Only days after it was reported that Walmart was no longer going to be putting greeters on the graveyard shift comes news of a more radical change in the whole philosophy of greeters — taking them away from the entrance and moving them inside the store where they can possibly be of more help.

So instead of being… well, greeted by the greeters, you may see them standing near the checkout lines guiding shoppers toward shorter lines, or in the aisles helping customers locate the correct section of the store.

One greeter in Fort Worth, TX, confirms to Bloomberg that, starting in February, he’ll be moved away from the entryway and into the store proper in order to direct customer traffic.

“They said we won’t be people greeters anymore,” he explains. “We will be in the store helping people.”

While this will be more practical to shoppers than just having a greeter who smiles at you and wishes you a nice day, it is also a way for Walmart to cut labor costs by combining the greeter job with some of the basic customer service aspects of the jobs done by in-store associates.

“I’m going to be doing part of the associates’ work,” says the Fort Worth greeter. “They have been cutting hours left and right.”

Walmart says this is all in the name of providing good customer service.

“It’s a better position inside the store,” a rep for the retailer tells Bloomberg. “The greeters will be able to assist customers in more effective ways. Whether they are coming in the door or are 15 feet away, they will still be able to greet people.”

Last week, when we polled readers on if a lack of greeters would impact Walmart’s business, more than 85% of you said that it would not people from shopping at the store.

Wal-Mart Breaks Tradition by Changing Role of Its Greeters [Bloomberg]

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