A WALMART customer was furious after being forced to wait at the checkout because there were only three lanes open.
Many shoppers were furious about Walmart’s recent checkout changes.
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Although the adjustments were made to improve the customer experience, they actually resulted in many dissatisfied buyers.
A customer shared their recent frustrating shopping trip to X.
“Dear @Walmart, your Easton Maryland location is a joke,” they he wrote.
“Several employees standing around playing [and] laughing while three lanes are open to the entire commercial population.”
“Twenty minutes in line to buy three things.”
Walmart Help responded to the frustrated shopper saying, “Your experience is important to us! Can you DM us with more information so we can look into this?”
‘I HATE SHOPPING HERE’
Other customers also used X to air their grievances about Walmart’s long lines.
A customer recounted a similar experience at the retailer.
“Only Walmart would have an entire self-checkout section closed and only leave 6 open for use,” they wrote.
“Long line for no reason. I hate shopping here”
The retailer responded by asking them to direct message them with information.
NEW POLICIES
Earlier this year, Walmart announced it would remove self-checkout registrations from some stores.
The aim of the change is to improve the customer experience after many complaints about long queues and waiting times.
Spokesperson Brian Little spoke to Business Insider about self-checkout changes.
KEY INSIGHTS: Locked Items
In November 2023, WSL Strategic Retail interviewed shoppers about using theft-proof lockers for its How America Shops report.
Here are the key findings:
- 70% of shoppers have faced blocked merchandise when they were hoping to purchase an item.
- 78% of these shoppers said they received help from an employee and waited to purchase a product, although this number dropped for customers under 26.
- 12% of buyers said they refused to buy the product and many turned to the Internet or another store.
- Meanwhile, 10% said they had purchased a similar product that was available in the same store. Again, among Gen Z customers there was a difference, with 19% of them saying they did this.
Why 22% of customers didn’t wait for service?
- Most wanted to avoid additional complications.
- Many were unable to find a store employee and those who did said the employee had difficulty opening the locker.
- A third were angry that products were locked away
- A quarter said they did not have time to wait for assistance.
Source: WSL Strategic Retail
“We continually look for ways to provide our customers with the best shopping experience, and that includes adjusting the checkout area in stores,” said Walmart spokesman Josh Havens. Business Insider in September 2023.
A second spokesperson also shared the company’s hopes for the change.
“We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the opportunity to provide more personalized and efficient service,” said spokesman Brian Little. Business Insider in April.
On another occasion, Little talked about how Walmart made the decision.
“The decision was based on several factors, including feedback from associates and customers, purchasing patterns and business needs in this area,” Little said, per KSDK.
“We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the opportunity to provide more personalized and efficient service.”
This wasn’t the only frustrating change this year.
Shoppers also noticed signs that cut off the public’s self-checkout registrations, reserving spots for Walmart+ members or Spark delivery drivers.
The retailer’s subscription costs $98 a year, so shoppers argued they were being charged for using self-checkout.
However, Walmart denied the accusation and said store managers could decide which lanes would be dedicated to Walmart+ and Spark delivery drivers.
The US Sun contacted Walmart for comment.
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