Customers have been unhappy with Kroger’s use of self-checkout lanes in recent weeks. Two major events show how unhappy buyers are becoming.
The Cart That Was Left Behind
After leaving a cart full of groceries worth $200 at their local Kroger store, one consumer went on social media to vent their anger. Why? A rule that people think has been in effect for more than a year that says there is “no cashier available after 7 p.m.” The consumer thought it was silly to have to ring up and bag their own food, especially when there were no employees to help them.
Kroger’s Answer
Kroger answered the customer’s complaint, but then asked for something strange: their rewards ID for checkout. But it found out that the customer had never really paid for the items because they were so angry that they left their cart.
A Trend That Is Growing
This isn’t the only time this has happened. Michael Keefe, another consumer, tweeted, “@”Kroger self-checkout stinks,” showing that he was just as angry. I’m going to Publix if this is the future. Kroger answered by saying they understood his worries and would pass them on to their internal staff for evaluation. Keefe had a simple answer: “If a store is open, there should always be one line open with a human cashier.”
What Customers Say
Some customers like the speed of self-checkout lanes at Kroger, while others prefer the personal touch of human cashiers. In other situations, the grocery store chain has said sorry for the trouble and promised to work with customers to make their experience better. But it’s not clear if these steps will really make a difference or just give upset people discounts ยน.
In the end, the argument over self-checkout lanes makes us think about the future of retail and how technology will affect customer service. As Kroger and other grocery stores deal with this problem, one thing is clear: shoppers desire a smooth and personalized shopping experience. Will Kroger’s efforts to fix these problems be enough to get customers to trust them again? Time will tell.
