Last Updated on 11/25/2020 by GS Staff
Q: Do you tip for a Walmart Grocery pickup?
The short answer is no, you do not tip for a Walmart grocery pickup. Read on for more details.
How Walmart Grocery Pickup Works
Walmart grocery pickup involves ordering groceries on the Walmart website or through the Walmart app. You simply select the items you want and add them to your cart. Before you checkout and pay, you schedule a time slot to pick up your groceries at your preferred Walmart.
Walmart will alert you via text and email once your order is ready for pickup. At this time, you will see any out of stock items or substitutions that Walmart made on your behalf (more on this later). Once you review your order, you can then inform Walmart that you are on the way to pick up the order. This is done through the app or website with a simple click of a button.
When you arrive at Walmart, you park your car in their designated grocery pickup area. You then alert Walmart that you have arrived through the Walmart app. The app will ask what parking spot number you are in and your car color. There is also a phone number you can call if you do not have the app.
A Walmart associate will come out to your car with your groceries and walk up to your car window to speak with you. They will ask you if the substitutes that they selected (if applicable) are okay with you. The employee will remove any items that you do not wish to purchase as substitutes. Pre-Covid you were required to sign an electronic device confirming your order, but that has stopped during the pandemic.
The Walmart associate will then load your groceries into your trunk. They often ask if you want your eggs, bread, or other fragile items up front with you. Once the groceries have been loaded, the employee typically yells “You’re all set!” and you are free to head home.
No Tipping for Walmart Pickup
You probably noticed that there was no mention of tipping in the above paragraphs. That is because Walmart associates do not accept tips. Here is what Walmart states about tipping on its website,
Walmart store associates do not accept tips for pickup, but you can show your appreciation with a positive review on your customer survey after you receive your order.
walmart.com
At my local Walmart, they actually have signs posted that state that associates do not accept cash tips. Instead of a tip, they recommend completing their Customer Satisfaction Survey. See the image below that shows the signs that were posted.
During a hot summer day with my window rolled down waiting for my groceries, I saw a customer try to hand the Walmart associate a tip for loading her groceries. This was before the signs were posted. The associate politely declined the tip after the woman tried two or three times to give him it.
The point of this story is that Walmart associates are not expecting a tip. Even if offered one, they will not accept it assuming they follow Walmart’s policy. You should not anticipate any awkward situations where an associate is lingering around your car for tip like a money-hungry valet (no offense to valets).
Over my fifteen or so times using Walmart grocery pickup, the Walmart associates have been nothing but professional. That is why I keep going back.
About Substitutions
I previously talked about substitutions. For clarification, substitutions are often provided when you order an item that is no longer in stock on the day of your pick up. For example, I recently ordered a package of five Great Value Brats which were no longer in stock on my pick up day. Walmart substituted a five pack of Johnsonville Brats that in my mind are superior to the Great Value Brats. Best of all, I was still charged the cheaper Great Value price for the upgrade to Johnsonville.
Walmart permits you to allow or disallow substitutions in the app or on the website at checkout. I highly recommend you allow substitutions because it has always worked out to my benefit. You can always reject the sub when you pick up your groceries since the associate will ask you if you want to keep all your substitutions.
Are Walmart Pickup Prices Higher?
No! You pay the same price for products as you would shopping in the store. The downside to a pickup is that you do not get to select your own items since someone shops for you. For example, you may receive a hard avocado when you really wanted one a bit softer to eat immediately.
Conclusion
Walmart grocery pickup is truly a remarkable service given it is 100% free. There is no tipping, increased prices, membership fees, or other charges. You should give it a try if you haven’t done so already. You’ll save a ton of time and often a bit of frustration as well.
Featured Image – Mike Mozart/flickr