Self Check-Out is NOT Fun
Posted by Cap on March 30, 2006 |Let’s not kid ourselves Wal-Mart. There’s no way self check-out is fun.
It may be fast (sometimes), and it may be easy (sometimes)… but I never had a blast standing there, fumbling around looking for the product’s UPC code, scanning it 50 times, or enjoyed hearing the machine telling me: “Weight in basket is incorrect.”
You can also find these “fun” self check-out stations at many supermarket chains across the country. They’re a bad idea to use if you have a bunch of produce with you.
I do use self check-out occasionally, if the lines at the cashier is long and especially if I have a small quantity of items. But it was never fun. It can be a convenience, but it should never replace real cashiers.
Just look at the helper staff at the self check-out station. They sure as hell aren’t having any fun.
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March 31st, 2006 at 6:25 am
I hate self-checkouts too. Occasionally, store ‘managers’ say “over there, please” pointing to the self-checkout line. I say “no thanks” and wait in line for a ‘real’ cashier. It ticks the store managers off, but I’m not about to ‘self-checkout’ with a basket of groceries. Self-checkout is designed for a pack of gum, at best. Hah. Self-checkout at Ikea is the absolute worse. Imagine scanning boxed furniture, glassware, and kitchen ware followed by bagging yourself. Bagging groceries sucks, too.
A few self-checkout lines are nice for those interested, but for all of us sane folks, keep the ‘real’ people there to scan and bag for us.
March 31st, 2006 at 8:34 am
I despise self check out. I shop at Albertsons for groceries and they only seem to have one traditional lane open every time I’m there. The line goes to China. No one wants to use the self check out when they have 2 weeks worth of food.
March 31st, 2006 at 10:01 am
If the store manager sent me to the self checkout I would report him to corporate HQ. That is entirely unacceptable.
I don’t want to sound like a snob but I did not go to college to scan groceries.
Now I will bag my own groceries if the Checkout girl is overloaded, plus I can control what gets crushed that way.
We need to organize a self checkout Walkout. No one use it for one whole week…. think it would work???
Kevin
March 31st, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Report him to corporate? Really? Not a bad idea. Do they have policies about it? The one here I’ve seen suggest people go there often. I think I’ve used self-checkout a few times at the store due to crowds and being impatient and/or trying to help. Other than that, bye bye self-checkout!
March 31st, 2006 at 12:39 pm
“I don’t want to sound like a snob but I did not go to college to scan groceries.”
Give me a break, you do sound like a snob. I can understand not liking a self-checkout line and not wanting to use it because you don’t want to scan each grape in the bunch individually, but to say you don’t like using it because it’s beneath you is ridiculous.
Do you live in New Jersey? I ask only because otherwise you’re overpaying to have someone else pump your gas for you and you should move there.
March 31st, 2006 at 6:44 pm
forget self check out…shopping at walmart is not fun!
March 31st, 2006 at 7:19 pm
lpkitten’s got a point there.
self-check out at Albertsons is just horrid, as mention, they have over eight cashier stations but only one of them is open.
kudos to Target (and others) for not resorting to it, and yeah, no silly store manager should be forcing you to use self-check out. I duno about policy but there’s no reason you have to use it.
March 31st, 2006 at 9:18 pm
I tried the self-checkout at Fred Meyer’s and it was a horrible expierence! First, I couldn’t figure out where the heck to put the cash and then it wouldn’t accept my dollar bills! Let’s not talk about the confusing interface on the computer either! What a pain in the tooshy!
April 1st, 2006 at 12:54 am
Self-Checkouts are great for those times when you just want to buy a small purchase. Charge 25 cents to a credit card without shame! ;)
April 1st, 2006 at 5:26 am
What’s next? Are they going to make us unload the shipments from the trucks as they come into the store, then we get to pick out the items we want as we are stocking their shelves for them? I’m surprised some discount store hasn’t thought of THAT one yet.
April 1st, 2006 at 5:33 am
I love the self-checkout at Stop and Shop! I must be a weirdo because I do think it’s fun. Nobody’s twisting your arm making you go to one (and no store manager should point you in that direction–he should only suggest it as an option). It isn’t that hard to do once you get used to it–and yes, I have a college education. I would agree on produce, though. Most of it goes in just fine, but I wish they’d set it up so I can plug in 6 oranges at once instead of having to punch the code in 6 times.
I have ulterior motives, too. When I’m using self-check, I don’t have to worry about the coupon police taking out their microscopes for all the coupons I use. (I use them honestly, of course–I just don’t want to have to explain that “any X brand product” means just that–not just what the picture shows.)
April 1st, 2006 at 5:39 am
Just one more thing…if the line on a regular checkout is out the back door, the manager needs to open a new line or two. The ratio of self-checkouts to cashier checkouts should be about 2 selfs to 5 humans.
I’ve never seen all 15 registers (including 4 selfs) running at S&S. It’s because they can’t get the help, or because they are too cheap to hire that many people. Or because not enough people want to be cashiers–I can understand this. I did it myself a few years ago (and I’m 50, for the record) and while 98% of my customers were lovely, the 2% who thought it was their right to treat me like shinola really spoiled it for me.
My opinions of walmart are mixed–I’ve been to some nice, clean ones. Unfortunately, I’ve also been to ones that seem to be good places to study trailer park trash in action.
April 1st, 2006 at 7:40 am
Hmm couple good points I didn’t think of on advantages of self-check out. You can charge small amounts with your CC w/o feeling like a douche, and you have hassle free coupon redemption.
mom2fur: At my area’s Albertsons, the self-check out stations allow us to input the quantity of produces, but the weight sensor thing is always off for some weird reason. In some instances I guess you can rip off the store, purposely not scan some items and get away with it.. but that’s just petty.
skye: I think they’re rolling out with self-ordering kiosks at fast food joints now too. diff industry, but yeah.
oh the humanity! (or lack thereof)
April 2nd, 2006 at 9:06 am
I would complain big time if the scales in my store were off. Not that I’d know if it was miniscule, but a big change would be obvious. Some stores have a policy that if it rings wrong–you get it for free! Wonder if Albertson’s does that?
Regarding not scanning something–yep, it’s petty. It’s also a good way to get arrested. I’ve seen people cheat and most times they get caught–none of them ever seem to notice the cameras all over the store–duh! (There oughta be a law against stupidity, let alone theft.)
April 2nd, 2006 at 9:24 am
ah woops I didn’t make it clear. see the problem with these self check out stations is that it checks the UPC code against the weight in the basket, to make sure you didn’t scan in something cheaper or whatever, or that you don’t have items in the basket that you didn’t scan yet.
in Walmart’s case, when the weight is wrong, it won’t let me finish checking out until I correct the mistake.
in the case of Albertsons, I always get an error message that the weight in basket is incorrect when I have produce (even if I follow procedure correctly), thereby not letting me complete the check out process.
April 4th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
I love self-checkout for a small amount of items. My fav place to do it is Home Depot.
April 4th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
I’m fine with self checkout as long as it’s for 10 items or under.
However, in defense of the merchants, they installed self checkout due to customer demand. The majority of customers actually enjoy it and perceive it to be faster (even though it isn’t). Customers like to control their own destiny. The investment in self-service point of sale equipment is actually very expensive and it would probably be cheaper to hire checkout clerks.
April 11th, 2006 at 1:02 am
I don’t know where all of you are, but here in my neck of the woods, Charleston, WV, although they try to tell you that they have self-checkout because of consumer demand, only about 1% of people here actually use (or should I say ‘try’ to use) them. Kroger is the main user of self-checkout; I think I’ve only seen one other store have one and no one was using it either.
April 12th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
I almost always use the self checkout, especially at the stores I frequent. It may take me the same amount of time to scan my items and pay for them as it would take the cashier, but the lines are shorter, so the entire process is quicker.
April 14th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
“I don’t want to sound like a snob but I did not go to college to scan groceries.”
Man, you NEED a college degree to figure out how to use the self-scan at the grocery store where I shop. The interface is way too confusing, and of the few times I’ve used it, most of them I’ve needed a cashier’s help with something.
Self-scan is one thing if you just want an item or two, but I’d much rather have my groceries checked out by a real person. And for Volde-Mart, which already pays low wages and in lieu of benefits encourages employees to sign up for foods stamps and medicaid (in some areas, anyway), to use self-scan to eliminate more checkers, is just — evil.
The only place where I appreciate self-scan is at the library where they don’t have the budget to afford more librarians, and rely mostly on volunteers for checkout, thanks to the tight-fisted “we don’t wanna pay no taxes but dammit, we want our big-ass SUV and giant TV” movement in this state.
April 18th, 2006 at 1:55 am
Give me a break. All you “college educated” readers that could find your way to this blog should be able to figure out how to use a self checkout machine (although I will concede that Walmart’s machines suck – just one more reason not to shop there). I really miss the self checkout where I used to shop (Harris Teeter in NC). It is MUCH faster to use the self checkout, maybe because so many of you are standing in line so someone can serve you. Would you rather rub a few brain cells together or stand there while stupid shopper after stupid shopper waits until the cashier gives them their total before taking out their check book. Or the shopper with 15 coupons, half of which have expired complains to the manager. Or how about the shoppers who can’t find something and wait until they get to the front of the line to ask someone about it? Yeah, I’m ranting, but c’mon people – American Idol is on in 10 minutes!
April 25th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Unethical posting below: If you are a very ethical person, you may not like the posting below (ie. if you are the type of person who will not eat grapes at a supermarket)
I like self checkout because i can use expired coupons but now walmart has become smart….u cant deposit the coupons until verified by a cashier….
April 26th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
My answer is do not use self checkout. Self checkout takes jobs away from people.
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:44 am
Self-checkout is an attempt by companies to move the burden of gathering money from customers from themselves onto the customer … I wouldn’t mind using them if I have a few items AND the blinkin’ self checkout machines worked correctly. I had an experience once were I had to wait 10 minutes to get a managers attention to clear an error (wrong weight) and then the manager acted like he was doing me a big favor. The idiot topped it off by essentially accusing me of stealing by taking everything I had already rung up and putting it back to be re-processed. After I looked him in the eye and told him I didn’t appreciate his attitude and actions he gave me a smirk and told me I “had” to do it the way he wanted it. When I left the products at the check out and started to walk out the door he got pretty excited and when I got to the doorway a security guard stepped in my path (hey, to be fair he didn’t know what was going on). So, I stopped. Explained the situation to the security guard and explained to the bleating manager that if he detained me another moment I would have to use the “magic” word — litigation. I also explained that stopping me from departing was kidnapping, blah, blah. It amazed me that he thought I had to purchase the items (I did not) AND in the method he wanted (no, I have a choice). Long and short of it is I no longer go to that store and when I see the knucklehead manager around town I give him a nasty little smile.
May 10th, 2006 at 2:46 pm
In most cases, I’ve found that self-checkouts are faster for me. I’m pretty quick and can do a faster job than the cashier in most cases. Why stand in line and wait if you don’t have to? Yes it might be a hassle to scan things yourself, but your time has value also. Not every cashier is going to be efficient and friendly and someone you want to deal with anyway. Just today I was at a store that doesn’t have self checkouts and the cashier took a call while checking me out — actually made me wait while she helped a customer. Then while still ringing up my items, her supervisor came over and she talked with her about something and continued to make me wait. Finally she finished and did not even apologize for the wait or acknowledgement. This kind of customer service is worth waiting for or paying for?
Saying that self-checkouts “takes away jobs” is ridicilous. Anything that saves time is a GOOD THING in life. Would you prefer to have to go to a bank teller to get money instead of using an ATM? Would you prefer to use candles instead of electricity?
I appreciate things that can save me TIME and MONEY.
May 14th, 2006 at 7:12 am
You bunch of useless whiners!
Your insistence on remaining helpless will continue to create more business opportunities for those of us who are willing to adapt to new things.
So….I guess you aren’t useless after all.
Happy sleeping, you lazy, selfish babies.
May 16th, 2006 at 5:20 am
Good story from Ogre, good points made by Kim and others. No idea what business opportunity Anonymous is talking about though.
May 21st, 2006 at 10:00 pm
I like the self checkouts. Not at first, it took a few times to get used to them and figure out what kind of things not to take through; like clearance items, some produce, things with tags that need to be checked by a cashier.
I’m familiar with most employees in the stores I shop, so with self-check, I’m able to avoid the slow newbies who call for manager help every minute. I know how I want it bagged and how heavy it should be. I don’t have to chat with a cashier, or worse, listen to one chatting to someone else.
The only con for me is waiting for the computer to register that I’ve put the item in the bag.
It’s all smooth once you have a system.
June 6th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
GIVE ME 10% PERCENT DISCOUNTS AND WILL GLADLY SELF BAG. HEY, DON’T YOU THINK IT WILL BE AN INCENTIVE?
July 16th, 2006 at 5:48 am
When I worked as a cashier, I allowed my training to be my guide. I was pleasant fun and engaging. Things have changed. Cashiers aren’t as pleasant as the self check-out. They should work on that if they are concerned about their jobs. I didn’t go to college to deal with people who don’t get what it means to be in service industry. Self chek-out is simple if you’ve had a previous shopping experience. Store managers need to have someone there when the aisle are open to speed up the process.
August 8th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
We just got self check out in our out dated town and I love it. Yeah it takes some getting used to but in the end it is fun and since the wal mart in our area don’t pay anything anyway I don’t figure it’s taking anything away from anyone.
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Love self-checkout for those times you have to buy something embaressing like tampons, anti-diarreal medication, acne medication (bonus if you have huge pimples while you are buying it) or condoms. That’s the only reason I use it!
August 24th, 2006 at 12:58 am
I love the self-checkouts. I immediately adapted to them. I figure it’s because I’m a computer nerd and i take to the new gizmos easily (and also have previous cashiering experience. I know how to properly scan those pesky UPC’s). The Meijer’s near me has some new self-checkouts. They’re unlike the others that look pretty much the same at all the other stores. They’re a lot easier to use. And they have LCD Flat screens instead of those nasty CRT monitors that seem to wear out on the buttons you need to push.
Also as mentioned above it is nice to buy the unmentionables you’d prefer no one see but you. And I find more and more that a lot of the cashiers are either imcompetent, try to make too much convo, and/or are mean.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:26 am
self check outs are designed to make the lines go faster. I live in wyoming, were we don’t have enough people living here to staff an entire store. When everyone has to shop at the same place and the store only has 5 cashiers, self checks are amazing. they allow one cashier to run four lanes at a time. people might not like them but they help with lines. I work at Wal-mart. i run the self check outs. they are not that bad. if people would just learn how to use them, they would be better.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I love them. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t use one. Oh yeah, yesterday at Wegman’s, the ONLY think that store does wrong.
October 26th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I LOVE self checkout and use it everywhere I can find it. I LOVE being able to buy what I need WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEAK to another person.
I’m a 28 year old professional who makes about 35,000 a year, happily married.
I HATE interacting with cashiers who often make comments about how I’m buying. I tend to buy 5-10 of one item when I find a good deal on it but doing so almost ALWAYS gets me a strange look from the cashier. A “BOY IS THIS GUY STRANGE” look. I get sick of it which is why I LOVE being able to buy what I need WITHOUT dealing with the annoying cashier and his/her annoying personality along with it.
I pray that one day FAST FOOD will become self service with self checkout, for now I can only dream.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Boy, I just love reading these comments, especially those sarcastic ones from home Depot employees. I am a mom of two, for the past 2 years renovating our home. Because of location convenience, I am at Home Depot almost daily… sometimes multiple times daily. I have been in the store early in the morning, late at night and all points in between. I have probably spent over $10k in this store over the last two years. I finally reached my boiling point last week, when I was again at Home Depot, purchasing a gallon of paint, screen spline, and screen. There were no human cashiers available, so I used the self checkout against my better judgement. I waited at the paint counter for 15 minutes and finally had to seek out someone to help. I did find that someone, At the other end of the store, along with about 8 other employees, hanging out talking. I don’t know maybe it was some kind of a staff meeting regarding football pools.
Needless to say, three of the items I was purchasing had bar codes, but would not scan.Two were eventually scanned by the supervising cashier. One item, an exhaust fan cover, would not scan even after the human cashier came to help. I had to purchase my things, step aside and wait 20 minutes for the cashier to get someone in tht department to bring another of the same item to the register. 20 minutes!
The previous week, the same thing happened with other small items, previous to that, I again had the same problem with the self checkout refusing to read the bar code, nd please don’t insult me by implying that I don’t know how to use them. I use them elsewhere and don’t seem to run into these issues quite so frequently. So to save myself the frustration, I will shop at Lowes or True Value. But not Home Depot. And a word to those who profess to be Home Depot employees, do you really think its a wise thing to insult your customer base? As you spew your comments, remember it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work t Home Depot. In fact, until very recently, Home Depot was one of the few companies in this country to regularly hire released felons. That said, the bar for hiring expectations doesn’t get much lower.
December 31st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Most people that ‘love’ the self checkout are scammers. How easy is it to put $3.99/# asparagus on the scale and put in the code for 60c/# bananas? Also, if you use your credit card, there is no signing, hence you can easily contest the charge and get a full credit. The poor attendant can’t keep up with 4-5 people at one time, no wonder there are full carts of groceries going thru there constantly, a free deal.
February 9th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
You know what you know alot of stuff about scamming.hmmmmm I wonder why?A normal person wouldn’t think about that stuff.And I love self check outs.Not because I’m a scammer but because cashiers don’t know how to scan a coupon to save their lives.If I give a cashier 30 coupons its gonna take her 30 min to scan them.I should not have to feel bad because I’m saving money or getting a kick *** deal on groceries.I don’t use exp. coupons.I don’t have the guts even if I wanted to.Its not that hard to figure them out.
February 14th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
IKEA Self Checkouts – Response by employee
At first when we installed the self checkouts they were ok. The fact is that everyone believes we have fired people like other companies due to these machines, but we have not. However, I always hear customers complaining to me about them. I have been arguing with the management at my store to get rid of them, but they won’t because it’s the corporate office’s decision. I have told upper management that the customers hate them and that people are willing to leave the store and not buy anything because of them. I am trying to fight for the customers, but no one will listen. If you want to get rid of self checkouts at IKEA, complain to the corp offices, not the local stores because they have no say in that decision.
February 15th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I find it hard to believe that people use self checkouts for scamming the store any more than using any other method.
Self checkouts either check the size of the item you scan while it’s on the belt, or the weight once it’s bagged. When you scan produce, it clearly announces what you’ve purchased (“move your BANANAS to the belt”). From what I’ve seen, Walmart has removed self checkouts from some stores, but some still have them. At one store I was in recently, they seemed to be a newer type- and when I walked past the attendant’s stand, I saw that they have a monitor with a split screen showing a view directly overhead of each of the four self checkouts. They can see exactly what you’re scanning.
I use them for those embarrassing purchases, and because even a buggy machine is better than the average Walmart human employee. At least the machine can’t give you an attitude.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Yes, the attendant can monitor all of the lanes. Self checkouts are fun to use.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Hi! I used to work as Tech support for these darn machines. But you gotta give these stores some credit for giving anti-social and borderline people their own lane. Sometimes cashiers don’t act any different, lol.
July 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I hate the Fucking things,
They put REAL people out of work, they go wrong.
Its all about saving money for the Stores.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:06 am
The good thing about self-check is not having to deal with some ingrate cashier.
Of course, at Wal-Mart it’s always about money. Only the Neighborhood Markets where I live have self-check, not the Wal-Mart Super Money Sucker stores.
Wal-Mart only has self-check where it’s convenient for them.
In the Wal-Mart Super Money Sucker stores, the powers-that-be post those older women at the doors to verify your ticket. Most of the time, I refuse to show them my ticket. Never happens in any other store.
At first I refused to do self-check in Little Wal-Mart cuz I knew they’d start accusing me of shoplifting.
But it was sooo easy, so I did self-check. But some profitable things aren’t self-checkable, like tracfone cards.
In the closet little Wal-Mart to me, it finally happened. I got hassled on my way out about the Coke and Fritoes I’d been snacking on, did I have a receipt?
I whipped out my Family Dollar receipt, and blasted ‘em with my speech about their suspicions and told them no more self-check for me.
Then I faxed the manager and told him that if his employees had time to hassle people about tickets then they had time to do customer service: unload baskets, ring them up, and carry groceries out. Of course I never heard a word. And no more self-check for me.
My little Wally World is losing money to a newly opened Hispanic grocer that has a lovely store and real cashiers, so now they start drilling people who go through self-check.
I really shouldn’t go back to that little Wally World, but I have. I will go through the register and take plenty of the cashier’s time. Maybe I’ll start asking the manager all kinds of questions about products too.
In a perfect world, everyone who reads this post will also start forcing Wally World to work for their money.
November 13th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I cannot believe that someone said we are being “lazy” for not wanting to do the self-checkout. Ever heard of customer service? Using the self-checkout is not only impersonal, it is not something I care to learn how to do when I already work a 40 plus hour job. I go to the grocery store to have a cashier ring me up. I don’t mind waiting a few minutes more for the opportunity to have someone speak to me, ring things up correctly and bag my groceries. When did we become so rushed that we can’t wait for the cashier? I shouldn’t have to learn how to be a cashier in order to shop at a store. Next time a cashier supervisor walks me over to the self-checkout I will say, “No thanks. I’d rather go through the regular line.”
November 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
OMG THIS IS SOOOOOO SCARY I POOPED MYSELF TOO
WHILE I WAS WITH A MAN
December 15th, 2009 at 2:50 am
well i work on the self scan and the problem is the customer who doesn’t understand how they work, you try and tell people and they just don,t want to listen, putting cards in wrong way down to putting hand bags on them and when you tell them to turn the cards around they just want to argue with you so i work away and let them get on with it, then their then turn them around , i would just like to say i am there to help not to fight with them, if you dont like them dont go on them
July 31st, 2010 at 8:58 pm
I detest self-serve checkouts. Probably not for the reasons you might think.
I love the convenience of the lanes and am very proficient at getting through them. My problem is with the imbeciles who are in the queue behind me who see that I can move swiftly through the process while everyone else is bumbling round trying to make the system work. Those same imbeciles line up behind me quickly, often within proximity of seeing my PIN when I use my debit/credit card.
Tonight, a man moved in so fast on me while I was closing my transaction, that the transaction was still open and he already had his items on the scanner trying to scan them.
I restrained myself – one more time – and did nothing more than glare at him while I butted my way back in front of the console and closed everything out properly. It was a hard glare. Hah! I’m easy. Until a point.
The next time another customer crowds me when I am using a self-serve checkout will not be pretty. I will state my case explicitly to them and ask them to back off.
Do I blame this mess on the other customers who are in as big a rush as I am? No. The blame lies squarely with the stores. The store I shop in often only has one cashier – in a bad mood – and slow, to boot – and the self-serve lanes (eight of them) are all that is left
How do I feel about the store where I have to endure this unpleasantness? I hate the store. Hate it, hate it, hate. I would never shop there or any other store with the same name if I could avoid it. I detest the store because of their poor business model.
Are there stores in my area where I prefer to shop? Yes. Good lord, yes. Unfortunately, the one closest to my house just closed for renovation so I am stuck with the store I hate for the moment.
Lately, the anger that I see occurring in these self-service lanes is something about which grocery chains should take note. Just a thought. If the last contact the customer has is in these self-service lanes, they will not leave with a “warm and fuzzy” perception of that store. Period. End of story.
Chuck
August 31st, 2010 at 5:34 pm
I really dislike self-checkouts too. I think having a couple of self-checkouts lines is alright when you only have a few items, but when I am buying a weeks worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner… I DO NOT want to self checkout because I never really “self” checkout! Very often, I have to find an employee to help me because something goes wrong.
September 1st, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I Like self checkouts… occasionally. Sometimes, even when you just want to buy like, two items, the thing freezes, and you have to get help. Personally, I think that all the walmart workers are too lazy to stand there and scan items all day, so they just sit back and laugh at us struggling to work the self checkouts. On the positive side, once you get used to it, it’s not that bad. They are faster, if you get a good one. :) What really ticks me off though, is when you have about 2 items and the people in the store have 2 cash registers open and the line is packed. They realy need to open up more registers as well, because the self checkouts freeze up and frustrate alot of people.
September 20th, 2010 at 9:22 am
I refuse to use them. “It’s fun”??
Au contraire:
It’s the store pushing work off on the customer that they formerly paid an employee to do! If I am expected to do that work, I want a discount — and more than just a store card discount. Until they give me a discount in exchange for doing the extra work, I won’t use them.
And I agree with above comment: I work all day. The last thing I want on the way home from work is to learn a new job skill, however minimal it might be.
My local Home Depot has started the strategy of letting the one human checkout line get reallllly long in the evenings, trying to force people over to the self-check machines. And to add insult to it, they have one self-check monitor person pacing back and forth like a checkout nazi, doing nothing to shorten the long line! How’s THAT for customer service?!
October 25th, 2010 at 1:03 am
I really hate the Self-Service-B-S that they are trying to “sell” to the people! By going out with terms like “Fun” or “Easy” or even “Faster” they fool the people to think this Self-Service-System is a good thing, when it’s really not. The only thing it is, is a way for the companies to keep a lower cost, and increase their profit. Take IKEA as exaple and think about it, first you have to collect the item YOURSELF, then go pay for it YOURSELF, get it home YOURSELF (unless you pay extra to get it delivered), then you have to put it together YOURSELF. This is the dumbest thing I’ve experienced!
No thanks, if YOU want my money, YOU better give me the SERVICE I’m entitled to. Soon, we won’t even expect to get any service or help from the staff at all cause it’s on us (OURSELF) to get it right in the first place! Many company today already got a seriously disturbed sense of SERVICE, and now they’re trying to get rid of their obligation to actually SERVE us customer!
So there you go…
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I agree with Joanne, VAgirland anonymous. Today I worked for 12 hours, then went to the Giant and some people had a full cart with a zillion coupons and nobody would open a register for me so I went to the self-check out of desperation, and suddenly I HAD TO BECOME A CASHIER! People are TRAINED to be cashiers. It’s WORK! It’s fine for all you guys who think it’s a jolly good time, but for those of us who find it unpleasant, we should have cashiers available to us, but they seem to be phasing them out. Is this nightmare the future of shopping?
December 2nd, 2010 at 11:18 pm
I agree with VAGirl, Joanne and Anonymous. Today I worked for 12 hrs then went to the Giant and was behind people with a full cart and a million coupons and they wouldn’t open a lane for me so I went to self-checkout out of desperation and suddenly I HAD TO BE A CASHIER! It’s WORK! I was tired and asked the guy to help me and we’re scanning lemons and apples and punching in numbers — for all you guys who find this a jolly good time, all power to ya, but as for me, give me a human. Is this the future of shopping? I think they’re just trying to save on overhead and selling us a big line of b.s. It wouldn’t “save time” if they had enough cashiers.
June 5th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
I work in a supermarket in the UK whilst I’m studying for a degree and I don’t know if it’s a cultural thing, but over here a lot of people like them because they are faster, although they do have glitches (but humans mess up aswell). Yes there are still some people who don’t like them, but when team leaders have targets to meet and managers breathing down their necks, it can be a God send to get some of the baskets through quicker (and with the confident customers entire trolley loads).
June 24th, 2011 at 10:26 am
I think they’re actually pretty good for buying embarrassing things, they make for less awkward conversations between cashiers and customers and they can be kind of fun and because of all the people that hate them not using them shorter lines, i really don’t see the problem in fact you might say i love them. :)
June 27th, 2011 at 5:07 am
Self checkouts are great for the customer. Unfortunately, the Albertsons in my area removed them but some of the other supermarkets, as well as Targets and Wal Marts, have them so I’ve began shopping more at those locations. People complain and whine that self checkout take away jobs. Let’s be honest, cashiering is something a trained monkey could do. I don’t blame businesses at all for saving any way they can, and I don’t have to make idle chit chat with someone who’s skill in life is swiping a bar code across an optical reader.
July 8th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
I love self-checkout, and I’m disappointed Albertson’s is getting rid of it (although not too upset because I’m not near one any more anyway).
I’d much rather deal with checkout myself rather than have to wait in a line, wedged between magazines and candy, waiting for a surly teenager (and some of them are, depending where you shop) to ring up all the items.
It’s like driving. If human contact is the goal, we should all have chauffeurs, or take a taxi or bus. But people naturally want to feel they are in control of long or annoying tasks like driving and checkout. So we do it ourselves.
July 14th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I have never had a problem with the self check out machines at Albertsons….Walmart, yes theirs suck. I cannot stand using a regular cashier. I rather like doing it myself; I’m faster and I know I’m not scanning something in more than once, plus I bag my groceries in a way that makes sense so that I can put it away when I get home more easily. Sometimes I have to use the cashiers because I have more than the maximum amount of items; and it’s ALWAYS a hassle. I’m not big on social interaction with everybody anyway. That’s what my friends are for.
September 1st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Don’t use the self check out! During storm Irene the market was a mad house so I went to the self check out rather than wait 45 min to checkout in the cashier line. I had a produce sticker stuck somewhere on me that I must have picked up when trying to weigh and print out my plums – another disaster. Anyhow, this sticker was scanning into my order, over riding other bar codes. Of course I was rushing, the storm is coming, the dogs in the car and kids are home alone. I cashed out exited and donated $20 the the boyscouts at the door went to my car and then security approached me and accused me of shoplifting. Totally taken back I cooperated and went back into store When I look at my receipt I see 50 lbs of bananas on my receipt. Obviously security watches every single register on a screen as the customer is checking out. Why would they not come down and say hey lady I think you’ve got a problem here!!! Needless to say they were rude, unprofessional and adamant that I conspired to steal my food. I probably spend $300 bucks a week there and was trying to grab a few non-cooking items knowing we would be without power and so would surrounding restaurants. Stay away from Stop and Shop and their Scan and Scam registers! The kicker is I don’t even eat bananas!
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:27 pm
You guys are seriously complaining about Self checkouts? For one, Many of you guys have never tried it or just automatically assumed its a terrible idea because your fully incapable of following simple directions. It IS meant for smaller and quicker items, however the person supervising the self checkout (SCO) can also scan everything from small to large for you. Its computers. Everything is being taken over by technology, but NO one is losing jobs over it, in fact companies are beginning and hiring MORE people cause it takes more jobs to take care of these when they go wrong. I work at Home Depot, and i am constantly the one supervising the SCO, But i can get people out of the store twice as fast as our other cashiers. Before i worked there, i would still prefer SCO. Its SIMPLE! People will do just about anything to find a way to complain about these. They say right to my face that they are taking peoples jobs, when i clearly have one. No one gets fired due to the SCO. period. If you don’t prefer SCO when you have a few items or rather have a “real” cashier, your simply “lazy”. Calling and reporting a manager for trying to help people through SCO is simply pathetic.
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Lynn,
If you rang up way too many bananas Lynn, then you are simply retarded. That is YOUR fault for not paying attention to what your ringing up. YOUR FAULT, not the checkout. Don’t blame them for your mistake. They wouldn’t come say something to you cause your the one checking out. Its self checkout, not watch over your shoulder to make sure everything your doing is Right. Is it wrong for them to assume that since your a grown women that you are capable of ringing up your items on a self checkout? Its funny how so many people are incapable of following simple directions. Pathetic.
April 13th, 2012 at 4:07 am
It does take jobs away. One person oversees eight self checkouts. That’s seven cashiers that aren’t getting hired for a summer job. So when you standin a line that “goes to China” you would welcome those seven cashiers to stop restocking produce and open their registers…