A Walmart shopper is sick and tired of being solicited by folks selling home electricity and cell phone/internet plans, and throngs of others joining in his ire.
TikToker Ms. Karen (@talktomeaboutfood) shared a viral video touching on this phenomenon. He explains his point of contention in a caption for the video, writing, “I would go on a daily [basis] to @Walmart just because its my favorite store but now with these guys attcking you in every aisle asking who you use for electricity at home is making me not want to go anymore.”
An interrupted shopping trip
“POV: going to Walmart in 2024” a text overlay in the clip reads, which begins with a Walmart shopper walking into an aisle before being immediately greeted by a solicitor in the store asking him how he’s “doing today.”
Upon being spoken to by the individual, he immediately dips out of the aisle to avoid them. However, like the Terminator, the person isn’t yielding. After the TikToker arrives at another part of the store, the same greeter asks him who he uses “for electric” as his energy service provider.
Similar to his previous interaction with the person who greeted him in the store, we see the TikToker pivot and leave the area again, clearly not wishing to engage with the stranger. In another portion of the video, the TikToker begins browsing the DVD section of the store, and, of course, he is doing so under the watchful eye of a solicitor just waiting inside of the store to try and sell something to shoppers.
“Ahh, DVD’s I see you know you wouldn’t have those today if it wasn’t for the internet? Let me lock you into today with a deal that would…” The internet salesperson doesn’t get to finish their pitch, however, as the Walmart shopper, again, exits the situation and heads on out to another part of the store, which the video cuts to again.
@talktomeaboutfood I would go on a daily baises to @Walmart just because its my favorite store but now with these guys attcking you in every aisle asking who you use for electricity at home is making me not want to go anynore ☹️ #walmart ♬ original sound – Ms. Karen
In a new sequence, the TikToker is comparing boxed fire extinguishers, which yet another salesperson incorporates into a conversational icebreaker.
“Hahaha, deals so hot you had to get extinguishers right sir? We’re gonna lock you in $19.99 for the first three months after that 80 bucks a month…” they say. Again, he motions to the salesperson that he isn’t interested in speaking with them and walks off camera.
Ms. Karen isn’t the only person who’s complained about solicitors inside of Walmarts— Redditor @Critical_Escape7745 had some strong words for management allowing folks from other businesses to accost customers in an attempt to sell their goods and services. They questioned, like the TikToker, why there were so many folks ambling around the store harassing customers if they would like to switch to a new cell phone plan.
An Instagram threads user also shared their own complaints about salespeople inside Walmart, writing in the following post, “Hey solicitors at the Walmart parking lot! (Or any place) Please…..PLEASE….leave me alone lol I want NOTHING you’re selling or want me to sign up for. Also the small talk cringe Thank you in advance.”
Shoppers hate it
Several TikTokers who responded to Ms. Karen’s post shared the same experiences. One person who noticed a recurring trend in conversational patterns solicitors shared, “The laugh at their own crappy joke opener is diabolical.”
Someone else said that the way they deal with salespeople is by simply ignoring them: “I just keep walking and don’t acknowledge them.”
Another person shared a humorous anecdote of how their significant other managed to verbally fend off a solicitor: “They asked my fiance which electric company we have and he just panicked and said we were homeless the salesperson left us alone after that.”
One TikToker penned their own strategy: “Whatever they’re selling ‘I already have service with you’ ‘oh what are you paying?’ *makes up some cheap price* ‘damn I can’t beat that!’ Works everytime.”
Ms. Karen has a scripted response whenever he is asked which cell phone provider he has. According to the content creator, this gets salespeople off of his back every single time: “Say USA Cellular and that you live in Nebraska and they’ll never look at you again.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ms. Karen via TikTok comment and Walmart via email.
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