Does anyone know what the particulars are on this??? I was in the State Street, New Albany, Indiana Kroger, (maybe around 1:20 Eastern time) in the afternoon today. As I was getting ready to check out, someone started passing the word around that customers would ONLY be able to pay with cash, as no credit cards could be used. A few minutes later, they were telling us that NO transactions could be done at all, no cash, no cards, no nothing.
Lots of people were in the store, the cash register lanes were crammed, dozens of people standing in lines for the U-Scans. After the announcement went out, which was repeated on the intercom, some people started leaving; they shut the front doors to new customers, and the parking lot became (even more) crowded with lots of people trying to leave at the same time. I only had a few items and I actually put them back where they go........and went to a competitor! No way of knowing how long this was going to go on.
I have no idea how long this actually lasted, or how many stores were affected nationwide, but I was told it was throughout the Midwest, and included JayC as well as Kroger stores.
It's the once a year everything crashes. In our store, customers could go to the ATM machine and take out cash to pay for their stuff. In our area (Virginia) it lasted for about 20 minutes before they got it fixed. We didn't have too many abandoned carts, just a long line at the ATM.
This has happened before, but like the OP said, never on a day like this. I kept hearing things that the card readers were being temperamental but nothing about the no transactions deal.
If you think about it, the system may only be stressed like this 1-2 times a year. I'm guessing IT didn't think what would happen when 1500+ stores eliminate 2-4 checkouts and added 6+ SCO's + Pickup/Delivery, Fuel transactions. On Holidays you have to expect all Terminals to be processing a CC/Debit card as payment non-stop. 1:30 EST would have been when East Coasts & West Coast would have both been rocking at the same time.
-- Edited by EUID_Unknown on Tuesday 24th of December 2019 05:53:08 PM
If you think about it, the system may only be stressed like this 1-2 times a year. I'm guessing IT didn't think what would happen when 1500+ stores eliminate 2-4 checkouts and added 6+ SCO's + Pickup/Delivery, Fuel transactions. On Holidays you have to expect all Terminals to be processing a CC/Debit card as payment non-stop. 1:30 EST would have been when East Coasts & West Coast would have both been rocking at the same time.
-- Edited by EUID_Unknown on Tuesday 24th of December 2019 05:53:08 PM
Who cares.. We got millions of dollars worth of krojis - its fine.
i don't know if it was just kroger but it was all over the company. the news doesn't really mention other companies having problems. i know we lost sales. we had dozens of carts abandoned
Oh well. I have zero sympathy for the people that CONSISTENTLY wait until Christmas Eve to rush out and buy full carts of groceries.
Just as I have zero sympathy for the people that come in on Christmas Eve and expect us to have EVERYTHING and when we tell them "sorry we're out" they act all shocked that we could somehow run out.
Oh well. I have zero sympathy for the people that CONSISTENTLY wait until Christmas Eve to rush out and buy full carts of groceries.
Just as I have zero sympathy for the people that come in on Christmas Eve and expect us to have EVERYTHING and when we tell them "sorry we're out" they act all shocked that we could somehow run out.
Yeah, no sympathy.
DMs and complaininators get a check to complain. I love seeing them back in the very stores they complained about - lets see how they do..
I'm in Colorado, and it happened at our stores, too.
This was company wide not just one state. I got to self checkout and one was cash only like always at least one is. I was told the whole company was having problems. I told the attendant it was funny but I was not gonna laugh and this does usually happen every year on Christmas Eve nothing new.
Customers at self check at my store were a-s-s holes. Because they got frustrated and I got tired of sounding like an a-s-s hole explaining it to everyone.
