A Rant on the Self-Checkout: I Hope You Die!

Wednesday, 08 July 2009

A Rant on the Self-Checkout: I Hope You Die!
I went grocery shopping at Pathmark the other day. When I went to check out with my 20 or so items, there were only two cashiers open (out of about 10), and both had extremely long lines. I eyed the other end of the checkout area where the "Self-Checkout" signs were flaming with repugnance. A haze of beeps and the computer's fakely nice voice echoed like the voice of Satan himself. There was no way I was going to confront the devil of the self-checkout; I'd much rather wait on line for eternity and be greeted by a mediocrely friendly cashier.
There's nothing I hate more than the annoying sound of the automated voice telling you to "Please scan your item" and "Please place your item on the belt." Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration-- there are things I hate more. But really, does anybody like the self-checkout at grocery stores?
I think it's an indication of our society-- our independence, our laziness, our lack of trust in others. The technology of the self-checkout has taken away the need for jobs; rather than hiring people to work as cashiers, corporations opt to rely on computers as employees.
Not only does the self-checkout take away job opportunites for the unemployed, it's a stupid creation that is annoying to use. It also makes it easier for customers to shoplift (I've never done this, I'm just guessing).
Do you think this phase of the self-checkout will last long or die? Will it live on and take away more jobs from people? Do you hate the self-checkout as much as I do?

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Comments (330)

I love having the self-checkout available when I'm only buying one or two items. I'd rather just get my things & go than having to stand in line because there are only 4 cashiers open. You're right that it takes away jobs though. But, I've also never seen a Walmart that has all of their lanes open. How many people could be hired to fill those?
- 7/9/2009 3:27 PM
- fiery_redhead10@xanga (message)
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i haaaaaaaate self checkouts. i broke one at a giant once and an associate in charge of self checkout issues came over and started yelling at me for breaking it. i was like "hold on, lady. listen here - you're supposed to deal with this" and i kept yelling back and she finally shut up when i took a customer satisfaction/complaint hotline card and took out my cell phone. i think she took the hint.

i do like express lanes, though. the like 12-or-less lanes. i especially love how farm fresh (at least our farm fresh) has big signs everywhere that say express lanes open 24/7, but they're never open. hahah.
- 7/9/2009 3:39 PM
- x__EMuhLEE@xanga (message)
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Two things i hate about the self checkout. One, stop annoucing to everyone around me how much each item is. Yes, i know that was 1.09$ , i checked the price before putting it in the basket. Two, people stand way too close when they see your about to pay for your things. But i have issues with personal space no matter what line im in.

I use self check out whenever its avalible, unless i have produce, then i let someone else try to figure that mess out
- 7/9/2009 3:45 PM
- r0ckst4rb3tty@xanga (message)
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@x__EMuhLEE@xanga - Express lanes are great, when people actually pay attention to the fact that its suppose to be for 20 or less items.
I was at foodlion, only two cashiers were open, one express, but there was an old lady with a shopping cart full in that lane, and a line at the other one. >=|
- 7/9/2009 3:48 PM
- r0ckst4rb3tty@xanga (message)
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I like the self-checkout. I can checkout twice as fast as when I go to a cashier. I can bag my items as I like, according to how I'm going to put them away when I get home. I don't have to converse with the employee who, more often than not, doesn't want to converse with me. I can ring up all my vegetables as bananas. It's great.
- 7/9/2009 3:51 PM
- i_r_keiko@xanga (message)
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I use them when I am buying only a few items. My biggest problem is when I forget the weight sensor doesn't pick up packs of seeds.
- 7/9/2009 4:01 PM
- Dargon@xanga (message)
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I've surprisingly never used a self checkout before. I imagine it must be easy though to walk into the store with $0 and walk out with $0 and tons of food.
- 7/9/2009 5:45 PM
- musicforyourmom@xanga (message)
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I like it!! :D So much more efficient. And people should always aim a little higher in jobs. =/
- 7/9/2009 5:46 PM
- SteamyDumpling@xanga (message)
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Self checkout... I keep meaning to buy a hammer along with my groceries so when it says "Please wait for employee assistance," I can smash the screen in. But then, what can you do when you are at 'Super' Walmart or 'Super' Target or what have you and only four of the 125 lanes are open and its a Friday at 6pm?
- 7/9/2009 6:13 PM
- crystal_air@xanga (message)
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i love self check-out. true, it is very annoying when they give you like 20 seconds to place an item into your shopping bag, but i still feel like it's much faster than waiting in line for a real person to ring up items... what i don't understand is when wal-mart will be jam packed and have self-check out stations, but they won't be open? that, to me, is way more frustrating than having to wait for the automated computer voice to tell you to "please hold".
- 7/9/2009 6:37 PM
- teddynsnoopy@xanga (message)
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i've read somewhere online that minors have been finding ways to use self-checkout as a way to purchase alcohol... i.e. by scanning a six pack of soda and then switching it with beer, since both weigh the same?

there's absolutely no regulation with self-checkout. and i hate how i sometimes have difficulty scanning things. plus sometimes the price is wrong, and i have to flag down a worker to get it fixed. then there's the problem with using coupons. way too much of a hassle... i only do self-checkout if the regular lines are extremely long
- 7/9/2009 6:43 PM
- gwaceee@xanga (message)
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@saintofme@xanga - lol smart thinking
- 7/9/2009 6:46 PM
- Bacardii_Qween@xanga (message)
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I think they're annoying in that you can't scan more than one item. It scans, tells you to put it in the bagging area, then in the bag, and THEN you scan another.
I KNOW TO PUT THE ITEM IN THE BAG, I'M NOT FUCKING STUPID.
Or, at my job, I use the self-checkout to buy drinks on my break (must faster). I scan the drink, open it to gulp it down, and get some stupid message that my item wasn't in the bagging area. Or, I place my wallet or purse on the side of the machine and it says "unauthorized item in bagging area". I hate these shits-- give people some credit.
- 7/9/2009 7:04 PM
- TheQueerGuitarist@xanga (message)
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I absolutely love the self-check out lanes. I use them all the time when they're available. I'll even wait in a one or two people "line" to use them opposed to the 6-9 people lines at the cashier lanes. We never go shopping for a LOT at one time anyway so the self check out is faster. There's no middle person between me and my purchases. And the ones I've seen have a camera up above the scanner so the associates standing at the end of the self-check outs can see what you're ringing up. I don't think it's at all easy to rob stuff (not that I've tried. I'm too scared of getting in trouble. lol)
- 7/9/2009 7:11 PM
- Sugarling@xanga (message)
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I work at a library on a college campus, and we just added a self-checkout machine. That means our jobs are in jeopardy because a machine can do our job (albeit, it does it with 10 times worse personality). It sucks big time. I put in my two weeks notice since we already got our hours cut drastically. Curse technology (most of it, anyway)!
- 7/9/2009 7:18 PM
- celticlass11@xanga (message)
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I do love the self-check out lanes, no need for all that 'hello, how are you? cashier nonsense. bagging after your items take a fun ride on a rotating belt, cash register malfunction --call the manager.' Not that it affects me, but self-check outs are conveniently fast. But after all that's said, i do agree with you, but self-check outs don't bother me.
- 7/9/2009 7:49 PM
- at_eex3@xanga (message)
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I love self-checkout. Especially when it gives my mom the usual, "Unexpected item in bagging area!" voice loop, because I like when she yells at inanimate objects :D ("Yeah, well, *you're* an unexpected item, you stupid machine!").
- 7/9/2009 8:08 PM
- firefactorx@xanga (message)
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I'm one who loves the self-check out. My kids like helping, and then it's nice to bag our own items the way in which we want. I've had too many people bagging for me nowadays in a way that didn't appeal to me -- no offense to them, but I really don't like my bread smooshed at the bottom of a bag with boxes on top.
In my opinion, the self-checkout lanes are very convenient, especially if the other lanes are long and I have only a few items.
- 7/9/2009 8:21 PM
- ManoAngeliukai9902@xanga (message)
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I've a love-hate relationship with them.
I don't mind using them because I get through quite quickly, which I love. It's the slow people who hold up the line that drive me crazy. If you don't know how to use the damn machines, then go to a till with a person behind the scanner!!!
- 7/9/2009 8:40 PM
- x_shadow_kitsune_x@xanga (message)
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i love the self checkout, i use it over the cashier every time. it's much quicker, especially when you really only have like 1 item. that's true about taking away jobs though. i never thought of that aspect, although it should have been obvious i guess.
- 7/9/2009 9:23 PM
- galadrielspitcher@xanga (message)
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actually, I really like them, they are faster.
- 7/9/2009 9:33 PM
- IrisLoamsdownofDeephallow@xanga (message)
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I HATE self checkouts.
- 7/9/2009 9:48 PM
- youarelovely@xanga (message)
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I love the self-checkout!! and I don't think we're being lazy for having one. I think it's quite the opposite. If we were lazy, we'd be standing in line and wait for our turn at the cash register. ... and I didn't think independence was a bad thing.
Also, our lack of trust for others because of the self checkout, is probably too much lols. It's just more convenient! Seriously, have you seen the line ups when all the check out points are full?!
- 7/9/2009 10:14 PM
- CITYG1RL@xanga (message)
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Had worked at a grocery store for 4 yrs and being one of the last of that stores chain to get the self check outs I find it rather convient yet frustating myself.. for a few items and a quick getaway (especially for breaks) or just quick in n out of store thing.... they are nice, but for those who take full carts through can be rather annoying as a customer and an employee..
Around here it seems like Walmarts can get away with it but the actual grocery store can't.. we had gotten alot of bad feedback about them the first few weeks and then of course died down..
the thing with only having 2 lines open.. thats rough, clearly the front end surpervisor should have been on register to help the lines but knowing from experience, managers do not get on the registers they don't know how to run them and very few know and get on... Grocery stores tend to have alot of teens working there and that means alot of call offs cuz people just don't care soo that makes things worse for us as customers and looks very bad on the store.. It can be very frustating as the front end coach, having 3 cashiers scheduled and 2 call off you are only one person and can't get a replacment.. you have to try your best and hope the night goes fast to get through...
- 7/9/2009 10:16 PM
- taurusring20@xanga (message)
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I prefer a human smile over an automated one, and I'm willing to wait for it.
- 7/9/2009 10:42 PM
- twistedpistol@xanga (message)
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