Full Size Jeep Network

Are you folks experiencing long wait times? I certainly am. The other day I went in to a John Deere dealer to purchase a key for my tractor. The counter man spent a minute or two looking up the correct key. He then got up, walked to the stock room and returned a minute later and placed the key on the counter in front of me. I had to stare at that key for over five more minutes while he (presumably) processed the purchase.

And retailers wonder why they are loosing sales to Amazon.

Or don’t have checkers at all

I can check myself out and not go to the store

It seems like everything we believed was stable and never changing has been turned upside down these last few years. I recently purchased AC brand spark plugs (my favorite for four decades) and they were made in China... We used to think when you went to the parts store/dealer you were getting quality parts and premium service. Just as you stated, this is no longer the case. I could go on ad infinitum, but then I might sound like the curmudgeon that I am. Are we just turning into the "well back in my day it was never like this" old crowd or has society changed that much and we are swirling down the toilet? Yes, Threepiece, I have experienced it in so many ways and it disturbs me to the core.

Yeller wrote: ↑Fri Mar 08, 2024 3:59 pm Or don’t have checkers at all

I can check myself out and not go to the store

Ok. Normally I am in the same camp.

However, I went into Walmart and yesterday and had an epiphany when buying some fishing tackle.

It seems that through all of the inflation, the price for these products has generally remained the same.

As I am checking out at the newly renovated self-checkout lines, it occurred to me that in order to keep prices low (Walmart's mantra) they had to cut cost out somewhere. Hence, installing automation wherever possible.

I think that core products get hit harder by "inflation" since a lot of these grocery conglomerates have to keep shareholders happy. Walmart probably doesn't control these prices, but for the products they can negotiate pricing on they will opt to keep prices low at the expense of customer service.

I hate to say it, but during these times I will take more savings over customer service.

The tackle is probably so old, it was bought before all of the price issues. They rotate that stock assuming trout stuff is what you were after. CRAZY!!, is all I have to say, some items are 4 times as much, others are the same. Its odd. I did buy a smoke detector Saturday, plain jane runs on batteries at home depot, what should one cost you ask?? Well 20 bucks, maybe 30 if you were buying it from Rite Aid, lol. No.... this was 70 dollars and 67 cents... Unreal. Seems like some stuff they just quadruple to do so. I cant blame it on the stores, I have a good theory, but its not to be posted here, unfortunately you can't continue to pay people skilled wages for unskilled jobs at expect to not have issues. one small piece of the issue, but it does suck as it forces me to amazon more than I would like, but I am just not stupid enough to toss money away(lol, says the guy who just bought an 83 jeep).

Ha..kinda like fast food workers, I paid $15 bucks for a chicken sandwich meal at wendys! You hear about california setting minimum wage for ff workers to $20/hr?