Walmart won't do oil change without phone no?

[vagari]

I had a very odd thing happen yesterday. I wanted to get an oil change at Walmart. The service woman asked for my phone number and I said I don't give it out. She said how will you know your vehicle is ready. I said I'm waiting on it. After a strange look she says well we can't service any vehicle without a valid phone number. Huh? I ask why she needs my phone number and she says to notify you when your vehicle is ready. Then I said I'm going to wait on it. Then she says sorry, no phone number no oil change. Really? I looked around to make sure I was not on a hidden camera tv show. Rather then try to reason with her I ended up driving directly across the street to a quick oil change place that was the same price after $5 coupon. Maybe the Walmart computer needs a phone number and/or she did not know how to bypass it on the computer?

 

[sushidog]

Your actions are correct. I'm not a Walmart basher but I believe in rewarding good customer service and punishing poor customer service. Walmart management should know the reason they are losing sales too. I would have asked for a manager and told them why I am giving my business to the competition (and not just this service, but every service from now on) before I drove away. I would have couched it as for security and privacy reasons for not giving out my phone number (if asked.) If Walmart collects a database of phone numbers and shopping preferences (such as your name and address, the make, model age mileage, etc. of your vehicle) they can then sell this information to other businesses and telemarketers, and use it for targeted advertising calls and text messages themselves. I'm sure they won't overlook the opportunity to exploit this profitable resource.

Good job!

Chip

 

[eDJ_]

I'd just go find a phone book and look up a phone number of another Walmart in the area.   Memorize it and
when she/he ask for the phone number just candidly give that number.   Most of these people are following the
form in front of them and they just need a number and if you  are pleasant enough they won't think twice about the number you gave them.  

It isn't like an oil change is tied to Homeland Security and they have to verify it. 


I mean most of us remember as teens in high school dating having memorized to the City Dump.  (and giving it out to those who badgered us for contact info...that we didn't want contacting us)

 

[Madpeep]

Situations like this have happened to me too. After trying a simple "I decline", and "I'm not giving you my number", I'll then try giving them a 999-999-9999 number. That'll get some angry faces. I guess most people/cattle just follow the herd and give them whatever they ask for? Boggles my mind. I have a PO Box that expires in a few months. So I haven't been making a stink about that. Sure. Have it. Good luck mailing me! Once I'm on the road I'll be using a family member's address, so there's no way I'm giving that out.

It just occurred to me that I can keep a short list of phone numbers in my wallet for these situations. Give them the white house's number, or the fbi, cia, etc. have fun with that number telemarketers

 

[rvpopeye]

555-1212

 

[mockturtle]

Walmart is very protocol-driven.  Anything out of the ordinary throws them for a loop.  I recently tried to purchase a pork tenderloin [along with a basketful of other groceries] that lacked a readable bar code, even though the price was clearly marked!  The checker could not sell it to me because she couldn't scan it or see the numbers below the bar code.  I told her to keep it.   :-/

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I'm sure that was more the employee than actual company policy. She/he took what they were taught quite literally and probably doesn't poses the capability of making a quick executive decision on the fly. I actually worked for Wal Mart in High school......had never even heard of them prior to working for them, it was the first Walmart in our area. All my friends got a job there so it was actually kind of a fun after school thing to do. Anyways, point of all that.....they actually train you to pretty much give the customer's what ever they want. If something didn't have a barcode or price you could manually input whatever the customer said it was supposed to cost up to like $20, items over that needed a manager approval and they'd always just approve it to keep a customer happy. They give employees a lot of leeway in keeping customers happy. Sometimes though, they don't get the smartest or the brightest people working for them and then things like this happen.

 

[GotSmart]

By giving a phone number, all the repairs you have done are available at any WM location.  I am not threatened by that.  It means that if location A changes my oil, and the drain plug falls out, they have a record at location B.  If I buy a battery, or tires I can get warranty work anywhere without finding the paperwork.

When my daughter went to college, I made sure she had new tires.  She hit a curb, and by giving my phone number she got a new tire (There was a couple $ fee.) for free. 

The BIG BROTHER SYNDICATE has bigger fish to skin than a low income vandweller.  

I am sure it is for an insurance trail, so someone is unable to come in with false claims.

 

[ArtW]

a place i worked at required phone nos for exactly the reason GotSmart gives
If a customer was dubious, I'd just tell them "If you need this replaced under waranty later, your # is 111-111-1111, be prepared to make a day of finding your part under that"

 

[Wanderer]

I had a very odd thing happen yesterday. I wanted to get an oil change at Walmart. The service woman asked for my phone number and I said I don't give it out. She said how will you know your vehicle is ready. I said I'm waiting on it. After a strange look she says well we can't service any vehicle without a valid phone number. Huh? I ask why she needs my phone number and she says to notify you when your vehicle is ready. Then I said I'm going to wait on it. Then she says sorry, no phone number no oil change. Really? I looked around to make sure I was not on a hidden camera tv show. Rather then try to reason with her I ended up driving directly across the street to a quick oil change place that was the same price after $5 coupon. Maybe the Walmart computer needs a phone number and/or she did not know how to bypass it on the computer?

I would have said "Please call the store manager and we'll get this settled right now" Now if they refused, then I'd have left....But I'm not worried about handing out my phone number, if I don't recognize the number, I let it go to VM....

 

[wayne49]

I'm sure that was more the employee than actual company policy.  She/he took what they were taught quite literally and probably doesn't poses the capability of making a quick executive decision on the fly.  I actually worked for Wal Mart in High school......had never even heard of them prior to working for them, it was the first Walmart in our area.  All my friends got a job there so it was actually kind of a fun after school thing to do.  Anyways, point of all that.....they actually train you to pretty much give the customer's what ever they want.  If something didn't have a barcode or price you could manually input whatever the customer said it was supposed to cost up to like $20, items over that needed a manager approval and they'd always just approve it to keep a customer happy.  They give employees a lot of leeway in keeping customers happy.  Sometimes though, they don't get the smartest or the brightest people working for them and then things like this happen.

I had the better experience. There was no barcode on a packaged bag of fruit. She asks, "Did you see the price?" I replied, "I remember seeing $3.79, but I am not sure it was this item." She says, "$3.79 works for me, work for you?" Done deal.

For the phone number I would use an old phone number that I still remember. If you use the same one number each time and still have the same vehicle, they know what was done last time so they can use the same oil, etc.

 

[GotSmart]

There is a big safety difference between a package of fruit and meat.  

I try not to shop at Wally~World, as the money immediately leaves the community.  There are some things that can only be found there.
Such as those little 50 cent Pecan pies!    Some food items are not available in other local stores.  I found a great clearance on nerd shirts yesterday.  $3 each for Star Wars T's!  

Things I want a nationwide warranty on, such as my battery and tires I buy there.  Automotive is the only department that requires a phone number. (Returns also.) 

Otherwise I have a route I travel on shopping day.  WM is last.  Sometimes I do not need to go there. 

 

[cherterr]

Last month I made a purchase (cash) at Radio Shack.  When I took it back (did not work) he asked for my phone number.
I said "I'm sorry, I don't do that".  He responds with "Oh, you're not gonna do that to me are you?" all disgruntled.
I kindly assured him I was and that since it was a CASH PURCHASE, he really has no reason to ask my number.  As a single woman, I do not give it out publicly. Period.

Well, he bitched and moaned, and punched in a few extra numbers while telling me that he has to do it to ensure the company that he isn't stealing from the til.  
I asked him how long he'd been working for them, and when he told me several years I sympathized with him that surely they should trust him by NOW!
Then I educated him on some of the ways phone numbers are used, and suggested maybe he wise up and be a little nicer to the next person. (basically)

But, yeah.  This has always been a point of contention for me.  If there's no valid reason to give MY phone number to someone punching info into a database.. I'll say 'no'.. every. time.

I've shortened this story.. but he really was ' a little bitch'. LOL

 

[highdesertranger]

I love it cherterr, "but he really was ' a little bitch'. LOL" and you slapped him down. highdesertranger