Anyone been to the Wal-Mart in da 'hood? (Chicago, Cicero: live in, groceries)

[Drover]

Other opinions to the contrary notwithstanding.... since I started this thread I've been to the 'hood Walmart a couple of times and found it to be by far the cleanest, most well-stocked, and most pleasant Walmart within relatively convenient striking distance of my pad.* But still not quite well-stocked and/or conveniently-located enough for me to hit it up on a regular basis.

*Then again there's only 2 other such Walmarts and they both hugely, majorly suck even by Walmart standards.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Drover

Other opinions to the contrary notwithstanding.... since I started this thread I've been to the 'hood Walmart a couple of times and found it to be by far the cleanest, most well-stocked, and most pleasant Walmart within relatively convenient striking distance of my pad.* But still not quite well-stocked and/or conveniently-located enough for me to hit it up on a regular basis.

*Then again there's only 2 other such Walmarts and they both hugely, majorly suck even by Walmart standards.

they changed it up some point last year (I think renovations started around last spring, that was the last time I was there) and, since then, it's been better. CS still bites, but hey, it's Walmart. not quite the crap hole it was before, but for me, still not worth the trip (got several Targets closer to me now)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by eevee

they changed it up some point last year (I think renovations started around last spring, that was the last time I was there) and, since then, it's been better. CS still bites, but hey, it's Walmart. not quite the crap hole it was before, but for me, still not worth the trip (got several Targets closer to me now)

I found the customer service at da 'hood Walmart to be quite adequate. I suspect I'm about to open a can of worms that would be better expounded on in a different thread in a different forum, and I feel most ashamedly like Humboldt1 opening this can... but I'll open it anyway . . . . .

. . . . . Anyway, it has been my observation that, on the whole, white people expect a higher degree of courtesies and formalities in a customer service setting than black people do. Being that I'm white, I generally receive those courtesies and formalities from black people who are accustomed to dealing with white people in a customer service environment. And where customer-service courtesies and formalities are concerned, "white" includes "Hispanic" whose customer service expectations are similar to those of blue-eyed WASPs. And "da 'hood" Walmart may not get a lot of white customers, but they do get a whole lot of Hispanic customers.

So it could be that when the mostly black staff sees your black skin, they revert to a "this ain't no white folk, let's dispense with the formalities and get down to business" posture.

That's my armchair-anthropologist hypothesis anyway. YMMV.

[Humboldt1]

Drover,

I am not sure if I would have opened that can of worms or even agree with what you are saying. I know a lot of black people who expect high level of customer service. It is being ghetto not black that makes the employees of the austin walmart have customer service issues. And to be clear, most of the cashiers and other employees, mostly black and some hispanic have been very courteous and helpful.

2 nights ago I was there at 9:45pm and my female hispanic cashier was very polite and efficient. 2 weeks ago my black female cashier was very polite and was able to reduce on the spot the wrong pricing on couple of items.

The biggest issue I see with this walmart is that it is understaffed with cashiers and most of the cashiers are black and do not speak spanish yet many if not most customers (in the evening betweeen 7-10pm) are hispanic and mostly speak spanish.

I had to wait 10-15 minutes in line this week and that is common. The reason behind the wait is that people are buying only 20-30 dollars of groceries. I am a single guy with girlfriend and I spent 103 dollars, which is typical for what I spend every other week on groceries. I make it worth my while. I am not making a trip to walmart just to spend 20-30 dollars like the two guys behind me who spent 15 minutes in line to buy 2 cases of coke and 5 lbs of sugar.

Btw, the austin walmart is much better now. I go to target too but actually prefer walmart prices. I was able to buy usda choice boneless ribeye for 5.99/lb. Show me a target where I can do that. At whole foods that meat would be 20/lb and at jewel and dominicks 14/lb.

[urza216]

Originally Posted by deechee

Ahh, Walmart. The only place I would rather avoid to pay more elsewhere.

Yep.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by urza216

Yep.

Pretty much

[ajolotl]

I don't think they're selling that meat at WF for any price

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

Drover,
Btw, the austin walmart is much better now. I go to target too but actually prefer walmart prices. I was able to buy usda choice boneless ribeye for 5.99/lb. Show me a target where I can do that. At whole foods that meat would be 20/lb and at jewel and dominicks 14/lb.

[odannyboi]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

In case you're ever in my neck of the woods I'll save you some time -- don't go to the one on 95th and Western.

In general I find Walmarts are very nice in small towns and far off suburbs. Near urban areas they are a freak show. I stick to Target.

That Wal Mart made me depressed.

The only good walmart I've been to was the one in Mt. Prospect. But I doubt anyone would want to drive that far from the city.. unless you like wasting your life on the highway and wasting gas money and time. If you are into that.. go for it.

[Humboldt1]

Ajolotl,

That is good beef. I know good beef and grew up on a cattle and hog farm where I was trained to judge animals for meat quality (alive and dead, we actually had seminars).

USDA choice boneless ribeye is good stuff. Prime is better but based upon the marbling the 2 cuts I bought are not far from prime.

You also have various cuts including filet (porterhouse is combo of filet and t-bone), t-bone, ribeye (most marbling), sirloin (least marbling, most lean).

For the non-meat people. You have 4 basic grades. Govt approved, select, choice and prime. My dads cattle average between select and choice, with some prime. My family sells into a grocery store chain based out of Philadelphia.

I did not have to google this stuff, btw. Beef is something I was raised with.

Also, I know a lot about organic and non-organic. Organic and free-range is mostly junk. If you want good stuff go for stuff with the least ingredients and least preservatives.

Ajolotl,

The ribeyes that I bought at Wal-mart are not Gibson quality but certainly Outback or Texas Roadhouse quality. I also bought the last two ribeyes. It was a good deal.

Why do you think Whole Foods would not sell the same meat?

I have customers who sell food products to Whole Foods. It is not nearly as good on quality as the management or the yuppies who shop there would have you believe.

[Savoir Faire]

Originally Posted by odannyboi

That Wal Mart made me depressed.

The only good walmart I've been to was the one in Mt. Prospect. But I doubt anyone would want to drive that far from the city.. unless you like wasting your life on the highway and wasting gas money and time. If you are into that.. go for it.

Have you gone to the Walmart on 77th and Cicero? Dirty, chaotic, disorganized, hostile environment, merchandise opened, and poor lighting. The Walmart on North Ave. comes in a close second.