(NEW YORK) — Walmart Plus has taken its delivery service a step further.
A new enhanced feature that’s set to roll out in select cities later this year would give Walmart delivery workers inside access to a customer’s home so they can unload groceries directly into the kitchen fridge or freezer.
“It’s just the ultimate convenience to know that when you pull on the driveway after work, you go inside all the things that you ordered a put away safely and left carefully out for you to use,” Tom Ward, a senior vice president for Walmart, told GMA.
The service only works through web-connected smart locks, like the level lock or certain garage door openers.
“We have a heavily discounted level lock that fits right inside the deadbolt for just $49.95,” Ward said of the product sold at Walmart.
Delivery personnel also wear body cameras that records their entire time they are in someone’s home, according to Walmart. The footage is available both live and for customers to review later. The cameras do not have the option to be turned off.
“Even if the customer is home, the camera is always on and they always record the full delivery from pre-entry to post-exit,” Ward explained.
Dry goods will be left on the counter and perishable items like milk and vegetables are placed in the fridge. Afterwards, the delivery driver wipes down all surfaces, locks the door and leaves.
Amazon Key offers a similar service, but is limited to garages and trunks.
Retired NYPD officer Robert Boyce Voysey explained that while convenience is a huge factor, there are also security concerns.
“You just don’t know who’s coming over to your home and who’s walking into it. So my comfort zone will not allow that,” Voysey said. “I would be fine with using the garage. But as far as coming into my home, walking through my house, delivering things, putting things in a refrigerator, I have an uneasiness with that.”
But Walmart has proactively addressed ways to manage those concerns.
“So this has been an absolute point of focus. In-Home associates have a minimum of one year Walmart tenure and an average of five years, and they go through an extensive vetting, background check and training, along with a driving record check to ensure all the safety precautions that our customers should expect have been carried out,” Ward said.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
