My Love/Hate relationship with Wal-mart

Wal-mart. I love to hate it.

I hate that it runs small town business into the ground.

I love that I can make one-stop and get my groceries, paper goods, baby stuff, and other household items.

I hate that they always build them outside of town, therfore small town "Main Street" dies.

I love the fact that they have incorporated "Clearance" racks.

But, my most recent hate, yes I know it's a strong word...

Is the Wal-mart Tire and Lube. Plese understand that I also love the Wal-mart Tire and Lube.

Usually it is the easiest way to get my oil changed. I just drop the car off and then do my shopping. Who cares if it takes an hour. I don't make it through that place in an hour anyway.

My love for the WM T&L grew leaps and bounds last year. Every three months or three thousand miles we change our oil. And, normally our PT (Patty Teresa) Cruiser visits Wal-mart. On one occasion the oil crew stripped the screw that holds the oil pan in place. So it was just fine until the next oil change. Since the pan was stripped the couldn't put more oil into the car until it was fixed. Now this was very inconvenient at the time. I was hugely pregnant, my groceries were bought and the oil man told me that my car couldn't go anywhere until at least Monday because it was the weekend. The good news was that since I was a regular oil changer at Wal-mart it must have been their crews fault, therefore they would fix it at no cost to me.

So Patty was towed to the nearest repair shop and she was as good as new. Thanks Wal-Mart for picking up the tab.

Now, because of this incident I have become a even more value customer. Just to know that they would take responsibilty for their mistake makes me greatly appreciative.

Ok, now here is why I hate Wal-mart Tire and Lube:

They are seriously the slowest workers on the face of this earth. Now realize I have been such a customer that I hadn't branched out to a "Quick Lube" type place in years. Last month I didn't have time to go to Wal-mart. I needed my oil changed quickely. So I went to "Punkin's Quick Lube." And let me tell you they were QUICK! I was in and out in minutes. Soooo unlike Wal-mart.

Wal-mart sloweness never OFFICIALLY bothered me until this week. I went to the nearest Super W, got my groceries, and pumped gas. As I was pumping my regular unleaded the gentleman next to me peeked around the pump and pointed at my tire. I smiled and said, "What?" he pointed again...And I realized he was pointing at my almost flat tire.

Grrreeaaatt......So I panicked. I called Ken and he just told me to go back to WM and have their Lubies to fix it. So I did. The man behind the counter told me it would be about an hour. Even more great....I had perishable food! So I went out and got my groceries out of the cart. Picked out the most perishable stuff and took it inside.

I waited, and waited, and waited.

They got right to my car.

I watched and watched and watched.

Still the clock was ticking.

After 45 minutes they called my name. My car was finished. I was thrilled!

Then I found out exactley what they had done to fix my flat...

THEY AIRED UP MY TIRE.

It seriously took them 45 minutes to put air in my tire and check for leaks. Unreal.

However, I am grateful that they were able to fix it. Again, at no cost.

My groceries were fine because I stuck them in the pop cooler as I waited.

I just wish they got paid according to the amount of cars they worked on instead of hourly.

Hmrph.