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Walmart uses automatic scan error detection to reduce theft at self-checkout kiosks.
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Employees told Insider that the technology led to conflicts with customers who raised alarms.
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But shoppers said they felt “treated like thieves” due to honest mistakes and technical glitches.
Charles Bisbee was recently scanning and bagging his groceries in the self-checkout lane at his local Walmart in Alamogordo, New Mexico, when an employee approached him, reached into his bag and grabbed a container of energy drink mix. It is said that he took it out.
“Are you going to pay for that?” he recalled the employee asking in a “confrontational” tone and demeanor.
While other shoppers waited in line, the former U.S. Marine fought back his mounting embarrassment and pointed at the screen to confirm that the item in question had indeed been scanned and the transaction was still in progress. he told Insider.
“This is a small military community,” Bisbee said. “People remember people, so if you think you’re stealing, even if you’re not, it just makes you look bad.”
Bisbee’s father, a retired colonel, recently had one of the three gallons of milk he was trying to buy stopped because of a mis-scanning warning.
Bisbee said her father was so enraged and distracted by the interaction that he didn’t realize he ended up paying for four gallons until he left the store.
The alert that brought Walmart employees to the Bisbee kiosk is part of a scan error detection feature that the retailer began rolling out to self-checkout lanes in 2019 to reduce shoplifting.
The technology sends a message to employees monitoring an area when it detects activity that is interpreted as suspicious, multiple current and former employees told Insider. It has reportedly led to unpleasant interactions and even hostile confrontations with customers.
Even if theft is suspected, employees told Insider they are not allowed to accuse customers of theft.
However, many shoppers shared experiences in which they felt branded as criminals by store employees, local law enforcement, and even the technology itself due to honest mistakes or technical glitches.
“We continue to work on our security processes and encourage customers with concerns to let us know,” Walmart spokesperson Joe Pennington told Insider. “Our employees are trained to handle these situations professionally and respectfully and to provide our customers with the best shopping experience possible.”
Karen Baker was pregnant and rushing to shop with her 4-year-old when the kiosk kept freezing intermittently due to scanning errors.
A former retail employee herself, she tried slowing down to see if it helped.
With the help of her manager, she eventually discovered that the system recognized the wallet that was tucked under her armpit and flagged it as an unscanned item.
Walmart doesn’t even sell the same wallet, she added.
Shopper Daniel Jones told Insider he was “appalled” when the kiosk lit up and began playing surveillance video footage of the alleged scan error.
Jones said: “Not only did I feel like I was being accused of a crime, but because I was wearing work clothes, I was confused because other people might see the video playback and think I was stealing.” I was upset,” he said.
While waiting for an employee to come and ask questions and restart the system, Jones felt like she was being “punished” for using a hand scanner to place orders. .
(Bisbee’s scan miss warning was also related to his use of a handheld scanner.)
Since the incident two weeks ago, Jones said he has seen two other shoppers visibly caught off guard and bracing for the mis-scan warning.
“Honest shoppers feel unwelcome and treated like thieves,” he says.
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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