A customer has criticized the supermarket chain Kroger for a problem with its self-checkout machines. The person insisted that the company needs to make changes.
The customer went on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, to urge the company to change how payments are handled at their self-service stations.
Kroger Faces Criticism Over Self-Checkout Signage
A Kroger shopper, @FlorestFriar, has called for the supermarket to improve its signs at checkouts stating that only cards are accepted.
They posted a message saying, "Revisit your policy for handling self-checkout lanes that currently can't take cash for whatever reason." They pointed out that a tiny sign measuring 3 inches by 3 inches below the monitor was insufficient.
The shopper highlighted the issue by sharing a story about seeing three people having trouble at these checkouts. "I watched three people struggle with this yesterday when they got to the end of their scanning and couldn't pay," they explained.
Furthermore, the customer suggested making the issue more noticeable to all shoppers. "Also, whatever you do to make this error more visible should also probably be in Spanish because one of the three couldn't read the tiny sign that most people wouldn't notice," they added.
They proposed a possible solution: "I dunno. Maybe standing signs you place out in front of them?" They suggested that more visible signage could help avoid confusion in the future.
"It's not perfect, but it will be easier to see than a note taped to the cash slot."
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Kroger Acknowledges Self-Checkout Signage Issue
Kroger has responded to the customer's complaints, recognizing that their current method might have shortcomings.
"We can understand that this could be easy to miss," Kroger stated, showing openness to feedback.
"May we have the store address, please?" they asked, indicating a willingness to address the issue directly.
However, the shopper argued that the problem extends beyond just one store. "This has happened at 6 Krogers I've been to and several Publixes. It's an industry problem," they claimed, suggesting that the issue is widespread across multiple supermarkets.
A customer has pointed out a specific Kroger store on Limestone Parkway regarding the self-checkout signage issue but mentioned that corporate needs to make a larger change in policy or signage.
"Limestone Parkway Kroger, but unless you guys have a policy or some bigger signs, they are doing what they can. This is a corporate failure, not whoever is writing the thing signs," the customer expressed, highlighting that the problem stems from higher up rather than the individual stores.
The issue with self-checkouts is becoming more noticeable as shoppers voice their dissatisfaction on social media.
In recent years, almost every big grocery chain has added self-checkout lanes. But the outcome has been mixed. While these lanes have helped stores save money on labor, they've also seen a rise in shoplifting - both on purpose and by accident.
According to a study by the loss prevention platform Auror, which examined 2.5 million transactions in 10,000 stores, 39% of all grocery thefts occur at self-checkout lanes. The average loss from theft at these lanes costs a store about $120, equal to what a cashier earns in one eight-hour shift at $15 an hour.
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