Self Checkout Lanes are for Idiots.

[cubby1223]

Why do you buy corn that was harvested using a machine by a single farmer? You should source out hand picked corn like it was done back in the day. The only thing a tractor does is cause corn pickers to be out of work yet those profits are not passed down to the consumer.

Exactly. This thread is full of people who haven't a clue why they hold the opinions they do. I bet most people here don't realize grocery store profit margins are typically low single digits.

And I always get amused by people who say they hate the reduction of employees, wages, whatever, and in protest will say they'll now shop exclusively through Amazon - because apparently Amazon has more employees and pay higher wages?

 

[JimKiler]

If I shop at Sam's Club or Walmart (which I would never admit to) i will go self serve any day. The slow cashiers at those places drive me insane (hypothetically!).

I suppose the biggest reason to not use them is the same as paying in cash, you are overpaying. Or in this case not getting the same amount of service for your money.

 

[nakedfrog]

I use self checkout with smaller amounts of items.

My biggest complaint about using the cashier. It never fails I end up with these three types of people in front of me.

1. Idiots who are mystified at how to use a CC reader in 2015.
2. Welfare queens that cant figure out how to use their EBT
3. Assholes who wait until it is time to pay to go through the coupon book and rip them out.(I actually laid into one woman about this tactic. I had it at that point, and hope she learned her lesson)

She probably already knew that other assholes shop at the grocery store too.

 

[Aikouka]

I use them at Kroger and Home Depot quite a bit. I've tried to find ways to maximize my speed at them as I don't like holding people up. For example, at Kroger, you never swipe your credit card first, because once you scan your shopper's card, it will clear out your payment method. So, I always have my two cards ready, and I use them in the right order before I start scanning my items. Scanning fruit barcodes can be a pain, so I either know the PLU codes for the common ones (green non-organic grapes = 4022), or I'll look at them right before I get up there.

I spent sooo much more time waiting in line before they implemented these at Kroger and Walmart in my area. One of the reasons I still don't shop at Target for groceries. I always have to wait in line at the checkout.

My local Target has self-checkout. Although, they seem to be kind of buggy, as at least one of them is always malfunctioning.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Waiting in line is the worst. Anything that can remove "waiting" is good.

 

[dank69]

Most self-checkouts are dedicated large POS units, with numerous configuration details in place to help prevent you trying to not pay for things and get away with it, and just to annoy you (why do automotive items always require the cashier? Why no scan guns? Why aren't the scanner and camera working together for multiple items (FI, with multiples, I use the trick of alternating items to scan to speed things up, because they all seem to have a long timeout for repeated SKUs)?). But, I haven't seen any like you describe, where it's truly self-checkout. Rather, it's you scanning, IDing & weighing, and bagging items on the counter, with a single cashier supervising several registers.

They have scales in the produce department when you can weigh your stuff and print out labels for them. Once every few months you get audited at checkout where an employee comes over and randomly scans 10 items in your bags to make sure it was scanned by you. They even have an app now for your phone. You can use your phone to scan everything and there is a reader at the checkout that scans a barcode on the app.

 

[TheGardener]

Waiting in line is the worst. Anything that can remove "waiting" is good.

In principle I agree with posters who are indignant of not being compensated by doing the work of ringing up and bundling the store's products. Also I like to see people employed. But time is money. So you have a good point.

 

[purbeast0]

it seems that many people in this thread have completely forgotten the simplest equation of them all.

time = money

 

[TheGardener]

They have scales in the produce department when you can weigh your stuff and print out labels for them. Once every few months you get audited at checkout where an employee comes over and randomly scans 10 items in your bags to make sure it was scanned by you

I've seen this tool at Whole Foods. I tried using it, but while the scale worked to give you the weight, the machine failed to print out a label. I have to believe this was intentional, and they just left it around so people would get an idea of what the item weighted and would cost.

They even have an app now for your phone. You can use your phone to scan everything and there is a reader at the checkout that scans a barcode on the app.

I can see problems of theft with this kind of app. What stores accept this?

 

[CZroe]

I've seen this tool at Whole Foods. I tried using it, but while the scale worked to give you the weight, the machine failed to print out a label. I have to believe this was intentional, and they just left it around so people would get an idea of what the item weighted and would cost.



I can see problems of theft with this kind of app. What stores accept this?

Wal-mart Scan 'n' Go

 

[Aikouka]

I can see problems of theft with this kind of app. What stores accept this?

Apple lets you checkout using just your phone. It's really weird walking out after paying with your phone.

 

[dank69]

I've seen this tool at Whole Foods. I tried using it, but while the scale worked to give you the weight, the machine failed to print out a label. I have to believe this was intentional, and they just left it around so people would get an idea of what the item weighted and would cost.



I can see problems of theft with this kind of app. What stores accept this?

Stop & Shop is where I use it. Haven't used the phone app but I see the scanner for it at checkout and the signs advertising the app.

 

[Cerb]

They have scales in the produce department when you can weigh your stuff and print out labels for them. Once every few months you get audited at checkout where an employee comes over and randomly scans 10 items in your bags to make sure it was scanned by you. They even have an app now for your phone. You can use your phone to scan everything and there is a reader at the checkout that scans a barcode on the app.

Why aren't these opening up everywhere? That sounds awesome.

 

[dank69]

Why aren't these opening up everywhere? That sounds awesome.

I dunno, but S&S has had it for a few years at least.

 

[OverVolt]

Pretty soon you guys will be stocking the shelves if it saves time.

 

[Ns1]

Pretty soon you guys will be stocking the shelves if it saves time.

if they'd let me go into the back to grab stock instead of waiting for their slow asses I would.

 

[nakedfrog]

Pretty soon you guys will be stocking the shelves if it saves time.

You say that like it's a bad thing?
Shopping is a necessary evil. The less time I spend doing it, the more time I have for things I want to do.

 

[slag]

http://thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=self_checkout_lanes_blow

Pretty accurate.


What amuses me is the shoplifting part. But if you think about it; you are scanning bagging your own groceries and yet they pass none of the cost savings on to the consumer.


I hope amazon will start selling and shipping a full grocery line because I really hate grocery shopping in general.

You're preaching to the choir. I've been saying this for years. If they expect me to check myself out, they had better give at least a 10% discount since they no longer have to pay for a cashier and it makes me do more work. I rarely go to them unless my wife insists and she does all the checking out. Just not worth the hassle.

 

[Ns1]

You're preaching to the choir. I've been saying this for years. If they expect me to check myself out, they had better give at least a 10% discount since they no longer have to pay for a cashier and it makes me do more work. I rarely go to them unless my wife insists and she does all the checking out. Just not worth the hassle.

you're telling me if the full service checkout line is 15 deep and the self checkout line has zero wait, you'd wait for full service checkout?

 

[slag]

you're telling me if the full service checkout line is 15 deep and the self checkout line has zero wait, you'd wait for full service checkout?

I've never ever had a full service line 15 deep. Maybe 3 deep, and yeah, I will use that time to check my work email, facebook, text something to my sisters, etc. It goes by quickly.

 

[darkswordsman17]

People expecting cost reductions don't seem to understand how cheap cashiers are valued at.

They don't pay me enough to do the work of a cashier and courtesy clerk. I want to be served when I go to a retail establishment.

Like the cashiers in most retail outlets are really any better. They're typically the biggest nuisance in the modern shopping experience at least for me.

Want to be served? Where are you shopping that you're being served?

"Someone?" You don't recognize Maddox? You must be young.

Why would you? Other than some fleeting popularity like 10 years ago he's just another random asshole ranting about stupid shit on the internet.

 

[Sonikku]

Waiting in line is the worst. Anything that can remove "waiting" is good.

There seems to be a popular belief that self checkouts are in addition to cashiers, as opposed to simply a replacement. The more I see added, the fewer cashiers I see in comparison.

 

[BurnItDwn]

There seems to be a popular belief that self checkouts are in addition to cashiers, as opposed to simply a replacement. The more I see added, the fewer cashiers I see in comparison.

If there are enough self checkouts so that there is no line, Its fine by me. I just hate waiting, I have no problem with scanning the stuff provided it doesn't take me longer to do it my self than if there was a cashier.

 

[Brainonska511]

Speaking from experience, as both a cashier and an occasional user of self-checkout machines, a cashier is almost always faster. The slow step in checkout is rarely the cashier, it's usually the idiot that a) can't find their payment method, b) can't figure out how to use their payment method, c) demands price checks, or d) has a zillion coupons and didn't purchase half the stuff.

 

[Ns1]

Speaking from experience, as both a cashier and an occasional user of self-checkout machines, a cashier is almost always faster. The slow step in checkout is rarely the cashier, it's usually the idiot that a) can't find their payment method, b) can't figure out how to use their payment method, c) demands price checks, or d) has a zillion coupons and didn't purchase half the stuff.

e) pays with a goddamn check