Self-checkout Blues- Have any?

[earl colby pottinger]

Old or slow people

Here in Ontario Canada i have seen the self-checkout only at the local Home Depot.

But like ATMs I find them very fast if you are doing only one or two transaction and you memorize the basic steps.

While it is mostly old people, I also sometimes see the same younger people also having problems. And as far as I can tell it is always the same thing, (THEY HAVE TO STOP AND READ THE ENTIRE SCREEN BEFORE MAKING A CHOICE!).

And this is crazy! How many times do you really need to read a ATM to note where the CHECKING vs SAVINGS account buttons are? Or the WITHDRAW vs DEPOSIT buttons rest?

How many times does it take to realize you are always pressing the SAME buttons all the time?

[Javarod]

I think self check outs are alright, but I'm not real impressed. As a former inventory clerk and a former cashier, I can ring faster than they can handle, especially during the holiday season, so they often do more to frustrate me than anything else, even ifn they are quicker than the manned lanes.

[Peppergirl]

The stores near where I live have self check out that is designed for, and specifically says, for 'small orders' of 12 or less.

Well, we ALL know SC's totally pay attention and play by the rules on that, don't we?

I love them, on the rare occasions that people actually obey the sign and don't try to plow a weeks worth of groceries through the tiny little self-check out.

Some of the newer stores across town have a set for small orders, and a set for bigger orders. I need to check those out.

[Broomjockey]

I think due to theft they're probably going to phase out self-scans until they can come up with something new. Which is too bad, because I've still never seen one.

[Enigma]

My prediction: within 5 years, 75% of the lanes at Wal-Mart/Meijer's/Publix/Albertsons, big regional/national chains will be self checkouts, and that smaller local chains will be starting to use them. Most people will use credit or debit cards primarily, thus eliminating the need for a cashier to handle checks or cash.

To be honest, my manager informed me that they are no longer putting self-checkouts in the newer stores, and within the next few years will be phasing them out, because there are some issues that for the company, it's just easier to have a cashier handle.

-shrugs- But like I said, my bias is mostly because I work with them, never really had a problem when I was just using them (minus the fact that most people in my city go to self-checkout, so a lot of times it's slower)

[anyanka2]

I don't mind the self checkouts, especially at the big box stores like Meijer's and Wal-Mart. Half the cashier lanes are not even open and if they are, often times the cashier is someone who seems to be on autopilot.

The one complaint I have about them is that you still get charged full price for your order. I wish that you would get some discount on your order if you did use them versus using a cashier.

My prediction: within 5 years, 75% of the lanes at Wal-Mart/Meijer's/Publix/Albertsons, big regional/national chains will be self checkouts, and that smaller local chains will be starting to use them. Most people will use credit or debit cards primarily, thus eliminating the need for a cashier to handle checks or cash.

[bean]

Even though we don't have self checkouts in my store, I have a love/hate relationship with them.

I like them because I can get out of the store a hell of a lot faster, as long as it's not busy. I hate them because a lot of SC's are totally clueless. I watched a lady spend 5 minutes trying to scan ONE item awhile back... I finally pointed out that the barcode wasn't even facing the scanner. Then she put her purse in the bagging area, which caused the self checkout to flip out over the extra weight. Both myself and her (roughly) 10 year old son kept telling her she needed to remove her purse before it would let her continue.. then a FEM pointed it out.

Basically I like them when it's slow and I'm not purchasing any age restricted products. The Kroger across from my own store often has nobody watching the self checkout, so I have to go hunt someone down when I'm buying, oh, cough medicine.

At Home Depot, the self checkout supervisor actually complimented me when she saw me blow through the entire sale in under a minute (I think it was 5 items or so), then griped about how a lot of people take 5 minutes just to ring up 1-2 items. She also thanked me for actually deactivating the anti-theft tag (I also put my cart back in the corral on my way out the door instead of just leaving it at the exit). My response was "I work retail too"

[mattm04]

MY store has the self-scans where you scan the items put them on a belt/scale and it goes thru to a bagging area. It's nice because it is weighed/checked before getting to the bagging area. The easiest way to speed it up is to just manually punch the PLU from the stickers in the machine, instead of looking thru the screens for your produce items. Makes it go almost as fast as a regular line.

I agree that most old people should avoid them at all costs, unless they are willing to follow instructions. Most of them will try to do it their way, which will stop the machines and cause a huge backup.

[Slow-Jo]

Amen to that! Last evening at WallyWorld this woman just started swiping her CC before telling the machine that she was done and then how she wanted to pay. Wound up locking up the machine and the poor cashier had to come over and fix it. The stupid cow was still trying to swipe her card. Seriously, how damn hard is it to follow the instructions?

those are the people you just wanna smack on the hand and say "no bad SC! wait till it tells you to swipe! BAD!"

[staticradio]

self-checkout land!

I am so happy to hear that they are phasing out self-checkouts, or at leat that's what my CSM told me. I cannot think of a bigger waste of company money or time. Let me explain a few reasons I will be glad to see them go:

1-
When I am on duty, it is me at a little podium verses 4 full-service checkout lanes. Most of the time it is excessivly boring, and if I'm not lucky enough to sneak a magazine, I am stuck watching the transactions tick away on my moniter. However, when it does get busy, it all happens at once.

You see at our self-check outs you can't pay with a check, so what I need to do is suspend your transaction and bring it up to my register to send you along your merry way. Today however the second the first lady walked up to me with her check, all of the lights lit up. People need to learn to chill, seriously. I understand you want to get out, but if you see me with another customer at the register, that means I am, infact , busy. So yelling for me, gesturing or walking up to me and getting in my face is not going to get you help any quicker. I can only help one person at a time, and now you're holding everyone up!

No, it's probably two people who thought it would be faster to check out a $300 order on #7, dimbulb who cares not to look up PLU codes on #8, and the impatient nit on #9 who doesn't care to notice and/or hear the machine prompting her for an action.

2-
People don't seem to understand that waving for me is not a good way to get my attention. First of all, I may not be at the podium, for I may be helping someone else. Second of all, it's a fricken' superstore, I can't hear you above the 3000 other people in here. Thirdly you have a lovely little button right infront of you that allows you to "Call for help" aka get my ass over there without causing a scene.

But you're claiming customers can read prompts, right?

3-
You can't restock the bags. People get annoyed when they run out, but they'll never let me in there to restock them. With the constant stream of people, there's not a chance to get in there without cutting in. I actually had a lady yell at me for trying to put some bags on, and then yell at me a minute later because there were not bags.

Gee lady, why do you think I was there?

Moral support. (I really get annoyed with that one, as well. going down the line of registers to fill the plastic bags was such a chore. people with that sense of entitlement that they can't give you 5 seconds to fill bags? jeez...)

4-
Lastly, people forget that this is a machine, and it messes up. Instead, people assume it is some evil plan of mine to use my inherent telekenetic powers to make their day miserable. They completly forget I am there to help them when the machine messes up, and instead choose to cuss me out because they tried to put there CC in too soon, or they tried to buy banana's but forgot to put them on the actual scanner (which weighs it)

Anyway, anyone else want to take a baseball bat to these machines?

Actually, I like self-checkouts. It's the customers who either have this sense of entitlement, believe they know what they're doing, et al. who have no clue. I usually pay attention to all the prompts, and get going with the rest of my day.

[HalloranElder]

The only self checkout I have came across is at Big W in Macquarie Centre (Sydney). And I love it - shorter lines so it is faster to complete my purchase.

The Big W in the QV Building in Melbourne also has self checkout. I've used it a couple of times and had no problems. Usually I will go to a manned register because I like dealing with people.

[Pagan]

but dear god! dont let the older people near them! you pretty much have to take them by the hand and lead them the whole way.
!

Amen to that! Last evening at WallyWorld this woman just started swiping her CC before telling the machine that she was done and then how she wanted to pay. Wound up locking up the machine and the poor cashier had to come over and fix it. The stupid cow was still trying to swipe her card. Seriously, how damn hard is it to follow the instructions?

[ZeoViolet]

I used to love self-checkouts until recently they changed the programming enough to where it now takes twice as long as a real checker, versus my whipping through it before!

So many people are now complaining at my local Wal-Mart because now the self-checkouts are inconveniencing them, that they are probably going to be phased out soon here too. What a waste!

[Bluenomi]

Well, I've certainly heard of self checkouts, but I have never had the pleasure(?) of actually using one, with the exception of those that allow to you to borrow books from your local library.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no self checkouts in Australian retail stores, but perhaps someone else can tell me if this is right? I know there are a few of us Aussies on here!

As I understand it, most of the major supermarkets and other general retailers think they would be too much of a hassle, especially in terms of shop-lifting, while I just don't think it's something most smaller stores would really consider.

Still, I guess it means that customers can argue among themselves while waiting in line, rather than getting the cashier involved?!

Big W have a few. Most of the Canberra stoers have them. They are pretty handy, after years in retail I can scan my own stuff quicker than most 16 year old checkout chicks. I do find I go a bit fast for the machine though, the voice telling you what to do it usually a few steps behind me but the screen keeps up. So I'll be swiping my card while the machine is telling me to put my second last item in the bag

[chops]

Self-checkouts can be great to use, if the store has them set up properly.

I've used several where I can take even a week's worth of groceries and breeze through them like nobody's business.

I've also used several where if you so much as look at it funny, it seizes up until an associate can come over and fix it. A poorly set up self-checkout can be a nightmare for all involved, especially when there's nobody specifically designated to mind it.