Home Depot customer’s one-word answer about payment method that helps skip checkout issue and forces employee to step in
Recently, a Home Depot customer became enraged after being shown specific alternatives at the register.
According to the customers, their neighborhood store had a lot of self-checkout kiosks where they could get what they wanted.
Some customers insist on having traditional checkout lanes with a cashier assisting, even though self-checkouts are rather widespread at retailers these days and are becoming even more of a focus at many shops nationally.
Some people have even threatened to boycott stores that replace cashier service with self-checkout.
“Attn: Home Depot and any other stores considering replacing HUMAN BEINGS with self-checkout,” a frustrated customer named Theresa said in a Facebook post earlier this month.
“I WILL NO LONGER BE SHOPPING IN YOUR STORE!”
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“If we just keep doing it, they will continue to push the non-human agenda,” he said.
Theresa talked about her recent experience at Home Depot, where she learned that asking for a cashier directly helped her avoid paying at self-checkout machines.
She gave the one-word response “human” to a Home Depot staffer who inquired if she was paying with cash or card in the self-checkout line, and it seemed to work.
“When the kid helping to move the self-checkout line along at Home Depot asked cash or credit, I said HUMAN please,” remarked Theresa.
“I agree, I’ll help you,” responded the woman who was helping. After making my payment, I departed.
Theresa went on to say that she would wait “triple the amount of time” to check out even in places like Stop & Shop that have lengthy queues at traditional checkouts in order to oppose self-checkouts.
Home Depot’s New Return Policy: Customer Backlash and Boycotts
In recent months, Home Depot customers have complained about self-checkout on multiple occasions.
CART CHAOS
The home improvement store now has locking technology on some of its carts to deter theft.
After paying for her purchases and trying to leave the store earlier this month, a woman who purchased two faucet covers for $5 claimed that her cart was locked.
An staffer apparently had to come over and confirm before the cart could be digitally unlocked.
Latest self-checkout changes
In an attempt to decrease theft and expedite checkout times, retailers are changing their self-checkout approach.
When self-checkout lines at many Walmart shops were restricted to Walmart+ members, customers were taken aback.
Other customers complained that more cashiers were available during certain hours and that self-checkout was closed during those times.
A Walmart representative disclosed that store managers are merely experimenting with ways to enhance checkout throughput, despite consumers’ fears that the improvements were motivated by stealing.
An RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would eliminate the hotly debated receipt checks was one of the strange experiments.
That test run has been tapered out, though.
There are fewer items available at Target for self-checkout.
For further convenience, the brand surveyed 200 stores last fall about new express self-checkout lanes with 10 items or less.
This strategy has been extended to 2,000 US retailers as of March 2024.
Customers have also observed that local Walmart stores limit their self-checkout system users to 15 items or fewer.
“Going to Lowe’s in the future” is what the customer, Patrica, stated in a postonX.
“They don’t treat customers like thieves,” she complained.
SCREAM AND SHOUT
Carl, a customer, wrote on X in October that the Home Depot staff would yell at him at the self-checkout section of his shop, “like going through a TSA line.”
He claimed he would “drive a little farther to Lowe’s now” as an alternative because it also irritated him so much.
In response to Carl, Home Depot expressed empathy and promised to retrain their employees.
“I understand your frustration with the self-checkout,” a representative said.
“I appreciate you sharing your story. We’ll take advantage of this feedback to provide internal coaching.
In the past, the U.S. Sun reached out to Home Depot for additional details regarding the matter, but received no response.
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After being reportedly denied a refund for a particular reason, another customer was recently incensed.
In the days ahead, Home Depot will also temporarily close all 2,000 of its locations across the country, and Lowe’s will also be closed.
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