WALMART has promised some customers that it will investigate after complaints about its checkout process at select stores.
The retail giant notably has cashier lanes and self-checkout kiosks at most of its over 4,600 stores nationwide.
1
In recent years, Walmart has adjusted this on a store-by-store basis.
For example, some stores in New Mexico had self-checkouts removed entirely and went back to strictly cashier lanes.
Others have tested leaving only a few cashier lanes open with a predominantly automated experience.
No matter the move, Walmart’s checkout processes continue to cause controversy, with top complaints being long lines and limited access to the method some prefer over others.
This continued earlier in April with two longtime customers.
“@Walmart, it’s bad enough you’ve gone almost exclusively to self-checkouts, but to only have 2 of the 15 available open is nasty work,” fumed a shopper, Marcus, in a post on X.
Walmart quickly replied and requested more information so it could “have this looked into.”
It’s unclear if Marcus contacted the retailer further.
WHAT’S THE DEAL?
There are at least two possible reasons the other 13 kiosks were closed.
Staff at the specific Walmart store where Marcus shopped decided to close those lanes for the time being for a certain reason, or they could’ve been exclusively held for Walmart Plus members.
Walmart started implementing a policy last year that reserved certain kiosks for Walmart Plus customers to check out with using the Scan & Go feature included in their $98 annual subscription.
Some customers complained that at least 60% of the kiosks at their store were reserved as a result, leaving little left for those without the membership.
The second complaint in April came from a shopper who found themselves in a similar situation.
“@Walmart if you’re gonna concert the store to self checkout then f***ing open them! This is a*inine!” they exclaimed in a separate post on X.
What is Walmart’s Scan and Go?
Walmart’s Scan and Go was made to save time for shoppers
Walmart’s Scan and Go system was created to help customers scan items as they shop, pay, and leave without waiting in long checkout lines.
The retailer describes the new system to be done in a few easy steps:
- Customers first need to have the Walmart app downloaded on their phones with their location access enabled.
- On the Store Mode landing page, shoppers must click the Scan and Go option.
- Customers can scan each item and place them in their carts as they shop.
- At the end, they’ll be prompted to view the cart to make sure the quantity on the app matches the ones in their carts.
- Shoppers will press “Check Out” and head to a self-checkout kiosk.
- They’ll be prompted to scan the provided QR code at the register and confirm their payment method.
- Once the transaction is complete, shoppers can leave the store without worry.
Included was a picture of a line of shoppers extending down the aisle waiting for the self-checkout kiosks that remained open.
The retailer again responded, saying it would “get to the bottom of this” if the shopper sent more details through a private message.
They aren’t alone either.
COMPLAINTS CONTINUE
In January, Walmart looked into a complaint from a customer who claimed “30 self-checkout lanes” were abruptly closed.
Someone else fumed in December that “only 6 out of 40 checkouts were open,” prompting them to boycott the retailer for good.
Although the policy that has caused the most recent checkout controversy among Walmart shoppers is a 15-item limit at self-checkout kiosks.
While the limit was introduced to ideally improve checkout efficiency and reduce inventory loss due to miss-scan errors or theft, some customers have claimed it causes more issues than it’s worth.
Last summer, a customer said they waited 45 minutes to pay for their items and leave due to the 15-item limit.
Others asked, “What sense does it make?” after they were confronted with the limit, and only two self-checkout kiosks were left open.
Walmart shoppers were also warned this month of a crackdown on self-checkout “under-ringing.”
A customer was also left begging the chain recently to “fix this” after a controversial anti-theft policy stunted a purchase at “2 different stores.”