Types of Customers at Walmart

While working at Walmart, I have come across many different types of customers and they all fall into one of four distinct categories. Some of the customers are amazing, and others are absolutely terrible. The great ones will instantly improve my day, and the terrible ones will drag me down as if I was handed a surprise quiz on Monday morning. Each customer that shops at Walmart has unique characteristics which means that Walmart customers must be classified so everyone knows how to deal with them.

The fools

Many people fall into this category, and these people are going to be at almost every single Walmart in the world no matter where it is, or what time of day it is. They don’t have any special look, but they all share one common trait: the inability to use their brain. Not a single one of these people thinks before they talk. A typical question that comes from one of these people is “Do you work here?” “No sir, I am just wearing a blue Walmart vest for fun.” While working at Walmart, I have gotten many questions such as this. Every time I hear a question like this, I know that I’m dealing with a person who is not using their brain before they speak. These people can’t even observe the simplest things such as the people who work at Walmart. Another example of these people displaying their idiocy happens at self checkout. They will walk up and ask “Can I do this myself?” This invites the response of “No, you actually need a cashier to scan your items at self checkout.” Unfortunately, you can’t say this to the customer. If you do, you will most likely get fired. Another time these people do not think for even a single second is when they find items that are damaged. They will grab the item and go to put it in their cart. Once they realize that the item is damaged, they will go put it back on the shelf. They think that another person will still want to buy the damaged item. These people won’t bother telling any workers either. An interaction with these people can ruin your day if you don’t react properly. Do not let your temper rise or else you will act in a way that you will regret. The best response is to just attempt to ignore their idiocy and reply kindly. Later, long after they are gone, you can laugh to yourself at what they did or said.

The Soldier

This type of person is one of the best that I have encountered while working at Walmart. This type of person will be at almost every Walmart. Sometimes, these people are literally veterans of the United States military. When a veteran walks up to you, they will often have a hat saying where and when they served the country. They are always very respectful, and almost always have a smile on their face. If they ask any questions, they will listen to your answer and you will not have to explain it more than once. Sometimes this type of person will not be a literal veteran but rather an extremely friendly person with a smile on their face. If I am at self checkout, these are the best people to help. They understand what is happening, and are super easy to help. When interacting with this person, you will often see them smiling, laughing, and talking. These people can instantly make your day so much better. They will understand your situation, and when they ask for help, they will be kind and say thank you. When dealing with these people, you want to just be normal. They might ask for help, and they will listen to what you say. If they don’t ask for help, then you can simply just talk with them and wish them a great rest of their day.

The elder

This category of Walmart shoppers is simply people who are old. Sometimes these people will make your day amazing, and other times they will cause you to question where they get their ideas from. The elder will almost always be present when you go to Walmart. These people all share one characteristic: thinking that what they are doing is the best way to do something. Sometimes it’s easy to see why they do things, and other times it is impossible. At self checkout, they all check out very slowly if they are getting more than just a couple items. If they are getting one or two items, they usually will be quick. One example of an elder doing something completely mind boggling is when they do a million different transactions for one cart of items. I will never understand why they think that they need to ring up all their items separately. If an elder is buying something that requires approval, just approve them and move on. Do not waste time asking for their ID. Some of the elders are great. When you encounter a great old person, they will smile, and laugh, and be super friendly, and often talk a lot. When you talk with this type of person, there is a pretty high chance that you can learn some new things. When you finish talking with a great elder, they will often thank you for helping them and wish you a great day. These people are one of the easier types of people to handle. The best way to deal with these people is to accept them if they are doing something that is mind boggling, and be grateful if they are one of the great elders. Always wish them a great rest of their day.

The repeat customer

The final type of customer that I have encountered while working at Walmart, is the repeat customer. These are the people that are at Walmart every single day. For some reason they always have a need to go back to Walmart. It does matter if they spent over three hundred dollars, they will be back the next day. If they are not back the following day, they will be back the day after. Even if the weather is terrible outside, they will be at Walmart. Every single Walmart in the entire world has these people. These people can fall into the other categories as well, and they all act differently. Some of these people will get the same thing every time that they are at Walmart. If I am working at self-checkout, and one of the repeat customers from my Walmart arrives, they will always give a friendly greeting which includes a smile. Most of the time, this type of customer is a happy outgoing person who is quite talkative. Often, they will know many of the people who work at Walmart. There have been many times when one of these customers has asked me if certain people were working on a day. The repeat customer can be one of the best customers, but they also can be one of the worst. The worst ones will complain about everything, and ask to speak with the manager. They always know the manager because they are at Walmart every other day and they always have a problem that can only be solved by speaking with the manager. Most of the time the problem can be solved by any associate, but for some reason these people need to have a manager fix the issue. The best way to treat these people is to smile and talk to the friendly ones, and ignore the foolishness of the terrible ones. I still always wish them a great rest of their day and I know I will see them soon.