Some workers have gotten really blatant when it comes to racially profiling Black customers. Or have they? Changing policies around self-checkout kiosks is complicating things.
In a TikTok video, Ray Bands (@theonlyraybands), who is a Black woman, accuses a Home Depot employee of racially profiling her. She was picking up a few items at her local Home Depot and headed to the self-checkout to pay for the rods she needed for her bookshelf.
Now “self” is in the name of “self-checkout,” meaning you do it yourself instead of getting rung up by an employee. Right?
Well, that’s not how it played out for Bands, who was quickly assisted by an employee at the self-checkout kiosk.
“I must be VIP around this MF or something, ’cause I ain’t never ever been rung up at the self-checkout by a person,” Bands says.
Taken aback by the situation, Bands started recording to get video proof of what was happening. Black and brown people have been historically followed around stores and treated differently while out shopping because workers assume that they’re stealing.
In the clip, Bands points the camera to a white man who was checking himself out at self-checkout.
“Buddy, you see, he gotta ring up his own stuff. She don’t even care that he’s over there. Not even looking,” Bands says. “… They must have told her when they see a [Black person], won’t let them even touch the self-register.”
In a recent video, a woman said she might have to stop shopping at Target because she was getting followed around by a secret shopper for just existing. Others have gotten creative in their approach.
One woman figured that if she was going to be trailed by a white employee at Hobby Lobby, they might as well help her carry her items.
In another TikTok, a woman said she’d stand super close to them, and if they still didn’t move away, she’d start touching the products and put them away haphazardly.
Given the history of retail discrimination and these recent examples from other Black women, it’s reasonable that Bands would feel like she was getting singled out for her race. That may very well be what was happening, but there’s another possibility, too.
It turns out Home Depot might be doing this to other customers as well. Self checkout has been widely implemented across all types of places from retailers to fast-food spots. But they’ve begun to hurt profits enough that major retailers like Dollar General and Walmart are reversing course and removing the machines.
Home Depot might be making the same move, as some customers have reported that their store’s self-checkout is often staffed by employees, and they’re frankly irked by it, the U.S. Sun reported.
@theonlyraybands I MUST BE VIP AROUND THIS MF OR SUMMM
♬ I MUST BE VIP AROUND THIS MF OR SUMN – Ray Bands
Plus, there’s a whole Reddit thread on the topic.
“Most days now, someone comes to me and starts scanning, even when, they are walking over, I say it’s okay I can do it myself. I’ve been told I’m not allowed… But it’s the self checkout,” a Redditor said.
Employees pointed out that they’re technically supposed to call it assisted checkout “because you are supposed to help customers with complex carts that have multiple items” so they can reduce intentional and unintentional theft.
“They are required to assist, at least partially, any customer with a complex cart. That would include carts with lots of items as well as an expensive item,” an alleged employee added.
Commenters under Bands’ original video had plenty to say.
“We always VIP…. You should’ve let her ring it all up and then refund it,” the top comment read.
“Same thing happened to me at Lowe’s, I left everything at the register after they rung it up,” a person said.
“You should of made her carry it out to your car,” another added.
The Daily Dot reached out to Bands, Home Depot, and Lowe’s for comment via email.
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