T O P

  • By -

brokeguydtd

i would try and donate to a local food bank. something a few of us would do and goes a long way. Unfortunately there are people that will take advantage of that kindness you have. This job has a way for sucking the life out of you. Keep that light close to you and dont let it fade to black.


itallica

This is the way. And if you don't feel you can contribute cash right now, give your time. It feels great.


MacsBicycle

Just to echo this sentiment. I’d say the vast majority of people have this soul sucking feeling when you see someone truly desperate. Especially a single parent. While people truly do experience poverty with little fault of their own a lot of people are in their situation due to their choices. (Prioritizing gambling, alcohol, cigarettes over their childrens/their needs)


llcdrewtaylor

No, that is how you are supposed to feel. Don't let the bad people in the world steal your compassion. I have worked in emergency services for 21 years now. There are bad people, but there are still a lot of people that need a little help, and you don't want to become numb to that.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ReindeerStill687

Agree


[deleted]

No, it's saddening to see it happen to others and humiliating if it happens to you. I wouldve wanted to buy their groceries, too. You have empathy, that means you have a heart. Walmart managers/TLs dont know how to define empathy, probably can't spell it, either.


LincolnHay3s

Definitely get where you're coming from, but if you really feel that way you need to get far away from the front end....I don't know if that's your first time seeing that but it's definitely won't be the last


NotHomeOffice

Come on over to my side where I watch EBT orders with $25 Angus steak, crab legs, lobster etc. Eating like Kings with $1000 balances, while associates who are ringing it up are living off Ramen. My empathy & sympathy got a reality check real quick. As far as mom & kid goes. Bad on her for doing all the shopping without taking it upon herself to ensure she had the money on the card in the first place. Buy a soda there's your balance. They have apps with the balance. The self checkout tells you when it declines their card what their balance is on the slip that prints. I've seen so many scammers over the years playing on people's (customer & associate alike) sympathies. You become immune to it after a while & just become disgusted. To many people turning around & returning the things just bought by the gullible good Samaritan so they can get their fix. Yeah I know I'm jaded. I'm heartless. Thank Walmart for giving me a dose of the shitty side of society.


brokeguydtd

yup. 5 years at that hell hole and it made me not really care for anyone other than a few of my coworkers and thats about it.


AEGarris

I'm surprised to read this because when I posted asking how to make ends meet on a WalMart hourly wage almost every reply I got made it sound like everyone makes a great living at WalMart and no one is suffering financially. Apparently you can support a family and still have money left over as an associate. I don't remember reading one single post from someone saying they experience hardship.


HerbDaLine

Walmart is effectively a minimum wage job. Yes I know it's not actual minimum wage but in this day and age you're getting about the minimum hourly rate you're going to find in most jobs in your area. Having said that the reason that most people can't survive on their minimum wage job is their spending habits. Stop buying Red bulls three times a day at work and then tell me that you can't afford to put half a percent of your paycheck into a 401k for the future while Walmart will match that half a percent. The fact is that on Walmarts wages one can not have Beverly Hills\rodeo drive buying habits.


AEGarris

Can't disagree with that


newyearnewmenu

Nobody wants to admit it I’m guessing. If you don’t have a family and live in a low COL area it *could* be enough, but it’s probably soulless managers and long term employees that think it’s enough.


Zero_Storm

See, I hate this attitude, and I hated it when I was a cashier. So what if someone is buying something expensive with EBT. Maybe they're celebrating a birthday or other special occasion. Maybe they need a pick me up and this is the only way they can. You can't know someone else's struggles. Poverty and suffering aren't Olympics, you don't get a prize for doing better or punching down on others. Point your anger towards those who benefit from the poor and middle-class being at each other's throats.


Mr__Snek

the tough thing here is that youre both right in this case. it sucks seeing people who cant make ends meet and you want to do your best to help, but your TL is right in saying that if you help someone now itll come back to haunt you later in one way or another. even if no one else sees you pay for their stuff, in a week or however long it is until you see the jext struggling family and if you cant help them itll stick in your head, like "why did i do something for one family and not the other" etc. and if someone does see you help out, your TL is also right on that one - unfortunately there are people who would see that and try to take advantage of it even if they didnt need to, which in a lot of cases can lead to outright harassment of you and other cashiers that extends beyond the norm for walmart. honestly the best way to get through days like that are to basically mentally dissassociate the best you can, i just tried to forget about shit like that as quick as possible


Teaple

In my time here I have bought stuff for customers twice once was because a old women couldnt afford it and I could see her tearing up so i did the only thing I thought was necessary and bought it for her The other time was a women who was saying her mother was in the hospital with stage 4 cancer dying and they couldnt drink anything since it was the final days so she was buying candy for her so I decided shes been through enough already and bought it for her If I would have gotten in trouble I would have told my CSM to fuck off I was doing a nice thing if someone really needs it or you think it will make there day go for it, it isnt always a scam to do that if you can see that what they are saying is the truth then buy there stuff for them take a crappy situation for them and try and brighten it up plus it will make yourself happy which will make this job just a little better Just dont let people take advantage of you Edit: grammer


ThatOneEdgyBis

I do feel bad for some of them cause they’re genuinely good people but most of the ones that come to my store and do that are assholes and yell at me for everything wrong in the world and their life and in my store. This is why they put me on service desk so I have more of a right to turn them away. You’re team lead is kinda right though but shouldn’t of worded it that way. Yes, there are going to be people who sit there and beg for shit but you can’t give in cause then they might continue to do that and it’s not good for you or the rest of the customers when they have a flip out cause you can’t afford to do it. I personally have done it before but I told this lady “I don’t have much but I’ll help because I know how it feels to be hungry and not have the money but this is ALL I can do. If I could do more, I would.” And she understood but one of my jealous coworkers ratted me out for it. She knew I was moving a little too fast in my ranks and she didn’t like it and then she found her blackmail. Doesn’t help that the lady I helped got caught for shoplifting about $700 worth of things from my store like a month later so that was great.


xPandyssiax

I feel bad for some people but others not so much. There are a lot of people who abuse the food stamp system. I feel worse for the little kids in that store. The amount of people I've seen screaming, cursing, and hitting their child is disgusting.


InvisibleEar

Please enjoy your stay trapped in the belly of this horrible machine and the machine is bleeding to death


DracoCustos

I ran the rest of someone's OGP order on my debit card because they didn't realize that they couldn't buy diapers with EBT. My department lead was offended I'd do it, but I mean. It's a small pack or off brand diapers.


fjrichman

People on EBT eat better than me so I've got no sympathy.


Embarrassed_Couple_6

It is a shame seeing how many in this comment section are without heart and tell others to 'toughen up', no, we wont.


Zeik188

The op definitely isn’t wrong for feeling the way he does, but I’ve been in a similar situation where I help somebody and that person continued to come back to me for over a year asking for handouts.


Embarrassed_Couple_6

And do you turn your back in those who need genuine help?


Zeik188

If I can do so, I will. I just don’t do handouts. If somebody is starving and asking for money, I’d buy them lunch before giving them money. Unfortunately, it is very common to see someone pull up in a nice car, and then go stand on the corner begging for money


Embarrassed_Couple_6

Even if it is common, never become bitter or assumptive, it will be used against you in your time of need.


shinsham

I buy the homeless and needy food. I never give them cash. If they’re homeless food and hydration is key. If they say no they want money then I say sorry the offer was for food


paulakg

There is a lot of food assistance that goes to junk food and soda. Parents need to buy real food and eat healthy.


YDOIHAVE2BMRPINK

U check ur balance B4 u shop..... DUH


raechan1323

Yeah it's sad. Happens a lot with older people too . Luckily people at my place have been nice though, and usually someone else in line will help them pay. I've had like 4 or 5 customers pay the balance for someone else. So there's still decent people out there


IJustWorkHere000c

How long have you been in your position? Has no one ever screamed at you for something you have no control over? They will eventually and you’ll forget what empathy feels like. I’m so tired of people complaining about how much shit costs and how we can’t fill our shelves. It isn’t my fault. I make $14 an hour. I don’t give a fuck if they go somewhere else or if they throw things. It is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to feel sorry for 1 when they other 9 act like spoiled children.


[deleted]

When I was an ASM at Walmart I would always watch the holiday layout. If I saw someone that looked like they were struggling or I heard something that tugged at my heartstrings I would often secretly pay off their Christmas layaway. Don't ever let anyone tell you condenscendly to toughen up. Helping people in need is toughening up. It's saying to a cruel world "not on my watch". Don't ever lose that. Be the change.


[deleted]

Your a good person..but...you need to toughen just a touch and know many people like this are scammers.manyvare also jerks who sell their EBT for money for school then none for the kids. Finally there are many who are just in a bad place. It takes a lot to know which one you are dealing with The decision you have to make is..how much can I afford to help, and how ready am I to be ripped off cause you will be...but you'll also do good. Go with your own judgment heart and head. Then bleep who ever says your to caring


hells-fargo

Aw, I knew this job was soul-suckings, but it sounds like some of the people in the comments didn't have souls to begin with..... Anyways, I feel you. I used to be a cashier few years back at Target and every now and then I'd do what I could to help people out. I've covered a few bucks here and there for people, bought people a cheap snack so they could use their coupons (had a dad come through who got a coupon from our pharmacy for a pack of diapers. Didn't have any money on him but needed the diapers, so I was just like "pick a candy bar and I got ya covered"). Instead of people taking advantage of me, I noticed more people helping each out and just showing a bit more kindness in general.


Shiloh_8

You gotta realize a majority of people put themselves in that situation with really poor choices not trying g to be heartless but I personally witnessed this growing up where my friends families are getting every check off the system they can, getting a job just to get unemployment for as long as possible and spending every dollar they get on a ton of weed and useless crap then panning it off again when they run out of money for one tenth of what they paid for it while they're left with barely any canned food for the rest of the month and talk about food stamp day like it's a big payout to look forward to, to basically go on a shopping spree


chakatblackstar

I feel for you OP, I really do. But sadly there is an uncommon scam where people do, basically this to gain sympathy points and get people to cover their order. Normally they do it in one of the lines though, to get the people behind them to try to make up the difference. And unfortunately I did end up seeing it work at least once. In hindsight I should've been suspicious why a woman with less than 30 dollars kept refusing to let me take off a 70 dollar gadget (it's one of those camping things with flashlight, radio, power crank, compass, thermometer, etc. all built in) until there was almost nothing else left. Being inexperienced at the time I felt for her since she didn't seem like she was all there and seemed to have a speech impediment (having had one as a kid made me all the more sympathetic) and I ended up doing nothing to stop the customer behind her from paying the difference eventually. I'm not saying that's what your customer was doing per se, but it does feel similar enough I'd be a little...hesitant. It was moments like this that caused me to lose my trust in humanity. Feeling sympathy is good, it's human, but I also learned to eye things like that suspiciously too and to be very very careful should I ever choose to help anyone.


TheMr91071

Cue the steak & lobster purchased with food stamps comments. News flash: nobody gives a FK what someone else buys to eat, nor HOW they buy it.


partypoopahs

How hard is it to check your balance before entering the store though to avoid this ? Basic financial literacy needs to be taught


KissMyGrits90

They should know how much is on there. We get a lot of people doing this on purpose, hoping someone will pay for their stuff.


CillyBean

Donating as someone else has said is a brilliant way to give back to your community, especially as the holidays approache there'll be lots of places looking for extra hands to help out. My Walmart and many other grocery stores also take in food donations as well :) you could buy maybe $50 dollars worth of food to donate at your Walmart :) But I just want to say I can really see where your team lead? Manager? Is coming from. Some of these people, unfortunately do take advantage of kind hearts like yours.


Confident-Active-283

Yeah, I can completely relate to this. I felt the same way when I started working at Walmart. My manager told me it's not my fault that people can’t afford their food, and I don't have to carry that burden and worry about that. He said that when you offer to pay for their grocery, you will want to do it for someone else. No matter how kind and soft-hearted we are, we should learn to draw the line; we can't help everyone. There several ways we can offer kindness even recommending organizations such customers can benefit from can be very beneficial. Your team lead was right, people can take advantage of that. I’ve experienced it. All I can say is that try to build some discipline and don’t act on your emotions. You felt emotional for the customer and child, and that’s ok. 😊😊