Some Walmart Employees Say Customers Are Getting Hostile At Selfcheckout — And They Blame Antitheft Tech

• Walmart uses missed scan detection at self-checkout to reduce theft .

• Employees report that alarms can lead to unpleasant encounters with customers.

• Walmart said employees are trained to provide a "safe and pleasant shopping experience."

Walmart employees say the introduction of anti-theft technology has led to tense confrontations with shoppers.

If the technology detects a problem, such as an unscanned item, an indicator on top of the machine lights up, the machine stops and sends a text alert to nearby workers. Walmart has trained these employees to approach customers and try to resolve issues, though they have prohibited anyone from reporting theft directly, seven former and current Walmart employees told Insider.

With clients acting uncomfortable, defensive and sometimes aggressive, confrontations can sometimes become heated.

Mandy, who worked at a Walmart in Arkansas for 10 years, said shoppers were so hostile at the cash register that some threw things at it.

“Like any other retailer, theft is always an issue and we are always looking for better ways to deal with it. This includes advanced technology at our checkouts,” Walmart spokesperson Joe Pennington told Insider.

Retailers are experiencing an increase in theft across the board, and the response has been to freeze products, warn investors of major losses and introduce new technology to help combat the problem.

Walmart declined to say how many stores use the technology during self-checkout or what tips employees have received about missed scans. A spokeswoman said staff were "trained to ensure our customers have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience".

Seven former and current Walmart employees Insider interviewed had first-hand experience with the self-checkout anti-theft technology. Some current employees remain anonymous or identified only by first name for fear of professional backlash. Insiders confirmed their identity and work.

How Walmart Detects Payment Theft

In 2019, Walmart introduced computer vision technology at its checkouts to help reduce stockouts, a term used by the retailer to describe product losses due to theft, fraud, errors and other factors.

The technology uses cameras to monitor records of unscanned items and notify staff if an item is missing.

Self-checkout staff can monitor payments from their mobile phones and turn off the machines to prevent customers from checking out if there is a problem.

Former Walmart employee Athena Camacho recently detailed the process in a TikTok video .

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"They can see what you buy and what you scan, so I recommend not stealing from Walmart," he said.

Seven people who spoke to Insider said Walmart prohibits employees from reporting theft, even if they suspect theft.

Instead, they say, employees should notify the store manager, who will notify store security.

Camacho told Insider that the asset protection team is investigating the alleged theft at his store in Florida. He added that workers don't want to approach people who might steal from them or stop them.

"It was the official rule," Camacho said of the store. "It's not our job to stop them."

Self-service technology 'seems more controversial'

An employee at a Walmart in Illinois told Insider that shoppers can protect themselves if contacted about a missed scan.

"It's really worrying and becoming a safety issue," he said.

Another Walmart employee in Missouri said he was advised to approach the customer with a "don't blame the customer" mentality. It's all the car's fault."

she said. "Politics is taking things away from them and telling them something like, 'Oh, I guess the machine didn't scan it.' If they don't want it, we take it, if they want it, we scan it."

An employee who has worked at a Walmart store for more than two years said the self-checkout technology surprised many shoppers, especially when they saw the checkout lanes stop them and then show a video showing items being scanned on the machine's screen.

"Self-checkout technology seems more controversial than ever because it's here and the evidence is there," the employee said, referring to the video showing customers.

When approaching customers tagged at self-service machines, they often become defensive or confused. He added that Walmart didn't teach him the "tricks of growing up."

Walmart employees say they are not trained for violent confrontations during self-checkout.

Employees told Insider that the technology is effective at detecting missed scans and potential theft during self-checkout. But they said Walmart should provide more training on how to handle complex conflicts.

"Personally, it was frustrating to see someone intentionally not scan an item," said Dominique Harr, 20, a recent former Walmart employee who was doing self-checkout at a store in southern Illinois. "Personally, I felt strange, I approached and found the right words."

He said that Walmart workers should come up with situations where they may face various conflicts. Patty Leroy, 58, said Walmart customers complained to her about the machines when she worked at the Kentucky store between 2016 and 2022.

"I think it created additional stress for the employees, not to mention the customers who only wanted to have a one-on-one conversation when they entered the store," Leroy told Insider, referring to the self-assessment.

"With proper training on how to interact positively with customers, you'll get better results," he said. “As long as the SCO host is friendly and non-accusatory in interactions, honest and duped customers are generally fine. In many cases, the most annoying are those who try to cheat the registry."

If you are a Walmart employee or customer and would like to share your perspective, please contact Dominique recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when communicating internally.

Read the original article on Business Insider.

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