Truly a problem?

[Deetee]

Just popping back in to note that I am not the OP, I just happened to have that experience at my local store. It may be that OP's store was not participating in the promotion, I just would not be surprised at someone expecting a gift card for waiting at a Walmart because my store does it. Sorry for any confusion!

Yup, I got that. But if it happened at one store and I knew about it, I wouldn't feel bad about asking about it in another store (of the same chain).

[LifeOnPluto]

I think it's rather cheeky to ask for a specific item of compensation. IMO, the proper thing to do (if you truly feel the service was unacceptable) is to politely inform the manager of the situation, and see if they offer you anything (ie an apology, gift card, freebie, etc).

But to ask for something specific right off the bat shows a certain level of entitlement, to me.

[Fleur]

If the store offers a gift card as a guarantee of a short wait time, then how was the customer rude? She was just asking for what they offered anyway.

[NyaChan]

If the store offers a gift card as a guarantee of a short wait time, then how was the customer rude? She was just asking for what they offered anyway.

I don't think that the store was running a promotion of that sort.  Another poster was merely relating a promotion from another store, not Walmart, where customers could get a gift card if they had to wait too long.  There is no indication that Walmart had a similar promotion going. 

[CluelessBride]

I think it's rather cheeky to ask for a specific item of compensation. IMO, the proper thing to do (if you truly feel the service was unacceptable) is to politely inform the manager of the situation, and see if they offer you anything (ie an apology, gift card, freebie, etc).

But to ask for something specific right off the bat shows a certain level of entitlement, to me.

One of the more popular suggestions here in threads about writing complaint letters is to spell out what resolution or compensation you feel would make the situation right. I'll admit that it's not something I'm personally comfortable with. I'd rather inform and see if I'm offered resolution/compensation - and if not I'll take my business elsewhere. I wouldn't ask for specific compensation unless the resolution I was getting was grossly unfair (e.g. refusing to honor a warranty or not offering to replace an ordered item that arrived broken). But I don't think there's anything wrong with being upfront with what you need to make the situation right if you are comfortable with it.

[Deetee]

If the store offers a gift card as a guarantee of a short wait time, then how was the customer rude? She was just asking for what they offered anyway.

I don't think that the store was running a promotion of that sort.  Another poster was merely relating a promotion from another store, not Walmart, where customers could get a gift card if they had to wait too long.  There is no indication that Walmart had a similar promotion going.

For what it's worth, the last time I did this (last Christmas I ordered a large gift from Walmart.com and had it shipped to the store), you had to go to the layaway department to pick it up. At the counter, they had a computer screen up that had your name and what time an employee had gone to retrieve your item for you, so you could track how long it took to get it. There was a promotion going that if you waited longer than X amount of minutes, you got a $5 gift card. (I don't remember how many minutes it was now - 10 or 15.)

Probably not ever Walmart does it, but my local store did.

But it was at another Walmart.

It was a promotion, but once a store offers something like this, I can totally see why a customer that waits would consider asking for it after the promotiony part is over.

[stargazer]

You never know, and won't hurt to try if you really feel you are owed something.

I bought a printer at Best Buy. It died within the warrenty period and I wasn't able to get back to any Best Buy (we live in a shopper's wasteland) so bought a new printer the I needed immediately at a store we happened upon. My son-in-law took me and the printer to Best Buy with the box and all the documents and still within the warrenty period. First the Geek tried to talk to son-in-law and I said quite firmly, "I am the customer here," was acknowledged, and explained what had happened.

I was asked, "What do you need?", and I said my money back, but I'll take store credit. Got the credit, all was good, stocked up on paper and ink for my new printer (rumors of Best Buy going out of business were ramant so I wanted to spend it).

As we left, our son-in-law is laughing hysterically that he couldn't believe I pulled that off! That was totally against company policy. He still tells the story.

Hey. I was polite, clear, reasonable. What less should I expect?

I'm confused.  How could this be against company policy to give your money back?  You came back within the warrenty period and wanted money back or store credit.  What is the company policy?

[citadelle]

I was in line  at a Walgreen's a couple of nights ago. There was one lady in front of me as a customer finished checking out. Another lady rushed up to the counter and asked the person in front of me if she could check out first. She mentioned quickly that she didn't want to act like she was special, but she had someone waiting in the car. Lady in line allowed her in. When special lady got her change back, she placed it in waiting lady's basket. She never a acknowledged that I was also waiting. I did not want her change, but found the whole exchange frustrating.

[Deetee]

You never know, and won't hurt to try if you really feel you are owed something.

I bought a printer at Best Buy. It died within the warrenty period and I wasn't able to get back to any Best Buy (we live in a shopper's wasteland) so bought a new printer the I needed immediately at a store we happened upon. My son-in-law took me and the printer to Best Buy with the box and all the documents and still within the warrenty period. First the Geek tried to talk to son-in-law and I said quite firmly, "I am the customer here," was acknowledged, and explained what had happened.

I was asked, "What do you need?", and I said my money back, but I'll take store credit. Got the credit, all was good, stocked up on paper and ink for my new printer (rumors of Best Buy going out of business were ramant so I wanted to spend it).

As we left, our son-in-law is laughing hysterically that he couldn't believe I pulled that off! That was totally against company policy. He still tells the story.

Hey. I was polite, clear, reasonable. What less should I expect?

I'm confused.  How could this be against company policy to give your money back?  You came back within the warrenty period and wanted money back or store credit.  What is the company policy?

Not  the OP, but I'm assuming that store policy is to replace or repair the printer itself.

[SiotehCat]

You never know, and won't hurt to try if you really feel you are owed something.

I bought a printer at Best Buy. It died within the warrenty period and I wasn't able to get back to any Best Buy (we live in a shopper's wasteland) so bought a new printer the I needed immediately at a store we happened upon. My son-in-law took me and the printer to Best Buy with the box and all the documents and still within the warrenty period. First the Geek tried to talk to son-in-law and I said quite firmly, "I am the customer here," was acknowledged, and explained what had happened.

I was asked, "What do you need?", and I said my money back, but I'll take store credit. Got the credit, all was good, stocked up on paper and ink for my new printer (rumors of Best Buy going out of business were ramant so I wanted to spend it).

As we left, our son-in-law is laughing hysterically that he couldn't believe I pulled that off! That was totally against company policy. He still tells the story.

Hey. I was polite, clear, reasonable. What less should I expect?

I'm confused.  How could this be against company policy to give your money back?  You came back within the warrenty period and wanted money back or store credit.  What is the company policy?

Not  the OP, but I'm assuming that store policy is to replace or repair the printer itself.

Okay, I think what they did was this...

Ops printer died while it was under warranty. She wasn't able to get to the store during that time, so the warranty expired. She then bought a new printer. Put the broken printer in the box with the new receipt and returned THAT printer. She then got store credit and was able to use it for ink for the second printer that she bought.

[Deetee]

You never know, and won't hurt to try if you really feel you are owed something.

I bought a printer at Best Buy. It died within the warrenty period and I wasn't able to get back to any Best Buy (we live in a shopper's wasteland) so bought a new printer the I needed immediately at a store we happened upon. My son-in-law took me and the printer to Best Buy with the box and all the documents and still within the warrenty period. First the Geek tried to talk to son-in-law and I said quite firmly, "I am the customer here," was acknowledged, and explained what had happened.

I was asked, "What do you need?", and I said my money back, but I'll take store credit. Got the credit, all was good, stocked up on paper and ink for my new printer (rumors of Best Buy going out of business were ramant so I wanted to spend it).

As we left, our son-in-law is laughing hysterically that he couldn't believe I pulled that off! That was totally against company policy. He still tells the story.

Hey. I was polite, clear, reasonable. What less should I expect?

I'm confused.  How could this be against company policy to give your money back?  You came back within the warrenty period and wanted money back or store credit.  What is the company policy?

Not  the OP, but I'm assuming that store policy is to replace or repair the printer itself.

Okay, I think what they did was this...

Ops printer died while it was under warranty. She wasn't able to get to the store during that time, so the warranty expired. She then bought a new printer. Put the broken printer in the box with the new receipt and returned THAT printer. She then got store credit and was able to use it for ink for the second printer that she bought.

No, I don't see how you get that interpretation.

 My reading is that she just couldn't get to a Best Buy before she really needed a new printer so she bought a new non-Best Buy printer. She returned the old Best Buy printer to best buy within it's warrenty period and they gave her store credit. Nothing underhanded about it.

[SiotehCat]

You never know, and won't hurt to try if you really feel you are owed something.

I bought a printer at Best Buy. It died within the warrenty period and I wasn't able to get back to any Best Buy (we live in a shopper's wasteland) so bought a new printer the I needed immediately at a store we happened upon. My son-in-law took me and the printer to Best Buy with the box and all the documents and still within the warrenty period. First the Geek tried to talk to son-in-law and I said quite firmly, "I am the customer here," was acknowledged, and explained what had happened.

I was asked, "What do you need?", and I said my money back, but I'll take store credit. Got the credit, all was good, stocked up on paper and ink for my new printer (rumors of Best Buy going out of business were ramant so I wanted to spend it).

As we left, our son-in-law is laughing hysterically that he couldn't believe I pulled that off! That was totally against company policy. He still tells the story.

Hey. I was polite, clear, reasonable. What less should I expect?

I'm confused.  How could this be against company policy to give your money back?  You came back within the warrenty period and wanted money back or store credit.  What is the company policy?

Not  the OP, but I'm assuming that store policy is to replace or repair the printer itself.

Okay, I think what they did was this...

Ops printer died while it was under warranty. She wasn't able to get to the store during that time, so the warranty expired. She then bought a new printer. Put the broken printer in the box with the new receipt and returned THAT printer. She then got store credit and was able to use it for ink for the second printer that she bought.

No, I don't see how you get that interpretation.

 My reading is that she just couldn't get to a Best Buy before she really needed a new printer so she bought a new non-Best Buy printer. She returned the old Best Buy printer to best buy within it's warrenty period and they gave her store credit. Nothing underhanded about it.

Then what was it that she "pulled off"? That seems pretty standard.

[Jones]

She mentioned the rumors of Best Buy going out of business; perhaps it was against policy at that point to accept a return of any sort.

[jemma]

You never know, and won't hurt to try if you really feel you are owed something.

I bought a printer at Best Buy. It died within the warrenty period and I wasn't able to get back to any Best Buy (we live in a shopper's wasteland) so bought a new printer the I needed immediately at a store we happened upon. My son-in-law took me and the printer to Best Buy with the box and all the documents and still within the warrenty period. First the Geek tried to talk to son-in-law and I said quite firmly, "I am the customer here," was acknowledged, and explained what had happened.

I was asked, "What do you need?", and I said my money back, but I'll take store credit. Got the credit, all was good, stocked up on paper and ink for my new printer (rumors of Best Buy going out of business were ramant so I wanted to spend it).

As we left, our son-in-law is laughing hysterically that he couldn't believe I pulled that off! That was totally against company policy. He still tells the story.

Hey. I was polite, clear, reasonable. What less should I expect?

I'm confused.  How could this be against company policy to give your money back?  You came back within the warrenty period and wanted money back or store credit.  What is the company policy?

Not  the OP, but I'm assuming that store policy is to replace or repair the printer itself.

Okay, I think what they did was this...

Ops printer died while it was under warranty. She wasn't able to get to the store during that time, so the warranty expired. She then bought a new printer. Put the broken printer in the box with the new receipt and returned THAT printer. She then got store credit and was able to use it for ink for the second printer that she bought.

No, I don't see how you get that interpretation.

 My reading is that she just couldn't get to a Best Buy before she really needed a new printer so she bought a new non-Best Buy printer. She returned the old Best Buy printer to best buy within it's warrenty period and they gave her store credit. Nothing underhanded about it.

Then what was it that she "pulled off"? That seems pretty standard.

Are you sure she didn't bring a fixable printer back with in the warranty period and ask for a refund instead of a repair?

[Auntie Mame]

I think it was pretty snowflakey and whiney to ask for a gift card because (oh tragedy) she had to wait a few extra minutes to get a problem fixed.  It's called life.  She got her problem solved and then decided she was so special she needed free stuff.