Community Chat

[ALRATIBA]

The only Walmart I've ever been in was in WV when I was visiting someone down there.

I recall that they had benches at the entrance/exit.  The only reason I remember that is that the person I was with stopped to talk to someone who was sitting there.

[Nugbucker]

There’s a greeter at the Walmart near my home who’s a little overzealous with the checking too. And it is insulting to me, I don’t care what anyone says. She makes it a point to stop my husband and me while she lets others walk out without so much as saying a word to them. I’ve never shoplifted, I have no plans to start now. I get that there are theft issues. I do get that. But as I’ve said to this greeter- I’m buying cat food, cat litter and a few grocery items. I don’t go through self checkout. There are cameras everywhere. Why do you think I’d steal?? My husband, many years ago, worked in management for Walmart. He’s said a lot of times the cashiers may forget to ring up large items so the checking may be to make sure everything was rung up. To that I say, don’t insult your customers. Just train your cashiers better. Oh and also- I myself worked at Walmart as a cashier in high school, in a not particularly safe neighborhood. Theft was a big problem but it wasn’t typically the middle aged crowd doing the stealing. As a few others have said- check everyone or don’t check at all. Otherwise it feels intentional.

[Lion]

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@blackhole99 wrote:

I have never shopped anywhere where a store employee checks the sales receipts against your merchandise as you exit the store. I would not shop at such a place that would waste my time like that. I don't think that would fly in my area either, we have open carry and that kind of practice might get you shot. Either people do not shop lift in our area or every Walmart does not have the same policies.

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With the horrific gun violence we have in this country, it's upsetting to read things like this.    It's not funny nor  anything to speak of lightly.    

The idea of anyone even thinking of shooting a Walmart employee doing their job is horrible.

[gardenman]

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@stevieb wrote:

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@gardenman wrote:

Checking purchases has become common since some clever thieves figured out they could print their own UPC bar codes on stickers and put them over the genuine bar codes to get a lower price. The Best Buy chain was hit by this scam many times and added a checker as you leave the store to ensure the model number on the receipt matches the model number on the box. With self checkouts more common, it's really become necessary. It's pretty easy for people to pull all kinds of scams that can only be caught as the perpetrator leaves the store.

Stores like Walmart have lots of fairly high value items just sitting there. Let's say a thief is looking to buy a new router for their computer. Walmart has models ranging from $30 to over $200 in many cases from the same manufacturer. If the thief uses a smartphone to take a photo of the UPC code of the $30 router, then prints that barcode out onto a sticker and applies that over the barcode on the $200 router and pays the $30, they've essentially stolen $170 from the store while looking like they've done nothing wrong. Store security cameras don't see anything wrong and  the only way to catch such a theft is by checking the purchase afterwards to ensure the items in the bag match the items on the receipt. And yes, there are a lot of thieves out there. 

I think the old catalog showroom model (Best, Service Merchandise) may become more popular again as it drastically limits shoplifting. With smartphones and apps, a customer could simply scan items thet want, even pay from the phone, and have it all waiting to be picked up as they leave the store. 

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@gardenman... But wait... If the 'shopper' applies the new barcode over the old one to get a better price, that's going to be the barcode that gets scanned and that's the code that's going to show up on the reciept... In that case, how is someone checking for a match going to catch the fact that the barcode is a fake since the two are going to match...

Sort of miss the old catalog showrooms... Shopped often at Best, Bell, Service Merchandise and Evans...  

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 @stevieb

The box/package has the right model number on it. If the sales slip shows model #pqr, but the box, which the checker examines, shows model #xyz they know something's off. The barcodes may match, but if the item sold doesn't match the description on the sales receipt, then they know something's wrong.

I really think the catalog showrooms might stage a comeback. Smartphones make ordering things easier and could relay your oder as you shop, so everything is at the exit, ready to go when you leave. They don't need a printed catalog these days. A lot of the stores that let you place an order online and pick up in store are already following that model a bit. Just add a product showroom for those who want to see/touch a product and you're good to go. You used to have to carry that little pad with you to write down the product number, but a smartphone would let you just let you use their app to add products to your cart by scanning it. With modern robotics, robots could pick your order as you shop. You could pay right through the phone, and then just pick up your stuff at the exit. There's a lot of potential there.

[SeaMaiden]

@Lindsays Grandma     Geezzz just do not shop there if that bothers you so. You are making a big deal out of nothing.  Shop on line if you back etc hurts so much to stand there for a few minutes. 

[missy1]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

@Lindsays Grandma     Geezzz just do not shop there if that bothers you so. You are making a big deal out of nothing.  Shop on line if you back etc hurts so much to stand there for a few minutes. 

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There are those mobility carts to use if you are in pain. If you shopped the whole store, whats another few minutes to look at a receipt?

I think it's a inconvenience, but they got to do what they are told to do.

[occasionalrain]

The person stopped, bags searched is labeled a suspect and everyone in the vicinity knows it. It's insulting and humiliating.The self checkouts save the company money. There are cameras everywhere including the self checkouts. That should be sufficient if there are enough employees monitoring. 

It's unacceptable to embarrass innocent customers no matter how cheap their prices.

[QueenDanceALot]

Funny that some posters think they know what the employee is thinking and what their motivations are.

If there are cameras all over the store why wouldn't management put a stop to behavior by an employee that they find unacceptable?

[Pook]

Those that try to argue with the worker checking their purchase, just make themselves seem guilty.  That would send a red flag up if I were the checker.  I know I would check them all the time if I recognized them.  Those that are dishonest often express such indignation at being stopped hoping that the checker will just let them pass!  Go through a few times with nothing to hide and make a big fuss about being so insulted at being checked hoping the checkers will remember them and note everything was ok then they are free to omit items when they self checkout.  I don't care how honest anyone is, the workers cannot assume you are honest like you say since they don't know you personally!  Speaking with the store manager is just ridiculous and will only make you look bad and probably give them a good laugh and funny story to tell later.  There is no way to differentiate the guilty from the honest.  What outcome is to be expected??Should the manger give them your name and picture and say let them go by?  How ridiculous is that!  Like others stated shop elsewhere or online if you want to be treated special!    

[doxie1]

@Lindsays Grandma

I really do not think that person is doing that for the fun of it. She probably makes minimum wage and to have to put up with the attitudes and lip service can not be fun. People often have to take their jobs seriously to keep them.

It is frustrating that theft is such a problem that it inconviences everyone. Stores have to do something or the prices will be increasing a lot.

It sounds like your biggest problem was feeling insulted and not your back issues. Shoplifting has changed things for us for sure.

I think you do need to talk to management but not to report the employee. They may  need to put more than one person on each door to do this to keep from holding you up for long. I have called for management if there was a line of people there. After you wait in one of the three open lines you are not ready to wait again.

doxie

edited to change yo to you!