Blog 3; Post E: Reflection on Wal-Mart: The High Cost of the Low Price (Video)

Previous to watching this video I rarely shopped at Wal-Mart, primarily because the stores I visited always were crowded and disorganized.  Their isles were always obstructed with merchandise that employees never seemed to put away in a timely manner.  Then there is the customer service, there isn't any at Wal-Mart.  I have never been greeted or asked if I ever needed some assistance in finding an item.  The few times that I did shop at Wal-Mart was because I had coupons to use and their prices are almost always cheaper than other big retail stores.  Then one day after standing in line with almost 50 people waiting with me and only 4 registers open, I had had enough.  No amount of savings could remedy my frustration and headaches with the store.  I bowed never to shop at Wal-Mart again, and after watching this video, it reaffirmed my decision and I gt a deeper understanding as to why I never saw a happy smiling employee.

'Wal-Mart: The High Cost of the Low Price' was an eye opener.  I knew the store was bad due to its lack of upkeep but I never would have thought the the problem was deeper than perceived.  The film touches on employee exploitation.  What stood out for me the most was how Wal-Mart employees are made to work on minimum wages while trying to raise a family. Personally, I worked for minimum wages before but my employers were always flexible with my schedule and knew the importance of family first.  It seemed to me that Wal-Mart does not care about any of that.  If a worker needed time off to take care of her family, the store would retaliate by cutting hours the following week and possibly threatening termination.  It also appeared to me that the store only cares about itself and its profits rather than the people they employ because they make them work all hours of the day without a decent break.  Most people understand that there is and needs to be life outside work, but Wal-Mart fails to understand that.  they want to make sure they squeeze every bit f life out of their employee for the sole profit of the store. 

I recently heard that Wal-Mart employees are in such dire need of help with food because of their lack of wages that each store has organized a food drive to benefit their employees.  "Oh how sweet of them" you say, NOT so fast...the goods are not donated by Wal-Mart, they are donated by their employees who can afford to donate a can or so.  As kids now a day say SMDH (Shaking My Damn Head).