11 votes

Walmart wants employees to deliver products to your fridge - Available in three cities this fall

16 comments

  1. [4]
    hamstergeddon
    Link
    I could see this being useful for disabled folks, shut ins, etc , but Ill pass. The grocery pickup service they offer is good enough for me. Worst part of groceries has always been dealing with...

    I could see this being useful for disabled folks, shut ins, etc , but Ill pass. The grocery pickup service they offer is good enough for me. Worst part of groceries has always been dealing with idiots in the store anyway. I can handle the car-to-fridge leg of the trip.

    11 votes
    1. [4]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. [3]
        unknown user
        Link Parent
        I am gonna be entering a territory I don't know much about, but I am not sure if a disabled person that can not put food into the fridge or the cupboard make much use of the items alone, they'd...

        I am gonna be entering a territory I don't know much about, but I am not sure if a disabled person that can not put food into the fridge or the cupboard make much use of the items alone, they'd need someone to cook it for them or even feed it to them and then do the clean up.

        IDK what a shut in is, so I won't comment about that.

        2 votes
        1. Jedi
          Link Parent
          I don't know much about it either, but I can definitely see the benefits. If you're in a wheelchair you may be able to roll up to the fridge and grab something, but loading a bunch would it be as...

          I don't know much about it either, but I can definitely see the benefits. If you're in a wheelchair you may be able to roll up to the fridge and grab something, but loading a bunch would it be as easy. And if you have back issues you sure wouldn't mind the help.

          5 votes
        2. xstresedg
          Link Parent
          A shut in could be a person who is unable to leave their house. As I understand, this would be caused due to crippling anxiety or some other mental health condition, handicaps of some sort,...

          A shut in could be a person who is unable to leave their house. As I understand, this would be caused due to crippling anxiety or some other mental health condition, handicaps of some sort, disfigurement (usually tied to mental health, as they don't want to show their disfigurement).

          That's how I see the term, anyway.

  2. [5]
    mrbig
    (edited )
    Link
    I would not want this job. What if a client claims I took money from the counter? Body cameras don't film in all angles I also would not be the client. How can I prove the employee did not do...

    I would not want this job. What if a client claims I took money from the counter? Body cameras don't film in all angles

    I also would not be the client. How can I prove the employee did not do anything shady? Or will do with the information they acquired about my house?

    And how long does it take to put groceries in the fridge, anyway?

    There are lots to lose and little to gain with this proposition. That’s a profoundly stupid idea.

    8 votes
    1. euphoria066
      Link Parent
      Your first point would be my main concern - I worked as a maid for awhile, and we were accused of stealing something from people's homes approximately 3x per day. Invariably, every single person...

      Your first point would be my main concern - I worked as a maid for awhile, and we were accused of stealing something from people's homes approximately 3x per day.

      Invariably, every single person eventually found the item they accused us of stealing (none of them were worth more than our jobs I'd like to point out, I don't want your dumb gucci belt), but as soon as someone misplaces something, if there has been "help" in their house, we're the culprit.

      3 votes
    2. [3]
      Jedi
      Link Parent
      They wouldn't really have a case. They could claim it, and Walmart would show the footage. It would be the customer's responsibility to prove they stole something, and they wouldn't have any...

      They wouldn't really have a case. They could claim it, and Walmart would show the footage. It would be the customer's responsibility to prove they stole something, and they wouldn't have any proof. They'd probably shut up about it after being reminded that they recorded it.

      As a customer you can see the footage, even missing angles, the camera would show if they were moving suspiciously. Seriously, try attaching a camera to your body and "steal" something off the counter. You also have to walk straight to the fridge, it'd be obvious if you were wandering around. And where are you going to put the stolen good while you're loading the fridge?

      Your third question is something I'm wondering too. You're not going to know if you can find room in a fridge, and what if they can't? Are they going to leave it on the counter with a note, or return it (more likely)? And how much of an upcharge will there be? I'm thinking a small fee per item, plus a base delivery fee. Seems fair.

      I don't think it's going to be as bad as you think it is, but it's definitely going to be interesting to see how it pans out.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        lionirdeadman
        Link Parent
        You'd have to wander to find the fridge, you don't know where other people's fridges are. Just thought I'd point that out.

        You also have to walk straight to the fridge

        You'd have to wander to find the fridge, you don't know where other people's fridges are. Just thought I'd point that out.

        1. Jedi
          Link Parent
          Anecdotally, I've never been to a house where the fridge is difficult to find. But even then, you'd have to not find the fridge to look for things to steal.

          Anecdotally, I've never been to a house where the fridge is difficult to find. But even then, you'd have to not find the fridge to look for things to steal.

          2 votes
  3. [5]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [4]
      Diff
      Link Parent
      I mean it's not like you're just picking a random person off the street and letting them feel up your groceries. And everything that makes its way into your fridge has already been thoroughly...

      I mean it's not like you're just picking a random person off the street and letting them feel up your groceries. And everything that makes its way into your fridge has already been thoroughly groped by countless other employees by that time.

      But yeah letting a total stranger into your house to stock your fridge is a bit weird. Online grocery pickup saves time and is very convenient. So's the delivery to your house. Crossing the threshold from "to your house" to "in your house" is a bit too far and it doesn't have a whole lot of tangible benefit. If you're already out and about, why not just schedule your groceries for pickup and grab em on your way home? Not to mention, how many houses actually have these smart locks they're relying on? I've never seen one.

      10 votes
      1. [4]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. [2]
          Diff
          Link Parent
          Personal shoppers are trained fairly well to find fresh produce. And there's a little cheatbook on every cart that you can refer back to to find what's good and what attributes are "unacceptable."...

          Personal shoppers are trained fairly well to find fresh produce. And there's a little cheatbook on every cart that you can refer back to to find what's good and what attributes are "unacceptable." For some things like bananas and avocados they even have ripeness charts with the "sweet spot" indicated.

          Honestly sometimes it's kind of a pain when the store's having a bad produce day because you have to sort through a metric butt ton of bad or "eh" produce to find one that's basically flawless. Strawberries, too, those can be awful because almost all of them are gorgeous but then there's just one in the corner that's disqualifying.

          3 votes
          1. the_walrus
            Link Parent
            One thing worth noting is not all personal shoppers are trained well. There are dozens of services available in major cities now, and some of those are of lesser quality than others.

            One thing worth noting is not all personal shoppers are trained well. There are dozens of services available in major cities now, and some of those are of lesser quality than others.

        2. Wes
          Link Parent
          I can squeeze fruit and pretend I know what I'm looking for, but I don't really. Personal shoppers would be much more trained and likely more effective at that task.

          I can squeeze fruit and pretend I know what I'm looking for, but I don't really. Personal shoppers would be much more trained and likely more effective at that task.

          1 vote
  4. the_walrus
    Link
    Back in the '50s, it was not unusual to have a box on an outside wall of your house with a door on both the outside and the inside. The ice man would put a block of ice in your icebox on a regular...

    Back in the '50s, it was not unusual to have a box on an outside wall of your house with a door on both the outside and the inside. The ice man would put a block of ice in your icebox on a regular basis, to keep the contents cold (before refrigeration was widespread). If I had a fridge that opened on two sides like this, that I could keep locked from the inside, I would totally be up for a service like the one Walmart is offering. I am not interested in strangers being allowed into my home when I am away. I wonder what the future holds for these types of delivery services, as they seem to be becoming more and more popular.

    2 votes
  5. TimesThreeTheHighest
    Link
    Every time I go back to the States/Canada I realize how few reasons people have to go outside.

    Every time I go back to the States/Canada I realize how few reasons people have to go outside.

    1 vote
  6. dblohm7
    Link
    What could possibly go wrong? /s

    What could possibly go wrong?

    /s

    1 vote