The Wal-Mart Checkers

It seems like Wal-Mart checkers are a well publicized group. Whether it is their wage, age or line length, they are in the news and our mind often.

January 2010, I go in to a Dallas, Texas Wal-Mart. After grabbing a few things I get in line to checkout, a 60ft checkout line. It was a Wal-Mart with bandannas locked behind glass and one where we saw cops chasing a thief as we arrived.

So I do what any good Twitter user would. Took a picture and posted it just seconds after getting in line. I happen to have a good friend who was previously employed in management for them but I didn't think anything of it.

Two days later I get call on my cell phone from a regional manager of Wal-Mart in Bentonville, Ark asking for more details. A touch surprised, I answer the questions and am then forwarded this email. Mike Duke happens to be 4th CEO of the company.

From: John Murphy
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 4:26 PMTo: Mike Duke
Cc: Bill Simon; Gregory Jenkins - GRJENKI; Lee Ruiz - lruiz.s05147;
Sonny Littlefield; Mike Moore - Operations
Subject: RE: Interesting WMT in Dallas

Mike... I just called Taylor Fox a friend of Rob Voss. Taylor took

this picture on his iPhone last night and was able to give me more details...
This was in our Cockerel Hill store located 5 miles west of downtown
Dallas. We'll immediately start pulling register and staffing reports
and get this addressed; then do this for all stores in our Region. Mike
I apologize for this breakdown... We are better than this in Dallas...

John

Interesting to see the reach of social media in such a short amount of time. Here is the Photo in Question:

I most recently love Wal-Mart checkout lines when signing the digital pad. They print your signature on the receipt and it is quite entertaining to come up with fun names, drawings, etc. I have yet to receive a "signature not accepted"