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Razhie. Advicenators Member Since: June 13, 2005. Answers: 5077. Visitors: 211514.
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The Question
It happened for the first time in my life today, and I go to Wal-Mart probably more than any other store. I feel offended. Wal-Mart is not like Costco, where workers always check receipts, so I feel like I was discriminated. I was taken aback, I thought the greeter was just going to say "good-bye" like they normally do, but then he asked me to show my receipt for literally $7 worth of items, in bags. I did self-checkout and then walked to the other side of the store, because it was heavily raining and I wanted to be closer to my car. I've done that a lot, actually, and never envisioned that could potentially come across as suspicious. But then the guy says I could have just somehow snuck in items and eluded all of the other Wal-Mart employees that would have seen me from the self-check out area all the way to the other side of the store. If that ever happens to me again, in any store in where receipt showing is not routine, I'll say to only show my receipt to them at the line for returns, and then vow to never again visit their location. Is this a fair response? I was wearing gym clothes, but I didn't look sloppy. I don't see why I would be singled out without any probable cause, but the assumption by the worker that I inherently would think to steal $7 worth of items, based on thin air. I work and have a clean criminal record. Unless that employee asks every single person who walks out that door to show their receipt, how is it not discrimination? Do I have any grounds to complain to a manager? I'd like to know that specific chain's policy. It's one way or the other. Either it makes sense they should ask all people to show their receipts, or they should ask nobody, unless there is actual probable cause other than some kind of random stereotype pulled out of that greeter's ass.
The Answer
Let it go.
Seriously. The most likely explanation is that they had theft problems at that store, and the staff were told to be more vigilant. Checking everyone would be unwieldy and perhaps physically impossible, but checking people who walk through the store after making their purchase is an utterly reasonable action, even if they don't manage to stop everyone who does it. Spot-checking is an imperfect system, but that doesn't mean it's never the right way to do a task, and it's doesn't make it inherently discriminatory either.
You are trying to make this personal. You are taking it personally. It probably wasn't. You don't really give any reason for us to believe that it was. You don't describe a pattern of a poor treatment, or any reason to believe it was a discriminatory action. What you described is one incident that inconvenienced you.
Complain if you want, but don't expect to be taken particularly seriously. You may get an apology, but when you leave the room they will shrug their shoulders and saying "You can't win 'em all" because that is the truth. You can choose to shop elsewhere. You can try to complain about the policy. You can complain about the particular person. None of it is likely to account to much.
If you don't want to look suspicious, the best way to do that is to immediately leave a store through the closest doors after completing your purchases. People who face frequent discrimination because of their race, or age, or social status, know that is a way to minimize the problems for themselves in retail stores. They know it's unfair they are actually being discriminated against, repeatedly and subtly. You didn't describe that, you described being inconvenienced by one person for one minutes for reasons that he told you were directly related to the way you behaved after completing your purchase.
Maybe you have faced a lot of discrimination in your life - I can't know that - but the way you told this story here, it's the kind of thing you'd be a happier and healthier person if you can let it go.
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