- Walmart shoppers told me of their frustrations with the retailer’s self-checkout security.
- In particular, I found that some movements trigger alerts even if I’m not doing anything wrong.
- When I tried to activate the alarm, I was surprised to see how easily the technology worked.
Since I published an article about scanning error detection technology in Walmart’s self-checkout kiosks, my email inbox has been filled with responses from dissatisfied customers.
The system is designed to spot potential cases of shoplifting, but some people may have mistakenly (and embarrassingly) been flagged as suspicious when they haven’t actually done anything wrong. says the customer.
That means when a series of sensors and cameras on the company’s self-service kiosks detect certain behavior, the station pauses the transaction and summons an employee to assist.
After speaking with a few of our dozens of customers, we now understand a little more about how the system works and some of the typical checkout behaviors that trigger its alarms. .
The next step, of course, was to try it out for myself.
There are two things I want to make clear here. First of all, I wasn’t trying to sneak the product or trick the scanner into making the product ring. Second, Walmart doesn’t disclose details of its security systems to the press, so we don’t know exactly what will set off the alarm. (I asked.)
From our conversations with shoppers, we’ve learned that problems tend to occur with large or bulky items, multiple items of the same type, and especially when using handheld scanners.
I grabbed one of the store’s newly designed shopping carts and grabbed some desk supplies, including a case of bottled water, a jumbo pack of toilet paper, and three stenographer’s notebooks. (I still take notes by hand).
All four self-checkout kiosks were in use and everyone seemed to be shopping without issue. Two employees were monitoring the area, one inside the checkout zone and the other just past the checkout zone on the way to the exit.
I grabbed my hand scanner and quickly scanned the water in the cart and the toilet paper still underneath. I then scanned the mouse pad and placed it in the bagging area.
I looked around to see if I had triggered any alerts, but the system seemed to be ready for the next item.
I then picked up a stack of three notebooks, scanned the top one four times, and placed it in the bagging area, being careful to pass it through the field of view of the overhead security camera. Ta. It was explained to me that this move would put shoppers in trouble, but I still received no warning.
Finally, I grabbed my laptop stand, passed it over the tabletop scanner, and placed it in the bagging area.
I didn’t have anything left to buy, so I paid with my credit card, got my receipt, put the bags of items back in my cart, and headed for the door. (I also made sure to leave him a 5-star review.)
On my way out, I heard a chime that I assumed was from the security label on my item, but no one approached me.
The only scan that the kiosk “missed” was the fourth scan, which I did intentionally on three notebooks to see if the system would alert me to a quantity mismatch.
Of course, for retailers, people paying for things and not receiving them is a much smaller problem than people receiving things and not paying for them.
Still, it appears that the same technology can be used to check the accuracy of orders, potentially lending some confidence to these systems. In my case, I consider the additional $1.12 to be the cost of this little experiment.
On this visit to Walmart, the process was surprisingly drama-free. However, I know that many customers are encountering problems. And I would love to hear from you.
Are you a shopper who has encountered problems at self-checkout? What items have you found particularly difficult to scan? Have you ever been charged for an item that you scanned multiple times by mistake? Have you ever walked out with an item you didn’t have?
get in touch with Dominic, by email. Your responses will remain confidential. Insider strongly recommends that you use a personal email and a non-work device when contacting us.
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