Supermarket Self Check-Out

[Nick1994]

I most of the time use the self checkout unless I've gone full blown grocery shopping with a cart full of stuff. This way I don't have to deal with the cashier that's worked there for 2 days and can't figure out how to scan the cheapass customer in front of me's coupons so she can save 10 cents on her grocery store shopping spree and then declines 3 cards trying to pay.

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: Inspecktor
My biggest complaint is the jobs you won't see in stores that have self checkout lanes.


meh, they've been saying this since the John Henry's job was taken over by a steam hammer.


The answer is always if your skill was so replaceable by a robot or machine, you should've seen it coming. Hopefully you have some other skill that a robot can't do. If not, you are "freed from toil" to actually go do something better.


I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS PERSON!

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I most of the time use the self checkout unless I've gone full blown grocery shopping with a cart full of stuff. This way I don't have to deal with the cashier that's worked there for 2 days and can't figure out how to scan the cheapass customer in front of me's coupons so she can save 10 cents on her grocery store shopping spree and then declines 3 cards trying to pay.

LMAO LOL, I have seen that happen tooo often, self check out lanes save me a lot of time.

 

[Trajan]

Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I most of the time use the self checkout unless I've gone full blown grocery shopping with a cart full of stuff. This way I don't have to deal with the cashier that's worked there for 2 days and can't figure out how to scan the cheapass customer in front of me's coupons so she can save 10 cents on her grocery store shopping spree and then declines 3 cards trying to pay.

LMAO LOL, I have seen that happen tooo often, self check out lanes save me a lot of time.


Then there's the ones who instead of digging out the wallet, (Gee, I have to pay?), start gabbing about things no one really wants to hear about.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: DutchBrad
I *Hate* these things. If I am going to do all the work, I want a discount.

I spent some time working retail at a far more high volume checkout than one sees at a supermarket, so I'm happy to be able to check myself out, at a much more rapid rate than the paid staff. Fortunately, tossing the item into the bagging area right away was the procedure I followed years ago, so my muscle memory works just fine.

 

[mikefxu]

I can self checkout faster than any cashier at Walmart. They won't get paid more if they go faster.

But...you can go too fast, at least with the Walmart self check outs. You scan, the light turns red, you put item in the bag that is on a scale. If you try to scan another item before the light turns back to green (weighing completed) it will carp out. This simple knowledge will make it so that the self check out employee doesn't have to help you. They really should educate users on this, maybe a video presentation where people line up to self check out.

No one bags properly anymore, not even at Publix, I can do the same horrible job myself and faster.

 

[Jarlaxle]

I love self-checkout...and I REALLY love Stop & Shop's scan-as-you-shop. I can check out a full cart in 3 minutes.

I would pay a premium to use self-scan.

 

[BigCahuna]

You would definitely change your opinion on that, when that great automation feature takes your job.,,

 

[DBMaster]

I was in Tom Thumb yesterday and a lady was talking on her cell phone and scanning her stuff at a snail's pace while chatting away. I wish I could say it was the first time I have seen such behavior.

I like self checkout, however, my biggest gripe is those who are not adept at it. There goes my lack of tolerance again!

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I would pay a premium to use self-scan.

When you do use them, do you offer the store more money?

 

[TWG1572]

I love self checkouts. It's a faster experience, and they seem to self select for people who are efficient and move quickely. All the slower, more easily confused, "want to talk to the cashier" type people head to the other checkout lanes and stand 5 deep. They can have that if they want that experience.

I understand the "there's a person's job" argument, but to me it's just an attempt to play on emotions. It's a low skill job that's easily automated. Jobs like this have been eliminated since the beginning of time. I;m sure there was similar anger when full service gas attendants were eliminated. Now, no one thinks twice about hopping out of their car and pumping gas.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: mikefxu
I can self checkout faster than any cashier at Walmart. They won't get paid more if they go faster.


Er, they do, actually, and it's a big metric for their future success in the store. Sometimes they even post how many scans per hour their best employees make.

If a WM checkout clerk has 30 seconds to spare, they log out of their terminal, so the idle time doesn't hurt their average. You'll notice this when you drop your stuff on the belt and there's noone ahead of you-- they do a few button clicks before they start your order.

As for the self checkouts, it grinds my gears when parents let 4 year olds operate the thing. It's fine if there's noone in line behind you, but the charm wears off rapidly when there is.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
You would definitely change your opinion on that, when that great automation feature takes your job.,,

Most of the places that do not have self serve checkouts wind up having only one or two cashiers on most of the time anyhow. Adding a self serve checkout can only make such a place better. How about the second person at the till doing the bagging, that was eliminated a generation ago in most places?

 

[cashmoney]

If a machine could do my job I would not be able to do that job for more than a couple of days before I went crazy from sheer frustration and boredom. I had a few really bad summer jobs in college and hated every minute of it. I am very grateful to have been lucky enough to be born with enough smarts and also opportunity to educate myself so as to not end up stuck doing 8 hours of work every day that a robot or a machine could possibly do just as well. Unfortunately not everyone is so lucky. And there are a few folks that seem to consistently make stupid life choices and deservedly end up in bad jobs despite their initial advantages and opportunities.

 

[Doog]

I want to buy a robot that I can send to the store and do my shopping for me. Oh wait...I already have one...married her 26 years ago.

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I love self-checkout...and I REALLY love Stop & Shop's scan-as-you-shop. I can check out a full cart in 3 minutes.


I want to be behind yo in line, then. I have never seen such moronic, clueless behavior as what I witness at the Wal Mart self checkout.

 

[daves66nova]

Originally Posted By: Inspecktor
My biggest complaint is the jobs you won't see in stores that have self checkout lanes.
Exactly. This helps to cut out cashier jobs,the store reaps the savings, and we still pay the same for stuff,at the cost of jobs.

 

[dlundblad]

Since I work in a grocery store, its pretty interesting reading the comments. My grocery store has 4 OLD self checkout lanes. They were the first check out lanes I remember seeing as a kid. IIRC, The lady that oversees the front end departments of all the district stores came up with the idea of "self checkout."

I like self checkout for a few items, but anything more than number of bag stands the machine has gets to be a pain. You run out of room to put scanned items, the attendant is busy doing something else etc. then you end up waiting a while before it is reset. If I go to Walmart for engine oil, I am thankful for self checkout. They normally have 3 lines open full of people with huge orders. Self check out is normally dead..

I completely agree with what cashmoney said: I couldn't live with myself if my JOB could be replaced with a machine. The grocery store thing is just a creampuff job with a purpose of paying for school. Super easy and I get great hrs for being a part time employee with limited availably.

 

[SumpChump]

The things are utter junk. I mean are we really at the point where we can't even have a human take our money? The scariest thing is when you find out the machine is more 'authorized' than the human service rep. Case in point, I do a yellow pages ad for a small business , it can be paid to the ad company as a lump sum or as installments in the phone bill. I chose lump sum, got the bill and paid fully. What next? You guessed it.... Billed on phone bill also. Called phone company and was told, "I'm not authorized to override computer but I can submit it as a 'dispute'. Oh you still have to pay the whole bill for now though or it will be a missed payment. Called the ad company, "yes sir you paid fully" their computer was sent a message not to bill in installments for us." I asked that a human call a human and get the message through. They wouldn't do that. Weeks go by, I pay bloated phone bills and finally get a credit back weeks later. Now, there may have been human error in there somewhere bit it is the perceived 'INFALLABILITY' of the computer which is being relied on waaaay to much.

Evidence: How many times to do hear.."well, the computer says". C'mon folks like as soon as a nurse inputs an extra 0 in my weight box in computer that means I really weight 2300 pounds?

I love computers but we are so in love with the perception that their precision means they are also accurate. Bad assumption.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: SumpChump
The scariest thing is when you find out the machine is more 'authorized' than the human service rep.


I wouldn't say that is the case at least for my store. If the computer says one thing, but the customer says another, the case will get investigated and the customer will always get the upper hand.. assuming their intentions were honest.

Occasionally the self checkout lanes do not give back correct change.. like they short them a $5 or $10. The customer notifies the self checkout clerk and they get them their correct change out of the drawer. They don't simply say "oh the computer says so.." and shove the customer out on their way.

Have you ever bought a snack from a vending machine? Groceries are the same thing.