded by idiots!" But alas, I do not give in to that fantasy, if only for the mental health and well being of onlookers. I try to remind myself that I, yes, even I have asked some pretty stupid questions in my day. For instance, when I was a young child I asked my mother what my forehead was for? She looked at me, exasperated, and answered, "To hold your brain in Shawnacee." I am ever so grateful to actually have a brain for my forehead to hold intact...........unlike some Wal Mart shoppers. ;)
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