The end of customer service

[Throwmeabone]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
It's more of a convenience to me to do it all myself and not rely on some potentially incompetent cashier. I actually find that I checkout much faster when I "do it myself", rather than letting a cashier check me out.

You sort of sound like a jerk. "I'm sure the cashier I get is going to be an idiot, so I might as well go do it myself." Almost all cashiers that I've ever had have been far more capable of scanning items than I am, seeing as how they do it for a living. And self check out is often slower when you have a lot of items.

I usually go to self check out just to give cashiers a break. I've been a cashier at Home Depot, and it was frustrating for me to have a huge line at my lane and some people had just one or two items. They didn't use self check out because they were too lazy or nervous to try it. People are literally scared of trying it because they think it will be hard.

 

[drinkmorejava]

I find that it normally ends up taking more time

The scanner never works right
Then you have to place the item in the bag to be weighed
Then you have to wait for it to show up as placed in the bag
Then there's probably another half second before you can scan something else
and then you need to sign at the end anyway

I avoid them when I can.

 

[NanoStuff]

I love the "email us with your comments" bit after the article.

nobodygivesashit@msn.com

 

[venkman]

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: venkman

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: Ns1
While checking out, do think of each transaction as...


CR Sales
DR AR - KrunchyKrome
CR Inventory
-snip-

I do. And it frightens me.


What about the internal controls? If 1 out of every 100 transactions has an error, what type of impact will that have on the financial statements? Risk overstating sales? OH NOES.


Sorry, I'm really bored.

ermmm what?

Must be Cashier speak

Nope, it's accounting speak. He's listing out all the journal entries in debits & credits (utilizing a perpetual inventory system).

Edit: yeah, I use the self-checkout a lot. Shorter line, all the luddites, tech-fearing geezers and illiterates are in the regular checkout ailse

Fern

Oh right. Should have seen that! Bad venkman

 

[Atomic Playboy]

The problem I have with self-checkout is that it is yet another way for large companies to screw employees. Why pay 8 cashiers when you can pay 1 cashier to watch 8 self-checkout machines? It's screwing Americans out of jobs. It's the exact same thing that manufacturing plant workers have been complaining about for decades; machines come in, they do the work of 10 people, and all you need is one person to make sure the machine runs. So now 9 people are out of a job while the CEOs get a healthy bonus for "trimming the fat." It is absolute bullshit, and anyone who cares about American workers in any way, shape or form will realize that these machines are designed solely to reduce head count and generate more profit for the corporate elite at the expense of hard-working Americans. Fuck that.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

I only use it at the hardware store if I only have a couple small things.

At the grocery store it's annoying having to wait for the "please place item in the bagging area" message to clear so you cans can another item. There's a lag time of a few seconds that adds up and that doesn't include "please wait for casheir" messages when the weight is off because the box of cereal is partially leaning on the prings holding the plastic bag. Which leads us to the next problem which are those tiny bagging areas. You can't just toss stuff in there because only 2/3 of the bag is on the counter, so it's like playing freaking jenga with your soup cans trying to fit it in there and avoid the dreaded error messages and somehow manage to save yourself some time.

 

[waffleironhead]

Originally posted by: venkman
ATM Machines aren't very good at selling Financial Services that banks offer.

Yep they have trouble selling stuff thru their Automated Teller Machine Machines.

 

[venkman]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
The problem I have with self-checkout is that it is yet another way for large companies to screw employees. Why pay 8 cashiers when you can pay 1 cashier to watch 8 self-checkout machines? It's screwing Americans out of jobs. It's the exact same thing that manufacturing plant workers have been complaining about for decades; machines come in, they do the work of 10 people, and all you need is one person to make sure the machine runs. So now 9 people are out of a job while the CEOs get a healthy bonus for "trimming the fat." It is absolute bullshit, and anyone who cares about American workers in any way, shape or form will realize that these machines are designed solely to reduce head count and generate more profit for the corporate elite at the expense of hard-working Americans. Fuck that.

Those 9 people update their skills, get a better job, earn a higher income, and contribute more production to the economy.

 

[Throwmeabone]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Why would someone go inside of the bank?

Answer: In the case of depositing money, it will be available sooner if you see a teller.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I hate it when people who don't know how to use it clog up the lines.

But I like using it. I don't like interacting with other people.

 

[shocksyde]

I worked at BJ's (similar to Costco) in my early college years and we installed 4 self-checkout lanes. People used them so infrequently that we took them back out.

I don't think the public as a whole is ready for them to become widespread quite yet. I do agree, though. I use them whenever possible.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: venkman

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
The problem I have with self-checkout is that it is yet another way for large companies to screw employees. Why pay 8 cashiers when you can pay 1 cashier to watch 8 self-checkout machines? It's screwing Americans out of jobs. It's the exact same thing that manufacturing plant workers have been complaining about for decades; machines come in, they do the work of 10 people, and all you need is one person to make sure the machine runs. So now 9 people are out of a job while the CEOs get a healthy bonus for "trimming the fat." It is absolute bullshit, and anyone who cares about American workers in any way, shape or form will realize that these machines are designed solely to reduce head count and generate more profit for the corporate elite at the expense of hard-working Americans. Fuck that.

Those 9 people update their skills, get a better job, earn a higher income, and contribute more production to the economy.

Have you ever been to a grocery store? Some of the people who cashier there now are lucky to have that. These are not people destined to be lawyers. The myth that everyone can stop working the lowest jobs in our society and move up is limited by the reality that there are not enough "higher" jobs to go around. There's no demand for millions of software engineers, or lawyers, or doctors, or whatever. Even moderate jobs like teachers or nurses or admin assitants; there is not an infinite job supply in our country. We are going to have people who are good at menial tasks; if their jobs disappear, that's it for them. It spurs unemployment, it depresses the economy, and it is only done so that CEOs can earn a bonus for reducing headcount. It is despicable.

 

[StormRider]

I love self-checkout lines. Now I can buy that anti-fungal cream without any sort of embarrassment!

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: venkman

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy
The problem I have with self-checkout is that it is yet another way for large companies to screw employees. Why pay 8 cashiers when you can pay 1 cashier to watch 8 self-checkout machines? It's screwing Americans out of jobs. It's the exact same thing that manufacturing plant workers have been complaining about for decades; machines come in, they do the work of 10 people, and all you need is one person to make sure the machine runs. So now 9 people are out of a job while the CEOs get a healthy bonus for "trimming the fat." It is absolute bullshit, and anyone who cares about American workers in any way, shape or form will realize that these machines are designed solely to reduce head count and generate more profit for the corporate elite at the expense of hard-working Americans. Fuck that.

Those 9 people update their skills, get a better job, earn a higher income, and contribute more production to the economy.

Have you ever been to a grocery store? Some of the people who cashier there now are lucky to have that. These are not people destined to be lawyers. The myth that everyone can stop working the lowest jobs in our society and move up is limited by the reality that there are not enough "higher" jobs to go around. There's no demand for millions of software engineers, or lawyers, or doctors, or whatever. Even moderate jobs like teachers or nurses or admin assitants; there is not an infinite job supply in our country. We are going to have people who are good at menial tasks; if their jobs disappear, that's it for them. It spurs unemployment, it depresses the economy, and it is only done so that CEOs can earn a bonus for reducing headcount. It is despicable.

Text

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: shocksyde
I worked at BJ's in my early college years and we installed 4 self-checkout lanes.

I'm surprised your average guy on the street has that kind of flexibility.

 

[ultimatebob]

Self-Checkout lines are great as long as you're not standing behind a retard who still doesn't know how to use one. I find it amazing that some folks still don't have a clue how these things work a full five years after they started showing up in this area!

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Throwmeabone

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
Why would someone go inside of the bank?

Answer: In the case of depositing money, it will be available sooner if you see a teller.

That is true, but I think direct deposit is more common now that traditional paper checks, and I think it's preference will continue to increase. As far as the non-routine deposits, where direct deposit is not an option, yes there will be a need for a bank teller as long as the customer wants to strategically deposit the check to be available at a certain date. However, if this really becomes an issue, I wouldnt be surprised if banks adjusted their policies and operations, so using an automated machine (ATM) will not pose a problem.

To reply to your other comment, saying I might be a jerk:
I wasn't trying to come off as a jerk; lets put aside the debate on whether or not a cashier is more efficient than the machine. What about the actual customer service aspect? I'll have a much more pleasant experience with a machine that offers no personality and no emotion than a cashier who may either smile at me or completely rub me the wrong way.

 

[Nitemare]

I'd rather have a no check, cash, coupons or stupid shopper line.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Ns1

Originally posted by: Fern

Originally posted by: venkman

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: Ns1
While checking out, do think of each transaction as...


CR Sales
DR AR - KrunchyKrome
CR Inventory
-snip-

I do. And it frightens me.


What about the internal controls? If 1 out of every 100 transactions has an error, what type of impact will that have on the financial statements? Risk overstating sales? OH NOES.


Sorry, I'm really bored.

ermmm what?

Must be Cashier speak

Nope, it's accounting speak. He's listing out all the journal entries in debits & credits (utilizing a perpetual inventory system).

Fern

DR PostCount
CR Productivity


lol

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
Sometimes the self-checkout is good, but I was buying paint with a friend at HD on the weekend and everytime we scanned a can of paint, the clerk had to come over and manually add an "eco-fee" of $0.50. I asked if she could just add it as a lump sum at the end, but no, she had to do it after each can, which made the transaction take about 5 times as long as it should have.

KT

that's cuz home depot has the worst goddamn self checkout system ever designed. Whoever thought of that one should be shot. repeatedly.

thats why im glad i get to go thru the contractors line. always fast, rarely a long line there. i stay away from the self check outs. when they try to redirect me to them i ask "will i get a 10% discount for doing your job?" and they leave me alone.

 

[rivan]

I go out of my way to use the people employed at the store.

Now, if there were a discount for using self-serve, I probably would go that way. As someone else mentioned, the only reason they're there is for The Man? to get a little bit fatter bonus for reduced personnel.

 

[Kntx]

Originally posted by: Ns1
DR PostCount
CR Productivity

Not sure that Post Count is an asset.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: rivan
I go out of my way to use the people employed at the store.

Now, if there were a discount for using self-serve, I probably would go that way. As someone else mentioned, the only reason they're there is for The Man? to get a little bit fatter bonus for reduced personnel.

Personally, I don't care if "the man" makes a buck off of me using the machine rather than their employee. What business is it of mine. I'm there to get what I need and leave with minimal inconvenience.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Kntx

Originally posted by: Ns1
DR PostCount
CR Productivity

Not sure that Post Count is an asset.

It is for me

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Kntx

Originally posted by: Ns1
DR PostCount
CR Productivity

Not sure that Post Count is an asset.

it's a contra asset to the asset account:Life

 

[effowe]

I love self checkout, I can swipe my items and be done in much less time than using a regular cashier. Someone mentioned the big problem with these machines though, the fact that you can say you're buying an item of lesser value and rip off the store. This is going to be solved with RFID. Soon every item in the store will have it's own RFID tag. You will walk your cart through the checkout, all your items will be scanned simultaneously, and you will receive a total. This will greatly increase checkout time as no items will need to be manually scanned. The only thing left to do will be to bag your groceries.