Walmart employs staff for a number of positions, such as cashiers, stockers, truck drivers, and front store greeters.
However, you may wonder why Walmart decided to employ greeters, and what the job entails. If you’d like to find out more, keep reading for more useful facts!
Why Does Walmart Have Greeters In [currentyear]?
The founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, came up with the idea of greeters, with the goal of having a friendly face to welcome customers and keep an eye on the front area of the store. Walmart has replaced greeters in some stores with customer hosts, but the same concept basically applies with a few added responsibilities in [currentyear].
For more information about Walmart greeters, including the requirements for store greeters, why Walmart is moving away from store greeters and more, continue reading this article for more facts!
Do Greeters Get Paid at Walmart?
There may be some misconceptions about Walmart greeters, including the myth that they are volunteers who do not get paid.
However, greeters at Walmart are paid at an average rate of 10.50 per hour (though this may vary depending on your location). In addition to pay, Walmart greeters are eligible for many benefits.
Walmart has various insurance plans and benefit packages that greeters may choose from. Vision, dental, health and life insurance plans are available as well as 401k plans and vacation days.
For specific details about a local Walmart greeter position’s pay, it’s recommended to contact your local Walmart directly.
What are the Requirements for Being a Walmart Greeter?
No higher education is required to be a greeter at Walmart but a high school education may be preferable.
In addition, greeters or store hosts at Walmart should have good communication and people skills.
Greeters should also be able to work well with a team and be good at listening. The position is important, as greeters are the face of the store in many ways, meaning they should maintain a friendly and helpful demeanor.
While the job has evolved somewhat in some store locations, the basic goal of having a friendly face to greet customers continues to be an important aspect of the culture at Walmart.
Does Every Walmart Store Have Greeters?
The basic idea of having someone near the door to assist customers is in place in every Walmart store.
However, not every store has a position called “Walmart greeter,” and instead employs “Customer Hosts.”
Both greeters and customer hosts wear brightly colored yellow vests so that customers can see them and know they’re able to offer assistance and answer questions.
There are some key differences between the position of store greeter and customer host.
In general, store greeters don’t have as many duties as customer hosts do. Nevertheless, every Walmart will have some sort of door greeter position.
Is Walmart Moving Away From Greeters?
While many store locations still utilize people as door greeters, in recent years, Walmart has moved away from this and replaced the position with customer hosts.
The reason Walmart has decided to move away from store greeters at some stores is because the company wants to incorporate more duties into the door greeter job at many store locations.
These extra duties include checking receipts, assisting customers with returns and keeping the front area clean. The updated position is called customer host and also includes watching out for shoplifters.
However, the changes from a traditional store greeter to a customer host has generated some controversy from disability advocates in particular.
While at first glance this criticism might sound surprising, there are legitimate concerns.
One of the big concerns that disability advocates have is that the customer host position requires workers to be able to lift 25 pounds and other more physical things that disabled workers may not be able to do.
Unfortunately, some disabled Walmart greeters have had to change positions or have even been let go due to changes in the duties of the front door position.
On the flip side, in many Walmart store locations, the more traditional store greeter positions are still in place. It all depends in many cases on where a store is located and the specific needs of the area.
The amount of controversy that these decisions have created may cause Walmart to reevaluate its plans moving forward, but time will tell whether this is true.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on Walmart greeter pay and duties, Walmart produce associate, and Walmart stock associate.
Conclusion
The familiar sight of a Walmart store greeter in a brightly colored vest and ready to assist customers coming or going is not a thing of the past. However, the role has shifted slightly in recent years.
While store greeters have been replaced in some stores by the job of customer host, the fact remains that Sam Walton’s original vision of a friendly face to greet and assist customers still continues.
