MONTHS after Walmart changed its self-checkout policies, customers are still frustrated by the effects on customer service.
Falling in line with other retailers like Dollar General and Target, Walmart has made a move in recent months to deprioritize self-checkout.
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In doing so, some checkouts were designated for Walmart+ shoppers only, while others were closed entirely.
To make matters worse, unlike other comparable retailers, Walmart also checks customers’ receipts before they leave the building.
Receipt checks already anger customers, who cried foul after being “treated like criminals,” but when combined with reduced convenience due to changes to self-checkout, shoppers’ ire is rising.
One customer, @stephenhoe4813 on X, shared his perspective on the checkout situation.
Read more about Self-checkout
“Put some damn cashiers at the Walmart cash registers!!!” they raged as a solution.
“You have 75 self-checkouts but 1 damn line open???” they remained in question.
To make matters worse, the poster was horrified that after waiting and working, the store still required a receipt.
“And you want to check my receipt after doing all this work???!!” the poster concluded.
Other shoppers feel the same way, complaining about Walmart’s checkout situation.
Many pointed out the lack of clues and boxes.
“Walmart at a Walmart today, 44 checkout lines, of those 44, I counted 10 non-automatic checkouts, 3 of which were manned,” shouted another customer.
“All other avenues, self-checkouts/Walmart+ checkout. What’s next, charging your customers to make their own changes?” they challenged.
“I went to check out your San Tan Valley, [Arizona] location, 1/2 store with self-checkouts closed, only 3 lanes open with worker scanning and 30-40 people in line at other self-checkouts,” shared another.
“Staff your stores properly,” they demanded.
Walmart has not yet responded to a request for comment from The US Sun.
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at several locations were made available only to Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed at specific times and they were offered more cashiers.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting would fuel the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would thwart fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, this test has been discontinued.
At Target, items are being limited in auto-checkout.
Last fall, the brand researched new express self-checkout lanes in 200 stores with 10 items or less for added convenience.
In March 2024, this policy was expanded to 2,000 stores in the US.
TARGET PROBLEM
Walmart isn’t the only store where customers have complained about the checkout setup.
Target also faced pushback from customers after it placed an item limit on self-checkout and reduced the number of lanes open.
“My Target store hasn’t opened any new lanes since the self-checkout change,” protested one Ohio shopper.
“The lines are getting outrageous.”
Another shopper went to check out at a traditional checkout and noticed “there were no checkers.”
“The line for self-checkout was 20 people long,” she recalled.
“I abandoned my cart and left.”
Finally, she asked the retailer a question.
“Do they really think this is a good business model??” she said.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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