- Walmart uses misscan detection internally. self-checkout machine Helps reduce theft.
- Employees say the warnings could lead to unpleasant encounters with customers.
- Walmart said its employees are trained to provide a “safe and enjoyable shopping experience.”
Walmart employees say they are cooperating. Anti-theft technology A tense confrontation with a customer occurred at the self-checkout.
When the technology detects an issue, such as an item not being scanned, a light on the machine turns on, the machine pauses, and a text notification is sent to a nearby employee. Walmart trains these employees to approach customers and try to resolve problems, but they are prohibited from directly reporting theft, seven former and current Walmart employees said. told Insider.
Employees say conflicts can sometimes escalate as customers become confused, defensive or even aggressive.
Mendy, who has worked at a Walmart store in Arkansas for 10 years, said customers were extremely hostile at the register, some throwing items at her.
“Like other retailers, theft is a constant challenge, and we’re always looking for better ways to tackle this problem, including by enhancing technology at the checkout,” said Walmart spokesperson Joe Pennington. “In a statement to Insider.”
Retailers are facing a widespread increase in theft and have responded by: Lock the product or warn investors of large lossesand introduce new technologies to address the problem.
Walmart did not say how many stores have used the technology for self-checkouts or what guidance employees received for mis-scanned interactions. A spokesperson said employees are trained to “ensure our customers have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.”
Seven former and current Walmart employees interviewed by Insider had first-hand experience with the company’s anti-theft self-checkout technology. Some current employees were granted anonymity or identified by first name for fear of professional repercussions. Insiders confirmed their identities and employment.
How Walmart detects theft at store registers
In 2019, Walmart introduced computer vision technology to its checkouts to reduce inventory shrinkage, a term retailers use to describe the loss of merchandise due to theft, fraud, error, and other causes.
This technology uses cameras to monitor registers for unscanned items and notify employees of forgotten items.
Employees supervising self-checkout registers can monitor the register from their mobile phones and, if a problem occurs, they can pause the machine to prevent customers from checking out.
Athenia Camacho, a former Walmart employee, details the process in this article: Recent TikTok video.
“I highly recommend you don’t steal from Walmart because they can see everything you’re buying and scanning,” she said.
Walmart prohibits employees from accusing customers of theft, even if theft is suspected, according to seven people who spoke to Insider.
Instead, employees must alert the store manager, who then calls store security.
Camacho told Insider that the asset protection team at her store in Florida responded to the suspected theft. She added that employees are discouraged from approaching or stopping anyone who may be stealing.
“That was the official rule,” Camacho said of his store. “It’s not our job to stop them.”
Self-checkout technology ‘feels more confrontational’
A Walmart employee in Illinois told Insider that customers can become defensive when approached over scan errors.
“It’s really uncomfortable and it becomes like a safety issue,” she said.
Another employee at a Walmart in Missouri said he was told to approach customer conflicts with the mindset, “Don’t blame the customer. It’s the machine’s fault.”
“The policy is to take the item away from them and say, ‘Oh, it looks like the machine didn’t scan it,'” she said. If they don’t want it, we’ll take it away, but if they want it, we’ll scan it. ”
The employee, who has worked at Walmart stores for more than two years, said the self-checkout technology caught many customers off guard. Specifically, he said, when he saw a video play on the machine’s screen showing the cashier flagging and scanning the item.
Self-checkout technology “feels more confrontational than before because the evidence is right there,” the employee said of the video visible to customers.
She said customers often become defensive or confused when approached by alerted customers at self-checkout machines. She also added that Walmart did not train her in her “de-escalation tactics.”
Walmart employees say they are not trained to handle tense confrontations at self-checkout lines
Employees told Insider about the technology It was effective in alerting us to possible missed scans and theft at self-checkout. But they said Walmart needs to provide more training on dealing with difficult conflicts.
“It was personally unpleasant to realize that someone was intentionally not scanning the items,” said Dominique Haar, a recent new and former Walmart employee who worked at a self-checkout at a store in southern Illinois. 20) said. “Personally, I felt weird going up there and trying to find the right words to sum it up.”
He said Walmart should provide employees with scripts for various conflicts they may encounter. Patty LeRoy, 58, worked at a Kentucky store from 2016 to 2022 when she said Walmart customers complained about her machines.
“I think it created even more stress for employees, not to mention customers who just want a one-on-one personal conversation when they go to the store,” LeRoy told Insider about self-checkout.
“Customers will get better results if they receive proper training on how to approach customers in a positive manner,” he said. “Customers who make honest mistakes are usually fine as long as the SCO hosts are friendly and non-judgmental during the interaction.The most upsetting customers are those who try to scam you at the register. Most of the time there is.”
If you are a Walmart employee or shopper and would like to share your perspective, please contact us below. Email Dominic. Insider strongly recommends that you use personal email and non-work devices to communicate.
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