The Big K stands for Krappy Kustomer service

Posted by Aaron:

So today I went out to run some errands for my business. Stop by the bank, Sams Club to get some shelving and Kmart to pick up some Western Union money from a customer. I kind of dislike Kmart for a number of reasons:

1. The aisles are all WAY to narrow
2. It's very cluttered
3. It's like stepping back into time about 15 years
4. Martha Stewart

Anyhow, Kmart is the only place that did Western Union that was close to where I would be this morning. I've picked up money there before without to many problems. Today, I walk in at 8:13 am. I'm the only customer in sight. I walk up to the customer service counter where a Kmart Kustomer Service worker is busy counting some Kash. I politely say hello and grab a Western Union money pickup form to start filling out. She ignored me and kept counting money. I started filling out the form and all of the sudden she looks up at me starts searching around for something and pulls a sign out from under the counter. Without saying a word she sets a sign on the counter that says:

"Western Union Closed: Hours - 8:30am - 6:30pm."

I looked at her waiting for her to laugh and insert her punch line. Then she just kept counting money. So I said "ok, then - I'll come back in SEVENTEEN minutes!" As I'm walking out the door she says "you can fill out a form now so you don't have to when you come back." Thanks, lady.

So, I finished up my other couple of errands and went back to Kmart at 8:45. I walked in and there was a guy being helped at the service counter, so I got in line behind him. The same customer service lady finished helping the guy in front of me and he left. I walked up to the counter and rather than helping me right away she took about 30 seconds to clean some things off the counter and organize a few things. After everything was neat and tidy she came back to the counter and I gave her my filled out Western Union form and ID. She started processing it and then stopped to check out some old folks who were in line behind me.

"I'm just going to help them while this processes."

Ok - apparently they use dial-up at Kmart still. So, she finishes checking out the old folks (apparently Kmart doesn't have checkout lanes open in the morning? Just the customer service counter for checkouts?). She comes back to me, fumbles around with things on the computer a bit more shaking her head and mumbling to herself. Then she hands back my form and ID and says:

"You'll have to come back at 10:30. My password is expired and the ONLY person who can reset it doesn't come in until 10:30."

AHHHHHH!!! At this point I was pretty hot. I just said "OK" as politely as I could and walked off pretty irritated. As I'm walking out the door I hear her yell after me:

"Or you could go to the one downtown!"

Thanks Kmart, for giving me a reason to never go to your store again. I unintentionally avoided your store before, now I'll intentionally avoid it.

Reason 5. Poor and incompetent kustomer service