Walmart is getting rid of its familiar “People Greeters” as we know them in one of the chain’s most controversial shakeups ever.
Walmart President and CEO Greg Foran sent out a public message regarding greeters on Thursday. It was addressed to the company’s associates, though it went up on the company’s public website for all to see.
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Foran wrote that the retail industry is only getting more and more “competitive” and to have a fighting chance his company needs “intense focus and precision.” To that end, he explained that he was making “tougher choices related to the roles our associates play and how we staff our stores.”
“I never make these lightly,” he added.
Foran went on to say that one such decision was to change the position of People Greeter to that of Customer Host. He explained that the new job would require “a different skill set, such as handling customer refunds, scanning receipts, and checking shopping carts.”
This is a far cry from the simple role of greeter, which involves an employee simply saying a friendly “hello” and “goodbye” to customers coming and going from the store. The role has often been a reliable job for the elderly, disabled and other groups who have trouble finding work.
Foran addressed these concerns immediately, promising that Walmart corporate was “taking some specific steps to support [employees]” through the transition. For starters, Foran wrote that current greeters would have 60 days to continue in their current roles. During that time, they could apply for other jobs in the company that they felt more suited for than Customer Host if they wanted an internal transfer.
“Let me be clear: If any associate in this unique situation wants to continue working at Walmart, we should make every effort to make that happen,” Foran wrote.
Foran then wrote about Walmart’s “long-standing history of being an employer of choice for people with disabilities.” He assured his employees that these steps would not effect that distinction for the retail giant going forward. He also emphasized that these changes were necessary for the company’s survival.
“We must continue to evolve our business model by improving customer service, lowering prices and developing our associates,” he wrote. “The future does rest in our hands.”
Of course, the backlash Foran referenced still bubbled up online. The company has faced serious criticism for dropping its greeter roles, with some customers even promising to go elsewhere for their goods.
