Self-check at Wal-Mart

[Pagan]

I've got a question for people that work the self-check registers, primarily at Wally World, but others - fell free to chime in. This really isn't sucky as much a little bit annoying.

I was using the self-check yesterday. As a matter of fact, I was the only person at any of the self-checks. I found a copy of "The Order" for $5 (woo-hoo!). I scanned it and just total forgot that it was an R-rated movie and needed to have the clerk watching put in some code to over-ride the age restriction. Well, I must have stood there, looking around, trying to find the clerk for 5 minutes. I finally saw where she was. She was over at one of the express lanes, shooting the breeze with the checker there and helping her bag. I really didn't like to do it, but I left my transaction stuck where it was and walked over to the express register. It took a couple of times to get her attention that her code was needed.

I should mention, too, that I notice this one clerk always wandering. All of the others that have been there, stay in the area and even will ring you up if you have one or two items and there's lines at the self-checks.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're watching over the self-checks, shouldn't you, oh, I don't know, stay in the area and keep an eye out?

[Trayol]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're watching over the self-checks, shouldn't you, oh, I don't know, stay in the area and keep an eye out?

If you are a good employee, you would do that. Other than that no, not at all.

[Happy Otter Lover]

I personally find the self-checkouts to be a Godsend, but I completely hear where you are coming from as far as the staffing in that area. I was paying with a gift card once, so I naturally pressed the 'gift card' button when it came to the payment screen. It sent up an alert saying I needed to swipe a staff clearance card of some sort. The light on my checkout started to flash to alert a staff member. There was a staff member standing at the little watchout pedestal that overlooks the self checkouts. I tried to catch her eye (she wasn't doing anything but standing) but she was ignoring me. I waited for a minute and then went over to ask if she'd help me. '
'Oh no,' she said 'I'm not authorized to do that. You'll have to wait'
Eventually another staff member did come over and told me that, of course, I should have pressed the 'Walmart cash card' button not the gift card button. Silly me.
But seriously. Why be put in charge of a section if you 'don't have the authorization' to do basic job functions?

[ShinyGreenApple]

Yes, a good employee would be watching. We all like to catch up with coworkers, but it's important to watch out for the flashing red lights as well.

I like self-checkouts, but maybe that's just because I babysat them at Wallyworld for so long that I know exactly how they work. And I know to use a regular line if I have certain things, like items that need keyed (picture prints), R-rated films, gift cards or things that need activation, etc.

Why be put in charge of a section if you 'don't have the authorization' to do basic job functions?

Maybe for the same reason WD flung me behind their customer service desk before giving me numbers for the Western Union and money order terminals? It's called stupid management.

[Pagan]

That's what I figured. Normally, I love them. I get my stuff checked out, bagged the way I want....and laugh at the other people still standing in the long regular check-outs.

I'm thinking it's just this one clerk in particular. I've never notice anything happening like this except when this one in particular is working them.

[Kogarashi]

Sounds to me like A. Someone wasn't issued a cashier number and password for registers, and therefore wouldn't be able to run any of the registers, or B. Someone was just pulling for an excuse to not have to move or do anything useful. My guess is B.

I love the self-checkouts. Unfortunately, the Supercenter I used to do my grocery shopping at decided to enforce the "20 items or less" rule on the self-checkouts, despite there being long belts (and when I wrote Corporate to ask about this policy, the only response I got was a phone call from the store manager saying they were hiring more cashiers to run regular registers). The Supercenter I shop at now doesn't even have self-checkouts. They took them out a month or two before the remodel and never put them back in.

[MystyGlyttyr]

I love the self-checkouts. Unfortunately, the Supercenter I used to do my grocery shopping at decided to enforce the "20 items or less" rule on the self-checkouts, despite there being long belts (and when I wrote Corporate to ask about this policy, the only response I got was a phone call from the store manager saying they were hiring more cashiers to run regular registers).

Our's did this recently too. I told my mom they were probably pissed that so many people were faster than their cashiers.

Doesn't stop me from buying twenty items, taking them to my car, buying twenty items, taking them to my car, etc.

Wal-Mart has no idea how far I will go to avoid basic human interaction.

[Broomjockey]

I had a self-check attendant on the other end of the scale. The woman would not leave me alone! I've used the things a couple times before (they were only recently installed, like last month), so I knew what I was doing. I put my club card in the machine before I started scanning. I start scanning, she wanders over and asks "Did you put your club card in?" "Yes, I already did that." "Okay" wanders over to the only other people using the self-checks. They finish up 5 seconds later, and she's back over watching me from about 3 feet away. She even felt the need to point out when I was finished "There's your reciept."

Gee, because I hadn't noticed the foot of paper the machine spit out.

[ShinyGreenApple]

I love the self-checkouts. Unfortunately, the Supercenter I used to do my grocery shopping at decided to enforce the "20 items or less" rule on the self-checkouts, despite there being long belts (and when I wrote Corporate to ask about this policy, the only response I got was a phone call from the store manager saying they were hiring more cashiers to run regular registers).

The reason for this probably being that, the larger an order is, the more difficult it is for the self-check cashier to keep an eye on it. Unfortunately, because of a small amount of dishonest people, yes, those of us who are good customers and intend to pay for everything we bag are sort of included as suspect.

At my old store, most of the shoplifting queens were those who took huge orders through the self-checks. They liked to pull the "scan one item and throw three in a bag" thing with items like boxes of pudding, kool aid packs, spiral notebooks, etc. Though to the best of my knowledge, that store hasn't enforced the 20 or less rule. And hopefully won't, because if I don't see any of my trusted former co workers on a lane, I'll check myself out. At least that way I know that my cashier knows what she's doing

[Boochan]

I had a self-check attendant on the other end of the scale. The woman would not leave me alone! I've used the things a couple times before (they were only recently installed, like last month), so I knew what I was doing. I put my club card in the machine before I started scanning. I start scanning, she wanders over and asks "Did you put your club card in?" "Yes, I already did that." "Okay" wanders over to the only other people using the self-checks. They finish up 5 seconds later, and she's back over watching me from about 3 feet away. She even felt the need to point out when I was finished "There's your reciept."

This sort of attention is probably needed.
The Self-Checks I'd imagine would fascinate some people and many people would use it and have no idea what to do, so I guess they were just doing their job a bit too well

[Crow The Robot]

awk

We had a cashier like that at my former WM. It got so bad that Door greeters and stockmen did the actual cashiering, while she gossipped with her pals. We had another one who would read celeb gossip rags and not pay any attention to the transactions.

[Broomjockey]

This sort of attention is probably needed.
The Self-Checks I'd imagine would fascinate some people and many people would use it and have no idea what to do, so I guess they were just doing their job a bit too well

No, this level of attention is not needed. She was *this* close to invading my personal space. If I'd left too quickly, I'd have run into her, because it would only have taken turning around and taking one step. It felt like she was trying to keep me honest or something. Especially with the useless opening query. It'd have been different if she'd led with something like "Got it all figured out?" or "Need any help using it?" This was right up there with the staff member following you around because they think you're a shop-lifter.

[Happy Otter Lover]

My mother needs that kind of close attention. For whatever reason, she cannot grasp using the self checkouts. She says she doesn't like it telling her what to do. She'll start pressing the 'skip bagging' button even though she's bagged her items so then the thing freaksout that there's unexpected items in the bagging area. So, yes, she needs to have her hand held throughout the entire process.

[Peppergirl]

My mother needs that kind of close attention. For whatever reason, she cannot grasp using the self checkouts. She says she doesn't like it telling her what to do. She'll start pressing the 'skip bagging' button even though she's bagged her items so then the thing freaksout that there's unexpected items in the bagging area. So, yes, she needs to have her hand held throughout the entire process.

Question - and I mean NO disrespect here...but if she has trouble with the self-checkout, why would she use it? Why not just go to a cashier?

Problem solved.

My dad can't get the hang of them, so he refuses to use them unless it's his only option. I actually had to come rescue him one day when it was the only thing open and he about to be a SC to the cashier.

[Kogarashi]

Yeah, it's probably a shoplifting problem that's got them enforcing the limit. ::sigh::

I got a lot of customers using the self checkouts who couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the instructions on the screen, and then whined to me for help. "What do I dooooooo?" "Well, Ma'am, if you just read the screen here, it says, 'please bag item.'" "Oh, well I didn't know that!"

Our's did this recently too. I told my mom they were probably pissed that so many people were faster than their cashiers.

Doesn't stop me from buying twenty items, taking them to my car, buying twenty items, taking them to my car, etc.

Wal-Mart has no idea how far I will go to avoid basic human interaction.

::busts up laughing:: Oh dear. Definitely joining your fanclub, Mysty. ::wipes tears from eyes:: That's so brilliant I'd probably do it myself if it weren't for the fact that I have to go shopping with a 1-year-old.