I worked at Walmart – the things we wish customers knew, including what not to trust on the website
FREQUENT Walmart shoppers may think they know everything about the store, but in an online forum, employees revealed how little customers understand.
One Walmart worker started a conversation about the in-store intel employees wish customers knew, including why employees can't just "go look in the back" for inventory.
On a Reddit forum , one poster asked fellow employees, "What do y'all wish customers knew about Walmart?"
A few truths stuck out to the original poster. At the top of the list was a reminder to shoppers that the Walmart website isn't "100 percent accurate."
"Yes, I know the website says we have 15 of this toy everyone wants," the employee wrote, "But you and I are standing in front of the empty shelf where they should be."
Sometimes sales numbers don't register quickly on the website and in-store scanners, they explained. Theft and damage can also reduce stock, unbeknownst to the online inventory system.
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Another bit of guidance: do not go to Walmart associates for expert advice.
"Yesterday, I was in hardware, and tomorrow, I might be in health and beauty, or I might be in paper and chemicals," the employee explained.
Shoppers can also save time – and avoid annoying store associates – by knowing how to find a manager.
"Management don't wear vests," the original poster said. "I'll never forget the customer who was convinced I was a manager because I had a yellow vest."
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The colors of vests indicate specific roles the store employees work, not their rank or department, other Reddit users explained. Managers typically don't wear a vest at all.
There's one exception, a different person said: if you see an employee carrying a vest, don't bother them.
"Odds are, they’re clocked out or on a break," they explained.
When you do have questions, ask someone in the department for help. Don't walk across the store until you find an employee, since it's unlikely they'll be able to help you.
"The person from lawn and garden doesn't have the keys to cosmetics," a poster explained.
Other employees chimed in with their biggest pet peeves about working in the store.
When you drop an item or leave it far from its designated department in the store, it won't "magically disappear/teleport back to its original spot," an employee said.
That's especially true for cold things, they added, which are often abandoned around the store and then must be thrown out for safety reasons.
Employees also don't know the location of every item in the store. In fact, you have the same tools as most employees do to track down what you need.
"Sure I have a general idea of the layout of the store, but I don’t memorize products," a Walmart worker wrote.
Asking an employee to type the item into their scanner is a waste of their time and yours, the employee added. "You can pull the app out and look on your phone just as easily as I can," they said.
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One thing associates can definitely help with is accessing locked products – just make sure you ask the right way.
"That big button on the counters or by cases is meant to be pushed, and yes it worked the first time," an employee wrote. "We prefer you push it rather than come hunt us down or get us chewed out for not helping our customers."