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I wanted to express my extreme concern and frustration with an event that happened to me tonight at the North Little Rock, AR Supercenter on McCain Blvd. While shopping for yard supplies I went to the Garden Center to look at the plants the store had available.

While I was out in the section, a store employee stepped out the door, glanced around, and went back inside. I thought nothing of it since I was standing in the middle of the plant section and was within a clear line of sight of the door. At least the top half of my body would have been visible over the low plant rack. A couple moments later when I went to reenter the store I discovered the doors had been locked, trapping me in the Garden Center.

I knocked on the glass but there were no employees nearby. I walked around quickly to make sure there was no other way out I had overlooked and then went back to the door within a clear line of sight of the main aisle and knocked and waved hoping an employee would see or hear me. When that failed, I looked up the store number on my phone to call a manager so they could come unlock the door and let me back in. The phone rang for several minutes and went to a "your call is important to us" message.

Over 11 minutes passed with no answer on the phone. Luckily, an employee, I believed the same employee that had stepped in the garden center earlier, saw me waving and finally and slowly walked (stopping to briefly talk to another employee) towards the door and unlocked it for me. I asked if he was the employee that locked me out there and he, a co-manager named Anicet, rudely and immediately said he looked and walked around the center and didn't see me. When I pointed out I was standing right by the plant stands by the door and I clearly saw him (and he didn't walk the space as he said he did), he then curtly asked why I didn't say something to him.

This baffles me. Apparently at the North Little Rock Walmart, you can be trapped out in the garden center for over 15 minutes by a night manager and it's the customer's fault for not yelling at the manager to tell them not to lock the door. I was unaware the doors were being locked, or that he didn't see me, but apparently both of those things were my fault. Only after a few minutes of very rude conversation in which I pointed out that if he'd apologized in the first place I wouldn't have been angry, he said "I'm sorry you were locked out there.", never admitting it was his mistake, instead claiming I should have said something and he was late locking it anyway.

Aside from being angry over being trapped against my will and not being able to even reach help for over 15 minutes, this is very dangerous. What if I had a medical issue while trapped there or other emergency?

The image and potential liability issues with this should definitely warrant a reprimand of this incredibly rude manager, and I just can't imagine how someone so unapologetic, careless, and apparently bad at his job would be promoted to a position where he could cause so much potential harm to customers and his company. I have contacted the corporate office and the situation is ongoing.

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Abigail Hlb

What time was it when you went out there? I'm asking because I know that you KNOW that they lock up out there at night.

So, there is no *** your way out. You know that this person did not mean to lock you out. If he did mean to lock you out, then he wouldn't have went out there in the first place.

He was looking and did not see you. You knew this.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Abigail Hlb

This must b the guy. {{Redacted}}

Guest

There is a reason he works at Walmart.

Guest

Nobody cares about your bad day. You work at Wal-Mart.

The customers literally pay your salary. If you did higher end retail you'd know how to speak to customers, and their importance and worth.

Abigail Hlb
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1254707

No one, and I mean NO ONE is paid enough to take anybody's ***.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Abigail Hlb

The doors that lead out to the garden center shouldNever be locked. Just the doors that lead outside of the garden center to the parking lot.

So donโ€™t say this couldnโ€™t happen. This is ridiculous. How stupid can a Walmart employee be. Or how mean can they be?

All of the Walmartโ€™s in Kansas and Missouri let you shop for plants and more 24/7. You just have to come back into the store to be able to walk out and go to your car or walk home if thatโ€™s an option.

Guest

I totally get that you were frustrated about the whole thing, and that had he just apologized it might have been fine. But, coming from someone who WAS a manager for a retail store like this, maybe just try to see it from his POV.

He'd probably been there for almost 10 hours already (still had a few more to go!) and dealt with nothing but complaining and lazy employees, and rude customers demanding to make returns that he couldn't authorize. Retail managers have it really rough -- trust me. I can't even express how run down (both physically AND emotionally) I was when I worked that job. I am one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, and I rarely lose my patience.

Yet, I found myself snapping at customers on occasion just because of all the stress I was under. I was always appalled by myself afterwards when I'd had time to cool down. But, in the heat of the moment, you often say and do things you don't mean - and don't even REALIZE you're doing it until after the fact.

Yes, he should have apologized for locking you out, but just try to cut him a little slack.

He had a million and one things on his mind at the time, which might have been why he didn't see you. I hope you'll also excuse his after-the-fact rudeness. I would be willing to bet money that he didn't mean it and felt bad about it almost immediately afterward. Seems to me it was just a big misunderstanding all the way around.

(I do not and have not worked for Walmart or any affiliates they may have.

I simply saw your comment while trying to find garden center hours, and - as a manager of large retail stores - felt compelled to say something to stick up for the poor fellow. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from, and that I'm NOT taking his side (he CERTAINLY should have been more thorough in his check of the garden area if he knew he was locking the doors for the night!), I just wanted to shine a little light on the OTHER side of the story. Devil's advocate and all that. Because I'm not kidding - managing a large chain was probably the worst job I've ever had.

I was working 60-70 hours per week, and, being salaried, did not make overtime. My salary was less than 30K per year. It just was not worth the stress!

So, I apologize on behalf of that disgruntled employee. Please forgive him (for he knows not what he done did)!

- H.A.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1247870

Your self incriminating sentences show that you should have never worked in front of customers in retail. Some adults are able to interact in society without allowing others to alter their thoughts and actions...

Anonymous

How is it rude to tell you that you were not seen. I bet if he were rude you gave attitude first.

You say you were close by. Well that can be used against you. If you were really close by you would know that you were locking the doors. No one is blaming you.

This was just an unfortunate incident. It is not your fault for not knowing they were locking the doors, and it is not their fault for not seeing you. Why should he apologize to you. You did not apologize to him for not paying attention.

You have no right to be angry, and I hope you attend anger management classes.

If it is anyone's fault you both are equally guilty. Once again telling you something you do not want to hear is not the same as being rude.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1063704

The Employee should have done Due Diligence and checked the center more thoroughly... I can tell you have never taken an entry level college logic course.

Keilon Ajz
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1321813

From your many spelling and grammar mistakes I can tell you never made it past the fifth grade. They should have checked the place more thorough, but the OP is not very bright if he got locked in the garden center. I know you are as dim as the OP, but some people purposely hide so they can get locked in and sue.

Guest

I laughed so hard at this...lost your chance at spending the night in the garden center...other peoples kids..i too juat wanted to see what the hours were for the garden center but this was gold! It was even worth all the trouble i had to go to make this post..drunk

Guest

We're there no fire doors you could have gone out?

Quanasia Fbj

If people can break out of Alcatraz with armed guards I am sure you can break out of a Walmart Garden center that is unguarded. If not you are a ***.

Guest

Do you seriously have nothing better to do than write an essay on some minor thing that happened to you in a Walmart? You seem like an educated person, so quit writing scathing reviews that happened in the past and use your writing skills for actual useful things. It's people like you that put the first in first world problems.

Guest

If someone were to be locked in the INSIDE garden section (which some WalMarts have), between the register and the automatic door leading into it, they could cut a slit in the retracting partition (the grey vinyl 'door').

They could then proceed to stage the most expensive outdoor power tools in that section. They could call a special buddy and have him park pretty close to the metal gate that is the entrance to the outdoor garden.

They could then round up some hoses to bundle/tie the tools together with, preferably using soaker hoses.

They could then take two or three 100' hoses and tie them to the soaker hoses. The loose ends of the 100' hoses would be thrown over the metal fence, where the buddy with the truck would tie them to the hitch on the truck.

The worst that could happen (is obviously getting caught), is that the hoses would break.

The best result is that they could net a whole bunch of landscaping power tools very quickly.

One could also stuff tons of things into the cardboard box of a large item...then come back in the morning and buy that item, with the included freebies...

If one really wanted to make WM pay for 'such an attrocity'...those acts would literally have them paying. Thought I would stir it up...since I too was looking for the WM garden center hours...

First B

It is partly both your faults, it is his fault for not double checking and your fault for not paying attention to your surroundings, if you were really that close to the door you would have noticed them locking you out. There was no rudeness and no apology was needed.

If he had to apologize to you for locking you out you should also apologize for not paying attention as the fault is both of yours. Also I doubt you will come to any harm being locked out in the garden center for 15 minutes.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of First B

Why would you assume that the customer has a responsibility to listen to every door closing around them for a locking sound? Being hyper-vigilant sounds like a lot of work for very rare and minimal payoffs, especially in the safety of a public Walmart. Face-it, she wasn't strolling through a park at night....

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of First B

How would she know they are locking the door? I didnโ€™t even know the gardening section closed.

I was just there at 1:30am to try and get a tree. There is no sign showing the hours. So you canโ€™t blame the customer. Itโ€™s totally the workers fault for not walking through.

I mean do you really listen for a door locking every time it closes? However if this happened to me, I would laugh about it.

I wouldnโ€™t make a big deal about it. At least I would have got a little extra time to shop around!

Guest

You could have just picked up the phone in the garden section and called someone inside the store.

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