Why Walmart Delivery Sucks

Why Walmart Delivery Sucks: An Examination of the Issues

Walmart delivery sucks, and as my recent experience showed me personally, it has a LONG way to to even get to to “poor” status. But why is that? Let’s dive into that right now.

Good Prices – Poor Culture

Walmart has long stood as a symbol of convenience and affordability for many shoppers. Their promise of low prices and extensive product range has made them a household name. However, as the retail giant makes strides in the e-commerce world, its delivery service has garnered its fair share of criticism. In this article, we’ll explore why some consumers find Walmart’s delivery service to be lacking and also touch on the broader challenges within the company’s culture. That Walmart delivery sucks is a forgone conclusion when looked at in scale. You see, Walmart is a great big fat target of ire, mostly due to their own incompetence. Furthermore, Walmart is where career hopes go to die. But I digress.

You see, Walmart with their delivery service is intended to compete with competent players, such as Amazon – who have this delivery thing down (Really, amazon should consider the catch phrase “Delivery That Doesn’t suck”) and Instacart, just to name a couple. Shoot, amazon is better than UPS in my opinion!!!! And hapless Walmart wants to step in the ring with them?? So, let’s step right into why Walmart delivery sucks.

1. Slow Service

One of the primary complaints customers have about Walmart delivery is its tardiness. In a world where Amazon offers rapid two-day, one-day, or even same-day shipping on many items, Walmart struggles to keep up. There are a few reasons for this:

Infrastructure Challenges: Walmart’s transition from brick-and-mortar to online retail has not been as smooth or as rapid as some of its competitors. This has led to operational inefficiencies and delays.
High Demand: As more and more people turn to online shopping, the demand for delivery has soared. While this is a universal challenge, some believe that Walmart has not scaled its resources adequately to meet this demand.

Now, in my experience, in my town, people are generally nice, but fairly stupid in a business sense. A great example of this is when we first moved here there were two Dairy Queens. You could go to either one, be the ONLY customer there and you would wait 30 minutes to get two soft serve cones. They both closed down. Do bad at business, close down, it’s pretty simple.

2. Theft

Package theft is an industry-wide issue, but many Walmart customers believe the company doesn’t do enough to mitigate this risk. Unattended packages become tempting targets for porch pirates. Solutions like Amazon’s secure delivery locations or in-home delivery services stand in stark contrast to Walmart’s more traditional approach.

However, let’s also address theft in the context why Walmart delivery sucks. UPS has package theft. Amazon has package theft. Walmart has straight up theft. The whole reason I’m writing this article is because of theft. My items were apparently stolen by my own delivery person. He had me sign for my items, took a photo of my ID (there was alcohol being delivered along with other items) went back to his car, trunk open, slammed it shut, jumped in and took off. 11 of my 16 items totaling about $60.00 were missing.

Walmart customer (non) service does a great job of “apologizing” for things, but it’s like calling a home warranty company: I want resolution, not an apology. It makes me wonder it the interview process for these customer non-service jobs entails being hit with a truncheon and if the person being hit apologizes for being hit, boom, the job is theirs. Worthless apologies do NOTHING!

Lastly, as many a Walmart store closes around the country owing to massive theft, one would think they, Walmart, would be fairly adamant about, 1) hiring quality, honest people, a 2) have zero tolerance towards theft.

3. Missing Items

Few things are more frustrating than opening a delivery, only to find items missing. Customers often report that their Walmart deliveries occasionally lack products that they’ve been charged for. Such incidents can be attributed to:

Warehouse Errors: Overworked or undertrained staff might not adequately verify the contents of an order before shipping.
Supplier Issues: Stock discrepancies can arise if there’s a mismatch between what the system says is available and the actual stock.
Gross Incompetence: Many Walmart workers are not known as stellar workers. Some are, and they know who they are. Yet, Walmart harbors an air of mediocrity.

4. Gross Incompetence

Incompetence, whether real or perceived, can have a significant effect on customer satisfaction. Some customers have reported receiving wrong items, damaged goods, or even others’ orders. The reasons behind these errors can be manifold:

Lack of Training: Staff might not be adequately trained to handle the nuances and pressures of the e-commerce world.
Systemic Issues: A flawed system can lead to errors in order processing, picking, packing, and delivery.

To drive this point home, look at the general corporate mindset of any Walmart, anywhere: When you check out, are there not way more than half the check stands closed, even in the busiest of times? Is it any wonder why Walmart delivery sucks? Or why Walmarts all over the country are closing down?

The Bigger Picture: Walmart’s Organizational Culture

Beyond the specific challenges of its delivery service, there’s a broader narrative surrounding Walmart as a workplace. The notion that “Walmart is where career hopes go to die” is a sentiment echoed by many current and former employees.

Low Wages: Walmart has often been criticized for not providing living wages to its employees. While the company has made efforts to raise its minimum wage in recent years, many believe it still falls short of providing a decent standard of living, especially for full-time workers.
Limited Career Progression: While there are undoubtedly success stories of employees climbing the ranks, a substantial number feel that there’s a glass ceiling, particularly for those at the store level.
Work Environment: Reports of understaffing, inadequate training, and demanding schedules have painted a picture of a challenging work environment.
Employee Treatment: Over the years, there have been numerous reports and lawsuits around the treatment of employees, including issues related to discrimination, harassment, and lack of adequate healthcare.

So let me drive this home. In my case, I actually filed a complaint with Walmart, and the following day I was told, nah, your items were delivered, as if I were making this all up. In the interim, I utilized Instacart to get me the items I did not receive from Walmart. Instacart is WAY more competent. This underscores why Walmart delivery sucks as well.

Conclusion

Walmart, as one of the world’s largest retailers, has a significant role to play in the e-commerce landscape. While its delivery service has faced criticism on various fronts, it’s essential to remember that transitioning from a traditional retail model to an online one is no small feat. It requires not only infrastructural changes but also a shift in organizational culture and approach.

For Walmart to truly compete in the digital age, it may need to address not only the specific issues with its delivery service but also the broader concerns surrounding its treatment of employees and organizational ethos.

The company has the resources and reach to make significant changes. The question remains: will they listen to the feedback and adapt accordingly? Only time will tell.

So, dear reader, I ask you: Do you think I would take the time and energy to write this all out if I was not thoroughly pissed off?