GottaDEAL 2020 Black Friday Prize Club Posting Thread

[HanShotFirst]

Well, it’s June and right on cue it turned summer so now I stay inside because I can’t stand the heat.  We actually had a real spring this year with gorgeous weather, when it wasn’t raining.  The older (and lets get real, the fatter) I get the more heat-intolerant I get so I see even more staying at home for me.  COVID cases are at an all-time high here now too that the state has partially re-opened here too.  There’s no way I will be able to stand wearing a mask while in public during the summer so either I say phooey to the mask or significantly alter my grocery/household items shopping.  
 

Wishing everyone a good summer!  

[Gator Pam]

Earworm time...

(although I do wish these meme creators would spell things correctly)

 

 

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day

I was out choppin' cotton, and my brother was balin' hay

And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat

And mama hollered out the back door, y'all, remember to wipe your feet

And then she said, I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge

Today, Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

 

And papa said to mama, as he passed around the blackeyed peas

Well, Billy Joe never had a lick of sense; pass the biscuits, please

There's five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow

And mama said it was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow

Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge

And now Billy Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

 

And brother said he recollected when he, and Tom, and Billie Joe

Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show

And wasn't I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?

I'll have another piece-a apple pie; you know, it don't seem right

I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge

And now ya tell me Billie Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

 

And mama said to me, child, what's happened to your appetite?

I've been cookin' all morning, and you haven't touched a single bite

That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today

Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way

He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge

And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge

 

A year has come and gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe

And brother married Becky Thompson; they bought a store in Tupelo

There was a virus going 'round; papa caught it, and he died last spring

And now mama doesn't seem to want to do much of anything

And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge

And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge

 

 

I think the way Bobbie Gentry handled the simple scene was absolutely amazing. The way she said so much, with so little, and managed to capture that callous nonchalance to Billie Joe's suicide is pretty close to perfect.

[len_mullen]

from http://performingsongwriter.com/bobbie-gentry-ode-billie-joe/
 

Everybody has a different guess about what was thrown off the bridge—flowers, a ring, even a baby. Anyone who hears the song can think what they want, but the real message of the song, if there must be a message, revolves around the nonchalant way the family talks about the suicide. They sit there eating their peas and apple pie and talking, without even realizing that Billie Joe’s girlfriend is sitting at the table, a member of the family.

from https://playback.fm/bobbie-gentry-ode-billie-joe-true-story

 

While Bobbie Gentry admits the story is fictionalized, she did explain that it was inspired by the 1954 murder of Emmett Till. Till was only 14 years old when he was shot and thrown over the Black Bayou Bridge in Mississippi for offending a woman in a grocery store.
The bridge mentioned in the song soon became an attraction and many attempted to jump from it. However, no casualties were ever reported since the bridge was only 6 meters high. The bridge collapsed in 1972 but was later rebuilt.

Edited June 3, 2020 by len_mullen

[tyreejames]

June is here; the midpoint of the year! I am still working from home and I have no idea when I will actually see the office. I miss going to work, I miss hanging around with my co-workers/friends. The virtual thing is just different. In better news, remote learning is over on the 10th. My kids and I have certainly had our fill of it.

 

Our governor has cleared eating at restaurants outside beginning on the 15th and I cannot wait. I don’t even care where I get first; Chic Fil A, Sonic, Cheesecake Facotry; it doesn’t matter! Enjoy the month, guys!!

[Gator Pam]

*cross posting*

 

Some good news...

National Cancer Survivor's Day

 

 

#NCSD2020

#CelebrateLife

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Gator Pam

[laddhorn]

Happy June everyone.  Sorry I'm late, but I was busy severing ties with Walmart.  

 

No one was more excited about Walmart coming to Seabrook New Hampshire than me.  Finally, a REAL store with everyday low prices on everything I might want!  When Home Depot and Walmart replaced Service Merchandise and Ames in Plaistow New Hampshire, I thought I died and went to heaven.  After three decades of steady decline, Walmart is no longer a company with which I want to do business.

 

Nothing sudden, really.  Prices never really met expectations.  When Amazon came along, Walmart ceded the 'everyday low prices' crown.  The staff is HORRIBLE.  They do not know their products and do not care about their customers -- they don't have customers. 

 

When I was in school, I worked at a department store.  The first thing the manager said to me was, "If a customer asks you for help finding something, take him to the item or take him to someone who will.  Never let that guy out of the store without buying what he is looking for.  That is how we get paid."  The last three times I shopped at Walmart, I left without buying what I was looking for.

 

Most recently, I bought some body wash for my kid.  It was not available in store or for pickup, so I ordered online.  When the package FINALLY arrived (>2 days promised), the inside of the boxes were soiled and the bottles were slick with soap.  It looked like my product was too close to damaged product.  I cleaned off the bottles, disposed of the soiled packaging, and...noticed it wasn't even what I ordered.  Wrong scent.  I checked my order to make sure I had selected the right product.  I had, so I began the process of returning the product.  Piece of cake except that I had no chance to tell them what was wrong or re-order the items, "We'll process your refund after the items are dropped off at any Walmart store by Jun 26, 2020. Please show the barcode below to a customer service associate."  This morning I arrived at Walmart only to find a LONG line of socially distanced customers at the service desk.  After an unreasonable wait, a young manager looking guy (tie and a clipboard) helped a second cashier set up her drawer.  I heard him say, "We ought to turn this sign around so people can actually read it."  Everyone laughed.  He did.  I did.  It included a long list of things they would not take as returns.  I loosely translated the list as 'everything' so I got his attention.  I explained my dilemma and showed him the directive.  He shrugged his shoulders, "Can't help you.  Have a nice day."  When I got home, I tried to contact Walmart again.  One hour wait for chat and half an hour to get a call, so I chose the phone call.  A very nice young lady named Debra assured my she felt my pain, but offered no more than to send me a label so I could send the items back.  On my own for the re-order.  I thought about that manager as Debra let me get off the call without re-ordering the right product.  Of course, no label was ever sent.  

 

The previous time I left Walmart without what I came for was a few months back.  I found what I wanted and headed to the cash registers.  Just a couple open and the lines were long, so I headed to the self-checkout.  The register was unresponsive as I scanned my single item, so I tried again.  Two items rang up, so I cancelled the item.  This triggered an alert.  As I waited for assistance, I noticed my cash register had a red flashing light above.  As I looked around, I noticed ALL the self-checkout registers had red lights.  I caught the attention of a woman who was standing among the self-checkout registers.  She looked at me, looked at the red light, then turned around.  I walked out.

 

My pre-previous Walmart failure was to pick up an item ordered online.  After waiting nearly an hour for someone to arrive at the pickup counter and waiting another hour for all the others to be served, I was told my item was shipped to another store.  I could either pick it up there or wait for it to arrive at my store.  I left.

 

I'll probably end up keeping the body wash.  I have already wasted too much time trying to deal with 'The People of Walmart'.  I won't waste any more time with Walmart.

 

When we start thinking about Black Friday, I won't be thinking of Walmart.

My son currently works for WalMart.  Most of the people in there recognize me, so I likely get better service because of it. 

That being said:

I used to work in retail "back in the day".  Even then, the low level managers were poor.  There was no training offered, they were just thrown into the job.  There was unwritten rules that you basically worked off the clock if you wanted to become a manager.  If you got caught, you got in trouble.  You didn't get caught, you were up for management.  Every employee was expected to "earn" their way and if you wanted a pay raise, you typically did the bad jobs.  If the store sales weren't up to budget, people were sent home.  I never worked for WalMart.  I worked for the "other".  WalMart was actually a "better" retail job. 

I don't expect to ever work in retail again.

Customer service has died.  It was dying while I worked in retail, even though I was taught the same as you:  Take the customer to the product or to someone who knows where it is.  Ensure everyone leaves happy.  Smile.  Say "Yes, sir/ma'am". 

I was involved in a similar situation as you experienced, but gave a much better resolution.  A customer had come in after requesting us hold an item for them.  Someone dropped the ball and it was either damaged, or we didn't have it even though they were told we had it saved for them.  When i located the item at a different store, the customer told me that my store was the third one they had been to.  So I went up to the other store, got the item and brought it back with me while the customer waited in store.  They were pleased I helped them out.  I also got in trouble by my manager. :shrug:

As I worked in the trenches, I'm willing to give them somewhat of a pass.  The main thing I took away is a bad job can be made tolerable with good managers.  A great job can become intolerable with bad managers.

 

I also know what I should expect with customer service, as do you, and that is deteriorating.  Not all stores are bad.  It depends on who manages them.  Stuff rolls downhill, after all.

[Kash]

Happy June .... my birthday month. And as an early gift, I came down with shingles!!! I had 3-4 days of extreme pain and then the blisters appeared. Can I exchange or return this joke. I’m not even 50 yet! I vote we move Black Friday up to July then we can schedule family celebrations as quarantine and stay Home orders apply. Then we can be done with this year 2020.

[wittenlover]

Got some awesome news this afternoon. A dear friend of mine who’s been working his tail off for the past several years for one of the restaurant chains in a bid to become a GM officially got that promotion today. I was among the first to get the news. So thrilled and proud, as I’ve been staunchly in his corner rooting for this all along because I know he can be great at it. He just needed the chance. I told him now it’s time to go knock their socks off and leave them wondering why they waited so long to promote him. [emoji16][emoji106]

[HanShotFirst]

June is here; the midpoint of the year! I am still working from home and I have no idea when I will actually see the office. I miss going to work, I miss hanging around with my co-workers/friends. The virtual thing is just different. In better news, remote learning is over on the 10th. My kids and I have certainly had our fill of it.

 

Our governor has cleared eating at restaurants outside beginning on the 15th and I cannot wait. I don’t even care where I get first; Chic Fil A, Sonic, Cheesecake Facotry; it doesn’t matter! Enjoy the month, guys!!

Cheesecake Factory gets my vote, simply because the nearest one to me is almost 3 hours away.  

Happy June .... my birthday month. And as an early gift, I came down with shingles!!! I had 3-4 days of extreme pain and then the blisters appeared. Can I exchange or return this joke. I’m not even 50 yet! I vote we move Black Friday up to July then we can schedule family celebrations as quarantine and stay Home orders apply. Then we can be done with this year 2020.

Oh no!  Hope you feel better soon!  

[len_mullen]

@Brad No body count for May?

[HomeinKS]

So I am starting to get out more for work, doing face to face home visits.  I realized yesterday that I really missed a good time of year to be out and about.  It was hot here this week so it would have been a great time to stay home!  The cold of winter is also a great time to stay home.  Oh well, I enjoyed being home this spring.

[len_mullen]

So I am starting to get out more for work, doing face to face home visits.  I realized yesterday that I really missed a good time of year to be out and about.  It was hot here this week so it would have been a great time to stay home!  The cold of winter is also a great time to stay home.  Oh well, I enjoyed being home this spring.

 

My son and I got our hair cut yesterday.  He snoozed in the truck while I visited Big Lots and Shaws (grocer).  Derry is a bigger town (30k residents vs 8k where I normally shop and 4k where I live).  We were there from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.  I found traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) to be pretty heavy.  Big Lots was typically sparse, but Shaws was very busy.  I'm ready to unofficially declare New Hampshire open for business.

[HomeinKS]

My son and I got our hair cut yesterday.  He snoozed in the truck while I visited Big Lots and Shaws (grocer).  Derry is a bigger town (30k residents vs 8k where I normally shop and 4k where I live).  We were there from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.  I found traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) to be pretty heavy.  Big Lots was typically sparse, but Shaws was very busy.  I'm ready to unofficially declare New Hampshire open for business.

Yeah, things seem pretty normal around here also.  Except dressing rooms are closed and my daughter wants to find some jean shorts so that is tricky.  Had to return the pair she got at Target.  Some places are wiping down carts which is nice. Some places are limiting numbers inside stores and asking for people to wear masks.  I still need a haircut.

[budgetsRsexy]

I fall in a high risk category for Covid-19 so I’ve avoided people as much as I can. I haven’t been to a store in months but it’s been tough. Ive been getting a bit stir crazy so today my husband and I got up and went to the city’s public market together. It opens at 5 and the die yards are there right when it opens but it doesn’t normally get busy until 8. We went at 6 to be safe. It’s outdoors plus they require everyone to wear masks so I felt like it was a safe compromise to get me out of the house. It was also nice to support local businesses that I’m certain have been struggling. We normally only go a couple times a year but I suspect that it will be more often this year as I’m so limited. Who knew I would miss shopping so much

[Brad]

@Brad No body count for May?

Nobody dropped out in May. Still at 42.

 

Going to have to make the pins a little more "generic" because most reputable places want a 100-pin minimum or will charge so much for 50 that I can get 100 for almost the same price. So I'll likely have extras to give out to family/friends and didn't want them to say "prize club" or anything like that.

[len_mullen]

or t-shirts 

[stationchief]

Going to have to make the pins a little more "generic" because most reputable places want a 100-pin minimum or will charge so much for 50 that I can get 100 for almost the same price. So I'll likely have extras to give out to family/friends and didn't want them to say "prize club" or anything like that.

Or just save 'em for next year unless we get twice as many folks taking part then.

[dantegirl]

Happy June all! Stay safe [emoji4]

[vstevens111]

Happy June Yall!  We are slowly trying to get back to some form of normalcy. Can't imagine what black friday is going to be like with a lot of retailers closing up shop. We'll see

[kellis4321]

Scorcher weekend here with mid 90s for the highs!!  Wishing the pools were open now.  Hopefully this week or next, they should be open!  

[ilikefree]

Yeah, things seem pretty normal around here also.  Except dressing rooms are closed and my daughter wants to find some jean shorts so that is tricky.  Had to return the pair she got at Target.  Some places are wiping down carts which is nice. Some places are limiting numbers inside stores and asking for people to wear masks.  I still need a haircut.

She's lucky she's able to return them. In at least one of the stores around us the dressing rooms are closed and they're not currently taking returns. Makes buying clothes risky and difficult so I haven't bought any from there.

[Kanyon71]

She's lucky she's able to return them. In at least one of the stores around us the dressing rooms are closed and they're not currently taking returns. Makes buying clothes risky and difficult so I haven't bought any from there.

There are consumer protection laws. If they aren’t accepting returns then the return windows need to extend the return windows to match.

[colemandawn4905]

There are consumer protection laws. If they aren’t accepting returns then the return windows need to extend the return windows to match.

Walmart wouldn’t do returns so my daughter has 5 cases of diapers waiting till they will return them. She just wants to swap out for a bigger size. The baby is growing too fast lol. 4 1/2 months old n wears 9-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers n I don’t think it’s gonna be long till he goes into size 4. He’s just a big boy lol

[gatorburg]

Happy June

Walmart wouldn’t do returns so my daughter has 5 cases of diapers waiting till they will return them. She just wants to swap out for a bigger size. The baby is growing too fast lol. 4 1/2 months old n wears 9-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers n I don’t think it’s gonna be long till he goes into size 4. He’s just a big boy lol

 

My walmart just started sunday taking everything back so call and see.

[len_mullen]

Most recently, I bought some body wash for my kid.  It was not available in store or for pickup, so I ordered online.  When the package FINALLY arrived (>2 days promised), the inside of the boxes were soiled and the bottles were slick with soap.  It looked like my product was too close to damaged product.  I cleaned off the bottles, disposed of the soiled packaging, and...noticed it wasn't even what I ordered.  Wrong scent.  I checked my order to make sure I had selected the right product.  I had, so I began the process of returning the product.  Piece of cake except that I had no chance to tell them what was wrong or re-order the items, "We'll process your refund after the items are dropped off at any Walmart store by Jun 26, 2020. Please show the barcode below to a customer service associate."  This morning I arrived at Walmart only to find a LONG line of socially distanced customers at the service desk.  After an unreasonable wait, a young manager looking guy (tie and a clipboard) helped a second cashier set up her drawer.  I heard him say, "We ought to turn this sign around so people can actually read it."  Everyone laughed.  He did.  I did.  It included a long list of things they would not take as returns.  I loosely translated the list as 'everything' so I got his attention.  I explained my dilemma and showed him the directive.  He shrugged his shoulders, "Can't help you.  Have a nice day."  When I got home, I tried to contact Walmart again.  One hour wait for chat and half an hour to get a call, so I chose the phone call.  A very nice young lady named Debra assured my she felt my pain, but offered no more than to send me a label so I could send the items back.  On my own for the re-order.  I thought about that manager as Debra let me get off the call without re-ordering the right product.  Of course, no label was ever sent.  

 

After I posted this, I was contacted by Walmart via email.  A vert cordial exchange ended with Walmart shipping six bottles of the Mint body wash to my home.  I was surprised -- shocked really -- then amused when I opened the second shipment of BOURBON VANILLA body wash.  I guess I better get used to the scent.  Today, they refunded the purchase price, so I have twelve bottles of Bourbon Vanilla body wash.  

 

The June/July issue of Fortune magazine arrived the same day as the second shipment.  There was an article on Net Promoter Score (NPS) -- The Simple Metric That's Taking Over Big Business.  NPS is a ratio between positive and negative/neutral referrals.  2/3 of Fortune 1000 companies use the metric.  That's what those 'would you recommend to a friend' surveys are all about.

 

The article lists NPS leaders for ten industries.  Walmart was not on the list.  Nordstrom was the Department Store All-Star.  Not surprisingly, USAA was the leader in Retail Banking and Property and Casualty Insurance.  My favorite credit card (Discover) was tops in that category.  Other leaders: Vanguard (Wealth Management), Verizon FiOS (Wired Network Operations), Consumer Cellular (Postpaid Wireless Service), H-E-B (Grocery Stores), Walgreens (Drugstores), and Chick-Fil-A (Casual Fast Food).

 

I have been considering dropping my AT&T cell plan for CC.  Given that Consumer Cellular uses the AT&T and T-Mobile networks, I do not expect a degradation in service.  Savings would be about $50 a month for two lines.

[Kash]

After I posted this, I was contacted by Walmart via email. A vert cordial exchange ended with Walmart shipping six bottles of the Mint body wash to my home. I was surprised -- shocked really -- then amused when I opened the second shipment of BOURBON VANILLA body wash. I guess I better get used to the scent. Today, they refunded the purchase price, so I have twelve bottles of Bourbon Vanilla body wash.

Oh my they sent the wrong scent again?!?! Lol that’s my luck. Hope you guys like vanilla.

[len_mullen]

I like bourbon.  Not sure I want to show up at work smelling like it.  

[Kanyon71]

I like bourbon. Not sure I want to show up at work smelling like it.

Bourbon Vanilla is one of my favorite scents. The beard oil I used is scented with it.

[len_mullen]

Bourbon Vanilla is one of my favorite scents. The beard oil I used is scented with it.

 

It smells fine to me as well.  Not really the point, though.  Walmart is not the store it once was.  Low quality merchandise, disengaged employees, and incompetent corporate leadership.  Online and B&M are totally unintegrated.  At the local store, online pickup is at the back of the store by the toilets and the entrance to the storage area.  I've been there for half an hour waiting for someone to show up.  Employees stream out of the back area ignoring customers at the counter, "Not my job."

 

I go out of my way to patronize Staples, Best Buy, Target, and Kohls.  They seem to want my business at least.

[Kanyon71]

It smells fine to me as well. Not really the point, though. Walmart is not the store it once was. Low quality merchandise, disengaged employees, and incompetent corporate leadership. Online and B&M are totally unintegrated. At the local store, online pickup is at the back of the store by the toilets and the entrance to the storage area. I've been there for half an hour waiting for someone to show up. Employees stream out of the back area ignoring customers at the counter, "Not my job."

 

I go out of my way to patronize Staples, Best Buy, Target, and Kohls. They seem to want my business at least.

Oh I fully understand. My wife knows with me Walmart is one of the last stores I want to go in. Kohl’s I’m just overall not real fond of. Target I like, in FL we had a lot of Super Target stores so we shopped there a lot. Best Buy I just avoid anymore, never have what I want can’t find anyone to help me and prices are high.