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KROGER has been blasted by an irate customer who had to pack hundreds of dollars of shopping from the floor at self-checkout, due to lack of staff.
The furious shopper took to social media to complain after an absence of manned checkouts meant he was forced to pay via the self-service option.
“Seriously, @kroger? Almost $400 in food and NOT ONE SINGLE REGISTER OPEN!
“And the self- checkout is so small, I literally had to bag my food onto the floor,” wrote Colby Eggleston on X.
He added: “What about the old people and the infirm who can’t do this?”
“So totally unacceptable. Customer service fail!
In response a Kroger spokesperson asked the complainant to private message his complaint, however he responded:
“I don’t trust any dm or account to not be a scam so I’m not accepting or sending a message.
“If you’re the legit account, it was Waycross, GA at 0745.” And posted an image of the shopping receipt.
The X user wasn’t the only shopper to be less than impressed with the retailer, with Linda B posting in response: “Complete customer service fail this morning at my Kroger again.”
She went on to explain: “Kroger is 4 blocks from my house but I’ve moved half my spending 1200+ a month to Sam’s Club 20 mins away one way because they are actually interested in customer service.
“I buy it then show up to pick up spot 7am and they bring it out. Zero aggravation.”
She continued: “Had to take another cart through the spinner this morning, got 12yr old grandson to bring another cart to scan into, and cameras stopped me 3 times and made me wait.
“I leave Kroger aggravated and tired AGAIN.”
This is not the only time Kroger has come under fire this festive season.
One unhappy shopper took to X to complain about the long checkout line at his local Georgia store.
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.
Meanwhile another customer vented her frustrations on X regarding issues with the retailer’s digital coupons.
SELF-CHECKOUT WOES
Retailers have experienced a series of complaints from customers about self-checkout in recent months.
The situation is often made worse by a lack of traditional checkouts open for service, with employees not available to staff the cash registers.
Some retailers enforce a maximum item limit – often 10 or 15 products – and in some cases, shoppers have been prevented from paying for their goods for having more too much in their trolleys.
It’s not just Kroger that has been slammed by unhappy shoppers on social media, with other retailers also being taken to task for self-checkout problems.
Walmart has come under fire for the lines at its self-checkouts and for not accepting Apple Pay, with one shopper threatening never to return.
While over at Target, one irate customer was left unable to pay for his goods as the self-checkout did not accept cash and there were no manned lanes open.
