The introduction of Walmart‘s grocery pickup service has been a game-changer for many shoppers, offering the promise of a convenient, time-saving way to keep the fridge stocked without setting foot in the store. As a retail industry insider and consumer behavior expert, I‘ve watched Walmart‘s grocery pickup business boom over the past few years. Walmart saw over 30% year-over-year growth in online grocery sales in 2019 according to its annual report, driven largely by rapid expansion of pickup to over 3,000 store locations.
The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated adoption, as shoppers sought out safer ways to get groceries. Walmart‘s Q2 2020 earnings report showed a staggering 97% jump in e-commerce sales, with grocery pickup playing a major role. While this growth is impressive, it has come with a surge of Walmart grocery pickup complaints around order problems, product quality, and lackluster customer service. As an avid Walmart watcher and advocate for consumer interests, I‘ve dug into these issues to uncover the scope of the problems and what Walmart needs to do to get its grocery pickup service back on track.
Incorrect Orders and Missing Items Plague Walmart Grocery Pickup
By far the most prevalent complaint I‘ve seen from Walmart grocery pickup customers relates to orders being incorrect or incomplete. A 2019 survey by retail analytics firm Brick Meets Click found that 15% of Walmart online grocery customers reported issues with order accuracy, the highest rate among major retailers surveyed. My analysis of reviews and social media posts echoes this data, with a constant stream of shoppers sharing tales of missing items, incorrect products, and questionable substitutions.
A few representative examples:
"I placed an order for grocery pickup today. When I got home I realized I was missing several items that I paid for! I called the store and they said they couldn‘t do anything about it. I will NEVER use this service again!" – Sandra K., Twitter
"Once again, Walmart grocery pickup failed me. I ordered 2 packs of toilet paper and a case of bottled water and received 1 pack of TP and no water. Get it together Walmart!" – Chris M., Facebook
"My Walmart grocery pickup order had 5 items missing and 3 substitutions I didn‘t want. When I called, they said I could return the unwanted items for a refund but couldn‘t get the missing products until my next order. Unbelievable!" – Jenna P., Instagram
Based on my research, these issues seem to arise from a few key problems in Walmart‘s grocery picking process:
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Rushed or undertrained pickers: Walmart‘s pickers face immense pressure to assemble orders quickly to keep up with demand. This can lead to careless mistakes like skipping items or grabbing the wrong product. High turnover and lack of adequate training may also result in pickers who don‘t understand how to properly follow customer instructions.
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Inventory inaccuracies: If Walmart‘s in-store inventory doesn‘t match what‘s shown as available online, pickers may be unable to find items that were supposed to be in stock. Walmart needs better real-time inventory tracking to avoid disappointing customers.
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Poor substitution choices: Walmart‘s policy is to substitute out-of-stock items with a similar product rather than contacting the customer in most cases. But pickers often make illogical substitutions or replace key items with something the customer would never want. Walmart should involve customers more in the substitution process and establish better guidelines for comparable alternatives.
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Inadequate quality control: Many customers complain of receiving damaged packages, spoiled food, or produce that is clearly past its prime. Walmart seems to lack sufficient quality checks to identify these issues before orders go out for pickup. Empowering pickers to refuse subpar items and implementing secondary checks could catch more problems.
The takeaway is that Walmart has significant room for improvement in the accuracy and quality of the grocery orders its pickup customers receive. Fixing these issues will require a multi-pronged approach that may involve investing more in picker training and quality control, upgrading inventory management systems, and rethinking substitution practices. Until then, order errors will likely remain the Achilles‘ heel of Walmart grocery pickup.
Walmart‘s Customer Service Falls Short on Grocery Pickup Problems
Further compounding customer frustrations, Walmart‘s customer service is often ill-equipped to handle grocery pickup complaints effectively. I‘ve heard countless stories of long hold times, unhelpful agents, slow refunds, and lack of follow-through. Data from Astute Solutions shows that Walmart‘s average handle time for customer service calls was over 13 minutes in 2020, the slowest of major retailers analyzed. My own experience and reports from other shoppers suggest those times can be even worse for grocery pickup issues, with some customers waiting an hour or more for a resolution.
Adding insult to injury, many customers say they are treated rudely or dismissively by Walmart customer service agents who don‘t seem interested in addressing their concerns. One shopper shared this experience on Reddit:
"I called Walmart about missing items in my grocery pickup, and the agent acted like I was lying. She kept saying they don‘t make mistakes and there was nothing she could do. I asked for a supervisor and got hung up on. After calling back and waiting another 30 minutes, I finally got a refund, but they made me feel like a criminal for wanting what I paid for."
Other common complaints include refund requests that go ignored, conflicting information from different agents, and failure to follow up when promised. Clearly, Walmart has a trust deficit when it comes to handling grocery pickup problems.
To turn this around, Walmart should start by ensuring it has enough well-trained agents to handle the volume of calls promptly and professionally. Hold times over a few minutes are unacceptable for a service built around convenience. Agents need better training on managing customer complaints with empathy and a focus on finding a fair resolution quickly. Walmart also must improve its systems to process refunds automatically and provide status updates so customers aren‘t left wondering if their request was received.
Improving service recovery is essential for maintaining customer loyalty. A 2018 study by Narvar found that 84% of online shoppers won‘t return after just one bad experience. Walmart has to get better at making things right the first time a customer complains if it wants to avoid losing grocery pickup business.
Walmart Grocery Pickup vs. the Competition
Walmart may be the biggest player in online grocery, but it‘s far from the only option. Amazon, Instacart, Shipt, Peapod, FreshDirect, and many regional chains are battling for their share of the market. So how does Walmart compare in terms of customer experience and complaints?
The 2019 Brick Meets Click study found that Walmart actually had the highest rate of order problems among grocery pickup services at 15%, followed by Instacart (13%), Peapod (11%), and Amazon (7%). Walmart also scored lowest on customer service, with only 27% of shoppers rating it as excellent, compared to Amazon at 48%.
Interestingly, the study showed that Walmart shoppers were more forgiving of issues, with 74% likely to use the service again despite a problem, versus about 60% for competitors. This suggests Walmart benefits from higher customer loyalty or lack of alternatives in some markets.
However, I believe this advantage is tenuous as competitors continue to improve and expand. Amazon Fresh, for example, recently announced free grocery delivery for Prime members and has a stellar reputation for customer service. Instacart has partnerships with many beloved regional grocers and offers a "Leave at My Door" option for contactless delivery.
The bottom line is that while Walmart may enjoy some competitive insulation today, it will need to raise its game on quality and service to stay ahead in the online grocery wars. Customers have more choices than ever, and their expectations keep rising.
Fixing Walmart Grocery Pickup for the Future
As a longtime observer of Walmart‘s evolution, I believe the company has the resources and scale to overcome its grocery pickup growing pains. But it will take concerted effort and investment to get back on track. My recommendations for turning the tide on negative experiences:
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Overhaul the picking process: Walmart needs to bolster its training to ensure pickers can assemble orders quickly and accurately. Clearer standards, visual guides, and better supervision can help pickers make smarter decisions under pressure. Walmart should also leverage technology like real-time inventory tracking to avoid out-of-stocks and dynamic routing to optimize picking efficiency.
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Rethink substitutions: Walmart‘s current substitution process doesn‘t involve the customer enough and leads to undesirable choices. At minimum, Walmart should offer an option for customers to select their backup preferences upfront or opt out of substitutions entirely. Ideally, pickers would contact the customer for approval on any swaps. Walmart also needs better guardrails to prevent nonsensical substitutions.
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Implement more quality checks: To catch more issues before orders go out, Walmart should add an extra quality verification step. Having a second associate quickly review each order for completion, accuracy, and product condition would reduce errors reaching customers. Walmart also needs clearer standards for product acceptability and a way to track issues back to individual pickers for coaching.
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Speed up customer service: Bringing down hold times has to be a top priority to show customers Walmart values their time. More agents, callback options, and self-service tools for reporting issues and refunds can ease the burden. Walmart should also reorient agent incentives and scripts to prioritize first-contact resolution. Questions like "What can I do to make this right today?" should be the norm.
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Surprise and delight: While fixing underlying issues, Walmart can build goodwill by going above and beyond in recovery. Offering bonus gift cards, free items, or extra discounts when things go wrong can restore trust. Proactively checking on customer satisfaction after a pickup can also catch issues faster and make customers feel valued.
Transforming grocery pickup won‘t happen overnight, but Walmart has a huge opportunity as online grocery demand continues to soar. By putting more focus on quality control, communication, and customer-centric resolution, Walmart can cement its dominant position. The alternative is losing ground to competitors who are raising the bar on service and execution daily.
Mastering Walmart Grocery Pickup Today
In the meantime, Walmart shoppers have to stay vigilant to get the best experience with grocery pickup. My advice:
- Review your order carefully at pickup and report any issues immediately. It‘s easier to get missing items or swap bad produce on the spot.
- If there‘s a major problem, ask to speak to a manager. They may be able to offer a faster resolution or extra compensation.
- Keep records of any issues and Walmart‘s response. If Walmart doesn‘t follow through, this paper trail will help you escalate to corporate or dispute the charge.
- Set your substitution preferences carefully and update them frequently. The more guidance you give, the better your odds of getting what you want.
- Be proactive in reaching out to Walmart. Don‘t assume they‘ll notice an issue and fix it if you don‘t ask.
- Consider using Walmart‘s delivery option if it‘s available. Having orders brought to your door adds an extra layer of convenience and can allow you to catch problems right away.
Grocery pickup is a major time-saver, but it requires customers to be proactive to get the full benefit. Until Walmart gets a better handle on quality and service execution, shoppers will need to be their own advocates.
The Road Ahead for Walmart Grocery
Walmart has built an impressive grocery pickup operation that is changing the way America shops. But rapid growth has come at the cost of quality and service, leaving many customers frustrated. By listening to shopper feedback and investing in people and processes, Walmart has the chance to set a new standard for online grocery excellence. In the highly competitive world of digital retail, customer loyalty is fickle. Walmart needs to prove it can be a true partner in making customers‘ lives easier, one order at a time.
