Giving the Wal-Mart Associate an "Extra" Tip. Got Advice?

[I_Eat_BLTs]

Okay, let me just start off with a quick introduction since I am very new to the 2+2 posting community. I am Brandon, 20, a college student from Georgia. I am currently attending a local university (summer break) and I work about 30 hours a week in my local pharmacy. I have lurked these message boards for almost a year now and I have yet to find any other forum community that is as interesting and useful as 2+2. I also play poker a few hours per week, mostly at a regular NL game, but I play a little online as well.

Now that you know a little about me, I was hoping to ask for some of you for a little advice. I was with some friends tonight in their apartment and one of them was telling me about how she got all of her furniture from Wal-Mart for $100. All she did was tell the associate that was helping her purchase some small tables, chairs, and a couch to carry them out to her car for a $100 tip. She said he gladly accepted and took them to her car like he had done it before a few times. She also mentioned that he told her to come back any time she needed anything else, but she has not followed up since. Now her apartment is nicely furnished with a selection of some of Wal-Mart's finest furniture. Oh, I also forgot to mention that she did purchase a cheapo television at the front register before going out to meet the 'helpful associate' outside. I don't know if this is standard procedure, but maybe it's to help her justify the other 'purchases.'

I was obviously wondering if anyone has anyone ever attempted this before, and with any success? The way she described it, the whole process seemed pretty solid because the employee can take the tip or refuse it without much harm being done, except to the morality of the shopper and/or employee I suppose. I am also assuming that this practice can be utilized in hundreds of other situations where paying for goods or services is involved, which I would like to hear about as well. The most common example that comes to mind is tipping the front desk at a hotel for a room upgrade, or somehow tipping to get into first class seating on a plane, sporting event, concert, etc. Anyway, please share any tipping tales you might have with me since this seemed like it would be fun to try if I desperately needed anything from Wal-Mart in the near future.

Sorry if this was a bit too wordy, but it's my first real thread since the Let's Talk About BLTs discussion and I am still slightly buzzed from some alcohol I drank earlier tonight. Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences you guys have to share.

* I am not trying to figure out how to rip off Wal-Mart, I just wanted some 'special tipping' advice for future reference.


Cliff's Notes: A friend was shopping in Wal-Mart for a small couch, some chairs, and a table. She asked the associate to take the items to her vehicle in exchange for $100, and he gladly obliged. Have you ever tried anything similar, and with any success?

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

I'm pretty sure that Wal Mart employees are supposed to do this if you ask them anyway...If not $100 is way too much. I think $20 would be generous.

-Craig

[RyanCMU]

Craig i think your missing the point, the OPs friend didnt pay for thier items, she just echanged $100 to the associate (which he then pocketed) in order to load the items into her car, without her paying.

[I_Eat_BLTs]

[ QUOTE ]
Craig i think your missing the point, the OPs friend didnt pay for thier items, she just echanged $100 to the associate (which he then pocketed) in order to load the items into her car, without her paying.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is correct.

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

[ QUOTE ]
Craig i think your missing the point, the OPs friend didnt pay for thier items, she just echanged $100 to the associate (which he then pocketed) in order to load the items into her car, without her paying.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah. I just read the cliff notes which don't get the point accross.

In that case, that's [censored].

[Gobias Ind.]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure that Wal Mart employees are supposed to do this if you ask them anyway...If not $100 is way too much. I think $20 would be generous.

-Craig

[/ QUOTE ]

[GrandmaStabone]

[ QUOTE ]

Now her apartment is nicely furnished with a selection of some of Wal-Mart's finest furniture


[/ QUOTE ]

She'll need new furniture on less than a year. Oh, and LOL @ "Wal-Marts finest furniture".

Anyways, if you know someone on the inside it is easy to get stuff from Wal-Mart. My roomates each got a brand new laptop from some girl they knew that worked there. They bought a pack of gum and 2 laptops. She scanned the gum, deactivated the security tags on the laptops, and charged them for the gum.

i think offering to bribe random people (and it IS a bribe, not a "tip") to steal from their employer is -EV though.

[Flow73]

[ QUOTE ]

Anyways, if you know someone on the inside it is easy to get stuff from Wal-Mart. My roomates each got a brand new laptop from some girl they knew that worked there. They bought a pack of gum and 2 laptops. She scanned the gum, deactivated the security tags on the laptops, and charged them for the gum.


[/ QUOTE ]

Standard procedure for using a friends "employee discount" in retail.

[Stuey]

Buddy of mine is a garbage man he is an honest guy and hard working. He tells me he often finds stuff in the garbage at places like Wal-Mart. Stuff like an X-box and other expensive items. He thought customers must return them to the store saying they did not work and asked for a refund. So he thinks the store gave the customer the money and got a refund for the item from Microsoft and threw them out. But just to be sure he took them home and tested them.

He was surprised to find out they worked fine. I told him that the staff there must hide stuff in the garbage till they get off work and then take it home for themselves or they sell it. He refuses to believe this theory, as he would never watch someone steal in this manner and not turn them in. Yet he feels it is ok for him to keep the items as he feels he found them!?! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] I explained that even if his crazy theory is right he is still stealing from Microsoft but he does not or does not want to see the connection.

Sometimes we lie to ourselves so we can do stuff we know is wrong.

[jschaud]

20 yr old college student== walmart furniture is just fine. i also like angling to get it for cheaper. dont get arrested though.