I tried Walmart's self-checkout to see if it was as frustrating as some shoppers say. Here's what I found.

Dominick ReuterNov 1, 2023, 16:38 IST

Business Insider

I tried unsuccessfully to make Walmart's self-checkout kiosk mad at me.Dominick Reuter/Insider

Walmart shoppers have told me about their frustration with the retailer's self-checkout security.
In particular, I've learned that some moves trigger an alert, even if you're doing nothing wrong.

Ever since we published a story about Walmart's missed-scan detection technology in its self-checkout kiosks, my email inbox has had a steady stream of responses from frustrated customers.While the system is designed to spot potential cases of shoplifting , customers say it has incorrectly (and embarrassingly) flagged them as suspicious when in fact, they are doing nothing wrong.In short, if the array of sensors and cameras on the company's self-service kiosks detects certain actions, the station pauses the transaction and summons an employee to assist.After I spoke with a few out of the dozens of customers, I came to understand a bit more about how the system works and some of the typical check-out actions that trip its alarm.The next step, naturally, was to try it for myself.

I've been learning a lot about these little machines in the past few weeks.Dominick Reuter/Insider

I should say two things to be clear here at the top: first, I did not attempt to sneak any products or otherwise trick the scanner into not ringing up an item; second, I do not know exactly what would trigger an alarm because Walmart does not disclose details about its security systems with the press. (I've asked.)From my conversations with shoppers, I've learned that problems tend to arise with large or bulky items, multiple items of the same kind, and especially when using the handheld scanner.I grabbed one of the store's newly redesigned shopping carts and picked up a case of bottled water, a jumbo pack of toilet paper, and some desk supplies, including three stenographer notebooks (I still take notes by hand).

Grabbing a few work-from-home supplies from Walmart.Dominick Reuter/Insider

All four self-checkout kiosks were in use, and everyone appeared to be getting through without any issues. Two employees were monitoring the area — one within the checkout zone and one just past it on the way to the exit.I grabbed the hand scanner, which several people told me is what leads to the most confusion, and quickly scanned the water in the cart basket and the toilet paper that was still underneath. I then scanned a mouse pad and put it in the bagging area. I looked around to see if I had triggered any alert, but the system seemed ready for my next items.

A security camera keeps an overhead eye on each self-checkout station.Dominick Reuter/Insider

Next, I picked up the stack of three notebooks, scanned the top one four times, and put them in the bagging area, taking care to pass the stack through the field of view of the security camera mounted overhead. The move had been described to me as one that has gotten shoppers into trouble, but still, I got no alert.Lastly, I picked up a laptop stand, passed it over the tabletop scanner, and put it in the bagging area.With nothing left to buy, I paid with my credit card, collected my receipt, put my bagged items back into my cart, and headed toward the door. (I also made sure to leave a five-star rating.)

A satisfaction survey pops up at checkout.Dominick Reuter/Insider

On my way outside, I heard a chime that I thought might have been from a security label on one of my items, but nobody approached me.The only scan that the kiosk "missed" was the fourth scan I intentionally did on the three notebooks to see if the system would warn me of the mismatched quantities.Of course, people paying for things and not taking them is far less of a problem for retailers than people taking things and not paying for them.Still, it would seem that the same technology could be used to check for order accuracy and might inspire some confidence in these systems. In my case, I consider the extra $1.12 to be the cost of this little experiment.For this Walmart visit, the process was surprisingly drama-free. But I know many customers have run into issues. And I'd love to hear your stories. Are you a shopper who has run into problems at self-checkout? What items have you found particularly hard to scan? Have you been charged for items that you mistakenly scanned too many times? Have you mistakenly walked out with an item you didn't pay for? Get in touch with Dominick via email. Responses will be kept confidential, and Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out.

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I tried Walmart's self-checkout to see if it was as frustrating as some shoppers say. Here's what I found.