Is Walmart crossing the line when it comes to security and treating innocent shoppers like criminals? The retail chain is being criticised by customers for their heavy-handed manner of dealing with everyday shoppers, especially those who are paying $98 for an annual Walmart+ plan. One shopper was so frustrated by his recent treatment at the store, he complained about it on X, tagging both the Walmart and Walmart Help accounts in his post. Here’s why his experience has people asking if Walmart is going too far, and what the company has to say in response.
RELATED: Walmart Is Rolling Out a Change That Shoppers Need to Know.
Walmart+ Customer Complains
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Shopper Brian G Stanley vented his annoyance with Walmart on special media after a particularly unpleasant experience shopping at the store. “What's the point of paying for Walmart plus for self checkout to have to have the associate recheck your items at the register. Then to be checked once again at the exit door? I've been a Walmart plus customer for a very long time. But if you're gonna treat us like criminals then why bother?” he posted.
Receipt-Check Mayhem
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Stanley is not the only customer to criticize the store for how Walmart handles receipt checks—irate customers complain it slows everyone down and the answer is to hire more employees, not harass loyal shoppers. Some customers even claimed the self-checkout lanes were for Walmart+ shoppers only, an accusation the company denied.
Self-Checkout Lane Drama
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Kelsey Bohl, director of corporate communications at Walmart, says the use of self-checkout lanes is up to the discretion of store managers who make decisions based on customer traffic. "During these times of limited access, some stores are designating select self-checkout stations for Walmart+ customers using our Scan and Go service,” Bohl tells Reuters.
Body Cameras
ShutterstockWalmart is testing the use of body cameras on their employees, a new security measure he says is meant to deter crime and harassment against their workers. “While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry,” a Walmart spokesperson told TheStreet. “This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.”
