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Hampton WalMart- A Semi-Friendly Business

GodGunsnGuts

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
14
Location
Buckroe Beach, Hampton, , USA
imported post

Last week, as I was coming home from the gunshow, I decided to stop at the WalMart that's just down the street from the gunshow. Having OC'd numerous times in the past without a hint of objection, I strode through the doors, bid the greeter a friendly smile and grabbed a cart to do my shopping. As I was doing so, a "Cart-getter" employee ran up to me and grabbed my shoulder, swung me around and (in a raized voice) told me "You can't bring that gun in here!" I asked him what his position was...if he was a manager or supervisor. He shook his head no. I asked him to please get a manager . He started shouting for a manager and kept using the term "we gotta man with a gun on over here". Well, what happen next was akin to shouting "Fire" in a crowded theater. People began gawking like most typical rubberneckers and gathered around me like I was a side-show freak or something. After a few moments, an "Asst. Mngr" approached me with a look on his face that reminded me of a deer in the headlights. He asked me why I was carrying a firearm into the store. I responded: "Sir, is there a place less conspicuous we can speak?" We walked to the "Customer Service" area and I explained to him that it's perfectly legal to open carry and then I presented him with the VA Law excerpt that describes the "Open-Carry" law. He just glanced at it...not really understanding the full text. At that point, two of Hampton's finest officers approached and joined the conversation. I explained that I had been at the gunshow and OC'd there and I had also OC'd in this store on many past occassions with no problem, but I understood the position with OC on private property...that, at his request, I would remove my firearm to my truck. I asked if it was WalMart's policy to prohibit OC. He said: "Well sir, when it causes customers to panic and run out of the store...then yes, it become "my" policy" I asked him about future OC in the store...would I receive the same treatment. To my surprise, he said "No problem...it's just when the customers become an issue" I told him (and the officers) I understood and took my gun to the truck.

I apologise for this lengthy note, but I thought people appreciate the story.
 

Mike

Site Co-Founder
Joined
May 13, 2006
Messages
8,706
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
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So who ran from the store? I hope you did not shop there. I would have asked the **Assistant M.** if he had the authority to eject me for lawful conduct? And if he stammerred and stood there dumb founded, would have excused myself to go shopping until he or another manager actually ordered me to leave.

I would follow up with a letter to the manager informing him that you objected to the bizzarre treatment from teh assistant manager and expect to shop there again while open carrying & to please provide a copy of the coprorate policy banning **customer** carry, if there is a such a policy, so that you can post it to the world wide web.
 

DoubleR

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
689
Location
Fairfax County, VA, ,
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Sorry to hear that, GodGunsnGuts. So what's up with Wally World, this week. Lynchburg and Hampton, so far. Take the issue to Corporate and let them know what happened and how it was handled. Apparently, the only reason there was any consternation on the part of shoppers was the Village Idiot shouting about the gun.
 

ilbob

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
778
Location
, Illinois, USA
imported post

DoubleR wrote:
Sorry to hear that, GodGunsnGuts. So what's up with Wally World, this week. Lynchburg and Hampton, so far. Take the issue to Corporate and let them know what happened and how it was handled. Apparently, the only reason there was any consternation on the part of shoppers was the Village Idiot shouting about the gun.

It is probably better to take it up with the local store manager. Not some flunky, Typically the managers get very upset when someone makes things up on the fly like this.
 

DoubleR

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
689
Location
Fairfax County, VA, ,
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Here's some Walmart Contact Info for us:
Phone
To reach the Contact Center of Wal-Mart Stores, call 1-800-WALMART (1-800-925-6278), from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (CT) Monday - Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (CT) Saturday or from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (CT) Sunday.
To reach the home office, call 479-273-4000, from 7 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. (CT) Monday - Friday.


Mail
Mail questions or comments about our stores or home office to:
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Attn: Customer Service
702 S.W. 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716

Additional Walmart Contact Info - This link will take you to Walmart's Online Feedback page. You will be able to select the exact store in question.
http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=224
 

VAopencarry

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
2,151
Location
Berryville-ish, VA
imported post

That's a crock.... I would never step foot in that store again. So why is an unarmed customer more important to the management then an armed customer. That in affect is what he is saying. You scared the unarmed patrons so you have to leave or remove your firearm. You can OC in there again as long as it doesn't scare someone else, what crap that is. He is telling you his other patrons are more important then you are.
 

VApatriot

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
998
Location
Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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If it was an independently own store ofsome kind, I would tell the owner my position and if he didn't listen then I would inform him that I would not be returning to do business with him. However, this is Wal-Mart,and that is not corporate policy. As far as I know, the manager has no authority to tell you that you can't carry, so I see no reason not to return to the store.
 

Dutch Uncle

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
1,715
Location
Virginia, USA
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I can empathize with the manager, since his job is to make sure people are comfortable shopping in his store, but it sounds as though HIS IDIOT EMPLOYEE, the so-called greeter was the one who panicked the sheeple, not Godgunsnguts. In a reasonable world, the greeter would have been given a special greeting: "You're fired!", and the opencarrier, an apology.

I know, I know, y'all started shaking your heads at the "reasonable world" fantasy.
 

Dutch Uncle

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
1,715
Location
Virginia, USA
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By the way....I just got back from the Tabb (Yorktown) Wal-Mart, after spending about a half hour shopping there, and nobody said a dayum word!

I've heard that Wal-Mart's policy is to accept whatever is legal in a particular state. Accordingly, the manager should inform his greeters of the legality of open-carry here, to prevent ridiculous scenes like the one above.
 

Got Sig?

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
32
Location
Chesterfield, Virginia, USA
imported post

I have open carried in just about every Wally-World in the Richmond area without anyone saying anything. Even the guy at the sporting goods counter at the store nearest to me didn't flinch when I bought ammo while open carrying my P229.
 

GlockEm

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2006
Messages
50
Location
Alexandria, Virginia, ,
imported post

ilbob wrote:
DoubleR wrote:
Sorry to hear that, GodGunsnGuts. So what's up with Wally World, this week. Lynchburg and Hampton, so far. Take the issue to Corporate and let them know what happened and how it was handled. Apparently, the only reason there was any consternation on the part of shoppers was the Village Idiot shouting about the gun.

It is probably better to take it up with the local store manager. Not some flunky, Typically the managers get very upset when someone makes things up on the fly like this.
I would think it's best to take it up with both local and corporate. At the very least, that idiot who yelled gun should be fired. It's obvious that even *he* didn't see the gun as a threat or he would have never a) approached you or b) grabbed your shoulder.
 

GodGunsnGuts

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
14
Location
Buckroe Beach, Hampton, , USA
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Well Double R, I took your advice and called Wally World Corporate using the number you posted. I spoke to a Mr. James Campbell and he was polite and stoic...meaning, he sounded like an android speaking in monotones. He said he would forward the information to his superiors and someone would be getting in touch with me in the near future. The other day, Rob Richardson, the manager of the Hampton store called me and was very apologetic and lauded me on my handling of the situation. He told me I was always welcome at this Walmart...even if I was open carrying! Soooooo, this afternoon, I just happened to go to Walmart to test his sincerity. I had my 45 Colt prominently on my waist and strode past the greeter without so much as a peep. I spent an hour wandering through the store until the store manager, Mr. Richardson casually walked up to me an introduced himself. "Your Mr. McCarty, right?" "Why yes I am...and you must be Mr. Richardson, the store's manager, right?" So we talked for several minutes and he once more apologized for the past incident and told me not to hesitate to call upon him for any assistance in the future.

I'd say this turned out well...wouldn't you?
 

Opie

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2006
Messages
65
Location
Bristol, Virginia, USA
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Congratulations on a successful resolution! I think it is an important to recognize that it was a store employee who, due to his ignorance,turned a non-event into alarge incident involving the police. I hope that Walmart incorporates this information into employee training. It sounds like you did your part to handle the incident discretely and politely. Thank you for sharing your experience! -Opie
 

molonlabetn

Regular Member
Joined
May 23, 2006
Messages
450
Location
, Tennessee, USA
imported post

GodGunsnGuts wrote:
...a "Cart-getter" employee ran up to me and grabbed my shoulder, swung me around...

The 'cart-getter' should be charged with simple battery, IMHO... I bet it was on camera, too.

The fact that you were LEGALLY open-carrying would not have been an issue, if this ninny hadn't accosted you and created a disturbance based on his own personal opinion...

I would like to know if the this Wal-Mart store manager intends to let his 'cart-getters' FORCIBLY dictate their own versions of store policy to customers!

Keep us informed!

molonlabetn
 

John Pierce

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 5, 2006
Messages
1,777
imported post

GodGunsnGuts wrote:
Well Double R, I took your advice and called Wally World Corporate using the number you posted. I spoke to a Mr. James Campbell and he was polite and stoic...meaning, he sounded like an android speaking in monotones. He said he would forward the information to his superiors and someone would be getting in touch with me in the near future. The other day, Rob Richardson, the manager of the Hampton store called me and was very apologetic and lauded me on my handling of the situation. He told me I was always welcome at this Walmart...even if I was open carrying!
...
I'd say this turned out well...wouldn't you?

You sir, are a great man!

This only goes to show that a few dedicated and informed people can truly change the public perception!

Thanks also to all who forwarded the contact information for Walmart Corporate!
 

jegoodin

Newbie
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Messages
337
Location
Stafford, Virginia, USA
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jpierce wrote:
GodGunsnGuts wrote:
Well Double R, I took your advice and called Wally World Corporate using the number you posted. I spoke to a Mr. James Campbell and he was polite and stoic...meaning, he sounded like an android speaking in monotones. He said he would forward the information to his superiors and someone would be getting in touch with me in the near future. The other day, Rob Richardson, the manager of the Hampton store called me and was very apologetic and lauded me on my handling of the situation. He told me I was always welcome at this Walmart...even if I was open carrying!
...
I'd say this turned out well...wouldn't you?

You sir, are a great man!

This only goes to show that a few dedicated and informed people can truly change the public perception!

Thanks also to all who forwarded the contact information for Walmart Corporate!

I concur! Good job!

I frequently open carry in Wally World all over the NoVA area (it's where I buy most of my range ammo) and I've never gotten anything but positive comments. I'm very surprised that you did, but applaud your handling of the situation.
 

alexander hamilton

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2006
Messages
23
Location
, ,
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this certainly did turn out well. i would call it a victory. i intend to stop by the hampton store while oc'ing in the next few days. the newport news store does not give me any trouble. in fact i get in to more conversations than i can count. people constantly ask if my HK is a GLOCK. heh.
 
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