Wal-Mart and the Wal-Aura

Wal-Mart is a pretty terrible place no matter how you look at it.  Their business and labor practices aside, going there is just a horrible experience.  First, there are a bunch of screaming children and people that are also angry to get in your way.  Second, Wal-Mart only has "just enough" staff so if you need anything that isn't normally staffed (like site-to-store) you get to wait and the checkout lines will be atrocious.  And third, there is just this feeling of negativity that swirls around every single person in the store.  This is what I call the Wal-Aura.

The Wal-Aura is always negative.  People go into the store angry, they are in the store angry and they leave the store angry.  This should be the Wal-Mart logo.

Yes, you are mad.  You were prepared to be mad the second you entered the store.  Why?  Wal-Aura.  The store is a cesspool of negativity and the moment you enter, you become part of it.  I haven't yet been able to figure out exactly what causes the Wal-Aura but I would wager that it has something to do with people just expecting to be upset the moment they enter the store.  I've tried testing myself to keep from getting angry.  I'll go into the store and just buy a few things and be as chill as possible but either between not being able to find what I'm looking for because things don't make a damn bit of sense in their locations or having to wait in line for over 30 minutes because the store couldn't be bothered to hire another minimum wage grunt because it would tip too far into the profit margin, I end up mad.  I once got through and 3 starred 20 stages of Angry Birds waiting for a stupid site-to-store person.  Wal-Mart trolls you.

So, how do we respond to trolls?  We don't get mad and we show the troll how not mad we are while they try harder to make us mad and get mad themselves.  Make Wal-Mart mad.  Move stuff around in the store so they have to put it back.  When there isn't a greeter, be one.  Make people happy as they come in the front door instead of mad.  They will have a better experience.  Buy eggs.  Why?  Because eggs.  Be totally not mad while in Wal-Mart.  If enough people did it, Wal-Mart wouldn't be a terrible place anymore.  Make the effort and things will improve.

Target though?  That place is horrible!