For a while, Walmart tried a bold staffing experiment: they reassigned employees serving as greeters, a position that serves as both a friendly face and a theft deterrent. Instead of standing at the door, former greeters were to help guide customers to the checkouts, or help them find items in the aisles. That experiment began four years ago, and Walmart brought some greeters back about a year ago. Today Walmart announced that greeters will return to their rightful place in all stores. [More]
greeters
Walmart Tries Moving Greeters Back To The Entrance
By 6.18.15
A few years ago, Walmart tried an experiment with their staff greeters who stood at the doorway of every store: they moved them away from the front door. Sure, they would still greet people who they encountered, but their jobs also involved directing customers to an open register, or performing tasks inside the store at a time when Walmarts were catastrophically short-staffed. Now Walmart is testing the idea of maybe reversing that decision. [More]
Meijer Store Greeter Claims He Was Fired For Leaving His Post To Help Customer Put Out A Fire
By 12.13.13
At a Meijer store in Michigan, it appears that where there’s fire, there’s an employee claiming he got fired. A store greeter says he lost his job for leaving his post, which is against the rules, but he only walked away to help a customer put out a van fire in the parking lot. [More]
Shoplifter Apologizes For Beating Up Walmart Greeter
By 2.7.13
We’ve posted a lot of stories over the years about Walmart greeters who have been on the receiving end of punches, slaps and other forms of assault, but we think this might be the first time we’ve heard of the attacker trying to apologize for his actions. [More]
A Look Back At Customer-On-Greeter Violence At Walmart
By 8.20.12
For most of us who shop at Walmart, the elderly greeters are merely something to smile at and say “hi” to as we enter the store — and to occasionally hand over your receipt for checking-over as you exit. But as any regular readers of Consumerist know, some folks out there seem to have a grudge against greeters and have opted for fisticuffs over anger management. [More]
Walmart Moving Greeters Away From The Entrance And To The Checkout Line
By 1.30.12
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. [More]
If A Walmart Greeter Is Pulled From The Night Shift, Does It Make A Sound?
By 1.26.12
The next time you go to do your 3 a.m. grocery and table saw shopping at your local Walmart, you may notice that the septua-, octo-, and nonagenarian greeters that used to stand between you and the brightly lit aisles of Walmart wares are no longer there. [More]
Septuagenarian Walmart Greeter Chases Down Bike-Riding Shoplifter
By 8.9.11
Here’s a lesson to all would-be Walmart shoplifters out there. Just because that greeter is above the standard retirement age and looks like a kindly old grandpa, doesn’t mean he can’t chase you down — even if you’re trying to escape on a stolen bike. [More]
Is Walmart Putting Elderly Greeters In Harm's Way By Having Them Check Receipts?
By 3.29.11
While Walmart fires young loss-prevention staffers for restraining an armed shoplifter, the company has no problem asking its elderly employees to check receipts of exiting customers, who occasionally get violently upset when stopped. Perhaps the latest incident, in which a 71-year-old greeter was allegedly hit and choked by angry customers, might change things. [More]
83-Year-Old Walmart Greeter Arrested For Attempted Armed Robbery Of Own Store
By 3.7.11
Walmart greeters are usually nice, elderly people just making some extra dough in their golden years. But even in such a pleasant group of folks, there is always going to be one rotten apple. [More]
Utah Police Chief Placed On Leave After Yelling At Walmart Employees
By 12.29.10
Yelling profanities at store employees is frowned upon by the Perry, Utah police department, so the Chief has found himself with a little extra vacation time this holiday season after he got into an altercation at a Walmart in another Utah town. The Chief was placed on paid administrative leave while police investigate the innocent. [More]
No Charges For Woman Who Bumped 100-Year-Old Walmart Greeter
By 12.9.10
Last week, we told you about the woman in Milwaukee who was arrested after an argument with a 100-year-old Walmart greeter ended with the centenarian being sent to the hospital. Earlier today, the city’s district attorney said it will not be filing charges. [More]
Woman Sends 100-Year-Old Walmart Greeter To Hospital Over Receipt Dispute
By 11.29.10
As we’ve already seen today, receipt checking at big box stores can get ugly, but there’s no need for violence. Just ask the 100-year-old greeter at a Wisconsin Walmart who ended up in the hospital yesterday. [More]
It's Probation For Florida Man Who Punched Walmart Greeter
By 10.21.10
You might remember our story from January about a Walmart greeter in Florida who was fired after getting punched by a customer. Earlier this week, the man who threw the offending fist was given one year probation. [More]
