Death of the Walmart greeter: Shop scraps door staff after 30 years

Supermarket chain Walmart is to dispense with the outdoor ‘people greeters’ who have traditionally welcomed customers outside its stores.

Image by galaygobi via Flickr

The retailer got rid of its night-shift greeters four months ago, and now intends to move day-shift staff inside its shops.

Known for welcoming shoppers with ‘a cart and a smile,’ the greeters have been a feature of the chain’s customer service since 1980, when the store’s founder decided that ‘aggressive hospitality’ would help set it apart from competitors.While many staff have expressed fears that their jobs will soon be scrapped, Walmart spokesman David Tovar said, ‘they’re not going anywhere’.

He said the greeters would be given more responsibility under the indoor move, so that they can ‘really focus on customer service,’ and interact more with customers.