Mitch Hastings, a frustrated Walmart customer, has declared his intention to boycott the retail chain after airing his grievances about their new checkout policy on social media.
After a frustrating experience with the self-service checkouts, where he spent 30 minutes wrestling with a malfunctioning machine, Mitch took to Facebook to express his discontent.
30 Minutes of Errors and No Cashiers
He wrote: “This will be my last Walmart trip. Apparently, weekday mornings are now down to self-checkout only”
“No cashier working. So I just spent 30 mins checking out $400 of groceries with the machine showing error every other item while an associate stood behind me to scan in every time.”
Needing Assistance for Cart and Bags
Mitch also complained about the inconvenience of managing his shopping.
He had to ask an employee to watch his cart while he fetched another one for his bags.
Exit Procedure Woes
Adding to his frustration was the exit procedure, where he was asked to show his receipt.
He recounted: “Had to ask her to watch my cart so I could go to the front of the store to get an empty cart to put my bags in. Then on the way out someone sitting at the entrance tried to stop me to see my receipt, ‘no thanks’ and kept walking.”
Feeling Demeaned
Mitch’s dissatisfaction grew as he felt belittled by what he perceived as a demeaning experience.
He concluded his post with: “At this point, they are just mocking us as consumers.”
Retail Trend
The move toward self-service checkouts is part of a broader trend among retailers aiming to streamline the payment process.
However, not all customers are pleased with the change.
Complicating the Shopping Experience
Many shoppers believe these systems complicate their shopping experience rather than simplify it, a sentiment echoed by several users.
One disgruntled shopper shared: “This is why I don’t go to Walmart anymore, especially for groceries,” while another noted, “I haven’t shopped at Walmart since 2019.”
Shared Frustration
Another customer shared the same frustration.
“I used to do all my shopping at Walmart with all 4 kids. The self-checkout got to be way too much for me.”
Policy Criticisms
Walmart has also faced criticism over a trial policy at some checkout lanes that limits transactions to 15 items to deter theft, a policy similar to Target’s 10-item restriction.
Additionally, some customers have expressed frustration with mandatory receipt checks intended to combat theft, questioning their effectiveness.
Ineffectiveness of Receipt Checks
One shopper remarked: “All they do is take your receipt and mark it with a sharpie. They don’t check your bags to make sure it matches your purchases, so it is absolutely no deterrent or solution to shoplifting.”
Another confused customer suggested: “Why not just make self-checkout maybe 35 items or less?” while a different shopper declared, “I spend $500.00 plus per month at Walmart, but not anymore.”
Limited Self-Checkout Lanes and Few Registers
Further frustration was voiced by another individual, who was exasperated with the store’s changes.
“What sense does it make to change the self-checkout lanes to 15 items or less BUT then only have 2-3 registers open? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.”
