Thursday, 18 March 2010
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How Do You Feel About Self-Checkout?
A recent blog post over on Consumer Reports is full of ranty goodness against supermarket self-checkout machines. The author expresses frustration because he has to do extra work at the store and can never get the machine to work right. He then makes the doomsday prediction that these machines will replace all human cashiers because they cut down on the need for employees. And a lot of his commenters share in his hatred of self-checkout and inability to actually use the machines.
I have to say, reading the post made me think of my dad...and the people at my Key Foods in NY. My dad hates self-checkout because, back in his high school days, he used to work at a local grocery store as a bag boy and cashier. So he hates that the machines are taking jobs from high school students like he was. And at my local grocery store in the city, they installed about 6 machines just before I moved in. It was such a pain to try to stop in the store one the way home after work. Most of my neighborhood was made up of senior citizens, and they just couldn't figure out the machines. What should have been a quick trip in for some milk and eggs would take 45 minutes because lines would build up.
I'm generally a fan of using self-checkout machines. I'm usually not buying more than a handful of items, and they are the fastest way to get in and out. And I've also not ever had any trouble getting the machines to work. Looking up produce is easy enough, and the even on the rare occasion I need an associate, it still doesn't make the checkout take as long as it would with a cashier. I don't like using them for a lot of groceries, but that's just because I hate bagging everything.
How do you feel about self-checkout? Do you prefer using cashiers?
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About the Author
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- From: Cara
- Name: Cara
- About Me: I'm a 24 yr old back in the Midwest for law school. I've survived the first semester as a law student after working as a paralegal for two years. Let's see how the rest of the time goes!
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Comments (58)
I can't stand the things!
As the op said they take jobs away, and they are often difficult for customers to use.
There is also the problem that most stores don't limit the number of items a customer can have when they go through one of these. If every customer has a few items, and pays with credit or debit they aren't so bad. But, people fumbling around with cash or checks and ringing up 50 items, or items that have to be weighed, make it take forever to use them.
I work on the things, doing repair work on them that is. They are a hassle to keep running, and they allow for a lot of theft, especially if the cashier watching over the thing is less than attentive. One store in my area had $200,000 of loss they attributed mostly to theft while going through the Self-Checkouts.
My suggestion would be to not use the things, go through a lane with a real cashier, it will be faster, and you'll be helping that cashier to keep her job.
I don't particularly like them cuz 50% of the time I just can't get the merchandise to SCAN!! scan scan scan... so yeah it's much slower then regular line...
On a personal, selfish level- I love them. I don't have to deal with people. I can get in and out with little to no personal contact whatsoever.
However, aren't we supposed to be creating jobs? How much of this money spent in machinery could have been used to pay a live person?
I like them when there's not a line and because I'm often self-conscious about my purchases.
The slightest thing seems to make them stop working. Also, it is easy to see how they can be used for theft. Grocery stores that still use humans, humans who bag for me, and take my groceries to my car get my business.
I only use them if I'm buying like 5 things. Anything more I prefer the cashiers since it's usually always faster and convenient (unless there's a long line).
Maybe it is because I used to be a cashier and often had to be the "help" standing at the self-checkouts, but they are insanely easy to use. People mess up on them because they get in too big of a hury and decide that it is a good idea to start andomly pushing buttons when it doesn't respond the way they want. Seriously people, they have been around long enough now, atleast where I live, that it is silly not to know how to use one. Scan item, place item in the bag, and repeat. Simple.
I much prefer them to most of the snobby ass teenagers that they have working at my local stores. May seem cruel but seems like the cashiers are getting ruder and ruder all the time no matter where you go. It won't kill you to say "hi", "thank you", "bye" and "have a nice day!"
they are easy to useand quick when the lines are busy and I have just a few items. I haven't had many problems with them.
If I have to do the cashier's job, the receipt better say how much money I personally saved doing it.
I don't like them because I can be a paranoid person and I feel like I'm taking to long and making people angry or something..That's why I like cashiers, it can be there fault :D
I use them when its late, I'm getting my husband from work and I need one or two things. I don't have to deal with people I can get in out and done faster.
why not??? i bag my own groceries sometimes (i love it).
Hate them. Never scans properly.
I say the employees have nothing to worry about. At most, stores have eight checkout machines, and those are Walmarts with twenty manned machines. And people usually go to the non-self checkout machines, especially people older than 40.
I say they're great for buying condoms and they are a major contribution to safe sex among embarrassed sexually active people:)
i've never worked as a cashier before, but they are SO easy to use. you'd have to be pretty dumb to not operate them correctly, IMHO.
I can't stand the self-checkout, and don't usually use it. They never seem to work properly and are generally just a pain to use. Last time I used one, I went to scan some index cards and it said it got them, but it didn't show on my receipt.
I only use self-checkout if one or more of these things is happening:
1) I don't want a cashier to see what I'm buying (embarrassing products)
2) There is a long line for the human cashiers
3) I'm only purchasing one or two items
I don't really care either way. I just go wherever I can check out faster, so if there's nobody in a manned lane, I'll go there. If there's a self-checkout that's empty, that's where I'll go.
I like them because they are good if you don't have a ton of things. There's usually not a long line there.
I had problems when they first started appearing in stores, but I haven't had any problems lately.
i'm a cashier and i can say that if i only have a few items while i'm shopping, i prefer the self checkout because i know how to work them and they're usually faster, unless the express lane is free of people (which it usually isn't). but i will say that i hate working the self checkout because people are stupid and don't know how to use them. they think they're faster than a real cashier, but that's only if you know what you're doing (and unless you have me as a cashier cuz i'm wicked fast lol). if you're a hundred years old, don't even bother with them. if you have a full cart, again, don't bother. the store i work at limits items to 20 or less at the self checkout, but i've noticed some stores don't have a limit. BAD IDEA. the self checkout is for people who want to get in and get out. if that's not you and you have a million items, go to a regular register.
I only like them because I get to scan things without being responsibly to count change, with apparently I can't do.
When I was little I would always play grocery
We recently got them at our neighborhood Safeway and I've had 0 problems so far.
I love them. I don't usually have problems getting them to work. And I like bagging my own groceries. It's just always something I've enjoyed doing.
I like self checkout.
I don't use them, as I would rather employ a person then a machine.
I LOVE them. So convenient.