Yesterday I had to stop at my local Wal-Mart for some things. While I was there, I stopped at the fabric counter to pick up some basic WOW cottons. Well, as I came around the end of one aisle, the girl from the department comes barrelling around from the other side and nearly runs me and another customer over with her enormous cart. With a surly look on her face, she managed to give the other woman a look that could kill and the customer moved. She then went to re-stock shelves or something.

So I go up to the cutting counter, ring the bell and wait.

And wait.

And ring the bell again.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

And wait.

And ring the bell again ....

well, you get the picture. After nearly 7 minutes of this behavior, I pull out a scrap of paper from my purse and write a note. It said something to the effect of "This is typical. I have stood here for over 5 minutes, periodically ringing the bell, to have no one show up and wait on me. My time is valuable and I have no more time to waste today. It's a shame you don't find this department important enough to staff it adequately. It's clear that you don't care about your customers." I left it pinned to the top bolt of fabric I was considering purchasing.

What's really maddening is that in the next department over (menswear, across the aisle), there was a manager telling 2 employees to go and do a "good floor mopping" in another area of the store. They clearly saw me standing there, they heard the bell ringing. But none of them were apparently capable of helping someone in the fabric department.

Is this typical of your fabric department experiences in Wally World??? I'm so frustrated and incredibly dissapointed with my treatment. In hindsight I should have left my name and phone number on the note, but I was so exasperated at that point that I couldn't see straight, let alone think straight!

What are WOW fabrics?

My experiences in most WalMart stores have been good. Sometimes I have to get someone from another department to cut fabric, but they are usually pleasant.

They even stay pleasant when I go into my monolog/rant about my opinions about corporate removing the bolt fabrics from the stores.

I do think WM understaffs at times - and one person has to cover several departments - but it seems like JoAnn and Hancock stores also understaff.

I would have gottern on there PA system there is customer that need help in the department you all have forgotten.

I was in the only wally world here in town that still have fabric, it was about 10 pm one night during the week......I had 4 bolts that I wanted a couple of yards from each...and there was NO one to wait on me....I ended up at the service desk and they told me they dont staff that dept at night at all, and appears that no one else knew how to measure fabrics........so that was about $25.00 dollars or more that I didnt spend that night....

I was just at mine last night, the gal working was nice and helpful even though she was trying to unpack some freight. We found that the fabric I wanted had some pulled threads throughout the bolt and she went to help me find another fabric that would work for my project.
All of the other's that work there are very nice and helpful too.

They do close that dept at nine or ten depending on where you live. But there again if you ring the bell they are surpose to help

There's hardly ever anyone in the fabric department at the Walmart in my area. I think it's because they know they're getting rid of it so it's a low priority to staff. I have hunted down managers and fussed about not getting any help in the fabric department but it really doesn't help.

Yes this has happened to me many times . There's a dept manager in fabrics/crafts here that has the same hateful attitude as the one you talked about . Maybe they're sisters lol. I really don't like her attitude with the customers ! She yells at them and talks so snotty to us ! I see her I leave . I tried to get a job there but I guess it's a good thing I didn't get it . I couldn't get along with her at all . I was taught to be polite :thumbup: Annie

I thought you might have been at the same Walmaart I visited last week. We (another customer and I) rang that bell about 4 times. After about 10 minutes, the first gal walked away but another customer was waiting with me. then I walked away. I don't know what happened to the 3rd customer whether she ever got help but just in that time I think we three had over 100 worth of fabric. I then went to the jewelry counter to get some 'emergency' silver earrings and there were 5 people in line and 1 clerk helping a customer with their purchase. I gave up and walked out of the store with NOTHING!

Maybe thats why walmart says they do not make enough money on fabric cus no one can get anything cut. I mean if they had someone even in another dept trained for it then some people would not walk out.
I went to a walmart the other day and the lady saw me loading my cart I told her it would be a little while and said no problem ring the bell. When I was done I did and she showed up right away. But I noticed while I was shopping a lady picked up a bolt went to the cutting counter and then when I looked again the bolt was laying there. I should have told her to ring the bell.