K-Mart Slave? Not I!

So the other night I trotted out to K-Mart to buy some stuff.  After finding it easy enough, I headed off to the checkout.



Since the good people of WA don't quite get the late night trading concept, it was very quiet.  Approaching the checkout, I saw that all the checkouts were closed, save the self-checkouts.



I have an objection to the self-checkouts as they reduce customer service, but donft offer any compensation for that fact.  As a result, I refuse to use them.  However that night, I had no choice.  There was one staff member in the returns section, who was busy doing some stuff.  The express checkouts are in the same section as the returns bit, but they were all closed as well.



I noticed that other customers were going through the self checkout.



I left my intended purchases on the nearest flat surface that wasnft the floor and left.  I refuse to do the job of a K-Mart employee for nothing;  I think it would be logical to assume that all employees of K-mart get paid a wage or salary for their time at work, so I donft see why the customer should have to do their job for free.  Customer service is bad enough in Australia and most prices on goods are quite high, so why should we, the customer, have to put up with another drop in the level of service?



I could have asked to have them open a checkout but considering the staffing level at the time, I suspect they wouldnft have had anyone available anyway.  Aside from that, the point is; I shouldnft have to ask.  That is part of customer service isnft it?  To assess and provide for the customerfs needs.

Surely the next step in this process is to allow customers access to the store room and have us stock the shelves as well?  Where will the madness end?



  I think I see why there werenft that many customers in the place.  Surely I am not the only person bothered by this?



Disgusting attitude to your customers there K-Mart.



 I have since emailed K-mart with my thoughts on this situation and look forward to their response.

In an update to this situation.  K-mart quite admirably attempted contact me for quit a while (I can be irritatingly hard to get sometimes) and I ended up chatting to the manager who apologised and said it wasn't their intention to force people through the self-checkouts.  He was going to look into the approximate time and see what the deal was.

I must admit I am impressed with the efforts they went to to address my concern.  However, the discount idea for non-staffed checkouts was not mentioned...

;)